Mercenaries and Adventurers

Keir and the two quickly walked towards the south side of the town, a place between the poor area and the civilian area.

Although it was dark, Kiel slightly pulled out the long sword on his left belt, and released a white light that could illuminate the street. The fellow of the Chamber of Commerce who led the way turned his head and glanced at Knight Kiel's long sword in surprise, annoyed at his negligent observation just now.

"Be careful, don't look back, you're about to hit the wall." Kiel made a joke, bringing back the Chamber of Commerce buddy who was frequently looking back at his weapon.

At this time, Keir also noticed that even though they were walking through the streets of the civilian area at this time, the road leading to the town's banquet venue seemed to be treated specially. The whole street is neatly paved with fine stones, and the shops on both sides are mostly for fun. The red houses with beautiful lights, the taverns with the smell of alcohol, and the big and small casinos full of life are all in this street. superior.

At the door of every shop, there are tall and fat thugs with raised chins guarding the door. As Kiel passed by, a middle-aged man with sloppy feet walked out of the red house cheerfully, as if he looked familiar.

There were also drunkards in the tavern who wanted to go out to pee in the street, but were thrown back into the tavern by the thugs at the entrance of the tavern. The drunkard's crotch was wet immediately, and he was cursing.

And the worst thing is the one who was stripped naked and thrown out in the casino, no, what is worse than this is the debtor who was tied with a rope and a wooden ring around his wrist and neck.

Seeing that Knight Kiel was sizing up these people, the trade union guy who led the way explained: "Please don't feel sorry for them, the road is chosen by people themselves, besides, it's just a temporary loss of freedom, forced to do some work, nothing more."

Keir snorted coldly and asked back, "Then have you ever been a debtor?"

The clerk from the chamber of commerce shook his head: "What? No, of course not. I have a clean and wealthy family. Only people who have no property will be counted as debtors. Besides, my lord, why do you want to gamble? Being a dealer is the only way to be stable. Earn something, right?"

Keel smiled and didn't say much.

People, only after losing their freedom can they realize the value of freedom.

This bustling street is not long, and after walking to the end, it directly enters the slums. But obviously the managers of the town don't want the place where they hold banquets to be disturbed by the poor people they look down on.

Therefore, at the end of the street, there is a square open space surrounded by a brick wall several meters high.

A lot of fragrant flowers and plants were planted in the open space. It was spring at this time, and the rich aroma could immediately make people feel extravagant and flashy.

Although human beings are visual creatures, visual observation accounts for the vast majority of information acquisition. But in terms of taste and smell, it has a special place.

Human beings have a profound feeling for smell, and different smells directly affect various behaviors and feelings of human beings.

Obviously, the designer who designed this new banquet venue in Dorne Town is a person who is familiar with this.

The rich aroma of complex flowers not only blocks the unpleasant smell of the slums separated by a wall, but also makes the guests who come here to participate in the banquet be affected by the aroma for the first time, which has a positive positive effect of goodwill and excitement .

This is a very important thing for businessmen from all walks of life who negotiate deals and cooperate in places like banquets.

Keel took a deep breath, his face full of intoxication. Bloodlicker seems to like it here too, but unlike his master, he likes the smell. What it stared at were all kinds of flowers that it had never seen before.

Beautiful flowers of different colors and aromas, it seems to want to taste how they taste.

Opening his eyes again, Kiel let out a breath and looked at the fortress-style building in front of him that was more than ten meters high and roughly four floors above the ground.

Different from the real fortress, this building has a specially built terrace from the towering second floor, as well as large windows that are not found in ordinary fortresses.

At this moment, there was already music coming from the doors and open windows of these balconies, and there were women's sharp laughter and beautiful singing voices floating out.

"Has the banquet started yet?"

Keir was a little annoyed, but the Chamber of Commerce guy who stood in front of the panting shook his head: "It didn't start adults, it was just for people who came early to have something to do, and the music and warm-up programs usually go first."

"oh."

Keir was a little surprised, and took out his banquet invitation from his clothes. He wanted to hand it to the other party, and asked the other party to hand it to the security guards guarding the gate of the banquet venue.

Unexpectedly, after the Chamber of Commerce had had enough rest, he held the rein by the mouth of the blood licking grass, and shouted forward: "Knight of Kendall, Knight Joe Keel to—"

The security guards on both sides of the gate immediately put the ceremonial spears in their hands on the ground again, and then hit the chest three times with their empty right fists, making a bang.

