Viscount Comas was a tall and skinny man. When Lollister saw him, he found him commanding his soldiers to set up tents outside the city.
Lollister suddenly understood why Viscount Comas had failed twice in his expeditions against the mountain bandits.
After receiving urgent news from the garrison of Fonyata Town that the mountain bandits had blocked the gates and threatened to massacre the town, Viscount Comas was duty-bound to rush to the rescue. That was why he had brought a large group of people with him. However, this large group of people looked a little pitiful. Many of them were dressed in tattered clothes that did not cover their bodies. They looked weak. They did not even have good weapons, let alone armor and shields. They were either holding farming tools or long wooden sticks. It was not easy to see a few people holding shields, but upon closer inspection, they realized that they were not shields, but pot lids.
Th-these were the reinforcements that Viscount Comas had brought? Lollister was stunned. To put it bluntly, it would be easier to believe that they were a large group of refugees. Fortunately, the mountain bandits had already been dealt with by Lollister's group. Otherwise, Viscount Comas' third defeat would have been unavoidable.
Viscount Comus was very cordial. This was evident from the way he held onto Laurist's hand tightly the moment he saw him. Laurist tried to free his right hand from Viscount Comus' claws several times, but he still couldn't free his right hand from Viscount Comus' claws.
Viscount Comas had been praising Lollister non-stop for more than half an hour. In his words, Lollister was simply the incarnation of the God of War, the model of a brave and fearless knight, and an angel that descended to save the world …
Lollister was surprised to find that Viscount Comas had not repeated his praises for more than half an hour. It would be a waste of his talent if he did not become a bard.
Viscount Comas was finally tired. Perhaps he realized that he had run out of new words of praise, so he picked up the tea that the garrison captain had brought over to moisten his throat. Lollister finally pulled his right hand back and wiped his face that was covered in the viscount's saliva.
Lollister was afraid that the viscount would give another passionate speech. If that happened, he would have to listen attentively. Therefore, he directly asked the viscount how much the bounty for eliminating the mountain bandits and killing the Mountain Wolf and other bandit leaders was.
Viscount Comus looked at Laurist with a look of deep love, as if he was very surprised that Laurist would ask such a vulgar question. This was not in line with the Viscount's praise of Laurist, who was the incarnation of the God of War, the model of a brave and fearless knight, and the angel who came to save the world. That look of pity made Laurist feel very ashamed …
"Ahem …" After a few dry coughs, Comus sincerely apologized to Laurist in an extremely apologetic tone. He had signed a non-aggression pact with the mountain bandits for the sake of Feng Yata Town's safety. In order to win the trust of the mountain bandits, he had no choice but to cancel the bounty on the Coiled Mountain Wolf and the other mountain bandits. Therefore, although it was a good thing that Lorist and the others had eliminated the mountain bandits, there was no bounty to be claimed …
You think I'm doing free work for you by wiping out the bandits? Lollister looked at the awkwardly standing guard captain, and then at the viscount who was smiling warmly. He had a sudden realization. It turned out that Viscount Comus was only saying nice things, but in reality, not only was he reaping the fruits of others' labor, he was also a stingy person. From the miserable expressions of the peasant soldiers he had brought, it was clear that life under this stingy lord's rule was not an easy one.
However, Viscount Comus had already learned of Laurist's situation from the guard captain. He knew that Laurist was rushing back to the north to inherit his title and family territory. Thus, he once again expressed his admiration for the famous Furious Bear Clan in the north, and apologized for Laurist being delayed by the mountain bandits in his own territory. Based on the principle of helping each other in times of need, Viscount Comus was willing to accept the mountain bandits' captives for free, so that Laurist would no longer have to worry about how to deal with the captured mountain bandits. This was to avoid delaying the most important matter of returning to the north to inherit his title and family territory.
Furthermore, the weather was getting hotter, and the skulls of the Mountain Coiling Wolf and the other bandit leaders would soon rot and stink, easily polluting the surrounding environment and causing a plague. Viscount Comus was willing to help Laurist get rid of the skulls, so that it would not affect the normal lives of the residents of Vonyata Town. As he spoke, Viscount Comus tightened the bearskin coat he was wearing. A gust of cold wind had swept past, and the viscount had shivered, feeling a little cold.
Haha, this Viscount Comus is too shameless. He actually set his sights on the mountain bandits Laurist had captured, and even wanted the skulls of the Mountain Coiling Wolf and the bandit leaders for free. A smile hung on Laurist's face, but the look in his eyes grew colder.
He first thanked Viscount Comus for his good intentions, expressing his heartfelt admiration and admiration for the viscount's kindness and his willingness to help others. Then, Laurist expressed that he already had a plan to deal with his spoils of war, and that there was no need to trouble the viscount.
