Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

Raslaufer was about to go aside to wipe his sword, but the greatsword remained frozen in mid-air, unable to be lowered for a long time. The mercenary quickly stepped back and patted the girl, looking down into her somewhat frightened eyes:

"Say it again—what's your family name?"

Chapter 309 The Troubles of Young Angelita

"Uncle Leslaufer?"

The girl was placed in the carriage, and Angelita naturally gave up her seat for her, but her mind was not on the Amperi-Ryen mixed-race girl at all.

She followed closely behind Raslaufer, who neither shook her off nor actively responded to her calls. This attitude made Angelita even more anxious and insecure.

"Uncle Leslaufer?"

“You have to ask questions, Anne,” Raslaw stopped, and the whole group stopped with him. “You can’t just keep calling my name and then say nothing else.”

“I…I don’t know what to ask.” Angelita hesitated, then continued, “To be honest, I don’t even know if I should ask.”

Is this proper etiquette? What consequences might this lead to? Angelita didn't know, she didn't want to know the answer, and was even somewhat afraid of it, after all…

“I am your bodyguard, Your Highness. Although you call me uncle, I am actually just a barbarian from Eastern Inassia, and I have no blood relation to your emperor father who keeps thinning gold coins.” Raslaufer sighed. These words made the young girl's heart leap into her throat.

But before she could follow up with a sigh, Leslaufer's next words interrupted her dejected action.

"So you can ask me anything, whenever it's convenient for both of us. You don't need to worry that I'm well-versed in your court's intrigues and tricks, and that I'll hide ten or eight traps in your questions or answers."

So what exactly is your question?

Angelita let out a long sigh of relief: "In that case... do you know, or do you think you know, that little girl's aunt? You seemed a little... nervous and nostalgic just now."

Even Angelita herself was taken aback by these words—she hadn't expected to be so blunt! What was she doing? Was she questioning Raslaufer?

But... what was she questioning? Angelita herself couldn't figure it out. She seemed to have become unlike the Angelita who had turned around and run all the way from Magpares to Inasas.

But she had never longed for an answer more than she did now.

“I don’t know,” Leslaufer said, shrugging as she was disappointed. “Fitz is a prefix in Ampere that means someone’s son, usually followed by the name of a big shot. Like, let me think, Richard.”

“But even Inassus and the Empire have dozens of Richards with names, and even the Emperor is the seventh one, not to mention Ampiri. Fitzgival isn’t a particularly rare surname.”

“Everyone claims to be the son of Kivar. A Kivar can have a dozen children, and Ampiri has more than a dozen Kivars—plus those named Val. So I really don’t know if she’s talking about the person I’m thinking of.”

"Then if I were to ask, who is the person you're thinking of?" Angelita felt her mental state was rapidly deteriorating like Daisy's, but what saddened her even more was that the poet's mental state had recently become much more stable than before!

Will he tell me? Or will he just make excuses? What should I do if he makes excuses? And what should I do if he actually tells me?

“Oh, her name is Skadi Fitzgivar,” Reslaufer nodded and answered without hesitation, “but she’s not quite like those Ampiri who raid the coast—she was the one who was raided.”

“At the time, I was ordered to resist the raiders on the shore and push the entire front line over there—from the city walls all the way to the shore and then to the ships. When I, well, I should say after I threw the last guy who was holding out on the ship into the sea instead of cutting him in two, I found the prisoners, including her.”

"Most of them are from Inathas, a few from the Sea East, and one dwarf. She is the only Ampiri."

"They even kidnapped their own people?" Angelita raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

“When we mention ‘Ampiri,’ we mean the collection of all the tribes and kingdoms there,” the mercenary explained. “It’s perfectly normal for them to be at odds with each other.”

"Scotti was the result of that group of raiders raiding their rival's homeland on their way to set sail—her tribe was also out raiding at the same time."

