People in the Middle Ages, draw cards to get promoted

Step out of the apartment.

The pedestrians and public carriages passing by on the street took Lothar from the distant Middle Ages to the Victorian era.

When a public carriage passed by, Lothar stepped on the edge of the carriage, climbed in, took out a five-lire coin from his wallet and threw it into the coin box, then sat down in front of people's awe-inspiring eyes. .

"It's been a long time since I've been alone."

Lothar had no special impression of the city of Saluzzo before. The only memory he had about it was that it belonged to a small country with a very strong philosophy in a strategy game that he often played in his previous life.

Saluzzo is located in the northwest of the North Apennines. To the east is the Lombardy region where Urdin once served as bishop. To the north is the Jura Burgundy outside Lothar's hometown, separated only by the Albis Mountains.

Lothar raised his hand, gently tossed a gold coin, and put it on the back of his hand. He raised his palm and saw that facing him happened to be his head wearing a ducal laurel wreath.

Strictly speaking, it is not that he has no money. There is still a batch of gold coins with his face on it in the system space. However, he used this money when he came last time. If nothing else, with the control of the wolf clan, , has long associated this gold coin with his true identity.

So it is definitely not usable, but melting it with dragon flame is feasible.

But he couldn't take away the spoils of the combat record world. It was better to save such an investment.

The carriage turned a corner and stopped at the station.

In this era, public carriages in most places are charged according to road sections. You pay once for each road section, and each time you have to stop at a specific stop for a period of time. After the time, no matter whether there are passengers in the carriage or not, the bus will be on time. Hit the road and rush to the next stop.

Generally speaking, slightly upper-class nobles and wealthy businessmen would ride in private carriages. No one wanted to ride in the same carriage with a bunch of low-class people, which made public carriages a cheaper means of transportation for civilians.

Lothar had no idea of ​​paying for it again. She crossed her arms and sat in the carriage carriage waiting for departure.

He had boarded the car close to the station, and it had a distinct "family member mark" on it. The driver of the carriage did not hesitate to come up to collect the money.

After a while.

The carriage set off again.

Lothar squinted her eyes and listened to the whispers of the passengers in the carriage.

"I heard that all the public carriages in Paris are running on rails."

"What are railroad tracks?"

"It is a facility that can make the carriage drive fast and stable, and also save horsepower."

"I want a cigarette, honey."

"Are you crazy? Didn't you see a member of the family sitting over there? Even if he is wearing a hat, can't you see the tail behind him?"

"Huh? I don't think he looks like a family member at all."

"Indeed, fair and clean, so handsome."

Lothar coughed lightly, and the discussion about him immediately disappeared.

Before the carriage arrived at the station, Lothar opened the window and jumped out with a graceful movement, firmly avoiding the mud and sewage where he landed, and stepped on the marble slab on the edge of the road.

He straightened his clothes and walked straight into a room with no signboard, just a sign of two intertwined palms - this is the symbol of the Saluzzo family, "the choking hand", which means: Saluzzo The Luzzo family cannot make anyone surrender, but they can silence anyone.

After a brief period of darkness, the scene in front of me suddenly became clear.

In an open field, more than ten members of the wolf clan were fighting each other and practicing martial arts.

After Lothar arrived, a young man wearing a brown hat and a leather jacket immediately came up to him.

This man's name is Elamo, a wolf from a small family below. He was absorbed as a peripheral member of the Saluzzo family. His strength is just that of an ordinary horned man. Lothar can hit him twice with one hand.

Elamo was eager to try: "Losa, you came just in time. I am missing a sparring partner. Can we have a fight?"

"Forget it, it's a family tradition, and you'll see blood when you make a move. I'm not good at studying, so I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back during the competition."

Lothar smiled and refused. After all, his surname was Saluzzo, and he belonged to the family bloodline. Although the relationship was relatively distant, he also had a serious family inheritance. He was different from a wolf from a small family like Elamo. The clans are not the same.

The Saluzzo family is not all from the same family, but is an organization with distinctive gang characteristics. It has a large number of low-level human horses, mixed-blood wolves, and surnamed wolves.

Elamo said with a look of regret: "It's better to forget it."

"Oh, by the way, we were given a task from above today, and we are asked to go to Turin tomorrow."

"What mission?"

Lothar asked with some humor: "Collecting protection fees? Collecting debts? Or patrolling the territory?"

As a lower-middle-class member of the family, his status is much higher than that of the peripheral members, but in reality he is just an elite thug, a small-boss-level figure who usually does this kind of chores.

After all, he is just a "corner head" and has no one under his command. He is really not high in the Saluzzo family.

"No, this is a new job." Elamo looked around and lowered his voice and said, "What we have to deal with this time is a judge."

"Details?"

"Lorenco, do you remember? It's that guy with a big head and a big head. When he was doing the task last week, he made too much noise. It seemed to have affected a few ordinary people. The judge took advantage of it and detained him. In prison in Turin.”

"The name of the family can't even solve this trivial matter?"

Lothar frowned.

In the Apennine region, each country seems to have its own government, but in fact they are all infiltrated and controlled by the power of the Wolf family. Many politicians are puppets of the family. Even if the family members are forced by public opinion, they are imprisoned and imprisoned. , and they are also serving delicious food and drinks. When the news is over, the most they can do is change their names and do whatever they want to do after they come out.

Gangs and families, like the roots of the tree of life, are firmly rooted in these Apennine city-states, absorbing the nutrients, killing any "borers" that may threaten them, or assimilating them.

