Torches are lit around the castle's grounds, and the castle is lit in red and blue at night. The red firelight and blue skylight, combined with the rough texture of the rocks, add a bit of solemnity to the world.

Li Jia, Shi Hao, and Du Mei stood on a half-human-high wooden platform in front of the school grounds, flanked by Viscount Ruiz Betdingani, the old knight Alfonso, and the mysterious female knight Sir Arias wearing a mask.

Li Jia's heart was beating hotly, not only because today was the day of the expedition, but also because it was this afternoon that he had learned his first magic from Sir Arias, the Wind Blade.

Feeling the power of the elements in meditation is extremely monotonous and boring. However, patience has always been Li Jia's strength, and he listened to Sir Arias's guidance, calmed his consciousness, let the hidden powers in his heart slowly release, and finally combined them with the wind.

It's an indescribably strange feeling, as if your mind is integrated into the world around you, and you have a part of it in your hands. It would take him half a minute to prepare for concocting a wind blade that could cut a pencil, but it was enough to excite any boy who had ever dreamed of a fantasy. Although he hasn't concentrated yet, he can release magic, and he can already be regarded as a magic apprentice.

Li Jia didn't even pay much attention to what Viscount Ruiz was saying, he was meditating when he closed his eyes now, and when he opened his eyes, he looked at the female knight eagerly and timidly. He couldn't tell what kind of feelings he had for the female knight...... If Selinda is a lily in a dream, then the female knight is a rose in front of her.

Roses have thorns, which make people retreat. But at least, the thought of gaining more magical knowledge from her was always in his mind. Occasionally, he would have the idea that he could use a wind blade to lift her mask.

Li Jia felt that she had been hit, and then she came back to her senses. The people around him were all looking at him, Shi Hao looked puzzled, and Du Mei said a little strangely: "Li Jia, the viscount just talked to you." ”

"Huh, I'm sorry...... Lord Ruiz, I'm worried about the horse thief's movements, and I'm a little distracted. Li Jia said embarrassedly.

"It's all right, Mr. Courier, I just want to tell you that most of my warriors have arrived, and it's time to summon them over. Viscount Ruiz said blandly.

Li Jia's face was a little red, he couldn't help but glance at the female knight, and the other party also looked at him like someone else, but his expression was completely obscured by the damn mask, so that Li Jia couldn't guess what she was thinking. Li Jia guessed whether he had shown his ugliness in front of her, and as a result, his face became even hotter.

The knight of Alfonso rang a bell on the wooden platform, and soon the door to one of the castle's podiums was slammed open. Noises came from inside, and the school grounds, which had been quiet at night, suddenly turned into a bustling square. One figure after another came out of the door, all of them vassals and warriors of the Sirs, dressed in different armors and helmets, and armed with various weapons. Some are dressed in plate armor and are surrounded by people, some are wearing leather armor and are in groups of four or five, and some are dressed in cloth and are slightly shabby.

Shi Hao watched these people swaggering to the front of the stage, and his eyebrows involuntarily twisted: "Li Jia, look at it, what kind of goods have they given us." Where is this army, it is simply a rabble. Look at the guy with the pitchfork. ”

Li Jia also noticed that there were clearly a few guys in simple cloth shirts, holding farm tools in their hands, their bodies were thin and weak, and their eyes were dull, so they couldn't be called warriors at all, and he whispered: "It is estimated that it is a nearby peasant, right? I heard that the feudal lords fought wars, and they all had to find peasants as cannon fodder, and this Viscount Ruiz was afraid that he found this kind of person in order to make up the numbers." ”

More than forty people came out one after another and stood in front of the stage, and Viscount Ruiz nodded to them and said, "Brave warriors of the Phenesian Territory, everyone knows that the insatiable horse thieves have recently invaded the Black Mountain region, and several villages in the land of Phenesia have suffered, including the territories of some of you. This group of horse thieves is strong, and they have the benefit of looting, and they will not retreat on their own. So, I gathered everyone here just to get rid of them with ideas. ”

There was no sign of excitement among the people below, and it seemed that everyone was well aware of the purpose of the gathering. However, the cloth-clothed peasant who Li Jia was looking at stepped forward with a pitchfork in his hand, and said with one hand: "My lord, Fernando Adlaida salutes you, and what your sword points at is the direction in which I am heading." ”

This man's age is engraved on his face, his skin is dark, his temples are white, and he looks like a person who has worked hard all year round. Although he looked embarrassed on the outside, he spoke clearly and powerfully, not at all like the ordinary farmer Li Jia had seen before. When the others present saw such a peasant standing up and speaking for everyone, they didn't care except for a few chuckles of unknown meaning.

