The caravan rested for two days in Kitzby, and Art had Odo escort Sartre to purchase some miscellaneous goods at the free market in Kitzby City.
Art himself, along with Ron and a few others, tried to recruit a group of artisans in Kitzby City, preferably a few scarce weaponsmiths or blacksmiths from the Valley, but in times of war, blacksmiths and weaponsmiths were the most valuable talents, cherished by lords everywhere. The group spent two days outside the city without encountering any artisans willing to go north with them, and the artisans within the city were all members of various guilds, so Art couldn't take them away.
Helplessly, Art and his companions only recruited three young men willing to venture north with them.
On the third morning, at a small roadside tavern outside Kitzby City, Art, Ron, Odo, Baskazak, Kazak, and Tuba planned to have a hearty breakfast at the small inn and arrange the division of tasks for the upcoming journey.
Art gently tapped the table and said, "Odo, have the food for the Soldiers and coachmen been arranged?"
The few people sitting around the wooden table stopped chatting and laughing.
Odo replied, "Sir, the innkeeper has already boiled a large pot of delicious fresh meat soup and sent it to the camp."
"Good, innkeeper, you can serve us now!" Only after confirming that the Soldiers' food had been arranged did Art begin the officers' breakfast.
The bartender brought six plates filled with bacon and pea porridge on a tray to the six people, and each person also received a glass of locally produced Provence wine.
Art took a small knife from his waist, cut a small strip of bacon from the plate, picked it up, lightly dipped it in the olive paste at the edge of the wooden plate, and put it into his mouth to chew. The aroma of the paste and meat swirled in his mouth, and Art enjoyed it greatly.
Art carried a large amount of goods this time, and the fully loaded carriages could not cross the mountainous area east of Sap, so Art planned to have Odo take his goods back to the Valley first. "Odo, you must be extra careful. The road from here to Wood Fort is not peaceful. It's better to be a bit more troublesome to ensure absolute safety. Leave some supplies for Simon and his team when you pass the border outpost."
"Ron, this time you'll take Jason and go back with Odo first. You must follow Odo's arrangements along the way."
Both nodded in agreement.
After breakfast, Art personally distributed wages to all the officers and men of the Patrol Team at the camp.
Before noon, the returning caravan heading south split into two teams. One team, led by Odo, consisted of the entire Third Squad, the Second Combat Group of the Fourth Squad, and two scout riders, Ron and Jason, totaling nine people, with five carriages loaded with Art's own goods. They would travel north from Kitzby, pass through the border outpost to reach Burgundy County, and then return to Valley Wood Fort. The other team, led by Art himself, consisted of the remaining Soldiers, escorting twelve carriages belonging to Galvin and eight coachmen. They would travel west from Kitzby through the hills to Sap, deliver the caravan to Galvin, and then cross the mountains from Sap to return to Valley Wood Fort.
Sap Fort welcomed the returning caravan from the south, with over a dozen carriages laden with various southern goods.
Since the trade route from Sap to the south was cut off, there had been no southern goods coming and going for a long time, and the trade route from Sap west to the neighboring province also had sparse travelers.
And these dozen or so carriages of goods purchased from the south were enough to sustain Sap's trade for half a year. Baron Galvin accepted all the goods Art brought back and offered a price fifty percent higher than in normal years.
The twelve carriages of goods sold for twenty-eight thousand fenny. After deducting the purchase cost, Art earned sixteen thousand fenny from this trip. When a bulging bag of silver marks was handed to Art, he realized for the first time that making money could be so easy. However, he also knew that this easily earned money required a condition: that he could live to put the money in his pocket. Along the way, he would pass through countless valleys and dense forests, and every place could have sharp blades and steel knives waiting to taste blood and take lives.
That evening, Baron Galvin joyfully hosted a banquet in Sap's castle for the returning caravan. The Soldiers of the Patrol Team who were injured in the previous battle in the hills were also invited to the banquet.
Baron Lord Galvin showed no aristocratic haughtiness. He frequently raised his glass to drink with Art and his companions. Art drank a large glass of sweet wine, and with a slightly tipsy face, he said to the host of the banquet, "Lord Galvin, during this trip south, I found that the southern war situation is somewhat unstable. Lombardy's army has begun to establish itself in the central region, and I'm afraid the war will not end in a short time, so you'd best seize this season to quickly develop trade with Provence. In addition, although there are temporarily no large groups of bandits in the southern hills, the mountainous hills stretching for dozens of miles are excellent hiding places for bandits. If the southern war situation continues to worsen, those places will eventually be occupied by large groups of mountain bandits and robbers. You should make plans early."
