"What's the use of giving me a dead man!!! You said he was the big thief Huss, you chopped people into pieces, who the hell can recognize what kind of bastard he is?" In the official room of Lord Tyniec Hall, Viscount Pierre cursed at the city Sheriff Bob.
Bob's fat face has become the color of pig liver.
Since Viscount Pierre's cart of silk spices was robbed by a robber named Hus in the early summer of this year, the angry Viscount Pierre sent the Sheriff and the town guards to chase him several times, but Sheriff Bob On weekdays, he led a few of his men to bully good people in Tyniec, but he didn't have the courage to chase down the gangsters outside the city. He led his men around the south several times, but returned empty-handed. The frustrated Viscount Pierre issued an ultimatum.
So a few days ago, Bob took people to the south and chopped down a few random refugees. He chopped a slightly muscular guy more than a dozen times and brought him to Viscount Pierre in an attempt to get away with it.
While he was scolded, Bob was not worried that Viscount Pierre would remove him from the position of Sheriff, because he had a strong backer. At this moment, his sister may be having sex with the noble court deputy in some corner, albeit secretly.
After scolding Pierre, his mood calmed down a lot, and he had no intention of continuing to quarrel with the fat pig in front of him.
"Bob, take a look at this." He said and threw a piece of parchment with the seal of the Palace Security Minister to Bob.
Bob took it, opened it, read it over, and shouted excitedly: "When will a patrol officer appear? We need our support!!! Fuck the patrol officer, the security in Tyniec does not need bullshit patrol officers." Bob looked up and saw Viscount Pierre looking unkind, and he quickly stopped shouting.
"What are you yelling at? The order from the Minister of Public Security is very clear. The patrol officer is to patrol the southern border, eliminate bandits, and defend against barbarians. He cannot control the city of Tynets and cannot take your seat." Pierre leaned back in his chair and stroked his forehead with his right hand.
"The palace has no money, but we have to provide supplies and equipment, and the credit must go to the Minister of Public Security! That old guy knows how to scheme." Bob said sternly.
“Bob, shut up your stinky mouth. The Minister of Public Security is not something your charming sister can afford to offend. However, now we can hardly take care of ourselves. I have ordered to continue to increase the business tax and city entry tax. After winter, I will recruit fifteen town guards. In this way, I will have a hundred You need to recruit a few more soldiers to your security team, so that you can gather ten people. Remember, you are not allowed to recruit those gangsters anymore. You must at least stabilize the security around Tinets first." After that, he kicked Bob out.
"Att Wood Wells, the Wells family, there is no such family in Burgundy~ Where did it come from?" Pierre picked up the parchment and muttered.
………
“Master, I’m very curious, who are you? After following you until now, I feel more and more that you are not simple.” Ron was lying on the carriage chewing rabbit meat, and said to Art who was riding a horse beside him.
Matt smiled and said: "I'm also curious, so what kind of person do you think I will be?"
Ron sat up holding on to the side fence, stared into Art's eyes and replied seriously: "The first time I saw you, I thought you were a murderer. A robber-like lord; after following you to the cabin in the valley, I felt that you were a great forest hunter; during the time you went north, you were more like a politician walking through the palace; but outside the city of Tyniec and in the ambush yesterday, you turned into a wandering knight with strong combat power and chivalry. "
Matt chuckled a few times, pointed to a bruised and purple pinch mark on his neck and said to Ron: "Have you ever seen a chivalrous knight who was almost strangled to death by a robber?"
"Then you still killed the robber after all!" Ron still admired his master.
"Ron, you are right. If we had not killed the robber, our heads would have been on the car now. You have to remember that the best way to deal with the enemy is to kill him and then add another sword."
Ron turned his head and glanced at the head at his feet, nodded, and said silently: "Kill him, and add another sword!"
At this time, Odo, who was exploring the way in front, walked up to Art with a broadaxe and said, "Sir, it seems that Tinets is ahead."
"Well, Odo, keep an eye on the grain carts." He urged his horse forward...
The open space outside the north gate of Tyniec was covered with feces and urine, and the stench was overwhelming. In less than a month, the refugee shack area had doubled in size. Compared to these doghouse-like shacks made of dead branches and leaves, Odo's shack at the foot of Lucesien City was simply a nobleman's residence.
When a few people passed by with the grain cart, hungry wolf-like eyes were cast around the shack. Art was riding a horse and holding a sword in front, Ron was half-sitting and holding a bow, and Odo followed closely behind with an axe. After walking nervously all the way, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the city gate and saw a few city guards in the doorway.
