Mercenaries and Adventurers

It was getting late, and the people in the open space basically had a full dinner.

During the daytime, a group of young people went to a cheap market in the town with the consent of Blood Yaster and Priest Batar, and brought back some edible mushrooms for everyone.

Therefore, there are some finely sliced ​​delicious mushrooms in the oatmeal tonight, which makes the oatmeal, which is never tired of eating, given a higher status.

Where do they have the opportunity to eat like this now? In previous years, in their respective villages, even when the harvest was good, the elders in the family had to frown and count how the season's grain could be exchanged from treacherous merchants. How many copper coins.

This is not bad. It belongs to the "happiness" troubles of the self-cultivators who own their own land. Villagers who migrate to the village late can only rent the land of the big family in the village. Not only do they need to pay the bishop food tax every year, exploited by landowners.

Even the grain harvested in the field has to be sold only to the owners of the land. If it is not sold to them, the lease will not be renewed for use by new farmers in the coming year.

In order to make ends meet, many times, we can only swallow our anger and endure it.

The priests of the **** of agriculture often don't care about this kind of thing. After all, for them, as long as the farmland is well cultivated and the harvest is good. Whether someone is exploited inside is only a matter between farmers.

For many grassroots clergy, there is actually not much difference between self-cultivated farmers and farmers who rent out farmland to live.

Many young people in the team really did not expect that after going through so many hardships, there would be a day when they would be so 'rich' and able to eat every meal with a full stomach.

Perhaps, the Batar priest who gave them these god-given foods, maybe? perhaps? perhaps? Not the same as the Saturn priests that people have seen before?

Priest Batar is good at everything, but he looks depressed every day, his frown seems to have never been relaxed.

Hey, isn't it just that the villagers of a village have been robbed and taken away? How many people can there be at most in a remote village? How many people have their team?

It can't be as many as them, right?

-

Although Keir was not hungry, when familiar people came over with oatmeal porridge filled with sliced ​​mushrooms, he took it with a smile, and ate the boiling oatmeal porridge in front of everyone.

"Not bad! It would be even better if we could add some green vegetables!"

Keel commented.

A young farm girl who had spoken a few words to Keir immediately said excitedly: "Good sir! Next time we will find a way to find some vegetables! In fact, there is a farmland full of vegetables near the open space. Originally, during the daytime We girls tried to go and buy some from the people working in the fields, but the priest and Mr Sturt wouldn't let us go out."

Kiel nodded: "Yes, although it's a bit regretful, those who work in the farmland are not the real owners of the field and the crops on it. They are just bought for forced labor time and are guarded by others. It’s just debtors. As for not letting everyone go out, heh, seeing those debtors who are hard-working and being driven away with a whip, you know that this town of Dorne is not a good place.”

The familiar girl was a little ignorant, but she still nodded and accepted Kiel's statement.

In addition, don't ask why the people have money to buy things. When Keir led people to sweep the bandits' lair, he acquiesced to the young people who acted with him. The robbers' beds, clothes, and a small amount of property found in the cracks of the wall belong to themselves.

The desire for wealth not only brought the courage to act to many young people who took up arms at that time, but also made many people barely forget the panic and fear they felt when they were fighting with bandits. Otherwise, people who are frightened may not even be able to move their feet.

In the following days on the road, the small amount of property that fell into the hands of young people basically circulated throughout the entire In the hands of the people in the team.

Moreover, Kiel occasionally motivates people to work in the team, just like Batar priest's god-given food, wielding coins and food, using authority and interests to drive people to do some troublesome work.

Of course, considering that the safety of the entire team is almost supported by Kiel, although he also used money to drive everyone, the people would obey his orders more directly.

Gere in particular is almost free from mistakes and lapses these days.

"Well, give me another bowl. A friend probably hasn't had dinner yet."

Keel handed the empty wooden bowl to the other party, and the girl immediately ran away and brought another bowl.

Nodding, Kil held the bowl of steaming mushroom oatmeal, walked out from the gate of the open space, and walked towards the side of the town, avoiding the dark place illuminated by the torches.

