Mercenaries and Adventurers

Keir didn't wait for the waiter to introduce the types of ale provided at the banquet and the origin information, he picked up a small barrel of ale and poured it into the wooden wine glass on the edge of his table.

Crashing, the golden wine poured out and soon filled the glass.

Keel picked up the small wooden wine glass, which was not much bigger than a fist, and brought it to his mouth to gulp it down.

It poured into the stomach after a few mouthfuls.

"Well, huh—it's really refreshing, it feels like all the troubles of these days have been sent away with the warm wine."

Kiel exclaimed.

Mr. "Dry Olier" smiled slightly: "No matter how good the wine is, it can only relieve the paralysis. Things are always there, and they won't diminish with drunkenness."

Mr. Scott next to him also nodded, waved to the waiter, and asked him to give him a cup too: "That's the truth, but today is not a day of discipline within the chamber of commerce, today is a day to make new friends Come on, young knight, let's touch each other."

He chose the same ale as Kiel, touched the refilled Keel, and drank it in a big gulp. But in the end he only drank half of the fist-sized wine glass, not as clean as Keel's glass.

Keel held the wooden wine glass, refilled himself with another glass of ale, and asked, "Let's start now? Is there no specific procedure for the banquet?"

The teetotal Mr. Ottosfetten asked his subordinates to bring him a glass of honey water, added a few drops of fresh flower juice into it, sipped it lightly, and took a few sips before answering Kiel's question: " The moon hasn't risen yet, Knight Kiel. The party will begin tonight after the first moon rises, a little later."

"Of course, if you think you can, you can start now."

Kiel nodded casually, but his nod seemed to be taken by Mr. Ottosfetten to start the party now. So the frail young businessman rang a hand bell that was unique to him on the dining table.

Jingle bells rang.

The crisp sound spread throughout the open and lively banquet hall, and in an instant, the musicians of the band stopped what they were doing and stood up one after another. The handsome bard who sang to the end of the poem also shrugged helplessly, closed his mouth, and showed a charming and apologetic smile to the ladies around him.

The twittering of the ladies stopped, and the gentlemen also stopped chatting among friends. All the powerful businessmen in the town turned their heads to look in the direction of the main seat of the banquet, and walked slowly.

At this moment, Keir felt dozens of eyes looking at him, and every part of his body was being scrutinized repeatedly, which made him quite uncomfortable. At this time, he finally understood the meaning of Priest Batar asking him to dress better before coming here. At this time, he should not have the slightest bit of shabbiness and embarrassment, because the slightest inappropriate place will be judged by everyone. See.

The pressure is very high.

And this kind of curious gaze is far different from the enemy's sizing up in battle. There was no malice in it, but considering the status of these well-dressed men and women in front of them, as well as their usual domineering attitude, the pressure brought was not small.

Kiel took a breath and raised his head slightly. He wanted to bring a smile on his face, but he still couldn't. The corners of his mouth remained subconsciously steady and cold.

This appearance is quite in line with everyone's initial imagination of Kiel, a young northern knight.

So, after glancing up and down at the sitting Kiel knight, most people lost their curiosity and looked away.

Keir felt that it was very long. In fact, it took only two breaths from the time the bell rang to when everyone looked away. At this time, Mr. Otto Sfitten, who is the owner of the banquet hall, stood up slightly, raised the exquisite cup filled with honey water, and said: "Let us welcome the young knight from Kendall County in the north of the kingdom, Joe Keel knight."

At this time, many waiters walked out from behind the stone pillars on both sides of the banquet hall with wooden trays in their hands, and sent wine glasses containing various drinks to their respective owners. These guests who came to participate in the banquet were regulars, most of them were well-known people in the town, and the waiters also knew them, and there was even a personal wine glass for the other party in the banquet hall.

At this moment, these wine glasses were also filled with the drinks that everyone was used to drinking, and they were brought up.

Each waiter is like a butterfly or a bee walking through the sea of ​​flowers, turning left and right with light footsteps, delivering the wine glasses to the hands of their respective owners in the shortest time.

Mr. Ottosfetten paused for a short while, and this time was just right for everyone to raise their glasses.

"This is a noble knight. For the people of the southern provinces who were stranded at the Whitestone City Wall due to prejudice, he shouldered the burden of more than 700 people and vowed to lead them back home and seek a peaceful and peaceful day. This What noble men, gentlemen! Let's raise our glasses to this young knight's success! Knight Joe Kiel, I wish you success! Long luck!"

"I wish you success! Martial luck lasts forever!"

Everyone, regardless of gender, wished in unison.

Keir took a deep breath, stood up excitedly, raised his glass, and drank it down.

