A cavalryman rode his horse through a rocky valley, and despite his skill, he carefully controlled his speed because of the difficult terrain, so as not to accidentally crash into the rocky walls.

Before he had reached the narrowest part of the valley center, he had already been spotted by the men who were guarding on one side of the valley, and when he came to the place where the Bohemians gathered, two men immediately met him.

"Bring some news, look like you're going to attack the Kosencha." Nashan, who was walking in front, asked the messenger, "How is it over there in Baofka?" ”

"Nashan, those Kosencha people may really be coming," the Bohemian who reported the news lay on his horse and gasped, "Bofka asked me to inform you that it is best to prepare, he can't stop the Kosencha people there, everything depends on you." ”

"Of course, look at me here, that guy from Baofka is at best pretending to scare people," Nashan said disapprehantly, "Go back and tell Baofka that I'm ready here, as long as he doesn't make the Kosencha people think it's too easy to get suspicious of rushing through him." ”

Seeing the messenger panting and turning away, Nashan groaned and said to his companions, "Go and bring that captive of ours, I have something to ask him." ”

"Who's that kid?" The bohemian asked curiously, "You've never been so troublesome before, and if you want to know anything, you just need to use a knife and a red-hot soldering iron." ”

"Go and bring him," Nathan did not reply to his companion's words, but urged, and when he saw his companion's puzzled look, he added, "We need to know something from him, and if he refuses to tell the truth, I will use a knife and a soldering iron." ”

Alexander was not locked up with the two of them, but sat alone under the tree in a daze, and although no one was watching, he remained motionless until the Bohemians came to him.

"Who are you?" The bohemian looked at Alexander with some curiosity, and shrugged his shoulders indifferently when he saw that although he raised his head, he didn't mean to speak, "It's okay if you don't say it, Nashan has a way to make you speak." ”

"Is he going to see me?" Alexander stood up, he had been sitting under the tree for a long time, looking at the distant sky had turned pale white, and thinking about Nashan wanting to see him at this time, Alexander had already roughly guessed what was going on.

Seeing Alexander with red eyes walking up, Nashan crackled the whip on the outside of his thigh, and the Bohemian, who was familiar with his habits, whistled slightly.

"If Nashan is really worth so much money, don't take his life." The bohemian walked up to Nashan and whispered.

"I just want to know something from him." Nathan gestured to Alexander for him to come with him, then turned and walked out into the valley alone.

Alexander silently followed, and when they came to the bottom of the rugged valley, Nashan pointed to the steep slopes on either side with his horsewhip: "Do you think that if you prepare an attack on the Kosencha here, you will succeed?" ”

Alexander looked to both sides and nodded, then shook his head and said, "You won't succeed, the Kosentsa already know that you will be ambushed here, and they can't be fooled." ”

Nashan said noncommittally, and then looked at Alexander: "I know, they shouldn't be so stupid, otherwise they wouldn't have been killed by someone else before we came, if I'm not mistaken, you're sent here by the Kosencha people to see if there are ambushes, right?" ”

Alexander did not deny that he was waiting for the words below Nashan.

From the time he admitted that he was Sophia's husband, Alexander had been wondering what Nashan was going to do, and now that Nashan was not at all surprised by the appearance of his men on the top of the mountain, he knew that Nashan must have guessed their purpose.

In other words, Nashan was not surprised that the Kosencha had already seen through their plan to ambush them at the Vulture Cliff.

"Listen, I can let you go," Nashan looked at Alexander, "of course not because I have mercy on you, but as I said, I will let you bear the pain of losing my daughter with me." Now I want you to tell me how many people the Kosencha people will expel to break through the blockade of Bofka. ”

Alexander looked at Nashan, at first he really didn't understand what Nashan was trying to do, but now listening to him ask, Alexander suddenly realized that both himself and the others in Kosenza seemed to have made a very important mistake.

It was important for the people of Kosencha to protect the plains of the Agri River, which was a storage ground for grain, but what if for some people the castle of Kosença itself was enough to counteract the effect on the plains along the Agri River?

From the beginning to the end, they only thought about the threat of these Bohemian mercenaries to Cosenza, even if they later guessed that these people were instructed by some people in Naples, they still thought that these Bohemian mercenaries were their opponents, but they didn't think about what would happen if someone from Naples was directly involved?

"That man, that man in the mask!" Alexander suddenly remembered, although he knew that the man should know him so he insisted on killing him, but now he suddenly felt that the appearance of that person should be more than simply sent to see how the Bohemians attacked Cosenza, "Tell me who is going to take the opportunity to take Kosenza?" ”

"You don't need to know this," said Nashan impatiently, "I didn't spare your life to make you bargain with me. ”

"Tell me!" Alexander was a little anxious, he realized that he had made a big mistake, perhaps because of this mistake, both Kosenza and Jossa were about to be in danger, and all his plans might fail completely before they could be implemented: "I'm going to Sophia, I need the help of the Kosencha people." ”

"Shut up," Nashan said with a hideous look on his face, "don't always talk about my daughter, you are a Gaj, maybe you do feel pain for my daughter, but it would be wrong to think that I don't understand your cunning." ”

"The Countess of Cosenza is the sister of the Count of Mordillo of Naples, and if I help Cosenza now, I will be able to get the Count's help, and then I will be able to go to Sophia with all my might," Alexander could only use this reason to impress Nashan at this time, he did not know how Sophia's father could have become the leader of this large number of Bohemian mercenaries as a gypsy, but now it was clear that these Bohemians were found by Mordillo's enemies.

"Duke?"

Thinking of Mordillo's enemies, Alexander was almost certain that the person who summoned these Bohemian mercenaries should be Duke Frederick, but where Frederick got so many Bohemians was no longer something he could think of.

