When it was almost time to eat, Simon and his party finally arrived at the final destination of businessman Aubrey - the town of Wiesbaden.
At this time, the sun was shining brightly in the sky and there were no clouds in the sky. The bright sunshine fell wantonly on the earth, bringing some warmth to the guys who were covered in cold dew.
The town of Wiesbaden is indeed as everyone suspected. Compared with other places, it is rich and magnificent.
Colorful flags fluttered in the wind above the city wall made of strips of stone and tall, hard logs. Towering towers are scattered at the four corners of the town's outer wall. From a distance, you can faintly see huge Roman light crossbows on the towers.
In the open space in front of the town wall of Wiesbaden, like Cologne, a deep trench surrounds the town. A crude wooden bridge made of just a few thick logs connected the dirt road leading to the city gate that was cut off by the ditch.
In front of the trench, there is a row of small earth slopes, which were probably piled up with the earth and rocks left after the workers dug the trench. Two rows of sharpened branches were stuck crookedly on the row of small slopes, forming a "forest of thorns" that would make any attacker feel troublesome.
"drive!"
After carefully slowing down and crossing the small wooden bridge over the ditch, Simon raised his head and clearly saw several people wearing clean long-sleeved leather armor and good-quality clothes on the tall gatehouse of Wiesbaden Town. Wearing leather gloves and holding a light crossbow, a soldier lazily leaned against the wall and chatted. The brimmed helmets they wore on their heads were reflecting the dazzling light under the sunlight, making Simon squint his eyes.
Under the gate tower, the guards standing guard on both sides of the city gate were holding straight pointed spears, wearing mail turbans, thick soft armor and studded iron cloth armor. They raised their heads slightly and carefully looked at every attempt to enter the town. of travellers.
After a brief negotiation by the fat man, the guards and the petty tax collector let the road go. Smelling the strong and suffocating smell of urine and feces mixed with filth, Simon and his group reined in their horses slightly and waited for the merchant Aubrey who was still paying taxes at the city gate.
When Aubrey rode his traveling horse with the remaining caravan guys and guards to meet Simon and others, everyone knew that it was time to part ways.
"Lord Simon, thank you for accompanying us all the way. Thanks to your blessing, we finally arrived in Wiesbaden safely. This is the escort money you deserve." Businessman Aubrey looked very happy as he said As he said that, he got off the horse with the help of a waiter, and while walking towards Simon, he took off the big money bag that he had just put back on his waist, and took out a bulging small money bag that had been prepared for a long time.
"May God bless you, see you again!" Simon smiled, let the fat man take the money bag, and nodded slightly.
"Sir Simon," the caravan guard Pedi took back his luggage from the carriage of Aubrey's team and walked towards Simon carrying a spear, "I want to accompany you to Dresden. See the elegance of the power center of the entire kingdom. You know, I am definitely a qualified journey guard, and you only need to provide me with a salary as a caravan boy."
Simon stroked his beard, looked at the young man's resolute face, and felt his desire from the bottom of his heart. After thinking for a while, he nodded to Pedi.
Pedi proved himself in that encounter in the woods. And Simon believed that there were only four people in his party. If they encountered dangers like the last encounter, it would be really difficult to withstand them. I have also been in contact with Pedi for a period of time, and I have a basic understanding of him. If nothing else, at least this is better than recruiting a few unknown caravan guards in a tavern in Wiesbaden. People feel more at ease.
In this way, while taking a break in the tavern at noon today, Simon asked the tavern owner with a big beer belly to add an extra straw bed to the room where there were only three straw beds for the soldiers to rest and live.
For the tavern owner, it is just a matter of asking the clerk to bring a pile of hay and a dirty linen blanket from the warehouse; but for Pedi, starting from today, he will go through a long and difficult journey with Simon. journey until arriving in Dresden.
