* * *
By the time the sun was fully revealed and as I began to work my way up to the summit, I saw a bridge that could cross the Celebe River flowing from Caltern territory. The transport station was across the river, but it looked like a log cabin. It provided a place for the carriage horses to rest, as well as a place for recording and confirming the transaction book.
The building that looks like an inn next to the carrier is much larger than the one on the second floor. It is painted on the walls and the roof is made of red guitar, making it much more likely than the carrier building. There seemed to be a stable in the back of the building. Somehow, people seemed to use this inn more than just a carrier building.
You see two armed men near the inn gnawing their teeth at the grass. As Albrecht makes eye contact with the big bear and the blood on the circus, they dodge their eyes. As Albrecht passes by, he looks up and down at the women following him.
Through them, you tie a horse to the pillar next to the inn, and Diego picks up the crate and opens the door and walks in. There were about a dozen people inside, but the majority of them were women. However, everyone was sitting at the table quietly eating. Something was strange.
A big knight, a tall man dressed in an old box, and three women, were odd, too. When Albrecht stared at each other curiously, the people inside tried to look away.
A middle-aged man cleaning a cup at the bar approached Albrecht and said,
“Would you like to eat? Or is it the coffin?”
Usually I talk there without leaving the bar, but if I didn't obey the knight's manners, I could get embarrassed.
Albrecht didn't know what to say. I just came in here looking for people to ask for directions.
An awkward silence followed momentarily between Albrecht and the innkeeper. Then Diego in the back said.
“Please take a warm bath. The three of you. And...... we'll talk about the meal with each other first. Oh, and feed me something to eat outside. ”
Albrecht interrupts.
“Five baths, please. ”
The innkeeper thought for a moment and said,
“Eight pieces of silver for a penny. Horses get more Stable Cost if they stay for a long time. ”
Diego looks at Albrecht. Albrecht glances at Diego as if he were staring, and quickly pulls out a bag of money from his chest.
One silver coin was quickly found, and he was searching through his pockets with his big hand, pulling out eight fairy tales one by two.
Diego, who I saw beside me, said:
“At this time, I'll give you two silver coins. ”
Albrecht listens to Diego and takes out two silver coins and gives them to the innkeeper.
The innkeeper yells at the kitchen for money.
“Adelah! Adelah! ”
“Yes!”
A girl with blond, blue eyes and freckles popped out of the kitchen. Blond and blue eyes were common in the north.
“Give these people five warm baths. Call Hugo and join us. ”
The girl answered and headed to the back of the building. The innkeeper looks back at the group and says,
“Then sit down for a moment while I take a bath. ”
The innkeeper went out and dragged the horse to the stable.
Albrecht's group head to the other corner with the first group and take a seat at the table. Three women and Albrecht sat at different tables.
Diego gets drunk and eats a friend, but he hesitates a little. He looks at Albrecht and sits at the same table. The knights were with wealthy merchants, nobles, lords, and kings because they were not brave enough to humble themselves.
Diego opens his mouth carefully.
“Can I take a look at that sword? ”
Albrecht unsheathed his sword. As Albrecht draws his sword, Diego flinches slightly, but takes a closer look.
Albrecht felt a strange sensation watching Diego carefully examine the sword. It was because someone who didn't seem to have anything to do with the sword looked good on him.
“There are no workshop marks on Fuller – Longsword Pine Home." But you made a good one for that. The center of gravity fits well. The deadline is good. ”
Then you slap the table with your sword. The sword vibrates with the sound of teeing. Diego listens with his ear to the sword. The little sound of weeping was long gone.
“Wow, that's a nice sword. Oh, my God. You really are a nobleman. It's rare to find a sword like this. I'm pretty sure it was crafted by an artisan. Then why aren't there any workshop marks? ”
Diego looks around at the sword a little more and gives it back to Albrecht.
“The sword is about strength and resilience. If it's too hard, it breaks easily. If it's too light, it bends easily. Proper blending of the two is paramount. That's why quality iron is important and craftsmanship is important. I heard the Northern weapon is good, but I didn't know it was this good. You can't tell exactly by the sound, but the difference between yawns and merchandise is huge, so you can tell the difference. Yours is a real prize. Do you have a name for the sword? ”
Albrecht thought a little.
“A knife that catches cows. ”
Diego seemed like a cheesy name for a luxury sword.
Albrecht took a moment to look at the sword and thought, "My father gave me something really good in Diego's compliment." But I'm guessing Black Arnold made it. He wasn't just a blacksmith, was he?
Albrecht put the sword in the sword and said,
“How do you know so much about swords anyway? ”
Diego smiled bitterly.
“The Merchants Guild used to handle weapons. ”
Albrecht could no longer speak. After a brief silence between the two, Albrecht says again.
“Why did you ask me to give you two silver coins earlier? ”
Diego looks at the bar for a moment, then leans his torso close to Albrecht and says small.
