The old four-wheeled carriage, pulled by two thin and shriveled old horses, could only move faster than walking, but it could still carry more supplies and it was much easier than walking.
There are still dozens of kilometers left on the road to Kalaiva's hometown. If we hurry up, we might be able to get there in a day and a half, but there is no need to rush there now that there are no more bounties on pursuers and there is still plenty of money. .
After Mikhail's troops eliminated the Sivalier knights, the group returned to the fighting forest and recovered most of the valuable materials. By the way, they also peeled some fine daggers, inlays, etc. from the fallen knights. Gold and silver leather belts, exquisite helmets and gauntlets are small, easy-to-carry and valuable items.
As a result, after one battle, their funds increased to more than a thousand imperial gold coins. It is no wonder that many mercenaries changed from honestly accepting commissions to make money to killing people and stealing goods.
After all, nothing saves time and effort than directly taking away the fruits of other people's hard work.
But the main premise is that you have to be able to fight and win. The fully-armed Sivalier knights. Generally, mercenaries with brains will just stay as far away as possible, while those without brains will test the sharpness of their weapons. living target.
Just by selling the looted things, I made a fortune. If I also sold the horses, the money could almost become a start-up fund for some kind of business.
Whether it is to purchase land to build a basic workshop or to buy the first batch of goods to start a business, this money is more than enough.
For many low-level mercenaries, this is the ultimate goal of their adventurous career. They can save enough money before they are no longer young, strong and energetic, or they suffer serious injuries that cannot be fully recovered, and then retire and engage in something less. Dangerous industry.
Doing something just because you like is a luxury that only aristocratic young masters with no worries about food and clothing and the second-generation young masters of large chambers of commerce can have. The vast majority of ordinary people take up the adventurer profession just because they can earn more than farming or being an ordinary apprentice. Many, they will retire once they make enough money.
But not everyone can safely embark on this imaginary road. There are many people who can't save money and can't get out until they are middle-aged and old, and they are still hanging around at the bottom, and there are also many people who die at a young age.
The title "adventurer" ignores the over-beautiful romantic sentiments given by those poems, and its essential meaning is "a person who engages in risky/high-risk things."
If you do things that others don't want to do, you will lose your life or be seriously injured, you will definitely not be able to become a vibrant industry like this without adequate compensation.
The old man hired by the group as a coachman can more or less represent ordinary people's views on the profession of adventurers - although adventurers who often have a need for travel are common customers who hire his carriage and can even be described as food and clothing parents, but he thinks of this kind of people. The prejudice is as solid as a rock and cannot be dispelled.
From the moment Henry and his party appeared, he wanted to make some small profits and let them do their work. In his eyes, this free trip of about three days was enough for them to help beat people or even kill people. Although it can be argued that he has never hired adventurers before and therefore does not understand the situation of hiring adventurers, but he has been driving these people for more than 30 years and still lacks understanding of it. This is not biased.
After Henry refused and chose to pay 15 gold coins directly in cash, seeing that he was spending a lot of money, the old man asked a question in Laman with a strong accent that still impressed Mira.
"You are so rich, why do you still do this kind of thing?" There was a condescension in his tone, as if the profession they were engaged in was some kind of 'very informal' and 'inferior' business, which was worse than that of a coachman like him. They are all even lower class.
Perhaps because she has been exposed to relatively high-quality clients since she started working as an adventurer, this is the first time Mira has felt the contempt of ordinary people for her profession.
And if you think about it carefully, you can't really blame them.
Most of the adventurers who carry weapons around are rough people, and they are not far away from the robbers and murderers who rob the country. Sometimes you can use violence against other people for some small gains. After all, this profession cannot stay away from violence throughout your career.
It can even be understood that the ability to use violence is linked to the ability to make money. Those mercenaries and mercenary groups that have become famous basically have a lot of blood on their hands.
Even if there is official recognition, even if most of the time the targets they kill are undoubtedly "evil persons" in compliance with the laws of the country where they are located, this does not change the fact that they have killed people with their own hands.
In the eyes of ordinary people who abide by the law and live honestly, although they need to rely on the professional skills of these people and accept entrustments to do things that they cannot do, they also think that these people are dangerous elements and they should stay away from them. good.
