The road is dusty and hasn't rained for a few days, but it's a good thing for travelers, if it's a rainy autumn season, the muddy roads are cold and wet, and travelers prefer dry weather and roads.

"Where are you going?" The travelers sometimes stopped to talk to each other, looking for someone to be with, and the long journey was fraught with dangers, and robbers, wild beasts, and nobles were all things that the traveler feared.

"Go to Burgundy." The man leading the horse, wearing a gray cloak, and in the shadow of the hood was a resolute face.

"What a coincidence in Burgundy, let's go there, the road is not smooth, why don't we go together!" The man who spoke was an old merchant with silver hair and a merchant's turban.

"We're just ordinary travelers, why invite us?" Dressed in a cloak was none other than Arrod, Duke of Mecklenburg, dressed as an ordinary traveler, with a cane in his hand, clumsy shoes on the pavement, and Harvey and Miss Shirley at his side, a combination of a man and two women, which would be strange to anyone.

"It's safer when there's a lot of people, and your female partner looks tired." The old merchant shrugged his shoulders, he sat down in the carriage, and said condescendingly to Arrod.

"Hmm." Arold looked at the caravan, there were six people in all, there were men running errands, and there were also caravan guards, and their pack horses carried some goods.

"I'm so tired, move around." Harvey jumped into the carriage and sat next to the old man, Arold insisted that he should be like a real traveler, armed with only two horses, and that the horses should carry their luggage, so that the animals should not be overworked. So Harvey and Shirley could only walk.

"Okay, you go up too." Arrod gestured to Miss Shirley.

The caravan continued on its way, and the old man seemed to enjoy talking to Arrod, and it was evident that the old merchant had traveled to many places, according to his own words, whether they were the Viking barbarians of the north. or the nomads of the east, with whom they did business.

"As long as you follow their customs, you can make a business." The old man said with a smile, his happy appearance was somewhat similar to Santa Claus, and Arold would say a few sentences from time to time.

"Elder, you said that you have done business with the Magyars in the east, and that they are really stronger than all the tribes of East Francia?" Arrod had an idea and asked the old man.

"Virgin Mary, I have never seen a tribe more adept at riding horses than they are. Even their three-year-old children were able to ride on their foals, and once the Khan marched, it was as unstoppable as the waves. The old man said to Arrod.

"Damn it, those Magyars extort a lot of tribute from us every year, and they are a bunch of filthy robbers." Another merchant complained that although the king and the clan dukes would pay tribute to the Magyars in exchange for the fact that the Magyars would not advance westward. But the aristocracy often put this part of the tax on the merchants.

"You don't hate, the nobles who blackmailed you." Harvey turned to the grumbling young businessman.

"You. Hum. The young merchant turned his head angrily, ignoring Harvey's scolding.

"You're right, but who made them nobles, hoping that the new king would reduce his taxes." Of course, the old merchant knew the oppression of the nobles, but no one could resist them.

"Even if the king is willing to reduce the tax, every prince will not reduce it. As a result, we suffered. The red-bearded merchant, who had been silent, couldn't help but join the discussion, and indeed came up with the king's tax, as well as the toll tax of every territory, which made the merchants cry bitterly.

"These are fine. What I am most afraid of is that some nobles will rob the road with swords, and the local sheriff will not dare to take care of it, so we can only let us bear the losses ourselves. The young merchant quickly forgot about his words with Harvey and picked up the conversation.

"I heard that the Duke of Mecklenburg in the north has abolished the toll tax, so you can go there to do business." Miss Shirley listened to everyone's discussion and couldn't help but join in.

"What? Is there really a nobleman willing to abolish the toll tax? Hearing Miss Shirley's words, the merchants couldn't help but look at each other, they couldn't believe that there were really nobles who gave up to the point of fat.

"It's definitely a rumor." The young merchant shook his head, and he said in disbelief.

"Is it a rumor, won't you know when you go and see it yourself?" Harvey sneered.

"You, if you were my woman, I'd definitely give you some color." Harvey's words finally angered the young businessman, and he waved his fist angrily and said to Harvey, but Harvey and Arold didn't care.

"Oh, then I'll really wait and see." Harvey grinned at the young businessman, this level of provocation really didn't take her seriously, especially a young man who didn't have any hair.

"That's enough, how did I warn your Bud, if you get me into trouble, don't follow me anymore." The old man said angrily, and the young merchant Bud immediately fell silent.

"Don't make any noise, look ahead." The middle-aged businessman with a red beard said to everyone with a pale face.

In the middle of the green forest path, a large tree hugged by two people fell, blocking everyone's way, and the experienced merchants immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"Get your weapons out." The older merchant said to the caravan guard, and the caravan guard with spears hurriedly stepped forward, and the merchants also took out their own self-defense weapons, and Arold looked around vigilantly with the wooden stick in his hand.

"Ladies, go to the back." The old merchant said to Harvey and Shirley.

"Go ahead." Harvey and Shirley looked at Arrhod, who nodded at them and handed Harvey the reins of the horse, which was not worth much, but the medicine it was carrying on its back.

"Can you wield a sword?" Bud walked up to Arrod, looked disdainfully at the stick in Arold's hand, and asked Arrod.

"I have this." Arold smiled slightly, and clenched the cane and stick in his hand.

"Here's this, it's shorter, but it's much better than a stick." Budd's brow furrowed, and he pulled out a dagger from his waist and handed it to Arrod.

"Cuckoo, cuckoo~~~." At this moment, the cuckoo call came from the hillside on both sides, this call was very abrupt, Arold raised his head and looked at the sides, this is really a good place for ambush, but I don't know how many people there are on the other side?

"Arold, they're coming." Harvey whispered to Arold.

As soon as Harvey's words fell, there was a rustle of grass and trees from both sides, and a shout was heard, and several robbers jumped out of the grass by the roadside, wearing leather armor, holding swords in their hands, and daggers hanging from their waists, and they stopped in front of the caravan one by one. (To be continued.) )