"It was quite a coincidence. When we were cleaning up the battlefield, since I was the first to board the ship, the commander of that warband gave me Skadi as a trophy. It would have been better to give me more gold coins, but I don't have the habit of keeping people alive. Where could I find slave traders to exchange for money in such a hurry? I could only take her all the way back to my hometown, thinking that at least she would be a guardian of the house, and that it would save me from having to carry all my savings with me every time."

Angelita nodded. It seemed that Miss Skadi had indeed instilled this habit in him; Raslaufer no longer carried all his money with him.

"And then what happened? Did you get engaged like that little girl's aunt?" Angelita asked quickly when she saw Leslaufer suddenly stop talking.

“No, not at all,” the mercenary frowned and shook his head slightly. “I’m constantly traveling from Ampiri to the Empire, I don’t have time for any engagements. And although I’ve never mentioned it and there’s no formal contract, she’s theoretically my slave. I only verbally canceled it when she finally asked to leave.”

"Furthermore, although I have never bought myself any noble title, I am still a free man to some extent. What kind of engagement is there between me and a slave?"

“Ah…she’s already left.” Angelita nodded, unsure whether she was more concerned with the first part of the sentence or the second part that reassured her.

“Yes, that part is somewhat similar to what that little girl said. When I came back from Corazond, she said she wanted to leave. One reason was that she couldn’t bear being alone in a foreign land without anyone to keep her company; the other reason was that a count passed by and took a liking to her—I mentioned to you that in Inassassin, the rank of count is the highest nobility. If an Ampiri can find such a place after becoming a slave, I think it’s not bad.”

"That count..."

“I don’t know that,” Leslaufer waved his hand. “Whether he’s dead or not, whose son is he? And even if he is, I didn’t kill him.”

“But if you insist on saying it, it’s actually a bit of a pity. Skadi is a very gentle girl, a personality that’s not common among Ampriyans,” the mercenary couldn’t help but sigh at the end. “And… you probably haven’t experienced that feeling.”

"You can be gone for months or even a year, but when you return home, everything will be normal, without a trace of decay or dust. You can go and celebrate with your old friends who are still alive, or simply lie down on your made-up bed and sleep for a hundred years. In any case, when you stand awake in the house again, there will be clean clothes and hot food, and all your money will be there, and you might even have a few extra gold coins..."

“I haven’t been back to my little house for a long time since Skadi left.”

Chapter 310 The Pursuit Beyond the Battlefield

Angelita was completely relieved. In her eyes, the Skadi described by Raslaufer was by no means a lover, but more like a maid, housekeeper, servant, or...mother like Lady Grandin.

If this judgment in her heart wouldn't offend Leslaufer.

Doples never talked about his childhood, and others tactfully refrained from mentioning it either—anyone could guess that someone with a complete and happy childhood would most likely not grow up to be like Raslaufer, even if someone is inherently bloodthirsty.

Perhaps he found a missing piece in someone he had unexpectedly saved, and perhaps that's why he was stunned when the little girl mentioned the same surname.

She's overthinking it.

“Oh, it seems I have satisfied Her Highness’s curiosity?” Seeing that Angelita lowered her head and did not ask any more questions, Leslaufer joked, “I thought you would want to go back a bit further.”

“No, no need,” Angelita bit her lip. “I think I’ve been too curious.”

The group fell silent again. None of the companions were not curious about Raslaufer's past, but only Angelita dared to ask so directly and receive Raslaufer's permission and answer. Conversely, perhaps only she dared to ask Raslaufer such a question. Even Daisy was often trembling with fear when facing Raslaufer.

According to the poet, Anne has probably already become "desensitized".

The road north of the village, which might soon disappear from the map, was treacherous, and the appearance of those hired crossbowmen was no accident. Two lords were locked in a fierce battle for the castle built against the mountainside, and in the ensuing struggle, everything around them was caught in the crossfire. After traveling for less than half a day, the group was forced to abandon the main road and begin trying to bypass the battlefield through the wilderness.

