A group of thirteen people rode on horses on the snowy King's Road.

The first horseman wears a mail hood and an iron helmet with a nose guard, a cotton armor lining inside, long-sleeved plate chain mail outside, fine iron arm guards on the elbows, cowhide boots, and a fine steel dagger and

Single-edged short sword, wearing a black heraldic cloak; underneath him is a black war horse, with a horn riding bow and sheepskin quiver hanging on the left side of the front saddle, a stainless steel long-handled knight's sword hanging on the right side, and a leather buckler placed on the horse mattress cover on the rear saddle.

, a cavalry short spear and a battle ax hung from the left and right sheath ropes.

The two horsemen behind them wore iron nose helmets, half-length mail, cotton armor lining, and black robes and cloaks. The horses had heavy bows and axes hung on the front saddles, and round shields and horse mattress covers were placed on the back saddles. They threw spears.

The bag was tied to the sheath rope, and one of them held an eight-foot-long heraldic flag in his hand, with the bottom end propped up on the right stirrup. Ten riders wearing various colors of cotton armor and burqas and capes followed closely.

Behind the flag, they all either carried bows and swords on their backs or carried spears on their horses.

A dozen military horses stepped on the layers of snow on the ground, raising their hooves and making loud rumbling noises.

Pedestrians passing by on the road and troops rushing to the front line to change defenses all avoided this group of menacing cavalry. The disgusted expressions on their faces were filled with awe and admiration that could not be concealed.

"Master, you are so majestic! I have followed you for more than a year, and this is the most majestic time." Ron held the blood-eyed howling wolf heraldic flag in his right hand and said excitedly as he urged his horse to catch up with Art.

Art slowed down the speed of his horse and let the horse under him walk freely for a while. Then he turned slightly and said to Ron: "This time we brought so many riders to Besançon for the sake of momentum. We cavalry

Don’t you know how powerful you are so powerful that others can’t see it? Except for a few of you sentry riders, everyone else can barely even ride a horse, let alone ride, shoot, and chop. They are all airs and have no power.”

Ron's pride was not extinguished by Art's cold water. He immediately turned around and glanced at the ten riders following him. Although he knew that most of them were just new riders who had just managed to control their horses and stabilize their bodies, this kind of leadership

He was addicted to the thrill of charging the large group of "cavalry". He straightened up and urged the horse to run a few steps, sat on the saddle and turned to Angus and said: "Sergeant Major, we must train a real cavalry after we return to the valley!"

"

Angus kicked the horse's belly and replied with a smile: "Training cavalry is not something you can just talk about, but if Master Art can make enough money, we will definitely be able to train one in the future.

Elite cavalry team."

"Well, I will definitely join this cavalry team when the time comes. I will ride on a horse and charge into battle to kill the enemy and perform meritorious deeds..."

…………

In order to prevent their horses from getting too tired, the group of people rode on the King's Road for four days before arriving at a small town ten miles southeast of Besançon. Art ordered everyone to rest and recuperate in the town for the night and return the next day.

Enter the city of Besançon.

Although this is just a small town, it is richer than other places because it is close to Besançon, the palace of the Count. Therefore, there are all kinds of taverns, hotels, shops and workshops in the town. The roads in the town are relatively clean and tidy, and there are many pedestrians coming and going on the carriageway.

Most of them were wearing thick coats and felt hats, very rich.

"There is a small hotel called the Homecoming at the other end of the town across this street. How about we rest in that hotel tonight?" As a native of Besançon, Angus was very interested in the surroundings of Besançon.

The situation is very familiar.

"You are more familiar with this place than I am, so you can make up your mind on these matters."

Art stared at a southern goods shop in the town and asked Angus intently: "Sergeant, are there also southern goods shops in a small town like this?"

Angus recalled it for a while and replied: "Ordinary small towns will not have southern goods shops, but here is close to Besançon, and there are often southern goods caravans and hawkers passing by to rest, so there are southern goods shops.

.”

"Is this place controlled by the guild?"

"I don't know much about this, but a year ago a southern goods shop in a small town north of Besançon was ransacked by a group of guys with unknown origins. Some people rumored that it was someone sent by Besançon's trading guild.

Angus turned his head and glanced at the Nanhuo store he just passed by, and continued: "This Nanhuo store must have just opened. I was here last spring. At that time, it was still a cobbler's shop. It can be seen in the guild

There must be a guild's shadow behind this shop..."

After chatting all the way, the group soon walked into the hotel called The Homecoming. From the slightly panicked look on the innkeeper's face when he saw Angus, we could guess that Angus must have acted as a stronghold here.

A city gangster who cheats people out of food and drink.

Angus stared at the panicked shopkeeper for a long time, smacked his lips, took out a sheepskin purse from his arms and threw it to the shopkeeper, saying: "Ruel, this is the money I owe you, take it."

Well, the remaining money will be used as our food and accommodation tonight."

The thin shopkeeper looked at Angus in disbelief, then carefully opened his money bag filled with copper pfennig and small silver coins. He looked up and caught a glimpse of a dozen heavily armed guys standing outside the door. The shopkeeper suddenly put away his money.

The money bag was photographed in Angus's arms and he said repeatedly: "Mr. Angus, take the money back and you can eat and drink as you wish. I just ask you not to rob my shop and not to hurt my family." The thin shopkeeper cried in a voice.

He was so short that he almost fell to his knees.

