Chapter 23, Banquet at the Lord's Longhouse (Part 1)
PS. I will ask for a day off tomorrow on New Year's Day, please forgive me.
PS2. I wish all friends who read this book a happy New Year's Eve!
How much combat power a mercenary group can have is generally distinguished by comparing it with the regular army.
When the combat power of the mercenary regiment exceeds the army of a standard earldom (the maximum mobilization amount of a standard earldom is composed of 60 knights, 500 cavalry, 1,500 swordsmen or archers and other standing troops, the temporary recruited long Spearmen and peasant soldiers are not included), and mercenary groups are generally called mercenaries.
Of course, there will be no mercenaries in places like Nord. This kind of backcountry cannot support powerful mercenaries, nor does the Empire and Brittania, because they have stronger knights as a standing army.
Only in Marienburg or the southern countries are the places where mercenaries run rampant, such as Marienburg's Iris Guard, this army consists of more than 6,000 cavalry and more than 10,000 infantry, and is the main force guarding Marienburg. strength.
It is worth noting that the knight should not be confused with the cavalry. The knight is a title, a title, and a guarantee of combat effectiveness. The cavalry is just a general term for soldiers riding on horseback.
A standard knight unit includes several cavaliers or even apprentice knights, and multiple knight retinues.
"Of course it can't compare." Estelle smiled disapprovingly. The half-elf is also someone who has seen big scenes: "There won't be a mercenary group of that level in Nord, Mr. Lane."
Oliver saw that Ryan was very interested in the Gray Blade Mercenary Group: "Mr. Ryan wants to know about Birger?"
"'Grey Blade' Bilger is indeed quite famous." Ryan was riding on the horse, thinking about it.
The bloodaxe mercenary group lost too much. It is not an exaggeration to say that Teresa brought disaster to this ordinary mercenary group. Boris' injury has not fully healed so far—even Ryan doubts whether it can fully heal.
In the case of losing Boris, the deputy captain Wilt had to shoulder the heavy burden. It is not a concept for a mercenary regiment to have only one elite rank and two elite ranks to help each other, especially when the mercenary regiment has already fought with the beastmen. In the case of heavy blood loss in the battle.
Teresa was not aware of this, but Ryan knew that the Bloodaxe Mercenary Corps was already unreliable. If he wanted to go south, he had to consider the combat effectiveness of Gray Blade.
No matter how strong he is, he is only on his own. There used to be a very powerful knight in the empire, and he also relied on his own strength to publish twenty-eight complicated tax collection items in his knight manor, forcing farmers They can't survive.
In the end, the powerful knight was rushed into his house by the farmers, and then tied to the scarecrow in the field, and burned to a mummy.
So is this knight not strong enough? Was he attacked?
No, this knight is very strong. He blocked the door and killed dozens of mobs.
But people will get tired. For example, even if a hundred unresisting pigs were put there for this knight to kill, he would probably be exhausted in the end.
Ryan also has to try his best to avoid this from happening. He is neither invincible nor fatigue-free. He is also human.
After coming and going, the place of the banquet arrived.
The evening banquet was held in the lord's longhouse in Villard. At night, it was completely dark. The door of the two-storey lord's longhouse was wide open, and the roadside torches illuminated the snow-covered road. Several trainees Well-trained guards were guarding the door, and a roasted whole lamb was hung on the fire at the door. The golden grease dripped into the fire, and sparks were everywhere.
It smells pretty good~ Ryan saw a guard swallowing a mouthful of saliva looking at the fat mutton, and laughed happily.
His smile immediately attracted the attention of the guards: "Good evening! Mr. Ryan! Please come in! Your lord is already waiting for you inside!"
"Good evening~" Ryan handed over the reins of his pine cone (his horse's name) to the guards,
Swaggeringly walked towards the inside.
Oliver and others also wanted to go in with him, but they were immediately stopped by the cold halberd: "Sir, please show the invitation letter!"
A sullen look flashed across Oliver's chubby face, and then he immediately showed a standard commercial smile. He took out a note with the lord's ring seal from his white bear fur coat, and handed it to the guards: "OK Yes, sir."
The invitation was expensive, and it took Oliver some work.