Following the shouts of the Chamber of Commerce guys, they shouted in unison: "Kendall County, Joe Keel Knight is here!!"

It was the first time that Keir was treated so courteously, and his face turned red all of a sudden. He looked to both sides and waved to his young security guards, thanking him in a low voice.

With the sound of singing outside the gate, several well-dressed chamber of commerce stewards rushed out of the gate of the fortress-like building. After they greeted them, they reported themselves. I came here just for Kiel.

The trade clerk who had been following Kiel before was also standing behind a person as a follower. This person was the steward of the "Fortune Fruit" trade guild whom he had seen at noon. Mr. Li.

Several other people are also of similar status, but their ages are not the same. Some people are a little younger than the former, and obviously have stronger abilities and family backgrounds. Some people have gray beards and hair, and their exact ages cannot be discerned. They may be in their forties or fifties.

They are all senior managers in charge of specific affairs of the United Chamber of Commerce in Dorne Town. At this time, they came to greet them, and Kiel was also flattered. He hurriedly slapped his saddle and jumped off the tall blood licking grass.

"Hey, please be careful, such a tall war horse, it is very dangerous to fall down."

The grizzled old businessman was obviously very surprised to see Kiel dismounting like this. But another businessman next to him didn't take it seriously: "He is such a young knight, he is as old as you, and he has to ask his servant to move a wooden ladder to get on the horse. Mr. Bantorissa, Do you sleep with your young lady at night, and have a servant go to bed to help?"

The businessman was tall and thin, and winked when he spoke. Obviously, this kind of joke was not the first time between each other.

Mr. Puntorissa, who was teased by him, coughed lightly, glanced at Kiel, and did not refute. And Keir was also attracted by the words between the two, which actually made the tall and thin businessman very embarrassed, and it seemed that he himself was joking regardless of the occasion.

Mr. "Dry Flat Olier" pretended not to have seen all this, and introduced it to Kiel with a smile.

In order to deepen his impression, he first reintroduced himself: "Dundall Olilga Deripari, a senior manager of the Fortune Fruit Chamber of Commerce, we met at noon. Friends like to call me 'Oli the Dry Flat' Er', you can call me that if you like."

"Mr. Deripari, thank you for inviting me to this banquet."

"This is what I said, Knight Kiel, this banquet is specially held for you. Tonight, it has been booked by us, and many people in the town are also here. Please be sure to get acquainted. After all, The more people you know, the more spacious your road to wealth will be.”

He then took Keir's shoulders and introduced him to the gray-haired old steward: "This is Mr. Wells-Pantolisa, don't listen to the narration, this guy is talking nonsense. One is full of adventurous spirit, and one of his most famous achievements is convincing the long-haired lynx orcs in the southern border mountains to participate in the production of our human society! He is a born diplomat!"

Keir had never heard of a long-haired lynx orc, but he was very curious about how this man allowed aliens to join human society in the relatively exclusive St. Hoss Kingdom.

"Well, then I'll have to hear tonight about the great deeds of this Mr. Puntolisa."

Looking at the curious look of the young knight, the elderly Mr. Puntorissa stroked his gray beard and nodded with a smile. Obviously, compared to the praise and curiosity of ordinary people, he likes the praise of people with higher status more.

Then Mr. "Dry Flat Olier" pointed to the narrator at the tall, thin middle-aged businessman: "This is the senior steward of the 'Burning Furnace' Chamber of Commerce, Stoll Scott, don't think he likes to joke, but In fact, he is very reliable. He is in charge of the largest blacksmith shop in the town."

"Oh, I just bought a set of simple forging tools from a local merchant in your blacksmith shop today."

Keel said so.

The tall and thin Mr. Scott has an unwavering face: "If you tell me tonight, the price will definitely be reduced by 30%, and it will be a new friend."

Kiel also had a look of regret: "I ran into the vice president of your chamber of commerce on the way here, otherwise I would have to ask you to handle this matter."

"Yes, if you know the vice president, I can give you another 10% discount on the price. We, the Burning Furnace Chamber of Commerce, never treat friends badly." The other party was not surprised that Kiel Knight met their vice president on the business road. , Also, if you think about it carefully, there is only one route heading west to the western provinces. Walking on that commercial road, counting the time, Knight Kiel will always meet the vice president who has left for a few days on the commercial road.

