The Mountain Confederacy and his entourage have really suffered.
Not to mention the physical exertion caused by the climb, there were many steep roads along the way. Most of the roads could only be passed by a single horse. Seventy or eighty packhorses, green mules, and thirty accompanying riding horses pulled the team out of a formation with no leader.
Fortunately, the government applied for some heavy troops from the legion's baggage team to accompany them, and there were several "locals" who directed them back and forth, so there was no major danger in the entire team. However, the death and injury of one or two horses is unavoidable.
After five days of arduous trek, the huge team finally arrived at a slightly flatter place in the mountainous area.
Here, everyone has just slowly realized the beauty of the mountains after the ruggedness.
Over the past five days, the team has basically been sleeping and sleeping in mountain cols and wastelands. It is not completely deserted along the way, but there is really no land to support people in these barren mountains and rivers. The "villages" that can be seen occasionally are small settlements composed of three or five thatched wooden shacks. When the poor people saw this huge team, they were so scared that they hid in their houses and did not dare to come out.
Although these simple mountain people showed great enthusiasm after strangers presented them with peaceful and friendly gifts (a small bag of grain or a piece of coarse linen cloth), the few thatched houses that could only accommodate a broken bed could not provide shelter for the huge team from the wind and snow. What's more, there are cattle, sheep and livestock sleeping together with the mountain people in that house.
Stepping through a pass with thick snow, a flat land in the mountain valley finally appeared in everyone's eyes.
The canyon flatland is located between two mountains. White snow is dotted on the grass that has begun to turn green. Cattle and sheep are scattered in groups on the grass, greedily eating the young grass shoots that have just sprouted.
A small town is embedded in the canyon flatland. Wisps of green smoke rise from the gray and white houses in the town, and drift until they are at the same height as the snow line of the ridge and turn into floating clouds.
Atlema stopped and savored the spring scenery under the snow-capped mountains.
"Romon, this is your hometown? It's not bad." Art said to the man walking behind him.
Romon is the captain of the mountain mercenary who has just joined the Welsh Legion. This time Art visited the Mountain Confederacy and specially brought him with him.
Romon said in a common language with a strong mountain flavor: "Your Majesty, if I lived here, I wouldn't take my guys out of the mountains to work as mercenaries. Our community tribe is still in the mountains a day's journey from here, and there is no flat land there. and herds of cattle and sheep. "
"This town is called Warob, a free town belonging to the state of Bern (Forest State). One day's journey east from Warob you can reach the city of Yver on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel, which is a good place."
"I know the leader of Yver City. Since the winter of last year, with the authorization of the Ministry of Commerce of the Government, I have established some trade relations with Yver City. They carry wool, cheese, nuts and dried goods from the mountains to Andermatt Castle in exchange for grain, cloth, spices and all the goods that are in short supply in the mountainous areas." Antayas patted his horse and came to Ater's side at some unknown time.
Romon nodded, "Yes, Lord Antayas. Since we broke with Habsburg sixteen years ago, trade channels have been shrinking every year. Starting from the year before last, our mountain confederation began to fight back, but Habsburg blocked the trade routes from the east into the mountains, so the lords in the mountains and the various autonomous states had to find new sources of trade."
While the few people were talking, the large group behind them also followed.
Hence, after the outpost reported the personal visit of the Earl of Wells from the Burgundian kingdom, the mayor of Warrob came up with the specifications for receiving the royal family to entertain Art.
Walob is said to be a town, but if it is placed in a plain area, it can only be regarded as a village fortress. There were a few stone houses scattered among the forty wooden houses, and less than two hundred townspeople almost crowded all the space.
There is a small courtyard in the center of the town. It is the residence of the mayor and the only hotel in the entire town of Warrob.
The town is too small, so most people can only set up tents in the small square in the town. However, the townspeople here are very enthusiastic. After paying a small amount of food and cloth, each household lights a fire to cook, and takes out all the cheese and dried meat that the family is reluctant to eat on weekdays and turns them into food to entertain the distinguished guests from outside the mountain.
Of course, Art, Ron, Antayas and a few people with some status were personally entertained by the mayor.
The mayor is an elderly man. His slightly bloated figure shows that his family is not poor. In fact, his family was once the tribal leader here. There are few nobles in the Mountain Confederation, so the mayor is actually the local lord.
The mayor's residence is not very big, with a three-story stone building as the main part of the wooden fence, several stone houses on the left and right, and a row of stables, animal sheds and servants' huts on the outside.
The ground floor of the three-story stone building in the center and the houses on both sides are naturally hotels. The mayor, his two wives and five children live on the second floor and above.
Att later learned that tribal customs were still maintained in some parts of the Mountain Confederation, so it was not uncommon for a man to have multiple wives.
When a distinguished guest comes to visit, the host will naturally provide warm hospitality.
The mayor vacated the entire second floor of the stone house where the family lived, and arranged for Art, Ron, and Antayas to live there. The two deputy ministers of the government, the two knightly guards in the Earl's Guard, and Antayas's chief of guard were also politely arranged to live in the stone houses on both sides of the main house.
It was really hard to walk on the mountain road for five consecutive days and sleep in the open air, so Art asked Ron to settle the team in person, while he fell into the mayor's not-so-luxurious bedroom and slept soundly.
In the evening, Art, who had had enough sleep, was personally invited by the mayor to attend a banquet in the hall on the first floor. In addition to the mayor, there were also several prominent figures in the town accompanying him.
The mountains are poor, and although Warrob's conditions are slightly better, the mayor's enthusiasm can only be to encourage the distinguished guests to eat more meat and drink more glasses of good wine.
Of course, although the wine here is not as good as the beer produced in Wales and the wine in Bordeaux, the cattle and sheep raised in the mountains drinking snow water are indeed extremely delicious.
The people in the mountainous area are simple and honest, but Art did not regard the people here as fools. For this sumptuous reception, Art presented valuable goods worth three thousand pfennigs to the town mayor, and allowed the town of Walob to be included as a trading partner of the European trading company.
After repairing for a while in Warrob, the team set off again the next morning.
According to Art's plan, the team was divided into two parts. An official from the government, accompanied by Romon, visited various tribes, including Romon's hometown, with fifty packhorses carrying food. While half-selling and half-delivering the food, they promoted the recruitment policy of the Province of Wales and recruited high-quality mountain people to join the Welsh Army.
Yate himself led the remaining people to visit several important alliance leaders in the mountains one by one.