The convoy repaired in Kitzby for two days, and Art asked Odo to escort Salter to buy some scattered goods at the free market in Kitzby.

Art himself, along with Ron and others, tried to recruit a group of craftsmen in Kitzby City. It would be best to recruit weapon craftsmen or blacksmiths who are scarce in several valleys. However, in war years, blacksmiths and weapon craftsmen are the most valuable talents.

The lords from all over the world regarded it as a treasure. Several people wandered outside the city for two days without meeting any craftsmen who were willing to follow them north. The craftsmen in the city were all members of various guilds, and Art couldn't take them away at all.

Unfortunately, Art and the others only recruited three young men who were willing to accompany them on their adventure in the North.

On the early morning of the third day, at a roadside tavern outside Kitzby, Art, Ron, Odo, Bas, Kazak, and Tuba planned to have a hearty breakfast in the tavern.

, by the way, arrange the next division of tasks.

Art knocked on the table lightly and said, "Odo, have the food for the soldiers and coachmen been arranged?"

Several people sitting around the wooden table stopped chatting and laughing.

Odo replied: "Sir, the shopkeeper has prepared a large pot of delicious fresh meat soup and sent it to the camp."

"Okay, shopkeeper, you can serve us the food!" After making sure that the soldiers had arranged the food, Art started the officers' breakfast.

The bartender put six plates filled with bacon and pea mash on a tray and delivered them to the six people. In addition, each person also got a glass of Provence's own wine.

Art took out a small knife from his waist, cut off a small strip of bacon on the plate, pinched it and lightly dipped it in the tapenade on the edge of the wooden plate, put it in his mouth and chewed it, enjoying the aroma of the sauce and the meat.

The aroma lingered in his mouth, and Art enjoyed it quite a bit.

Art was carrying a lot of goods this time, and the fully loaded carriage could not cross the mountainous area east of Sap, so Art planned to let Odo take his own goods back to the valley first, "Odo, you have to be more careful, from here

The journey to the wooden castle is not smooth, and we would rather have some troubles than ensure absolute safety; when passing the border checkpoint, leave some supplies for Simon and the others."

"Ron, this time you take Jason and follow Odo back first, and you must listen to Odo's arrangements along the way."

The two nodded in agreement.

After breakfast, Art personally paid the salaries to all the officers and soldiers of the patrol team in the camp.

Before noon, the convoy returning from the south was divided into two teams. The first team was led by Odo, the entire third team, the second combat team of the fourth team, and the two sentry riders Ron and Jason, a total of nine people led by Art himself.

Five carriages loaded with goods went north from Kitzby, passed the border checkpoint to the County of Burgundy, and then returned to the valley castle; the other group was led by Art himself and the remaining soldiers, escorting Galvin.

The master's twelve carriages and eight coachmen rushed back to Sapp from the west of Kitzby through the hills. They handed the team to Mr. Galvin and then crossed the mountains from Sapp back to the wooden castle in the valley.

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

Fort Sapp welcomed a convoy returning from the south, with more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages loaded with all kinds of southern goods.

Since the commercial road from Sap to the south was interrupted, there has been no southern goods coming and going here for a long time, and the commercial road from the west of Sap to Linzhou is also sparsely populated.

The dozen or so carts of goods bought back from the south were enough to sustain Sapp's trade for half a year. Baron Galvin accepted all the goods brought back by Art as ordered, and gave him a price that was half the price in normal years.

Twelve carts of goods were sold for 28,000 pfennigs. Excluding the purchase price, Art made 16,000 pfennigs on this trip. When a bulging bag of silver marks was handed to Art, Art

For the first time, he discovered that it is so easy to make money in this chaotic world. However, he also knew that these easy money must have a condition, that is, you can put the money into your pocket alive.

Passing through countless valleys and dense forests, there may be sharp-edged steel knives waiting to lick blood and kill lives.

That night, Baron Galvin happily hosted a banquet in Sapp's castle for everyone who came back from the fully loaded convoy. The soldiers who were injured in the last hilly battle of the patrol were also invited to the banquet.

Baron Galvin did not have any noble attitude at all. He frequently raised glasses with Art and others. Art drank a large glass of sweet wine and said to the host of the banquet with a slightly tipsy face: "Lord Galvin

, I found that the war situation in the south is a bit unstable during this trip south. The Lombard army has begun to take root in the central region. I am afraid that the war will not end in a short time, so you'd better take advantage of this season to seize the trade with Provence. In addition, although

There are no large groups of bandits in the southern hills for the time being, but the mountains and hills stretching for dozens of miles are excellent hiding places for bandits. If the war situation in the south continues to deteriorate, those places will sooner or later be occupied by large groups of bandits.

You have to make plans early."

Baron Galvin also had a reddish face, and his long beard was stained with wine and soup. "Art, I know everything you said, but there is nothing I can do now. Sapp still has dozens of caravan guards."

, but in the past two years, the caravan has been repeatedly robbed by bandits, and my caravan guards have suffered heavy casualties. Now many young people dare not join my caravan guard. Moreover, I just received the urgent order, and the palace began to

The army is being drafted. Last time I paid a huge shield tax to avoid the disaster. This time the palace strictly ordered all places to serve and canceled the tax-in-lieu of service. I must send the army north to gather and prepare for the battle~~"

Art was shocked: "Swabia is in danger?"

"Not yet, but the situation on the eastern border is now dangerous, and war between the two countries is a foregone conclusion. Troubled times are coming..." After Baron Galvin finished speaking, he picked up the wine glass and drank the wine in one gulp.

