It was dark, just like the mood of a nobleman. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

Count Araciss, the Lord of Zenda, looked at the information in his hand in his study, and only felt a toothache.

"Ding, Lord Count, Mr. Ramon has come to see you. After the brass bell rang beside him, a young waiter knocked on the door politely and came in to report.

Hearing this news, Count Aracis inadvertently put the information in his hand on the side of the table, thought about it, and pressed the information in a book.

"Call him in. ”

"Yes!" the waiter saluted again and withdrew.

A moment later, Ramon, the richest merchant in the entire city of Chanda, the slave trader, walked in.

"My lord, what you asked me to do is already eyebrow-raising. Ramon's tone was calm, but not respectful.

Count Aracis, who was touching his forehead with his hand, suddenly asked with a solemn face: "Say, what news have you found!"

The slave trader recounted: "My men destroyed a den of dark pilgrims near Fenrad and rescued more than 40 refugees. ”

The Count rubbed his forehead, not with any emotional questions, but asked with concern, "Did you get any information about the Dark Order from the mouths of those pilgrims?"

"I'm sorry sir," Ramon continued. "Aside from a few words of gibberish about the impending darkness of the night, those grey cloaks have never even seen a real 'dark bringer'. ”

"Again, nothing has progressed," said Count Arassis, with a worried expression. "These dark messengers are hiding so deeply. ”

"There's always a way, there's no such thing as an impermeable wall. Ramon said tepidly. "The cost this time is 3,000 dinars. ”

Count Arassis kept his promise and paid the commission in full to Ramon, the most well-informed slave trader.

Although he didn't get any useful clues, the slave traders' men rescued more than 40 refugees and destroyed the dark pilgrim's den.

For him, this is undoubtedly a beneficial move for Zenda.

Count Arassis was a good man, and he was not like most noble lords. He cared about the suffering of the people and the life and death of the common people.

"Then I'll quit first," Ramon said with a chuckle as he held a bank note. "If Lord Arassis has commanded it, he is sending men. ”

After the slave trader Ramon retired, Count Arassis frowned, there were too many backlogs, his physical condition was not good, and he thought that there might be ghosts in Chanda City.

In addition, in his opinion, the slave trader Ramon is a snake coiled in a tree, and he is a bird in a tree, and he can never fly out of the snake's deterrent range.

There is only one reason: the dinar.

As we all know, Chanda, as the only neutral city, must not be able to turn around with trade taxes and poll taxes alone, and the responsibility for the source of expenses has fallen into the hands of slave traders throughout the ages.

The slave trade and the salt mining business were all in Ramon's hands, and even the Zenda Arena had half of him. This slave trader controlled almost three-fifths of the lifeblood of Zen.

Ramon, a slave trader, was not a man of peace, and he used his connections with slave traders everywhere to grow his business. It has even spread throughout the continent of Calradia.

In the salt mines of Zonzar, every drop of sweat and every bag of salt of the slaves turned into gold, and most of it was embezzled into his pocket, rather than handed over to the earl according to unwritten rules.

Ramon's wolf ambitions were revealed more than once, and he was hungry for the lord of Chanda, the position of earl.

Because behind that is power -- power that brings more wealth, power that controls a small kingdom, power that is close at hand.

After careful consideration, Count Arassis at his desk rang the bell beside him, and soon a saber attendant entered the door.

"Go and ask Instructor Kai, Rogge, and Harrick to come along. Count Arassis commanded him.

"Yes, sir. The saber squire immediately withdrew.

Regardless of whether the Dark Legion has indeed swept through the continent, and when it will appear on the continent of Calradia. He decided to prepare for it before then.

There are a total of three armed fighting forces in Chanda City: the Chanda City Guard, the Chanda Garrison, and the Free Knights.

The strength of the city guard was 5,000 men in a legion, the garrison was kept at 1,000 men, and the Free Knights were about 800 men.

With the addition of the bounty hunter organization and mercenary teams stationed in the city, the entire city of Chanda can barely muster an army of 15,000 men.

Now, the Nords and the Virgians are motivating war, and the number of mercenaries in the city is dwindling.

He decided to immediately stop this reduction in the fighting force of Chanda City, and he must leave the few remaining mercenary groups in Chanda City.

Even if it costs a lot of money, you have to keep them.