He didn't even know that his behavior could be so noble in other people's mouths? ah! It turned out that I myself didn't know that I was so noble, and that what I did was such a great thing!

Kiel's face turned red and he became excited, even his robust body trembled slightly with excitement.

At this time, after Mr. Ottosfetten finished speaking and sat down, Mr. "Dry Flat Olier" also stood up holding an ivory wine glass: "Everyone, please relax. Tonight's banquet is for the knight Joe Keel." It was set up, so friends who are curious about our young knight can sit down to eat, drink and talk together, and at the same time, there will be a program at this banquet for everyone to enjoy."

He added: "The well-known bard in Dorne - 'Felix the Singer', tonight will be the first to sing a new poem he wrote a while ago. Except for me, I believe everyone present I haven’t heard it yet, and I promise to satisfy everyone.”

At this time, the bard who came down from the wooden chair 'throne' - 'Singing Phélixis' walked out of the crowd, first bowed slightly to the host of the banquet, and then turned to his real audience - the powerful lady in the town They bowed deeply.

The ladies screamed excitedly, asking each other about the gossip about the new poems of the stars in front of them.

But just like what Mr. "Dry Olier" said, only he and the bard himself were present, who knew the content of the new poem.

"Secondly, the dance team in our town will present a new dance that they have only performed once. Friends who did not come to enjoy the banquet hosted by Baron Kendall last time must appreciate it. The dancers are all ready to show their best form and present their best side to everyone."

Speaking of this, he himself seemed quite proud, and Mr. Scott, who was on the right of Keel, explained in a low voice: "Dripari's youngest daughter is the lead dancer of the dance team, and he seems to have devoted a lot of energy to it. I just hope that the beautiful little daughter can become the main heir of a great nobleman."

Kiel raised his eyebrows. He didn't expect this middle-aged businessman, who seemed to be shrewd and capable, to have such a plan.

However, considering the other party's social status, it is a tricky way to use her daughter's beauty to climb into the aristocratic family. As long as the door can be opened, this method can save the other party more than ten years of building a network, and jump directly from the starting point to the end point.

Kiel chuckled twice, he didn't care about it, and these few key members of the United Chamber of Commerce who seemed to have a good relationship obviously also had some complaints.

"Finally, our band will show their unique skills and present the third movement of "Spring Blossoms" to everyone. Ah, this is a beautiful movement that matches the month and day. At that time, please accompany the wonderful music, Enjoy the blooming sea of ​​flowers outside the banquet hall on the terrace! Although the current situation is not good, just like the flower season that comes every year, the days of peace and prosperity will always come, everyone please wait quietly for that day to come.”

"Let us wish here, wish the nobles who gathered in the capital of the province, lead many knights and armies, defeat the armies of neighboring countries on the southern border, and regain our land and mines! Let us wish them victory, victory! victory!"

The men and women in front of them all raised their glasses high, and drank their own drinks while shouting victory speeches in unison.

Keir also drank a full glass of ale with clear water and elegant aroma, quite satisfied.

However, he noticed that while Mr. Deripari was speaking in high spirits to cheer up the army in the southern province, the smiles on the faces of the other key businessmen in the same seat were hard to fathom.

This subtle observation made Keir's heart sink.

We are not afraid that the enemy is strong, but we are afraid that some people inside have different interests in this matter.

He frowned under the cover of pouring wine and drinking, and thought a lot in a flash.

He doesn't know exactly what the "Fortune Fruit" Chamber of Commerce does, but judging from the fact that the other party directly allocated him a truck full of fuel and firewood, it is obvious that the Fortune Fruit Chamber of Commerce is involved in the specific supply of living materials in the town.

And besides, Mr. Scott has already said that Mr. Olier, who is "dry and flat", used his youngest daughter to climb up to the local nobles. So specifically, his long-term interests are obviously on the same level as those of the local nobles and lords. consistent.

But Mr. Scott, sitting on his right, is a senior manager of the Burning Furnace Chamber of Commerce. Their chamber of commerce is obviously engaged in the iron trade. These days, business is obviously booming. The chaotic situation may be troublesome for other chambers of commerce. But for them, it is obviously a great time.

So, from the perspective of the interests of these businessmen, will the other party feel that the longer the current situation, the better?

And what do the other two sitting on Kiel's left think?

Mr. Ottosfetten of the "Treasure House" Chamber of Commerce, although it can be seen from the news that this person is from a noble family, but does the Chamber of Commerce behind it lean towards which side in the war? Logically speaking, no. After all, the chaotic situation will inevitably lead to the bankruptcy and decline of many shops in the town and the chamber of commerce behind them, which is not good for the development of the town as a whole.