The guard swept away the previous respect, and the expression on his face became arrogant and rude. After confirming that the ring was correct, he handed the invitation letter back to Oliver's hand: "Keep your hands and feet clean, profiteers, don't make trouble inside, otherwise Don't blame my halberd for drinking your blood!"
"Okay, let's go in!"
Estelle clenched his fist subconsciously, but Matz patted him on the shoulder and shook his head.
What happened behind, Ryan didn't know. When he walked into the longhouse, he found that it was full of people, and the wide wooden table was full of food, from simple bread, stew to roast chicken and some rare The servants continue to bring out all kinds of food with iron tableware, and the guests sit on long wooden chairs and drink barley wine in earthenware cups and mugs, so happy.
"Here's to the victory at the docks!"
"Cheers to the prosperity of Kaltzenhaven!"
"Cheers to the great Lord Willard!"
"For... don't care why, anyway, today, let's have a good time!"
Most of the people here are soldiers who participated in the battle at the pier today, and many of them were even wrapped in bandages, but this could not stop them from drinking to their heart's content, and a small number of people came here on invitation, such as... a The lady standing at the door.
"Theresa?"
"Lian! Are you here?" The sorceress seemed to have an instinctive aversion to such a scene, so she just stood at the door with her staff and did not move, but Ryan was just looking at Teresa's dress, and couldn't stop feeling Feel amazed.
Teresa is a standard beauty in every sense, especially her outfit today—a classical silk dress with canary flower carvings is worn on the woman's body, and a snow-white fox coat is draped over her shoulders. A pair of creamy pointed-toe strappy heels with sapphire-tipped toes sparkle in the longhouse.
A pair of black ultra-thin stockings were wrapped around the woman's calves, and her smooth and jade-like skin was even more beautiful through a layer of hazy stockings.
Stockings~ Ryan stared at the woman's calf in stockings twice more.
The sorceress's family is really rich.
Stockings are an invention of alchemy. This kind of alchemy product popular among women is an out-and-out luxury. It turns out that the production of stockings can only use unicorns from the Fairy Lake, the holy place of fairies in Lake Britannia. Fluff, or the best spider silk from the dark regions can be synthesized by alchemy. Silk stockings, a luxury that can not only modify the figure, protect the skin, but also cover up some shortcomings, have become crazily sought after and loved by noble women. of high-end goods.
Only in recent years, the Empire has finally made some breakthroughs in this field. For some reason, the Imperial Academy of Engineering also has the ability to produce silk stockings in a small amount, but Emperor Franz Friedrich ordered a ban on technology rumors, which flow into the market every year. The number of stockings is always very small. For example, Ryan remembers that his adoptive mother finally spent twelve gold dinars to get a pair. They are so precious that they will only wear them when participating in major events.
Ryan's gaze naturally caught the attention of the female sorceress. She found that the man's gaze was behind her calf and feet, and Teresa raised her slender crescent eyebrows: "You don't know that staring at a lady like this is very Isn’t it a gentleman? Mr. White Wolf Knight Ryan?”
"No, I was thinking what are you doing standing at the door, why don't you go in and find a seat?" Ryan asked curiously.
For some reason, the female sorceress felt secretly dissatisfied when she saw that the man didn't say much about her attire, and this dissatisfaction was quickly put into words: "After watching for so long, don't you plan to say something? ?”
"Uh, it's you who don't let me stare, and it's you who want me to stare, dear Teresa, you make it difficult for me." Ryan said helplessly, he took a deep breath, his face changed Seriously: "I can't find words to describe your beauty, I can only say that you are very charming today, Miss Teresa Trovik, may I have the honor to guide you to participate in this banquet?"
"Hey~ If those men can talk like you, the communication between Jialan and them may be much easier." The sorceress was finally satisfied.
"Tch~ If you, Jialan, can put away this awkward way of getting along, the communication between us and you will be much easier." Ryan complained mercilessly.
"I know, I know, I'm already changing it... Is there any quiet place? The smell in the house is a bit strong, and the sound is a bit loud." Teresa followed the man towards the house: "I don't want to go with the man. They were crowded together, and you came later than I thought."