While the lone mercenaries were not a big deal, the bombardment from the catapults and the charge of the armored knights were not easy to deal with, not to mention that on the battlefield of Inasas, one could also encounter spellcasters, a rarity in the Empire.

“Actually, these mages aren’t common on the battlefields of Inasas. Ordinary people can’t afford to hire these big shots,” Raslaufer said, looking at the fireballs exploding halfway up the mountain, his face grim as he clicked his tongue. “But look at those catapults and armored cavalry. They’ve really gone all out to fight for these few hilltops.”

“But why?” Bella asked, puzzled. “Is that some kind of strategically important place? Isn’t the wilderness we’re walking through now quite spacious?”

“Not everyone is willing to walk in the wilderness. And another point is that we can because we don’t choose our starting point or our ending point,” Leslaufer pointed to several circled areas on the map. “These lords can’t borrow a route from someone else’s and then take a long detour through the wilderness.”

"And another point, Bella, this is one of the main routes between Middle Inassus and West Inassus. How many caravans pass through here? If we block this route, wouldn't the lord sitting in that castle be counting money while lying down?"

"Why didn't they fight about this before, but only now?"

“Tsk, what a goat’s brain,” Leslaufer said, bracing Bella as she lunged at him. “The whole of Western Inas is in chaos. The Fall of the City of the Fallen, the old Valu is no longer effective. Who can resist these temptations? Even if they could, look around, old rivals and old friends are all getting involved. Even the most law-abiding person will be dragged into a whole bunch of messy affairs.”

"I bet these two companies here have some ideas, like whether their own minted gold and silver coins could replace the Valu and Su, becoming the second most widely circulated currency in Western Inasas after the Imperial currency. And this could be combined with the important trade routes between the East and West..."

"Originally, the City of Wine was blessed by the god of wine, and thus it was the City of Wine. Now that the City of Wine has fallen, who wouldn't want to become a City of Wine without divine favor?"

Raslaufer liked this situation, or rather, all mercenaries liked it, as it allowed them to squeeze every last penny out of the nobles' wallets. But this time, Raslaufer couldn't participate—or at least wouldn't be able to for a month or two.

But things don't always go as they expect. Just as the war-torn peaks were gradually becoming blurry outlines in everyone's retrospect, the rapid sound of hooves approached from afar. In no time, they saw a knight with disheveled hair, wearing a green and white robe, riding straight towards them!

But that's nothing compared to what's worse. Behind that damned knight, there are twelve heavily armed men who have already broken away from the battlefield and are chasing after the fleeing knight!

The speed of a galloping warhorse was far beyond that of a carriage. By the time these individuals came into view, it was too late to dodge. Meanwhile, those on the opposite side also noticed the group traveling through the wilderness.

"Hey you in front, stop him! Three hundred gold coins will be awarded for capturing him!"

The dozen or so riders behind, though slow, were quick to speak. Before the riders in front could even open their mouths, their shouts were already approaching. Upon hearing this, the pursued knight dared not pretend to be deaf and immediately followed suit, raising his price.

"I am Sir Felix of Inathas! Help me, I'll pay double!"

“In the middle of nowhere, in such a big place, they didn’t run away, but came straight for us,” von Dahl sneered coldly. “They’re no good.”

"The same goes for the dozen or so people behind them. How far is this place from the battlefield? They've been chasing us all this way, neither getting out of the way nor catching up." Leslaufer nodded slightly, acknowledging Vondar's words, but he didn't have much affection for the others behind him.

"Daisy, let's teach them a lesson first."

"Alright!" Perhaps not expecting Leslaufer to give him a chance, the bard immediately jumped onto the carriage with great enthusiasm and began to play a cheerful melody. In an instant, the vegetation on the wasteland turned to dust, and a vortex composed entirely of sharp blades formed behind the carriage, mercilessly blocking the path of the green-and-white cloaked knight!

