18th of April, Hollier City.
As the temperature gradually warmed up, the activities of the citizens in the city increased. On the 8th, 18th, and 28th of every month, a market of a certain scale would be organized in the city square. This was the largest trading center in all of Efta.
Every time this happened, the farmers living in the villages near Hollier would bring their surplus food or local produce to sell. The nobles would also buy the luxury goods brought from other cities by the merchant caravans. Compared to the "shopping centers" of modern society, such a market was a mix of good and bad goods, dirty and messy, and could be called a "hodgepodge". But to the people of this era, this was one of the few opportunities to trade and profit.
Not only the commoners, but the nobles who lacked entertainment also looked forward to this day. Noblewomen would choose jewelry or gold and silver utensils transported from the southern part of the kingdom, knights would grit their teeth and buy weapons forged by famous blacksmiths … This was a scene that would appear every time in the market.
But on the 18th of April, when the market began, the appearance of a shop quickly attracted the attention of most people. A merchant company from the "Parr Territory" was openly selling all kinds of goods produced by the "Wood Elves"!
Some time ago, the people had heard that some nobles had bought the 'Wood Elf Fruit Wine'. However, such a high-end consumer product was beyond the reach of the commoners. But now, after seeing the goods being sold by the merchant, the commoners who still had some copper coins in their pockets immediately crowded around. They thought that they couldn't afford it, but they suddenly realized that the goods sold by the merchant were not as expensive as they had imagined.
So after a short moment of hesitation, they quickly rushed to buy the practical and beautiful fruits, grains, and wooden tools …
Not long after, the nobles' stewards and the people in charge of the various guilds heard the news and rushed over. They did not believe that there would be any Wood Elf goods in the market, but after seeing the unique herbs and Magic crystal of the Silent Forest, they did not hesitate to buy as much as they could. In less than two hours, the total sales of the merchant company exceeded the total sales of all the other merchants in the market!
After some of the "local specialties" were sold out, the merchant company took out a dozen bottles of fruit wine marked with a sky-high price tag, but they were also sold out within ten minutes …
Before noon, they had sold all their goods, and the money they had earned was almost equal to the total taxes of the four villages.
Such a hot scene naturally alarmed the other nobles. Ordinary people saw the gold coins earned by this trading company, but the nobles saw the amazing potential behind this trading company … They immediately sent people to investigate, but found that the ultimate backer of this trading company was actually the Lucifron Family.
Therefore, most of the nobles kept their mouths shut, while those with ulterior motives chose to watch quietly.
In the afternoon, Steward John reported the situation to the Dukes Of Angmar, who was resting with his eyes closed. But the old man did not show much joy. He only asked in a low voice, "Are there any results regarding Paar and the Silent Forest?"
"Knight Wellington has already investigated some clues. Currently, in the letter, it is speculated that it may be related to Viscount Juan …"
"Juan?"
Angmar was a little surprised by this name. He thought for a moment, but realized that he had not heard of this name for a long time. Viscount Juan's presence in the Eiffta territory was almost non-existent. So many years had passed that Angmar had even forgotten that there was such a viscount in the territory.
"At present, it is only a guess. Knight Wellington is pursuing the group of bandits, but they are obviously protected by someone, or perhaps … they are the subordinates of some nobles, so it is very difficult to trace them."
"Got it."
Old Duke sighed tiredly. The alliance of these nobles made him a little anxious. Not to mention the tax problem, some of them had already begun to brazenly prepare to go against him …
They clearly knew that he was facing a financial crisis. Not only did they not help, but they also took the opportunity to hit him when he was down. They even proposed all kinds of harsh conditions. In Angmar's opinion, exchanging territory for money was like drinking poison to quench thirst. It was impossible for him to agree.
In order to raise funds to support the increasing military expenditure, Angmar had no other choice but to let the merchant company, which was planned to be opened in May, appear in front of everyone's eyes in advance.
"I hope this will be of some use …"
Angmar sighed and reached out to pick up the letter that Viceroy Rubens had just sent yesterday. This was probably the most surprising piece of news he had received in the past few days. His daughter, Sally, had given up her advanced studies and joined the team to exterminate the heretics. She had grown rapidly in two months and had become one of the talents that the "Holy Cathedral" paid the most attention to!
However, looking at Rubens's overflowing praise for Sally, Angmar did not feel too proud in his heart. As a father, his only hope was for his daughter to be safe and happy. However, it was unknown whether Roddy was dead or alive, and his daughter was in danger at the frontline. Angmar, who was guarding here alone, felt a sense of loneliness, like an old man with no one to rely on.
