The horses' hooves and fur and iron boots tread on the snow, amidst the hazy fog and drifting snowflakes, constantly moving westward.
Two wagons carrying forage and tools creaked in the snow, and wolves passed through the forest, leaving a trail of tracks along the snowy road.
Baron Garvey exhaled a white breath, tightened his red cloak that Jean had the tailor make new, and continued to speak to the lord at his side.
"... My ores are exchanged from the western channels, and for the maiden you mentioned, there is indeed a matter..."
In this journey, Baron Garvey has gradually the original matter, all explained.
From George's own judgment, those who have been trading slaves with Garvey are several lords in the west. And Baron Garvey does not seem to have a direct connection with that lady.
Population trading, too, is indeed all too common in such times. And there can be exchanged for the opportunity of iron, Garvey naturally will not let go. As for how they will go 'life', as a party lord of Baron Garvey, do not want to care.
The baron looked at the knights around George - these people originally belonged to the lords, but now on the road, but all followed behind George ... Of course, they are now wearing the robes of the lords - including his good nephew!
But this is even weirder...
Especially the 'Uvatos Steel' talismanic swords on the waist of those knights, and the brand new divine armor on their bodies, all made his eyes red!
He had never seen such exquisite armor, the rumble strips and dense clusters and patterns on it, not master level people, simply can not get it. I'm afraid that only the real nobles can afford to enjoy it!
Only, why does it look a bit familiar...
He didn't understand why the bishop only brought out such a good thing now. But he did not want to know, nor did he want to ask.
He didn't even intend to scold his nephew in private.
Because he thought deeper - it was a good thing, as if someone from the family was serving in the royal court.
And if he himself could have the honor to be the guardian knight of the Holy Church beside him... Garvey believed that he would be willing. Because this is an extremely honorable thing!
After all, from those 'rules' and agreements, he could also see that this Lord Bishop's ambition was definitely not something to rebuild the diocese...
What's more, what the Duke showed in his letter was his absolute trust in the Bishop ...
In fact, the lords also had their own thoughts.
Ever since the patrol was established, they slowly noticed that something was wrong. However, by the time they all reacted, it was too late - the bishop had taken everything away from them and left them only a piece of cloth to cover up!
But the guys who have survived until now are all wise. Especially after seeing these knights again today, this group of lords from the very beginning of the face red, humiliated and angry, hanging their heads, gradually turned into a thoughtful - they found that they are not at all on the same level with this young man!
The one who robbed them of their people was not some real power nouveau riche, nor was it a newborn power in the midst of the end times. Rather, it was the Lord Bishop who had been entrusted by the Holy See and the Lord Duke with the important task of holding down the side!
Land, wealth, status, honor, the bishop representing the Holy See and the Duke, all able to give.
How could they, the downfallen lords, compare with him?
Gradually, someone looked at that Baron Garvey who was talking happily with the lord and suddenly realized something. Then they called on the two knights beside them and accelerated their horses' hooves to George's side.
These nobles know how to socialize extremely well, and within a few minutes, the three of them were talking freely.
Martin and other people naturally have eyesight, although from the heart are a little contempt for this group of lords, but still pull their middle Gail, slowed down the hoof, give way to the back.
So all the knights rode slowly behind George and the two lords.
Not much time passed, those lone lords, suddenly all seem to have found something, gradually all galloped to the front - so the formation began to change, as if seven lords, leading the knights, guarding the Lord Bishop.
Although a little forced to find their own shame, but this looks much more comfortable. The lords, who originally looked strange and downcast, gradually raised their heads and chests.
Indeed, compared to the bishop, they are not at the same level. But if you join his banner and become a part of him, your level will be pulled up.
To be honest, today these knights wear these battle robes with the family crest of each family, is George specially let them wear. In order to disgust this group of people.
So this has been walking in the forefront of the guy, naturally will this scene are in the eyes, also secretly nodded up: 'worthy of a group of good escape guys, all know how to be very good. Originally I was planning to pick out a chicken to kill it...'
Whether it's the Black Lake or the ranch to the north, it's not too far from here - just over a hundred miles. But this first day they still only walked a third.
This was not only because the people did not bring many horses this time, but also because the road was not too peaceful from the time they crossed the river.
Compared to before the demon slaying battle, the fog that filled the surroundings was obviously smaller. But the number of monsters is indeed not reduced more.
In a long time ago, George will find many monsters from the west to come. But until today he stepped into the place, only to see for himself how bad the situation is here.