Needing, but at the same time having a repulsive mentality, the Luoan girl thought carefully about another profession that was treated in this way and also had a high salary.
It's a manure digger.
Although it was her own unwarranted association, she still felt somewhat hostile towards the old coachman because of this series of events. She also has self-esteem. Although she is not arrogant and vain about her choice of this industry and her current achievements, she still has some pride. No one would feel comfortable if the things they love and regard as treasures are looked down upon by others. In addition, while driving during the day, the old man tried to use age to show seniority to her relatives, which made her unable to put on a good face.
I have to stay with this man for the three days of the journey, but on the bright side it's only three days.
Because the carriage did not stop at noon, their lunch was ready-made cold food in the carriage. The thickly salted dried meat strips and semi-dry bread are paired with cheese, which is known as the poor man's meat, and some water with mint and honey to complete a simple meal. The Rigal-style diet was very painful for the two Crescent Continent people. Both Ling and Lu Lu were troubled by this after arriving on the east coast.
Although rice actually existed in the Padrosi Empire and the entire Lamanite cultural circle, it was not considered a mainstream ration, so it could only be bought in big cities. In the past, they only went to remote areas to avoid risks and could only buy pasta. .
Fortunately, after more than half a year, the two of them have adapted to some different ingredients. For them who have left their hometown, food may be the easiest part to adapt to.
But cold food is just a convenience product after all. What is more helpful to the body and mind is a proper hot meal.
In the winter, there are not many fresh seasonal vegetables in Padrosi, so potatoes and root vegetables are still the most suitable to carry as travel food.
The clean water stored in the translucent large-capacity rawhide kettle was poured into the team's cauldron. The round brooch made of wrought iron served as a hoop to save the time of winding the rope. Three thick pieces were cut off with a heavy one-handed knife. A moderate wooden stick is inserted into the brooch to form a stand. Then he fixed the iron hook and the shelf sank slightly when he hung the big pot. Kaleva raised the fire after checking the height, while the three women began to cut carrots and potatoes into cubes.
The lowered iron pot was quickly roasted by the open flame, and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when the snow continued to fall, bursts of mist quickly rose.
The light was still sufficient at this time, which was why they chose to stop and rest at this time. Collecting firewood and preparing food all required vision. If they waited until dusk to start working, they would not be able to see anything for a long time. .
The sage set up a simple tent and put bedding inside. The four-wheeled carriage they hired was not particularly large. It was okay for sitting, but it was almost impossible to lie down comfortably.
The ingredients are cut into pieces and the bacon is soaked in water. These marinated salted pork in clay pots retain more water than the dried meat that is eaten directly, but the salt on the surface is also very heavy. It is too salty to eat directly. .
After boiling water to remove the salt, fry it in a pan. The next step is nothing special. Boil the potatoes and carrots and add the fried pork.
After the ingredients are evenly prepared and put into the pot, the tripod is retracted inward to raise the iron pot. While reducing the firewood to reduce the intensity of the fire, I also use a wooden stick to pick up some charcoal and put it on the lid of the same iron pot.
The abundant light gradually dims, and as the sunlight disappears, the range that the bonfire can illuminate for the human eye also expands.
It has already entered winter on the northern border of the empire. Even close to the woods, there is no sound of insects. The dazzling moons and stars in the sky are intertwined and twinkling. After the surroundings have completely darkened, it takes a long time. The stew is finally finished.
Steam rises under the light of the fire, and the aroma of the stew seasoned only with salt is fragrant. Although it only has the taste and saltiness of the ingredients, it is still enough to make the hungry people open their index fingers.
A little further away, the old coachman who had been drinking since he stopped was already snoring, and the group ate the hot bread and stew together, a hot meal on a cold winter night. After that, after checking and maintaining the equipment, he went into the camp and went to sleep.
The sunshine in the winter morning comes slowly in the north, but the group of people have already woken up when it gets dark. Henry and Mira heated the leftover stew from yesterday, and used another smaller pot to boil water and picked some pine needles to make tea. After that, they dipped the pancakes in the stew juice and drank the hot pine needle tea. breakfast. Kaleva, with the help of Ling, lit candles and wrote down various things, while Lulu walked into the forest with his bow, and came out with two squirrels when the sun officially fell.