Kiel couldn't figure it out, and could only think that Mr. Ottosfetten was not very interested in military warfare, or that he didn't like Mr. "dry Olier" promoting these things in his banquet hall.

And the last one, the gray-haired old businessman, Mr. Wells-Pantolisa, the senior executive of the "Golden Scythe" Chamber of Commerce, sneered at the propaganda of the war. Why?

Keir doesn't know it right now, but he will understand when he meets Bloodfang tomorrow morning.

-

The banquet officially began, and the musicians returned to the bandstand in the corner, plucking their instruments lightly, and using soothing tunes to relieve the idle time before the bard began to perform.

At this time, the protagonist bard temporarily resigned, and went to the lounge on the first floor through the stairs in the corner of the banquet hall on the second floor, and changed into the performance costumes he was wearing later.

From the stairs for them to go up and down, the waiters brought up all kinds of freshly baked delicacies made in the kitchen, and a large portion of roast beef ribs on a silver ornate plate was brought up, accompanied by a young man, The chef, who is not bad looking, came up with him.

The young chef with a huge knife and fork in his hand carefully cut a whole beef rib the size of half a person into portions for people to enjoy. Of course, the best part was sent to the main seat of the banquet by the waiters.

Others, the guests who want to eat will call the waiter to take it at will.

The beef rib sent to Keir was obviously about five times larger in size than the ones in the hands of other merchants. Mr. Scott explained with a smile: "Haha, everyone knows that knights need more food." Much larger than normal people like us. A few years ago, the banquet restaurant occasionally made this kind of common sense mistake. After Otto Sfitten came up, he quickly corrected this mistake. Finally, he did not let the occasional visit to Dorne Town The knights are disappointed."

Mr. Ottosfetten himself only wanted a few small pieces of the most tender beef, and he barely ate a few mouthfuls, and did not touch the rest.

Although Kiel wasn't hungry, after all, he had been fighting hard monster meat these days, but when faced with the fresh and tender steak sprinkled with spices, naturally there was no reason not to eat it.

But just eating meat can't satisfy him, and Keir was not polite, he asked the waiter for a piece of bread just out of the oven, and directly took this kind of bread that was half the size of a human head and tore it open, and it was steaming. The bread is served with beef ribs cut into strips, simply dipped in the sauce, and then sent to the mouth with big mouthfuls.

When Mr. Bantorissa saw how Kiel was eating, he happily said that this eating method was similar to the eating method in the ancient Three Kingdoms in the north. He had been there once when he was young.

So while eating, he told the people around him about his business trips when he was young.

"Speaking of one thing, you definitely don't believe it. I actually don't believe it myself. When I was young, I even met the Lady of Winter under the command of the God of Saturn."

He said this so cheerfully that the other people in the same seat were surprised.

Mr. "Dry Oriel" was surprised that this matter had never been heard from the old fellow. And Mr. Scott said with a smirk: "Don't tell a lie made up on the spot? You are not old enough to be foolish, are you?"

The old Mr. Puntolisa waved his hand: "Why did you lie to you? I didn't say it before. It's not necessary to say it. I have been a believer in the great **** of wealth for a long time. I have personally met other gods. looking for trouble."

Mr. Ottosfetten covered his mouth with his hands, and asked with bright eyes: "Don't be silly, tell me what's going on, just right, don't tell your old diplomatic stories today."

The old businessman was a little unhappy: "It's obvious that Kier Knight hasn't heard of it yet, he wants to hear it, right?"

Keir waved his hand: "It's fine, it's fine, I'll listen to whatever you say."

The senior manager of the 'Golden Scythe' Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Puntolisa briefly told a personal story that he hardly said.

-

"That was when I was in my twenties, about twenty years ago. To be honest, I am surprised even today. I hope the great **** of wealth will forgive me, and the story I will tell next does not No betrayal of faith."

"At that time, I was not a member of the 'Golden Scythe' Chamber of Commerce. I organized a chamber of commerce by myself. Seven or eight people listened to me, and they specialized in transshipment of a rare commodity that was scarce in the north. The time is full of wind and snow, but in fact, the nobles are very rich in seemingly poor places. After all, the three northern kingdoms have existed longer than the empire. It is almost not long after the collapse of the ancient magic empire. The three northern kingdoms were first established. gone."

"At that time, I found out that there was a lack of self-heating volcanic rock in the Three Kingdoms of the North, which is the kind of black hard and brittle rock that is only produced by the crater. , it will release the heat accumulated inside, which is most suitable for the cold northern regions. Those rich nobles will lay them on the floor of the castle hall, as long as someone walks on it, it will warm the originally cold hall of the castle Like spring!"

