Instead of offering allegiance to Griffith, Hansen chose to accept a one-year hire.

This young man with a steady personality, although he longs to leave his hometown and venture outside, is not willing to bet his future entirely on Griffith, a stranger he has just met.

Griffith graciously expressed his complete understanding of this.

For a year, Griffith was confident enough to subdue the young ranger. And hiring Hansen in the way of mercenaries also saved Griffith a lot of golden dragons.

A level 1 warrior has a monthly salary of about 10 gold dragons, which is equivalent to 10 times the average income of ordinary civilians. Wealthy as Thousand Sails City, the monthly salary paid to the ordinary soldiers of the city guard is only 12 gold dragons. Considering that the warrior profession needs a lot of food to keep them functioning, this income level is not too high.

Because of Hansen's outstanding performance in the daytime battle, Griffith generously offered a salary of 15 gold dragons per month, and the young ranger readily agreed—he was a part-time militiaman in Black Rock Village, and he could only receive a monthly allowance of 2 gold dragons, and most of the time he had to go out hunting to supplement his nutrition.

The total is only 180 gold dragons per year, which is not worth mentioning at all compared to the money Griffith spends on Anna and the others. You must know that Griffith's annual income of 3,500 gold dragons is half invested in three subordinates.

When Hansen learns about Anna's treatment, he will definitely regret his decision tonight.

The ranger left, but Griffith couldn't rest, "Bailey, help me get Captain Hyde." ”

The captain of Thousand Sails City, who was keeping vigil, soon came over, and Vicente, who was taking care of the bonfire, hurriedly sent a large glass of fine ale.

"I'm sorry, our mage isn't very suitable for drinking, I'm here to replace wine with tea, Captain Hyde, and I toast you. One is to celebrate the victory, and the other is to apologize to Captain Hyde, that dragon egg is so important to me, please ask for a lot of Haihan if you are offended. ”

After Griffith finished speaking, he also deliberately clinked glasses with Hyde, which made Hyde a little flattered.

This kind of courtesy, Hyde also enjoyed a lot when he was just promoted to level 4 warrior. It's just that when he offended his boss and couldn't go any further, he gradually encountered more and more kinds of white eyes.

A level 4 warrior is enough to brag about in the tavern in the docks, and the chef who sells wine can easily pull her hand to the bed. But looking at the entire Thousand Sails City, Hyde is really insignificant, just a small shrimp that can't afford the wind and waves.

And the young man in front of him is the son of the Carolingian baron!

Hansen's dirt bun didn't know the meaning of the Carolingian surname in the Ilia Peninsula, but Hyde knew it. When he was young, he was a bodyguard for a merchant, and the idol of Hyde and the rest of his companions was Baron Carolingian, so what mercenary didn't want to be appreciated and become a nobleman to marry Bai Fumei?

Although Griffith is only the second son, and I heard that his talent in magic is not very good, and he has not been able to be promoted, he is also a mage! Mages are not poor, and they are the least poor, and they can also make nutrients, which is the fundamental reason why mages are called mages.

The more advanced the professional, the more inseparable the nutrients. Taking Hyde himself as an example, he must take a primary nourishment every three days, and an additional intermediate nutrient every quarter, otherwise his strength and physique will decline.

Nutrients can only be made by mages, priests, and druids, and they have always been in short supply, and the price is naturally not cheap. Low-level nutrients 1 Golden Dragon, intermediate nutrients 10 Golden Dragons, advanced nutrients 100 Golden Dragons, this is the reference price, don't think this price is outrageous, people who don't have a way to buy it may not be able to buy it.

Many mercenaries who beg for a living in Thousand Sails City have to eat a lot of food every day because they can't buy nutrients, which is not only not as effective as nutrients, but also hurts their stomachs.

Hyde was willing to stay in the City Guard as a squad leader, mainly because of nutrients.

In the face of this unwilling level 4 warrior, Griffith was not too polite, and after introducing the situation of his upcoming inheritance, he directly proposed the intention of soliciting.

"I can guarantee that as long as my territory expands, I will give you a manor, and the title of knight will be fought for you. I may have to grieve you for a while, but the salary won't be lower than what you get in the City Guard. Griffith promised sincerely.

There is still a lot of undeveloped land in this world, and with enough force, it is not difficult to expand the territory. When the time comes, it will not be too much to give Hyde a manor of dozens of people. A veteran level 4 warrior deserves such treatment.

As for the knighthood, it is not an official nobility, as long as it is a fiefdom nobleman with a formal title, it can be canonized - as long as it is not overdone, others generally recognize it. Of course, there is no shortage of aristocrats who have become a laughing stock because of the indiscriminate sealing of knights.

Griffith himself is only a knight, so naturally he can't canonize Hyde, but he has a family. Whether it is the current Carolingian Baron - his own father, or the future Baron - his brother Andrew, as long as he speaks, I believe he will not refuse to help this favor.

Hyde was undoubtedly impressed.

Noticing the slightly curled corners of the other man's mouth and the gleam in his eyes, Griffith believed that his judgment was not wrong. Before entering middle age, getting a rare opportunity to turn around is definitely a big temptation for Hyde.

"Thank you, Sir Griffith, for your kindness, and I am naturally willing to serve you. Speaking of this, Hyde hesitated for a moment, "But after all, I have a position in the city guard, can you wait for me to report back to my boss when I go back to the city and see if I can get permission." ”

As a military officer, Hyde's statement is not wrong. Working for the city hall, it is naturally impossible to come and go.