As for the skulls of the bandit leaders, Laurist planned to have them made into ornaments, which could be used as proof that he had wiped out the mountain bandits in Viscount Comus' territory. He wanted to let everyone know that the heads of the vicious mountain bandits that had defeated the viscount twice were now just his playthings. Firstly, he could use this to spread his name, and secondly, he could prove that the viscount had praised him as the incarnation of the God of War, the model of a brave and fearless knight, and the angel that had descended to save the world …
Laurist said that when he had wiped out the mountain bandits' Mountain Coiling Village, he had discovered an iron mine that had been mined by the mountain bandits. As a spoil of war, it would also belong to Laurist. Laurist planned to let the bandit captives mine, and also build a castle on the original site of the mountain bandits. After he returned and inherited his title, he would return here to oversee the castle. After all, this place was much better than the desolate territory of his family. Moreover, since he had wiped out the mountain bandits, he could naturally send people to collect tolls on the mountain road, as a reward for the merchants that came and went without being harmed by the bandits.
Laurist said that he really liked the scenery of Feng Yata Town, especially after seeing the reinforcements that the viscount had brought. Compared to his own family's armed forces, Laurist pointed at the team of guards that were training not far away. He was very optimistic about his future here, and he might even be able to give the Norton Family another piece of territory …
Viscount Comus was still full of smiles, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile. He looked at the team of guards that Laurist pointed at, and then at his own subordinates, and couldn't help but swallow his saliva. He realized that he had made the wrong decision. He had originally taken advantage of Laurist's young age, and that he was in a hurry to inherit his family's territory and title. As long as he complimented Laurist a little, he would naturally be able to make this young noble burst with joy, give up the benefits that he already had, and listen to his arrangements. That way, Laurist would receive his praise, and Comus would receive benefits. It could be said that everyone was happy.
However, he didn't expect that Laurist wasn't like those young nobles who had just started out, who would be so happy after a few words of flattery that they would be willing to give up the benefits in order to gain a good reputation. On the contrary, Laurist had taken advantage of him. Thinking about what Laurist had said about turning the bandit leader's head into an ornament, if he really did that, he would become a big joke if his reputation spread. As a lord, he had failed in two expeditions against the mountain bandits, and the mountain bandits had been wiped out by Laurist and a few others. If people found out about this, wouldn't he become a synonym for incompetence, cowardice, and cowardice?
There was also the iron mine that Laurist had mentioned. That was a mine that could bring in a lot of money. If he really let this young noble occupy the iron mine and build a castle there, who would have the final say in his territory? Viscount Comus wasn't worried about the mountain bandits, but Laurist was different. This young noble had already vaguely expressed his interest in Fonyata Town and his ambition for the viscount's territory. Together with his team of well-armed guards, it wouldn't be a problem for them to crush the territory's defenses …
He definitely couldn't let Laurist gain a foothold in his territory, no matter the cost. Viscount Comus grabbed Laurist, who was about to leave, and smiled wholeheartedly as he asked Laurist to transfer the iron mine and the stronghold to him. The reason was that the viscount's territory lacked iron resources, which was why the people's lives were so poor. With this iron mine, he could improve the people's livelihood in the territory, and improve the defenses of the territory. There would definitely be no more incidents of mountain bandits harassing the territory. He hoped that Laurist would uphold justice and extend a helping hand to the viscount's territory …
Laurist coldly interrupted Viscount Comus' chatter, "Lord Viscount, do you mean to redeem it?"
Redeeming was an unwritten tradition among the nobles of a territory. For example, if a lord's territory was invaded and bandits occupied the lord's territory, the lord would be powerless to resist, but he could ask other lords for help. If other lords repelled the bandits and took back their territory, the lord who was invaded would have to pay a certain price to reclaim his territory from the other lord. Everything from the mines to the houses and trees were within the scope of redeeming.
Viscount Comus's mouth twitched, but he couldn't find a reason to refute, so he could only helplessly admit that it was a redeeming. Since it was a redeeming, there were naturally rules. Thus, Laurist summoned Sederkamp, and Viscount Comus called his housekeeper. Based on the daily output of the iron mine and the estimated total reserves, as well as the size of the Panshan stronghold, they conducted a nitpicking calculation. After a series of arguments, they finally came up with a value that both sides reluctantly agreed on.
Viscount Comus began to complain again. He said that because his territory was poor, he couldn't bring out so much money. However, he could use resources to make up for it.
What resources do we need? Laurist looked at Sederkamp, who blurted out, "Carriages and pack horses, mounts, rations, and cloth."
Thus, Laurist began to argue with Viscount Comus again. In the end, they came to an agreement. Viscount Comus would provide 350 pack horses and mounts, 50 four-wheeled carriages, seven carriages of rations, and three carriages of cloth in exchange for ownership of the iron mine and the stronghold from Laurist. On the other hand, Laurist would hand over the captured bandits and the heads of the bandit leaders to Viscount Comus as an additional part of the redeeming deal.
Viscount Comus readily agreed that everything would be prepared by noon the next day, and Laurist would hand over the bandit captives and bandit leaders' heads at that time.