It was already afternoon. The cook in the tavern wiped the sweat from his head and put the roasted pork chop requested by the last customer on a wooden plate. Then he loudly called the waiter's name and placed the plate on the counter. , relieved, he took the dirty rag used to clean the table next to him and wiped his oil-stained hands, untied his apron, and prepared to go to the small chair in the backyard to bask in the sun and take a nap.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, the tavern owner with a hurried expression walked down the creaking wooden stairs quickly. It is undeniable that the tavern owner's fat body wanted to go downstairs quickly but was always worried that his center of gravity was unstable and he would fall down. The cook who had just finished wiping his hands couldn't help laughing when he saw the tavern owner's funny look. laugh.
But after the funny pot-bellied tavern owner walked through the narrow aisles between the drinkers and tables and chairs and came to the cook to say a few words, the cook's smile froze and he couldn't laugh a second time for a long time.
"Oh, what the hell, this noble Lord really knows how to choose the right time to eat." The cook's joy disappeared without a trace. He frowned, sniffed, sighed, shrugged his head and pouted. Walking back to the pot with his mouth open, he began to prepare lunch for Simon and his party.
"Sir, the wine you asked for." A childish boy, whose voice had not completely changed yet, held up a tray and placed five glasses of local beer on Simon's table.
Simon picked up the wooden cup, took a sip of beer to moisten his dry throat, and looked around.
This tavern is no different from taverns in other places, whether it is the torches on the walls, the animal skins hanging by the windows to block the wind, or the bustling travelers, merchants and mercenaries in the tavern.
No, not long after Simon sat down, a sharp-eyed swordsman who had been leaning against the wall with his hands folded and waiting in boredom came over.
I saw this swordsman wearing a dark green hood on his head, wearing battle-scarred long-sleeved mail armor, and a roll of dirty linen wrapped around his wrist. It was clear at a glance that he must have been in the battle again and again. Youzi, a veteran who survived a war.
"My lord, do you need a guard? I can guarantee that in the entire kingdom, you will never find another mercenary team as brave as our Red Fox mercenary team." This swordsman has golden hair. He has a big curly beard and a long scar on his face, which is really impressive.
"I have no shortage of manpower for the time being." Simon was very wary of this guy of unknown origin who looked just like an ordinary mercenary.
After learning the lesson that the traitor named Gergil in Aubrey's caravan almost destroyed the caravan, it was difficult for Simon to have even a slight affection for this kind of mercenary who came to promote him, even if he looked very strong and very strong. reliable.
"That's such a pity." The swordsman shook his head and walked away boredly. At the same time, the food Simon ordered was brought to him by the tavern waiter.
Next comes the boring meal time. Simon really couldn't praise the food cooked by the chef in this tavern. But just when Simon wanted to fill his stomach quickly and go upstairs to rest, his ears were attracted by a bard not far away who was telling a story.
"In the distant Principality of Anjou, there is a conservative aristocratic family. They still implement the ancient system of equal division of property. Even the young ladies in their family can receive fine equipment and a horse after the old count passes away. The best war horses and a rich land." The bard told the story in his unique accent. Not only Simon, but also the mercenaries and local townspeople next to him were attracted.
"Ahem, before telling this story, I have to explain in advance that this story was told to me by a bard from the Principality of Aquitaine, Kingdom of West Francia, in Aachen. At that time, his French with a very strong local accent was almost like a A wild boar in heat with an iron bucket on its head was howling angrily in that jar. It really took me a long time to hear the whole story." The bard shrugged helplessly, and everyone present couldn't help but Laughing loudly, the tavern was filled with cheerful air, "So if you hear other versions of this story from other bards in the future, please don't think that I, Christine, am a big liar who talks nonsense."
"Of course, Christine, we all believe you, come on!" A town citizen wearing a dark red woolen robe with dried mud said loudly, raising his wine glass high.
"Okay, let me start, ahem. In this conservative family I just talked about, a long time ago, the virtuous countess gave birth to a beautiful girl. The old count was very happy and named her a beautiful girl. The name of the family ancestor is Matilda. But this girl is different from other quiet and gentle aristocratic ladies in that she has been very interested in martial arts since she was a child. When other children have just entered the age of learning to ride horses, she holds the horse in her hand when riding. He is already better at riding a lance than the boys of the same age in the nearby territory."
