Fort Hub was the center of the area's human settlement, and was one of the first castles to be built after the discovery of the New World. The pioneering Earl of Stadter and his knights crossed the sea to build Fort Hub in what was once a wasteland. The Starter clan planned to bring water from the river, reclaim the fertile land, dig mines in the mountains, and run the place into a centuries-old inheritance for future generations.

But the wildness and unruliness of the New World exceeded the Count's expectations, and there were too many hidden dangers here. When a sudden illness took the Earl's life in the prime of life, the Hub Fort only repaired the inner city, and only half of the fertile land was reclaimed, and only the mines and rivers were successfully completed.

As soon as the Earl died, his knights left the main castle and went to the surrounding fiefdoms to run their own estates. Although they remain loyal to the Earl's successor, they are not as cohesive as they once were. The construction of the Hub Castle was largely stalled, and as a result, two hundred years later, the Earl title was reduced to a viscount, and the castle was still only the size of the original inner city, and half of the outer walls were built.

Beyond the Hub, however, there are several villages that act like sentry posts to protect the unfortified castle in the center. The people who live here are independent and focus more on their own affairs than the outside world, and what happens in Fort Hub and the surrounding villages is all they have. They are buried in their work, they do not leave the land easily, and they do not venture around, according to the locals: "It is killing ......"

Due to its location, waterways and river terminals, Fort Hub is a frequent destination for travelers. They brought news from afar, especially the stories of the Old World were the most popular. The residents of Fort Hub warmly welcome and applaud these travelers from their homeland as they tell their stories of history or legends. However, the people of Fort Hub never had a deep friendship with these people.

The current administrator of Fort Hub is Viscount Kira Stadt, a short man in his forties, who is listening to the emissaries of the towns of Nolan and Dongteng, arguing over the boundary dispute over the farmland. At this moment his attendant reported that a knight had asked for an audience with important news.

"Then let him in. Viscount Kira beckoned, and then said to the others, "I will send my affairs officer to investigate the situation in the matter of the border, and neither side shall make any action until a conclusion is reached." ”

Ser Bill and Leah entered the council hall and saw the Viscount sitting in a large chair on the two steps, and the others standing under the steps to the left and right. They looked up and down the two men who walked in from the corners of their eyes, judging the identity of one person by their gait, attire, and look.

"It turned out to be Sir Bill, and I think there will be someone else who will be Sir Courier. Viscount Kira held his chin and said with interest: "You left here, it turned out that you changed to such a job. I didn't expect it to be so easy to make money by sending letters now?"

Sir Bill ignored this, and took out the letter and gave it to the viscount's attendant, who stood in his way.

"Oh, let me see what this is, Elven letter, it can't be a begging for mercy, is it?" the viscount tore open the envelope, glanced at it a few times, put it aside, and said, "Sure enough, there is nothing new, it's still this set." Why are the elves so interested in what's going on in my territory?, but they really shouldn't have assigned you, Sir to deliver the letter. Everyone knows that you are a rigid, old, and impoverished knight, who has never been good at talking. But I'm curious to know if these messages would have sounded good if they had come from the gentle little mouth of the beautiful woman next to you?"

"Leave it to yourself, Lord Viscount. Sir Bill took Leah's wrist and frowned, saying, "It would be good for you to listen to the advice of the friendly ones. ”

"Immortal old ghosts, curse them! I only want love, but curse me, this is the face of the friendly one. The viscount threw the letter aside, and said angrily, "The Hub Fort is here, and I won't go anywhere else, so come if they want to tempt, I have nothing to hide." But beware, dear sir, these elves are scheming, and they are always calculating!"

Seeing this, Sir Bill knew that he could not convince the Viscount, after all, the feud between Fort Hub and the elves was too deep to be solved in a few words. Their history contains wars of love, betrayal, and revenge, stretching for three generations. If it weren't for the fact that after the Battle of the Great River, the royal family of the Star Kingdom asked the viscount not to engage in war with the elves, and the Hub Fort and Xinlin might still be at war. Seeing that there was nothing to say, Sir Bill took his leave and left the chamber with Leah.

Siegel was waiting for them outside with his horse in tow, while he was still looking at the castle with interest. Quite different from a concept on the map, the image of the town in front of you is much more vivid. There are hundreds of stone and timber dwellings, most of them on the outskirts of the original castle blueprints, neatly arranged along the crooked streets. Thousands of residents live in the area, which is much more than originally designed. As a result, the drains and culverts that were originally dug are often blocked, and from time to time the sewage on the streets will flow cross-flow and the stench will be unbearable.

