Old World, West of Rick, Wicked Smile Village, the village chief's house.
The best house in the village was left to Leon. The interior of the house was clean and tidy. Three roast chickens were roasting on the fire in the middle of the house. Leon took off his armor and sat on a wooden chair with a faint smile on his face. He looked at Veronica who was cooking the three roast chickens and said, "Mr. Abel, it's been a while. How have you been?"
"Well, that's a lie." Eiber smiled bitterly and shook his head. "It's okay. Other than the money to repair equipment and buy potions, I'm barely able to fill my stomach."
"Is it really that expensive to repair equipment and buy potions?" Teresa was wearing a black leather coat with Phantasmagoria. The sorceress did not change out of her combat uniform. Instead, she was playing with a pair of guns in her hands.
Blue Love, a treasure that Laing got from Brunswick's Church of Justice. It was a pair of enchanted rune guns that could be filled with mana.
"Other than that, I also need to pay to repair the Horn of Tarr fortress. It used to be a branch of the Demon Hunters in Helmgat, but it's now very dilapidated. Jules and I have decided to renovate the fortress and restore it to a branch," Eiber said. He spread out his hands and said, "We don't have enough manpower and money, so we can only take it slow."
"Yes, that's true." Laing did not have much to say about this. He could only nod.
"And … thank you, Mister Laing. Your decision has relieved a lot of my pressure." Abell shifted his gaze to the roasted chickens. The delicious roasted chickens were covered in sauce, and Veronica was controlling the flames. This was also a test for him as a witch.
After understanding Laing's hint, the village chief immediately caught seven or eight big roosters as a reward. Laing accepted it with a smile. He kept three and gave the rest to Rudolph and the rest. The two Rick guards and the squires had worked hard. It was time for them to eat some meat.
Seven or eight big roosters were not worth much. Even in this season, the price of seven to eight roosters in the market would not reach a gold mark. But Leon's action relieved the villagers of Naughty Smile Village of a heavy psychological burden. It was also considered as an explanation for Abel's hard work. Otherwise, if Leon did not take a single cent, the demon hunters would have to bear a lot of pressure from the villagers.
"Mister Eiber, are you going back to Helmgat? Then let's go back. " Veronica used the fire to roast the chicken. Since Eiber was a friend of Laing's, Veronica's expression was naturally pleasant. Unlike Teresa, the sorceress was always wary of Eiber's identity as a demon hunter.
"Whoosh, whoosh." It was late at night, and it was snowing heavily outside the house. Naturally, the ability of a large house in a village like this to withstand the cold was not as good as Leon's castle or Brunswick's royal guesthouse. The cold wind was howling outside. Inside the house, Sulia's servants were working. They had a lot of things to prepare. Sulia, on the other hand, was checking the room for possible loopholes and secret passages.
"The chicken is ready." Veronica brought three golden crispy chicken to Laing and Eiber. Eiber quickly waved his hand, indicating that he did not want it. Laing took the initiative to break off a drumstick and handed it to Eiber. "Don't refuse. You're injured too."
"Alright then." The demon hunter did not refuse.
He also needed to eat some meat. Meat was very important to a powerful professional like him.
After dinner, there was not much activity for the commoners. This was because when it was dark, the commoners would either roll the sheets or go straight to sleep. Candles were not a luxury for the commoners, but it was not a small expense to use them for illumination for a long time.
After a simple shower, Laing opened the door. Suria had changed into a white velvet nightgown and was sitting on the bed reading a book. There was a light yellow magic lamp hanging on the bed. When she saw Laing come in, the female knight put down the book. "Not talking to your demon hunter friend anymore?"
Laing also went to the bed. He hugged Suria in his arms and kissed her beautiful face. "Eiber and I? What's there to talk about? At most, we'll talk about recent things. He's from Helmgat. He'll leave with us tomorrow morning. "
Suria hugged her husband back. At this moment, she felt that she was the happiest woman in the world. The female knight leaned on Laing's chest and felt a faint warmth. "I'm not against you contacting the demon hunters … Forget it, you must have your own ideas. Father just told me to be careful when talking to the demon hunters and try to be as brief as possible."
"Mr. Eiber is not a bad person. On the contrary, he is dedicated to reviving the demon hunter branch in Helmgat. He said there's a fortress called the Horn of Tarr on the Gray Mountains. There used to be demon hunters there. He and his companions have taken over the place." Laing gently massaged Suria's legs. He could feel that the female knight's body was a little stiff.
