Mercenaries and Adventurers

It was getting late, and most of the people in the open space had a full dinner.

During the day, a group of young people went to a cheap market in the town with a small amount of coins, and with the permission of Bloodyaster and Priest Batal, they brought back some edible mushrooms for everyone.

Therefore, tonight's wheat porridge contains some delicious mushrooms that have been carefully sliced, allowing the people to enjoy the wheat porridge that they will never get tired of, and it has a higher status.

How could they have such a chance to eat well now? In previous years, in their respective villages, even during the harvest, the elders of the family had to frown and calculate how much food they could get in exchange for the seasonal food from the treacherous merchants. How many copper coins.

This is not bad, but it is a 'happiness' trouble for farmers who own their own land. Villagers who often migrate to the village late can only rent land from the big families in the village. Not only do they need to pay grain taxes to the lord every year, but also Exploited by landowners.

Even the grain harvested from the fields must be sold only to the owners of the land. If not sold to them, the lease will not be renewed for new farmers in the coming year.

In order to make ends meet, everyone often has no choice but to endure it.

The priests of the God of Agriculture often didn't care about this kind of thing. After all, for them, as long as the farmland was cultivated well and the harvest was good. Whether anyone is exploited inside is a matter between farmers.

For many grassroots clergy, there is not much difference between homesteaders and farmers who rent farmland to live on.

Many young people in the team really didn't expect that after going through so many hardships, they would one day live such a 'rich' life and be able to eat every meal with a full stomach.

Perhaps, it was the Batal priest who gave them these god-given foods, maybe? perhaps? perhaps? Different from the Saturn priests that people have seen before?

Priest Batal is good at everything, except that he looks depressed every day, and his frown has never relaxed.

Hey, isn't it just that the villagers of a village were kidnapped? How many people can be at most in a remote village? How many people are there in their team?

There can't be many of them, right?

-

Although Keir was not hungry, when a familiar person came over with wheat porridge with lots of mushroom slices, he still smiled and took it, and ate the hot wheat porridge while it cooled down in front of everyone.

"Not bad! It would be better if we could add some green vegetables!"

Keir commented like this.

A young farm girl who had spoken a few words to Keel immediately said excitedly: "Okay, sir! Next time we will find a way to find some vegetables! In fact, there are fields full of vegetables near the clearing. During the day, We girls wanted to go over and buy some from the people working in the fields, but the priest and Mr. Sturt wouldn't let us go out."

Keir nodded: "Yes, although it is a bit regretful, in fact, those who work in the farmland are not the real owners of the field and the crops on it. They are just bought by others to force labor time and are looked after by others. They're just debtors. As for not letting everyone go out, hey, when you see those debtors who have been driven away with whips, you know that this town of Dorne is not a good place."

The familiar-looking girl was a little confused, but she still nodded and accepted what Kil said.

In addition, don’t ask why people have money to buy things. When Kiel led people to sweep away the gangsters’ lair, he tacitly allowed the young people who acted with him to control other things, except for large items. The few belongings found in the robbers' beds, clothes, and cracks in the walls belong to themselves.

The desire for wealth not only gave many young people who took up arms the courage to take action, but also made many people barely forget the fear and fear they felt when fighting bandits. Otherwise, the frightened people might not even be able to move their feet.

During the following days on the road, these small amounts of property that fell into the hands of young people were basically distributed throughout the country through processes including but not limited to: giving to friends, pleasing the opposite sex, trading items, betting chips, exchanging necessities, etc. In the hands of the people of the team.

Moreover, Kiel occasionally motivates people to work in the team, which is the same as Priest Batal's divine food. He uses money and food to use authority and interests to drive people to do some troublesome work.

Of course, considering that the safety of the entire team is almost entirely supported by Kiel, although he also uses money to drive everyone, the people will obey his orders for more direct verbal orders.

Especially since Kiel rarely makes mistakes or mistakes these days.

"Well, give me another bowl. I think a friend hasn't had dinner yet."

Keir handed the empty wooden bowl to the other party, and the girl immediately ran away and brought another bowl.

