Karasheng was the most prosperous port in the north of Dragonus, but the vast taxes from trade were collected by Count Lytonus, a loyal northern nobleman who sent most of his wealth to the capital, leaving only a small part to maintain his army and repair the city. And it is precisely because of this that the environment of the port is much worse than that of Harusa. The road from the pier to the city is as uneven as a pockmarked face. The flat road, paved with stones or slabs, was full of muddy puddles, making it difficult for even the more spacious carriages to travel.

Near the docks is a dilapidated civilian area, and these Dragoninus natives are not as clean and perfume as the merchants and knights. From time to time, a group of children wrapped in ragged clothes sparkled from the dilapidated low houses on either side of the bumpy stone road, causing a troop of Lucius quick-paced horses to twist their heads and neigh uneasily.

"This is St. Dragon's Tooth Street, and I remember what it looked like three years ago. But now it looks even worse. Sir Martin said on a sturdy steed steed steed with grey fur and covered his nose with gloves that smelled of rust from the dampness. "At least at that time, there were people who specialized in garbage disposal. ”

The half-floating droppings of rotten wood and the emaciated dead rats in the nearby puddle made Jazz feel a foul stench in his chest, and he couldn't help but retch. At the same time, a wooden door near the road suddenly opened. The short, fat dragon enus woman in a dirty skirt flipped the wooden basin in her hand, and the muddy water splashed out, and the stinky water that stirred up happened to drench the jazz all over his body. Without waiting for the centurion, who had also been splashed with stinking water, turned his head, the wooden door that had been corroded by the humid air to a black-brown color immediately creaked and slammed shut.

"I'm sorry, Sir Martin. It's really getting worse here. The garrison, who had long been accustomed to this, shook his body, and let the water droplets on his leather coat roll down and wet the dense moss-like fluff of the horse's back, forming jagged marks on it. "Taxes at the port are getting higher and higher, and now the merchants have to pay even a tenth of their profits. And these steel coins ended up in the money bag of His Excellency the Grand Duke, and were quickly turning into a well-armed and powerful army. ”

"This is what we must do! Otherwise the blue cattle from the Harrison kingdom will crush everything and trample their dirty leather boots with turned fur on the land given to us by the gods. They will enslave our wives and children, and take away the food and the animals they raise. Sir Martin's face turned pale, and after wiping his face with nausea, he said with a buzzing sound like the chirping of mosquitoes.

The garrison sent soldiers to inform the consuls of the inner city early on, so when the Quaids reached the inner city gates, a group of soldiers wearing long white coats and ringed dragon sigils on their chests stepped out, surrounded by several middle-aged men wrapped in silk robes. Protected by smooth chain mail and sturdy flat-topped helmets, soldiers wielded sharp spears and oak shields covered in raw cowhide, with long swords and short daggers hanging from their belts. These were the guards of His Excellency Count Lytonus, and they were also the descendants of his vassals or low-ranking nobles.

"Lord Earl, it is an honor to see you again. Sir Martin slipped off his quick-tride horse twenty yards from the gate, and fell to one knee before the robed nobleman. "I really miss you taking us to the north. ”

"Martin, young little Martin!" wrapped in a white, clean floor-sweeping robe, the extremely tall nobleman in the center of the crowd walked over and hugged Sir with his arms outstretched. "You little naughty bastard has grown up to be a knight who fights for His Excellency the Grand Duke. ”

The Earl's powerful arms clenched Sir so hard that Martin could only bare his teeth to bear the blow. "Yes, Uncle Lutones. I was a member of the Grand Duke's Praetorian Guard some time ago, but now I'm the commander of the mercenary corps. Father often spoke of your hard work at home, but now it seems that the rain and frost of the north did not hurt this strong warrior who feared his enemies at all. ”

"Hahaha, that's really the best news I've heard in months. Drawing the knight into the gate with a motion not at all commensurate with his robes, the Count spoke in a high tone from his chest. "Let these barbarians enter the city, they are all elite warriors specially hired by His Excellency the Grand Duke. ”

The Dragoninus except the centurion followed Sir into the castle, most of the guards guarded them through the smooth and clean road, while the rest would lead the Quaid mercenaries to the barracks with the cavalry. The Count had hired a sufficient number of servants to sort out the vacant house, and now it was only waiting for the barbarians to move in.

The inner city of Karasan was built entirely in the shape of a military fortress, so there were not many imaginary luxury aristocratic housing inside. More often than not, barracks, warehouses, and blacksmith shops appeared before the barbarians, and these and towering walls would have caused any enemy who wanted to capture the port to suffer heavy losses under the hexagonal fortress.