Whether it was the Exquisite Vibranium Plate Armor personally blessed by the Emperor, the Sword of Lyonassi blessed by the Lake Fairy, or the White Wolf God Cloak blessed by the White Wolf God of War Yuric, they were all God's blessed weapons. If Sulia were to equip all of them at the same time, it would be a huge burden on her body.
Not to mention the golden double-headed eagle wedding ring on her left ring finger.
Sure enough, Laing could feel the tension in Suria's back and thigh muscles. That was a manifestation of tiredness. "Are you tired?"
"I'm okay. It's just that I'm not used to wearing this set of equipment at the same time." Suria let Laing massage her and used his psionic power to help her relax her muscles. She just blushed a little.
Although this man was her husband, Suria, who was born noble, could not help but feel shy.
"Slowly, you'll get used to it." Laing helped his wife massage and took advantage of her at the same time. The man looked at the snow outside the window. "Also, at any time, don't take off the ring I gave you."
"At any time?" Suria changed her position and lay on the pillow to let Laing massage her slender waist. "But the lady once asked me to take it off, and I did. She returned it to me very quickly. Is it okay?"
That's why the Lake Nymphs can easily possess you! My stupid wife! Laing's facial muscles twitched a little. He was not against the three of them being together. Since Suria agreed, he had no reason to object. He was annoyed that his wife was the most devout believer of the Lake Nymphs. Coupled with the clingy Lake Nymphs, Morgiana, he was firmly tied to the Lake Nymphs' camp without knowing it.
Forget it, this is good. If Laing wanted to become king, he would definitely need the support of the Lake Nymphs. Laing dared not say how much the Lake Nymphs liked him, but at least until the future, he and the Lake Nymphs' goal was the same.
Fight against Chaos and prepare for the arrival of the final moment.
"What's wrong? Laing, what are you thinking about? "Suria noticed that Laing was spacing out.
"I'm thinking, should I prepare to attack the Blackstone Stronghold occupied by the Necromancer Heinrich Kaimler, or should I prepare to conquer Muxilon?" Laing changed the topic without leaving a trace.
"Why are you suddenly thinking about this?" Suria's long golden hair spread all over her back. Laing ran his fingers through her hair and massaged it. "This involves strategic planning. The former will help me unify the forces of the dukes and win the friendship of the dwarves. The latter will help me increase my personal prestige and advance towards the dukedom."
Suria lay on the pillow and thought for a while. She then said in a low voice, "Personally, I'd rather you attack the Blackstone Stronghold. The Necromancer Heinrich Kaimler is father's mortal enemy. His existence may also threaten the Winford Duchy. If you plan to attack the Blackstone Stronghold, father will fully support you."
"Yes, that's one reason." Laing nodded. Although the female knight's argument was somewhat selfish, it was still a very reasonable suggestion. The Winford Duchy had been prosperous for many years, and there were more than four thousand registered knights! Laing himself only had two hundred knights.
"The second reason is that Laing, you've risen too quickly. Now you have to show the nobles of the kingdom your ability and let them feel that you're qualified to continue advancing towards the dukedom. If you attack the Duchy of Connaught or Muxilon directly, then the nobles of the kingdom will know that you desire to become a duke. This will give everyone the impression that you're the Lady's Chosen Champion who is eager to add more points to his crown." Suria then said softly, "Don't forget, you've been in Brittany for seven years, and you've already jumped three levels. Based on seniority, even if you're blessed by the Lady, you're still too fast."
Laing thought about it carefully and felt that it was true. He was now the husband of a marquess.
That's right. Since he married Suria, Laing's title had been added to his title as the husband of a marquess. This meant that his title of a count had risen by half a level. Although Suria's title of a marquess was somewhat exaggerated (the fief only had two villages), this title of a marquess was the real deal.
Suria preferred the title of a countess, but it didn't mean that she gave up the title of a marquess.
"Also, Laing, you should start to become a baron." Suria saw that Laing didn't say anything and knew that he had already taken her advice. However, her opinion didn't match Laing's expectations. The countess simply said, "It's not good for you to rule all your fiefs directly."
"Isn't it good?" Laing smiled. "I can manage it."
