After several days of trekking, the team stopped at a narrow pass to take a break.
The young men from the church barely rested. They couldn't wait to take off their brand-new armor from the backs of the mules and horses, dress neatly with the help of the attendants, and package themselves into a large, shiny can.
More than a dozen pieces of the latest style full-body armor can't be obtained with money alone, not to mention that there are also customized components, including the relatively rare beak visor, which is inspired by the well-known doctor's mask.
The initial investment based on practical needs effectively gained widespread support for the new team leader. The members soon discovered that their boss was an easy-going and generous person.
They got this expensive gift in Dunling. Unfortunately, the difficult mountain road march was not suitable for adding more weight, and there were no wise forest thieves willing to come up and provide the opportunity to use it.
Until now, the convoy has finally arrived at its destination, and it needs a set of distinctive and ostentatious attire to show the spirit of the Knights, show respect for the owners of this land, and if necessary, serve as a deterrent to those with evil intentions behind the scenes.
Of course, they can't just run to someone's door, as that would cause a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings and fright.
The correct operating procedure is to send the most stable and reliable one among them first, with a letter delivered by the church, informing the visitor of his identity and intention, and leaving enough preparation time for the host.
Since both parties theoretically belong to the church system, some of the redundant and cumbersome steps can be reduced, but a polite and thoughtful welcome ceremony and subsequent banquet are still required.
Brother Raymond took over the task of delivering the message. While waiting boredly, Kraft began to look at the unfamiliar territory in front of him and make some preparations for the upcoming meeting.
This is a long and narrow mountain flatland, cut into three pieces by bifurcated streams, making the place that is not visually spacious appear even more limited.
The flat area within sight is almost entirely occupied by wheat fields, including the small castle at the intersection of water streams, leaving not much space.
The low castle tower appears to be even more financially disadvantaged than the Wood family. Even the fence has not been replaced by a stone wall, but there is an attached building that appears to be a small church, showing that the builder believed that Heavenly Father would bless him during the siege.
determination.
There are several old-looking trees dotted in the fields. Perhaps they were left because of their wide crowns, which are suitable for daily shade gatherings and also suitable for the attackers to use local materials for their siege equipment during wartime.
The reflective figure of the messenger was getting further and further away, like a silver coin rolling on a yellow-green satin, having already run more than half the distance.
Kraft still didn't see the sentry figure on the tower.
Perhaps there is another way to say hello: lead the eager newcomers directly onto their horses, speed up the charge midway, and within ten minutes they will be able to pick up the castle owner's ears and ask his dear heavenly father why he didn't help keep an eye on him.
This rude thought only stayed in my mind for a moment, really just a moment.
As the leader of the Knights, a compassionate and pious person, it is of course impossible for him to do such a thing to a believer in the Lord, but it does not prevent him from showing a relaxed smile from the bottom of his heart.
The unsuspecting plump sheep showed that there were no wild beasts around to pose a threat at all times, at least not on the surface.
Tall and precipitous mountains surround this outdoor peach garden. The pass they are currently on is actually more suitable for building a castle. They can easily isolate the inside and outside at half the cost of the project. The price is only that the surrounding mountains will make it impossible for the castle owner to enjoy it.
Sunlight most of the day.
Twelve members of the Knights have been armed and lined up on horseback. In Kraft's opinion, the level of riding skills still needs to be improved, but compared with when they set off, the rugged road section is obviously a good exercise for riding skills, at least there is no need to worry about accelerating.
Fell off the saddle.
The riders were more restless than the horses beneath them, and their small movements from time to time revealed that they were not as calm as they seemed. However, the discipline of church education maintained the order of the team.
Never doubt the expressiveness of a fledgling young man when he leaps on a horse and picks up a sword.
They did not wait long, as Redmond soon returned with the Prier family's butler and a formal invitation.
"The rookie who accidentally stepped into the wheat field will be responsible for the checkout at the next team dinner." Kraft shouted behind him, and was surrounded by cheering teams and rushed across the pass.
They didn't encounter anything to show off. Only occasionally did a farmer raise his head from the waves of wheat and look at the strange team passing by in amazement, as well as their two-winged Ouroboros emblem.
This heavy metal torrent, which felt like it could almost collapse the castle, slowly stopped in front of the fence, forcing the castle owner to break into a cold sweat.
Kraft can see traces of past exercise on his body, but most of them have been buried under his fat figure due to too long and comfortable days. The patterns of loose clothes are woven into the patterns of wings and angels with religious elements, and his movements
Show an enviable spontaneity.
"Welcome, distinguished guest brought by Heavenly Father." Baron Priyer's attitude was better than expected. It was the typical kind of church members who were connected by a sense of identity when they met, just like meeting a distant relative whose name cannot be remembered during the New Year.
.
"I didn't expect that one day this place would be remembered by the Holy See again. Everyone, please come in."