"Damn bastards!" The sudden interception nearly threw the knight and his horse into a swirling cloud of daggers. Such treatment made him curse under his breath. Instead of running away, he turned his horse around to face the pursuers.

"Why aren't you running anymore, Lord Felix?" A mocking laugh came from beneath the mask of the leader of the twelve knights. "Surrender! As long as you agree to sign a clause in the agreement, we guarantee your safety!"

"Never!" the disheveled knight roared, furiously drawing his sword from its scabbard and charging towards his opponents. "I'd rather die here than kneel and surrender to you!"

Chapter 311 Sir Felix

Seeing the green-and-white figure brandishing a scabbard, he spurred his horse and charged towards them, causing the pursuing knights to burst into laughter.

"Look, our lord is charging!" "He doesn't even know what he's holding!" "Hush! He probably thinks he's a paladin under Emperor Richard the Great!"

Faced with this harmless counterattack, the riders had neither the need to be on guard nor the awareness to defend themselves, and simply let the knight in the green and white robe charge forward with his sword sheath raised.

No matter what, the other party was a nobleman, and killing him under these circumstances would undoubtedly be against etiquette. Therefore, they waited for him to rush close before capturing him alive. If they wanted to publicize it afterward, Sir Felix could gain a good reputation, and even they could benefit from it to some extent.

But not everyone present thought the same way.

Behind the cloud of daggers that rose from the flat ground, a man in half-armor vanished silently into thin air along with the daggers. Just as a knight, seeing that the time was almost up, stretched out his arms to capture Sir Felix alive, a startlingly cold light suddenly appeared in front of him!

"What—" Launching a surprise attack at such close range, the opponent had no chance to react at all. In an instant, the arm flew into the air with blood. Almost at the same moment, the knight who was holding the sword sheath quickly drew the opponent's sword with his backhand!

"Die!" he roared, his robes instantly soaked with the blood spurting from the enemy's cavity, while beside him, Raslaufer had already turned to another knight.

These men moved with lightning speed, preparing to counterattack the instant the mercenaries emerged from stealth. However, without the significant advantage of a charge, the knights standing still were hardly any better than sitting ducks. A sweeping motion of their greatswords sent even armored warhorses crashing to the ground, throwing their riders to the ground and scattering them in a heap.

"Why?!" When he saw the greatsword hurtling straight toward his face, one of the knights managed to wed his longsword into the greatsword's hilt, giving himself a chance to question it.

But that was all. As Raslaufer kicked him to the ground, the greatsword quickly left a horrible wound on his body, and the remaining knights were thrown into chaos. The three who had been thrown down and the five still on horseback drew their weapons to fight back, but two others turned their horses around and fled in the direction they had come from.

This cowardly act immediately drew condemnation from his companions, but they paid no heed to that in the next moment, because the knight, who had regained his weapon, suddenly transformed into a ferocious tiger, and after a few exchanges, he actually slashed a knight on the shoulder with his sword, dragging him off his horse!

On the ground, only Raslaufer remained alive in no time. Even the one on horseback collapsed weakly on his back. As the frightened warhorse galloped further and further away, it finally threw the corpse off.

Eight men launched a counterattack, but within two minutes only three remained!

"Don't let those two escape!" Felix shouted toward the carriage, trying to persuade Raslaufer's other companions to stop the fleeing men, but to little avail. The only one to respond to his shouts was the strange-looking two-legged lizard.

As the red-haired woman standing beside it raised her hand and ruffled its feathers against the grain, the beast immediately suppressed its eagerness and began to smooth its fur, as if nothing had happened.

Seeing that these people were not listening to his commands at all, Felix cursed inwardly and rushed over to fight one of the remaining three knights.

These knights were all well-equipped elites, but Felix was also a skilled fighter. The two warhorses darted back and forth across the wilderness like spinning lanterns. After several rounds, the knight finally found an opening and, in a moment of close combat, knocked the weapon from his opponent's hand.

