The convoy moved slowly.

The night outside Sika's territory is very dangerous.

Not only are there all kinds of ferocious beasts, but it is also the favorite time for bandits, even if the viscount constantly sends out patrols to clean up, it only maintains the safety of a few main roads.

And after the 'Black Plague', the situation has become even worse.

Except for the main road connecting Etaninburg, which was also able to ensure a certain amount of safety because of the royal patrols, the main roads of the rest of the towns in Sikaling had already become extremely dangerous at night.

People mostly choose to travel during the day and stay in towns at night, relying on more people to ward off danger.

If they could, Sika City was the main road connecting Etaninburg, and few people would choose to travel at night.

Because, it's not 100% safe here.

If it weren't for the large number of people gathered this time, no one would have ventured to hurry.

However, even so, it was still a group of guards from the big caravan patrolling back and forth.

Through the window, Pol looked at the guards on horseback, and his heart was unwavering.

Dangerous?

Pol wasn't worried at all.

Looking at Qin Ran, who was sitting opposite, Pol was very down-to-earth.

Maybe the road at night is dangerous, but as long as you follow the 'Demon of Fire', what are those so-called dangers?

It's completely not worth mentioning.

Therefore, at this time, Pol still has the leisure to add charcoal to the tandoor.

As soon as the charcoal was filled into the tandoor, a spark was immediately formed, and when the spark was about to float in the carriage, a teapot filled with water was placed on the tandoor.

Pol picked up the silver tea knife placed on the silk scarf from the tray on the side, carefully cut a small tea brick from a large piece of tea cake next to him, and put the small tea brick into it when the water was warm and about to boil.

After more than a dozen breaths, when the water in the pot boils, the tea leaves roll directly with the water.

The aroma of tea is pervasive.

Pol picked up the teapot.

"Etaninburgh has a special tea maker."

"I just don't know what it tastes like."

"I've heard from a few merchants at the border that the tea makers there are very fond of putting mustard in the tea, and according to the other party, it seems to be using the spicy flavor to set off the fragrance of the tea."

"There are also a lot of fish food in Etaminburgh, the most famous is the fish in the potato cake, and the fish must stand upright, the eyes are the best to look at the sky, the straighter the stand, the bigger the eyes, the more successful the dish."

While pouring tea for Qin Ran, Pol was talking about Etan Castle with interesting facts.

Of course, Pol did not forget to introduce the business at hand.

"It takes about two days and one night to get from Sika City to Etaninburg, and we set out at night, so it takes two nights and one day, but the road is difficult at night and we may need to spend a little longer."

"Unlike the border, from Molsa to Sika City, which are all plains, from Sika City to Etaninburgh, most of them are mountains, and only one outpost of Sika Territory and the border post of Etaninburgh can provide us with real rest."

"Among them, there is also a military camp in the border post of Etantoinburg, which is also an important guarantee that we can advance on this main road at night."

Qin Ran held the teacup and listened to Pol's narration.

His eyes were looking out the dark window.

For Etantoinburgh, Qin Ran has learned about it in the past two days.

Etantoinburg, the capital of the Kingdom of Etandine, with a population of more than one million, is not only the economic, political, and cultural center of the North Continent, but also the largest city in the entire North Continent.

However, compared to this city revered by the aborigines, Qin Ran paid more attention to Etandin VI.

This monarch who was attacked by the 'Black Plague' and faced a violent situation.

At the time of the Black Plague, the mighty Aitandine V was celebrating his exploits, unaware of the disaster that the expedition would bring to his kingdom.

And by the time the monarch came to his senses, it was inevitable.

Even the monarch himself was struck down by illness.

What's more, the monarch's only descendant was only seven years old, and some members of the royal family began to look at him.

Everyone can meet it, and the slightest mistake will lead to a civil war and even collapse of the entire Etandine Kingdom.

And at this time, the teacher of the only descendant of the monarch stepped forward.

The court teacher, known for his erudition, entertained all those of the royal family who were entitled to a banquet, in the name of 'inheriting the kingdom', and then ...... None of the people who arrived made it out alive, including their personal guards, who died in the banquet hall, and then the other party took control of the royal family's guards with lightning speed, and began to purge the royal family in the name of 'finding the root cause of the black plague', and more than 1,500 people were killed in a whole week.

Blood stained the court of Etaninburg red.

'Scarlet Week'!

This is the memory of the people of Etaninburgh.

When the killing stopped, the seven-year-old descendant became the new monarch.

The seven-year-old man, with the help of the court teacher, quickly stabilized the situation in the entire kingdom and began to clean up the source of cholera left in the south.