"Is it Duke Frederick, he sent you to attack Cosenza," Alexander said to himself anxiously, and then he suddenly opened his mouth slightly as if thinking of something, "Wait a minute, he asked you to lure the Kosenza guards out of the castle, and then whether they succeed or not, they will surround and ambush them at the Vulture Cliff, and then his own men will take advantage of the opportunity to take Kosenza." ”

Nashan's eyes flashed with a hint of strangeness, he didn't expect this Gajie to guess so quickly, although things may not be exactly as he said, but in general they are not far behind.

"You're smart, but none of this has anything to do with you, now I want to know how many people there are in Kosenza, and then I can just keep them here." Nashan looked at the anxious Alexander unmoved, "And I advise you not to run around now, someone wants your life, although I want to kill you, but I don't want you to die in the hands of others." ”

"That's right, the Duke's men." Alexander whispered, he kept walking back and forth, anxiously calculating, he knew that Nashan would not listen to him, this gypsy was not only more stubborn than he thought, but also more cunning, otherwise he would not have been able to gather such a team of mercenaries who seemed to be of extraordinary strength.

Thinking of this, Alexander's heart suddenly moved, he looked back at Nashan and said, "Nashan, if I promise to get you and your people more paid, that is, no matter how much you get from the duke, you can have other rewards, can you help me?" ”

Nashan looked at Alexander coldly, and after a while he spoke: "You are very smart, you should almost know who your opponent is, so how can you still have such confidence that you can pay me a reward, Kosencha is finished." ”

"No, not yet!" Alexander said in a fierce voice, "The man who hired you knows who he is and his ambitions, but I also know what he does not know." Maybe he can get away with it now, but I can stop him. Even if I can't, the king of Naples can stop it. ”

"What does that have to do with me?" "That's a Neapolitan business, and for us there are enough florins." ”

"I can give you more florin," said Alexander in a tone of non-questioning, "and don't forget that the man is only a duke after all, and his enemy is not just Modillo, but also the king of Naples." Both of these people are rich, really rich, and you can get paid from them equally. ”

"Wait a minute, you mean the king of Naples? Ferdinand? Nashan's expression changed a little, and there seemed to be a slight stunned look on his face, and then he shook his head a little blankly, "But this doesn't make sense, you must know that it is the queen's nephew......"

Sweat was already pouring out of Alexander's forehead, and he didn't know how Nashan had suddenly become a little distraught.

When he was anxious to interrupt Nashan's thoughts, Nashan suddenly said, "Gaj, tell me that Duke Frederick has a bad relationship with the king?" ”

"Of course not, he and his son are thinking about how to be king all day long," Alexander explained helplessly, "so you can get more rewards for helping Cosenza than you think, Cosenza, Modillo and the king will all want to see Frederick fail." ”

Nashan nodded, as if he had already received an answer.

"I can't let my mercenaries help you," but his next words immediately disappointed Alexander, "My people don't just take his florin to listen to his orders, some of these things are complicated. ”

An unconcealable disappointment rose over Alexander, who had not expected that all that he had said would still be useless, and that even a lot of money could not impress this stubborn gypsy.

"However, because it's a bit complicated, I want you to tell you everything you know." Nashan suddenly continued, with a strange look on his face, and seemed to be a little impatient, "Tell me what the Duke is going to do, and if I am willing to help him, will I really get the king's payment." ”

Alexander was surprised, he was already completely disappointed but seemed to have another chance all of a sudden, although he didn't know how Nashan suddenly figured it out, but at this time he really didn't have time to think so much.

"The king is already in poor health, and it is known that he may not live long, but the king himself does not think so, and the Count of Mordilo does not want to see Frederick become king. If you can defeat the Duke, you will definitely get more in return from them than you think. After Alexander finished briefly, he stared at Nashan.

He knew that success was the only thing he could do.

Nashan looked at Alexander seriously, the whip in his hand couldn't help but pat his side, and then he shook his head: "My people can't help you," Alexander's face just showed unconcealed disappointment, and he continued, "My people are not just mercenaries, they belong to the royal guard of the King of Bohemia, and the queen they are loyal to is the aunt of the father of the current King of Naples, Ferdinand." ”

"What?" Alexander looked at Nashan in surprise: "You mean the queen of the King of Bohemia, the sister of Ferdinand's father, Alfonso II and Duke Frederick?" ”

"Probably you said this man's sister, so my Bohemian soldiers can't help you. But," said Nathan, "my people are different, they are my people, and though they are also the king's soldiers, they prefer to listen to me. ”

"Wait a minute, you're talking about your people," Alexander vaguely understood, and it was clear that Nathan was not talking about the Bohemian soldiers, but about his own gypsies.

"But there aren't many of them, and it's of little use to you," Nashan reminded, "If the Kosentsa are really out of the city by this time, and the castle is gone, what else can you do?" ”

"I don't need to protect the castle," Alexander whispered, "I just need to protect one person." ”

"Alright then, I hope you know what you're doing." Nathan looked at Alexander deeply, took out a wooden whistle from the leather bag around his waist and blew it.

With a nightingale-like whistle, soon a Bohemian dressed in the same costume as Nashan ran over: "Chief, did you call me?" ”

"Call our man and do what this man commands." Nashan simply commanded.

The gypsy looked at Alexander with a little confusion, and immediately turned and quickly disappeared into the rubble.

"I believe you this time, it's complicated, and you don't expect to know too much," Nashan stared into Alexander's eyes, "but I want to warn you not to deceive me, and you promised to go to my daughter, if I find out that you have deceived me, otherwise even if Sophia will resent me in the future, I will not spare you." ”

"I know." Alexander turned to leave.

"Gajer!" Nashan suddenly stopped him from behind, "You haven't told me what your name is." ”

"Alexander, Alexandre Giulient Gombray."