The soldiers were ordered to march in formation. The dirt road in the forest, which is not very spacious, can only accommodate up to six people walking abreast. Although the team is filled with conversations and occasional laughter, which seems a bit noisy, fortunately, no one is left behind.
In a loose marching team, it is easy for someone to fall behind, get lost, or even become a deserter. Simon knows this well.
Since the soldiers were only wearing a light armor, the marching speed was quite fast at this time. The faint sound of horse hooves came from the front and the left and right wings of the team. Simon's light cavalry was checking for danger nearby.
The marching team passed through the forest area in the southern part of Fort Verde, and the lush but monotonous scenery in the forest instantly took on a new look.
The clear spring water flows among the rocks in the mountains, and the lively fish in the stream are looming. Emerald-green pastures and unknown bright wildflowers grow on the endless plains, surrounded by dense bushes and forests nearby. Further to the horizon, the mountains are hidden in the white mist, as if they are shyly covered with a white gauze.
"The scenery is really nice." Simon praised the scenery along the way while riding Lucky.
Many of the conscripted militiamen who had never left the village since they were born opened their eyes and looked around curiously. However, Arthur, a doctor from Rome, seemed to be used to such beautiful scenery. Apparently he had seen more beautiful scenery than this in the Alps. .
Simon's army passed through Baron Carl's Duisburg. The Earl of Loon once captured this place. He and his men brutally slaughtered the local resisters and ruthlessly looted everything worth looting in this place. Although there are signs of reconstruction now, this place The people still looked hungry and in pain.
Simon wanted to travel to the town of Dusseldorf with his ally Baron Karl, and more parallel soldiers would make the journey safer. The person who received Simon was the castle commander left by Baron Carl to garrison, an enthusiastic bald knight. He told Simon that his monarch had set off a day ago. If Simon speeds up, he might be able to meet him on the main road to the south. Baron Carl joins.
Simon's army continued to move forward, and after a day's journey south, they came to Count Wolfe's Fort Vitral.
Simon had been here before, and he remembered that when he was just a knight, he had been warmly entertained here by the then Baron Wolfe. At that time, this was just a village, but in recent years Count Wolfe has become increasingly wealthy. Perhaps out of consideration for protecting family property, he, like many nobles in the German Kingdom at this era, resolutely decided to build a village. castle.
The construction of castles was encouraged by King Heinrich. In theory, the construction of castles by local nobles would weaken the control of kings and dukes over vassals everywhere. However, this is a special period when the kingdom faces various threats, including the Magyars and Vikings. The tyranny of the marauders caused heavy losses in every place that was plundered, especially in the southeastern region of the kingdom.
King Heinrich even pardoned a group of prisoners ten years ago and gave them a piece of land to live in Merseburg. The price was that these former outlaws had to work hard on the land, perform corvee work, build castles and build castles in Merseburg. Enlisted into the army when necessary to defend against Magyar attacks. This shows that the entire kingdom's defense situation is not optimistic.
As for the local nobles building castles at their own expense, the fowler Heinrich not only supported them, but also supported them.
Count Wolff's newly built Vitral Castle is at the highest point of the entire village. Its rough pointed wooden walls and simple arrow tower are in line with his unconventional and rough temperament. As for practicality, this is originally an easy task. If there are no catapults or fire oil tanks in a place that is difficult to defend, the attacker can only rely on the lives of a large number of soldiers to break through the two walls and gates.
Simon did not encounter Baron Karl of Duisburg here, and it was clear that Karl and his army did not stop here. Simon thought, maybe it was because he hated Count Wolfe, a guy who didn't recognize his old friends after he became powerful. Who knows.
Similarly, Simon was told that Count Wolfe also set out a few days ago. He was not surprised by this. His barony was on the border of the Principality of Cologne. Obviously, he and his army were likely to be the last ones. Troops arriving in the town of Dusseldorf.
Sure enough, when Simon approached the assembly point outside the town of Dusseldorf on the third day, he discovered that he was indeed the last vassal to arrive in the duchy. However, this did not matter. He arrived within the time specified by the Duke. , this is enough.
The last time Simon came to the town of Dusseldorf, he helped the besieged Earl of Berg. After a few years, there hasn't been much change here. Even the camp outside the town looks the same as last time. It was so similar when they arrived, but the difference was that this time the camp was stationed with soldiers under the Duke's command who were about to go on an expedition.
"Honorable Baron Simon," a rider wearing sleeveless chain mail and a red cape draped over his shoulders rode towards Simon's marching army along the road from the direction of Dusseldorf, "Your Majesty the Duke has sent me to You say hello and you are invited to his banquet in the castle hall. As for your troops, they can be stationed in the open space like the others."
After the rider finished speaking, he pointed to the camp in the distance.
Simon ordered Sir Bill and Sir Miller to settle their troops in the open space outside the town, and then he took Fat Hoffman and followed the Duke's messenger to break away from the slow-moving army and ride towards the town of Dusseldorf.
