"Who is it?" Julius frowned and looked at his father with an inquiring gaze.
"Let's go and have a look," François glanced at the door and said, "If it's a girl, give her a few silver coins and ask her to leave."
Julius nodded to show that he understood. He held the hilt of his long sword, walked slowly to the door, and then slowly opened it.
Sure enough, the person who appeared at the door was an ordinary girl. She had blonde hair, and her face was red from the cold. She was dressed in simple linen clothes. When she saw Julius open the door, the girl noticed that there was no badge of a knight of the Holy Grail on his chest. There was hesitation in her voice. "Erm … Sir Baron asked me to come …"
"Get out, go." Julius's cold poker face was expressionless. He took out a few silver coins and stuffed them into the girl's hand. "Go, don't make me say it again!"
"But!" The girl was happy to take the money, but her eyes were still looking into the room from time to time.
"Go!" Julius's voice was full of anger, and he closed the door with force.
The girl took the few silver coins and disappeared into the cold winter night.
In the room, François poured the aperitif into Mark's glass and smiled at Laing and Jerrold. "It's normal. Whenever a Grail Knight stays in a town, the local lord often feels that we will need it, so he always arranges some young virgin girls to take the initiative to serve us."
Laing picked up the aperitif, and the sour and sweet taste made him feel very comfortable. He also shook his head and said, "I've also encountered it, and I also refused."
"Well, the way of the knight is not to care about these little things. Occasionally, there will be the existence of illegitimate children of the Grail, which is a glorious thing for the serf girls. But for us Grail Knights, although it is not a stain, it is not a very glorious thing, especially for lords like Laing and me." François smiled and said, "If you don't want serfs to bring their children to you from time to time in the future, you'd better take care of yourselves. It's normal for everyone to have a few female courtiers, but legitimate illegitimate children are fundamentally different from lowly illegitimate children."
This was the Duke's advice, and everyone nodded.
Laing's heart skipped a beat. François's words were actually meant for him.
There were actually quite a few women by Laing's side. Some of them were actively accepted by Laing, such as Olica and Veronica, because Laing needed them.
Some women were actually outside of Laing's plan, such as Teresa and Morgiana.
In fact, Laing had never mentioned the Lake Goddess Witch or the sorceress in his plans and visions. These two women were not part of his plan. His original plan was to have a lady, a witch, and a maid.
But plans couldn't keep up with the changes. Teresa had already done so much for Laing. If she hadn't risked her life to protect him, Laing might have died in the siege camp by the Grismori River.
Morgiana was even simpler. If he hadn't saved her at that time, she might have died.
François saw Laing nodding. He knew that the Duke had accepted his advice, so he immediately changed the topic. "We'll go to the market tomorrow to buy some dry food and meat. It will take a few days to cross the Grey Mountains. We'll reach the town of Ubetherik on the other side of the Grey Mountains. That's the territory of the Empire."
Jerrold stroked his goatee. "Ubetherik, a trading town in the Empire, has a population of about 3,500. It's located at a small estuary downstream of the Teufel River, which originates from the Grey Mountains. This is the place ruled by Count Von Jungfreud. Not far from here is Helmgard, the main fortress of the Empire to defend against Brittany invasion. "
There were three ways to cross the Grey Mountains. The first was the Gisoleiox Road in the north. Laing had taken this road to Brittany. It was not an easy road to travel. It could be used for marching, but not for trade.
The second road was the famous Hatchet Pass, which was known as the safest mountain road in the Empire and Brittany. There were many castles built on the Hatchet Pass. Montfort Castle, the capital of the Duchy of Montfort, was also located in the middle of the Hatchet Pass. This mountain road was the most reliable trade route between the Empire and Brittany.
Because it was safe.
The Duchy of Montfort was mountainous like the Duchy of Palawon. There was little land for farming, so customs were the main source of income for the Duchy of Montfort.
