The weather was slightly brighter in the morning, but the air was still chilly from the previous night. When the horses and men breathed, their mouths and noses were covered in a layer of frost. At this time of the year, one could already feel the presence of winter in Tónigel.
The group of men and horses passed through a valley between two mountains. The forest around them was a cold black, as if it was an ink painting. Further away, the mountains behind the clouds were verdant.
There were more than thirty people in the group, all of them fully armored and armed. They were all soldiers who had been released from their jobs, but they were not Erouine's professional soldiers. They were mercenaries. In Tónigel, professional soldiers could only be seen near the Palas region. Graudin's most elite Knight were gathered at the Grahar Mountain Pass, which extended to the north.
After passing through the valley, the small group of men and horses entered a small clearing surrounded by forests. There was another group of men there, and they were currently escorting a few young men who were sitting on the ground with their heads hung low.
When the young men heard the noise, they raised their heads and saw the stern face of the middle-aged noble leading the group. Most of their faces were filled with fear and trepidation. Only the young man in the middle of the group remained calm, though he was a little annoyed.
The middle-aged noble was riding on his favorite horse, Black Fox. It was tall and had a black mane as smooth as silk. It was one of the purest horses from the north. When he was young, this horse had accompanied him through life and death. Even though it was no longer as brave as it used to be, Lord Macsen still had a deep affection for it.
He lowered his head and looked at the young men without saying a word.
This man was Lord Macsen, and these men were his men. Lord Macsen had received news of the rebellion in Baron Abies' territory a few days ago, but he did not immediately take action. In Erouine, if a retainer led an army into the lord's territory without the lord's orders, it was considered a rebellion. Lord Macsen only ordered his Knight to set out after confirming that the news was reliable.
The Menta region bordered the barony of Firburh, and the army left in the morning and arrived in the evening. He gathered his men overnight, and by the next morning, they had already left the hilly region of Menta and entered the flat valley along the Gus River. Gilles Ferry was right in front of them. Earlier, the scouts had reported that the ferry was not occupied by the rioters. Many people in the town did not even know what had happened in Abies. On the other hand, the cavalry had already gone ten miles into the coastal area, but they still didn't find any traces of the rioters.
Lord Macsen wasn't too surprised. From the information he'd received, the ones involved in the riot in Abies were just a few mercenaries. These people were lawless to begin with, and could do anything. These fellows, who were no different from bandits in his eyes, had most likely dispersed after a round of looting.
As for further control of the ferry, they wouldn't do it unless they wanted to take over Abies' territory. Lord Macsen felt that he was overthinking things. The rioters were just a bunch of mercenaries who were obsessed with money. They wouldn't wait to be exterminated.
He was originally worried that Madara was behind this since the undead army was still entrenched in the south. But now, the situation was clear.
This was just a riot.
This was a relief to Ser Menta.
However, his good mood didn't last long. A piece of news that annoyed him reached his ears through the mouths of his trusted aides. This was also the reason why he had brought more than thirty men with him to this forest.
The young man in the middle of the crowd, clad in a light brown coat, with a sword at his hip, and sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking at him, resembling the Knight himself, was one of his youngest sons.
This youngest son was his favorite out of his three sons. He was quick-witted and showed signs of talent from a young age. Lord Macsen had invested a lot of effort into him, but the latter didn't appreciate it. In his early years, he idled around and didn't want to do anything serious. Later on, he was sent to Brother Maholu's territory to train in the hope that he would restrain his personality. But not only did his wish not come true, he even had some strange ideas after gaining some experience outside.
The trusted aide had told him the whole story. When the rioters caught up to them, the young master planned to run away with his servants and attendants. Lord Macsen didn't know the exact reason, but when he saw the young men on the ground, he couldn't help but feel angry.
"Speak," he asked from his horse, looking down at the young man, "What's the situation?"
The young man sitting on the ground didn't seem to care about his prestige and raised his chin, "It's too boring, Father."
"Hmph," Lord Macsen said in a low voice, "Didn't you want to experience war? I'll let you experience it once. But what's the situation now? You better explain it to me. "
"War? It's just a bunch of rioters. What kind of war is this? "The young man smiled and said with disdain. But then he raised his head and said seriously, "Father, did you know? It's rumored that Princess Gryphine has returned to her territory and is gathering her Knight. "
Lord Macsen was stunned. Even though he was a noble, his status was pitifully small. He had heard of the rumors in the north, but that was a banquet for important people. It had nothing to do with someone like him who couldn't even be considered a chess piece.