But Griffith couldn't help but be a little annoyed.

It's just a small captain, Griffith doesn't believe that the leaders of the city guards will love Hyde, who doesn't know that Hyde's top boss has never given him a good look.

Since Hyde needed time to think about it, Griffith was too lazy to socialize, "Captain Hyde, it's only natural that you have a public office. However, I will be leaving Thousand Sails City next month, and if you are willing to give in, please let me know as soon as possible. Griffith said seemingly innocently.

The twisted melon is not sweet, such a bearing, Griffith still has it.

The two chatted a few more words, and Hyde took his leave. Although it was not officially decided, it was an intention that Griffith was not completely useless tonight.

"Young Master, do you want me to add a fire?" Bailey whispered as he leaned over to Griffith.

Bailey's proposal was not bragging, he wanted to push Hyde, he had a way. For example, ask the Raven Guild to make some trouble for Hyde, or simply bribe Hyde's boss directly, believing that the squadron leader from the aristocratic background will never mind driving away Hyde, an eyesore.

Although he is only the captain of the city guard team, there are many people who are willing to spend some golden dragons on this position.

"Don't do superfluous things. Griffith's tone was a little cold, "I'm lucky, I'm lost." ”

Bailey did not show the slightest displeasure at the rejection of his proposal, but silently retreated into the shadows.

"If no one knows, he must not do it. No matter how secret things are, they can't resist the prophecy spell, and there is no need to leave hidden dangers for the future for a little thing. Griffith didn't know if he was talking to Bailey, or if he was talking to himself.

Recruiting Hyde, Griffith wasn't really that eager. His future territory will only have a population of about 500 for the time being, and according to tradition, he only needs to provide 5 professionals above level 1 when he is recruited, plus 10 military servants. Griffith is a mage, one on top of two, plus Hansen, the combat power has exceeded the required level.

If Griffith hadn't had the income to copy scrolls, he wouldn't have been able to support so many people.

Of course, with Hyde in charge, Griffith could immediately recruit immigrants to reclaim the land, which would be financially stressful in the short term, but would certainly be profitable in the long run.

Nothing was said all night.

The next day, because of two seriously wounded people, Griffith's group did not travel fast, and returned to Black Rock Village in the afternoon.

"Lord Griffith, we may not be able to get back to Thousand Sails City now, before the gates close, or why don't we stay here for another day?" said Hyde after lunch.

"No, I can't. Griffith shook his head and said firmly, "I must rush back today." As for the reason, Griffith didn't say it explicitly, but I believe Hyde should be able to guess it too.

Griffith is afraid that the news of the dragon egg will leak out, and staying for one more day will mean a great risk, and maybe tomorrow there will be "wandering robbers" waiting for him on the road. As long as they can enter Thousand Sails City today, those flies who hear the wind will not have time to mobilize their strength to hinder it.

"But what about the seriously injured?" Hyde was a little embarrassed.

"Let them stay here for now, and then send someone to pick them up tomorrow. Griffith's attitude became tougher, "Captain Hyde, on behalf of my teacher, Councilor Gerald, I am now asking you to escort me back to the city. Note that this is not a request, but a command. ”

When Hyde heard this, his face turned ugly again. Leaving his seriously injured men here will affect his prestige to some extent.

Griffith is completely bullying and domineering. Naturally, Councillor Gerald could not have foreseen the current situation, nor could he have given such an order earlier, but if Hyde had been more serious, Griffith would have been able to get Gerald's endorsement as soon as he returned to the city.

People are under the eaves and have to bow their heads.

"Yes, my sir. Please wait a moment, and I'll go and urge them to get ready to go. ”

Naturally, Hansen also wanted to follow Griffith back to Thousand Sails City, but he didn't have much belongings, so he casually packed up some valuable soft goods, and left the small village where he was born with the group. Neither the townsfolk who saw him off on the side of the road, nor he himself, would have imagined that the next time he returned here, he would already be a noble knight.

......

"Master Griffith! there's someone in the woods ahead. At the edge of a wood, four or five miles from Thousand Sails, Hansen walked quickly to Griffith's side and said in a low voice.

It is not uncommon for passers-by to run to rest in the shade of trees, but hiding in the woods without even making a movement makes people suspicious. If it weren't for Hansen's presence, Griffiths and his party might not have found out.

"Everyone's worked hard, stop now, let's rest here. Griffith clapped his hands and said loudly.

But it's not close to the river and there are no people, so it's not a good place to rest.

Hyde gave him an inquiring look, and Griffith pouted at the woods, and Hyde immediately understood, and loudly commanded his men to rest on the spot, faintly surrounding Griffith and the pack horse in the middle.

In the woods, a half-orc with a crippled wrist in his left hand and an iron hook spat on the ground hatefully, "Found out, let's retreat first." ”

"Boss, let that kid go like this, we can't explain it to Lord Osborne. A human with a scar on his face and a lewd appearance interjected.

"Shut up, idiot!" the orc kicked his hand in the foot, "He's with the city guards. It would be nice if we could kill them all, otherwise if the news of the attack on the city guards leaked, Lord Osborne would not be able to protect us. ”

Nor will it be guaranteed. The orcs secretly added a sentence in their hearts.

"I was here to try my luck. "If the city guards had suffered heavy casualties while clearing out the goblins, or if Griffith dared to go on his own, the orcs would have fought for it, but in this case, there was no need to take any chances. "Don't worry, I'll have a chance soon. ”