"Sir, are you sure this is the priest assigned to us? Why do I feel that he doesn't look like an apostle of God at all." Ron said and then turned to look at the parish priest Hamish Matthew who was staggering drunkenly on the back of a black mule.
Hamish has followed Art's team south for three days. When he first met Art and the others, this guy still maintained the seriousness and purity of a clergyman. However, as he got farther and farther away from Lucese, his true nature began to be exposed. At first, he just sneaked aside to drink some wine during the break, which was not harmful. Slowly, Hamish and Angus, an alcoholic guy, got together. Both of them had a special hobby for alcohol, especially strong ale. However, this guy named Hamish was really not good at drinking. He started to get drunk before drinking a few large glasses of ale. He did not care about the solemnity of a clergyman and often fell asleep.
As a result, he was drunk all the way. This guy spent the time on the road sleeping, and then used the time while sleeping to get drunk. Everyone who was traveling with him agreed that Art was deceived by the abbot of the monastery. It was basically a random drunkard who was pulled from the street and shaved off half a circle of hair and stuffed it with them to make up money.
But two people had different views on this wayward priest. One person is Angus. He has served as a sergeant in the Holy Order and has many contacts with the church's clergy. He hates those hypocritical clergy the most. Those "saints" who look serious all day long have done countless corrupt things behind their backs. On the contrary, it is this kind of willful guy who is the real "pure cultivator". Another person who likes this priest is Art. In the past few days of contact with Hamish, he discovered that this seemingly unruly guy is actually a well-educated man, and he has a very thorough understanding of biblical doctrines.
However, the people in the valley need a clergyman who looks like an apostle to bring the light of God to everyone, so Art still has to find a way to get this guy to change his unruly character, at least to maintain the appearance of an apostle of God in front of the believers.
Matt looked back at Hamish, who was sleeping on the black mule, and said to Ron with a smile: "He is definitely an extremely pious messenger of God."
……………
In Tyniec County City, the city guards hurried into the lord's hall to report to Viscount Pierre that the sentry cavalry had discovered a cavalry team of ten horses walking towards the city three miles outside the city.
"Did that team raise the flag?" Viscount Pierre asked calmly.
"The sentry cavalry said he didn't see it clearly. It seemed to be a heraldic flag with a black background, and the cavalry were all wearing black cloaks."
"The heraldic flag with a black background and black cloaks, could it be that guy is back?" Pierre said to himself.
"Okay, it shouldn't be an enemy. Just ask the North City guards to be more careful. There is no need to close the city gate." Pierre said, putting on his bearskin coat, putting on his belt, hanging up his sword, and left the office. He asked the guards to get on their horses and ran towards the north gate...
Pierre climbed up to the top of the city. Raising his hands and eyebrows, he glanced at the cavalry team that was getting closer. He gradually saw the square flag and heraldic flag of the cavalry team clearly. He waved his hand to the captain of the city guard beside him and said, "He's from the patrol team. That guy Art has been promoted to a knight. Bring him into my office soon..."
…
“Art, you did not disappoint me! I know you can make great achievements on the battlefield.” Pierre handed a glass of wine to Art, who was sitting across the official table, then picked up his own wine glass, touched it lightly, and drank it in one gulp.
"So, now I should officially call you Knight Art?"
"Sir Viscount, I should thank you. If you hadn't given me a chance, I would still be killing bandits at the border." Art said very sincerely.
Viscount Pierre smiled and shook his head.
"You said you have two fiefs? Is one of them Wincheston Manor?"
"No, no, Wincheston Manor has been sealed to Dean. My fiefs are the tax card at the bridgehead on the southern border and a canyon wasteland on the east side of the Carmel Mountains in the south."
“I have also guessed that Wincheston Manor cannot be granted to you. Dean’s father has started to move around three months ago, and he has even been here. The land around Wincheston Manor is fertile. If you can find a shrewd lord to manage it, you will definitely be able to do so. It will become another wealthy manor. But even if we don't get Wincheston, shouldn't we just give you a few pieces of wasteland? Isn't your fief too big?" Pierre did not say the next words, because there is no point in talking about what is now a foregone conclusion.
Pierre changed the topic and said: "You don't have to be too disappointed. After all, being promoted to a knight and being granted a territory is lucky enough for a civilian who has just been ennobled as a trainee knight. I read your documents and found that you are also serving as the palace's southern border patrol officer. The palace ordered Tinets City to support five standing soldiers in your patrol team. I agreed to this, but after taking my money and food, you have to do things for me. You want your patrol team to issue Play its due role. Recently, the bandits in the south have been rampant while the war in the east is depleted. In the late autumn of last year, a caravan from the north was raped by a group of birches in the south of Lane Manor. During the robbery, eight people in the caravan were killed on the spot, and all the goods they brought were looted. Afterwards, I took people to check and found that the wounds of the deceased were almost fatal. These guys were not ordinary people. I suspected they were deserters or gangsters. "
“If we are talking about the same group of people, I have been in contact with that group of robbers. At that time, I just took office as a patrol officer. I was also chased by the group of robbers in the birch forest for a whole afternoon. In the end, I managed to escape them while it was dark. They were chasing them. Those guys had extraordinary fighting power and strict military discipline. I also guessed that they were people from the army." Art recalled the scene of being chased in the birch forest. The feeling of being chased and bitten by a pack of hungry wolves was still fresh in his memory.
