The bandits' stronghold was indeed very close, just a few kilometers away from the border between Veneto and the Austrian frontiers.

It is just that you need to lead pack animals, horse-drawn carts, cross mountains and mountains, and have to walk a long night road, which is undoubtedly an insurmountable problem for the vast majority of people with night blindness.

That's why the bandits didn't return to the stronghold directly.

At first, Lothar thought that it was because this gang of robbers had a fierce woman, so he didn't dare to take a group of captive female slaves back to play.

After a little pondering, it will come back to taste.

In this era, the status of women at the bottom is very low.

Even among the aristocracy, there were a few grand duchesses, empresses, and sought-after baronesses.

And those fearsome witches who hide behind the scenes of the lords.

Still can't change that fact.

For a result, it was difficult for women to fulfill their vassals' obligations to the feudal lords for military service, and the vast majority of them were unable to achieve class crossover through warfare like men.

Second, because of religious oppression, women are regarded as evil seducers, with "original sin", without the right to be educated, and everything has to be dependent on men.

The robbers did not dare to rush to the night road.

Naturally, Lothar did not have this idea, and he instructed Ryan and Moder to lead the newly recruited lords to camp in the open field in the mountains.

The blazing bonfire was soon rekindled.

Lothar distributed the food that the robbers did not have time to enjoy to his people, and took out the food that the pack horses carried and took it to the campfire to heat it.

Lothar commanded, "Moder, Ryan, you two don't stand here stupidly, go and see what the people need, from this day on, they will be in your hands." ”

"Huh?"

"Don't be stupid, you two will be my sergeant commanders in the future, although there are not many people now, but they will be the backbone in the future, and you have to train them well."

"I see."

Both of them were a little excited when they heard this.

They were in awe of Lothar and believed that Lothar could do great things, which made Lothar value them and make them even more grateful.

The two left one after another.

There was an idea in my heart that I didn't dare to hope for in the past.

"If you become a lord one day, won't you really make us knights?"

...

The campfire crackled.

Lothar took a sip of the broth, looking calm.

Once upon a time, he was still a rookie, but now after the war, he is a seasoned soldier who can still drink broth without changing his face after killing more than ten people in a row.

He transforms quickly.

There is always a feeling that I am not born a perverted madman who likes to kill.

"What? Do you want to pour me a glass of water? ”

Lothar listened intently, then nodded, "Thank you then, Pranya." ”

Prajna: "..."

With a blank face, she took out the wooden cup, took the cup of hot water and handed it over.

Lothar took the glass and blew down the vapor on it before taking a sip.

Praruo opened his mouth and said helplessly: "You can say it directly if you have a request, you don't have to beat around the bush, as your subordinate, I will act according to orders." ”

Lothar raised her eyebrows, stared at the warm orange face reflected in the firelight, and smiled, "Okay, I want to borrow your knee to lie down for a while." ”

The atmosphere was a little oppressive for a moment.

Lothar could clearly feel a chill coming from the other side.

He swallowed warm water in his cold eyes, but there was no fear in his eyes.

Long.

Prajna said, "I'm sorry, but this is not my duty as a subordinate. ”

Feeling that the atmosphere was not so stiff, Lothar said with some curtle, "I'll just say that." ”

"My lord, I can..."

Hans patted his thigh and smiled, "If you are tired, your servant is willing to serve as your pillow so that you can get a good night's sleep." ”

This poor child is probably too low in quality, only one star, so the intimacy level has risen rapidly.

Open the system and take a look.

Clear!

It has risen from "friendliness" to "worship".

"Forget it."

Lothar hurriedly shook her head and said, "I'm just joking with Ruo, I'm not so squeamish." ”

Hans thought to himself, "An adult is an adult, and he dares to joke with General Pranya." ”

This honest boy didn't even see that Lothar was molesting Prajna.

Because in his eyes, he has never regarded Prajna as a woman, to be exact, not even a human being.

It's the janitor of hell!

...

In the early hours of the next morning.

Before dawn, the group set off.

Lothar, Hans, Prajna, and Moder traveled lightly and easily along the mountain roads.

This time, it was Ryan's turn to be left behind near the stronghold, guarding the pack animals and wagons with the lords.

With only such a short time together, it was impossible for Lothar to fully trust this group of leaders, so before leaving, he specially instructed Ryan to keep a good eye to prevent them from secretly colluding.

The heart of defense is indispensable.

No matter how small the odds are, you have to be on guard.

Guarded Ryan, with a crossbow machine in his hand and armor on his body, if those leaders are really greedy, it is also very difficult to succeed.

As for why they didn't take this group of leaders to kill the bandits, it was because although they were young and strong, they were a qualified "conscript" when they took up the weapons left by the bandits.

But he didn't want to use these newly recruited lords as cannon fodder.

Instead, it was intended to be given to Moder and Hans to train as regular soldiers.

Even if he did not have the financial means to train them all as "sergeants", he would not force a group of rags, untrained peasants into battle.

In addition, most of the people in the vicinity of the Holy Land are orthodox and a few are Xorussian people.

These dozen or so lords were also Germanic people of the same culture, and they were also a more trustworthy and important key force at that time.

Both on guard and with high hopes.

The two are not contradictory.

Halfway through the journey, Hans suddenly asked, "My lord, what if I run into a woman or a child?" ”

After a moment's thought, Lothar said, "If there is a threat, they will be killed, and if there is no threat, they will be let live and die, in short, everything is based on their own lives." ”

Although Lothar knew that even the old and weak, women and children, since they enjoyed the money and food that the robbers had plundered by murder, there was nothing innocent to speak of.

But if he really wants to "cut the grass and eradicate the roots", he still can't do it.

Hans nodded, "I see." ”

He was still a rookie, but he was not a woman of kindness under the influence of his Teutonic predecessors, who often invaded the Slavs, burned and looted.

Climb over a small hill.

The destination is finally in sight.

"This is what is called a bandit colony?"

Standing on the hillside, Hans frowned: "This is clearly a village!" ”

They even carved out a small piece of farmland.

Not far from here, you can also see a large orchard with pale yellow flowers on it, and the fragrance is fragrant, which is almost like a paradise.

Lothar was also a little puzzled: "That robber must not have deliberately pointed us to the wrong way, right?" ”

"I'm going to investigate!"

Modell took the lead and headed for the stronghold.

After a while, he quickly ran back, and said with a regretful face: "That's right, the location and layout of the trap that the robber said are correct, this is the robber stronghold he said, he doesn't dare to lie to us." ”

Lothar sighed heavily.

It was supposed to be a gathering place of runaway serfs, both to avoid the oppression of the lords, heavy taxes, and the occasional group to go down the mountain and plunder.

Maybe they were a poor bunch of people too.

But when they pick up the butcher's knife, they are no longer pitiful.

"Hans, Moder, you two flanked from the flanks, and I broke through from the front with Prajna, remember my instructions, and everything should be prioritized to protect your own life."

He now has limited strength at hand, and there are only a few reliable people in total.

Before you really get the territory activation system, you can rely on milestones to extract followers, and there are very few opportunities to get them.