Obviously, even if she is not very good at Laman language until now, this girl who was born as a hunter still has many ways to support herself.
After they had finished eating and drinking, Lu Lu even skinned the squirrel, removed its internal organs, cut the meat into pieces and put it into the food bag. After returning to the carriage, the drunken old coachman woke up smelling of alcohol. He stuffed the empty bottle back into the wooden food box next to his seat, took out a wisp from the slow-burning fire, put it into his pipe and took a deep breath.
"Hoo wow -" The thick white smoke filled the air and quickly disappeared into the cold air of the morning. He was not even interested in eating breakfast. Seeing that the group was ready, the old man waved his horsewhip and started again. Embark on a journey.
The three days of travel were spent steadily in a leisurely atmosphere, but when they were about to reach their destination on the third day, they encountered unexpected trouble.
It was the flag of the Yetina sect that could be seen from a distance. It was a black background with white dots dotted with stars against the background of eternal night. In the center was a saintly girl in white praying under it. Heavily armed paladins guarded the entrance to the city, scrutinizing everyone who passed by.
Seeing this scene, even though they seemed to have a good relationship while listening to his complaints along the way, the old man immediately began to chase people away.
"It has nothing to do with me! We've arrived at the place. Even though it's only a few dozen meters away, don't even think about asking me for my money back. Get out of the car quickly!" Obviously not wanting to get into trouble, his attitude changed and the group of people had no time to follow him. After unpacking the luggage, he turned his horse's head and drove the two poor old horses back towards the south at an unprecedented speed.
This movement attracted the attention of the paladins in front, and several of them walked directly out of the queue at the signal of the leading knight and came to the crowd with large and small bags carrying things and weapons and equipment.
"Who is it, an unregistered mercenary?" The paladins' attitude was not polite at all: "Put the things down and everyone must check them."
Obviously, this was the kind of extortion I had just heard from the old coachman before, but it was more blatant to set it up directly at the entrance and exit of the town.
As a disputed area at the junction of the Empire and Suomir, the Paladins dared to do this at the entrance of the town because of the fact that the local area lacked strong noble control.
The group of people with a lot of money were considered easy targets in their eyes, but after the sage took a few steps forward with a big sword on his back and was noticed by these paladins, their expressions changed slightly.
"It's a great swordsman, don't start a conflict." A knight warned his colleagues in a low voice. Mira realized that her teacher wanted to see if she could take advantage of this situation near Suomir.
No matter how self-righteous the Paladins are, they will restrain themselves closer to the sphere of influence of another armed organization. In this area where there are many Suomir people, a tall northerner carrying a big sword is not just an individual in their eyes, and the attitude of the paladins who do not want to conflict with another organization quickly softens.
"What do you want to search for?" Henry's attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. His tone was steady, and this confident expression in the eyes of the other party became the confidence that he had companions to support him locally.
"Banned books." So they replied, pretending that they had no intention of extorting money from the beginning.
"In accordance with imperial law and the Pope's order, books that are prohibited from being taken out of the country without permission and books that contain heretical and reactionary content need to be sealed and destroyed in public."
"So do you carry any books?" the paladins asked knowingly. Their identities as mercenaries were obvious, and it was well known that mercenary adventurers were not people who read a lot of poetry.
They noticed this at the beginning and asked to check the luggage, naturally because the big and small bags looked a lot oily, and now they acted as if it was just a routine matter.
"No, as you can see, we are just a group of mercenaries returning home." The sage deliberately used Laman with a slight accent to lie, but the paladins never imagined that these people were indeed mercenaries. Outliers among them.
Although their faces were foreigners, Ling and Lulu, who were wearing local clothes and armor, did not attract much attention from them, and their books and other things were inconspicuous when placed together with their bedding.
"Okay, let them go!" The thoughts of making money and avoiding conflicts ebb and flow. Under the calm and unwavering confidence of the group, these paladins who blocked the road finally decided to do more than do less.
While Henry and his entourage entered the city from the side path, the pleas of merchants and civilians on the other side and the righteous scoldings of the Paladins were heard constantly.
"What do you mean this is not a heretical book? Is there anything more heretical than a story about knights of the church opposing the church?"
"Official history?! You actually call this nonsense a history?"
"Pull it down, you'll be fined 500 gold coins and whipped!"
