Corolla, a small village near the town of Gascony.
Mainly operating a farm to make a living.
But the farms all belong to the local nobles, and the villagers just work for the nobles to make a living.
Most people's lifelong wish is to buy a piece of land of their own.
Grow your own food.
But some people have different wishes.
D'Artagnan is an ideal boy.
He is different from the people in the village.
He wanted to become a knight and become a respected knight.
Let the village become his territory and make the village chief dare not quarrel with his father again.
Let Chopper be his follower and hit Chopper when he is unhappy.
When you are happy, you still beat Chopper. Chopper was given only one meal a day.
Well, who made him so fat!
Chopper is the son of the village, a fat little man who likes to beat d'Artagnan every day.
It is the biggest motivation that drives D'Artagnan to become a knight and not to be bullied.
Today, d'Artagnan was beaten again by Chopper and the children in the village.
D'Artagnan thought about resisting, but although Chopper was fat, he was also very strong and very big.
Unlike the malnourished and thin d'Artagnan.
In a one-on-one fight, he was no match for Chopper.
What's more, Chopper also has children from the village as followers.
Every time Chopper wanted to beat d'Artagnan, those followers would come forward and knock d'Artagnan down.
Let Chopper step forward and beat him again.
So d'Artagnan got used to it.
From initial resistance to resignation.
He understood that the more he resisted, the longer and more painful the beating would be.
It's better to let the other party give him a good beating. If the other party feels bored, he will let him go.
Sure enough, seeing d'Artagnan not resisting, Chopper and others felt bored.
After a few casual blows, he left d'Artagnan and left.
After all, they were children, and there were many more interesting things to do than beat up d'Artagnan.
However, beating d'Artagnan has become their habit.
If you don't beat him for a day, you will feel weak all over.
Hearing the footsteps of Chopper and others leaving,
D'Artagnan smiled to himself, lying quietly on the ground, looking up at the sky.
Looking at the birds flying in the sky, a smile appeared on my face.
"Kid, what are you laughing at?"
A man's voice suddenly reached d'Artagnan's ears.
D'Artagnan quickly sat up from the ground, and then realized that,
There were two more men beside him.
One is younger and one is older.
The younger one looks like the master, and the older one looks like the follower.
The person who asked D'Artagnan was the young man squatting next to D'Artagnan who looked like his master.
D'Artagnan hurriedly got up from the ground and wiped the dust off his body and his dirty hands.
Then he respectfully saluted the two strange men.
"D'Artagnan has met two distinguished gentlemen. I wonder if there is anything that d'Artagnan can do for you?"
Even at such a young age, he is full of human and worldly tact.
This scene made Nok instantly lose interest in this child.
Originally, when he and Rhodes arrived outside the village, they saw d'Artagnan being beaten by a group of children.
Nok was still worried whether the child was injured, so he brought Rhodes closer to see if there was anyone who needed help.
As a result, he found that the child who was beaten did not feel depressed or pessimistic.
Instead, there was a relieved smile on his face.
This made Nok suddenly become interested in the child, so he took the liberty to ask that question.
Unexpectedly, after discovering him and Rhodes, the child suddenly put on a disguise that disgusted Nok.
Nok didn't hate this child, but he hated this familiar smile and flattery.
Once upon a time, he would greet everyone who came to the monastery with this smile and a flattering tone.
But he was thinking about the "distinguished guest" who defrauded Nok of the ownership of the monastery and the custody of the children.
It's just a little charity from their great mercy.
Until he saw the faces of those people clearly and was forced to wear adult clothes and learn to do things in an adult tone.
Now, the child in front of him allows Nok to see his former self.
As a result, interest in children suddenly waned.
"Oh, it's nothing. We heard that there is a church in Corolla and wanted to visit it.
I wonder if the young gentleman can show us the way?
Don't worry, we'll pay you.
Of course, if you can introduce us to the situation of the church, such as the personality of the priest.
I can pay you more. How about two silver coins? "
Although Nock lost interest in the child, he still wanted to help him.
Therefore, a heavy reward was given.
Two silver coins is a good income in a rural place like this.
Not to mention it was earned by a five or six year old kid.
Even adults cannot expect to earn two silver coins a day.
That's at least a week to two weeks' salary for adults.
Nok didn't know that his judgment was wrong.
Two silver coins, that was half a month's net income for the d'Artagnan family.
After their family pays taxes in a year, it is considered good if they can save fifty silver coins.
So when it was heard that there was a reward of two silver coins.
D'Artagnan put aside his anxiety and happily accepted the task of guide.
"Dear Sir, I am d'Artagnan, what do you call these two gentlemen?"
