Chapter 9: The First Night

The clouds in the sky were dyed a dazzling gold by the brilliant radiance of the sun. Taking advantage of the sunset’s afterglow, George’s group was already approaching the entrance of the small town.

The sentry post at the intersection appeared somewhat dilapidated; whether it was the pillars or the wall boards, they were all a bit fuzzy. Not to mention being painted, they hadn’t even been planed smooth. The horse obstacles nearby and the fence outside the town showed faint scars where branches had been chopped off.

The four guards beside the sentry post were yawning lazily. These four gave off a loose feeling; rather than holding their spears, it looked more like they were leaning on them to stand. Their thick cloth armor seemed to be glistening with oil, and one of them had messy, long hair, clearly having not worn a helmet for a long time.

A man nearby, wearing leather armor with a longsword at his left hip, looked more spirited. However, he was busy helping a tax collector by the road check if any caravan had underreported their numbers. Seeing him occasionally climb onto the freight carts to check, it seemed he really liked this job.

There was still a long line in front of George and his group waiting to pass the sentry post. Since they had already arrived at the entrance of Greywood Town, there was no rush to enter. However, they had to wait until most of the setting sun had fallen into the green waves of grass before it was finally George’s group’s turn.

The somewhat hunchbacked tax collector first sized up George’s caravan. Then, he immediately grabbed the man with the sword who was preparing to step forward. After staring at the flag held by a rider in the caravan for a good while, he walked over cautiously.

“May I ask whose lord’s caravan this is?” The tax collector’s voice sounded a bit drifting, probably because he was feeling uneasy.

Knight Val replied with a gentle voice: “We are Viscount Bolerum’s caravan, currently escorting the Lord to Cardala.”

“Then please go ahead, my lords. I will notify the Mayor immediately.” The tax collector turned his head and said something to the man with the sword. That man turned around and ran towards the town.

“Here, this is the travel tax.” Responding to the situation, Knight Val tossed three Gold Coins to the tax collector.

The tax collector deftly caught the Gold Coins and replied with a somewhat sighing voice: “My lord, actually you didn’t have to do this.”

“The law is the law. Although some people use privileges to bypass it, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Since some are unwilling to abide by it, naturally there are others who are willing to abide by it.” Knight Val’s answer was resonant, coupled with that ancient Greek statue-like face and a standard smile showing eight teeth. George hurriedly looked around to see if there were any love-struck girls swooning.

Passing through the sentry post, the caravan quickly entered the small town. Watching George’s group leave, the tax collector muttered to himself: “Is that the legendary born noble, Master Isolde?” Then, he weighed the Gold Coins in his hand and thought: “Today is really lucky, this month’s tax quota will be completed very soon.”

As the first stop entering the Duchy from the Bolerum Territory, Greywood Town was a resting and supply point for many merchants. It was also the place to pay travel taxes for this trade route, so it was under the direct jurisdiction of the Duke’s mansion. The Mayor, Mr. Duz-E, was an administrator elected by the locals, and he was also the arbitrator who resolved neighborhood disputes in the town.

As a smooth character who was good at dealing with all sides, Duz-E was naturally good at mediating the interests and contradictions of many parties. At the same time, he could often seize opportunities to build good relationships with superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to serve as Mayor for such a long time when the patrol chief, tax collector, security officer, and even soldiers were all appointed outsiders. When he received the news that Lord Bolerum’s caravan had arrived here, he immediately asked his servants to clean several guest rooms for the guests and prepare a dinner. At the same time, he gave the soldier who reported the news a knowing look and a jar of good quality Ale.

The previous few times George passed through Greywood Town, he traveled lightly with few people, prioritizing the journey. This was the first time he entered the town with such a large group. Rarely having the opportunity to ride slowly, George decided to observe the environment here carefully.

Looking around, George appeared somewhat disappointed. Most of the buildings on both sides of the road were crowded houses. These houses of varying heights, huddled tightly together, looked like a city wall. The weathering marks visible everywhere showed that maintenance was poor. The road surface was far from clean. If not for the news announced by the Church of the God of Knowledge in previous years, the ground would probably have been covered with a lot of filth. Not far ahead, a small, inconspicuous door had a wooden sign hanging on it depicting a bed, indicating that this was an inn. George had stayed at that shop before, but it wasn’t exactly a good memory.

Accompanied by the dull sound of horse hooves, everyone arrived at the square in the center of the town. This was the place where the town held gatherings, festivals, and market days. It was also one of the rare places in the town paved with stones. Knight Val seemed very familiar with this place. He asked most people to wait in the square first, then led George and a few others to the Mayor’s house.

The Mayor’s house was not far south of the square. The house with a small courtyard showed that their family must have been a prominent family in the town for generations.

Before they could even announce their arrival to the courtyard, someone came out from the house to welcome them. From their clothing, one could tell that the person leading them should be the owner of this house.

The leading man shouted in this direction: “Long time no see, Isolde, my old friend! Welcome to you all. And the noble Lord Bolerum, I am very happy to serve you.”