By this time, the other two bodies had been cold for quite some time. One of them still had a complete corpse, while the other's entire breastplate was completely caved in, far exceeding the space that such armor was designed to fit on the wearer's chest.

As Felix knocked his opponent's weapon away, Raslaufer strode forward, grabbed the warhorse by the throat, and with brute force threw the knight and horse to the ground. The knight, pinned under his mount, had no chance to struggle and was easily beheaded by the prey he had just chased and toyed.

"Thank you so much for saving me!" Felix glared at the mess around him, but when he looked at Leslaufer, his expression suddenly changed, turning into one of unparalleled gratitude. "I apologize for my rudeness just now. I will forever remember your honorable act!"

“Stop with the nonsense,” Raslaufer said, lifting his eyelids and slamming his greatsword into the ground. “Nine hundred Imperial gold coins, or you can go with them.”

“Uh—” Felix’s eyes widened. “I promised double…”

"And what about their three hundred? I didn't earn that money because I saved you. Tell me, shouldn't it be attributed to you?"

The jazz sighed resignedly, now he knew what kind of people he had encountered.

He initially thought they were a group of adventurers, but now it seems that at least this man is a genuine mercenary – better than being captured and taken back, but how much better is a matter of opinion.

However, there is at least one good thing about running into mercenaries: these short-sighted peasants only care about cash and will not covet his family's property. And a mere nine hundred gold coins... as long as the property is still there, he can always make up for it.

"Yes, I have the money!" Seeing that the other party seemed ready to attack because of his silence, Felix quickly raised his hands. "But it's not on me. Could you please take me back to my manor? I'm willing to pay an extra three hundred gold coins!"

"I've had enough of this mess. Even if I'm accused of disloyalty to the Earl afterward, I'm leaving!"

“Point out the location,” Raslaufer nodded, turned and went to the carriage to get the map, which he handed to the survivor. “If it’s too far away, forget it.”

“Not far, not far, right here, at the confluence of the Moser and Longin rivers, there are two small fishing villages that are my territory,” Felix quickly found the location. “I am loyal to the Earl of the Moser family here, who is now the one commanding the battle in that mountain fortress over there.”

“Now we know who’s on the side of the war. They’re really rich, aren’t they?” Leslaufer put away the map and looked around the area around the Moser River for a while. “But why? I haven’t seen any special markings around here. And as for you, how can you convince me that a nobleman from only two small fishing villages can afford a huge sum of twelve hundred gold coins?”

He wasn't talking about the so-called "new currency" or counterfeit currency from outside the empire!

Chapter 312 The Chaos Behind Us

“Well…” Sir Felix’s expression stiffened, “Naturally, it’s about making a living off the land where you live, and living off the water where you live…”

But this was clearly a pretext; Raslaufer drew his sword, the threat obvious.

"Fine, fine! I'll tell you the truth. We do live off the water, but we don't live off those two rivers—"

Felix sighed: "Long ago, my ancestor was a squire among the paladins under Emperor Richard the Great. He once rescued a mermaid on the beach. Later, he migrated inland due to changes in territory, and the mermaid gave him a blessed mermaid statue. As long as that thing is placed in any water, it can connect that body of water directly to the sea during the full moon, and they can communicate with each other in this way."

"After that ancestor passed away, his descendants did maintain contact with the deep sea, but naturally they gradually drifted apart. However, the magic of the statue remained, so one of the ancestors had a sudden inspiration and sank the statue to the bottom of the water where two rivers meet. Since then, although our area is located deep inland, it has been able to produce aquatic products and other resources from the deep sea, and naturally we have become rich."

“Originally, this was a miracle known only to God and Earth, but my grandfather was an ‘honest man’—you can hear my dissatisfaction with him—and the Countess of Moser was having an affair with him, so that’s how everything was exposed.”