“My Lord, are you sure this is the priest assigned to us? I don’t think he looks like an apostle of God at all,” Ron said, then turned his head to glance at Parish Priest Hamish Matthew, who was sprawled drunkenly on the back of a black mule.
Hamish had been traveling south with Art’s team for three days. When he first met Art and the others, this fellow still maintained the solemnity and asceticism of a clergyman, but as he got further and further from Lucerne, his true nature began to be exposed.
At first, he would just secretly hide away and drink some wine during breaks, which was harmless enough.
Gradually, Hamish became bosom buddies with Angus, that alcoholic fellow, both of whom had a special fondness for alcohol, especially strong ale.
However, this fellow named Hamish was truly bad at drinking; he would start getting drunk after just a few large mugs of ale, completely disregarding the solemnity and dignity of a clergyman, often just collapsing and falling asleep.
As a result, he drank and got drunk all the way, using travel time to sleep and sleeping time to get drunk.
Everyone traveling with them unanimously believed that Art had been tricked by the Monastery Abbot; this was clearly just a random drunk pulled from the street, given a half-shaved head, and sent to them to make up the numbers.
However, two people had a different view of this uninhibited priest.
One was Angus, who had served as a Sergeant in the Holy Order and had much interaction with church clergy.
He loathed those pretentious and hypocritical clergymen; those “saints” who wore serious faces all day had committed countless depraved acts behind the scenes, while it was precisely these uninhibited fellows who were truly “ascetic” individuals.
The other person who liked this priest was Art; in the several days he had spent with Hamish, he discovered that this seemingly unrestrained fellow was actually a man of profound learning, with a very thorough and deep understanding of biblical doctrine.
Nevertheless, the common folk in the valley needed a clergyman who looked like an apostle to bring God’s light to everyone, so Art still had to find a way to make this fellow change his unrestrained personality, at least to maintain the appearance of an apostle of God in front of the believers.
Art looked back at Hamish, who was dozing on the black mule, and said to Ron with a smile, “He is absolutely a devout messenger of God.”
...
In Tinietz County City, a city guard rushed into the Lord's Hall to report to Viscount Pierre that a Sentry Cavalry had discovered a Cavalry of about a dozen riders three miles outside the city, approaching the city.
“Did that team display a banner?” Viscount Pierre asked calmly.
“The Sentry Cavalry said they didn’t see it clearly, it looked like a black-based coat of arms banner, and all the Cavalry were wearing black cloaks.”
“Black-based coat of arms banner, black cloaks, could it be that fellow has returned?” Pierre muttered to himself.
“Alright, it shouldn’t be an enemy. Just have the North City guards be cautious, no need to close the city gates.” Pierre said, putting on his bearskin coat, fastening his belt, and hanging his sword.
He walked out of his office, called for a guard, mounted his horse, and galloped towards the North Gate...
Pierre ascended the city wall, raised his hand, and squinted to gaze at the approaching Cavalry.
He gradually made out the banner and coat of arms of the Cavalry and waved to the City Gate Captain beside him, saying, “It’s the Patrol Team. Art has been promoted to Knight. Bring him to my office later...”
...
“Art, you didn’t disappoint me! I knew you could achieve military merits on the battlefield.” Pierre handed a glass of wine to Art, who was sitting across from him at the office desk, then picked up his own glass, clinked it lightly, and drank it in one gulp.
“So, should I formally address you as Knight Art now?”
“Viscount, I should thank you. If you hadn’t given me a chance, I would still be clearing out mountain bandits and rogues on the border,” Art said 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 already been granted to Dean. My fiefs are the tax checkpoint at the southern border bridgehead and a barren valley on the eastern side of the Southern Carmel Mountains.”
“I also guessed that Wincheston Manor couldn’t possibly be granted to you. Three months ago, Dean’s father already started making inquiries everywhere, even coming to me.
The land around Wincheston Manor is fertile; if it were managed by a shrewd Lord, it would certainly become another prosperous manor.
But even if you didn’t get Wincheston, it shouldn’t have just been a few barren lands granted to you, right? Your fiefs are perhaps too—?” Pierre didn’t finish his sentence, as there was no point in saying more about something that was already decided.
Pierre changed the subject, saying, “You don’t need to be too disappointed. After all, being promoted to Knight and granted territory is already fortunate enough for a commoner who was only recently knighted as an apprentice.
I’ve read your document; you also currently serve as the Court Southern Border Patrol Officer.
The Court has ordered Tinietz City to provide for five regular Soldiers in your Patrol Team.
I have agreed to this, but if you take my money and provisions, you must work for me.
You must make your Patrol Team fulfill its proper role.
Recently, the mountain bandits and rogues in the south have been very rampant, taking advantage of the depleted military forces everywhere due to the war in the Eastern Border.
Last late autumn, a merchant caravan from the north was robbed by a group of brigands in a Birch Forest south of Laine Manor.
Eight people from the caravan were killed on the spot, and all their goods were plundered.
Afterward, I led men to investigate; the victims’ wounds were almost all fatal.
These fellows are not ordinary people; I suspect they are deserters or hardened criminals.”
“If we are talking about the same group of people, I have encountered those brigands.
At that time, I had just taken up the post of Patrol Officer, also in that Birch Forest, and was chased by that group of brigands for an entire afternoon.
Finally, I escaped their pursuit under the cover of darkness.