Nodding, Kil held the steaming bowl of mushroom porridge and walked out from the gate of the clearing, walking towards the side of the town, away from the darkness illuminated by torches.

There was a middle-aged man there with his head lowered and his eyes wide open. He was carefully using a knife to dance on the wooden statue with almost faint illumination and the touch of his fingers.

He was so engrossed that he didn't even notice the sound of Kiel's deliberately heavy footsteps.

With no other choice, Kil had no choice but to move his body and use his body covered in a black and red cloak to block the light of the torch lighting the gate of the clearing.

But he didn't expect that this middle-aged wood carver didn't notice anything at all. He just opened his eyes wider and moved his hands more cautiously and slowly. But the carving work didn't stop at all.

Seeing this scene, Kil couldn't help but sigh.

"Artisan Kake, Artisan Kake? If you don't notice me again, the dinner I brought you will be cold."

What Kil said in his normal voice really shocked the craftsman.

He was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't realize that someone was talking to him just now. Then the next moment, he realized something, and when he raised his lowered head, he saw Knight Kiel, whom he had just met not long ago. Just standing in front of him holding a steaming wooden bowl.

"Ah, ah, yes, it's riding, Lord Knight! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's my fault that I didn't notice you, my fault."

Craftsman Kake was frightened and wanted to stand up and salute quickly, but he had been squatting on the ground for too long. When he stood up suddenly, and because of his physical weakness, he fell to the ground in embarrassment.

Seeing that he was embarrassed but not injured, Kil chuckled and put the wooden bowl in his hand on the ground in front of the craftsman: "Eat something. I guess you didn't have dinner, right?"

The craftsman was stunned for a moment, then twitched the corner of his mouth and forced a smile: "Thank you, Lord Knight. You guessed it right, you guessed it right, as you can see, in order not to miss the delivery time, I did not get dark yet, Just came over. I even made an extra wooden sculpture on the way!"

Keir didn't expose the other party's words and just smiled.

As if smelling the aroma of mushroom wheat porridge, the stomach of the middle-aged wood carver began to rumble loudly. This made the middle-aged man press his stomach and stomach with his hands in embarrassment, and at the same time wanted to reach out to hold the wooden bowl, but I don’t dare.

Keir waved his hand: "Please use it. This is the dinner cooked by the young girls in my team. They added some fresh mushrooms bought from the market in your town, sliced ​​them and boiled them in the wheat porridge. Please take advantage of this." Drink it hot, I'll treat you to it."

"Thank you, thank you sir. Then I will eat it."

After hearing that it was the people's dinner, the middle-aged craftsman dared to pick up the wooden bowl and poured the wheat porridge into his mouth without using a spoon. In order to prevent Knight Kiel from reacting, he did not even dare to touch the edge of the wooden bowl with his lips.

Keir was carrying the mushroom porridge all the way from the center of the open space. At this time, the temperature was no longer as hot as when it was just taken out of the pot, and the temperature was just right for humans to swallow.

Craftsman Kak swallowed the wheat porridge that he poured into his mouth. The plump boiled wheat grains were easily touched with his teeth, and the rich aroma of wheat from the grains exploded.

The crisp and tender mushrooms cut into slices were even more slippery. They slipped down the throat and into the esophagus without paying attention. Craftsman Kak had to use his tongue and teeth to find these delicious mushrooms, and then used his teeth to remove them. Stir and grind.

The delicious taste of the mushrooms surprised him. It had been a while since he had eaten something so delicious.

Soon, the entire bowl of mushroom porridge was eaten by the craftsman. When the craftsman finished eating, Gere pointed to the big pocket next to the craftsman and said: "Since you have finished eating, let me see how your work looks like." ?”

"It should be, it should be, sir."

The craftsman gave a rare burp, and then glanced at the knight carefully. Not realizing that the knight was angry and furious, he carefully but neatly took out the completed wood carving from the bag.

Two, three, four, row by row, one by one, the ground was soon covered.

Kil knelt down and picked one up. Using the faint light coming from behind him, he carefully looked at the wood carving in his hand.