"Your Excellency," the attendant shouted outside the door, after ringing the doorbell. "Instructor Kai, Knight Rog, and Master Harrick are all here. ”

"Ask them to come in. ”

The heavy and wide door of the study was slowly pushed open, and Instructor Kai, who was on the back of a tiger, was the first to enter, followed by Rogge, who was dressed in armor.

"My lord," Harrick, the sheriff who entered the study later, asked first. "What's the point of summoning us late at night?"

Count Arassis got up and beckoned, "Sit down first, and I'll tell you slowly." Then he came out of his desk and sat down on the couch.

The saber attendant slowly closed the door from the outside, and guarded the door of the study with another personal attendant.

"How many mercenary groups are still stationed in the city?" After the door was closed, Count Alassis asked directly. "Which ones are they?"

"Three," Harrick replied. "The Wolves, the Crows, and the Steel Shields. ”

"What about the Black Honor Mercenaries?"

"My lord, I'm out of town this afternoon. ”

"Where have you been?" said Count Arassis's tone, which suddenly became urgent.

Harrick happened to see the Black Honor Mercenary Regiment leaving the city, but he didn't come forward to ask the other party, so he turned his gaze to Rogge.

Rogge continued, "They have already gone to Ismolola Fort, saying that they are employed by Lal Chapoye. ”

"Rog," Count Arassis suddenly ordered. "I order you to bring a team of knights to stop them at once. Let's just say that Chanda City is willing to pay double the commission to hire them. ”

Rogge didn't immediately get up and take the order. "My lord, the Black Honor Mercenary Regiment is concerned about credibility," he explained. "Even if you give a price several times more, they won't return to Chanda. ”

Rogge's answer came as a surprise to Count Arassis. The Lord of Zenda, who was busy with official business and banditry all day long, did not know much about the credibility of these mercenaries.

He had thought that by offering a generous commission, he would be able to buy off these mercenaries who worked for the dinar.

"Is there no other way to redeem them?" said Count Aracis, still unrelenting.

For employers, the strength of the Black Honor Mercenary Regiment is well-known in the entire Calradia continent in terms of the number of members and combat effectiveness.

"It's not like there's nothing to be done. Harrick said.

"What is the solution?" asked Count Arassis urgently.

"Your Excellency can incorporate the entire Black Honor Mercenary Regiment into the regular army of Chanda City, so that they have a reason to refuse the Vigians' employment, let alone fear that their credibility will be questioned. ”

Count Arassis was silent, and calmed down to think about the disadvantages that this matter would bring to Chanda City in the future.

"Incorporate the mercenary group into a regular army?" Rogge was the first to object. "Those unrestrained mercenaries may cause a lot of trouble in Chanda after they become regular soldiers. ”

"You can find a way to solve any trouble you cause," said Count Arassis in a deep voice. "The guards of Chanda City must be reinforced, and we need more mercenaries. ”

"Obey your lordship's orders. Rogge responded respectfully.

"I'll draft a text now," ordered the free-knight in front of Count Arassis. "You set off at once, take a team of knights with me, and chase them back. ”

After Knight Rog left, Instructor Kai, who didn't say a word, asked, "Lord Earl, is there something important about to happen?"

Count Arassis nodded slightly. "The storm we are about to face could wipe out all of Calradia. ”

"The Dark Legion is coming?" Instructor Kai's expression was solemn and serious.

"Maybe not so fast, but maybe it will be soon, and no one can say when the darkness will appear. An unpredictable look appeared on Arassis' cheeks.

"Harrick, tomorrow morning you will go to negotiate a contract with the mercenary group in the city, and you must let the remaining three mercenary groups all be employed by Chanda. Finally, the Count deliberately emphasized. "It doesn't matter what price the other party offers. ”

"Yes, sir. ”

"Also," ordered Count Arassis. "Notices were posted throughout the city to recruit recruits over the age of 16. ”

"I'm afraid there aren't many idle freedmen who can be drafted into the army. Harrick said. "But if you allow it, I can recruit a group of recruits from the refugee camps outside the city. ”

Count Arassis agreed: "It is written on the proclamation that men who voluntarily enlist in the army will receive a salary of 20 dinars per month, and that their families will be settled in the city. ”

"My lord, how many recruits do you need to recruit?" asked Harrick.

"Do what you can. Count Arassis turned to Instructor Kai. "It's up to you to train the recruits, Kai. ”

"Rest assured, I will do my best. ”