The taxes were heavy. It was said that the highest tax rate was 3 out of 10. Under such heavy taxes, the Montfort Knights worked hard to ensure the safety of the Hatchet Pass. Any Merchant Convoy that was attacked only had to last for 10 to 15 minutes. The patrolling Knights would immediately lead the army to rescue them. Nine out of ten Merchant Convoys that passed through the Hatchet Pass would pass safely. This was a shocking survival rate for the Merchant Convoys in this world.
The third road was the Duchy of Palawon. It was the Grey Lady Road that started from Grennell.
The Grey Lady Road started from Grennell and ended at Ubetherik, opposite the mountain.
The taxes on this road weren't high, but there were very few Merchant Convoys that used this road because it was very dangerous. The mountain road was filled with Orc tribes and Green Skin tribes. Besides, the Vampires also had a castle in the mountain road — Eternal Longyan.
The Vampire Count, Constantine Longyan, who was stationed in the castle, had been killed by François in the battle between François and the Necromancer, Heinrich Kaimler, more than ten years ago. But there were still groups of dark creatures living in the castle. They frequently attacked and harassed travelers.
No matter which road it was, the end point was the Empire's big city, Helmgard. The Empire had a large number of troops stationed there to guard against Brittany invasion.
"I know a Moore Knight in Ubetherik. He'll arrange a place for us to stay." François used a silver knife to cut the pork. The Knights had a high demand for meat. "Or … Laing, do you have any ideas?"
"Yes, this is the customs clearance document signed by my sworn brother, the Griffin Count, Anton Ferdinand." Laing took out a piece of parchment with the Griffin Duke's seal. "This customs clearance document will allow us to pass through most of the cities and passes in the Empire's Rik territory without any obstruction."
"Very good."
The next day, François and the rest set foot on the Grey Lady Road.
The cold wind blew on the faces of the four Knights. The rugged mountain road couldn't defeat the powerful Knights. Laing's pure white cloak fluttered on the mountain road. "What a strong wind!"
Looking up, the mountain road was filled with fog. The peak of the Grey Mountain was covered with thick white snow. The mountain peak, thousands of meters high, was like a beautiful landscape painting. In the silence, only Laing and the rest were moving slowly on the mountain road.
The footprints of a few people were left on the mountain road. In the gaps of the clouds, the bright sun proudly shone its own light on the mortal world, illuminating the path of the Knights of the Holy Grail.
Laing inhaled the cold air into his lungs. The Lady's Chosen Champion didn't feel the harsh environment at all, because he had experienced it many times in his travels. François even enjoyed the test of the wilderness. Duke Winford treated every difficulty he encountered as a blessing from the Lady. He enjoyed looking at the plateau covered with granite and the huge stone walls on both sides of the mountain road. Even after living like a prince, he had never forgotten the teachings of the Lady. After breathing in the mountain air and the fragrance of the white snow, François said to his son, Julius, and cousin, Jerrold, "Now I'll let you experience it first. When you're all on the road of the Holy Grail, you'll have to experience it sooner or later."
"That's really … not easy!" Julius struggled to drag his body out of the snow. He could feel the coldness piercing into his bones. Even the thick winter coat and enchanted armor could not resist this strong burden. The armor that used to feel light now made the young marquis feel extremely heavy. Just like his father, Julius also felt that this was a test from the Lady.
I can overcome it, the young knight said to himself.
"Ah … I can understand why this mountain road is so difficult to walk on." Jerrold had turned into a snowman. He also struggled to walk on the mountain road. Unlike the light steps of Laing and François, Jerrold's footprints were very heavy. The wind blew the cold into the gaps of his armor. "But I'll persevere."
"Everyone must persevere. This is just a small test from the Lady on your path to becoming a knight." François looked at his cousin and his son and said in a low voice, "I once fell into a deep valley on the way to the Holy Grail. I survived by hunting and drinking snow water. When I climbed down the cliff after a lot of hardships, what awaited me was a group of green-skinned creatures."
"Father …" Julius's voice was a little shaken.