"I took out all my wealth and hired twenty trucks, and I went to the place where this thing was produced in the south, filled all the trucks, and then went all the way north, across the entire kingdom, to the cold northern third. Kingdom area."

The others ate while listening to Mr. Puntolisa's tales of youth.

"As expected, there were many troubles along the way, but how smart I was at the time, I led my men to lose the carriage when I encountered danger, and ran away on horseback. Every force I advocate stares blankly at the twenty immobile carriages full of stones! Haha! The bandits all retreat angrily, and some local forces even have to pay me to go back because My carriage and the stone slabs on it even blocked the commercial roads."

"In this way, it took me half a year to get there. To be honest, I have never seen snow, but you must have never imagined what it would be like to be able to hang the heavy snow for half a month. At that time, we had to sit in a carriage most of the time. On the road, specially sent people to walk back and forth on the untied stone surface, just to let it radiate heat to ensure the temperature of the convoy, so as not to freeze the horses that cannot adapt to the local temperature and climate to death.”

"One month after I came there, I sold about half of the hot volcanic rock materials. When I became famous in the local area, I met the lady of winter—Tweety Ness."

"If you say it, you will definitely not believe it. The incarnation of Lady Winter, who is a god, is a short little girl, not as tall as she appears on the statue. She is wearing a colorful fur animal skin dress, and she is carrying a girl who is bigger than her. The giant ax of my hand just walked through the snowstorm and found me, er, my caravan on a trade road that half of the creatures could not see."

"You guys definitely don't know what the gods came here for. Haha, he said that he has been building a new palace for himself in the last hundred years. When he came out to cut some ancient wood, he heard from believers that there were strange floor heating stones from the south. So I found it myself."

"Haha, it sounds a bit disrespectful, but this reason is really cute. I doubted His identity at the time, especially because the other party was wearing thin clothes, just a colorful animal skin wrapped around his body indiscriminately, but he was carrying a bigger than a human being." The giant axe. I said that I didn’t believe it, and I wanted to see for myself whether what He said was true or not. You know, I just talked nonsense afterwards, and it really came true.”

"Miss Winter yelled a few incomprehensible words, and as a result, the snowflakes that fell on the ground gathered into snow and ice. Elk, tens of meters tall, rose from the feet of our carriage. And the horses in the caravan were all I fell asleep standing up. Just like that, we hugged the carriage tightly, and walked for a long time on the back of the moose made of ice and snow that rumbled for tens of meters, and under the huge wind and snow that could not be seen clearly for several meters. Stop in front of a palace in a huge mountain range."

Mr. Puntolisa's story is so bizarre that it is beyond the imagination of the few listeners around him. At least Keel can't believe that the person who has experienced all this is sitting in front of them and eating with them.

"I can't remember exactly what that palace looked like. Ms. Dong Zhi said that it will take some time to repair it. Before it is finished, a mortal like me is embarrassed to let everyone see the unfinished palace. In the end, the remaining Half of the volcanic rock heating stones sold were sold to this god, who was very satisfied~www.readwn.com~ and gave me a whole box of gold, haha, I was able to sit where I am now with the money. "

"It was the other local nobles who had made an appointment before. I didn't buy the agreed stone. I left the place as if fleeing with people. Now maybe my arrest warrant has not been revoked. Even if I explained that I sold it to God, they didn't believe it either, saying that I must have sold it to some local nobleman alone. But no one admitted it."

After the story was told, the eating and drinking at the banquet came to an end for the time being. At this moment, the bard who changed into a suit came out. The waiters had already laid a new roll of carpet for the banquet center, and there was a small twenty-centimeter-high stage.

The bard's performance is about to begin.

The ladies asked the banquet waiters to move the soft stools to the place closest to the performance, while the gentlemen also stood on both sides with wine glasses, ready to enjoy.

Keel and the others kept eating and drinking. As soon as Mr. Puntolisa's story ended, it happened to pick up here. Obviously, there are still too many details to dig out in the story of the old businessman.

It's just that Kiel probably didn't have this chance, but Mr. Ottosfetten, whose eyes lit up when he heard the story, grabbed the old businessman by the sleeve and asked something in a low voice.

He obviously has no interest in the banquet program at all.

Far less exciting than this story about the gods.

Kiel didn't know, but not long after today, Mr. Ottosfetten bid farewell to Dorne Town. Although he didn't resign from the Chamber of Commerce, he also took a long vacation. It seemed that he wanted to relive the strange experience of the old businessman.

It was not difficult for his close friends to guess why this man had put his hopes of healing his frailty on the gods. I don't know what's wrong with his body, and the gods have to take action to heal him.