“You'd better leave some money at an inn. Not all inns will be like that otherwise, but they won't be properly serviced. whether the food comes out dirty, spit in the food, or when you're in a room and you're staying. ”
Albrecht accepted that there was no headquarters and that service was not monolithic, so I thought it could be because it was more like a punching bag.
In the conversation, Diego asked naturally.
“But where are you headed? ”
“Penbach. I heard he's in the south, but I don't know exactly where. ”
Diego frowns for a moment and says,
“Uh…… not exactly the South. It should be at the southern end of the center. I used to live in the south. It's the southern and central borders, so it's probably the southern borders. ”
“I see.”
As Albrecht nods and answers, Diego continues.
“May I ask why you're going to Penbach? ”
Albrecht said with a bitter expression.
“I have an oath to uphold. ”
I swear. Diego wants Albrecht to say something weird again. You're not going for the deal or the contract, you're going for that long distance oath? He seemed really good at making elf-like noises. But there was something about it that attracted me.
Diego asked Albrecht again.
“You said Caltern Territory, right? Whose kingdom is that? ”
Albrecht thought for a moment and said,
“We don't have a kingdom. No, there is something I should say...... There is a king. But what should I say......”
The world was founded on a fundamental social system. However, it was not a well-established Feudal System, but an early Feudal System. It meant that the local lords would not listen to the king.
It was worse in the North or Central. For example, if he had his own territory and had a couple of territories next to him, he would enter. A kingdom may be a kingdom, but nothing lasts long.
In the north or the middle, the concept of a king was a chief, a chief with a few lords under him and no one on him.
Moreover, it was difficult to subdue the surrounding territory. It was because of the difficulty of being trapped in the castle, and it mostly ended with the same pledge of allegiance as the High Guard Treaty - the Dual Contract. I didn't pay tribute or taxes. Contractual relationships were endless. They were pressured through intimidation and solicitation in their own way, but not by the lords.
However, even these contracts were not properly maintained. If you lead and join forces in response to the king's call, you have been recognized as a very honorable man.
The problem is that there is no such concept as the role of a country, and it squeezes the territory, and in the long run it reduces productivity. When a territory is weakened by a decrease in productivity, the user robs the area next to it or turns the town. Then, when I lost, it was like I was ruining everything.
This way, the war never stops, so deserters and Stragglers who have nowhere to return become bandits or bandits. In a war zone, security went to hell. Endless warfare has led to the worst cycle in which thieves and robbers are spawned.
In the case of Calteren territory, it is a little farther from the rings of this war. It was originally a remote area where indigenous peoples lived, and was born in unison with people brought in by Albrecht's grandfather.
In the beginning, there would have been conflict with indigenous peoples and oppressed them with a sword. Seeing that Adelheid and Burkhardt, the chief's ceremony, were married, it seemed to have been a modest effort to integrate.
After all, Calteren was a kind of local patron, so he called himself Lord, not Earl, a form in which local governance and the king's approval were combined.
And the king in the south-west tried to subdue Calterns, but he was unable to mobilize his troops carelessly, because they were geographically distant and needed to vacate his territory for a long time.
When Albrecht briefly explained this to Diego, Diego thought about it and said,
“Reality is no different from ours. But we have a king in our place. ”
The waitress came and told me that the conversation was completely open and that she had received all the bath water while they were talking about it.
And Albrecht gives Diego the palm of his hand, despite the horrific look on his face.
Diego told Albrecht.
“I'll give you a penny. ”
Albrecht asked the waitress to come up to the second floor and get some water for each of the five rooms. She said you can go in and wash.
Albrecht enters first, and the rest of the party enter the room.
Albrecht realizes the moment he takes off his cape to wash. I couldn't take off the chain armor alone. Someone had to help me.
I hurried to the next room and opened the door, and Martina, who was taking her clothes off, was surprised.
Albrecht looks down at the ground and says,
“Hmph, Hmph. I need you to take off your armor. ”
Martina dresses up quietly and follows Albrecht out. Albrecht pointed to the hook in the chain armor on his back.
“Hey, yeah. Unhook it. ”
A few loops opened up a space, allowing you to peel off the top. Albrecht leans forward deeply to remove the chain mail from his knees.
Martina grabs her armor and grabs the buttocks behind her because of the weight of the armor on her at once.
Somehow Albrecht hurriedly lifts his chained armor aside.
“I can take the rest off. Thank you."
Martina leaves the room and looks back.
“Can't you talk to me, too? ”
Albrecht opened his eyes slightly, surprised by Martina's sudden pout, but said with a bloody smile.
“How old are you? ”
Martina smiled and said.
“More than you. She's 22. ”
Martina leaves and Albrecht takes off his clothes with a smile on his face. I soaked myself in the bathtub. The warm water felt good. It was cool to be friends by opening the door of each other's minds gradually. My heart was warm too.
< 13 > End