Manid said two things in the letter, the first being that the purchase of horses was going well in Kugit. He drove down the price and bought twenty steppe horses and steeds from herdsmen, all of which were of strong physique, but lacked combat training.

In addition, from a thousand households, he bought four steppe war horses. The teeth and mouths are a little old, and the running may not be so fast, but the temperament is good. Can be used as a spare horse for heavy cavalry.

He spent less than 3,000 dinars on these horses, and the price was not bad, and even if he turned around, he could earn five or six hundred.

The second thing is the reason why Manid has not returned. He ran into a little trouble when he was in Kugit, and the backstage forces of the black merchant who had been robbed by Byron had taken action against Manid.

Not only did all kinds of obstacles prevent the peony mercenaries from buying horses, but there was even an armed conflict.

In desperation, Manid had no choice but to go to the borders of the Salander Sultanate to procure the remaining horses, and then make a detour back to Svadia from that force.

But Manid really made a big deal out of his trip. At the horse market on the border between Kugit and Salander, Manid encountered a group of mercenaries driving horses.

They rode first-class horses, and sold the best horses of Salander and Kujit.

Although some of the horses were unknown, Manid was intrigued.

He also discovered that the mercenaries were also looking for work and were happy to join a team of mercenaries who offered a high price.

Manid inquired, the captain of this group is called Kenrad, and he has more than 20 mercenary cavalry in armor, as well as more than 20 mercenary riders of level 4 and Salander riders. This group wandered back and forth between the three countries of Swadia, Salander, and Kugit, and they did not do black work, and they were very trustworthy, so they had a great reputation.

When Byron read this, he thought carefully about the name Kenrad, and there was no place for him among the heroes of Calradia. However, it seems that I have heard it in some places, and the strength should be good.

Byron continued to read, and the rest of the content was probably that Manid was an ordinary businessman, and the other party naturally looked down on him, but they had also heard of the Peony mercenary, and they also saw the wealth of the Peony mercenary from Manid's generous hand that bought more than 30 of their good horses in one go.

So they returned together with Manid, wanting to talk to Byron about the terms of employment, and if appropriate, they would join the Peony mercenaries. Of course, it is necessary to sign a contract for a specified period, and the contract is automatically invalid if the salary is not paid.

Byron put down the letter and praised Manid to himself, and knowing that he needed elite soldiers, he returned with a troop of cavalry.

And the task of buying horses is also very good, fifty or sixty good horses of all kinds, and there are still a lot of extra horses to spare after making up for the previous losses.

Byron immediately sent Phatis with a detachment of cavalry to pick up Manid and them, and by the way to see what that force was like.

Byron, on the other hand, continued to live in the bondage of Dehrim, reading books, attending aristocratic banquets, and going outside the city every once in a while to train in equestrianism. Now Byron is in Dehrim, and he can be regarded as a figure with a head and a face. Even during competitive tournaments, the Earl would invite Byron to participate.

There were even some merchants who began to introduce their daughters to Byron, who took a fancy to Byron's military power and his assets in Decherim. If Byron is alive, then they can benefit from it. Even if Byron died, his wife would inherit his fortune, which was still attractive to these merchants.

Of course, Byron naturally coped with these introductions, and he really looked down on these rich people and their daughters. If he could be free to fall in love, Byron would naturally be happy. Even if he couldn't fall in love freely and marry politically, Byron wanted to marry the daughters of those aristocratic families, which would be more beneficial for him to achieve his goals.

But when Fattismanid returned with the troops, Byron put aside other things and turned down an invitation to a banquet. Considering that the other party was an experienced mercenary, Byron put on chain mail, put on an expensive velvet coat over it, and dressed like a baron going to battle.

In this way, Byron can look a lot more imposing, and his exposed financial resources can also make the other party look high. For mercenaries, an employer with money is often more important than an employer with status.

Outside of Decherim, near Byron's farmstead, Byron met the mercenary captain named Kenrad and his elite cavalry.

The man looked to be in his thirties, just when he was at his strongest. He has broad shoulders and bulging muscles, making him very burly.

And Byron saw that his legs were as strong as iron rods, and his ass was large, which was tempered by a man who had been fighting on horses for a long time.

He rode on a sturdy red warhorse with a riding spear and a two-handed sword strapped to his back, which was supposed to be his favorite weapon. When he got off his horse, the big man who was 1.90 meters tall was a little more fierce than John, and his aura was very strong.

And the cavalry behind him were also wearing full armor, and each had several spare weapons. There are also Salanders with orange turbans and robes, with scimitars pinned to their waists, which is very desert-like.

"Captain Byron of the Peony Mercenary Team, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kenrad, and the ones behind me are my brothers. You bought our horses and we sent them over. But if you want to hire us, we'll be happy to do so, as long as the price is right. ”

Kenrad also got straight to the point, and directly asked Byron if he wanted to hire them.

Byron looked at it and saw that the face, which was full of fortitude and had been deeply marked by the wind and sand, gave people a sense of integrity and strength from the outside. Of course, from the point of view that he doesn't take on black work as a mercenary, this view is also very close.

"You are all good soldiers, I very much hope that you will join us, as for the benefits...."

Byron called Manid, asked about the approximate remuneration of the mercenary team and the local mercenary market, and after thinking twice, decided to give the other party 5,000 dinars, and they would have to work with Byron for at least two years. And during these two years, these mercenaries can still receive Byron's salary, and they can also get loot.

And Kenrad also discussed it with his soldiers, and in the end they all felt that Byron's offer was not bad, and it seemed that working in this mercenary team would not seem boring or endless fighting, and it would be a good place to go.

Kenrad eventually signed a contract with Byron and accepted Byron's silver coins. However, he added that if Byron couldn't pay the minimum salary, then they could choose to leave. Byron, on the other hand, corrected it a little so that they could not leave casually.

The contract was signed, and Byron's strength was raised to another level.