There was a middle-aged man with his head lowered and his eyes wide open, almost using the faint lighting and the touch feeling of his fingers, he cautiously danced on the wooden statue with a knife.

He was so engrossed that he didn't even notice the sound of Kiel's deliberately heavy footsteps.

There was no way, Kiel had no choice but to move his body, using his body in a black and red cloak to block the light from the torches at the gate of the open space.

But he didn't expect that the middle-aged woodcarving craftsman didn't notice it. He just widened his eyes and moved his hands more cautiously and slowly. However, the carving work did not stop at all.

Keel, who saw this scene, couldn't help but sighed.

"Craft craftsman, craftsman Kak? If you don't notice me again, the dinner I brought you here, hehe, it will be cold."

What Keel said in a normal voice really startled the craftsman.

He was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't realize that someone was talking to him just now, but the next moment, he realized something, raised his lowered head, and saw the Kiel knight whom he met not long ago. Just holding a steaming wooden bowl and standing in front of him.

"Ah, ah, yes, it's cavalry, Lord Knight! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's my fault, my fault, that the villain didn't notice you."

Craftsman Kak wanted to get up and salute quickly in fear, but he squatted on the ground for too long, and when he stood up suddenly, coupled with his weakness, he fell to the ground in embarrassment.

Seeing that he was in distress but not injured, Keir chuckled and put the wooden bowl in his hand on the ground in front of the craftsman: "Eat something. I guess you didn't have dinner, right?"

The craftsman froze for a moment, then pulled the corners of his mouth, and forced a smile: "Thank you, Lord Knight. You guessed right, you guessed right, as you can see, in order not to miss the delivery time, I am still in the dark, Just come here. I also made an extra wood carving on the way!"

Keir didn't puncture the other party's words, but just smiled.

As if smelling the aroma of mushroom porridge, the middle-aged woodcarving craftsman's stomach rumbled loudly, which made the middle-aged man hold his stomach and belly with his hands in embarrassment, and at the same time wanted to reach out to hold the wooden bowl, but I dare not.

Keir waved his hand: "Please use it, this is the dinner made by the young girls in my team. They added some fresh mushrooms bought from the market in your town, and sliced ​​them into the porridge. Please take advantage of it." Let's drink it hot, I'll treat you."

"Thank you, thank you sir. Then I will eat."

Hearing that it was the people's dinner, the middle-aged craftsman dared to pick up the wooden bowl instead of using a spoon, and poured the porridge into his mouth directly from the bowl. He didn't even dare to touch the edge of the wooden bowl with his lips in order not to make Knight Kiel respond.

The mushroom oatmeal porridge was carried all the way from the center of the open space by Kiel. At this time, the temperature was not as hot as when it was just out of the pot, and the temperature was just right for humans to swallow.

The craftsman Kak gulped down the wheat porridge poured into his mouth. The full boiled wheat grains were easily touched with his teeth, and the rich wheat fragrance from the grain burst out.

The sliced ​​crispy and tender mushrooms are even more slippery in the mouth. They slipped down the throat and into the esophagus without paying attention. The artisan Kak had to use his tongue and teeth to find these delicious mushrooms, and then used his teeth to pick them up. Stir and grind.

He was a little surprised by the delicious taste of the mushrooms. It had been a long time since he had eaten such delicious food.

Soon, the whole bowl of mushroom porridge was eaten by the craftsman, and when the other party finished eating, Kiel pointed to the big bag next to the craftsman and said, "Since you finished eating, let me see how your work is." ?”

"Yes, yes, my lord."

The craftsman had a rare hiccup, and then glanced carefully at the knight. He didn't notice that the knight was angry and furious, so he acted cautiously, but swiftly took out the completed wood carving from the bag.

One two, three, four, row by row, one by one, soon filled the ground.

Keel squatted down and picked one up, carefully examining the wood carving in his hand with the help of the faint light coming from behind him.