"What does that have to do with you?" He asked.
"Of course it does," the young man said excitedly, "The next battle will decide the fate of this country. I've already decided to throw myself into this magnificent history and follow Her Highness."
Lord Macsen didn't expect his son to have such thoughts. He paused for a moment before saying, "You're dreaming. You've never left your home before, so how do you know where Her Highness is? What's the situation outside? "
"I have my ways," the young man said confidently.
Lord Macsen was helpless. He knew that the young man was smart since he was young, and he might be able to find a way. But he shook his head and said, "I don't care if you have a way or not, but you better think of a way to convince me first."
"Father," the young man quickly stood up and said, "You can't keep me here either. Why don't you let me go out and make a name for myself? Staying in Tónigel and guarding the family's property for the rest of my life is the responsibility of your generation. As for me, a true Knight should be able to make contributions in war."
"War? Have you ever seen a war?" Lord Macsen couldn't help but mock. When he was young, he was also a Knight who followed Graudin. Even though he hadn't personally fought in a war for many years, he still retained his vigilance even after many years. He didn't care about the war that the young man kept talking about as if it had a romantic tint to it.
But he suddenly stopped talking. When he was training with Brother Maholu, his youngest son had followed Lord Palas to learn the art of war. Lord Palas wasn't famous in Erouine, but he could be considered a first-rate veteran in Tónigel.
Lord Palas commanded Graudin's most elite Knights in the fortress at the northern edge of Mount Garahar. On one hand, they had to guard against attacks from other nobles, and on the other, they had to fight against the natives of the southern border of Tónigel. Compared to the professional bandits, the bandits in Tónigel were as docile as lambs. That was why Lord Palas was the first person who appeared in everyone's mind.
Lord Macsen remembered that his son had also participated in the war between the natives and the natives. His son's experience in battle wasn't much less than his own.
He shook his head and said, "Alright, I'll give you a chance to convince me."
"What chance?" The young man's interest was piqued.
"Be my assistant and let me see your performance. If you can do this job well, I'll naturally let you go. " Lord Macsen obviously didn't have such intentions. It was just a stalling tactic. He didn't have time to tangle with the young man now, and he would have time to slowly deal with him after this war.
Since this young man likes to fight, I'll just throw him into the hands of that fellow. Lord Macsen naturally thought of Lord Palas. Even though it was rumored that Graudin's two most capable Knights didn't have a good relationship with each other, Lord Macsen actually had a good personal relationship with them.
However, the young man understood his father's thoughts. He rolled his blue eyes and smiled, "Father, they're just a bunch of rioters. Don't you think you're making a mountain out of a molehill by doing this?"
"Hmph, didn't you learn the art of war from Jormat for a long time?" Lord Macsen suddenly realized that this was a good idea. He wanted to find something to let the young man waste his excess energy. He thought of a piece of unreliable news he received recently and decided to add fuel to the fire. "I heard that there's a young leader among the rioters. He's about the same age as you, but he's already a general of an army. On the other hand, you're always bragging about yourself, but you don't seem to have any amazing achievements. Now that I'm giving you this chance, don't you want to give it a try?"
Lord Macsen received news that there was indeed a young leader among the rioters, but he didn't know how old he was or what kind of abilities he had. He didn't care who was the leader of the rioters. After all, they were just a bunch of rioters. He only said that to stall for time.
"Goading him won't work on a knight, father," the young man said, but the look of interest on his face betrayed him. "But alright." In the end, he nodded. "I agree. I'll go and see who this person is."
Lord Macsen's face was expressionless, but he was laughing in his heart. [The older, the wiser. No matter how smart you are, you'll still be played by me in the end.] In the end, he sighed. [Young man, you're too impulsive.]
… …
(Author's Note: Sigh, all my stats, including my collection, are dropping every day. I feel like I've been dealt a blow.
To be continued, if you want to know more, please go to www.qidian.com, support the author, support the legal reading!) To be continued, if you want to know more, please go to www.qidian.com, support the author, support the legal reading!) To be continued, if you want to know more, please go to www.qidian.com, support the author, support the legal reading!)
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