"Yes, something happened temporarily, you come with me." Ryan took Teresa and walked inside. The longhouse is very deep, and the rows of tables and chairs are full of soldiers and local officials. Today The bloody battle at the pier made most people know this little-known rising star, and everyone raised their glasses to him, and Ryan raised his left hand to show a smile, indicating that he heard it.
At the end, Villard and his wife sat at the innermost long table. Besides, seeing Ryan coming, the lord in his fifties stood up: "An important guest is here! I Let me introduce to you, this is the son of my friend 'Bald' Norman, 'Sledgehammer' Ryan! He is also our hero today, the hero who won the battle at the pier today! Cheers!"
"Cheers!" A silver wine glass full of wine circulated in the hands of everyone at the long table. Everyone took a sip after getting the wine glass. Ritz just passed the silver wine glass to Ryan: "Mr. Ryan, please~"
"Thank you~" Ryan took the glass and took a sip.
Teresa's face turned green when she saw that Ryan was about to pass the wine glass over after finishing his drink. This silver wine glass had already been passed around the dining table. shrink back.
"Hahahaha~" Ryan laughed loudly, instead of handing the cup to Teresa, he passed her and handed the cup to the next person, and helped the sorceress explain: "She doesn't drink much, because this Bad for concentration."
The caster must concentrate on casting spells, and Ryan's statement is correct.
After several rounds of drinking, Villard gave an order, and the banquet began to move freely. Almost everyone stood up and raised their glasses in twos and threes. From what is popular in the upper class recently, to the war against the northern barbarians.
"No way, this is Nord's custom. Mr. Willard wants to show off his set of silverware, so according to the custom, everyone has to take a sip from the wine glass." Ryan was pulling Teresa and biting his ear: "Don't worry, I know you don't like it."
"Oh~ I've had enough, I really regret coming to this banquet, and I even dressed up for it." The sorceress' high heels are thin and long, and she stands behind Ryan: " My God, there are only three fireplaces in such a big room..."
"Is it cold?" Ryan led her to a fireplace, and the two men who were warming up by the fireplace immediately stepped aside knowingly, and gave the two people the position next to the fireplace.
"Sometimes this is the case. We need a reason to bring everyone together. A business, a transaction, and even some tacit understandings and contracts are negotiated in this environment." Ryan casually picked up from the side plate A chicken leg was broken off from the grilled chicken, and half of it was bitten off in one bite: "I'll go over there and have a look, you can rest."
"I understand this better than you!" Teresa watched the man walk away, and continued to lean against the fireplace to warm up. Her body has not recovered. Today's dress is really cold, especially without boots. Although the outer calves and jade feet are wrapped in stockings, they are nothing more than nothing.
It's just that her quiet time didn't last long, and was soon broken: "Beautiful lady, can I buy you a drink?"
The woman raised her head in displeasure.
Unexpectedly, the one standing in front of her...is a handsome guy. He has blue eyes, a high nose bridge, and the lines on his face look very harmonious. His black hair is tied into a small ponytail, and there is a band on one eye. Wearing a round frame lens, the whole person is wearing a set of imperial aristocratic costumes, loose shirts, tight pants and fashionable shoes, and a hat with white feathers on it.
Before Teresa could react, he began to introduce himself: "I am honored to introduce myself, my name is Ike, Ike-Albrecht, from the Empire, you can just call me Ike. "
"Okay, Mr. Ike, my name is Teresa, Teresa Trovik, thank you for your kindness, but..."
"I think I have to introduce myself to you, Ms. Teresa!" Who knew that this handsome guy didn't give the sorcerer a chance to refuse, and continued on his own: "I'm a knight... okay , an apprentice knight, but I already have my own horse, armor, and family crest, look!"
After speaking, Ike showed his family emblem to the sorceress. On his family emblem, a dove flew over a kite shield with a feathered arrow in its mouth.
"Thank you Mr. Ike, it's just me..."
"Let me tell you about my glorious deeds! Beautiful Miss Teresa! My story is long, and the most famous thing to say is the offensive and defensive battle of Wenle three years ago. I participated in that battle The war, followed by the white wolf knights, launched a charge towards that group of hateful barbarian bastards..." The handsome guy immediately talked about his glorious history.
It's over! Met a difficult person! Teresa rolled her eyes, and the sorceress' slender high-heeled shoes drew circles on the wooden floor of the house...