After consulting with the Temple of War, a team of Templars was sent to assist the kingdom's army.

An agreement was reached with the 'Lady of Calamity' to establish the first and only temple in Etantoinoburg.

No one thinks it's a kid who can do it.

They all thought that it was the work of the court teacher.

And then......

When the monarch was sixteen years old, the court teacher died.

Some say he died of illness.

Some say he was killed by illness.

Whatever he died, the majesty that belonged to the court teacher was all replaced by the young monarch.

People also began to call each other Aitandine VI.

Now thirty years have passed, and the other party is even more majestic.

The kingdom of Aitandine was even more unified in the north and south, with only remote islands, which had not yet been shrouded in the glory of the kingdom, but this did not affect the splendor of the monarch in the slightest.

It was even placed alongside Aitandine I.

Because, the other party did what Etandin I, and even the next four monarchs wanted to do but did not do: unify the south.

Of course, such a legendary monarch will naturally have many legends.

Many of them simply say that the other party is a 'child of God'!

As for who this god is?

But no one can say for sure.

In this regard, Qin Ran was noncommittal.

He was more concerned about the court teacher.

Because of the other party's appearance, magic, and disappearance, he has an inexplicable sense of familiarity: players!

Of course, Qin Ran couldn't be 100% sure.

But there is more than fifty percent certainty that the other party has a problem!

Maybe......

Is that the handiwork of the 'broker'?

Qin Ran groaned, his eyes slightly sideways, and looked at the front of the convoy.

At some point, the entire convoy stopped.

A few young men with torches were running briskly backwards, stopping every few steps and shouting to the convoy around them: "Leader, go to the front!" Meeting! ”

Soon, these people ran to the carriage that Qin Ran was riding.

Looking at Bol's carriage, which was not a low-grade carriage in Etaminople, these few people holding torches, it was not that some uninformed young man did not shout as rudely as before, but knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

"Hello, Your Excellency."

"Our caravan captain invites you to a meeting."

With a knock on the door, such words rang out.

"Okay, I got it."

Pol glanced at Qin Ran, and said immediately after Qin Ran didn't express any objection.

Several people who received an affirmative reply stepped back again, and the shout rang out again.

Listening to the shouting again, Pol shook his head helplessly.

"Someone wants to make up for the loss again."

Pol said.

Then, without waiting for Qin Ran to ask, he took the initiative to speak.

"In the few days that have been delayed in Sika City, every caravan will have more or less losses."

"Some guys are very unwilling to accept such a loss."

"So, they want to 'pass on' such losses."

"'Passing on'?"

Qin Ran was intrigued.

"Hmm."

"The big caravans charge a certain 'protection fee' to the smaller caravans, and some improvised caravans often do this, especially the guys from Mursa on the border, who regard this as a 'rule', and because of this, some bastards have changed their main business, believing that collecting the full amount of 'protection money' is a more promising career."

"And I've dealt with them before, and the results have been very unpleasant."

"They used my goods as a protection fee."

"I used their heads as compensation costs."

Pol nodded and explained, and then, with a smile, Pol smiled and pointed behind him, at the front of the convoy.

"This time is different, though."

"This way of calling people is too crude, it should be an improvised idea of a caravan from Etaninburg."

"Otherwise, the guards of these large caravans should fence up the entire caravan and then notify them."

As Pol's words fell, Qin Ran saw that someone in the convoy had suddenly left the team.

Those who broke away from the group were fast and well-organized.

Almost instantly, the horses pulling the cart rushed into the mountains and forests next to the main road.

"These guys are supposed to be from Border Moresa."

Pol affirmed.

After speaking, Pol looked at Qin Ran.

"Lord Colin, what are we going to do?"

Pol asked.

"Check it out."

Qin Ran pointed to the front of the convoy.

Pol was stunned.

According to Pol's understanding of Qin Ran, it is impossible for Qin Ran to be interested in such a thing.

Unless......

Suddenly, Pol thought of something.

But before Pol could ask, Qin Ran had already pushed the door and stepped out of the carriage.

"Look at the car."

Bol said to Ashcano, and quickly chased after him.

At this time, at the very front of the convoy, in an open space temporarily gathered by horse-drawn carriages, a bonfire had been raised, and a young man accompanying him was adding firewood to it.

A dozen early arrivals stood on one side, frowning at the three people across the campfire, their eyes full of unkindness, while the three people on the other side were smiling.

"Are you going to take advantage of the fire?"

One of the dozen men in a cloth hat and cotton coat yelled loudly.

