Chapter 20 Turning Point
"As for you asking me why I chose Fei..." Eric replied thoughtfully. "Maybe it was some intuition. I feel that she is different from others. Maybe her eyes are more resolute. Of course, choosing a girl is not attracting other people's attention...
"No... it should be said that Fei seemed to have a certain firm belief in his heart. She wanted to do something, and she wanted to do it at all costs." This time, Neil was speaking. "Don't look at me like this. Although I just met, I have some confidence in observing girls."
The topic ended there. Neil poured Eric a glass of wine, who picked up the glass but did not drink it.
"Can I meet the Baron?" Eric asked suddenly. "Isn't he here?"
"It seems that every newcomer will make such a request." Neil spread his hands with an innocent expression, "But I can only say I'm sorry. And he's not here either."
Eric pondered for a moment, but did not continue to ask, but drank his wine silently.
"So can you tell me, why do you get so many strongholds in Istria?" Eric asked suddenly.
"It's actually very simple, because the people here have no longer had the difficulty of living under human rule." Nick replied. "So Baron Pinold became a last choice. They were loyal to the Baron, and the Baron would protect them, at least not let the tax collectors and soldiers come to these villages."
"So why are you following the Baron?" Eric stared at Neil. "It is also for the mystery of immortality?"
"I? For a little personal reason." Neil laughed and fooled the topic.
"Who are the lords of Sivania?" Ashurufat frowned and asked Neil.
"A newly developed territory with vast land but small population, and there are all kinds of strange dangers and unknown plagues... Who would you say that the person who was sent to such a place to be lords? Either the nouveau riche or the one who was demoted! In fact, there are also good people among the nouveau riche and the exiled nobles, but there are three bastards in this place!" Neil replied.
"Three bastards?" Ashu Rufat asked curiously.
"You should have heard of the Earl of Kasek in Meno." Neil replied. "It was just a mercenary. Because of accident and luck, he became a nobleman. The mixed-ball gambling lost and owed huge debts, and in the end his people were in trouble... The lord of Istria was named Fuze. It is said that he was a businessman. He had a noble status by donating a lot of money to the country and became a lord... Do you know where so many prisoners came from in the excavation site? At least half of them were made by him from all over the country and sold them with various means.
Digging the church! I can think of it. Since he has done all the traffickers, what else can't be done? As for Via's lord, it seems to be called Hathel! Compared to the other two places, he is better, but it is only better. He seems to have been demoted, so his goal is to return to Tibiluo. Except for relying on the back door, he doesn't care about other responsibilities at all. As long as he can get a fixed tax, he will leave everything else and let his subordinates do whatever they want, causing a mess."
"So!" Neil snorted coldly for some reason. "People here would rather seek refuge from vampires! At least, vampires will only drink one person's blood at a time!"
"No wonder Baron Pinold could organize his own loyalty without much effort." In his mind, Carrie quietly commented. This was not because of how strong Pinold's personal charm was, but because these people had to join him. Now it seems that it was probably just a chance for Pinold to summon these subordinates.
But even by chance, this group of people is quite capable. Not to mention anything else, at least the preparations for the escape were done well. Although the village is not big, there are many empty houses, and there is even a small barrack (although Ashu Rufat didn't ask, he probably had any connection with the trafficker lord, or it might have been a midway station for prisoners to escort). All of this, plus some tents, was barely allowed to stay in the group of escapees.
According to previous experience, early summer, when the rainy season comes, the rain can fall for more than half a month. However, the situation this year is a bit different. By the fourth day, the sky rarely showed a bright light. However, this does not mean that the heavy rain has ended here, it is just a rare gap between the two heavy rains.
The spies have brought news from the excavation site these days, or there is no news there. The gate may have been repaired, but the church also knows that it is futile to go out to search. So they simply do nothing, but there are indeed more patrol guards on the city walls, and some people have indeed seen patrol soldiers in the heavy rain.
Ashurufat has been doing these days in a bored way in the village waiting to evacuate. During these days, Pinold's subordinates and escaped prisoners were evacuating in batches in an orderly manner. Now there are not many people left in the village. Although Pinold's conditions are very generous, the results seem to be quite good, and a large number of people are willing to join the rebellion.