The rainy season is still a few weeks away, and now the clouds in the sky are still as dense as finely woven linen, flowing slowly while blocking the city from the scorching sun. Before the next rainstorm came, the Quaids arrived at the lodgings that the Count had arranged for them. It is a military camp with a large open space next to it, and there are sturdy houses made of huge stones around it. Some of the Dragoninus had already lit a fire there, and had cleaned some of the damp, moldy wooden beds.

The rain had already made Riga sore, so the hunter took the lead and entered the big house. The weather outside is still stuffy, but the Quaids, who wash their bodies in hot warm water, don't hate scorching fires, as they keep the air as little moisture as possible. The steaming heat gently brushed from the ** body like a girl's tender hands, so that Riga was quickly swallowed by the exertion that poured from her body, and fell asleep on the wooden bed.

While the Quaid mercenaries collapsed on their beds to rest, several of the Dragoninus ended their discussion in the Count of Lytonus's mansion. Now the Northland Archon has gotten the general news of the barbarians from Sir and the other soldiers, including Riga and his immensely powerful Frenzy and Transformation abilities. "Sounds like an interesting fellow, hopefully good luck in our war. The Count, who had changed into a pair of leather trousers and a baroque silk shirt, raised his glass and whispered. But then he sent a group of mercenary officers to rest, after all, the two weeks of huddled on the ship had exhausted the soldiers.

The Quaid people didn't wake up until the next morning, and the sleep of a dozen hourglasses made them feel like lions in heat. The quartermaster also brought their food, including barrels of fragrant white oatmeal, large bowls of freshly baked round bread, salted fish, air-dried meat, and apples that were not much pickled. These foods are delicious enough for the Quaids, who can only eat roasted meat with a small amount of salt and poutant fruit all winter. In reality, however, the quartermaster did not use the coins drawn by the count. He just sent a group of soldiers to the streets, and the merchants offered to deliver them in the hope of reducing the huge tax revenue.

A group of big-bellied Quaids swallowed everything at an astonishing speed, and then returned to their lodgings with their stomachs satisfied. On a few long pine tables lay hard bread crusts, salted fish heads, apple cores, and meat bones, but the scraps left behind by the barbarians were not discarded. The fat dragons who cleaned up here swept them together with a smile, boiled them with water, and sold them as food to the poorest of the poor. A single bone and a salted fish head can already make the poor people ecstatic.

The barbarians began to clean their weapons and armor as soon as they had stuffed themselves, and the rainy weather made the steel extremely easy to rust. Swords and battle axes can easily regain their sharpness with a single polish, but the chain mail that is specially marked with special paraffin wax but is still rusty makes the warriors not know what to do, after all, the circular iron rings in series cannot be placed on the stone to polish. Eventually, it was the centurion who came to the soldier's aid, finding some spinner yarn and rubbing the chain mail inside to remove a considerable amount of rust. Of course, the special paraffin wax has also been worn away, and now the Quaids have long since lost faith in this slippery and strange smelling item, preferring to frequently apply animal fat to prevent rust.

Riga also fully recovered from his sleep, and the apprentice doctor had to admit that the disease had been expelled from the body after examining him. "Swear by the name of Aklep, the god of medicine, that your ailment must come from rain. Everyone on the boat eats the same food, but only you like to drink the rain with your helmet. ”

"Damn it!" the hunter yelled at the doctor with wide eyes. "Helag, forgive me for arguing with a heathen. Sickness is the punishment of the gods for believers. The trajectory of each person's life is in the hands of the true God, and any setbacks and victories we may have already seen in the eyes of the gods. ”

"Perhaps. But the god of medicine itself does not approve of these. The doctor put his strange-looking set of utensils into the box, and replied with a nonchalant attitude. "All consequences have a cause, and without fat green leaves, you can't attract the most voracious insects. ”

"What a hell of a statement. The hunter stood up and waved his arm, feeling the familiar power before muttering and slipping on a coat. This was a military uniform sent by the lieutenant of the consul order of Count Lutones, and the Quaids only equipped chain mail and weapons in Harusa, but the soldiers only wore heavy armor to ward off damage when they were on the battlefield. The red leather cloak of the oversized Dragoninus Army pleased the Quaids, who liked the color that was more vivid than the flames, especially the soft tweed cloak that could be tied behind their backs or used as a blanket. (To be continued.) )