The rear team members were placed in the castle courtyard. The servants took the long table that had been idle for a long time and placed it in the open air. They washed it briefly and then served the food directly.
The formal members of the Knights followed him indoors, chatting with their master and discussing the bad road conditions and the changeable weather in the mountains.
The baron warmly invited the young group leader to sit side by side with him and share his favorite main course - several meat dishes made from unidentified small animals, seasoned with spices, and did not look like domesticated food.
The other food is essentially the same as outside, consisting of slightly better-made but not much better bread, hastily processed vegetable chowder, cured meats, and a small amount of dairy products with a fishy smell.
Kraft tasted a little as a courtesy and praised the local dishes for returning to nature and using natural ingredients. He cleverly provoked a new topic before the fungus dishes were served, changing the focus from food.
Regarding the change of hands of the monastery and surrounding properties under his care, the Baron did not show any displeasure, but rather looked forward to it, even though these things had been managed by the Prière family for most of his life.
"When I was a child, the territory was much more lively than it is now. The monastery would purchase daily consumables from us, fruits and vegetables that could not be grown by themselves, and wheat for storage and brewing."
"There are priests and monks coming and going, various motorcades, and even traveling merchants who are specially attracted here. Every year there is a market organized by the church nearby."
The slightly fat Baron was very restrained in drinking. Out of the family's religious atmosphere, he only took a few sips of the light home-brewed wheat wine, but the content of his complaints soon reached the level that most people would talk about after drinking Father Adrian's special brew from Port Solace.
Long time ago.
Perhaps because there was no outsider to talk to for too long, he talked about the prosperity brought by the church back then, and those memories of the past became more vivid as time went by.
It can be heard that the deepening of the relationship between Priyer and the church is a long process.
"Then, bang, suddenly there was such a year." He clapped his hands and spread them out helplessly, like a burst bubble, "There was nothing. The abbot of the monastery told my father that they were leaving this place."
Even though more than twenty years have passed, he can still see the unpretentious disbelief in his expression, "They just left, leaving the monastery, the surrounding land, and even the unharvested half-ripe wheat in our hands.
We do regular cleaning, probably because we are worried that some people with unclean hands and feet might steal something."
"As you know, our family is a devout believer in Heavenly Father, so we have always sent people to watch and no one has been allowed in. We thought it would return to normal in a few months at most."
"What happened next?"
"Later, this matter and the title were passed to me."
Fortunately, this Baron Priory was so pious that he regarded this as some kind of test and persisted to this day. He was curious, but anyway, there was no need to guard it personally, and there was no need to find out the truth.
"It seems that Heavenly Father has not forgotten his loyal servants, and the Holy See has sent you here." The arrival of the Knights has rekindled the Baron's hope for the future of the territory. In his opinion, this is undoubtedly a turning point.
Don't worry about anything else. It's obvious that these dozen suits of armor are here to do important things, and they also brought autographed letters signed by the archbishop and several bishops.
In fact, this is not wrong. The Knights also need to purchase supplies locally, hire local people to repair buildings, cultivate attached land, and build a large number of facilities. This means considerable tax revenue and a series of associated benefits for the local area.
He could feel the baron's emotion coming from the bottom of his heart, and Kraft was pleased that his new neighbor was not difficult to get along with, but he wanted to know more than that.
While the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves, the new owner of the monastery asked about the situation of his property: "Thank you for the hospitality. Speaking of which, we will soon have to start taking care of this old building that has not been open for more than 20 years. It will not be easy.
, do you have any suggestions?”
"I'm afraid it does take some time." The baron put down his wine glass and put the last piece of sauce-colored meat into his mouth with bread. "If you don't mind the simple conditions, I will be happy to invite you to stay in the castle temporarily."
"I will tell the men in charge of the garrison to go with you. No one knows the place better than them. You can ask everything you want to know."
"Thank you for your help." Kraft silently pushed the dish further away from him and casually mentioned, "Speaking of which, do you know why the monastery was closed back then?"
"Uh... I hadn't started taking over the family work at that time, so I wasn't very clear about it." A hint of embarrassment of not knowing about his own territory flashed across the Baron's face, and he searched for his rare memories to find some content to continue.
topic.
"I just remember that some time ago, I heard that there were a few minor accidents in the monastery, but they probably had nothing to do with them."
"Little accident?"
"It seems that the spire collapsed, and someone unfortunately died early. A certain monk suddenly became seriously ill and passed away. There was also a traveling merchant who delivered goods and made an unknown mistake on the road. Later, no body was found at the foot of the mountain..."
"I only know about three or four incidents, but similar accidents happen every year, at most they are slightly more frequent." The baron shook his head helplessly. These things were far from being the reason for the church to abandon the monastery.
"Perhaps there will always be a price for building the monastery closer to the Heavenly Father. You should also pay attention to safety when going up the mountain and be careful of the aging parts of the building. It is best to wait until the repairs are completed before moving in."