The second section of the turmoil

When Ashrufat finally entered the small city indicated on the map, he had been delayed on the road for more than three days than he had planned. His horse was also more lame than it had been at the beginning.

Leo was right, it was a small and prosperous town. The open space outside the town alone forms a natural market. A lot of people are crowded here, making a fuss.

Ashrufar found the place where the horses were bought and sold, and asked the veterinarian from the horse dealer's mouth.

In fact, the horse doctor is on the edge of the horse market. It was an old man with gray hair, and the doctor shook his head after looking at the injured hooves of Ashrufat's horse.

"Young man, you don't care too much for your horse. To this extent, not short-term treatment can be effective. The veterinarian replied. "Did you forcibly drag the horse for a long distance after it was injured?"

"Is it incurable?"

"It's not that it's untreatable, but it takes at least two months to recuperate. The doctor replied. "And I assure you, if you continue to drag it along, it will not take two days at most for this poor beast to be completely crippled. ”

"How much does the cheapest riding horse cost here?"

The horse doctor looked at Ashrufat. "You're going to go a long way, aren't you? If it's a long distance, it's best to have a good breed horse that can be used as a war horse, at least four gold coins. Even if it's a pack horse or something, it will cost at least seventy or eighty silver coins. ”

"Are horses so expensive in this place?"

"Young man, don't you know that there is a war going on in the road, and at the beginning of the war, the price of horses has become more expensive. ”

"So, doctor, how much is my horse worth now?" Ashrufat asked the doctor.

"This horse, though a very good breed horse, and it can be seen that it has also been trained as a war horse, but it is already very lame. It takes at least two months of recuperation, and there is no guarantee that it will be recuperated, and there is still the possibility of disability. If I were to buy it, I would be willing to pay a fair price for a gold coin. "But I'm just a doctor, not a businessman, and I don't buy horses." You can ask the horse dealers. But their prices will definitely be below the fair price. ”

One hour later, Ashrufat left the horse market. He sold his lame horse for eighty pieces of silver, and entrusted the saddle to the horse doctor for the price of one silver coin. The money was enough for him to buy a farm horse. He had already figured it out, if the lord refused to help him, then he had no choice but to buy a bad horse and make do with it.

Although the lord's castle is not here, there must be a steward ordered by the lord in this small town, and even if the lord allows the town to be self-governing, there will be a mayor. It's easy to find the lord through them.

So his situation is not bad, after all, the matter itself is just a simple incidental task. Ashrufat can now observe the situation in this small city with a relaxed mood.

He began to feel that something wasn't quite right. Although he knew that this was the only trading center in a large area nearby, it was too lively. This kind of crowded excitement is no longer the level that can be achieved in remote areas. Could it be that today is a local holiday?

"Everyone, it's a rare thing! Absolutely rare, a half-beast unique to the Danden Mountains! a female half-beast!"

Someone shouted like this, and Ashrufat couldn't help but look at the source of the sound.

At the top of the shout was a tall man dressed as a hunter, with a sturdy stake at his feet, to which a short rope was attached, and at the other end of the rope was a child tied around his neck.

Ashrufat couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, but then he realized that this was not a human being. The mysterious creature was probably no bigger than a ten-year-old human child, with a body covered in fur and bare, with a pair of cat-like furry ears on its head and a tail exposed behind it. The whole looks half human, half cat.

This strange creature was now looking at anyone who dared to approach it with a very ferocious gaze, like a badger that had been cornered.

"What is this, Carrie?" Ashrufat asked in his mind.

"The 'Half-Beast', also known as the 'Semu', is an intelligent creature with a fairly high level of intelligence and the ability to form societies. They are good at stealth and have some special abilities. This creature used to be widely distributed, but now it only lives in the Danden Mountains. They have lost in the race for survival. Unless there is a miracle, sooner or later it will all become extinct. Carrie replied word by word. "These are the materials that my previous master, your wife, Kotoshin, has gathered. ”

"Is this really rare, this is a half-beast?" a curious passer-by tried to tease the motionless creature with a stick, but the moment the stick touched the other, the half-beast pounced. If it weren't for the half-beast with a rope around its neck, a passer-by would have been bitten.

"What! so dangerous?!" the man was startled. Although the half-beast was still pounced, the short rope was firmly pulled around the half-beast's neck, making the half-beast unable to move. "How can you buy this kind of thing? Even if you buy it, how can you take it with you?"

