The goblin attack ended just like that. The mercenaries happily talked about the battle as they examined the corpses. The green-skinned creatures liked shiny things. They might be worthless glass beads or stones, but they might also be valuable gold coins or even gems.
"Ah, what an enjoyable battle. Nobody sacrificed themselves. Even the unlucky ones only suffered frostbite. We'll be able to resume our journey soon, Madam Trovic." The mercenaries were overjoyed. Wayalt found some silver coins from the goblins' corpses, which was an unexpected gain. He immediately reported to the sorceress.
"Very good. Tell Laing to come here." In Wayde's mind, even if Madam Trovic didn't know how to smile, she wouldn't get angry. But when he saw how pale her face was and how unpleasant her tone was, he retreated obediently.
This woman! Does she think we didn't put in enough effort? Or does she think the battle was too weak? Anger rose in the vice commander's heart. He suppressed his anger and found Ryan, who was enjoying the scenery.
"Can we depart now?" Laing saw Wayalt walk over and stopped talking to Astaire. "Tell Olef I'll be right there."
"No, Mister Laing, it's Madam Trovic. She wants you to go over," Wayalt said with a shrug.
"Oh, alright." Laing could only nod. "Looks like our chat will have to be delayed, Astaire."
Laing followed Wayalt to the caravan. He felt comfortable stepping on the soft yellow grass. He didn't participate in the battle, so he didn't take the initiative to share the spoils. The knight stood in place and looked at the scenery for a while. "Do you know what's going on?"
Wayalt's boots made a sound on the ground. "No, Mister Laing. I want to ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"Are spellcasters all so difficult to get along with?" The vice-leader smiled bitterly. "We, Bloodaxe, have always shown the best sincerity and attitude. We've done our best in everything. Our band has lost half of our men, but Madam Trovic doesn't seem to have noticed."
"That's because the mercenaries' point of view doesn't apply to spellcasters. The knights' rules don't apply either. I've been trying to find a way to get along with her. So far, it seems to be working well." Laing slung his warhammer over his shoulder and patted Wayalt's shoulder. "There's always a way. If there's no other way, what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve."
"That's easy for you to say, Mister Laing. I've been stuck at the mid-elite rank for two years. I'm not far from reaching 35. I hope I can break through again one day." Wayalt stopped in front of the carriage. "I won't be going over, please."
When Laing saw Teresa in the crowd, he saw her sitting on a box of goods with a pale face. When she saw Laing, she instinctively wanted to stand up, but her beautiful brows were tightly furrowed. "Laing, not good, I —"
"You're hurt?" Laing asked curiously. "A goblin can hurt you?"
"No, it's not good. Laing, my … it's coming!" The female Warlock clutched her lower abdomen, her voice full of pain. "Damn it, why now?"
"What's coming?" Laing thought for a moment and his expression changed. "It can't be?!"
"Mmm!" Teresa was obviously enduring the pain. "Maybe … it's because of the mess in my diet and magic …"
"Let me carry you!" Laing's expression was not good either. He and the sorceress were the only two high-level combatants. If one of them died, the consequences would be unimaginable.
This time, Teresa did not refuse. She obediently let the man put his hands under her armpits and under her knees and let him carry her into the carriage. She leaned against the carriage and panted. She looked very uncomfortable. "Sit with me for a while, okay?"
The carriage started, and the caravan continued to move. Laing saw this and leaned on the other side of the carriage. The man's smile disappeared. "Do you do this often?"
"Our Jialan … often … because after magic enters our bodies, it will … it will change our cycle. If we don't take care of ourselves, it will happen easily." Teresa clutched her stomach and lay down in pain. "It's okay. Usually, it'll pass after a day, but …"
"But?"
"But my pants are dirty. I can't change them myself." The sorceress looked at Laing for help. "You …"
"Forget it. I'll find a mercenary to help you." Laing stood up awkwardly and left the carriage. Teresa looked at his back, her eyes flashing. No one knew what she was thinking.
Laing walked out of the carriage and said loudly, "Is there a woman in the caravan? As long as it's a woman! "
A large group of people in the caravan was shocked. They began to whisper.
"I didn't expect the famous knight of the kingdom, Mr. Laing, to be this kind of person. In broad daylight, he wants to …"
"And he wants to do it directly in the carriage …"
"Not only in the carriage, but also in the moving carriage. Is that what he likes?"
"And as long as it's a woman. Mr. Laing has such a strong taste!"
Laing was speechless. He had to add, "There's a patient here who needs to be taken care of."
Only then did everyone stop their discussions.
About ten minutes later.
Laing brought a woman to the sorceress' carriage. "Teresa? She's the only woman in the caravan. She'll take care of you! "
A slim woman with beautiful blonde hair walked in cautiously. She was wearing a very simple mercenary outfit, brown leather armor and yellow linen clothes. What made the female Warlock a little relieved was that the female mercenary's clothes were still clean.
But when she raised her head, Teresa felt a wave of disappointment. Her face was full of pockmarks, and her small eyes and high nose made her facial features look uncoordinated. She could only be considered average.
"Who is she?" Teresa asked casually.
"She's a mercenary from the Blood Axe Mercenary Band. Her name is Emilia, and she's the only woman in the caravan. She'll take care of you for now." Laing nodded and was about to leave the carriage.
"Wait!" Teresa stopped him. "Why do I feel like I've never seen her before? Is she really a mercenary from the Blood Axe Mercenary Band? "
"It's true. She's usually in charge of cooking and doing laundry. She's also good at medical treatment. She also knows how to wield a rapier. According to Werther, her skills are passable. Anyway, you should change your clothes first. If you have any questions, we can talk later," Ryan added.