“There are now six large groups of bandits and more than ten small groups of bandits in the county. They are mainly entrenched around the north-south business road and the east-west carriage road. Every hill and dense forest may be their lair. Now, in addition to robbing passers-by and traders, they have even begun to openly plunder some small estates. After most of the troops were sent to fight in the east, my garrison strength in Tyniec County was only over 100 people. It is impossible for me to send all the garrison troops to eliminate the bandits. Now that you are back, I will leave this matter to you. In addition to the regular supply of military pay and food for your five soldiers. , I will also allocate you ten iron-tipped wing spears, ten shields, five armed swords, two horn bows, three sets of leather armor, and two thousand pfennigs. In addition, I will order all the forts, manors, and villages in the county to fully cooperate with you to eliminate the bandits. As long as you can collect the security tax from the lords' purses, you can do it. I only need you. How about handing me thirty bandit heads before the wheat harvest?" Pierre has been annoyed by the bandits raging in the county. These guys travel through the high mountains and dense forests and deep valleys, and their movements are unpredictable. Pierre has sent troops to eliminate them several times, but only returned without success after killing a few gangsters.
“Since I have taken over the post of patrol officer, I will definitely be loyal to my duty. Not to mention that the viscount is so generous, I will definitely live up to the high expectations of the palace and your lord. When I return from the battlefield this time, I plan to form a special patrol team dedicated to clearing out the counties. Bandits, open the north-south trade route. I will accept all the weapons you have ordered. In addition, I would like to make two small requests to you." Art had planned to continue training the army to eliminate the bandits, so it was an unexpected surprise to get the support of Viscount Pierre.
Viscount Pierre is also a straightforward person. He said: "I can only give you so much weapons and armor. I have fewer soldiers than you do. I will try my best to squeeze out money and food. If there is more, I will be hungry. For the rest, just tell me and I will do my best to satisfy you."
“I won’t ask for weapons, money, food, or soldiers anymore. I want you to allow me to do two things. The first is to allow me to recruit young homeless people in the county. I now have my own knight territory, and I need people to open up wasteland for me in the valley. "
"No problem, I agree."
h "The second request is that I would like to find a garrison camp for the patrol, located twenty miles south of Lane Manor, north and south. There is a pile of huge rocks next to the commercial road. It is close to the commercial road and is at the intersection of the north-south and east-west roads. It is convenient for the patrol team to send out troops to patrol and maintain law and order. The patrol team can be stationed there, but there is no cultivated land or woods around it. I am afraid that if you are stationed there, you will need to transport firewood for cooking from a distance."
"I can handle these things myself.
"That's fine, I agree to this condition."
"Thank you, sir!" Art stood up and bowed lightly to Viscount Pierre.
"You go to the clerk to hand over the documents in a while. I won't send you off. You can leave on your own." Viscount Pierre put down his cup and said.
"Sergeant major, come with me to the weapons depot to collect the weapons and equipment allocated to us by Vicomte Pierre. We will expand our army in the future, so we can prepare as much as we can now."
Matt left the hall and gave orders to Ron and Angus who were waiting outside the door.
One day later, thirteen cavalrymen escorted a black-robed priest and led a dozen young refugees to the south carrying a batch of weapons and equipment and a small amount of food supplies.
The next journey was not smooth sailing. The situation along the way was just as Viscount Pierre said. There were already several waves of shadows surrounding the team along the way. However, because the team was escorted by more than a dozen cavalry, those guys scattered far away and fled.
"Sir, that group of robbers are certainly not ordinary people. I saw people on horses behind them commanding and following them." Angus rode his horse and caught up with At, who was walking at the head of the team.
"Of course they are not ordinary thieves. The man you saw is the steward of Lane Manor." A trace of murderous intent flashed in Art's eyes.
"Lyne Manor? Sir, are you saying that those robbers are disguised as people from Lane Manor?" Angus couldn't believe it.
It's so difficult that the owner of the manor directly led his troops to plunder and massacre the refugees. If we hadn't run quickly, we would have become a pile of bones or dying serfs in the manor." Ron was still worried about what happened outside Lane Manor.
"Sir, since they are a bunch of bastards, I will take people to catch that guy and kill him!" Angus was tired of being followed all the way here, and he had long wanted to rush over and kill those hungry dog-like tails.
"Sergeant Major, I will let you kill enough, but not now." Art kicked the horse's belly with his spurs, and the horse under him whinnied and accelerated towards the south.