This is a palm-sized wood carving of a deity with a bird head and a human body.

Basically, it is exactly the same as the pattern he provided, whether it is the height, the crude and primitive clothing of the human body, or the subtle expression of the bird's head.

The surprising thing is that in the original sketch provided by Kiel, the bird head part of the **** is actually expressionless, but now the wood carving in his hand, the expression of the bird head **** is half a smile, and has a kind of A natural condescending expression.

It is very expressive, especially Kiel thinks that this expression is very penetrating, similar to that of the big bird **** who has no way out, and when there is no way out, he still puts on airs.

This put a smirk on Kiel's face.

"How about it?"

Keel said quietly.

The craftsman Kak thought that Knight Kiel was talking to him, so he immediately answered: "My lord, I think this batch of wood carvings can only be said to be average. The main reason is that you asked for it too urgently. If there are some, I can still find someone to color these statues of your gods! As long as they are painted, they will look very good-looking, and I guarantee that the believers of this unknown **** will like them so much that they have to worship them every day Idol."

At the same time, Keel also heard a voice: "Ga, very good, very good! I am very satisfied! Whether it is the new image, or the number of these wood carvings! Ga! I am very satisfied!"

After listening to it, Keir put down the wood carving: "This level is okay, I am very satisfied~"

He intentionally imitated the answer he heard from the big bird god, so as to tease him.

"As long as you are satisfied, my lord, as long as you are satisfied."

Keir stood up, clicked on these wood carvings on the ground, and counted their number: "Thirty-five wood carvings, then according to the price negotiated before, three gold and five silver, and another gold coin for a confidential fee .how?"

Kiel took out a few gold and silver coins from the inner pocket of his clothes, and shook them in his hands, making a crisp and beautiful sound of precious metals colliding.

Craftsman Kak's eyes were straightened, and he couldn't believe that he really got such a high-value coin from the nobleman so easily. The other party not only kept his promise, but also took out the money in a down-to-earth manner.

To be honest, let alone the price of a silver coin for a wood carving, he is willing to do it even for a copper coin. To be honest, if he could do twenty wood carvings a day and earn twenty copper coins, the life of him and his family would not be as embarrassing as it is today.

Even if you don't take a break, you can earn more than three gold coins a year, which is considered a high-paying job in Dorne Town.

real.

Craftsman Kak, trembling, held out his hands carefully and stretched out to Kiel.

Kierze deftly put the coins in his hand upside down into the opponent's hands: "Go on, this money is not small, don't lose it at night."

"No, no." Realizing the importance of these coins, craftsman Kak immediately stuffed the coins into his chest without counting them.

He also cautiously checked the inner pocket of his clothes for damage. After finding that there was no damage, he carefully covered his chest with his left arm subconsciously, and pointed hesitantly at the unfinished wood carvings at hand.

"My lord, what about these?"

Kiel waved his hand: "Of course these are not counted, and for the sake of confidentiality, I will also take them away and destroy them. No objection?"

"No, no." The craftsman took a regretful look at these half-finished wood carvings, annoyed that if he moved more quickly during the day, these four or five wood carvings could turn into four or five shiny silver coins.

"I want your bag too, do you have any objection?"

"The bag, the bag is borrowed." The craftsman replied very little, because the gorgeously dressed Kiel knight was staring at him.

He didn't dare to say anything more, so he finally whispered a few words timidly. Even Keel, who had a keen ear, didn't know what he said.

"I took the ones I borrowed. Otherwise, can I still be like the clown in the noble court, juggling and bringing them back?"

Kiel smiled, and one by one, he threw the unpainted wooden idols, which were still the original color of the wood material, into the big bag next to them.

While pretending, Keel was chatting with the excited middle-aged craftsman as if chatting.

"Looking at your appearance, I'm afraid that business is not doing well in recent days, right?"

"Don't dare to lie to Sir Knight, let alone recently, ever since I heard about the prosperity of Dorne Town from my hometown, I found a way to move here, and the business has not been easy."

"Oh, why is that?"