The cloak avenue runs through the outtown from east to west, and the largest taverns, inns, and shops line the road. Unlike the bustling market area of Creekwood, Fort Hub isn't a big day for trading right now, and it only gets crowded and noisy when the mines on the hill are concentrated on weekly deliveries.

However, this did not affect the good business of the inn and tavern for two reasons: Fort Hub planted a large number of apple trees that produced excellent wine, and Fort Hub had a guild of innkeepers who would pay to collect information and secrets.

Siegel was not in a good mood when he saw that both the Jazz and the elf master were in a good mood, so he served them more obediently. The three of them came to the main street, chose the quietest-looking inn, and led their horses in.

"Welcome to the Nikko Inn of the Barrel Master. A chubby little boy of seven or eight years old bowed at the door and welcomed everyone: "Do you need anything?"

"Two adjoining rooms, one of which is to have two beds. Sir Bill said, "Take care of our horses, and put beans and eggs in the hay." ”

"You're satisfied!" the little boy tied his horse to the side, and helped Siegel carry his luggage into the inn. A fat man who was clearly the boss was sleeping soundly on the table, smiling and snoring, probably dreaming. The little boy slipped under the table, took out the passenger register, collected the cost of three days' accommodation, wrote a few notes in the notebook, and then drilled back again.

"We have food and drinks here at all times, so you can come to me if you need anything else. Either I greet you at the door, but in the first small room next to the stairs on the second floor, the one that says 'Doorman'. ”

"Good. Tell me, little one, is the 'Sledgehammer' smithy still open?"

"Oh, it's still open. The doorman replied, "I remember that it was almost closed a year ago, and I don't know why it suddenly became popular again." ”

Sir Bill nodded, settling everyone in the group. He asked Siegel to practice martial arts with the elves, and then went to the sledgehammer smith shop alone.

When Jazz came back in the evening, there was one more man behind him, and two carts. This man is in his thirties, very athletic, the muscles of his arms hold up his clothes, he rubs his big calloused hands and says with a smile, "It's nice to meet you!"

"This is Jeff Gold, the one who was supposed to receive the goods. Sir Bill explained: "McQuette is his partner, and the wagon they own together is not expected to come back, so he is now bankrupt and has decided to follow us as a blacksmith and retinue." ”

"Welcome, welcome!" Siegel's bones clicked all over his body, and he struggled to get up from the ground, reaching out to clench the "gold coin". "Do you want to learn how to be a knight, Sir Bill is a good lord. ”

"Oh, I'm not. The man smiled and said, "I just filed for bankruptcy protection." ”

"Huh, what does that mean?"

"It's a business term that means I'm bankrupt and I'm looking for protection. Jeff explained, and then he added, "I've brought in everything from the shop that isn't selling, and you can see what you want, and you can use it." ”

"Go, little, he's right. Sir Bill nodded, "There's a pony out there, yours too." From now on you will also learn to ride a horse. ”

Siegel cheered and rushed out, and Jeff followed after greeting the elf lady.

After both of them left the room, Leah frowned and asked, "What happened, why did you bring this Jeff?"

"His goods were taken away by his partner, and the resulting losses made him lose his shop directly, and he couldn't make a living here. ”

"But that's not a reason to take him, is it?"

"I was in charge of protecting the wagons, and the convoy ended up going to elven territory. I couldn't convince myself that it had nothing to do with me. Sir shook his head and comforted the elf, "I have explained the danger to him, and I have only promised to protect his life as far as I can, and help him find his place again." ”

"And what about Elinth's summons?

"No kidding, the dwarves are going to throw me into the barrel and drown. Bill thought for a moment, then said with a smile: "When the time comes, I will trouble you to fish me out of it, Irint is not that tall." ”

"As long as you don't take the opportunity to drag me down this time, the smell on my body won't get rid of it for a week!"

"Leah, do me a favor and train Siegel well so that he can meet Irlingt's requirements and be able to participate in the action as a member. If he were only an entourage, his share would be greatly reduced. You also know that the dwarf is a serious and stubborn guy. ”

"You really care about him. Leah said, "But why don't you always talk to him properly?"

"I can't take your role. Bill replied, "He is obedient and hardworking, but he also needs to discipline those who are strict with him." ”

"Your human educational habits are strange. Leah shook her head: "But don't worry, Siegel has improved very quickly, he has reached the basic conditions for practicing scimitar dance, and he will definitely be able to meet the goal when he meets the dwarf." ”

"So fast, it's only been a few days?" Sir was surprised, "I remember you said that it would take a year for elves to meet this basic requirement. ”

"Elves' bodies grow and recover much more slowly. Leah's face turned red, and then explained, "I have to say that human beings can develop from savages to civilization, and they are indeed blessed. ”

"I guess he's the only one who has been blessed. ”