D'Artagnan tried to imitate the manner in which the village chief greeted his lord.
The lord here refers to the owner of Korola Village, Baron Basti.
Nok stopped Rhodes from speaking and answered by himself:
"It's Mr. d'Artagnan. Nice to meet you. Just call me Mr. Lane.
This is my follower Rod. "
"It is an honor to serve you, Mr. Lane, Mr. Rod. Please come with me. The church is at the northern end of the village."
D'Artagnan showed the way in a dignified manner, leading the two Nocs towards the village.
"Hey, future knight, did you go to fight against the monsters again today? It seems like you didn't win again today!"
The villagers who saw D'Artagnan and the three of them started teasing D'Artagnan out of habit.
It's not that the villagers didn't know about d'Artagnan being beaten, it's just that no one cared about it.
As a child with slim legs, he didn’t want to be a good farmer, but actually wanted to be a knight.
Haha, it’s simply whimsical.
Now he has to endure some hardships so that he can wake up soon. This is all for his own good.
Every jealous villager teases d'Artagnan with this self-deception mentality.
However, after the teasing, the villagers discovered the stranger beside d'Artagnan.
"D'Artagnan, who is that person next to you? Why do you look so unfamiliar to me?
Don't just bring strangers into the village. If something happens, it won't be as simple as getting beaten!
Why don't you drive people away quickly! "
The villagers clearly had evil intentions.
After all, even though Nok and Rhodes were strangers, the clothes they wore were not comparable to those of the villagers.
After all, Nok is also the bishop of a place, and his status is the same as that of the princes of the kingdom.
In addition, Reims Cathedral has recovered several months of land taxes and tithes, so I can’t say that I am very wealthy.
But at least there is no shortage of money.
In addition to the donations from Kerby and Custer's family, the expenses for Reims Cathedral are as follows:
They all use the best specifications available to their class.
Even the slaves who were bought could wear new clothes made of burlap.
Still no one sends out two sets of seasonal clothes in one season.
Not to mention those trainees who, in addition to free food, clothing and housing, started serving in the church.
Salaries have also been paid.
But even so, Sophia still has a lot of wealth in her hands.
Therefore, in addition to paying high salaries to the four Nocks themselves, they also arranged the best expenses.
The casual clothes that Nok is wearing now are all custom-made according to the specifications of the official waiting room.
Although Rhodes has not yet enjoyed this kind of treatment,
But the knight uniform that Rhodes wears is also specially customized for combat, and it belongs to the category of "equipment".
Of course it’s also expensive.
From the way they dress, it can be seen that they belong to nobles who are beyond the reach of the villagers.
But this villager actually viciously asked d'Artagnan to drive Nok and the two away.
The mind is obviously impure.
If a commoner collides with a noble, he will be whipped ten times.
If the circumstances are serious, if you offend the nobles, you will be sentenced to exile and demoted to a slave.
Even if Nok and Rhodes were that arrogant, domineering and unreasonable,
The words of a cruel nobleman who regards human life as child's play.
It was possible to kill d'Artagnan on the spot.
The nobles innocently killed civilians, but they only paid a sheep.
The price of a sheep is only twenty silver coins.
This is calculated based on the highest market price. If it is sold at a low price, a sheep can be bought for a silver coin.
It can be said that in front of nobles, human life is not valuable.
Because buying a slave still requires dozens of silver coins.
Strong and skilled slaves can even be sold for a few gold coins to dozens of gold coins.
It can be seen that the lives of civilians are not as good as slaves in front of nobles.
Fortunately, d'Artagnan is not stupid.
He was not intimidated either.
Although he looks young at seven years old, he is no longer a three-year-old child.
He won't lose his sense of proportion if he is frightened by others.
What's more, the two gentlemen behind him are obviously distinguished guests from the city.
Didn't he hear people call him d'Artagnan politely, "Little Monsieur"?
This is a culture that country people don't have. It's a culture that only exists in old aristocratic families as my grandfather said.
"Huh, Uncle Sonny, don't talk nonsense! This is the priest's guest, and he bumped into the guest.
You can't afford it! "
"Dear guest, please don't be offended. We country people have never seen the world, so we are very offended."
After d'Artagnan pretended to be a tiger, he took the initiative to apologize to Nok and the two.
Nok waved his hand and said: "It's okay. If I was careless, I wouldn't travel like this.
Instead, they came in droves. Since you have chosen this travel method,
Naturally, I expected to be offended. As long as it's not too much, I don't bother to argue with him. "
Nok said, glancing at d'Artagnan with a half-smile.
It seems that this kid is not only tactful and understanding of the world, but also a little smart.