"It's hard to say, the gods and priests will be angry if you say it."

"Oh, it has something to do with the Church of the God of Wealth, right? Strange, as far as I know, the faith of the Church of the God of Wealth is booming in this town, isn't it the time for woodcarving craftsmen like you to come to work? It is impossible for the Church to The **** statues were all contracted to another woodcarver? That’s not right, I just saw your craftsmanship, and it’s very good, even clearer and more vivid than the Saturn statue in my companion’s hand.”

Hearing Kiel's words, the craftsman smiled bitterly: "Master, you've misunderstood. It's not that I'm not good at craftsmanship, and it's not that this work was entrusted to another craftsman. The matter is very simple, just, uh, I will complain to you, but you dare not tell others."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything."

"Hey, the Church of the God of Wealth has never used wood to make statues. The priests always ask jewelers to take gold, silver and other precious materials, and cast them into statues. If it weren't for the small amount of business of several other churches to support their livelihood , I have already left Dorne Town."

Kiel smiled and tilted his head as if listening to someone say something, so he said: "Although I made a fortune from me this time, it's not the way, you'd better leave Dorne Town as soon as possible, Earn your living elsewhere. The more you delay here, the more you will regret the wasted life and the lost opportunity to make money."

The middle-aged craftsman forced a smile: "Maybe I didn't have the money to move away with my family before, but now I have money, but you also know that now let alone moving to other towns, even the caravans of many chambers of commerce dare not go on the road I don’t know how long this war will last. Some people in the town are in debt, bankrupt and completely indulged themselves.”

In the end, Keir threw the unfinished wood carvings and the wooden bowls on the ground into the big bag, then lifted the bag easily, and waved at the craftsman: "Happy cooperation. Remember, take my Seal the money, about this matter, no third person can know about it. Do you understand?"

"Understood, my lord. No matter who asks, I will not say a word."

Kiel pointed at him with his finger: "You know what I asked you to make, so be careful, the gods are watching. Also, if something wonderful happens around you afterwards, think about it, I asked you to make it god, you will understand."

The craftsman was a little puzzled. He watched the young knight wearing a black and red cloak go away in a daze, and entered the fenced open space where there was noise and singing.

Suddenly, he came back to his senses and realized that he was the only one in the darkness around him.

The nearest fire and people are all at the gate of the open space in the distance. Beside him, there were only empty trade roads and pitch-black stretches of farmland. UU reading www.uukanshu.com

He shuddered, and put his left and right hands nervously on his chest, tightly covering the precious coins in his inner pocket on his chest.

At this time, he was no longer the pauper who couldn't afford a few iron coins all over his face. He used to be poor, so he was never afraid of dark trails and deserted fields. After all, he was poorer than the robbers, and he could even lick his face and ask the robbers if they had any jobs for them to do.

But now it's different.

There is a huge sum of money of four gold and five silver on him.

Thinking of this, craftsman Kak turned around and ran towards the town.

He took a step forward, relying on the feeling of fullness and strength he had brought after eating just now, he ran back home from outside the town in one breath.

When he knocked on the closed and dilapidated door of his house, he breathed a sigh of relief, and the excitement of regaining his new life showed on his face. It made the wife who opened the door for him in the dark feel strange.

"Did you work all night yesterday, did you get dizzy? Tell me, the master, did you make any money from this job?"

When the craftsman took out the gold and silver coins and asked his wife to light the oil lamp that was rarely lit at night, they cheered in low voices together.

The gold coin is round and heavy, and the head of His Excellency the Regent seems to be smiling with satisfaction. Laugh at the desire for wealth and authority of every citizen of the kingdom who sees him.

The silver coin is smooth and shiny, and on it is the head of His Excellency the Regent.

The two danced happily. The sound of the dance's taps woke up a pair of children who went to bed early after dark. The children looked at their parents suspiciously, with puzzled expressions on their faces.

But outside this dilapidated little house, there was a sound of flapping wings.

A solid black crow landed on the family's roof.

like a statue.