The Bard's story is already fascinating right from the start. Simon even saw several nearby townspeople wearing tattered felt hats holding wooden wine glasses for a long time without taking a second sip. We are usually used to hearing epic and magnificent war poems and romantic love stories between knights and princesses. Now we suddenly hear an unusual and unheard-of "anti-routine" story. It is hard not to be interested.
"In this way, Matilda grew up day by day on horseback and wielding a sword, until she reached the age when the old earl wanted to find her a husband. Matilda did not object to the old earl's idea, but she made a point A very strange request, she said that all men who want to pursue her must beat her, and whoever can defeat her can have her... Ahem, my throat is so dry, I have finished drinking."
Suddenly, there were boos in the tavern, which had been so quiet that only the bard could speak. One of the generous traveling merchants stood up and ordered two glasses of mead for the smiling bard without saying a word. What's more, there was a heated discussion among the townspeople, and everyone wanted to know what happened next.
Simon couldn't help but laugh, remembering that when he first met the bard Ludwig, he also used this trick of pretending to be thirsty when he talked about exciting parts, and asked people to refill his drink. Thinking of this, Simon couldn't help but wonder how Ludwig was doing now after being separated from him for so long.
"Ah ha, with the wine from this kind gentleman, I felt much better instantly. Ahem, let's go on, Matilda is a well-known beauty in that territory, and people give her the title Wild Rose, which means another She has a face as beautiful as a rose, but also has a character and martial arts skills that are as prickly as rose thorns. In any case, when the noble boys in the surrounding territories heard about this strange request, they were all gearing up and eager to give it a try. Show off your skills and embrace the beauty."
"Hey, I guess there is a handsome prince who wins her over, and then the story is over, right?" In the corner of the tavern, a bald mercenary wearing a leather vest said gruffly.
"No, no, no, my friend, you think too simplistically. Matilda fights more bravely than the shield maiden of the craziest Viking barbarian. The young men who participated in the selection failed one by one. Disappointed, they supported each other and left the earldom. Even a young knight who had already won a tourney held by the duke fell behind and was eventually eliminated."
"Interesting." Simon had finished the food on the plate without realizing it. But what surprised him was that the food he had just tasted was so delicious. The food that was tasteless but was a pity to throw away was so delicious. Rather than saying that the food is delicious, it is better to say that the bard's stories are very satisfying to him.
At this time, the audience in the tavern was silent. Obviously, this was an outcome they had never expected.
"The old earl was very anxious about this unexpected result, but the duke was very interested after hearing about it. He wanted Mathilda to join his court and become his knight in the palace. And what was even more surprising was that However, Matilda refused the Duke's sincere invitation without hesitation, dressed in fine equipment, rode a war horse, brought a bag of silver coins, said goodbye to her family and friends, and began her journey around the continent." The bard finished the first cup of mead given to him by the merchant, smacked his lips, put down the empty wooden cup, and picked up the second cup of mead.
Everyone in the tavern was stunned and had endless aftertaste. Matilda simply subverted all their stereotypes about women. She was not only strong, straightforward, but also very free and easy.
"Matilda embarked on a journey and left her beautiful shadow in many places. She once followed pilgrims, worked as a mercenary, and entered a caravan. During the journey, she experienced the warmth and coldness of the world, and ate Fortunately, she had killed many people, and her originally enthusiastic heart gradually became cold. Until one day, she had an accident during a solo trip in the Kingdom of Italy. The horse was frightened, and she fell off the horse. , passed out." The bard is very good at grasping the rhythm, sometimes his tone is passionate, sometimes his tone is heavy.
When the bard mentioned the tense point, everyone's heart was in their throats. Except for some guys who sneer at such unconventional women and a small number of psychopathic guys, all other well-intentioned listeners do not want anything bad to happen to this maverick little girl.
"When Matilda opened her eyes again, she found that she was lying in a simple awning made of branches and leaves in the woods, with her horse and a strange black traveling horse tied not far away. .Beside her, a strange man with black hair and black beard was adding firewood to the campfire, and the iron pot on the fire was constantly spurting out a charming aroma. Matilda hurriedly checked her body and found that The man did nothing extraordinary while he was unconscious. At this time, the man found that Matilda was awake, so he filled a bowl of fragrant meat porridge in his own wooden bowl and handed it to her."
