After a whole day of trade negotiations, Baron Balian bought 20,000 pounds of shelled wheat from Sapp at a price slightly higher than the previous purchase price. Galvin wanted to sell the grain at a high price, but now the trade route was blocked and the grain had to be

Relying on Baron Balian to lead the troops to transport overseas, Baron Balian promised to purchase large amounts of grain in Sapp for military supplies in the future.

In order to show his absolute sincerity, Galvin provided twelve iron-clad four-wheeled carriages that could carry 1,500 pounds free of charge and arranged for ten coachmen to drive the carriages. Of course, after the food was delivered to Kalk Castle, Baron Balian had

It is the duty of Att's patrol to bring the carriage and driver safely back to Sap.

While discussing the purchase of grain, the two Barons Galvin and Balian also agreed with Art to help the barons enter the mountains south of Sap to suppress bandits after the patrol team returned from escorting grain from Provence.

"Originally, the southern trade routes have been very stable over the years, but since the war in the south, many bandits have appeared one after another in the mountains..." Baron Galvin said that his caravan going south has been repeatedly attacked in the recent period.

The matter was briefly explained to Art.

Of course, as a powerful and wealthy nobleman, Galvin could not allow bandits to run rampant in his territory. Some time ago, Baron Galvin also organized two knights and more than thirty territory guard soldiers to go to the southern hills.

They tried to clear out the bandits, but were led by the bandits to run around in the complicated hills and were attacked and killed several elite soldiers.

Baron Galvin rubbed a rare jade ring on his thumb, looked up at Art, and said: "Art, this is the situation. To be honest, although I am a baron, I am not interested in marching and fighting.

They know nothing about it, and the few knights in my territory are also better at dealing with gold cakes and silver coins. Besides, those bastards entrenched in the hills are just a group of rats, hiding everywhere, and their whereabouts cannot be traced at all."

"Lord Baron, I have a general understanding of the situation you are talking about. I will pay attention to the terrain and enemy situation when transporting food to the south. How about I discuss the suppression of bandits with you in detail after I return from the south? But I have to negotiate with you about the commission.

You should discuss it in advance..." Art stated his ideal commission and waited for Baron Galvin to counter-offer with him.

"Okay! That's the price. As long as the bandits can be eliminated smoothly, money is not an issue!"

Art did not expect that the merchant nobleman in front of him was so straightforward. He briefly talked with Baron Galvin for a few words and then stood up to leave.

Just as he was about to open the door to the office room, the wooden door was pushed open violently, and a figure bumped into Art. The opponent was unable to defend himself and was bounced to the ground by Art.

"Noble lady, please forgive me for being rude." Art quickly picked up the women on the ground, apologized softly, and then seemed to run away.

The eyes of the female family members chased Art's departing back...

"Ahem~ Lottie, why are you breaking into my office!" Baron Galvin scolded softly.

The female family member was shouted back to her senses. She glanced outside the door again, regained her facial expression, turned to Baron Galvin and asked loudly: "Father, I heard that you want me to marry the Dean family?

"

Galvin always doted on his only daughter, Lottie, and respected Lottie's wishes in matters of marriage. However, this proud and unique child could never find a suitable husband, and he allowed her to be so willful.

Lottie will have to become a "saint" if she goes down.

Baron Galvin stroked his forehead and said in a slightly scolding tone: "Lottie, you refused to marry the noble prince before, but now you don't want to marry a wealthy businessman. You are nineteen years old. If you don't get married, do you want to?"

Become a nun? Your mother is right, I have pampered you too much these years, and I will never let you be so willful again!!"

After hearing this, Lottie bravely retorted: "Don't you look at what kind of people you have found? They are either dandies or slick businessmen..."

Galvin was furious after hearing this, "What kind of person do you want to marry? Tell me and I will find it for you!!!"

"I want to marry a true warrior..."

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

As Art drifted away, he faintly heard the quarrel in the official room. He shook his head to throw away the beautiful shadow in his mind, left the lord's mansion and walked towards the patrol's temporary camp in Sapp Castle.

...

In the early morning of the third day, dozens of people escorted 17 four-wheeled carriages, carrying 23,000 pounds of grain, starting from the main gate of Fort Sap and heading toward the southern hills along the carriage path.

According to the arrangement agreed upon yesterday, a cavalry attendant of Baron Balian led Ron and Jason to scout two miles in front of the convoy. If there was any danger, he immediately rode back to the convoy to warn; Odo led the soldiers of the third squad in the convoy.

They marched behind each other for the last half mile, and were responsible for reinforcing the convoy when it was attacked to prevent it from being surrounded and annihilated; each sent a soldier a hundred steps apart in the dense forest on the hillside of the convoy to detect the enemy's situation; Art and Baron Balian personally led the remaining soldiers.

The coachman walks in the middle...

In the southbound convoy, Obote, a miner recruit holding a spear and carrying a shield, followed a four-wheeled carriage. Another recruit behind him kept whispering to him in a low voice. It was obvious that this recruit was a little nervous.

"Obot, do you think there are so many of us that any robbers would dare to rob us?

Obote ignored it.

"Why do you think my lord scattered people everywhere? What will happen if the robbers come?"

Obote still ignored it.

The recruit didn't care about Obote's silence and continued: "Do you think we can finish this trip alive?"

Obote was a little annoyed. The recruit kept talking all the way, and his ears were almost blocked with nonsense.

"you say……"

"Shut up, you coward! If you were afraid of death, don't follow me in the first place. If you come here and worry about the futility of these things, you might as well think about the life-saving combat skills you trained in the valley."