Art also picked up the wine glass and said silently in his heart: "Troubled times are coming~Troubled times are coming~~"

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

(I am not good at describing emotions, so you can skip this episode.)

Art, who was deep in thought, did not notice a pair of eyes quietly staring at him in the corner of the banquet hall. The name of the owner of those eyes was Lottie Huguet, the daughter of Baron Galvin, a nineteen-year-old girl.

A beautiful girl who couldn't get married.

The reason why she still couldn't get married when she was nineteen years old was not only because she had too high demands on her husband, but also because Lord Galvin had a poor reputation and unstable status among the nobility.

Although Baron Galvin was a nobleman, because he was never willing to send troops to fight for his lord, and was obsessed with gold and silver, his reputation in the aristocratic circle was always bad. The Hugues family behind Baron Galvin was also ruled by the count.

Due to years of suppression by the Marquis of Ivrea, Sapp would have changed his lord long ago if he had not made friends with his family. Therefore, no nobleman was willing to form a political marriage alliance with this nobleman who was suppressed everywhere. And those who were willing to form a political alliance with Gao

There are only two types of people who establish an in-law relationship with Baron Galvin - those who are greedy for Galvin's family wealth or those who are also suppressed.

The fate is wonderful...

The Baroness's personal maid came over from the banquet hall, gently patted Lottie on the shoulder, and said: "Miss, Madam asked you to go over and dine with her."

Lottie was so happy that she hurriedly lifted up her skirt and walked to the main table. The maid quickly followed and lifted up the skirt for Lottie.

Seeing Lottie walking over, Baron Galvin stood up, took his daughter and introduced Art: "Art, let me introduce you. This is my precious daughter, called Lottie."

"Lotti, this is Mr. Art, the palace patrol officer for the southern border."

Lottie gently held up the hem of her skirt and curtsied to Art.

"Mr. Art, thank you for defeating the devil in the hills for my father. You are really a warrior." Lottie couldn't help but glance at Art.

Art had seen this girl before. In an era when people generally got married at the age of fourteen or fifteen, it was rare for a noble girl to be unmarried at the age of nineteen.

Art held his right chest with his left hand, raised his right hand slightly, bowed forward and nodded, "It is the greatest honor in my life to be praised like Miss Lottie."

"Lottie, you should go have dinner with your mother." Father Galvin reminded Lottie softly.

…………

On the second day, when the sun was high in the sky, Art had just woken up from the guest room of Baron Galvin's mansion.

At last night's banquet, Baron Galvin and his knights frequently clinked glasses with Art, and Art kept bringing Baskazak under him to return the favor to the host of the banquet. He was already very drunk after going back and forth...

..

A servant was already outside the door with a basin of water to wait for Art to wash up.

Art pushed open the door and was startled by the servant standing at the door. He didn't understand why Baron Galvin was so polite to him. Even if he eliminated the hill bandits and opened up the trade route for Baron Galvin, then

I'm also paid a high salary, so there's no need to be so courteous~~

Art took the wooden basin from the servant and said, "You can go back and thank your master for your enthusiasm for me."

The servant bowed deeply and said politely to Art: "Master Art, my master asked me to wait for you to wash up, and then invite you to attend your family banquet."

Art was completely confused. His friendship with Baron Galvin was not worthy of Galvin's family dinner.

"Does your master have any distinguished guests to receive?" Art thought that he might just be inviting him by the way.

The servant shook his head, "Apart from the master, wife and young lady, you are the only one who is participating."

With his mind full of doubts, Art returned to his room to wash up, and then asked his servant to go to the patrol camp to fetch him a slightly cleaner uniform to change into.

Following the servant through the high porch and through the tidy courtyard to the inner chamber of Lord Galvin's mansion, Art marveled at the wealth of the "merchant aristocrat" Baron Galvin, while thinking about the fact that he held a family dinner alone to invite a commoner.

the goal of.

"Lord Art, please come in."

The servant pushed open the wooden door of the inner hall, and the Galvin family were already sitting around the long wooden table in the hall. On the wooden table were some honey-smeared bread, almond milk carrots, pea puree, raisin salad, and onions.

Cheese pie, a glass of ale and silverware in front of each person.

With a confused look on his face, Art entered the door under the guidance of the servant. The Galvin family stood up and signaled to Art, who quickly bowed slightly in return.

After sitting down, the Baroness said to Art with a kind face: "Mr. Art, you drank too much last night. In order to sober you up, we specially held a family dinner for you. The table was full of people.

Light food."

Art nodded politely to the Baroness: "Dear Madam, thank you for your meticulous care."

The Baroness smiled knowingly and turned to Baron Galvin beside her and nodded.

Baron Galvin said softly: "Art, we can have dinner."

Art took a sip of light beer and felt strange in his heart, especially because Mrs. Galvin always looked at him from time to time.

Art never expected that the baron would invite him to discuss marriage.

"Art, I asked your soldiers and I heard that you are not married yet, is that right?" Baron Galvin has a relatively straightforward personality, and he proposed the purpose of the banquet without waiting for three rounds of drinks.

Art was a little at a loss and replied: "Yes, I haven't married yet."

After hearing this, the Baroness beamed with joy and said, "I heard that you are already twenty-two years old, so it's time for you to have a virtuous wife."

Lottie listened to her parents' words, and even though she was usually outgoing, she lowered her head slightly.

Baron Galvin drank a large glass of wine, hesitated for a long time, and sighed: "To be honest, I never thought that one day I would marry my daughter to a commoner, but I believe you are not ordinary.

Civilians, maybe Lottie’s choice is the right one..."
Chapter completed!