Mercenaries and Adventurers

Keir turned his head to look at the lobby of the hotel behind him, and found that there were all kinds of people inside, and it was not a suitable place, so he took the initiative to walk down the steps, and said to the elderly among the dozen or so refugees who approached: "If you want to discuss Some things are more appropriate here."

Priest Batar also came down and nodded in support of Kiel's decision, although he didn't know what these old people were looking for at this time.

The leading elders looked at each other and acquiesced to the matter.

They first performed a solemn etiquette to the young Batar priest: "Thank you for the love of the **** of agriculture, and your bravery and kindness. Let everyone not be hungry for a long time, and let the children not suffer because of Hunger makes you sleepless in the middle of the night, so that women will not sell their bodies because of hunger, so that young people will not take risks because of hunger, and make an already bad situation worse."

Priest Batar's face turned red when he heard this, but he immediately made a courtesy to show his humility.

The leader among the old people turned to Kiel again, and said, "I also thank you, Lord Knight, for being able to control the situation properly, without any trouble, and let the soldiers in the local checkpoint take advantage of the situation."

Kiel waved his hand: "Hmph, I also can't understand what's going on here. It is obvious that there is a magnificent and sacred creation like the White Stone City Wall that exists and examines everyone, but it deliberately makes things difficult for everyone and artificially creates pain."

After exchanging pleasantries, the old people cautiously asked Kiel about their identities and itinerary.

This is not impossible to say, and priest Batar briefly explained the reason.

Changmai Village, Montorca City, Comers, Blessings, Saturn, Salvation, etc.

After talking about this, the old people realized that Priest Batar was also a native of the southern province, and he was also a resident priest who was attacked by the defeated army and plundered the village's population.

Some old people winked at each other, and their expressions became excited, as if they had hope again.

"If this is the case, please let the young people in the hands of us who have received kindness come to help you two. You must repay the kindness you receive. If this is the case, the beans will not bear, and the wheat will not sprout. Even if it is the gift of the **** of agriculture , we, those who are in a mess, have to do the only thing we can, ourselves, to assist the mission of the two of you."

The old man in charge said so.

As soon as Kiel rolled his eyes, he understood what the other party was thinking and doing.

Therefore, before Priest Batar subconsciously refused, he reached out his hand to stop his fellow priests, and responded first: "Very well, thank you for your help. I think the great Saturn must be happy to see this. He belongs to His people are simple and loyal people who will definitely repay the favor they receive.”

Behind Kiel, Priest Batar quickly said behind Kiel's helmet in a low voice: "Kiel warrior! No need to be like this, how can so many people save people? You don't really plan to let those people who have been hungry for a long time follow the armed forces. Are you fighting with a complete defeated army? Are you crazy?"

Turning a deaf ear, Kiel took the initiative to take off the steel gloves, hung them around his waist, shook hands with a dozen old men one by one, and asked them how many young people in the southern provinces they could mobilize.

Not all the people in the Baishi City Wall Checkpoint come from one place. People from the west side of the southern province will actively and passively leave their hometowns under the chaotic regional security environment, and those who have connections will go to towns. , and those who have nothing to do with each other, tried to pass through the Baishi city wall checkpoint in groups and reach the western provinces to avoid disaster.

The main reason for saying this is that the people from the southern provinces who were blocked in the checkpoint at this time did not know each other, although they were all from the southern provinces and most of them fled for the same reason.

Even if the acquaintances of a village are discussing life in the checkpoint, they will actively gather among the acquaintances of the same village. At this moment, these dozen or so elderly people represent the vast majority of people who are somewhat organized.

They were all prominent figures in the original village who were somewhat capable.

Of course, the best people and families in the village would be relatives and friends who had taken refuge in the nearest town.

At this time, Keir agreed to what the old people discussed last night, and asked one by one how many people you can let them act together.

"Ahem, I can have twenty young people on my side, both male and female, please don't be disgusted."

A lean old man first told Kiel about the number.

Kiel nodded: "I don't dislike it, they are all young people, and they will definitely come in handy. In fact, you have all seen it, and I am also a young person."

There was a beginning, and then other old people reported their numbers one by one. An old man patted his chest and said: "Our village has a large population, and the whole village has fled here. Apart from taking care of the injured, pregnant families and families with children, A total of 100 people can be produced. Although they have been listless due to hunger recently, please believe that they are all good boys and girls who can work in the fields better than cattle."

Kiel was satisfied with what he heard, and kept nodding, but Priest Batar felt more and more weird the more he listened.

At the beginning, he blocked Kiel's attempt to bring the young refugees. After all, he was desperate to save others, and if he was delayed for one more day, the villagers in his village would suffer one more day. But as each old man reported the number of manpower they could dispatch, he also fell silent.

It turned out that he didn't understand an important truth until just now.

The villagers of Changmai Village were plundered and suffered by the defeated army. They were trapped in the Baishi city wall checkpoint at this time, and the number of refugees from other villages was many times greater. Isn’t it suffering?