The common people at the bottom cannot see any way out in this kind of life. Once they offend the family members, they will either pay money and die, or the whole family will die. They can either obey the family rules, enter the family system, and become the most powerful person in the family system. The slaves at the bottom worked for the family industry and were protected by the family order; or they could take a boat to the New World.

At this time, America was in urgent need of human development.

Take Texas, occupied by the Basilicata family, as an example. Its land is as vast as ten Piedmont regions, but its population is less than 10, which is a fraction of the latter.

Elamo said vaguely: "There seems to be family power behind that judge." "Which family? Is there support from other high-ranking families?"

Lothar asked.

"Then I don't know. We are just pawns to explore the path. If everything is figured out, what's the use of us?"

He shrugged, pursed his lips and said, "Let's go have a drink. I heard something about Miss Cellinina. Haven't you always admired her? You will definitely be very interested."

Lothar couldn't help laughing and said: "Indeed."

"Let's go to 'Ilona'. I heard there's a new pianist there who's very good?"

Lothar knew that Ilona was the name of the tavern.

He said with a smile on his face: "Are you treating me?"

"No problem, I can still afford it for just two drinks."

"Besides, when this matter is done, we may be able to give us some more hard work money. Don't forget that after you were promoted to the corner, you haven't obtained the territory yet. If you perform well this time, you will be lucky enough to be selected. If any centurion takes a fancy to it, he will reward you with a winery, and you will become rich."

Elamo smiled and complimented.

The territory here actually refers to the gang territory, which can be understood as a tax farming system in a certain sense. The family seals off the tax collection rights of the winery. The family does not care how much tax the person who is sealed has to collect. It only needs a specific number of dividends every year. .

The relationship between the two is not bad. In fact, Lothar's original relationship is good with everyone, but it is only good.

They left the Saluzzo family's stronghold together, took a public carriage, and headed to the Ilona Tavern.

As soon as he entered the tavern, Lothar could feel the change in the atmosphere today.

Everyone lowered their voices and whispered.

The corner where he likes to sit is almost full of people. The senior members of the Saluzzo family are usually assassins. It is their usual practice to like to stay in less noticeable places.

Lothar and Elamo sat down in the middle of the tavern, in a place that was obviously not very popular, with their ears twitching and twitching from time to time, listening to people's comments.

"The wolves of Basilicata actually defeated the expeditionary force. They now call themselves the 'Wolf Federation' and claim to have established the Republic of Texas. They welcome wandering wolves from all over the world."

"It is said that even Master Fiore died in Texas, and it was the traitor Cellinina who did it himself!"

"This damned traitor!"

In the tavern, news from the distant New World seemed to have just been carried by the sea breeze across the boundless sea to the Po River Plain.

"how is this possible?"

"It's absolutely true. This is what the expeditionary troops who escaped said it themselves!"

"Miss Cellinina must have her own reasons."

"The expeditionary force actually lost, with so many elite centurions, including Lord Ripper! When did the Basilicata family accumulate such terrifying power?"

"I heard that Basilicata has united with the French. Someone saw the Radiant Knight appearing in the wolf camp in Basilicata. If it weren't for her, those rebels would have been wiped out long ago. "

"There is also the royal family of Tepeshi from the Blood Palace. They also took action."

"real or fake?"

"Aren't the Tsepes family a bunch of guys who like to sleep and live in seclusion?"

"Can it be false? The news has been published in Turin Daily, occupying the largest page. It makes it clear that Lord Wolf personally submitted a diplomatic note to Count Dracula this morning, and there may be another war soon. ."

"Still fighting?"

"Let me see, we Saluzzo should not have gotten involved in the bad things of the Two Sicilian Wolf Clan from the beginning. What's wrong with just staying in Piedmont? Now it's better. The Two Sicilian Wolf Clan is moving north. What benefits do we get from occupying the Milan and Liguria regions one after another? Piedmont is our territory!"

"Then what can we do? If we don't agree to the request of the Two Sicilian Wolves, the Holy Knights of France will have us tied to the stakes long ago. During that time, the French conspired with the Habsburg family to carve up Lombardy and Piedmont. The news about Monte has caused quite a stir.”

"The Yaksi family has suffered such a big loss this time. As former allies of the Basilicata family, will we also be affected?"

"Probably not, we even folded in Master Fiore."

The wolves were whispering to each other.

They deliberately lowered their voices, but this was just their habit. In fact, they often turned a blind eye to Lothar's blatant eavesdropping behavior, and the really important things were not here. Say it on any occasion.

Lothar listened absentmindedly while silently waiting for his target. This "Ilona Tavern" is the largest and busiest tavern in Saluzzo, specializing in receiving Saluzzo family members.

Compared to the "Fists and Beauties" tavern where he woke up the last time he came to Saluzzo, just from the name, you can tell that it is hundreds of times better.

This is also one of the places where Valentina hangs out most often according to Cellinina.

I just don’t know if Valentina will come tonight.

But even if he comes, how can he come forward and talk to her?

Elamo smiled and joked: "Don't look at it, come and have a drink. Miss Valentine won't be coming tonight."

"how do you know?"

Elamo shrugged: "Every time you come here, you always stare at the entrance - I originally thought you had a soft spot for Miss Cellinina, but Miss Cellinina is obviously no longer able to come. , it seems that the person you are waiting for every time is actually Miss Valentine with a high probability."

Lothar couldn't help laughing and said, "Can't I like both of them?"

"You like both?"

A cold voice suddenly sounded behind Lothar.

(End of this chapter)