This is a palm-sized wooden sculpture of a god with the head of a bird and a human body.

Basically, it is exactly the same as the drawing he provided, whether it is the height, the crude and primitive clothing, or the subtle expression of the bird's head.

What is very surprising is that in the original sketch provided by Kiel, the bird-headed part of the god actually had no expression. However, on the wooden sculpture in his hand, the bird-headed god's expression seems to be smiling but not smiling, and it has a kind of expression. A natural condescending expression.

It's very expressive, especially Geer's. He feels that this expression is similar to that of Otori God, who has no choice but to put on airs when there is no way out. The expression is very penetrating.

This brought a smirk to Kil's face.

"How about it?"

Keir whispered.

Craftsman Kak thought Knight Kiel was talking to him, so he immediately added: "Sir, I think the wood carvings produced in this batch can only be said to be average. The main reason is that you asked for it too urgently. If the time is more generous, If you have some, I can also find someone to color these statues of your gods! As long as they are painted, they will look very beautiful and outstanding. I guarantee that the followers of this unknown god will like them so much that they have to worship them every day. Idol.”

At the same time, Keir also heard a voice: "Gah, very good, very good! I am very satisfied! Whether it is the new image or the number of these wood carvings! Ah! I am very satisfied!"

After listening to this, Keir put down the wood carving and said, "This level is okay, I'm very satisfied~"

He deliberately imitated the answer he heard from the big bird god to tease him.

"My lord, as long as you are satisfied, as long as you are satisfied."

Kil stood up, clicked on the wood carvings on the ground, and counted their number: "Thirty-five wood carvings, then according to the price discussed before, three gold, five silver, and another gold coin for the confidentiality fee .how?"

Keir took out a few gold and silver coins from his inner pocket and bumped them in his hand, making a crisp and beautiful collision sound of precious metals.

Craftsman Kake's eyes were wide open. He couldn't believe that he got such a valuable coin from a noble man so easily. The other party not only kept their promise, but also took out the money without any deductions.

To be honest, let alone the price of a silver coin for a wood carving, he would be willing to make it even for a copper coin. To be honest, if he could make twenty wood carvings a day and earn twenty copper coins, the life of him and his family would not be as embarrassing as it is now.

Even if you don't take a break, you can earn more than three gold coins a year. This is considered a high-paying job in the town of Dorne.

real.

Craftsman Kak, trembling, carefully held it out with both hands and stretched it out to Kil.

Kirze neatly put the coins in his hand upside down in the opponent's hands: "Go on, this money is not small, don't lose it at night."

"No, no." Realizing the importance of these coins, the craftsman Kak immediately stuffed the coins on his chest without even counting them.

He also carefully checked whether the inner pocket of his clothes was damaged. After finding that there was no damage, he carefully covered his chest with his left arm and pointed hesitantly at the other unfinished wood carvings at hand.

"Sir, what about these?"

Keir waved his hand: "Of course these don't count, and to keep it secret, I will take it away and destroy it. No objection, right?"

"No, no." The craftsman glanced at these half-finished wood carvings with regret, and was annoyed that if he had moved more neatly during the day, these four or five wood carvings could be turned into four or five shiny silver coins.

"I want your bag too, no objection?"

"The bag, the bag is borrowed." The craftsman replied very quietly, because the gorgeously dressed Knight Kiel was staring at him.

He didn't dare to say anything more, so he finally whispered a few words timidly. Even Keir, who had sensitive ears, didn't know what he said.

"I took the borrowed ones too. Otherwise, can I be like the clown in the noble court, juggling and bringing them back?"

Kil smiled, and then one by one he threw the unpainted wooden idols, which were still the original color of the wood, into the big bag next to them.

While pretending, Kil was talking to the middle-aged craftsman with an excited look on his face as if chatting.

"Looking at you, I'm afraid business has been difficult these days, right?"

"I don't dare to hide it from the Lord Knight. Not to mention the recent past. Ever since I heard from my hometown that Dorne Town is prosperous, so I tried to find a way to move here, business has not been good."

