"I'm sorry for the fallen soldiers, I didn't protect them. But please understand, Lord Varrel, every castle has shortcomings and weaknesses, the number of beastmen is too large, we can't divide our forces to guard every place, in fact, I have sent people to guard the occupied area, but on the night of the lonely wind, the beastmen came too suddenly, and the number of our soldiers is limited. ”

Rod explained as politely as he could. Although your heart is also angry, you have no figure when you are fighting, you borrowed dozens of soldiers to talk nonsense, you are not in command on the front line, and others have to be responsible for the dead! Of course, the borrowed troops Rhodes has the obligation and responsibility to take them well, but where can you fight without dying......

"That's not a reason, Lord of Blackhammer, when you borrowed troops from Heidelberg, you swore that you would let them come back alive, and now, less than half of them are standing in front of me alive. Is this how you make good on your promise?"

The more Varel spoke, the more he went overboard, and even Alves on the side couldn't help but show disdain.

"I'm sorry. ”

Rod forced himself back.

"Sorry didn't solve the problem. ”

Varrell said with an eyebrow raised.

"And how do you want to solve the problem?"

Rod was starting to get a little annoyed. Guarding the North was everyone's job, but in Varel's case, it slowly turned sour, as if it had nothing to do with him. When the minotaur was placed in front of him, he was paralyzed with fright, and now, having won the battle, he began to play tricks again...... It can be said that the forest is big, and there are all kinds of birds......

"These soldiers are veterans that we have trained for many years, and I have spent a lot of time and energy training them, you know?"

Varrell raised his eyebrows, but there was something in his words. The clever Alves immediately heard that the quarrel between the nobles was nothing more than two things - women and interests. And Varel clearly falls into the latter category. He wants money, he wants compensation, and to put it bluntly, it's as simple as that.

"I understand, I'm sad. ”

"Being sad doesn't solve the problem. ”

"How do you fix that?"

"You're going to have to pay some pension. These soldiers all have families, and their wives and children are still in the city waiting for them to send their salaries back. ”

Varrell's statement was very tactful, he did not ask for money directly in person, but he beat around the bush and justified the use of the money. However, fools know that once the castle lord asks for money, how much will be left in the hands of the families of the wounded soldiers? They are local lords, and at the same time nobles, and the nature of nobility is well known to everyone. It's just that such a brazen request for compensation is the first time Rod has seen it.

"It turns out that Lord Varel needs to ask for a pension from a lord in another place in order to settle the people. It's a rarity. ”

Finally, Alves, who had been listening to the sidelines, could not sit still, and he reclined in his chair, lazily muttering simple sentences. However, anyone with a little smarter can hear the irony.

"This is a private matter between Heidelberg and Blackhammer, and no one else has the right to intervene. ”

Varrell returned indignantly.

"Private, not necessarily, right? Perhaps in terms of castle management, Blackhammer Castle, Heidelberg and Hoop Castle are separate entities. But from a military defense point of view, we are definitely the ones who wear the same pants. Gregory Varrel, don't forget what was the original purpose of our ancestors in cultivating and building on this land? What was the wish of the Emperors Magnus and Lady Kesley? Mankind needs peace and tranquility, so there is the Great Wall of the North, and there are the Forts of the North. Today, the Great Wall has long been abandoned, but the cities are still maintained. As long as the threat of the Beastmen, Savages, and Chaos remains, Blackhammer, Heidelberg, and the Ring City will be one. ”

As soon as Varel was about to retort, Alves interrupted him and continued—

"Am I wrong?Baron Varrel, my brother is a supporter of this battle like you, and there are far more soldiers killed under the walls of the Ring than yours, but Lord Aubrey doesn't need to ask Lord Rhodes for a pension in order to deal with the aftermath. ”

The little dwarf's words made Variel's face redden, but at the same time he couldn't find a better reason to refute it. He turned his gaze to his daughter, hoping that Caroline would stand up and say a few "fair words" for him. But the Frost Witch, who has experienced the scourge of the evil moon, doesn't seem to want to be on her father's side. In a way, she's more loyal to the Snow Queen than to her family. This is the disadvantage of the Frost Witch's training.

