"There's no place in Brandenburg for a caravan like ours." Steward Bosi smiled self-deprecatingly, "You go on and go out of the north gate where there is a special place for caravans to camp. The old man in the caravan will arrange everything, and you don't need to worry. As for me, I need to check out the current situation of the other caravans so that I can correct the next route. I'll catch up with you later. ”

After saying this, the steward of Bosi then led several of his cronies out of the caravan and walked to the low bungalows on either side of the road. Although the overall appearance of the houses in this area is very simple, they are made of brick and stone slabs. This is a far cry from the first one, and many houses made of wood, tarpaulin, and thatch feel much better.

The reason why the caravan would have to revise the final trade route after passing through the Brandenburg Fortress. That's because this is the only place where you can get the first-hand information left by the caravan. As mentioned earlier, if the caravan's chosen clan has already been passed by other caravans, the deal is often difficult to conclude and has to be turned to be like a clan.

After all, each nomadic tribe has a limited need and what they can trade. Once the other caravans have seized the opportunity, then for a long time, there will naturally be no demand in this regard. So investigate which tribes have already been there and when they made the deal. This became what every caravan heading to the steppe had to know.

In order to prevent latecomers from running too many unjust roads in vain, of course, it is more for their own convenience in the future. Every caravan returning from the steppe registers its tribe and time in Brandenburg. Although this approach could not make the later caravans absolutely not take the wrong path. But going is enough to reduce the caravan a lot of unnecessary attrition.

Of course, this approach also brings another problem, that is, as long as there are qualified agents, the horse thief interceptor caravan is often much less difficult to come. With this information, the horse thieves were able to speculate on the course of the caravans. Although it is not possible to determine which way the other party will go. But at least a significant number of options can be ruled out. This is at least more labor-saving than pulling a net to search for people aimlessly on the vast prairie.

Still, for the benefits it brings, the caravan leaders felt that it was worth it. So over the years, it has fed a group of staff in Brandenburg who are dedicated to this business. And they traded in a low house on the side of the road.

In Barrett's sight, Steward Bosey and his retinue quickly disappeared in front of one of the rooms with a sign of stars and maps. Except for a handful of houses like this one, in fact. Most of the walls of the buildings on the road side are only the size of a palm. As for the lighting in the house, you don't need to look at it to imagine.

However, the unique roof here caught the attention of the players, and the cat boy sitting behind Rieli immediately asked, "Barrett, the roof here really looks a little different from the rest of the place!" ”

Look at Laru's outstretched fingers. Several players discovered that the roofs of these bungalows were made up of rectangular slabs with a slight silver-gray tinge. They are about 80 centimeters long and about 30 centimeters wide. The occasional warped parts show that the plates are more than 2 centimeters thick.

"It's a shingle with lead on it. This can not only make these wooden tiles last longer, but also have a certain fire prevention function, reducing the chance of fire caused by the fire bowl thrown during the invasion of foreign enemies. After all, this is a fortress, and there has been a battle of various sizes in the past winter. It is also necessary to prepare for this beforehand. Barrett, who has a deep memory of this, explained.

The lead-coated wooden shingles in front of you can fully reflect the simple wisdom of the small people in the market. The fireproof effect is not bad, and the wooden tiles coated with liquid lead are not perishable, and the iron nails are not easy to rust. From another angle, the service life of the roof is extended. Further savings have been achieved. Although the price of lead is not low, it is quite cost-effective when considered all in all.

After walking for a short time, the players arrived at the north gate of Brandenburg. As the main offensive of the Manchus in the south, the northern wall of this fortress was higher and stronger than the southern wall. At the same time, the construction of defense facilities has also been more successful. Not to mention the facilities hidden under the thick city walls, even on the cliffs on both sides, you can vaguely see a few neat rows of holes from this angle. And the platforms on which the trebuchets were placed.

The procedure for leaving the city is much shorter than when entering the city from the south. Look at the gate of astonishing thickness and the sharp corners of the iron fence on the gatehouse. Barrett seemed to be back to the nights he spent here during the test, even when he slept with his weapon in hand. But then Barrett shook his head, trying to get the illusion out of his head. After all, he is no longer the heir to the title he was back then.

After passing through the North City Gate, the valley takes on a trumpet-like appearance. And not far from this horn, colorful flags are dancing under the valley wind. These flags are not decorated in any way. All that is on it is the badge representing the respective Chamber of Commerce. They looked much more rudimentary than the flags of the nobility and the army traveled.

Then the caravan began to set up camp in the place where many of its companions were stationed. He took one last break before officially entering the grassland. Although it is said that peers are enemies, in the face of the 'enemy-occupied area' that they are about to enter, these enemies still seem to be a little affectionate.

The first thing the Bossi team leader who came after him did was to connect with the leaders of several caravans in the surrounding area. Combining the information they had gained in Brandenburg, they began to argue about the next route of their caravan - a different kind of spending. In order to ensure that the objectives of their respective caravans do not intersect, so as to maximize the benefits of their caravans.

Secret gatherings like this, let alone outsiders like Barrett. Even the people in the caravan are not qualified to sit on the sidelines if they are not absolute cronies. Unlike the information provided in Brandenburg, this verbal agreement was the best secret to confirm the caravan's route.

