The relationship between the two is going well, they stay together all day, and even a simple exchange of glances will attract laughter. Sometimes, two people hold hands, silently facing each other, without saying a word, and feel happy even if time passes. In this way, they marched all the way north, crossed two great rivers, left the steppe, and the terrain became uneven. There are gravel and shallow ditches everywhere, and it is no longer possible to ride a horse. The two men could only lead their horses on foot, heading towards the foot of the walled mountain range.

They were looking for a way into the mountains, which became a very difficult task. Since the walled mountains are difficult to climb, the entire castle defense line is connected by a continuous series of roads up and down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain there will be villages where you can grow your own food. However, here in the north, there is always not enough food to eat, so the people of the village will also work part-time as miners, looking for valuable ore from the walled mountains, transporting it far away, and selling it to the tribes of the steppe in exchange for livestock and rations.

The Dwarven Mora Summits occupy the best part of the Walled Mountains, but there are still many treasures hidden elsewhere in the mountains. It is not easy to obtain the gifts of the earth, and it takes a long time of arduous exploration and excavation. For humans, their lives are too short to afford such a wait. So there will be some hired dwarves who will operate in the empty space between the castles, marking minerals and looking for caves that can go deep underground. They recorded all of this in the book management of the Top of Mora, hiding the treasure's information so that only the dwarves could read it. They only told the human employers about a very small part of the deposits, the ones that were very common to the dwarves. Therefore, the lords here are far less wealthy than their compatriots in the south and the knights of the Starry Kingdom.

In order to maintain their rule and security, they had no choice but to continue to oppress the civilians in the villages, or to raid like the tribes of the steppe. So on the plank path of the city wall mountain range, most of the robbers are dressed as castle guards. Depending on the change in their standard of living, they will plunder the caravans passing through the plank road. This has led to a vicious cycle of the economy of the entire region, with higher prices and less food. Only those castles with mineral deposits survived, barely subsisting on mining.

Siegel and Janet passed through a village that didn't even have a decent name, but was simply called "the village at the foot of the mountain". The streams here are dry, the houses are dilapidated, and only a few tobacco plants grow crookedly in the fields. The old woman struggled to shake the wheels by the well, and the crunching sound made her ears hurt. Some of the children work in the freshly burned fields, pick up all the stones in the soil, throw them aside, then dig small pits, plant wheat seeds, and pray that the winter snow will protect them and the spring sun will make them sprout.

Siegel looked around and saw that there was not a single man here, except for the small one, which was not as tall as a sword, and the old one was thinner than a shield. The women here stared blankly at Siegel and Janet, compared to their strong horses, sturdy clothes, well-equipped and full bodies, the people here seemed to live in a poor hell, but what unsettled Siegel the most was their eyes—there was no hope, no longing, no jealousy, only infinite numbness.

"If it weren't for the threat of orcs, maybe it would have grown here, with more farmland and merchants, than it is now. Janet whispered.

"What are their lords doing, letting their people starve to death?" Siegel felt sad, but could not do anything about it. He saw a house with a horse pen on the side of the road leading to the mountain, and three lean horses tethered to the trough. There was also a badge on one of the saddles - the black sun glowed red - it was the Slint family, the owners of the Black Blood Castle.

"Let's ask the knights here and inquire about the situation. At the very least, it is important to determine the specific direction. Siegel said.

They stopped their horses, and no one came out of them, so they had to do it themselves. There was a lot of chopping wood piled up next to the horse pen, and a missing axe gnawed on a stake, and the handle of the axe was blackened. A large bundle of hay was scattered haphazardly on the ground, and Siegel checked it, but found no thorny branches inside,

The two pushed the door in, and the hotel was empty, except for an old woman and a cook standing behind the counter. The tables and chairs here are made of black wood, the same color as the walls here, and the same color as everything here. There was a small fire pit dug in the middle of the house, and gray charcoal was burning in it, and it was the smoke from this thing that stained everything black. A tin pot is set on the fire, and the mushroom broth inside is steaming with aroma. On a nearby table, a simple meal of brown bread, onions, and eggs was placed on several broken plates, enough for three people.

There were no knights, just a cook—or a shopkeeper, and there was only one person here to ask. Siegel found a sturdy chair, wiped it clean for Janet to sit down, then took out a silver coin and placed it on the table, and asked, "Shopkeeper, what can I eat here?" ”

"I don't want to get in trouble, Lord Sir. The woman replied with trepidation when she saw Siegel's breastplate and weapon, and recognized Janet as his handmaiden or mistress—sometimes there was no difference between the two.