The bard was almost finished with his second glass of wine, and Simon knew that the story was coming to an end.
"In the days that followed, Matilda gradually recovered, and she also got to know this strange young man with black hair and black beard better and better. It turned out that this man was the second son of a baron in the Principality of Provence, named Ercle . When the old baron died, Ercle's stingy brother actually only gave him a sword and told him to get out. Furious, he stole a piece of chain mail from the family equipment warehouse and stables. With a traveling horse, he stole a beekeeping cart from the family beekeeper and ran away from home. When his brother knew the news, he seemed extremely generous because no one would compete with him for the baronet inheritance. So, Ercle, who was driving a horse and a bee cart to follow a Provence caravan eastward to the Eastern Roman Empire but fell behind on the way, found Matilda in a forest in the Kingdom of Italy, and He rescued her and took care of her during the rest of the journey. This romantic and melancholic Provence man was like poison, which fascinated Matilda. He was careful and gentle, rough and fine, reliable, and loved justice. He is simply Matilda's Prince Charming, ha, even though Ercle's horse is black." The bard finished his second glass of wine, burped, and pulled up a chair to relax. He sat down comfortably.
Under the light of the torch, the drunken drinkers in the dim tavern listened quietly to the stories. Even the cook who originally wanted to sleep in the sun was holding on to the door frame and squinting his eyes slightly. The bard's magnetic voice caressed everyone's restless hearts, making people feel so peaceful and beautiful at this moment.
"Although Matilda learned all kinds of swear words during the journey, and her words and deeds had nothing to do with a young lady from a noble family, but Ercle, who was fed up with the intrigues, also fell in love with this beautiful, straightforward, passionate , a courageous girl. Until one day, when the two of them were following a caravan to camp on the grass beside the trade route left by the ancient Roman Empire, Matilda took out Ercle's sword from its scabbard. Throwing it on the ground, he also drew his sword and took a posture. Just when Ercle was puzzled, Matilda's sword slashed at him..." The bard changed his words, and all Everyone's heart was in their throats again.
At this moment, it was as if time had frozen, and except for the crackling sound of torches and the faint noise coming from outside the tavern, there was no sound at all.
"Elclay blocked Matilda's attack out of instinct, but the brave Matilda before seemed to have changed. To Elclay's surprise, the sword in Matilda's hand actually He was knocked away by his block. Matilda suddenly pounced on Elkle like an angry black bear, who had not yet figured out the situation. But in the end, what greeted Elkle was a fierce Passionate kiss. Yes, he defeated her so easily and had her. Elklay did what many men dreamed of at that time!"
"oh!"
The drinkers and guys in the tavern finally came to their senses, breathed a sigh of relief, and laughed.
The frozen time seemed to flow again. The townspeople drank all the wine in the glass, put down the glass and shook their stiff and sore arms. The traveling businessman who had been rewarded with the bard's wine began to eat the grilled pork chop on his plate. Although the pork chop was now very cold mixed with oil and water, the businessman didn't care.
The tavern returned to its usual liveliness, but the topics of discussion and conversation changed from the vulgar jokes before to the romantic stories they had just heard.
"Hey, Kristen, what happened to them in the end?" A town citizen who was fascinated by what he heard opened his eyes wide with endless desire, eager to know the next story.
"Stories always have an end. They later met the bard of the Principality of Aquitaine in a tavern in the port of Toulon, told the poet their story, and then embarked on a pilgrimage. God knows where they went , maybe Jerusalem, Canterbury, or Santiago?" The bard also looked regretful, but he could only shake his head helplessly.
"Okay." The townsman looked back with some disappointment, but he was very satisfied to hear such a wonderful story today.
"Hurry up and take a rest. We still have to go to Rothenberg in Weinsberg!" Simon then realized that Fatty, Miller, Gabriel and Pedi had only half-eaten food on their plates. It has become cold.
