Around the city of Victor, there are endless fields of wheat and weeds, many of which have been harvested and only a stump remains, and the newly planted corn is green and growing very well.

A large river runs from east to west throughout the plain of Wittun, which is a tributary of the upper reaches of the River Knight, and is called the East River River because it flows from the east. When the East Nite River flows through the royal capital, it merges with the West Nette River flowing from the west side, forming the Knight River with the widest river surface and the largest water volume on the mainland.

In the middle of summer, the snow melts on the snow-capped plateau, which makes the East Nate River abundantly watered and moistens this fertile plain.

The river flowed quietly, and the banks were lined with tall reeds and weeds. A wide road is built along the river, stretching endlessly among the woods and weeds.

The weather in July was a bit hot and dry, and the sun was shining on the ground, giving off a strong smell of grass everywhere.

Cook and Rossabar lurked in the weeds beside the roadside, quietly watching the road and waiting for the bandits to appear. The sun hung high overhead, large beads of sweat slid down their cheeks, sweat drenched their shirts, but they still squatted motionless in the grass.

Rochabal was a little unbearable, he wiped the sweat from his face, found a topic and asked Cook, "Lord Knight, isn't Miller's wine sold out yet?" ”

A locust flew over Cook's head, and Cook reached out and patted it away, answering Roshabal and saying, "Well, it should be almost sold today." ”

Rochabal couldn't stand the heat anymore, he sat on the ground and muttered, "It's too hot this day, the bandits shouldn't come out at this time, right?" ”

Cook was alert, and he suddenly gestured to Rochabal to signal that something was going on on the road.

Rossabar immediately got up from the ground and looked up slightly.

From the direction of Victorian on the road, a caravan of horses laden with sacks of flour under the banner of the First Duke's Palace. It seems that this is the territory's grain transportation team, and it is estimated that it was sent to the warehouse of the royal capital.

Rosabar watched the road closely, carefully examining the grass on both sides of the road.

As the convoy got closer and closer, the silence was broken by the sound of wheels, and the wheezing of the horses could be heard from time to time.

When the convoy swayed to the west side, suddenly there was a shout of killing from a distance, and a large group of thieves appeared in the grass and rushed towards the convoy desperately.

Cook rushed out with a leap, followed closely behind him by Rossabar and the hundred knights. Cook was full of fighting spirit, and led the knights to the road, along which he quickly headed west to support the convoy.

The bandits were stunned, they didn't expect that there was a bandit brigade ambushed here, and everyone scattered in a panic.

The thieves who had been waiting for them to come, where did Cook allow them to escape like this!

At Cook's beckoning, he and Rochabal each led dozens of knights to separate and surround the fleeing bandits, capturing them one by one from the weeds.

The bandits were not fierce at all, and when they saw the knights chasing after them, they were so frightened that they curled up on the ground and laid down their weapons one after another.

However, Cook was very disappointed with the bandits in front of him, seeing that they were ragged and only armed with hoes and sickles, and it was clear at a glance that they were not really bandits, but a group of hungry refugees.

The war in the kingdom has been going on for two years, and food is scarce everywhere, because many people are starving to death in the wilderness! Cook knew that they were forced to do so because of hunger, and that they were just some of the most ordinary poor people. Cook remembered his father's advice when he set out, and it turned out that his father had long known about the situation in the kingdom and knew that there would be refugees who would be forced to do so in order to live.

Cook's face was full of sorrow, and he asked the refugees: "Where are you from, why did you rob the convoy of Widton's territory, you must know that this is a capital crime!" ”

A hungry middle-aged man raised his head slightly, and pleaded in a sad tone: "Lord Knight, we used to live in Luo Khan, but the barbarians took over our homeland, and we were forced to flee here. The food we brought with us had already run out, and half of the people died on the road, all of them starved to death. We didn't mean to offend the convoy in the territory, but we're hungry, so please get something to eat, knight! ”

Cook had a benevolent heart, and he frowned and asked, "You have all come to Widun, didn't the First Duke's Palace send someone to settle you, how could you starve?" ”

The man shook his head bitterly, and replied sadly, "Don't say anything about the settlement, they suspect that we are spies sent by the barbarians, and they won't even let us enter the city gate." ”

"How can it be?" After hearing this, Cook was furious, turned around and yelled at the leader of the convoy: "What's the situation with you in Victoria, why don't you let the refugees into the city?" ”

The leader of the team was an elderly nobleman, and when he heard Cook say this, he hurried over and pulled Cook to the side of the grass.