Obote's voice was a little loud, and Colin, the leader of the combat team who was walking in front of them, turned around and shouted in a low voice: "The marching team is not allowed to make loud noises! Do you want to have a taste of military sticks!"

The two of them remained silent.

While the convoy was moving slowly, several bandit leaders were arguing loudly in a cave deep in the southern hilly mountains.

They are the group of bandits that Baron Galvin described as entrenched in the southern hills. On weekdays, these people are caravans and travelers scattered in their respective "territories" to rob. But recently, their way of survival has become more and more difficult.

, firstly, because there are more and more bandits entrenched in the southern hilly areas, and there are more people trying to steal their jobs, so life is naturally difficult.

The second reason is that there are fewer and fewer caravans traveling on this trade road where bandits are rampant, especially since the grain convoy of Fort Sap has not been traveling on this channel for several months after being intercepted several times. The bandits once

They discussed forming a gang to attack Sap Fort to make a fortune, but the high walls of Sap discouraged the bandits who were accustomed to bullying the weak.

Survival is getting harder and harder. The bandits have packed their bags and plan to leave here and continue to plunder in various parts of the east. However, an informant who ran away from Sap two days ago brought a surprise to the bandits who were facing worries about survival.

This informant is a slacker in Sapp Castle. He is usually idle and doing sneaky things all day long. Naturally, he is often caught and beaten by Baron Galvin's guards. Therefore, this lazy guy has a grudge and actually finds him on his own initiative.

The bandit is willing to become an informant lurking in Sapp Castle.

Two days ago, when Baron Balian and dozens of people came to Sapp to buy food, this lazy man set his sights on them. He used a few glasses of low-quality beer to trick out the fate of this fate from Baron Galvin's house slave.

After knowing the departure time of the grain team and the amount of grain, they immediately ran to the hills to inform the bandit leader.

So, after receiving the good news, the bandit leader summoned five or six groups of bandits from all over the hills to this cave to discuss robbing the convoy.

The cave was filled with smoke and smoke. Fifty or sixty bandits were wearing various clothes and holding various weapons in their hands. They were sitting around piles of bonfires, chewing food plundered from everywhere, drinking low-quality beer, and shouting loudly.

The ground was yelling and cursing.

In a slightly flat area on the side of the cave, seven or eight bandit leaders were discussing how to rob the convoy.

A bearded leader with a scarred face said: "Let me tell you, no matter who the men in black are, everyone rushes forward and slaughters a dozen sheep. Those guys will naturally run away for their lives. When the time comes, the carriage will be driven back to share the food."

"

"No, no, the spy said that the men in black don't look like ordinary caravan guards. They are all strong men, and they are all wearing uniform weapons. I'm worried that they are elite soldiers from the army. If they attack rashly, they will be easily killed.

Into a trap." The leader of the bandits who had the greater number shook his head repeatedly.

The bandits in the cave fell into silence for a while.

A guy wearing women's clothes with a pointed face and monkey cheeks rolled his eyes and came up with a plan: "We can't attack the convoy. The opponent is definitely prepared. If we can't attack, we will definitely suffer. So we can do this...

..."

.........

On the evening of the second day after leaving Sap, the sky was still glowing with the afterglow of the setting sun. The convoy stopped moving forward and set up camp in an open space outside a dense forest. The two consecutive days without incident made everyone who was nervous along the way relax a little.

Art was taking off his heavy iron-clad armor with the help of Ron, "Ron, have Odo and the others arranged their sentry posts tonight?"

Ron placed the armor on the ground and flattened it while replying: "Master, it has been arranged. Bass's first team is responsible for the sentry tonight. They are eating now. After the meal, they will go to the surrounding areas to guard."

"There is no one on guard now. Please follow me to the surrounding area and patrol around again. I always feel that it has been too quiet these two days. There are seven or eight groups of bandits entrenched in these dozens of miles of hills, but so far we have not seen any

A trace of banditry, this is so abnormal."

Ron smiled and said: "Those guys must have run away long ago when they saw that we were too numerous and too powerful. You see, we have come here safely in the past two days. There is nothing to worry about."

Art looked at the entourage who had been following him for a long time, and couldn't help but feel nervous: "Is this just your own idea?"

"Everyone thinks so, saying that now the robbers have to go around us."

Art quickly walked around Ron, picked up the iron armor from the ground and put it on his body, then walked out and shouted: "Let everyone gather at the grain truck to prepare for the battle, quickly."

After saying that, he fastened his sword belt, picked up his riding bow and quiver, and left the military tent and ran towards Baron Balian's tent.

Baron Balian had not taken off his chain mail, and was sitting in the tent wearing heavy mail.

"Sir, I feel something is wrong. It has been too quiet these past two days, and we are too relaxed now."

The baron stood up and looked at the young patrol officer and said: "I have already discovered this problem. Wild wolves will never make a sound before biting your throat. I just asked two of my attendants to patrol the surrounding areas."

Art had to admire the vigilance of the military aristocrat in front of him. This was an insight that only those who had been immersed in the flames of war could possess.

As soon as the conversation between the two ended, there was a commotion outside the tent.

Art was heartbroken and immediately turned around and left the military tent. Dozens of bandits armed with long and short weapons had already rushed out of the dense forest on one side of the camp...

…………

"Gather and prepare for battle!!!"

When the emergency assembly order sounded, Benson, who was "unable to desert", had just put down his wooden bowl and lazily packed his weapons and luggage.

Suddenly, a combat team leader suddenly pulled out the long sword from his waist and shouted: "Get down!"
To be continued...