It was rare that it did not rain today, so it should be the time for the remaining people to evacuate. Ashu Rufat sat in a small house on the edge of the village, thinking boredly. He should be able to meet Pinold when he went back. He had repeatedly considered and deduced this time. In fact, this was the only thing he could do in the past two days.
Someone pushed open the door. Ashu Rufate found that a stranger was coming in. However, there were many strangers here, so Ashu Rufate didn't care much.
"Are you Ash Rufate?" Although he was a stranger, the other party did not look restrained at all.
"It's me. Why, we're going to set out?"
"It's true, Lord Cade wants to see you," said the stranger. "In the afternoon, the remaining people here will be scattered away. Lord Cade hopes that at that time, you will first go to the mill by the river to meet him. He hopes to have some things to talk to you privately."
Cad Ashu Rufate immediately remembered the man who was once a Sacred Knight. To be honest, Ashu Rufate did not leave much good impression on him, and he didn't know why the other party had to meet him in a private opinion.
"I will go." He replied. The other party was very satisfied with the answer, so he immediately said goodbye and left.
A little while later, another person came over, and this time it was Neil.
"Ashu Rufate, we're going to set out in the afternoon. Everyone left is leaving." Neil didn't seem to know that Cade was looking for him privately.
"It seems that Cade is not in this village anymore?"
"He is responsible for the other way... Why, why did you suddenly ask him?" For some reason, he was obviously a companion, but after talking about Cad, a hint of vigilance flashed through Neil's eyes.
"Can I ask, what is Cade's origin?" Ashu Rufate asked casually. He keenly realized that Neil's vigilance was a bit unusual, or a bit too much. It seemed that these three people... didn't seem to be one mind!
"I don't know," Neil replied. "You can be with me in the afternoon, and of course you can leave yourself. Anyway, we meet at the place we last met."
"Mimilu!" As soon as Neil left, Ash Rufat immediately called softly. Mimilu came out of the ceiling of the cottage. Taking advantage of the rain that it could not move in the past few days, Mimilu had already found him. Not only Mimilu, but the Nightmare Horse had also come to the nearby woods.
"Master, what's the matter with Mimilu?" asked Mimilu.
"The person just now... wasn't Neil, but the earlier one. Please help me go over and see where he went." Although Ashu Rufate didn't think there was anything wrong with his safety, he didn't want to get involved in a power struggle and become an embarrassing character. Before meeting Pinot for the first time, he would be better off completely breaking away from the others.
Mimilu jumped out of the open window and disappeared immediately.
"It's so interesting, master." Carrie whispered in her mind. "It seems that maybe we don't need to rush to find Pinold."
"Oh, why?"
"To form an alliance with Pinold, it may not be enough to express kindness alone. It would be better if there is a certain threat, as we often say, "carrots and sticks". This thing in front of us seems to be an opportunity to enter."
"Carrie," Ashu Rufat whispered in his mind, "sometimes I wonder, why should I come to Pinold?"
"Because he is a person with a common interest with you... If you want to say a companion, there is nothing more reliable than a companion with a common interest. You can help him gain power, and he can support you when there is a crisis in the future. With his help, your level of security in this world will be greatly increased."
"Do I really need these security? As long as I can guarantee that my identity will not be discovered... there should be no problem with safety, right? I remember you said in the past that I can be a businessman or a landlord in a remote area..."
"You need it." Carrie replied. "How to say, although the possibility is very small, even if your true identity is not exposed, you are in certain danger. Maybe your property is coveted by someone, maybe your reputation is envied by someone, or your woman is favored by others... In short, maybe an order from a powerful person will have an army surrounding you when you are not paying attention, or you are trapped... This is something that is likely to happen in the future. Even with your ability, this situation is extremely dangerous. The best way to deal with this danger is to have power!"
"Apart from that, don't you think it's great that there is an existence in the world that can get along with you and communicate with each other equally? You must be bored with disguised as a human all day long," Carrie further added.
"Master!" Mimilu jumped in from outside and interrupted Ashrufate's thoughts. "I'm back, he went to the mill by the river, and then stopped leaving there."
"Mill? Are there anyone else there?"
"There is another person, only two people. There is no one else, Mimilu carefully searched for the surroundings."
It seems that it is just a private meeting. We should indeed meet him and see what he is selling.
It was afternoon, and the sky was once again covered with clouds. The short gap had ended, and another heavy rain would visit here before nightfall.
Chapter completed!