The other party's emotions were very excited, and his cheeks became red with the roar.

The dozen or so caravan representatives standing behind the other party glared at each other with hatred.

If gaze could kill, the three people on the other side would have died countless times.

However, the three people who were smiling all the time didn't care.

They glanced at each other, and then one of the older men stepped out.

The gray rabbit skin hat and the same leather coat brought considerable warmth to the man, so that when the other party came out, he did not need to exchange his rickety body for warmth.

The other party's face was also very clean, without a little weather, the beard on his chin was even more neatly combed, and after the gentleman's cane in his hand lightly touched the ground, the other party spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

"We are all businessmen, businessmen seek profits, this is our nature, but we also want to be fair from the bottom of our hearts."

"So, I don't mean to persecute everyone."

"Someone just left the group, did we stop it?"

"Nope."

"I won't stop everyone from leaving, of course, everyone is welcome to join us, the price of 20 Kimpton is not an unaffordable amount for everyone."

The other party said clearly.

And as soon as the other party's voice fell, the representative of the other side of the seat spoke very simply.

"Who knows if you're not ready?"

"Or is it inexperienced?"

The other party's doubts were supported by the businessmen behind them.

"No kidding."

"As a caravan representative of Kate's comptoir, I have been running the road from Etaninburg to Border Molsa for 10 years, and I know exactly what is happening here."

"For example......"

"Didn't you ever charge some poor fellows correspondingly, similarly?"

The middle-aged man said, and the gentleman's cane in his hand pointed at the other party.

The other party who was pointed at his nose subconsciously shrank his neck.

In addition to instinct, the other party was completely taken aback by the identity of the other party.

Kate Comptoir, a comptoir within Etandine.

Headquartered in Etantoinople, its main business is minerals, and side businesses include but are not limited to newspapers, car dealerships, etc.

For these merchants, it is not an exaggeration to say that Kate Comptoir is a behemoth.

However, what really frightened the businessman representative was how the other party knew that he had done such a thing.

Looking at the other party who seemed to be smiling, and feeling the distrust of the partners in the same camp behind him, the merchant representative immediately said: "The price of 20 Kimpton is nothing for Kate Firm, but it is not a small number for a businessman like us!" ”

"yes, 20 Kimpton, that's too expensive."

"I'm only getting 30 Kimpton this time."

……

Hearing the shouts of the merchants behind him, the merchant representative breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that his sensitivity to numbers and interests made these people support him temporarily.

Even if you have a different idea in your heart, you won't bring it up at this time.

And that's enough!

Enough for him to use as capital for negotiations!

Thinking of this, the merchant representative wanted to speak.

However, the representative of Kate Comptoir was quicker to speak.

"So, for everyone's consideration, I've provided a backup plan-"

"The first person who is willing to pay me, I only charge half, which is 10 kimptons, and the second one I charge 11, all the way up to 20 kimptons."

"What do you think?"

"Our proposal is not excessive."

The representative of Kate & Co. spread out his hands and swept his eyes over the person in front of him.

When I saw these people looking at each other, and there was more vigilance in their eyes, I couldn't help but laugh in my heart.

Especially the guy who supposedly represents other people, looking at the other party's sluggish appearance, he is really afraid to laugh out loud.

Want to rely on a rabble to negotiate a price with him?

He let the rabble rebel in the nest.

However, the representative on the disadvantaged side reacted extremely quickly.

"I'm the first!"

Because standing in front of the merchants, relying on the advantage of distance, the other party rushed to the front of the representative of Kate Firm in one step, and the previous appearance of righteous indignation had long since turned into a flattering smile.

Ten Kimptons were handed out.

The people behind the other party were stunned.

Then there was a swarm.

Soon, the quota for the discount will be gone.

The few guys who were left running slower, very remorseful, had to pull out 20 Kimpton.

At this time, no one objected to the price.

Instead, he gloated and looked at the slow people who reacted, and a smug smile appeared on his face one by one.

When Qin Ran and Pol came over, they were immediately confronted with such a malicious gaze with mockery.

"There's no discount, you need to pay 20 Kimpton!"

Originally, as a representative of the disadvantaged party, he stood next to the representative of Kate Firm at this time and said directly.

Qin Ran's gaze swept over the other party, and then fell on the representative of Kate Firm.

"You're going to let me pay 20 Kimpton?"

Qin Ran asked.

"Everybody's handed it over."

"It's your turn."

The other party said politely.

Qin Ran nodded, the other party smiled and stretched out his hand, ready to collect the fee, and then, Qin Ran raised a foot and kicked the other party's face-

Bang!