Of course, it's not impossible to say that other caravans have leaked their news, but it's still very unlikely - in this world with supernatural abilities. It's not easy to hide secrets. If the leak is known. The one who does so will bear the wrath of all. And it will not only be him who will be affected, after all, the families of the angry victims and the forces behind them are fully capable of connecting their families. And this practice does not violate the unspoken rules of this world.

After a short respite on this wild land, the caravan had been restarted, slightly washed away from the exhaustion accumulated during the domestic escort. The rest of the route is no longer a set path, relying on the experience of the guide and the specific landmarks left on the map by previous people.

Under this vast environment, it has been advanced for nearly 5 days. In front of the caravan appeared a small river that was not wide. The trickle of water in the river is quite clear, and it shimmers in the sun. And the aborigines who saw this all had joyful smiles on their faces.

Unclear Claudia. Auditore immediately looked up and asked, "Barrett, why are they so happy!" ”

"Of course I'm happy! Now that you have found this stream, it means that you have not lost your way in the previous trip. And our next route should be along this small river! Speaking of this, Barrett looked at the aborigines not far away, "As long as you follow it, the tribe of those nomads should not be far away." To know ......"

In the nomadic economic ecosystem, herdsmen, as the highest level in the "human-livestock-grass" food chain, have always played the role of regulator and manager, and have deliberately and actively done their best for the normal operation of this system. It is full of experience inheritance in harmony with nature.

From the perspective of "grass", there are strict limits on the types and quantities of livestock that can be carried on each pasture. In this interrelationship between the socio-economic and grassland ecosystems, the ecological balance has never been broken, and even if there is a major natural disaster, the whole ecosystem itself can gradually recover.

In this way, the nomadic economy survives and develops according to its own laws, and the grassland ecosystem also maintains the balance of grass and livestock in a normal state. The extreme scarcity of material conditions in the grasslands has made the herders more resource-conscious, and they are not concerned with the cycle of their own labor. Rather, it is the cycle of grassland and the recycling of materials.

Under the constraints of such an environment, there will be no truly unified state on the grassland. All you can have are tribes large and small. They don't just have a loose political structure. Moreover, the various tribes are scattered and live far apart, which is a good thing for the civilized world, but also makes it more difficult to trade.

Therefore, nomads have a set of reasonable ways to use and protect grazing grasslands. They move with the seasons and graze in pursuit of water and grass. This almost indefinite way of life makes it difficult to find their whereabouts. The search is based on the essential factor of survival, "water", which is generally confined to rivers and lakes for the convenience of life.

Although there is a lake in the vast sea of grass, where does the river flow? Even the most skilful leader of the steppe tribes could not tell it all. But after generations of hard work, the caravans in pursuit of profit finally drew a qualified migration map of aquatic plants in their own hands.

This kind of map can be said to be one of the most important assets of the caravan that dares to trade in the steppe. They are often in duplicate and are in the hands of the caravan leader and the old leader. Maps such as those used by caravans are far more accurate than those on the market. Moreover, the maps in the hands of each caravan often have different ways - because they are often drawn by the predecessors of the caravan with their own sweat and even their lives. With them, it was possible for the caravan to arrange in advance the route of the merchant on the steppe. And not to get lost.

After listening to Barrett's briefing, Rielie suddenly asked, "Wait! Barrett: You mean that the tribes of the steppe have no fixed place to live with the migration of water and grass. So how did the previous steward confirm which tribe he was going to next! ”

"It's true that I don't have a fixed place to live. But different tribes have their own demarcated pastures. That is, the approximate range of their migration. Speaking of this, Barrett craned his neck, "Of course, this division of pastures is not static. However, each change is often decided by two or more tribes through internal wars. It was like such a big change, for example, it couldn't be too frequent, and it wasn't too difficult for the caravan to figure out what information they needed. ”

"This feels like a gangster grabbing territory in those classical movies!" The expression on Rieli's face became a little strange.

Barrett nodded noncommittally: "In essence, there is no difference between the two. It's all about expanding their own living space. And aren't they also very similar? Bullying the weak and fearing the hard, when they see an opportunity, they want to plunder the production income of others. ”

"That's what you've said." Although I don't know if Barrett is fooling herself, Rielly thinks he has a point. In the mage's heart, the way the nomads behaved was completely equated with those ancient people in classical movies.

The caravan, which had restocked its drinking water, continued its way along the creek, as Barrett had previously said. Even with an abundant source of water, no one in the caravan had any intention of washing again. Because such behavior will not only pollute the water source in a short time, but more importantly, it will leave a strong aura here, which will facilitate the tracking of horse thieves and beasts.

As the sun shifted westward, a hint of green on the horizon gradually turned golden and then red. From afar, it looks like a burning flame flickering in the autumn wind, shining like clouds. After a busy day, the team began to set up camp, waiting for the morning light to rise.

Although there were few requirements for the caravan, the players consciously carried out their vigil - on the one hand, it was not directed towards the indigenous adventurers. On the other hand, it is also to maintain its own vigilance. (To be continued......)

PS: Modify the wording. Thanks to the "Little White Bear" for the big monthly ticket. Thanks to the two great rewards of "Death Funeral Song" and "Xi Yan'er".