"Baron Fernando, I am very relieved by your loyalty. Viscount Ruiz responded.

Sir Arias seemed to see Li Jia's confusion, and she gently explained to Li Jia: "Don't be surprised, Baron Fernando is a legitimate hereditary nobleman, and his territory is also one of the best among the viscount's vassals. However, in the last war against the Empire, all his territories were occupied, and all his family members were killed, and he was the only one who fought his way out of the siege, and then escaped from the territory in disguise. It can be said that apart from the title of nobility, he has nothing left at present. ”

"Didn't the viscount and the other nobles help him?" asked Li Jia.

"Baron Fernando is a very stubborn man, and he uses the money he receives from others and the savings he brings out at the end to hire people to assassinate Imperial officials on the border. Hearing that he had sold his ancestral armor and sword, and after spending all the money, he could only ask the Viscount to rent a piece of land and do his own farm work. Most of the people you see looking like farmers are landless knights under the baron. ”

This person is also a persistent guy, but there seems to be something wrong with the way he acts, Li Jia thought to herself. Viscount Ruiz offered some words of encouragement to Baron Fernando, and finally commanded: "Alfonso, take Baron Fernando and his knights to my arsenal, each of them can pick a good weapon and a suit of full-body armor." Our warriors cannot fight like poor farmers. ”

"Your Excellency, my lord, you are so generous!" Fernando said, but there was some hesitation between him and the few broken knights beside him. After a moment's hesitation, however, he seemed to have made up his mind, and bowed down to thank the viscount.

"Go ahead. You are all warriors who have emerged in the battle against the Empire. My weapons and armor should have a good home, and they shouldn't be dusty like this. Viscount Ruiz waved his hand in satisfaction, and the group was led by Alfonso towards the castle.

"What kind of trick is this viscount playing?" Shi Hao asked with some puzzlement, "Isn't it natural to issue weapons to your own soldiers?"

Li Jia didn't quite understand either, and he gave the same question to Sir Arias.

"Do you know the value of a full body of armor and a good weapon?" Sir Arias asked Li Jia.

Li Jia shook his head, he knew that he was a person from an industrialized society, and it was difficult to understand the value of these things in the era of handicrafts.

"If Baron Fernando continues to farm, he will not be able to afford the weapons and armor that the Viscount will send until he dies...... If the harvest is good, he may be able to save a helmet for his son when he is old. Ignoring the stunned eyes of Li Jia and the others, Sir continued, "Although Baron Fernando is a vassal of the viscount, he still has a great degree of freedom, and he has a certain obligation to serve the viscount every year, but it is limited to that. But now he accepted such a gift, and that was to sell his life to the viscount. ”

Only then did Li Jia understand why the other people had both envy and sympathy when they saw the baron's expression, but even if they were all holding shabby weapons, none of them jumped out and asked the viscount to give them the same equipment.

When Li Jia and the others were still sighing about the high cost of the armor, the young man under the high platform wearing the most gorgeous armor and surrounded by seven or eight attendants spoke: "My lord, I heard that this time, the leaders of the "King of Horse Thieves" Cadiz, 'Blue Wolf' Mais, and 'Steel Claw' Kerry are all here, and the horse thieves gathered are more than a thousand. You've only gathered us guys, but you'll have to tell me what you're going to do. ”

The man who spoke spoke plainly, but looked at the Viscount's expression a little aggressively.

"This is Sir Thor Botero, the eldest son of Baron Emilio Botero, who has been knighted. The Botero family has been married to some of the great nobles of the kingdom, so it has never been obedient. This time Sir Thor will come over, I am afraid there are other ideas. Sir Arias said to Li Jia.

Sir Ruiz did not react to Sir Thor's slight provocation, but replied calmly, "As you must know, the horse thieves are going for a group of foreign magicians, and we are not the main decisive force. All you have to do is to assist the mages in defeating the horse thieves and driving them out of our territory. Instead of fighting the horse thieves head-on. ”

He pointed to Li Jia and the others: "There are messengers of magicians here, they will follow you in their actions, and my lord, Count Carlos, has also sent a female knight of the family to help us, she will lead your team to fight the horse thieves." ”

"A woman is in charge of us, you're not kidding, are you?" asked Thor in a loud retort.

"Pay attention to your language. Viscount Ruiz dissatisfied, "Thor, since you have answered my call, you should follow my arrangement. It's a knight's duty. ”

Thor complained without hesitation: "My lord, warriors can only be led by stronger warriors. A woman is a woman, so what about wearing a mask? Can you scare the enemy to death? A woman should go home to nurse her baby. ”