A city guard who looked like a small officer with a dagger on his waist, holding his belt, staggered over and stopped Art's horse. He looked up at the man on the horse and shouted sharply: "Get off the horse! When goods enter the city, they pay the commercial tax, and when people enter the city, they pay the city tax."
Yat has no intention of quitting his horse and paying taxes. He now has an official position appointed by the palace. Even if he is just a civilian official, he is not an ordinary civilian. He pointed his sword at the grain truck behind him and said fiercely: "This is military rations. Do you dare to collect taxes?"
< br/> He patted his chest again and said, "I am a patrol officer appointed by the palace. Do I need to pay tax when entering the city?"
The young officer immediately became angry when he heard this. No one has dared to talk to him like this since he became the captain of the squad, patrol officer? A patrol officer appears out of nowhere!
“You ride a broken horse and you think you are a great man? Do you have a document with a seal?” The young officer concluded that the guy in front of him was pretending to be trying to avoid paying taxes.
"Odo, take out my lacquered document." Art said to Odo with a smile.
Otto understood, picked up a bloody head from the carriage, and threw it into the arms of the young officer. The young officer was startled and the head fell to the ground and rolled in front of Atma.
Ate dismounted from his horse, bent down and grabbed the head from the ground, and brought it to the little leader, "Look carefully, this is my lacquered document."
The little officer was so frightened by the sudden shock that he could not speak.
At turned sideways and said to several guards holding spears facing each other behind the junior officer: "I am a border security patrol officer appointed by the Palace Minister of Security. I am here to take office in Tyniec today. Get out of the way quickly." After saying that, he handed the head to Odo, got on his horse, and drove the horse forward. The guards had to put away their short spears and get out of the way...
Ate rode on the horse with many emotions in his heart. Every time he went to the city before, he always laughed and tried to find ways to pay less taxes. Today, when he returns to Tyniec, he can also jump straight into the horse. Art likes this feeling.
—— ——————
"Are you Art?"
"Honorable Lord Viscount, I am Art Wood Wells, and this is my letter of appointment." Art handed the letter of appointment to Pierre respectfully.
Pierre took the appointment letter with one hand and said, "What's wrong with your neck?" He noticed the deep bruises on Art's neck.
Yate roughly told the story of how he was ambushed by several bandits in the northern woods the day before yesterday.
"Sir, this is what happened. The heads of those two guys are now at the door of the hall."
"Well, it seems that the Minister of Public Security has found the right person when he appointed you to patrol the border. Art, where are you from? I don't seem to have heard of the Wells family in Burgundy." Pierre looked down at Art's appointment letter and asked casually.
"My lord, I am not a Burgundian, I am a Lombard." Art replied.
"Lombards, what about you~"
“Sir, my father was Bishop Olof Hannes’ religious guard when he was in the Holy Land.” Art couldn’t reveal his identity for the time being, so he revealed the identity that Bishop Olof Hannis had made up for him, and presented the bishop’s private letter to Viscount Pierre.
Pierre took the private letter and opened the seal and read it carefully. He said "No wonder" in his heart. Then he put down the private letter and straightened up and said to Art: "No wonder he is so brave. He turns out to be the religious guard of Bishop Olof. Thank you for your concern for me. Please give my regards to the Bishop." However, Tyniec does not belong to the Diocese of Lucerne. He will give Bishop Olof enough respect, but only that.
"Art, the Minister of Public Security and Lord Bishop Olof hope that Tynets and the southern region will provide support to the patrol. But you must know that I nominally manage one city, four castles and fifteen villages, but except for Tynets and two nearby small estates, the rest are fiefdoms of your lords and lords. I have no control at all. My food and taxes are only enough to barely maintain the city of Tynets." Pierre was afraid that Art would ask for money and food.
"Besides, you have also seen that wars are raging in the southern continent, and Tyniec has almost turned into a refugee camp in Provence. I have to squeeze out money and food to help the refugees to prevent them from causing trouble. In addition to money, food and supplies, I will give you whatever else I can!" Pierre looked at Art with a sincere face.
Matt had already guessed that Pierre would not give him any substantial support, but he still made an expression of extreme disappointment and bowed his head in silence for a long time.
"Sir, but before leaving, the Minister of Public Security told me that the Tyniec region will definitely give me support, and asked me to show the Marquis a stable southern border within a year. Without any money, food and supplies, I cannot form a patrol team at all. How can I report back to the Minister of Public Security and the Marquis." Atta pulled out the tiger skins of the Marquis and the Minister of Public Security. ?
"Art, it's not that I don't want to support you, but look, what kind of chaos is this in Tyniec? I have raised taxes three times, and now I can only try to maintain the status quo." Pierre crossed his arms, looking like he was in every possible embarrassment.