"Then will you be able to manage it in the future? Laing, my husband, you always like to do things by yourself. You can do this when you're a baron or a count, but what about the future? If you become a duke or a king, will you still do everything by yourself? Take Hex, Olivier, Armand for example. They're all very capable people, but they don't have the chance to show their abilities. Hex is an excellent graduate from the Empire Academy, but he's only in charge of training the infantry. Olivier is an excellent knight recommended by the Grand Duke of Marienburg, but you only let him deal with bandits. And Armand, Sir Armand is a Knight of the Holy Grail. He can't be your flag bearer forever, right? And Lucien, he's a knight who graduated from the Vanford Academy. He's very talented. Father specially gave him to you, but he hasn't been put in an important position yet. " Suria stroked Laing's face. "Be prepared early. When you need help in the future, you won't have no one to rely on."
Laing sighed. "My wife, it's my fortune to be able to marry you. It's Yuri's misfortune!"
"Elder brother's misfortune? Laing, what are you talking about? "Suria listened to the first half of the sentence with sweetness in her heart, but after listening to the second half, she felt a little strange.
"With your wisdom, it's not a problem for you to be François's successor." Laing also lay down, hugged Suria in his arms, and teased, "Yuri doesn't have this kind of ability. He seems to be preparing to start the Holy Grail Trial."
"Don't talk about elder brother like that! Elder brother is just a bit cold-blooded and obsessed with the way of the knight. It's not that he doesn't understand some things, but that he doesn't want to spend time thinking about it! " Suria pinched Laing's waist unhappily. "Father was the same when he was young. It wasn't until he completed the Holy Grail Trial and came back to inherit the title of Duke that he gradually began to calm down … When father was young, he even dueled with other knights for a dancer!"
"Oh, oh, oh! Quickly tell me in detail! " Laing said with a smirk. He didn't expect his wise and elegant father-in-law to have such a past.
"Ah! Laing, you bastard! " Suria only realized that she had said something that she shouldn't have. The female knight blushed and said, "It's time to rest."
"Yes, it's time to rest." Laing's hand gently undid the waist belt of Suria's white nightgown.
… …
Two days later, Cyric Territory, Helmgat.
Laing and the others arrived at the foot of the Grey Mountains in the snow. In the distance, a magnificent city built on the mountainside came into view.
Helmgat was a very important trading town in Cyric Territory. It was both a city and a fortress. The entire city had about 3,800 permanent residents. The Empire stationed thousands of troops to guard the Hatchet Pass and deal with the frequent bandits and Green Dwarfs. At the same time, they were also guarding against the possible invasion of the Brittany.
The fortress city was made up of three walls. These walls were carved from the mountainside made of granite. The city looked like it was in mid-air from afar. There was also a wall that extended from the city to the other side of the valley. No stowaways could sneak past the tall walls and the single gate.
"The ruler of Helmgat is Count Reinhardt von Mackensen. His title is a little special. He is a border count, half a rank higher than ordinary counts. The Emperor gave him more independent financial and military power. However, if he can't defend Helmgat, this border count could be replaced at any time." Rudolph explained to Laing, "Helmgat said that there are only 3,800 permanent residents, but in fact, there should be more than 5,000 permanent residents. The floating population could reach more than 10,000. This city has always been rich in taxes, but the military pressure is also very heavy. Didn't the battle of Helmgat just break out a few days ago?"
Leon shrugged. He had watched that battle from the sidelines. Emperor Karl had relied on a perfect side charge to finally defeat the army of Duke Palawon, Kasvann.
"Helmgat has more than 1,000 troops. The most famous one is the Mackensen Musketeers. The 300 musketeers are all good. They have been fighting with the Green Dwarfs, bandits, and Orcs all year round." Wagner also explained, "The musketeers are equipped with the best long-barreled firearms produced by the Nur Military Factory."
The group gradually approached Helmgat. As usual, when they saw the coat of arms of the Cyric Guard Knights, the guards didn't dare to delay and immediately waved their hands to let them pass.
Not long after entering the town, a group of Dwarves hawking their wares attracted Laing's attention.
"Selling all kinds of iron gloves, shields, pickaxes, and axes! Selling all kinds of two-handed axes, hammers, and handguns! Ordering all kinds of Dwarven Gauntlets, Dwarven Helmets, and Dwarven Plate Armor! " A group of Dwarves was hawking their wares in the Helmgat Bazaar. The Bazaar of Helmgat was a famous border trade bazaar. It sold Brittany wine and brandy, exquisite cloth, and high-quality warhorses. Dwarven merchants sold iron, lead, silver, and Dwarven weapons. Of course, there were also Cyric merchants selling Empire stout beer and grain.
"Eh, isn't that …?"
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