It ends in early spring, when the weather turns warm and cold.
In the north of Provence, in the northern trading town of Kitzby at the foot of Mount Carmel, Art had just come out of the city clerk's office. He spent ten copper pfennigs in exchange for a document from the clerk that allowed him to recruit caravan guards outside the city.
? Art ordered the four Ottos who were waiting outside the foyer: "You take the documents and go around the city wall and tell the refugees about our recruitment. Just repeat a few words: North City is recruiting caravan guards this afternoon. Those who won the preliminary election were given two pounds of barley, and the warriors who were finally selected as guards were responsible for food, housing and salary. After receiving the order, several people rushed outside the city gates and spread the word about recruiting caravan guards along the city walls.
………
That afternoon, several large bags of grain were piled on a wooden platform used for beheadings outside the north gate of the city. Otto stood on the wooden platform and looked at the dark crowd in front of him. It was estimated that there were more than a hundred people, and there were also people from other places converging towards the north gate in a steady stream.
Odo glanced at Art, who nodded to indicate that it was time to start.
Having the experience of recruiting refugees in Tyniec, Odo was familiar with the road, and said loudly to the crowd in common language with a slight northern accent: "Everyone, be quiet! Be quiet!"
After the crowd calmed down, he continued: "Everyone must have heard that we are recruiting caravan guards, but this recruitment of guards is conditional."
Odo paused for a moment.
"First, our caravan guards are going to the Burgundy County in the north, and may also fight bandits and robbers. Second, it is best to be young and strong men under the age of thirty. Third, the caravan guards must not be sloppy, so unless they are really brave, others with families will not be recruited. If you have anyone who meets these conditions, you can come up and try. As long as you can pass my test, you can take away two pounds of barley. If you can pass the test of these brothers beside me, You can take away ten pounds of barley. Those who have passed my two levels will stay and compete with each other. The loser will take the ten pounds of grain he deserves and leave. The winner can go to my master to be a backup guard; if he is eventually defeated by our master. If you are chosen, you can come with us. We will ensure that you are well fed and clothed, and will receive at least ten pfennigs a week. If you have merit in the future, I will also give you a reward. If you want to come and receive free food, hurry up."
There was a lot of discussion among the crowd. Most of the people gathered here to watch were young and strong. The old and weak gave up when they heard that they were recruiting caravan guards.
Seeing that everyone was just watching and no one came forward, Otto continued: "You may not believe it. A few months ago, these brothers and I were just a group of laborers and refugees. What do you think of us now? We are fed and clothed every day. Now look at our burqas and cloaks. Are we majestic or not?"
After speaking, Odo winked at Ron. Ron also stood on the wooden platform and spoke loudly to everyone in the audience in a pure Provence accent: "What this brother just said is true. I was originally the son of a farmer in the suburbs of Verno. In the early autumn of this year, our family fled to the north of Burgundy. We almost starved to death on the way. Fortunately, my master saved us with kindness, and I became his follower. Since I followed the master, I have never been short of food every day, and I can still eat bread and broth every day. Moreover, the master will pay me my salary on time. Our whole family has survived and is living a comfortable life. "
When everyone in the audience heard Ron's familiar accent, they looked at the young man's majestic black robe and cape, and imagined the life he described, and couldn't help but yearn for it.
Ron continued to add fuel to the fire: "Especially brothers who are alone, look at what you have left. If you have nothing to eat or drink here, you will only have one life left. Why don't you take some men's blood and bravery and follow us to take a gamble. Our master only recruits ten Personally, if you continue to be hesitant like a woman, it will be your fault."
The crowd was in a commotion for a moment, and a man from behind pushed through the crowd and squeezed in, saying: "I'll give it a try. I've decided on the food today."
The man jumped up on the wooden platform, stood in front of Odo and said: "Brother, can you see if I can be selected?"
Otto looked at the man's appearance and estimated that he was over thirty years old, but his physique was still strong. He stretched out his hands and pinched the man's waist, abdomen, shoulders and arms. He had thick bones and rough skin, and he had a fairly good physique. Otto asked the man if there were any other burdens at home, and the man replied that he was alone. Otto felt that this man was physically strong and had no philistine or ruffian spirit, and met Art's selection criteria, so he opened the passage to let him enter the next level.
Ron, who was sitting behind a broken table, said to the man: "Choose one of the three of us of similar stature to compete in arm wrestling. If you can hold on to thirty counts without being knocked down or can knock the opponent down, you will win."
The man compared himself in front of several people and picked the strongest Bass.
Basi rolled up his cuffs, put his thick right arm on the table, and said to the man: "Come on, like a man."
The man glanced at the people in the audience, turned around and sat down opposite Bass, rolled up his rag sleeves, and put his right hand on Bass's arm. The two began to exert force, and their arms began to tremble...