They are all the same people, they are all believers or pan-believers of Saturn, and they should not distinguish between each other, you and me.

But he still subconsciously felt that the villagers of Changmai Village he was familiar with were more important.

And it is far more important than the fleeing people in other places who are many times more than the present.

So after thinking about this, Priest Batar fell silent.

-

"So, the total number is eight hundred and eighty-seven? Right?"

Kiel said this after finishing talking with all the elders.

His question stumped many villagers who hadn't done a lot of numerical calculations. Each of them knew the number of people in their own village, but they didn't expect that there would be so many people gathered together!

"If you feel that there are too many people and it's a bit embarrassing, we can have fewer here." Someone said so.

Keir waved his hand: "No, no less, more than 800 people, nearly 900 people, it's okay."

Kiel probably noticed last night how many people Priest Batar could prepare rations for with only the blessing of the "Blessed Bread". The roughly inaccurate number is about 1,200 people.

Nearly 900 people are still within the blessing ability of priest Batar.

Even if the population of Changmai Village may be rescued later, and everyone saves some food, it is probably enough.

He clapped his palms to attract everyone's attention: "Well, let your people wait for me outside the gate on the east side of the Baishi City Wall checkpoint. Let me ask, the soldiers at the checkpoint are not allowed to go west, but they didn't say they couldn't return. The southern province in the east, right?"

Immediately someone replied: "Yes, &*￥%, when entering the checkpoint, they only charged normal money, but if they want to pass through the checkpoint, they have to pay 50 times the customs fee."

Kiel smiled slightly: "That's good, I can return to the southern province normally. In this way, seniors, please send someone back to inform your staff to leave the checkpoint now. There is one more thing I have to ask everyone."

The old people looked at Kiel, and everyone gradually realized that among the equally young priests and knights, this young knight held the real dominance, not the Saturn priest holding the food that could conjure the blessings of the gods .

"Master Knight, please tell me."

Kiel didn't try to argue that he was not a knight yet, and continued: "I need a map. A map of the southern provinces. Mountains, rivers, bridges, roads, towns, villages, dangerous areas, areas where monsters have been infested, defeated troops or The attack direction of the bandit attack and so on."

"I need detailed map information, and I hope everyone can provide it to me. After all, everyone has arrived at this **** place from their respective villages, and they must have one or several maps in their hands. Please give me a copy. I need to send you The map in your hand, the information you have gathered along the way, and the information you have heard in the past are all gathered together. This is very important, not only related to the mission of me and Priest Batar, but also to the lives of the young people you handed over to me related."

Kiel let out a breath: "After all, you don't want to see me, an outsider, lead so many young people to the lair of monsters or some dangerous place of death, right?"

The old people looked at each other. Some smart old people took out the leather maps that had been prepared from their arms at this time, and some old people who didn't expect this, hurriedly asked the girl who supported them to go back and used it in the future tense. Get the map quickly.

On the street outside the hotel, Kiel asked the male waiters in the hotel to move a round table and put the maps of the old people on it.

Each map is different, not only the materials used to make the map, but also the content on it.

An old man looked at other people's better maps, and then looked at his own ridiculously crude and clumsy graffiti-like map. He had no choice but to pinch his head and smile: "Our village's map is a bit rough. Alright, anyway, the general direction is fine, so I still guided the villagers to come here.”

His map is simply outrageous. Except for the places where several villages and towns around the original village can be seen, other places that are a little farther away, the direction of the city is in a mess except that it is roughly correct in the south, east, north, and west.

Even the mountains are not marked on the map, and the terrain is completely flat.

The other old people laughed for a while, and then ended their kind ridicule. They are all miserable people, and everyone is here at the moment, so it is meaningless to joke about this.

Kiel also smiled, and then picked out the largest and best map as a base, using the maps of other villages as a reference, and the actual escape experience of the old people along the way, and put all the points and mistakes in it. This map was modified one by one.

First determine the north-south direction, and then use the words of an old man who has been to various major cities when he was young, to remark the major cities such as Montorca City on the map according to the actual schedule distance.

Then, after determining the distance of the city, followed by the direction and size of the mountains.

Then there is the detailed location of the villages where the old people live. This point can be well determined through the connections between the villages.

Priest Batar also pointed out the location of Changmai Village.

Keel looked at the place where the priest pointed, and used the ink quill borrowed from the hotel steward to draw a small circle on the designated place, and marked the name of Changmai Village beside it.

Keel took a closer look and found that Changmai Village was very subtle.

It turned out to be the village on the west side of the southern province, the village closest to the southern border and the disputed iron ore vein near the war-torn southernmost border of the southern province.

It is attached to a short horizontal mountain range. If the army in the disputed area is defeated, as long as the entire mountain range is turned over, Changmai Village can be reached.

Of course, this is very difficult. You must know that according to the scale of the map in front of Keir, the small and short horizontal mountain range is half as wide as Kendal County. If it is a field march, the official army with sufficient supplies cannot cross it. This mountain range, not to mention the defeated army that was not fully equipped after the defeat.