Those fellows had exceptional combat power and strict military discipline; I also suspected at the time that they were people from the army.” Art recalled the scene of being chased in the Birch Forest at that time, the feeling of being pursued and torn apart by a pack of hungry wolves was still vivid in his memory.
“Currently, there are six large bandit groups and more than ten small groups of bandits and rogues in the county.
They are mainly entrenched around the North-South trade route and the East-West carriage road.
Every hill and dense forest could be their lair.
Now, in addition to plundering passing travelers and merchants, they have even begun to openly rob some small manors and settlements.
After most of the military forces were dispatched to fight in the Eastern Border, I only have over a hundred garrison Soldiers in Tinietz County City.
I cannot possibly send all the garrison troops to clear out the bandits.
Since you have returned now, I will leave this matter for you to oversee.
In addition to regularly supplying you with the military pay and provisions for five Soldiers, I will also allocate ten iron-headed winged spears, ten shields, five armed swords, two ox-horn bows, three sets of leather armor, and two thousand fenny in military pay.
Furthermore, I will instruct all military forts, manors, and villages throughout the county to fully cooperate with you in clearing out the bandits.
You are also free to levy a security tax from the Lords’ purses if you can.
I only need you to deliver thirty bandit heads to me before the wheat harvest.
How about it?” Pierre was utterly exasperated by the rampant bandits in the county.
These fellows moved through mountains and dense valleys, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, with elusive movements.
Several times, Pierre dispatched troops to clear them out, only to return without success after killing a few small-time thugs.
“Since I have taken on the position of Patrol Officer, I will certainly be loyal to my duty, and since the Viscount is so generous, I will surely live up to the high expectations of the Court and Your Lordship.
Upon returning from the battlefield this time, I intend to form a specialized Patrol Team, dedicated to clearing out bandits in the county and ensuring the smooth flow of the North-South trade route.
Your Lordship, I will accept all the weapons you have allocated, and I also wish to make two small requests to Your Lordship.” Art had already planned to continue training troops to clear out bandits, so receiving support from Viscount Pierre was an unexpected delight.
Viscount Pierre was also a straightforward person, saying, “I can only give you this many weapons and armor; I need Soldiers even more than you do, and I’m already squeezing out as much money and provisions as possible.
Any more and my side will starve.
You can say whatever else you need; I will do my best to fulfill what I can.”
“I will not ask for more weapons, money, provisions, or Soldiers.
I want your permission to do two things.
First, I ask for your permission to recruit young displaced people in the county.
I now have my own Knight territory, and I need people to reclaim land and farm for me in the valley.”
“No problem, I agree.”
“The second request is that I want to find a garrison camp for the Patrol Team.
The location would be at a Giant Stone Pile twenty miles south of Laine Manor, beside the North-South trade route.
That place is close to the trade route and at the intersection of the North-South and East-West roads, making it convenient for the Patrol Team to dispatch troops for patrols and maintain order.”
“That place is in the unclaimed wilderness.
It’s fine to allocate it as a garrison for your Patrol Team, but there’s no farmland or forest nearby, so you might even need to transport firewood from afar to cook and make fires if you’re stationed there.”
“I will take care of these matters myself.”
“Then that’s fine, I agree to this condition as well.”
“Thank you, Your Lordship!” Art stood up and bowed slightly to Viscount Pierre.
“You can go to the scribe later to handle the documents.
I won’t see you off; you may leave on your own.” Viscount Pierre said, setting down his cup.
...
“Ron, take a few men to recruit young displaced people outside the city.
This time, I only want able-bodied young men, preferably single men.
If there are displaced families with half-grown children, they can also be recruited.
Also, send someone to buy some refined iron for forging weapons in the city.”
“Sergeant, you come with me to the armory to collect the weapons and equipment allocated to us by Viscount Pierre.
We will expand our army in the future, so the more we can prepare now, the better.”
Art exited the hall, giving instructions to Ron and Angus, who were waiting outside the main door, as he walked.
A day later, thirteen Cavalry, escorting a black-robed priest and leading a dozen young displaced people carrying a batch of weapons, equipment, and a small amount of food supplies, galloped south.
The subsequent journey was not smooth sailing.
The situation along the way was exactly as Viscount Pierre had described; several shadowy figures had already been spotted around the team, but because the team had more than a dozen Cavalry escorts, those fellows scattered and fled from a distance.
“My Lord, those brigands are definitely not ordinary people.
I saw someone on horseback behind them directing the tracking.” Angus spurred his horse to catch up with Art, who was leading the team.
“They are certainly not ordinary bandits.
The person you saw is the steward of Laine Manor.” A hint of murderous intent flashed in Art’s eyes.
“Laine Manor? My Lord, are you saying those brigands are people from Laine Manor in disguise?” Angus seemed a little disbelieving.
“Yes, I wouldn’t mistake that fat steward’s appearance.”
“Sergeant, you haven’t seen the brutality of that Manor Lord.
Earlier, our entire family fled here with the large group of displaced people, and that Manor Lord directly led troops to plunder and slaughter the displaced people.
If we hadn’t run fast, we would now be a pile of white bones or dying serfs in the manor.” Ron was still resentful about their encounter outside Laine Manor.
“My Lord, since they are a bunch of Bastards, I’ll take men to capture that fellow and kill him!” Angus had grown tired of being followed all the way and had long wanted to charge over and cut down those dog-like tails.
“Sergeant, I will let you kill to your heart’s content, but not now.” Art kicked his horse’s belly with his spur; the warhorse beneath him neighed softly and accelerated, charging south.