"Lord Cook, don't you know, the kingdom is struggling right now, food is very scarce everywhere, and the army at the front has to rely on our food from Victoria to replenish it. There are more and more refugees right now, and if we let out our voices to accept these refugees, then everyone will come to us at Victory, and we will not have so much food to provide them. ”

Cook asked rhetorically, "Won't you settle them well?" They are all farmers, and they also cultivate wheat. ”

The nobleman lamented, "Oh, my Lord Cook. At present, the military situation is so urgent, Luo Khan and Yuguan are in danger, of course, we have to ensure the supply of military rations as soon as possible. These refugees can't fight, and they spoil their food, so what do our knights eat? Besides, settling them is not a matter of words, if you don't say anything, you have to raise them for half a year, and they can grow food after half a year, who can wait. ”

The nobleman's words were not unreasonable, looking at this group of hungry refugees, Cook had nothing to do.

Then Rossabar came over, and he consulted with the nobles, saying, "Otherwise, you can get a few bags of flour down, and let them survive these days, and then let them go to the mountains to find a place to settle down, and there will be plenty of food in the woods, so that they will not starve to death in the wilderness." As for the few bags of flour, when you go back to the royal capital, you report it to the Duke, and say that the bandit brigade made you do it. ”

"Done!" The nobleman replied cheerfully, because he knew that Cook and Duke Connor had an extraordinary relationship, and these bags of flour were not worth mentioning at all.

After much deliberation, the refugees were finally given 10 sacks of flour, and they knelt down in front of Cook and kept prostrating in thanksgiving.

The nobleman got on the carriage and horse, and said with a smile to Cook before leaving: "Lord Cook is really a competent knight captain, who loves the people and is loved by the people, and if the nobles of our kingdom can be like you, then why can't we drive away these barbarians." Farewell, everybody! ”

After saying that, he raised his horsewhip and directed the carriage and horses to continue their journey westward.

Watching the convoy of the territory leave far away, Rosharbal was very depressed, and he asked Cook, "Lord Knight, we have been guarding here for almost ten days, and we are only waiting for a group of refugees to come, so it is not a way to go on like this." ”

Cook was also depressed, he sighed and said, "Well, that's weird. Before we came, there would be bandits every two or three days, and when we came to Victoria, we couldn't see even half of a bandit in this area. How I felt that these bandits were very unusual, as if they knew we were coming. ”

Rossabar echoed indignantly: "That's not it, there have been three groups of bandit suppression brigades in Victoria before, and each time it was the same as now, and in the end I had to return empty-handed. ”

Cook lifted the sword in his hand, snorted and put the sword back into its scabbard, looked up and sighed, "This will definitely not work, I have to go back to Widden to talk to Miller, with his wisdom there must be a better way." ”

"Okay!" Rossabar also put away his sword, turned around and ordered the knights to return to the city and prepare to return to the city.

Cook approached the refugees and shouted to the dozens of them: "You are all people of the kingdom, because the war has caused you to starve, and you are forced to do so. The legal code of our kingdom also talks about human feelings, this time I will let you go, I hope you will not do this again in the future, that will kill your head! ”

The refugees bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes, without any ambiguity.

Cook nodded and said, "All right, you take this flour and go to the place in the mountains and forests to settle down." There is prey and wild fruit in the woods, and you will not starve to death. When the kingdom drives out the barbarians, you will be settled again. ”

After hearing Cook say this, the refugees kowtowed in thanks, and then got up and slowly left together.

When the refugees were far away, Cook flew on his horse, kicked up a cloud of dust on the road with his knights, and headed straight for the city of Widden to the east.