"Vice President, how are they? Are you okay? Knight Kiel."

Keir shrugged: "You know, the atmosphere has been so tense recently, and my people and I had fought a battle with the bandits before, so everyone was very nervous when we met. Get closer and send people over over and over again The opening of the investigation allowed us to let go of our guard on both sides and safely let the teams cross over."

"The vice president is like this. He seems to like to eat and is not very reliable. In fact, he is more reliable than anyone else."

Seeing that Kiel Knight and Scott of the Burning Furnace Chamber of Commerce were talking in this way, Mr. "Dry Olier" quickly stopped the conversation between the two and introduced the last one.

This person is estimated to be only in his twenties, but he is young, his complexion is not very good, he looks a little pale and weak. Mr. "Dry Olier" introduced: "This is Lippard Ottosfetten, the senior manager of the 'Treasure House' chamber of commerce. The banquet restaurant we are using tonight was designed and built by Lippard. .”

Kiel nodded with a smile, and the other party also nodded indifferently, obviously not curious about the northern knights from outside.

After introducing each other, Mr. "Olier the Dry" led everyone into the banquet restaurant. At the same time, Kiel's horse was also handed over to the former chamber of commerce guy, and asked him to take it to the attached horse next to the banquet restaurant. Rest in the shed.

"Not only are there all kinds of enjoyment that we humans like, but the casual horses will also eat what they like, and there is also the most thoughtful set of services. Ha, there are five grooms there to take care of them, don't worry about the knight. "

Seeing Keir's dissatisfaction with the horses, Mr. "Dry Olier" explained, and then dispelled Kire's concerns.

-

Walk into the gate of the banquet restaurant like a fortress.

The first floor of the banquet restaurant is not a spacious hall or a place for banquets as Keel imagined. On the contrary, as soon as you enter the door, you will be facing a gentle wooden luxurious staircase upwards. The real banquet venue is actually on the second floor.

The first floor is more for the people who serve here. Mr. Otto Sfitten, who is not very obedient, introduced that behind the stairs is a wide kitchen area, and there is a wine cellar with mechanical elevators on the ground floor. On the left and right sides of them are the rest rooms on the left where the band and bards rest temporarily, and the rest room on the right used by the dance team that was rarely seen in the past.

The rest rooms on both sides have special stairs leading to the main banquet venue on the second floor. Interestingly, the door they go upstairs at the moment does not lead directly to the doors of the two rest rooms on the first floor. They have to go through the back door behind the banquet restaurant. It can only be accessed from the dedicated passage on the side of the kitchen.

"Why is it designed this way?"

Keir was curious, so he asked directly.

The weak Mr. Ottosfetten didn't have the energy to explain while climbing the stairs. Instead, Mr. Pontolisa, who traveled around in his youth, explained in a spirited way: "How can the people who serve us talk to us and our nobles?" Guest, how about going through a gate? Is this the reason?"

Mr. Lippard-Ottosfetten nodded wearily. His head was covered with sweat. After nodding, he quickly wiped the sweat with the colored towel that he carried with him.

As if he disliked the smell of his own sweat, he asked his subordinates to follow behind, but did not help him, to bring a box of incense powder, put some powder on a small cloth bag, and then covered his forehead.

I don't know if the scent powder neutralizes the smell of sweat, or if the sweat is solidified by the scent powder, anyway, the sweat is gone.

He then stubbornly held on to the wooden handrail of the stairs and climbed up to the second floor step by step.

The others had already come to the second floor to wait for him.

"This is?"

Kiel questioned this scene.

Mr. Scott, who was able to talk to him a few words before, curled his lips, and whispered in Kiel's ear: "I heard, I heard that when he was young, he visited his family relatives in the central provinces, and it turned out that at that time It happened that the central province was in a chaos of monsters that devoured everything, and he himself was frightened, and he was like this after he came back, and his health deteriorated day by day."

Keir felt strange, how could a person be so frightened, and it wasn't that he was frightened to death at the time, but this kind of weakness only appeared after returning home with his body, hands and feet.

But he just thought about it and didn't ask much.