The group of five quickly entered the house with the Mayor. First, Knight Val and the Mayor exchanged pleasantries, then introduced the remaining four people who came together. The Mayor arranged for everyone to wash up and rest first while waiting for today’s dinner. He also sent someone to the center of the square to notify the others in George’s group that they could set up camp right there.

There were quite a few guests at the dinner. Apart from a few appointed officials, most of the others were prominent figures in the town. From George’s perspective, the food on the table could not be called delicious, but it was plentiful. Because they had to travel tomorrow, George’s group only tasted the alcohol briefly. At the dinner table, they mostly exchanged various interesting news and anecdotes. To George, it felt much better than banquets where nobles wore masks to talk while scheming against each other. Overall, it could be considered an enjoyable event for both the host and the guests.

After the dinner, George and the others decided to go back to the square to check on the camp situation. As soon as they stepped out of the door, a cool breeze hit them. It was already the season of entering autumn. Although the Indian summer during the day was still quite hot, it was already a bit chilly at night.

The group of five strolled on the street. Everyone carefully avoided the debris on the road and ignored the curious gazes of the surrounding residents.

“Mr. Val, so you actually knew the Mayor here,” George said, struggling to find the right words.

“Do you want to ask me about what I told you at noon?” Knight Val couldn’t help but smile. “What I told you at noon is a method that works in most small towns within the Duchy. Of course, in a situation like today, it saves a sum of money.”

Sir Bart, who was at the side, teased: “However, Isolde has really extensive friendships. If he leads the team, that accommodation fee could be waived in any small town within the Duchy.”

Knight Val waved his hand casually: “It’s not that exaggerated. Having it work in a quarter of them would be the limit.”

Except for Isolde, the remaining few people all had constipated expressions. George felt even more like a herd of alpacas was galloping wildly in his heart.

The construction of the camp was going very well. Not only were the tents and Sleeping Bags properly arranged, but all personnel were also divided into several groups to eat in turns. When George and the others arrived, the meal had already reached the last group.

As soon as the two Knights arrived at the camp, they began to arrange the night watch schedule and defense layout for the evening. George and the other children were asked to watch and learn seriously from the side. Hiren was specifically named by Knight Val to undergo a relevant test later. Seeing the somewhat twisted face of that big muscular guy and the tightly suppressed smiling face of the effeminate Craig, George felt that this was a good amusement.

The bonfire in the center of the camp made crackling sounds as it burned. Unlike in the wild, the bonfire on the square had a layer of stones stacked at the bottom and was paved with fine sand. George sat by the bonfire calculating the expenses for setting up camp today. He had purchased about two hundred and ten pounds of Black Bread, forty pounds of raw meat, and thirty pounds of Cheese, plus other vegetables, costing a total of sixteen Gold Coins. “It is indeed much cheaper than a Tavern or an Inn. If purchased there, it would cost at least twenty-five Gold Coins,” George recited in his heart.

Turning his head to look around, George said to the Maid accompanying him: “Ilena, you rest in the carriage tonight. You know where the Sleeping Bags are. If I or someone familiar doesn’t call you, try not to come out of the carriage, understand?”

Ilena blinked her eyes and nodded as if she understood but also didn’t.

George stood up and placed his hands on Ilena’s shoulders: “Alright, now go back to the carriage. I still have things to discuss with Mr. Val.”

After sending Ilena onto the carriage, George turned and walked towards Knight Val.

Knight Val was currently lecturing Hiren. It seemed that his test on camp management today had not passed. However, seeing Hiren, who was clearly much more burly than Knight Val, having to lower his head and obediently take the scolding, it was really quite comical.

George walked up to Knight Val: “Mr. Val, can I take a moment of your time? I have something I want to ask you about.”

“George, I am very willing to answer your questions.” Knight Val turned his head and said to Hiren: “I’ll let you go for now.”

Hiren had just cast a grateful look at George when he heard the voice that made him despair: “Wait a moment, I will discuss the matter from just now with you after I answer George’s question.”

George asked: “Mr. Val, did you get to know the Mayor during your travels back then?”

“That’s right. That was not long after I had just sworn to become a Formal Knight. Because my father was not old yet and could fulfill the obligations of a Knight, I went traveling hoping to find my own path forward.” Knight Val’s face was full of nostalgia. “I experienced many things along the way and made many friends. Heh—heh—of course, I also made some enemies.”

“Then Mr. Val, will I have a chance to travel on the Continent in the future?” George asked somewhat uneasily.

“I’m not clear about that. You have to ask the Viscount.” Knight Val immediately changed the topic. “You, Kobudo, and Little Craig should hurry to Duz’s house to rest. We have to travel early tomorrow morning.”

Seeing that he couldn’t get an answer, George had no choice but to go to the Mayor’s house with Bart and his son. After finding a way to calm his mood, George started his routine evening lessons in the guest room.

But when the moon was high in the sky, George, feeling tired, fell asleep. The soft bed was indeed much more comfortable than a Sleeping Bag.

“Dong—dong—dong—dong—” In a daze, George seemed to hear a rapid sound of a bell.

“Someone rang the alarm on the bell tower. Is it a fire or an enemy attack?” Feeling that something was wrong, George hurriedly got up to change his clothes.