"One~two~three~four~...fifteen~sixteen" Ron counted loudly from the side.
Pha~ Bass suddenly exerted force and slapped the man's right hand hard on the table.
Bass raised his hand and patted the shoulder of the man opposite, and said, "Brother, go get the food and go home."
Ron scooped two large bowls of shelled barley from the barrel and put them on the man's bagged clothes. The man got off the stage with a look of regret on his face.
Seeing that the first man really got the food, a young man also stepped forward and jumped onto the wooden platform, successfully passing Odo's first level.
In the second level, he chose Ron, who was similar in stature, as the challenge target. He did not recklessly use all his strength like the man just now. Instead, he and Ron resisted each other for a while, and then slowly used his strength to compete with Ron for time, locking Ron for thirty counts. Although he was finally knocked down, he still successfully passed the second level.
The young man came to Art. He knew that this was the master who nodded and counted, so he bowed.
Matt looked up and down at the young man. He was less than twenty years old, with a lean body and some sunken eye sockets.
"What's your name? What did you do originally?" Art asked.
"Sir, my name is Jason Fleming. I am seventeen years old. I am the son of a hunter at the foot of the southern Lamel Mountains. Last year, my father and I were taken to Verno to defend the city by the knight in the village. As a result, my father was killed and I escaped from the city alone."
"Then you know how to use a bow and arrow?"
"I learned it when I was a child, but my father said that being a hunter would lead a life like a wild beast, so he sent me to the knight's house as a servant. I have never used a bow and arrow again."
"We are going to fight bandits and bandits, do you dare to fight with me?"
"As long as you keep me fed and pay me on time, I dare you!" Jason replied.
"Okay, you can go aside and rest for a while, and wait for everyone to gather before doing the final test."
With Art's permission, Jason walked down the wooden platform and stood next to the carriage and waited patiently...
The double-decker selection continued for half the afternoon. The four Ottos took turns guarding the two gates. By the time the sun set on the top of the mountain, a large group of strong single men were already standing beside the carriage.
The preliminary recruitment test has ended. In the middle of the afternoon, nearly 70 people came on stage to apply for recruitment. About 50 people passed the first level, and the recruitment ended after 20 people passed the second level. Art only planned to select ten of these twenty people as patrol soldiers, and Art deliberately avoided recruiting too many soldiers in the same place.
The crowd of onlookers has not dispersed yet. In this season when the lingering power of winter has not yet dissipated, this is a rare entertainment spectacle.
In order to allow the remaining twenty people to display their respective strengths in the next competition, Art asked Ron to take out some rye bread baked from the bakery in Kitzby City and let everyone eat and drink.
After the twenty strong men in front of the carriage had eaten and drank, Art stood in front of them and said loudly: "You are all the elites I selected from many men. You are undoubtedly suitable candidates to go with me to fight bandits, but I only want the ten best among you. So take the next step. Come, you have to compete with each other, each choose an opponent of similar height and size to wrestle, and the one who is standing in the end will follow me." So until dark, the open space outside the North City was filled with the sound of strong men wrestling and the crowd cheering, even the city guards were alerted.
After learning that Ate and the others were recruiting caravan guards and seeing the lacquered document issued by the clerk, the guards left.
The result of the final showdown came out, and ten young strong men won the wrestling match. Among them were noble servants, miners, laborers, farmers, as well as deserters and urban vagrants (hooligans). However, in the first level, those guys who looked like soldiers and cunning people were eliminated, so those who remained could be regarded as innocent people.
Ate came to the ten strong men who were about to receive the food and leave in anger, and said to them: "Everyone, although you were knocked down by them and lost the wrestling match, you are also a group of good men. I will give you another chance to survive. I have a fertile land in the southern border of Burgundy that needs people to cultivate. If you are willing to follow me north, I can give you land for rent. I will not only provide you with food and accommodation until the harvest." We will receive food and promise not to collect any taxes in the first year... If you still want to serve as soldiers and eat food in the future, you will have a chance..."
The remaining people are all strong single men. Most of them can survive here with their own strength. Except for three guys who have been farmers and have a relatively honest and dull temperament, they are willing to go north with Art to cultivate the wasteland. The rest of them left in anger.
After retaining those who lost the game, Art turned around and said to the ten winners: "Brothers, you are my people from now on. As long as you listen to me and work hard for me, I will ensure that you have enough food and clothing and pay your salary on time. Now everyone will follow us into the city. I will treat everyone to bread and broth tonight in the city..."
Everyone cheered.
After having a sumptuous dinner, we rested for a night in the open square in Kitzby. On the morning of the next day, Art started to return with the newly recruited young men...