On the way George and his party passed by many villages and estates, but the people living inside, but all have a pair of ice blue eyes. Not only are there many zombies, there are many mutant species among them.
In addition to such things as 'bulls' with huge bodies, there are also monsters with monstrous limbs that explode with corrosive plasma after death, or monsters that are sensitive like monkeys and have hands and feet like blades.
There is another kind of monster that looks thin and petite, but the wounds left by ordinary sword slashes on the body will heal up in the blink of an eye.
They tend to hide among the corpses and look inconspicuous. But when they appear, they are going to make people's hands and feet confused.
This group, however, is already very different from what it once was. Not only is the language of the talisman already standard, but even the sacred fire has more than twenty people who can use it comfortably.
So there were no casualties along the way - in fact, apart from a few unlucky lords, the knights didn't even leave any wounds on their armor.
After clearing a small farmhouse, more than a hundred people stayed in the large, dilapidated house that leaked everywhere.
After sweeping out the snow and debris, part of the knights removed the furniture and couches and plugged the holes. The other part fed the twenty horses.
Previously, because there was nothing to eat even for people, only a few territorial lords in better condition would occasionally feed those precious war horses some carrots and beans.
This makes a lot of war horses are relatively thin and weak, and many of them are somewhat overwhelmed after they change into heavy armor.
But after this year's winter harvest, the situation has changed greatly, not only those carrots and beans can be fed liberally, and many of the collected oats can also be given to these horses to eat - indeed, eat better than people.
And this time, George is specially brought a large cart - each horse carry their own almost enough for a few days, so these are used for other purposes.
After a busy period, the sky has been completely dark. A campfire with a big fire pit was raised in the fog. And those wolves who had eaten their fill outside had all come back.
Those knights sat together or on the ground and snuggled with the wolves, drinking wine to keep warm and talking at the same time. And George, with the lords, was surrounded by the fire and the knights in the very middle.
"Tomorrow we will see the forest I marked, but we can not go deeper, because it is the graveyard built by the Earl of Black Pearl, so after we cross a road, we have to detour through the mangrove swamp to be careful here, because if we have not been there, we will certainly be swallowed by the swamp..."
Gail in the light of the fire, the lords are listening very carefully, occasionally ask a few questions.
Unlike George, these older people have been involved in many wars before the coming of the Mists. The maps and routes are often well studied and understood. And from their that insight and knowledge, George also quietly learned a lot of things.
''Marching to war is really quite a lot of an easy thing.''
After the lords have asked to understand, the atmosphere also gradually relaxed.
The merchants had been to many places, and the lords had quite a lot of insight. As they climbed in the sky, everyone could tell some stories.
I don't know who started first, the topic led to the valley once the various Sirs, and the lords, including the three barons, were disappointed.
But the ones who said the most were the nobles who only had knighthoods on their heads.
"Every knight should be attached to a true hero..." "My house master is dead, I and all of you, Carroll, have been alone... If it weren't for my lord's will and the people of the fiefdom, I would have followed him..." "Although this is the case, I am ashamed to say that I do not know who I should serve again..."
Four lords who are knights, the topic gradually led deeper and deeper. Garvey and other barons looked at this group of guys who suddenly got excited today, indistinctly and quietly looked at George.
However, the 'Great Lord of Dawn' was playing with the silver fox in his hand (which Martin had found at the manor), looking at the campfire not far away and slightly lost in thought - and seemed to be concentrating very hard.
"Noble George. William. Lord Baron Austin, do you think we qualify as a knight?"
When he came back to his senses, he looked at the burning gaze of Carroll in front of him, and heard just that.
"My lord, Lord Carroll, you call yourself a true knight." George looked at this cowardly, greedy, very fond of camp shameless person, the words from his mouth sounded solemn and sincere: "You are brave, generous, honest, and have a righteous heart... After I met you, I was sure of this!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Carroll suddenly knelt down on one knee, raised his longsword with both hands and rested it on top of his head.
And the three lords around him, one by one, also fell to their knees so.
George froze for half a day and did not know why he suddenly fell to his knees, and why, in addition to this one, the other three did the same.
But listening to their three subsequent oaths, and the three barons, many knights in the room that burning eyes, but suddenly understood - he is not only a bishop, but also a baron ...
This time the knight enthronement, as if that first scene in the tavern.
And the longsword drawn from the fire, and the proclamation from his mouth, is also the same as the set once...
When those knights without a lord fell to their knees one by one, Garvey and the other three barons sipped their cups of wine and watched in silence what was happening in front of them, their lips quivered, and they wanted to say 'a baron is also a kind of knight'...
...