"I'm not a jazz lord, and I don't want to get into trouble, I just order food and drink. Siegel smiled kindly and said, "I would appreciate you even more if you could tell me who the horses outside belonged to and where they went." ”

"Then I don't dare to say it, Lord Sir. The cook looked at the silver coin, swallowed a little of her saliva, and then said, "I have only some dog meat left here, which is dried and boiled into a delicious soup, and all that is left is brown bread and onions." By the way, there is also half a bottle of cider, which is slightly sour, but can quench your thirst. ”

"There's nothing good to eat here, so let's just take a break. Janet persuaded.

"Okay. You don't need dog meat, grab some bread and onions, and if you have carrots or cabbage, wash them and bring them together. Siegel tossed the silver to the shopkeeper and waited patiently with Janet.

Not long after, there were loud noises and arrogant laughter, the sound of bags being dragged and cries for mercy outside. Siegel was worried and was about to stand up to take a look, when Janet pressed his hand and said, "They'll always come in." ”

Sure enough, the door to the inn was kicked open, and three men walked in. One was dressed in scale armor with a black sun sign on the shield behind him, and was about 5 feet tall with a large white bump on the side of his nose, which looked funny and weird. The other two were supposed to be his attendants, dressed in simple leather armor, and one was fat and tall, with the sound of footsteps on the ground rumbling. The other, of medium height, medium build, and ordinary appearance, was holding an iron chain in his hand, and at the other end of the chain was an unkempt woman. It was the woman who kept begging for mercy, but was dragged and stumbled along.

"Bastard, there are eggs but no chickens, do you think we are all idiots?" The tall fat man entered the inn, threw a chicken with a twisted neck to the cook, and said loudly, "Hurry up and pluck the feathers, and then stew it." I've been tired of eating mushroom dog meat or something for a long time. ”

"How about eating a live chicken before it dies?" the ordinary-looking creature shook the chain in his hand and smiled strangely.

The big pimple knight snorted, "Shut up, you two fools." Then his hair was scattered and covered the puffiness of his face as if nothing had happened. "I didn't expect to meet a noble lord here. Where are you from?"

"I'm not a sir. Siegel blurted out that Janet couldn't stop it. "I'd like to ask you how to get to the Black Blood Castle and what you're doing. ”

"Not Lord Sir?" the big pimple knight looked up and down suspiciously, staring at Siegel's armor, checking his age, guessing where he came from. When his gaze swept over Janet, the look inside made the kitten feel uncomfortable.

"Ask what we're doing? Could it be that you're a spy? Where did you get your armor from? It doesn't look like it fits, was it stolen or stolen?"

Siegel stood up, he was taller and much stronger than the big pimple. His hand rested on his waist, his fingers tapping lightly on the hilt. Janet hid behind Siegel, the dragon's tooth dagger at her disposal.

"Why, you want to fight the three of us? But we're not going to fight you. The big pimple shook his head, shook his short and thick fingers, and said, "This is the jurisdiction of the Black Blood Castle, everyone is under the management of the viscount, now come with me." First, hand over the weapon. ”

"You're dreaming. Siegel replied.

The big pimple shrugged his shoulders and looked indifferent: "It's your choice." I am a knight, and you dare to draw your sword in front of me, boy, you are a commoner, you should bow your head and talk to me. Offending aristocrats, illegally possessing weapons, and arrests, you can be charged with many crimes. ”

"And espionage. The ordinary-looking squire hurriedly added, "He inquired everywhere about the garrison, and it must be a spy bribed by the orcs." ”

"And female spies, beautiful female spies, take them back and review them well. The fat squire added.

Siegel understood that the other side was waiting for him to draw his weapon first, so that he could be convicted of all the charges, so that they would have enough reason to pursue him, and maybe send out a patrol force. Maybe they've been eyeing the horses stored outside before they even get in. These people are dressed as knights, but inside they are robbers. Siegel now understands that the truth of "I'm not a jazz lord" has caused trouble and put himself in an embarrassment.

It's not the first time he's been arrested, he's been arrested on the dwarven cloak avenue and the nomadic Northland grasslands, and he's obeyed both times. But this time he still had Janet by his side, and there was no justice at all, depending on the situation. So Siegel shrugged his shoulders, let out a sigh of relief, and drew his scimitar firmly.