He is somewhat of a talent that can be created.
It's a pity that he is too young and does not meet Knock's conditions for selecting talents.
"Let's go."
Noc glanced at Sonny, a villager who was frightened by d'Artagnan's words.
That's it?
An adult was actually frightened by a child's words.
This kind of mentality actually wants to plot against a child.
It's really stupid.
If he wasn't too stupid, he wouldn't come up with such a bad idea to mess with d'Artagnan.
If d'Artagnan did listen to him, rush Noc or offend Noc.
Nok investigates, can Sonny, the instigator, escape Nok's punishment?
Even if Nok was a cruel person, he might kill someone on the spot in a fit of rage.
Maybe the whole village will suffer.
In order to hide the crimes they committed, some nobles massacred villages directly and then passed the blame on nearby bandits.
If we give some benefits to the officials responsible for handling this matter, it will be over.
The face of a noble is not a matter of compensating a sheep.
They can pay the price of a hundred sheep for the face of one sheep.
Obviously, this villager named Sonny has never experienced the ugly face of the nobles!
All I can say is that the owner of this village, the Baron, is too kind.
On this point, Nok guessed wrong.
In fact, it’s not that the Baron is kind.
It was because there was a character in Korola Village that he couldn't afford to offend, and this character was known to Nok.
It's just that Nok doesn't know it yet.
Ignoring the incident at the entrance of the village.
Led by D'Artagnan, the two Nocs entered the village.
The villagers guarding the entrance to the village were much more discerning than Sonny.
Seeing the way Nok and Rhodes were dressed, they didn't even dare to question them, let alone stop them from entering the village.
He carefully asked Nok about the purpose of entering the village, and then asked Nok with a smile if he needed them to lead the way.
After learning that d'Artagnan had been hired as the nobleman's guide, his face was filled with envy.
The two of them respectfully invited Nok and the other two people into the village. They watched Nok and the other three go away before they dared to stand upright.
"Bah, the kid from D'Artagnan's family has some shitty luck to be able to serve as a guide for noble people."
"Yes, their family is about to get rich. Those two are dressed more gorgeously than our baron.
Just a little reward will be enough for us to eat for a long time! "
"Rewards are nothing. Don't you see how young that noble man is!
If only that brat d'Artagnan could please others.
Maybe he could be favored by that noble man and stay by his side as a servant or follower.
That is the glory of their family!
At that time, no one in the village would dare to bully their family. "
The guard whispered his opinion, which attracted the approval of the people nearby.
Soon they got together and began to associate and discuss the d'Artagnan family's rapid rise.
Fortunately, Nok didn't hear these people's speculations, otherwise he would have said that they were overthinking.
He was just a guide, and Nok didn't even dare to give him a large reward.
After all, there were too many rewards, and d'Artagnan couldn't hold on to his position in the village.
It might even cause trouble for his family.
Taking advantage of Makina's experience, Nok no longer dared to give people "favors" casually.
Excessive giving is not a gift, but brings trouble to others.
Enough is enough is the best reward for those who have no ability to protect themselves.
"Sir, do you see the pointed roof over there? That's the village church."
"Oh, how many priests are there in the church?"
Nok asked casually, without asking about the specific position.
The duties within the church are not something that a child can understand.
Besides, a country church with five people serving in it would be a blessing.
Without thinking, d'Artagnan replied: "There is only one priest, Father Pinocchio."
After thinking for a while, d'Artagnan added: "Father Pinocchio is a bit strange. Apart from worshiping and mass,
I stay in the confessional room on weekdays. Moreover, when he goes out, he also likes to wear a cloak.
It seems that I am a little afraid of the sun, and even the windows of the church have been changed to be opaque.
If he hadn't fought off the monsters that broke into the village at night,
We all thought he was a monster impersonating him.
After all, his temperament is too weird.
He likes to stay in dark churches and only go out in the evening.
Except for the cook who helps him cook, he hardly sees anyone in private.
Even if the village chief wants to visit him, he may not be willing to receive him. "
After hearing d'Artagnan's words, Nok's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
"Oh, that's an interesting priest. I'd rather pay him a visit."
D'Artagnan asked a little excitedly: "Does Mr. Lane think so too?"
Nock smiled and asked, "What? Are you familiar with this Father Pinocchio?"
D'Artagnan coyly explained: "Actually, it's not the case. The main reason is that I am often beaten by Chopper.
I didn't want to be beaten by him, so I often hid in the cemetery behind the church.
Because of Father Pinocchio's weird temperament, even if the villagers are not afraid of him, they don't want to deal with him.
