PS: Let me complain here. Recently, there have been a lot of people who like to spam the Sex Sin Meme, but they don't know what Sex Sin is. The doctrine of Sex Sin is to pursue spiritual stimulation and indulge in all thoughts to obtain sufficient spiritual enjoyment. It is not what many people think of as Sex Sin = sexual desire. This understanding is very superficial and also very boring.
It had only been two weeks since the wedding of Laing Macado, Earl of Glamorgan, the champion of the Goddess of the Lake, and the people of the whole kingdom were still in the festive atmosphere of the wedding of the century. In these two weeks, from the serfs in the most remote villages of the kingdom to the palace of the Knight King in Culona, everyone was talking about Laing's wedding.
Before the excitement died down, another oracle came from the Cathedral of the Goddess of the Lake, which completely shocked the whole kingdom of Brittany. The Knights of the Holy Grail gathered in groups of three to five, holding the Golden Iris Flower military flag, and brought the oracle of the Goddess of the Lake to the mortals.
"The Goddess of the Lake has decreed that darkness is invading. The barbarians in the North are fierce and vicious. The green-skinned people in the East are rampant. The undead are corrupting the land and stealing the land. The four enemies are surrounding the land. In order to save the people from the fire and water and to resist the enemy outside the country, the Dukes of Brittany are allowed to select brave and loyal people to be conferred the title of Knight."
– Morgiana, the Witch of the Lake
The oracle of the Goddess of the Lake was like a hot pot of oil, completely igniting the whole kingdom. From the serfs to the free people, to the knights and the great nobles, it caused a huge sensation. Under the night sky, countless serfs gathered together and discussed wildly. Could there be a serf who could be promoted to a knight? This was a miracle!
Many serfs cried bitterly. They didn't expect the Goddess of the Lake to pay so much attention to lowly people like them. She was actually willing to allow them to be promoted to a knight. After work, people gathered in the shabby taverns, drinking cheap and sour barley wine and eating toast, loudly discussing who had the chance to be promoted to a knight, especially the sergeants and the rangers. They were professional soldiers and low-ranking officers who spent the most time with the knights. Everywhere they went, they were surrounded by serfs. Everyone was asking, "How can I become a knight? Do I still have a chance?
The Brittany nobles were unusually silent in the face of the Goddess of the Lake's oracle. Even if some nobles objected to it, they would only make a gesture. Most of them did not express their opinions. When they heard that there were only three slots per year, many nobles, especially those conservative dukes, only expressed to Morgiana that perhaps one or two slots per year would be more reasonable.
The most important reason why the dukes did not object strongly was that the invasion of Chaos in the north at the beginning of the year had caused great losses in the north of the kingdom. Many duchies even had a situation where they could not fully equip their knights. The serf infantry, sergeants, and rangers were also severely lacking in manpower.
Laing seized the perfect opportunity to ask the Fairy in the Lake to throw out the Oracle. The great nobles would not strongly oppose it, because they were smart enough to know that this Oracle was very helpful for them to recruit new members and motivate the serfs. The possibility of three quotas per year did not exist to shake the rule of the nobles.
The Goddess's Oracle came from the territory of Count Glamorgan, so it was the most lively place to discuss it.
It was early winter, and the Count's territory was beginning to be covered in ice and snow. This year, winter came a few days earlier than usual. When the light of the sun was shrouded in dark clouds, when the winter wheat was covered in snow, when the trees withered, and when the bare branches stretched weakly to the sky, when the villages fell into depression and silence, when people huddled around the fire at night, even the serfs knew that winter had come.
Zeon Town was more lively than other places. Many residents could be seen walking on the streets even in the middle of winter. The streets were paved with stone slabs, and pedestrians came and went, but most of them were in a hurry because no one wanted to stay outside for a long time in this damned weather.
There were many peddlers hawking their wares on the street, but they were all strictly limited to a small space in front of the shops on the street. They were not allowed to occupy the aisles of pedestrians, but these peddlers could always sneak into the middle of the road to sell their wares. Once a patrol team passed by, they would quickly retreat behind the 'safety line'. The daily 'fight' between the peddlers and the guards had become a routine in the town, and the residents were already used to it.
The largest trading and purchasing center in the town was the 'Olivier Merchant', located not far from the Count's castle. Olivier, a merchant from the Empire, sold many kinds of goods, and there was an endless stream of merchants coming to trade every day.
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was five in the afternoon, and the afterglow of the setting sun slowly set behind the Oracle Mountain Range. Another day had come to an end. Raymond, a fugitive from the Lyonassi Duchy, was wearing expensive leather clothes and a comfortable bearskin coat. He was clearly someone of status. This regular soldier of the Halberd Battalion was walking through the streets alone. His brown hair was covered in snow.
This fugitive slave from Lyonassi was now an official soldier of the halberd battalion. He had just undergone a very tough training today, which was even tougher than when he served the knights in Lyonassi.
However, the treatment here was much better. At the very least, he could eat his fill. At noon, he even tasted a bowl of thick corn meat soup. Everyone had a share of the soup, and each person had a large bone. Raymond ate all the meat on the bone clean, licked the surface of the bone, and even sucked the bone marrow dry.
Exhaling a breath of cold air, the young soldier held a few silver coins in his pocket. After hesitating for a while, he gave up on going to the downtown area. Instead, he moved to an area with fewer people.