"Don't worry. The hunter replied with a smile. "I'll provide a safe cage. All for ten silver coins. ”

"It's a rare animal. A man dressed as a businessman next to him said. "I bought it and brought it home to show my kids a fresh one. But you are responsible for plucking out the teeth and claws of this half-beast so that it does not hurt anyone. ”

"No...... No...... Come here...... I'll bite your arteries!" the half-beast bared its teeth and shouted in a stiff human language. There was a clear fear in her eyes. This phrase has aroused the interest of more people. How can this creature speak human language?

The hunter picks up the trap and tries to subdue the half-beast to pull out the claws. At this time, another person spoke.

"Sell it to me, I don't need your help to pull the tooth. ”

The hunter was stunned for a moment, and saw that it was a young man who spoke. The young man was wearing a cuirass with a shield behind him, and a red dragon was carved on the cuirass. There is no doubt that the young man with the coat of arms was a nobleman, or at least a cadet knight.

The hunter's gaze looked at the merchant who had made the bid earlier, but the merchant did not say anything, and it was clear that he had no intention of bidding.

"Of course, sir. The hunter took the cage and put it over the head of the half-beast, then inserted a baffle into the bottom of the cage and cut the rope that bound the half-beast at the end of the cage. He handed the cage to his guest, from whom he exchanged ten silver coins.

Ashrufat continued to walk forward with the cage in his hand. When he came to a small alley where no one was around, he lowered the cage and opened the cage door.

The half-beast pounced on him with lightning and bit his hand. But Eshurufat moved a little faster, and he easily dodged the half-beast's bite, and grabbed the half-beast's back by the neck, pressing her to the ground and unable to move. The half-beast struggled, but there was no way to break free.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Ashrufat said softly. "I know you understand us, so you should know that I paid you a full ten silver coins. ”

"I hope you won't let me spend these ten silver coins for nothing. He let go of his hand and took a step back. The half-beast looked at him with some surprise, and then looked around, afraid that it was just a cruel game.

"You're free, hurry up and go, don't stay in human territory anymore. Ashrufat said. Then he left without looking back.

He had almost circled the town, and in front of him was the center of the town, where the lord must have had an office.

Ashrufat saw the militia on duty in front of the residence, dressed in rudimentary leather armor and looking listless.

"I am the envoy of Her Royal Highness Princess Irina, and I ask to see your lord. Ashrufat came to one of the militiamen and said.

"We don't have a lord now. The militia muttered.

"No more lords? I remember the lords here are ......"

"He's dead. The militia made a helpless gesture. "Two months ago, a dam on the river was crossed, and the flood swept away the lord and his family, and all his servants, stewards, and deacons. Now there is absolutely no one in charge here. No one held a funeral for them, no one collected taxes, no one even paid us salaries. Until the royal family sent a new lord here, it was always like this. I just hope it won't be too long. ”

Ashrufat was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to do.

"Master, you shouldn't have bought that half-beast ......," Carrie whispered.

"It was a complete accident. Ashrufat turned around and left in frustration. Forget it, just report the situation to Thomas. Although pack horses are slow to react and slow, they are technically better in endurance than war horses......

"That's him, that's the man!" a group of people suddenly appeared in front, and the leader was none other than the hunter who had sold the half-beast earlier, and he pointed at Ashrufat.

"He bought the half-beast from me, so he is the owner of the half-beast!"

A group of people rushed over menacingly, "Did you buy that half-beast?"

"Yes, is there anything wrong?" asked Ashruphat rhetorically. These are just businessmen, and there is nothing to be afraid of.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that. The man held out a hand towards Ashrufat, "Since you are the owner of the half-beast, then pay the compensation." ”

"Indemnity?"

"Yes, I run a tavern. Your half-beast stole one of my roast chickens and broke one of my barrels along the way. In addition, she scared away three of my customers and broke a bunch of wine glasses. In total, at least eighteen silver coins were lost. ”

"Your half-beast stole my sausages and broke one of my wife's precious fur scarves......"

"Your half-beast ......"

"Your ......"

A group of victims scrambled to speak, and the tavern owner who had lost the most straightened his chest.

"I think you are a knight, and I believe you must know that as a knight, you are responsible for the affairs of your servants. ”

"Master, you shouldn't have bought that half-beast. After the men left, Carrie whispered again.