Therefore, children in the village are not allowed to approach the church except to go to church and mass.
Not to mention the cemetery behind the church.
If I hide there, I don't have to worry about being found by Chopper.
But once, I dodged and fell asleep.
It was already dark when I woke up, I was a little lost, and I seemed to see the underworld fire.
feel a little scared.
It was Father Pinocchio who found me and took me by the hand and took me home.
From that time on, I knew that Father Pinocchio was a gentle man.
I occasionally go to the confessional to talk to the priest, but he rarely talks to me;
He just listened to my complaints silently, and when I finished complaining, he would give me sweet fruit to eat.
So I like him very much. "
After hearing this, Nok's expression became even weirder.
Even Rhodes noticed something was wrong with Nok.
However, he did not act rashly.
He is not Finette, who makes a big splash at the slightest sign of trouble.
Nok said nothing, and Rhodes would not do anything unnecessary. He would just be secretly vigilant in his heart and take precautions.
Noc seemed very interested in d'Artagnan's topic and continued to guide him.
"Oh, so you and this Father Pinocchio are friends?"
Nok's words made d'Artagnan's expression change slightly, and a trace of loneliness appeared on his face.
"No. Maybe I go to church too much, too often.
Father Pinocchio gradually disliked me going to him.
I even sneaked in several times, but he drove me away.
In the past, if I was injured by Chopper, he would use magic to heal me.
But in the past two years, he has not allowed me to go near the church again, let alone help me heal my injuries. "
Noc reached out to touch d'Artagnan's head, but hesitated.
Finally he placed his palm on d'Artagnan's shoulder.
"Don't be sad. If you have a chance, I'll help you ask what's going on.
It stands to reason that Father Pinocchio is such a lonely person, and you are probably his only friend.
He can't be so heartless. Lonely people are always attracted to each other.
I can see that you are lonely, but strong and optimistic.
You are just confused now, but don't worry, as long as you strengthen your beliefs,
You can quickly get out of your inner confusion and find your own path.
I trust you.
Come on, young man. "
D'Artagnan couldn't understand Nok's comfort, but he still accepted it all.
"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Lane, I'm fine. The church is right in front, just around the corner.
I won't go there, lest Father Pinocchio be unhappy. A while ago, I sneaked into the church to ask for his help.
As a result, he was scolded before anyone saw him.
He said that if I entered the church privately again, he would ask my father to beat me severely.
You don't know that although Father Pinocchio is a little weird, his prestige in the village is not much weaker than that of the village chief.
If he complained, my father would beat me to death. "
D'Artagnan explained the reason, and Nok did not embarrass him.
"Rhode, pay the young M. d'Artagnan."
"Young d'Artagnan, I am glad that if it were you, we could continue our chat another day, if there was a chance.
I stayed at the [Mermaid] Hotel in the town and will stay there for a week. Today is the second day.
If you feel confused about life like today, you can talk to me.
And among my companions, there is a gentleman who is wiser than me. He will definitely be able to help you. "
"Thank you for your concern. I will definitely bother you if necessary. Generous Mr. Lane."
"Then it is settled, young M. d'Artagnan. Let us part here."
"Goodbye, Mr. Lane, Mr. Rod."
"Goodbye, d'Artagnan."
"goodbye."
The last "goodbye" was said by Rhodes, who had always been a dull gourd.
This made d'Artagnan a little flattered. He hid the huge sum of two silver coins and waved to the two of them in a hurry.
Then ran towards home.
He wanted to take the money home as soon as possible and hide it.
To avoid meeting Chopper and being discovered and snatched away by him.
Even if you tell the adults then, you may not be able to get it back.
The village chief will always find a way to get rid of this kind of thing.
D'Artagnan had seen the village chief abandon Aunt Camille's account at the west end of the village.
Aunt Kemili was so angry that she couldn't eat for two days.
Looking at the back of d'Artagnan who was leaving,
Nok and Rhodes walked towards the church not far away.
Unlike traditional Byzantine dome churches,
The church in the village is a church with a steeple.
This is the Gothic style, which existed very early on.
But it's not popular.
Because this style only circulates among special groups of people, it is difficult to form a trend.
And that special group of people has an unfriendly name.
vampire.
A long-lived species from the dark world.
Active in the dark age after the age of witches,
After the end of the dark age, he lived in seclusion in ancient castles and cemeteries deep in the mountains and forests.
Those castles are basically in Gothic style.
Looking at the church shrouded in the shadow of the mountains,
Nok sighed.
"I originally thought I would find a great helper, but I didn't expect to find a troublemaker."
"Rhode, do you think I care about this trouble or not?"