Currently, the most expensive area in Gene Town was the Champion Avenue, which was not far from the Count's castle. It was densely packed with buildings. Many of them were rented out to merchants and nobles, and many knights had also settled down there. The houses were all made of stone and tiles, and the structure was oak. They were beautiful and sturdy. Many knights and merchants flocked to this place, and many soldiers also dreamed of buying a house there.
The further one was from the city center, the newer and plainer the houses were. There were still many wooden houses, but it was said that they would soon be expanded. This town had already been expanded twice, but it was still overcrowded. There were rumors of a third expansion, and it would probably start after the new year.
After walking through a few streets, Raymond found himself in a row of double-story houses. This kind of street had always been half residential and half commercial. There were very few pedestrians on the side of the road, and many of the houses were closed. Only the fire inside the houses and the smoke from the chimneys indicated that there were people living here.
If it was this kind of street … Raymond looked around and found a house. There was a wooden sign hanging in front of the house using a noose. On the sign, there was an ugly caricature of a dog and a bear. Fortunately, there were words below.
"Bear Bar."
In Gene Town, almost every street had a bar. This kind of bar had three functions: a hotel, a restaurant, and a retail store. This Bear Bar looked ordinary, and from time to time, human voices could be heard. The door of the bar was half closed. Perhaps the owner was in pain, so he opened the door to let in the cold wind, or closed it to refuse customers. In the end, he had no choice but to open the door to let in the cold wind.
Raymond didn't care. There was beer and barbecue, and that was enough for him.
Thump! The door was gently pushed open, and Raymond walked into the bar.
The wooden floor was covered with thick straw, and candles made of animal fat illuminated the dim interior of the bar. The long bar was a little greasy, and at least one waiter was using a cloth to vigorously wipe the bar. Behind the bar, a lady boss was pouring wine. The two rows of cabinets were filled with all kinds of alcohol, from the worst Brittany ale to Empire stout, Kislöw vodka, mead, and whiskey. The inferior wine from Winford also occupied a corner. As everyone knew, Count Laing's wife, Lady Suria, was the first daughter of Duke Winford. This duchy was rich in both quality and inferior wine.
The superior wine was drunk by the nobles, and the inferior wine was drunk by the commoners. It didn't seem to be a problem.
Inside the bar, the long bar was filled with drinkers. There were only one or two seats left. There were two wooden tables next to it, and many people were seated. When Raymond opened the door, almost everyone's eyes were focused on him. Most of them were middle-aged men with unkempt beards and black or brown cloaks.
His bearskin coat and youthful appearance seemed out of place in this bar, but as Raymond firmly believed, that wouldn't stop him from drinking to his heart's content.
"It's the count's soldier!"
"He's our count's halberd soldier!"
"I've heard of them. These soldiers of the halberd battalion are all good men. They once fought against the northern barbarians in the Battle of Lyonnais!"
"Good man! I, Daff, toast to you! "
The drinkers and drunkards in the bar quickly recognized Raymond's identity from his badge and military uniform. In the territory of Count Glamorgan, the count's soldiers were always respected and loved. Every serf hoped to have a soldier or a ranger in their family so that their family could be free.
This was Raymond's confidence in his identity. This confidence intoxicated him. It was a respect that he couldn't feel when he was a serf in Lyonnais.
"Welcome, Count's halberd soldier. What can I do for you?" The Lady Boss had been busy pouring wine and counting the coins in her jar, but when she saw Raymond walk straight to the bar counter, she hurriedly raised her head and forced a smile.
"Beer," Raymond sat down on a stool in front of the bar and said straightforwardly.
"Local ale or something else?" The bar owner seemed to be testing him.
"Empire Dark Ale." Raymond, of course, knew what the local ale was. It was for the unambitious serfs. He wasn't the one who drank it. He was the count's soldier.
"A cup, or a small bucket?" The bar owner knew that Raymond knew what was good and said.
"A small bucket." Raymond stared at the beer barrel in the cupboard. It could store seven to eight liters of beer. He didn't know how much water was in it, but it shouldn't be too much. If the bar was heavily watered, there wouldn't be so many customers.
"Hmm?" The bar owner didn't look like she was in her thirties. She was rather good-looking. She spread her hands.
Raymond handed over a silver coin.
The silver coin instantly disappeared into the Lady Boss's sleeve. The Lady Boss counted 20 copper coins and handed it to him. Then, she took out a large wooden beer mug and filled it to the brim with dark brown liquid. She then placed it in front of Raymond. "Do you want anything else? Sir? "
"That's all for now." Raymond took the beer mug. This kind of huge beer mug was the so-called "small bucket", about six hundred and fifty milliliters. If it was a "cup" of beer, it was a mug, about one hundred and fifty to two hundred milliliters.
The Empire Dark Ale had a strong aroma. The surface of the beer was foamy, and it was very comfortable. At least, it was much better than the sour barley wine of the local area.
In one gulp, a third of the large mug was drunk. Raymond was about to say something when the door opened. The wind and snow blew into the room. Raymond frowned and looked at the door subconsciously.
A figure wearing a green soldier's cloak, chain mail, and a gorgeous robe with a big bow on his back appeared at the door of the bar.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Bertrand! What brings you to my shop? "
"A cup of Empire Dark Ale first, Mattie."
"Okay."
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