Even though he repeatedly explained, Teresa still looked at the woman with distrust and scrutiny. Her eyes swept over the woman's body, especially after sweeping past her face. In her silver pupils, the light of arcane magic flickered. Under her gaze, the woman named Emilia was very reserved and even wanted to retreat.
"Okay, she'll stay."
Laing came out of the carriage and rode to Werther's side. "Mr. Werther, that mercenary, Emilia? I don't think I've seen her before. "
"Emilia? Yes, she's a bit … not very eye-catching. Do you know how she joined our mercenary band? "Werther said.
"I'd like to hear the details."
"She joined our mercenary band about two years ago. At that time, she was picking wild vegetables in the wild. She looked very lonely. Then, a few bandits noticed her. Our mercenary band happened to pass by, and Boris saved her. We didn't intend to accept her because her swordsmanship was too weak, and … the mercenary band doesn't need this kind of woman. I think Mr. Laing understands what I mean." Werther gestured.
"Then why did you let her join?" Laing crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was interested.
"It's because she's literate and knowledgeable. She easily found the loopholes in the contract we signed with the local merchants and helped us negotiate with them. Moreover, she can cook and knows a lot of medical and bandaging skills. She can also make some simple herbs. So after she showed these talents, even though her swordsmanship isn't good, we didn't have much of an opinion on keeping her in the mercenary group." Werther told Laing the whole story of the mercenary, and then added, "It's funny when you think about it. At that time, I was the one who firmly opposed her joining the mercenary band. But now, even I have to admit that she's an indispensable member of Blood Axe."
"Interesting. But haven't you thought about her background? Why would a literate and educated woman pick wild vegetables in the wild? "Laing asked curiously.
He was not worried about Teresa's safety. The sorceress' powerful magic was not to be trifled with. She had many ways to protect herself. Laing had confirmed that the mercenary's strength was only at the ordinary level.
"Emilia said that she's the daughter of a bankrupt merchant. There are many people like that. There's nothing strange about it, right?" Werther raised his right hand with his palm facing up. "War always brings disaster. Even without the threat of those damn barbarians and monsters, the frequent wars between bandits, robbers, and lords can easily lead to the bankruptcy of merchants. The daughters of these bankrupt merchants are often sold as maids. There are also some capable girls like Emilia who escaped. It's not strange."
"That's true." Laing nodded. There was nothing strange about it.
'My vassal's vassal is not my vassal.' This rule was perfectly applicable to the feudal system of nobles in the prime material plane. Although the Empire's laws stipulated that disputes between lords could only be settled through legal means and negotiation, there were still plenty of private fights, not to mention the presence of bandits and magical creatures. It should be noted that this world was not Earth with its advanced technology. In this world, at least half of the most prosperous territories were uninhabited forests, plains, mountains, or swamps. If the lord's army was not strong enough, the peasants would have to be on tenterhooks when they went to work, because who knew if some magical creature would suddenly pop out of the forest, stream, or even the soil and take their lives?
Similarly, any trade route had its risks. The only difference was whether they would encounter Goblins, ordinary bandits, terrifying Orc gangs, or even the Green Skin army.
In the afternoon, the Merchant Band continued their journey. It was winter, and the road was completely frozen. The carriages traveled quickly. According to Oliver, if they waited until April or May, when the snow melted, the roads in Nord would become extremely muddy. It would be difficult for both carriages and humans to pass through. Then, many hibernating animals would come out to look for food. The trade route would become even more dangerous.
"So, in April and May, no merchants will choose to do business here in Nord," Oliver concluded.
"No wonder the price of grain would skyrocket every April or May. I thought it was because of the shortage of grain after the end of winter," Laing complained.
"It's the same. Human flesh is the most delicious in April or May, and the price is the highest." Oliver smiled and said, "Isn't the price of grain increasing for Humans, Orcs, and Green Skin?"
"Hahahahaha! That's right. "Laing laughed heartily.
"That, Mr. Laing, do you want to visit Madam Trovic? She doesn't seem to be in a good mood. I'm worried … "Oliver noticed that Laing was in a good mood, so he immediately suggested.
"Okay, okay, I'll go and take a look."
He had been hearing Teresa's impatient voice since the beginning.
"Oh! Stop, where are you wiping? "" Wait! Be careful, this is made of silk. Do you know how expensive it is? "" Oh my God! You fool, don't you know how to wear pants? "" Don't use such dirty water! Bring me some clean water! Clean! "
He pretended not to hear the female Warlock's angry shouts. After all, a woman on her period would easily lose control of her temper. Moreover, Teresa was born and raised in the Garland Council. She was independent and powerful. It was abnormal for her to not have a temper. He didn't want to provoke her.
Everyone else hid far away. Only the coachman was still driving the carriage.
Inside the car, the pale-faced Theresa was painfully trying to put on her tights. However, she gave up after a while. She didn't feel anything when she was wearing black tights normally, but in this situation, as long as she pulled them up a little, she would feel a piercing pain all over her body.
The female mercenary was clumsy, especially when she tried to clean her with water. Didn't she know that it was easy to get infected? She had to use snow to boil the water and filter out the impurities!
Apart from that, the female mercenary's attitude made her very, very unhappy. Teresa knew that she wasn't at home and that the female mercenary wouldn't be so respectful to her. However, she still had to show basic respect and courtesy. Yet, the female mercenary called Emilia kept her head down the entire time and didn't look her in the eye. Even when she replied, she used the simplest 'Yes, I'm sorry, I'll do it.'
That made her feel very uncomfortable, both physically and mentally.
"Alright, alright. From now on, you'll do whatever I say, alright?"
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