Mr. Scott in his ear continued to add what he had heard, but these contents did not seem to be true: "I also heard that he came to the town a few years ago and broke away from the family's jurisdiction, so he played very well. Crazy, broke the body."

After speaking, he winked and blinked his eyes.

Keel couldn't help but smile.

On the contrary, Mr. Otto Sfiten, who climbed to the second floor by the handrail of the stairs, frowned unhappy and looked at the tall and thin Mr. Scott: "Stoll, I have very good ears, and I heard your slander against me. .so."

"So?" Mr. Scott raised an eyebrow.

"So you will pay all the expenses for entertaining Knight Joe Keel tonight, and it will be charged to the account of the Burning Furnace Chamber of Commerce."

"Cut, what am I thinking, that's it? I can entertain a knight, and the other managers of the chamber of commerce won't say anything. Don't count on the chamber of commerce, how about mine?"

"you said."

"I said."

After finishing speaking, the two laughed instead, which confused Keir. I don't know why the two people who were confronting each other just now laughed.

When Mr. "Dry Flat Olier" guided Keir to the open banquet, he explained to him in a low voice: "Although Lippard is not in good health, he cherishes his friends very much, um, because of his health. , he doesn't know how long he can live, so he not only cherishes friends who can talk, but also handles things carefully. This is why he can become the strongest in the United Chamber of Commerce in his twenties' The reason for the senior steward of the treasure house."

"Of course, the family power behind him is not small, and this is one of the reasons." Mr. 'Dry Olier' added.

The second floor of the banquet restaurant is much wider than the first floor. With a hall of more than 30 meters long and wide, and a ceiling height of at least five meters, it is almost possible to lay down a giant dragon here.

At the moment, the place is brightly lit, near the stairs on the first floor of the lounge on the left and right sides, neatly filled with suet candles for lighting. On the supporting stone pillars on both sides of the banquet hall, there are also bright oil lamps with gold reflective surfaces.

At the end of the banquet hall, around the single tables and chairs where Keel and the others sat, the lighting here is similar to the luminous stone ball pedestal that Keel had seen in the 'Good Clothes' clothing store before.

These objects that provide lighting for distinguished figures enable the host and guests sitting in the main position to avoid the heat of oil lamps and candles and the annoyance of choking smoke.

At the same time, the spacious banquet hall is already scattered at this time, and dozens of people have already arrived early. They are not here just for Kiel, but are members of the dignitaries of Dorne Town. If you want to participate in the banquet, you have to think about it or not. , there is no question of whether you can come or not. Anyway, it's not fun to be in your own home, so why not take advantage of the banquet to gather with friends, talk, and enjoy the performance of the band, or the new poems written by the well-known bards in the town.

The men present were well-dressed, and their complicated clothing and accessories were not inferior to the ladies present.

Men in bonnets, mostly jeweled gold, gathered around the band and whispered. I don't know whether they are enjoying the melodious music, or using the music ~www.readwn.com~ to cover up their voices talking with their companions.

The ladies gathered around a bard who was sitting on a 'throne' with several wooden chairs stacked up. He sang a song "Enter a Good Night Tonight".

The ladies blushed slightly, discussing in low voices who could win the famous bard tonight.

Or be taken down by bards.

Keel took a deep breath of the air here, the aroma of animal oil from the oil lamp, and the smell after burning the candle was the most intense, followed by the scent of powder layer after layer on the ladies, perhaps it happened to be spring, most of them were When bathing, I added various flower petals collected outside the town. These sweet and greasy smells are mixed with a few air blown into the terrace, which is simply tiresome.

In addition, snacks and low-alcohol drinks for the early guests are also placed on the long tables that no one cares about for people to take.

Keel smelled more than one ale aroma exactly.

This shocked him, and he said to Mr. "Dry Flat Olier" beside him, "I want to drink some ale first."

"What?"

The other party was taken aback, as if he didn't hear clearly.

Keir explained: "I have been walking on the wild trade road west for the past few days, and I really don't have any taste in my mouth. Please bring me some ale."

This time I heard it clearly, Mr. "Dry Flat Olier" couldn't help but summon the waiter who was standing by: "Bring the ale in front. Knight Kiel, what kind of drink do you want?"

Keir's eyes brightened: "How about some of them?"

"Hehe, as you wish."

The waiter obeyed the order, and quickly brought at least five different kinds of ale to Keir.

He looked parched.