After Butler John left, the Dukes Of Angmar closed his eyes and thought about everything he had experienced in the past six months after he "woke up". His heart became more and more uneasy … The threat of the Orcs that Roddy mentioned had been verified, and the undead were obviously ready to make a move. However, what worried him the most was the internal problems of the Kingdom.
"What else do they have in their eyes other than gold coins and territories?"
He would only complain about the nobles when he was alone, but he did not expect Butler John to suddenly return to the study. Surprised, Duke looked at him and saw John handing him a bright red envelope. John's voice was filled with undisguised excitement, "Master … It's news from Sora's Outpost. It's signed by Roddy!"
Holding the unopened letter, the originally dispirited Duke slowly exhaled. The gloominess that had always shrouded his brows was almost swept away. It was at this moment that he truly realized a fact: Unknowingly, Roddy had become the only help that could save Efta in his eyes …
Or rather, the main force.
*****
19th April.
South of Efta, Taromir City.
Taromir was a hundred and seventy miles away from Hollier City. Logically speaking, the development of the city should not be too bad. But in fact, because Taromir was surrounded by two large forests, the scale and economic level of the city were far behind Hollier City. It was even worse than some large cities.
The streets and alleys here were filled with a desolate scene. Even the busiest street didn't have many people. The Mercenary Union and the Blacksmith Shop were deserted. The Pharmacist Guild didn't even develop their base here because, in their opinion, this place had no value.
Due to geographical reasons, this city and the nearby territories were isolated. Whether it was commerce or production, they were a notch lower than other places. This not only resulted in lower taxes, but also caused the lord of this city to remain unknown in Efta.
And this lord of the viscount, who was always neglected, was Juan.
The viscount's mansion was not as luxurious as the other nobles'. It could even be said to be 'plain'. Apart from a few oil paintings, there were no other extravagant decorations in the house. The carpet was old, and even the tables and chairs had obvious signs of wear and tear. This was not because they had not been maintained well, but because they had existed for too long.
At this moment, Viscount Juan, who had an aquiline nose, was leaning on a black cane as he listened to the reports of his men in black robes behind him.
"Master, the attack on Paar Territory has been completed. Wellington is investigating this matter, but we did not leave any evidence."
"The team that followed the Forest of Silent Words has confirmed the route of the caravan. The search for Captain Kevin also did not find any clues."
"Master … this is a letter from Bishop Frack."
Viscount Juan only thought for a moment before replying without hesitation, "Stop the attack on Paar Territory for now. Wellington is not someone to be trifled with."
"Prepare to gather the troops in the Forest of Silent Words. Put Kevin's matter aside for now."
He raised his hand to receive the letter and narrowed his eyes. A trace of hostility flashed across his face. After shifting his gaze slightly, he said in a calm voice, "Since Bishop Frack thinks that I am not capable enough, then let him do it himself."
"Yes, Master!"
The few men in black robes received the order and left. In the empty study room, Viscount Juan clenched his fists and cursed in his heart, "Greedy fools …"
It was hard for ordinary people to imagine that among the many nobles in the Eiferta territory, this viscount who had almost no sense of existence was actually a staunch supporter of the "Viper Cross" among the Cullen nobles.
There were many nobles who harbored ill intentions towards Angmar because they could extract a lot of benefits from this Duke. However, they did not know that since spring, all the incidents that happened against Angmar were all instigated by Viscount Juan!
As a lord whose income was much tighter than that of Duke, he, like all the other nobles, sincerely hoped that Angmar would die as soon as possible so that he could take advantage of the situation and get a share of the loot. However, he could have waited longer before taking action, but because of the mission from the "Viper Cross" Cardinal Goethe, he had no choice but to start this series of arrangements and plans in advance.
Goethe needed him to investigate the reason why "Executioner" Kevin died in the Forest of Silent Words. He also sent a bishop from the "Viper Cross" to assist him. Of course, the so-called "assistance" was "surveillance", and Viscount Juan did not have much of an opinion on this.
However, that Bishop Frack was obviously obstinate and self-opinionated. He did not care about the fact that he was in dire need of resources. He was completely bossy and bossy. This made Viscount Juan resentful, but he did not express it due to his status.
However, the letter just now completely made him lose his cool. This bishop actually left without saying goodbye and said that he was going to personally lead a team to the Forest of Silent Words to search for clues!
"Alright, let's go. You can help me restrain Wellington and Titus."
Juan had no interest in cooperating with this bishop. After thinking for a while, he wrote a beautifully worded letter and sent it to Goethe. At the same time, he ordered his subordinates to "seize the opportunity to take down the Wood Elf Village".
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