"Oh, why is that?"

"It's hard to say. The gods and priests will be angry if I tell you."

"Oh, it has something to do with the Church of the God of Wealth, right? That's strange. From what I know, the belief in the Church of the God of Wealth in this town is booming. Isn't that the time when woodcarving craftsmen like you come to work? There's no way the church can do it. All the statues were outsourced to another wood carving craftsman? That’s not right, I just saw your craftsmanship, it’s very good, and it’s clearer and more expressive than the protective statue of the God of Agriculture in the hands of my companion.”

After hearing what Kil said, the craftsman smiled bitterly: "Sir, you are mistaken. It's not that my craftsmanship is not good, nor is it that this job was outsourced to another craftsman. The thing is very simple, that is, uh, I will complain to you, but you don’t dare to tell others."

"Don't worry, I won't tell."

"Hey, the Church of the God of Wealth never uses wood to make statues of gods. The priests hire jewelers to take gold, silver and other precious materials and cast them into statues. If it weren't for the small amount of business from several other churches to support their livelihood, , I have left the town of Dorne long ago."

Kil smiled and tilted his head as if he heard what someone said, so he said: "Although you made a fortune from me this time, this is not an option. You should leave Dorne Town as soon as possible. Go make a living elsewhere. The longer you delay here, the life you spend and the opportunities to make money you lose will make you regret it."

The middle-aged craftsman forced a smile: "In the past, I may not have the money to move my family with me, but now I have the money, but you also know that now, let alone moving to other towns, even many caravans from the chamber of commerce dare not go on the road. I don’t know how long this war will last. Some people in the town are in debt and bankrupt and have completely indulged themselves."

Finally, Kiel threw the unfinished wood carvings and the wooden bowls on the ground into the big bag, then easily lifted the bag and waved to the craftsman: "It's a pleasure to work with you. Remember, take mine." Hiding money, no third person can know about this matter. Do you understand?"

"I understand, I understand, sir. No matter who asks, I won't say a word."

Kil tapped him with his finger: "You know what I asked you to make, so be careful, the gods are watching. In addition, if something wonderful happens to you in the future, think about it and I ask you to make it. Idol, you will understand."

The craftsman was a little confused. He watched in confusion as the young knight wearing a black and red cloak walked away and entered the fenced open space where there was noisy singing and singing.

Suddenly, he came back to his senses and realized that he was the only one in the darkness around him.

The nearest firelight and people were at the gate of the open space in the distance. Next to him, there were only empty trade roads and dark stretches of farmland.

He shuddered, and placed his left and right hands nervously on his chest, tightly covering the valuable coins in his inner pocket.

At this time, he was no longer the poor man who couldn't afford a few iron coins all over his body. He was poor before, so he had never been afraid of dark trails or deserted wilderness. After all, he was poorer than the person who robbed him. He could even lick his face and ask the person who robbed him if he had any work to do.

But it's different now.

He has a huge sum of money, including four gold and five silver coins.

Thinking of this, Craftsman Kak turned around and ran towards the town.

He took a step forward, and with the fullness and strength brought about by eating just now, he ran back home from the outside of the town in one breath.

When he knocked on the closed and dilapidated door of his house, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and the excitement of being reborn showed on his face. It felt strange to his wife who opened the door for him in the dark.

"You worked all night yesterday and you are dizzy, right? Tell me, boss, did you make any money from this job?"

When the craftsman took out the gold and silver coins and asked his wife to light the oil lamp that was rarely lit at night, they cheered together in a low voice.

The gold coin was round and heavy, and the portrait of His Excellency the Prince Regent on it seemed to be smiling with satisfaction. Laughing at the desire for wealth and authority in every citizen of his kingdom who saw him.

The silver coin was smooth and shiny, with the portrait of His Excellency the Prince Regent on it.

The two people danced happily, and the tapping sound of the dance also woke up a pair of children who had gone to bed early after dark. The children looked at their parents with doubts on their faces.

But outside this dilapidated little house, there was a sound of flapping wings.

A pure black crow landed on the family's roof.

like a statue.