"Priest Batar, tell me, how did the defeated army that attacked your village pass through such a wide uninhabited mountain range?" Kiel asked this question.

This question, on the contrary, overwhelmed the priest who had never thought about it.

"Say, yes, indeed, **** it! No one thought of this, because we are backed by the Qingxi Mountains, and we have always focused on the north and east."

Seeing the embarrassment on Priest Batar's face, Kiel stopped his wild thinking: "Don't think too much, we will look at it later and analyze this matter."

Afterwards, according to the news heard by the old people, Kiel also marked some unfixed information on it.

For example, the town of Bo Wenling, to which Changmai Village belongs, was also attacked by unknown gangs, and half of the people in the town were killed and disappeared. There is also a certain forest that seems to be the shortest shortcut, but because of the presence of mysterious and unknown monsters, it cannot be done. Even if the old map marked it as a road, it is impossible to go there now.

In addition, there are some general directions of the lairs of some well-known bandits, areas where monsters haunt and kill people, unknown places of death, abandoned foreign fortresses, and so on.

These are all current news that can't be seen on the map if you don't ask carefully.

Keel marked each one with a solid line and a dashed line, making possible routes that are dangerous and not dangerous.

"Okay, thank you all, this trip is full of dangers, I can't promise to bring everyone back, but I can swear, swear with my heart, try to bring back the young man who was entrusted to me alive."

When Keir said so, the old people believed it.

I have to believe it.

Before parting, Priest Kiir and Batar shook hands with the old people again. After the palms were firmly clasped, the old people were helped away.

When the people walked a little further, Priest Batar grabbed the protrusion on Kiel's armor and pulled Kiel: "You are crazy, let so many people follow us, what do you want to do?"

Keir clapped the map in his hand: "This is one."

"anything else?"

Keir smiled slightly: "Go on the road first, and then talk on the road."

-

The two came to the backyard of the hotel. After paying the hotel steward's accommodation fee, Kiel jumped on the blood licking grass: "Let's go, Mr. Sturt. Priest Batar, you ride a horse, let's talk on a horse."

The three of them quickly drove their horses and carriages away from the hotel, headed towards the main road at the entrance of the hotel, and walked towards the city wall on the east side of the checkpoint.

Priest Batar approached Kiel on horseback. He looked at the young refugees who gradually gathered on the street and then walked eastward, and said to Kiel, "So, can you speak now?"

Kiel pointed to the young people who were persuaded by the elders of the villages and planned to act with them: "Hungry young people are very dangerous. Not only for the soldiers who need to maintain law and order in the checkpoint, but also for those fleeing So far, the people in the southern provinces are also very dangerous. Therefore, these dangerous young people need to be 'excluded' to ensure the survival of others."

"how come?"

Seeing the disbelief on Priest Batar's face, Kiel added: "The reason is very simple. Before I saw that the people who came to talk about things were more than a dozen old people from various villages, not one or two middle-aged people who were young and surrounded by people. , I realized that."

"In the eyes of outsiders, the refugees from the southern provinces are a group of people, a group. But in fact, they are more than a dozen groups, and there is no relationship with each other except for the people from the southern provinces who came here because of refugees. Anything in common. Not only that, some villages that are close to each other may not only be not companions, like companions who fled together and helped each other, but enemies who usually compete for water sources and fields~www.readwn.com~Kill said so , Priest Batar, who was also stationed in the village for a long time, understood.

The refugees who looked like a group to outsiders were actually not together. Not only were they geographically unrelated, but even the time when they decided to flee from the village and arrived at the Baishi City Wall checkpoint was not necessarily uniform.

Not to mention that some villages have conflicts in the first place. After being stopped in the checkpoint, the refugees in each village have to compete with each other for the few life-sustaining resources.

Presumably, in places where the locals can't see, this kind of competition has killed and injured each other.

This is very dangerous for the vast majority of refugees.

Because the refugees from other villages with bad relations can't beat the young people in your village, can't they beat the old, weak, women and children in your village?

Just thinking about it, Priest Batar shivered, feeling that this spring morning, the day was clear, and his whole body was chilly.

"Why are you like a beast!"

Kiel obviously heard the priest muttering: "Beast? If you see the scene in the orderly level, you feel like a beast. Then after we arrive in the southern province and see the current situation, what should you say? .”

"What do you mean! Warrior Kiel, what do you mean!"

Keir's face turned cold, and he gave the priest further psychological construction: "Perhaps the beast is the most kind-hearted thing we will meet in the future."

Xueyasite listened all the way, and when he heard this, he shook his head. He was different from Kiel, who seemed to be in a stable group, and Batar, who looked disappointed and had never seen the chaos of war. Xueyasite had seen it before. After the war, all the usual rules of survival are changed.

War, which is the highest masterpiece of expression that every intelligent life needs to face, has to be savored.