Art and Ron, who were following Angus closely, had black streaks all over their heads. Ron whispered in Art's ear: "The sergeant major has done so many evil things before to make the shop owner so afraid."

Art just chuckled softly and shrugged.

Angus was very embarrassed by the shopkeeper. He used to often eat and drink in this hotel, and he also beat the shopkeeper and took money from the shop. But now he has changed his ways. In the past six months, his military pay and distribution have been reduced.

His military reward has accumulated to a thousand pfennigs, and he really plans to find the shopkeeper to pay off his debt this time.

Seeing that the embarrassing situation was deadlocked, the clever Ron quickly stepped forward and said to the hotel owner: "Standing in front of you is the security patrol officer of the southern border of the palace, the adjutant of the army of the trainee knight Sir Arter, His Excellency Angus Doyle.

"

The shop owner didn't understand for a while, so Ron patiently explained: "We are the troops returning from the palace's Eastern Expedition. We come to your shop for food and accommodation, and the money we spend will not be less than half a copper coin from you."

The shopkeeper's frightened expression eased after he realized that the group of people outside the door were not the robbers brought by Angus to rob the store's goods.

Angus was already very impatient by the shopkeeper, "Why are you still hanging around? Go prepare drinks and meat!"

The shop owner quickly put the money bag into his arms and ran into the store's kitchen to prepare food with a smile.

"Master Art, I made you laugh~I'm sorry~" Angus rubbed his head in embarrassment and brought Art into the store.

A few wandering mercenaries sitting on the longest and largest wooden table in the store saw a dozen guys in armor and swords rushing in, and quickly stood up to make room for them.

The group of people took their seats one by one, and soon the owner and two bartenders carried a wooden tray and brought food to Art's table - half a roast lamb prepared in advance, several large wooden bowls of minced meat porridge, and a large bucket of onions.

Stewed meat, two pots of apples and pears, and a whole bucket of light beer. The shop owner didn't dare to offend these soldiers, so the dishes on the table and the buckets were full of meat, fruits and vegetables.

Art was thoughtful and not very interested in the large pots and barrels of food in front of him. He ate a piece of mutton and drank two glasses of beer before returning to his room to rest.

The rest of the people at the table, especially the ordinary soldiers who rarely ate with Art on weekdays, relaxed their restraints when they saw Art leave. These days, the horses are tired, and they often eat snow water on the roadside when they are on the road.

After a few mouthfuls of hard rye bread, my stomach was already complaining. As soon as Art left, everyone unbuttoned their clothes, grabbed the meat, vegetables, and wine on the table and stuffed it into their mouths, and kept talking loudly about their stay in the tower.

After a while, the guests in the hotel were sitting around the long table and listening to the legendary stories that happened in the southeastern mountains. The owner of the hotel was busy with his work.

Next, he served food and wine for everyone, and the money bag in his arms jingled as he jumped forward and stomped back.

The excitement in the hotel continued until late at night. It was only when the food in the owner's kitchen was almost exhausted that everyone returned to their rooms to rest with their round bellies...

The next morning, Ron opened the door to Art's room and brought a bowl of steaming bread and mutton soup. Art got up and put on a set of heavy chain mail with Ron's help.

Then he picked up the wooden bowl, poured the mutton soup bread batter into his mouth, and swallowed it.

Art wiped the corner of his mouth and asked, "Have all the soldiers had breakfast?"

Ron answered while fastening Art's belt: "Everyone has eaten and is resting downstairs now. You can leave at any time."

Art was very satisfied. He thought the soldiers were still sleeping soundly in their rooms after partying all night last night, but they were already ready to go, "Okay, let's enter the city of Besançon."

............

When a group of thirteen cavalry rushed towards Besançon from the southeast, the garrison commander at the east gate of Besançon was really sweating because there was no one fighting wolves around the city of Besançon.

A cavalry team with a heraldic flag, and a charge of a dozen cavalrymen can overwhelm a team of hundreds of peasants and soldiers, so the sudden appearance of a strange cavalry team startled the city guarding commander. Worried about an emergency situation, he quickly ordered

The guards under the city put away the drawbridge and closed the city gate tightly. The archers on the city also rushed to the crenellations and prepared to release arrows.

Art saw the strange movement at the east gate city, waved his hand to stop the team behind him, and then called Ron to give some instructions.

Holding the heraldic flag, Ron drove his horse slowly to the foot of the city wall alone, announced his identity to the garrison on the city, and handed over the palace documents. The garrison commander called the literate tax collector in the doorway to read the document carefully.

After checking it once, the suspension bridge was lowered and the door opened to welcome the army returning from the battlefield.

After entering Besancon, Art asked Angus to take the cavalry team to the military camp in the church square in the city, and he took Ron into the palace to hand over the documents for completing the military service to the clerk. When Art was at the clerk

After writing his name and stamping his seal on the parchment on the official desk, the war between the Count of Burgundy and the Principality of Swabia was of no concern to him for the time being. All that was left was to wait for the palace to respond.

After devoting energy to describing the merits and rewards of this batch of canonized trainee knights, the swallow tail on the Art heraldic flag may be cut off in the near future.

Art walked out of the palace gate, took his weapon and mounted his horse, and said to Ron who was following him: "Ron, let's go back to the military camp to pick up the gifts and visit Lord Baldwin. I don't expect the dignitaries in the palace to take the initiative.

Remembering the blood we shed at Talburg."
Chapter completed!