Matt bowed his head and remained silent for a while.
After a long while, Pierre said helplessly: "Otherwise, I allow you to collect security taxes in every village and town in the county. How much you can collect depends on your luck. In addition, you can set up a card on the southern border trade road to collect commercial taxes for one year, and all the money you receive will be used for your border patrols."
Att cursed secretly in his heart. Every village, town and manor was the fiefdom of knights and lords. Not to mention whether he could receive security taxes in the villages that were being exploited by the lords crazily. It was estimated that before he even entered the village, those lords who regarded the territory as a taboo would have to lead their troops to rush out; It seems feasible to set up a card to collect business taxes. In normal times, the city of Tynets pays one tax per ten. Even if the part turned over to the palace is excluded, the tax can be nearly thirty marks (about 4,500 pfennigs) per month. This money is enough to maintain the supplies of sixty or seventy soldiers for one month. But now there is war in the south and the north-south trade routes are cut off. Except for a few large caravans with armed escorts who dare to cross the chaotic southern border to trade in Burgundy, most merchants have stopped trading activities. Setting up a checkpoint at the border to collect taxes, all Art could encounter were beggar-like refugees and large caravans that he couldn't afford to offend.
"Sir, you know the current situation. It is impossible to collect the security tax from the lords. Now that the war in the south has cut off trade routes, it is useless to set up border checkpoints to collect taxes."
"Then what do you think? Tell me what you think." Pierre was a little impatient.
It is impossible for us to be stationed in the city of Tyniec, so I would like to ask you to allocate a small piece of unclaimed land at the foot of the Ramel and Poře mountains forty miles south of Lane to the patrol group for stationing, and allow me to recruit refugees to open up wasteland for military use. Art made the first request.
Pierre thought for a while and realized that the foothills of La Mer and Poge Mountains were the border area. It was already the southernmost part of the County of Burgundy. It had not been visited for many years. It didn’t matter if it was temporarily allocated to Art. He nodded and said: "That is a land that no one cares about. The wasteland and dense forest, as long as you can grow food, it will all belong to you, and I will not take a grain of food. However, you have to recruit refugees outside the city of Tyniec.” Therefore, the money seized from the eradication of the bandits belongs to me and will not be turned over. "
"As long as you can collect it, I agree."
"Finally, I hope you can allocate it to me. Five hundred pounds of grain, ten spears, three broadswords, five heavy hammered battle axes, and a batch of winter clothing tents. It would be better if we could allocate a few more walking bows." Art knew that Pierre couldn't allocate so many weapons. He was just asking for a high price.
"Don't even think about food. I know you brought a large cart of food from the north. If it weren't for the fact that you wanted to form a patrol, I would have taken half of it. As for weapons, I can give you eight short spears, a broad sword and three battle axes. There are no winter clothes or tents."
"Don't be in a hurry to thank me. I have conditions. First, you must form a patrol team of no less than ten people before the spring wheat is sown next year and start patrolling the southern border to maintain law and order. Second, you are not allowed to rob refugee caravans in the name of patrol. If you have the guts to rob the lords' villages, then so be it. Third, what you captured The bandits and savages must be handed over to me first, and I will kill them or escort them to the palace. Of course, I will not take your credit in vain. An ordinary bandit will receive 60 pfennigs, a small bandit leader will receive 200 pfennigs, and the big bandit will receive 500 pfennigs. However, you must be able to prove that they are bandits, so it is best not to chop off some heads to cheat money."
"How is it?" Pierre stared into Art's eyes.
Matt thought for a while and felt that the conditions were not too excessive, so he nodded in agreement.
"Okay, let's do it. You are now the security patrol officer of the southern border of Tyniec." After saying that, he picked up the copper bell on the table and shook it. The guard outside the door opened the door and came in.
"Jerry, take the newly appointed patrol officer to the clerk and tell him to send a notice announcing the appointment of the patrol officer."
At followed the guard and pushed out the door. A guy with a round head and a fat face was walking through the door. The two passed by, and the fat-faced guy gave Art a look, then turned around and entered the house bitterly.
Sheriff Bob looked indignant as soon as he entered the room, "Sir, you still gave that guy weapons and asked him to set up a card to collect taxes!"
"Bob, did you see the heads outside the hall?"
"Yes"
"Are they like the heads of bandits?"
"I didn't look carefully, but there is one that looks very similar."
h"That's it, he came with a private letter from Bishop Olof Hannes and two bloody "gifts". Can I let him go back empty-handed? If you can bring me the head of a real robber, I will also give you weapons. ”
ˆ “My lord, I~”
ˆ “Okay, if you have something to say, please leave.”
ˆ