In front of Laurist and Sederkamp, Viscount Comus ordered the captain of the garrison to immediately gather carriages and pack horses in Funyata Town, as well as rations and cloth. He said that Funyata Town was the distribution center for mountain goods within a hundred miles, so it was more than enough to prepare these items. The shops and merchants mostly had carriages and pack horses.
The captain of the garrison stammered as he asked the viscount how he was going to pay for these items. The viscount glared at him. Pay for what? Just write an IOU and tell them to use it to pay for the taxes in the future.
Laurist was filled with admiration. This was a perfect example of getting something for nothing. Determined to learn from the viscount, he bowed and bade farewell before returning to the barracks to summon Ovikis and Padt. He ordered them to pick a hundred or so well-behaved young men with good families from the captured bandits to join the caravan as coachmen. The rest of the bandits who were difficult to discipline would be handed over to the viscount tomorrow. Also, Laurist ordered them to pick out the beautiful wives of the slain bandit leaders and the young women from the families of the bandits. They could marry their subordinates in the future, so that they wouldn't find that there were more men than women when they obtained the family territory, resulting in an imbalance of yin and yang.
Although they didn't understand what Laurist meant by an imbalance of yin and yang, Padt and Ovikis still excitedly carried out Laurist's orders.
… …
That night, Red Wine and Tired Bird Inn.
Sadekamp was reporting to Laurist, "We seized thirteen four-wheeled carriages from the Panshan Village. I bought eleven from the town. Together with the carriage we brought, the fifty that will be delivered tomorrow, and Miss Tresti's two, we have a total of seventy-six carriages …"
"We originally had twelve Zino horses. I bought fifty-three from the town, and we got forty-eight from eliminating the bandits. Together with the three hundred and fifty that will be handed over tomorrow by the local lord, the viscount, we have a total of four hundred and sixty-three horses. It's enough to ensure that four horses per carriage, and the guards can each have a horse. There are also dozens of pack horses to ensure the rotation of the caravan …"
"Today, Padt and Ovikis chose a hundred and eleven young men from the bandits to be the coachmen of the caravan. Among them, there are twenty-three with family members and thirty-nine young women. The guards have a hundred and twenty people, and forty-six of them have family members. In total, there are two hundred and seventy-four people. Master Sid's family has fourteen people, so they will need thirty four-wheeled carriages … "
"We seized a lot of resources from the Panshan Village. In terms of money, there are twelve thousand seven hundred and forty-two gold coins, thirty-four thousand two hundred and sixty-one gold coins, more than seventy thousand silver coins, about one hundred and eighty thousand copper coins, two chests of large and small silver coins issued by the Ford Trade Union, and three chests of copper coins. In addition, there are two chests of jewellery and accessories. We will need five carriages to transport all of these …"
"In the Panshan Village, we also seized three carriages of silk, six carriages of fine linen, and eleven carriages of rations. There are eight carriages of miscellaneous goods, four of which are specially made for Master Sid's chainmail and mail armor. In addition, there are five carriages of iron ingots, and three carriages of weapons and equipment. If we include the ten carriages that Lord Viscount will send tomorrow, we will need eighty-one carriages to transport everything. Moreover, we only have seventy-three carriages that can transport people and supplies … "
"My Lord, I plan to go to town tomorrow to see if I can buy a few more carriages. I will also ask the shops if they can exchange the one hundred and eighty thousand imperial copper coins for silver or gold coins. That way, we can save two carriages. If that doesn't work, we can squeeze the people transporting the family members a little more, and leave two carriages empty. Then, we can pack some of the supplies and let the extra pack horses carry them. That way, it won't affect our journey. "
Leurist shook his head. This Sedekamp really valued supplies more than his life. In fact, he could have just sold some of the excess supplies to solve the problem of the lack of carriages, but he insisted on bringing all of them back. He really had nothing better to do.
"Have you asked about Miss Tracey's situation?" Leurist asked.
"More or less. Miss Tracey came to Fonyata three months ago. Her group consisted of three people, two coachmen, two carriages, and four pack horses. I heard that they followed a merchant caravan to the border of the Madras Principality, but were separated due to different directions. After staying there for more than a month, they couldn't find a convoy heading north, so they prepared to return to the imperial capital. However, they were forced to stop at Fonyata due to bandits. The two coachmen found other jobs and left. They rented a run-down loft in town and made a living by selling the pack horses. Occasionally, they would copy books and sell them. Now, they only have one of the four pack horses left, and one of their carriages is filled with books. "Sedekamp said.
Leurist nodded, "Prepare the horses and coachmen for them tomorrow. Also, tell them to pack up and prepare to leave. We have been delayed here for two days, so we have to leave the day after tomorrow no matter what. After the handover tomorrow, do a full inspection and get ready to leave. We will leave in the afternoon the day after tomorrow at the latest. "
"Yes, my Lord." Sedekamp turned to leave.
"Wait. Right, tell the innkeeper to prepare meals for three more people over the next two days and send them to Miss Tracey." Leurist said.
"Yes, my Lord. I will do it immediately."
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