Compared with the bleak scene Simon saw when he entered the town just a few years ago, the current town of Dusseldorf is obviously recovering well, especially after Count Berg was promoted to Duke of Cologne, he declared that this place belongs to the entire principality. Since then, more and more craftsmen and merchants have moved here.
Everyone knows that the Duke of Cologne has a strong claim on the city of Cologne. When he takes over the city of Cologne, he will definitely make it the new capital of the principality. But the problem is that the current city of Cologne and its surrounding areas are not in the hands of the duke. It is now It is under the control of the Bishop of Cologne, and the Bishop of Cologne, Wade Frederic, currently technically belongs to the Principality of Lorraine.
The Lorraine region was seized by the cunning and confused King Charles III when Louis, the last Carolingian king of the East Frankish Kingdom, died twenty years ago, and was merged into the "last orthodoxy of the Carolingian dynasty", the West Frankish Kingdom. It can be said to be the pursuit and choice of most nobles in Lorraine. When the fowler Heinrich ascended the throne of the Kingdom of East Francia or the Kingdom of Germany more than ten years ago and roughly stabilized the domestic situation, out of urgent need of the recognition and favor of the King of West Francia, he had to temporarily do made concessions and announced the abandonment of the Lorraine area.
However, the situation has changed. Four years after giving up the Lorraine region, the fowler Heinrich re-incorporated the Lorraine region into the German Kingdom, although he did not actually control Lorraine, and the large area of Lorraine was Some nobles still considered themselves to belong to the Carolingian dynasty rather than to the Kingdom of Germany, a country run by non-Carolingian families.
Therefore, the current Lorraine region is actually in a strange state of independence. This land legally belongs to the Kingdom of Germany, but most of the nobles in this land still regard the king of the Kingdom of West Frank as their suzerain.
When the claim to the Principality of Cologne was given to Amadeus, Duke of Cologne, he naturally had a strong claim to the city of Cologne. However, the time to take back the city of Cologne had not yet come, so the Magyars launched a massive campaign. attack.
"The crusher of the North pirates, the leader in the Kingdom Tourney, the loyal blade of the Duke, and the terminator of the Magyar bandits, Baron Simon, the legal lord of Fordeburg and Esbaiburg, arrives!" When the messenger with a red cloak fluttering in the wind led Simon and Fat Hoffman to the door of the Duke's hall, the guard at the door opened the door and the caller on the side said loudly.
Simon didn't know that he had so many prefixes and titles.
"The Duke's loyal sword" all comes from the dazzling performance of Simon and his army during the battle against Count Lowen's army, as well as the rescue operation against the town of Dusseldorf that he led. After that, the relationship between Duke Amadeus and Simon quickly heated up, and after becoming a duke, Simon, a newly promoted military noble, was given the title of baron. So Simon's new title gradually spread among the nobles. .
The title "Terminator of Magyar Bandits" has obviously only recently spread. If Lange's messenger arrived in Cologne before Father James and succeeded in distorting the facts, Simon thought, this title would unsurprisingly go to Lange.
At the same time, Simon thought with some viciousness, since the story of Count Lange's attempt to deceive the Bishop of Cologne and steal the credit spread throughout the principality, did he have more despicable prefixes? For example, "Conspirator" Lange, or "Liar" Lange?
In fact, there is. Lange gained the reputation of "The Deceiver" among the discussions behind the nobles' backs. Duke Amadeus knew about this, but when Count Lange came to his hall two days ago, the caller He did not say this indecent title. In the final analysis, it was because the Duke did not want to directly anger Lange.
It is obviously not a wise choice to have a stalemate with one's vassals on the eve of the upcoming expedition.
"Look, my lord, the loyal blade in your hand has finally arrived. I have to say that it was not easy for us to wait!" As soon as Simon entered the hall door, Count Lange's disgustingly cold voice came. come over. His voice had no clear tone or emotion, making it impossible to tell whether he was mocking or praising, but Simon was more inclined to the former.
"I can see that." Duke Amadeus, who was sitting on the main seat, obviously also preferred the former. He responded slightly angrily.
The large shelf table in front of the Duke was filled with all his direct vassals. Some were Simon's enemies and potential enemies, such as Count Lange and Count Wolfe, while the other barons were Simon's allies.
There is also a large dining table against the wall of the hall, which seems to be prepared for the knights brought by the direct vassals.
"Good day, my lord, it is a pleasure to see you." Simon saluted the Duke humbly.
"Good day, Baron Simon, my loyal vassal, I am also very happy to see you. I heard from my messenger that you have brought nearly a hundred strong soldiers, which is very good. Please take a seat." Duke Madhus smiled and looked very happy.
When he joined the king's army, the stronger the army under his command, the stronger his voice in the kingdom. The dukes of the old tribal principalities who are so arrogant that they want to look at people with their nostrils have always bullied the weak and admired strength. Only when he, the newly promoted duke, shows strong enough strength, will the arrogant and undisciplined old tribal dukes Only when you truly recognize his identity and status will you deal with him in an equal and respectful manner.
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