"I killed them all and then sang the Lady's praises. A group of Empire farmers found me injured and brought me back to the village. They gave me their black bread. That was the best meal I've ever had in my life." François's eyes turned cold. He stared at Julius and Jerrold. "Just this level of difficulty made you yield?"
"No!" Julius and Jerrold both responded loudly. The two knights tried to shake themselves out of depression and followed the footsteps of the Knight of the Holy Grail.
A few days passed just like that.
The scenery changed. The sparse mountain meadows gradually disappeared into the distance, and the scenery of thousands of hills and valleys appeared in front of them. The muddy gray snow was piled up at the highest point, covering the undulating mountain ridges. The complicated mountain roads were fragmented and gradually submerged by the high mountains and cliffs.
Laing pulled the reins of his pure-blooded elven horse, Grape. He stood at the top of the mountain road and remained silent.
"The Lady's champion, why are we stopping?" François's plate armor and overcoat were still as shiny as new. He walked to Laing's side and teased with a smile.
Julius and Jerrold staggered and barely managed to keep up. They came to Laing's side.
Laing raised his head and motioned for them to look forward. On a small flat ground not far away, there was a boundary marker.
Brittany, 936.
This was the border area of Brittany. Further ahead was the territory of the Empire.
"We've completed half of this journey." Julius nodded slightly. "Further ahead is the Empire."
"No, we've only completed a quarter of this journey at most." François looked at the mountains in the distance. He reached out and grasped the sword of the unicorn at his waist. "Did you hear that?"
"I heard you." Leon picked up his Gryphon Warhammer with a cold expression on his face.
Jerrold was about to say something when an extremely disgusting roar sounded from the snow-covered mountain peak. A few black figures were leaping on the mountain peak. They then roared and charged down.
It was the undead creatures!
Jerrold immediately remembered the battle more than ten years ago. At that time, François led the army of the Winford Duchy to the death of the great undead wizard.
"Bloodsucking Beasts!" Julius shouted loudly. He took out his weapon — a two-handed broadsword. The son of the duke lifted his cloak, revealing the family coat of arms of a pure white pegasus and the translucent plate armor under the cloak.
Dozens of blood-sucking beasts jumped down from the mountain with the force of a landslide. Their loud roars drowned out the low roars of the knights. These creatures of darkness were more than a meter tall even when they were lying on the ground. They had four strong limbs and a huge mouth. Their four fangs were terrifying in the cold wind.
"Fight! For the Lady! " Laing let go of Grape's reins. The mountain path was not suitable for charging. The Lady's Chosen Champion exploded with a powerful aura. He was like a strong bull as he charged directly at the bloodsucking beasts.
"For the Lady!"
The two forces collided, and the mountain trembled. Laing smashed the head of the leading bloodsucking beast with his hammer. The splattering of brain matter did not stop Laing. He turned around and smashed another bloodsucking beast into the air.
Julius stabbed his sword into the beast's mouth and came out from the back of its head. Jerrold's sword was as fast as lightning. A bloodsucking beast could not dodge in time and was stabbed in the heart.
At this moment, François moved.
Duke Winford's sword, the Unicorn Sword, was unsheathed. The sword emitted a dazzling light, and all the blood-sucking beasts within five meters of the duke were directly vaporized into ashes after being hit by the light.
Three.
François elegantly turned around. The Unicorn Sword accurately cut open the neck of a bloodsucking beast.
Two.
Duke Winford beheaded three blood-sucking beasts in a single move. The Duke's powerful performance made the other blood-sucking beasts wary. More blood-sucking beasts surrounded Francois.
One.
François retreated slightly, dodging the joint attack of several bloodsucking beasts. The Unicorn Sword in his hand drew a semicircle in the cold air.
A strong light flashed, and all the bloodsucking beasts within five meters of the Duke were vaporized again.
Laing opened his eyes wide. It was the first time he saw François in action.
This was the strength of his future father-in-law, the head of the "White Pegasus" family, one of the three major families in the Knight King Kingdom, the enemy of the undead, and "Long Legs" François, Duke Winford!
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