It is said that in the Kislev School of Magic and Wizardry, there is a saying that everything you have is given by the queen, your abilities, your magic, your status and glory, all given to you by the queen. What more important person than a queen needs you to serve? If a person cannot even be grateful, then that person will not deserve glory and status. This sentence makes a lot of sense to the Frost Witch from a civilian background. But for those girls from aristocratic families, it's. They are born aristocratic and have superior status and power without having to fight for it. As for the frost ability, the magic academy teaches students how to use magic, but a person's strength is not all learned by nurture, innate conditions are very important, if there is no awakening frost talent, even if the ice queen personally tutors, it will be useless. This is the case with the so-called partial generalization. However, in this almost frenzied atmosphere, the students do not know how to distinguish between right and wrong, you know, when they enter the Academy of Magic, most girls are only twelve or thirteen years old, and they know nothing about politics, war, and glory, and a blank sheet of paper is the best depiction.

......

The dinner party celebrating the victory in the Battle of the Evil Moon finally ended in Varrel's sullen mood, and although he left early, it didn't stop the others from drinking and partying in the hut. For those who have lived in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere for a long time, the defeat of hundreds of beasts and werewolves at once is a great victory.

Rhodes partyed with the crowd until late at night. The wine in the cellar was almost drunk in one night, but it was worth it, there was no motivation without a reward, and a good meal and good wine was what all the Northland warriors craved the most.

"Thank you for speaking for me tonight, friend. Indeed, your words are sharper than mine, and your eloquence is much better than mine. ”

At the end of the dinner, Rhodes and Alves were left alone to meet on the balcony of the castle. The light of the evil moon had faded, and the light of Manasrib had once again taken over half of the sky, and the bright moonlight poured down on the castle, giving a sense of peace and tranquility.

"Again, old friend, this is not for you, it's for the whole of the North. ”

Alves said with a smile.

"By the way, Alves, aren't you sure you don't upset Aubrey with what you said tonight? I mean, maybe he wanted some compensation or lease money or something, like Varell. ”

Rod asked curiously. What kind of goods these lords are Rod probably knows well, and the word is the first thing, which is the common denominator of all nobles and merchants.

"He did, but when I said that, he didn't want it. ”

"I know best what kind of person my brother is, as I told you before, he has a good face, face is everything to him, and he also pursues interests, but when there is a conflict between the two, my brother will not hesitate to choose the former. This is not surprising, everyone has their own things that value the most. Some people value emotion, family, friendship, love, etc., and some people value wealth, and everything he does is to collect wealth. There are those who seek status and glory, and these people can do anything to get power and status, and this is the case with those who spend money to buy official positions. And my brother Aubrey, he is after face. For the sake of face, he can do whatever it takes. So, when I didn't say that to Varrel, Aubrey wanted your compensance as well. However, when I say this, he has no reason to ask you for it. The Ring City would henceforth earn a reputation in the North as the Generous Aubrey. Yes, my brother will receive such a title. Do you think there is anything that makes my brother happier than having such a title be praised by the people?"

Alves said......

"There is no doubt about it, old friend, what is good to you is good to me, good to Ringland. The pension is a large expense and a heavy burden for you, while for the Ring City, it is nothing more than a trivial expense. Half a month's tax is enough to fill this gap. Half a month's tax in exchange for a lifelong reputation is also worth it for Aubrey. Moreover, from a strategic point of view, the deal was not a loss. Black Hammer Fort is the front line of the Iron Ring City, Black Hammer Fort is stable, the Iron Ring City can be stable, you know, the development of a town is inseparable from stability and peace, without a safe environment, who will come to your territory to trade and settle? No man's castle is just a dead city. So, it's actually a win-win deal. ”

Alves laughed. For a moment, Rhodes even began to be jealous, why didn't he have such a brother? What about dwarfs and deformities? He had an incorruptible tongue and a nimble head. In the future, if the territory develops, it is perfect to include such people under its umbrella. Unfortunately, that blueprint is still far from it.