A hundred miles northeast of the ancient city of Okuko-state is a small village called Baker.

Baker Village is located in a valley between two mountain ranges, and there used to be dozens of families in the village, but they were gradually relocated, and only one family remained here. Due to its remote location and the small number of households, most of the officials of the ancient city of Okugu were unaware of the existence of such a small village in their territory, so they often ignored the village when conscripting and paying taxes, and over time Baker Village became an isolated place, and even its name only used the surname of the last family in the village.

As the only family in Baker Village, the Baker family has lived here for countless years, and according to legend, their ancestors were once nobles, but later suffered a military disaster, in order to take refuge, the whole family fled to this poor and remote place, and lived for hundreds of years, I don't know if it was out of fear of the outside world or living here has become a habit, so that when others choose to leave, they never have the idea of leaving.

However, as the head of the Baker family, Old Baker knew in his heart that living in a ravine was not a habit, let alone a fear of the outside world, and even their ancestors did not move here to take refuge. All of this is actually arranged, to be precise, there is only one reason and purpose for their family to live here, they are waiting for someone, someone who does not know when they will come and may come at any time. Old Baker didn't even know who he was waiting for, he only knew that the person would bring a token to identify himself. But old Baker was almost fifty years old, and had never waited for this man, and his father had never waited for him in his life, and according to his father, their ancestors had never waited for this man. But every year, someone came home with a token and told them that the person was still there.

On this day, as is customary, Old Baker got up early, grabbed a few handfuls of hay for the cattle, and woke up his son, and the father and son ran north through the thin snow on the mountain road.

Less than two miles north of the Capra River, in the reeds along the river, Old Baker found three wooden boats that had been hidden here for an unknown amount of time. Maintaining the three wooden boats has been a must-do for the Baker family for many years, and now that the weather is getting colder and the river is beginning to freeze, Baker Sr. and his son have to pull the boats to the shore in advance to prepare for the winter. They were so busy and sweating that they had only finished two boats, and it was already noon, so father and son decided to go back for lunch first and come back in the afternoon. But they had just reached the mouth of the valley when suddenly there was a sound of horses' hooves outside, and at the end of the road appeared a couple of men, in addition to those on horseback, and those in carts.

"The man we were waiting for is here. ”

After the initial astonishment, Old Baker quickly calmed down and realized what had happened. He went up with his son. Sure enough, the visitor showed him the token.

"We're going to go by boat. ”

A man dressed as a guard revealed his identity and immediately made his request.

"Now?"

Old Baker looked at the sun, which had passed mid-heaven.

"Yes, now, immediately!"

The guard's answer was crisp.

"Okay!"

"We also need supplies of clothing and food. ”

"No problem. ”

Old Baker took out all the food he had in his warehouse for the winter, pulled it to the river, and loaded it onto the boat. At this time, he saw two people coming down from the carriage, a tall and burly old man with gray hair, and a middle-aged lady with an elegant temperament.

The old man put on a mink coat for the noblewoman, and helped her to board a boat, and the others followed, until the guard stood on the shore and beckoned to Old Baker.

"The master said thank you very much for all these years of waiting in your family, and now you are free. ”

Old Baker walked over, and the guard whispered a word in his ear, then pulled out a dagger and stabbed him in the abdomen.

"Run. ”

Old Baker shouted to his son behind him, and the son pulled his leg and drilled into the reeds, and the guards threw Old Baker in pursuit, and soon there was a terrible and brief scream from the reeds.

"Let's go. ”

The guards returned, wiped the blood off the dagger, and jumped aboard.

Old Baker lay on the ground, watching the boat leave the shore and row upstream, he had never understood who his family was waiting for, and now he understood, they were waiting for the man who wanted their life.

"Wake up. ”

I don't know how long it took, but the dying old Baker heard someone calling him, and he opened his eyes with difficulty and saw a big man in black squatting beside him.

"Where did they go?"

The man in black asked.

Old Baker's eyes rolled, and he saw a group of knights following the big man in black.

"Tell me, I avenge you. ”

The big man in black added.

"Upstream!"

Old Baker said with the last of his strength.

Immediately sent a message to the regimental commander, saying that Holranster had chosen to escape by boat, and asked the regimental commander to send someone to intercept him in the upper reaches of the Capra River. ”

The man in black commanded his subordinates.

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"Horan, you were once the King of Godsa, and the Agu family has been very kind to the Godsas, even if we do something wrong now. As long as we are sure to hand over the power in our hands, I believe that Allen and they will not dare to do anything to us. Why do you want to be so displaced?"

The middle-aged lady reclined on the thick wool cushion in the cabin, holding a charcoal stove in her hand, and said to the burly old man sitting next to her. The old man was none other than the former king of mercenaries, Hollander, and the noblewoman who spoke was naturally his wife.

"Madame, you're thinking too simply. No one can afford to live in this world with their enemies, especially those who once wielded enormous influence. So, as long as I live in this world for a day, I'm guaranteed that Eren won't get a good night's sleep. ”

Hollanster waved his arms and retorted emotionally.

"Even so, Selena is still at Castle Ogu, and we shouldn't abandon her. ”

Madame Ogu thought of her daughter, and could not help but feel sad.

"Don't mention her to me, I don't have such a daughter. Oops!"

Hearing his wife mention his daughter, Horanster was furious, and "Teng" stood up suddenly, only to hit his head on the top of the cabin.

"Holland, you can't say that. Selena was just confused, she was a kind child, and she did it for us, and she didn't want anyone to be hurt. ”

Mrs. Ogu wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and persuaded her husband.

"She's just that Steven's wife, and sooner or later she'll pay the price for her stupidity. ”

Hollanster sat down again, his face dejected, his face pale, and the wrinkles on his forehead sunken like that of an old man of sixty or seventy, completely deprived of the heroic image he once had. Fortunately, the jeweled ring on his finger remained, and the glittering brilliance served as the last symbol of his distinctive and wealthy status.

"Holland, where are we going now?"

Seeing her husband's distressed look, Mrs. Ogu understood his pain of feeling betrayed by his daughter, and had to change the subject.

"Go to Capra Mountain. ”

"Where to do what?"

"There are mercenaries loyal to the Ogu family in the mines, and we still have an agreement with the dwarves that if the dwarves can send troops to help me regain power, I am willing to exchange all the mine rights of the family in the Capra Mountains with them. ”

Thinking that he still had a chance to regain power, Holland's sunken eye sockets began to sparkle again. He took out a thick scroll from the package beside him, and tapped the quaint texture on it, emphasizing that he was not without bargaining chips.

"Holland, you're not going to invite the dwarves to attack your own people, are you?"

Madame Ogu was shocked by her husband's madness to the point of losing his mind.

"What's the matter? Do you just allow them to betray me, and not allow me to betray them?"

Hollanster yelled at his wife, his brow upturned, his contorted face full of anger.

"My lord, ma'am, there is a river bay ahead, and we may have to camp there tonight, and then move on to-morrow. ”

It was nearly dusk outside, and a servant came into the cabin and interrupted the two men.

"I see. ”

Hollanster waved his hand at the servant, motioned for him to leave, and then softened his tone and said:

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I was a little excited. ”

Hollander shook his wife's hand and took the initiative to apologize.

Soon the shouts of the guards were heard outside, and the boat slowly approached the shore, until it had come to a standstill, and the servants jumped out of the side of the boat to set up camp, and when the tents were set up and the fire was lit, Hollander helped his wife out of the boat.