Baron Galvin's face was also flushed, and his long beard was stained with wine and soup. "Art, I know what you're saying, but I'm powerless now. Sap originally had dozens of merchant caravan guards, but in the past year or two, the caravans have been repeatedly plundered by bandits, and my merchant caravan guards have suffered heavy casualties. Now many young people dare not join my merchant caravan guards. Moreover, I just received an urgent order that the Court has started conscription again. Last time I paid a huge exemption shield tax to escape a disaster, but this time the Court strictly ordered that everyone must serve, abolishing tax in lieu of service. I must send troops north to gather and prepare for battle—"
Art was startled: "Has Swabia invaded?"
"Not yet, but the situation on the eastern border is dangerous now, and war between the two countries is a foregone conclusion—a chaotic world is coming..." Baron Galvin finished speaking, raised his wine glass, and drained it in one gulp.
Art also raised his wine glass, muttering to himself, "A chaotic world is coming—a chaotic world is coming—"
Art, deep in thought, did not notice a pair of hazy eyes in the corner of the banquet hall staring at him intently. The owner of those hazy eyes was Lottie Hugues, Baron Galvin's only daughter, a beautiful nineteen-year-old girl who had not yet married.
Lottie was tall and beautiful. Although not an absolute beauty, she was not comparable to an ordinary village girl. The reason she was still unmarried at nineteen, besides her own high standards for a husband, was also because Baron Galvin's reputation among the nobility was poor and his status unstable.
Although Baron Galvin was a noble, because he was never willing to send troops to fight for his lord and was solely devoted to money and goods, his reputation in aristocratic circles had always been bad. Furthermore, the Hugues Family behind Baron Galvin had been suppressed for many years by Marquis Ivrea, the ruler of the Earl. If it weren't for his considerable wealth and extensive connections, Sap would have changed lords long ago. Therefore, no noble was willing to form a political marriage alliance with this noble who was suppressed everywhere. And those who were willing to establish kinship with Baron Galvin were simply two types of people—those who coveted Galvin's wealth or those who were equally suppressed.
Lottie once swore to marry a brave warrior, and now, she felt that the brave warrior in her heart had appeared.
The Baroness's personal maid walked from the banquet hall, gently patted Lottie's shoulder, and said, "Miss, the Baroness wants you to come and dine with her."
Lottie was overjoyed. She quickly picked up her skirt and walked towards the main table. The maid quickly followed, lifting Lottie's flowing skirt.
Seeing Lottie approach, Baron Galvin stood up, took his daughter's hand, and introduced her to Art: "Art, let me introduce you. This is my precious daughter, Lottie."
"Lottie, this is Mr. Art, the Southern Border Patrol Officer of the Court."
Lottie gently held up her skirt and curtsied to Art.
"Mr. Art, thank you for defeating the demons in the hills for my father. You are truly a warrior." Lottie's sweet voice rang out, her face shy, yet she couldn't help but glance at Art.
Art had seen this beautiful girl before. In an era where most people married at fourteen or fifteen, a noble girl who was nineteen and still unmarried was rare.
Art placed his left hand on his right chest, raised his right hand slightly, bowed his body, and nodded, "It is the greatest honor of my life to be praised by a naturally beautiful goddess like Miss Lottie."
Lottie was so flattered by Art's praise that she stood blankly in front of Art, staring at him, forgetting to return to her seat.
"Lottie, you should go and dine with your mother," her father Galvin gently reminded Lottie.
Lottie, blushing, returned to her mother's side.
Throughout the banquet, a gentle gaze constantly fixed on Art's not-so-charming face, making Art feel somewhat embarrassed.
...
The next day, Art woke up from the guest room in Baron Galvin's mansion when the sun was high.
At last night's banquet, Baron Galvin and his knights frequently clinked glasses with Art, and Art also continuously had Baskazak and his subordinates return the host's toasts. After a few rounds, he was completely drunk.
A servant was already standing outside the door with a basin of clear water, attending to Art's morning ablutions.
Art pushed open the door and was startled by the servant standing at the entrance. He didn't understand why Baron Galvin was so polite to him. Even if he had eliminated the hill bandits for Baron Galvin and opened the trade route, he had been paid a high salary for it, so there was no need for such special courtesy—
Art took the wooden basin from the servant's hand and said, "You may go back. Please thank your master for his hospitality on my behalf."
The servant bowed deeply and politely said to Art, "Sir Art, my master asked me to attend to your washing, and then to invite you to his family banquet."
Art was completely confused. His friendship with Baron Galvin was not worth being treated to a family banquet.
"Does your master have any distinguished guests?" Art thought he might just be invited as an afterthought.
The servant shook his head, "Besides the master, the Baroness, and the young lady, only you are attending."
Art returned to his room, full of doubts, to wash up, then asked the servant to go to the Patrol Team's camp to fetch him a slightly cleaner set of casual clothes to change into.
Following the servant, he walked through the tall porch and across the neat courtyard to the inner quarters of Galvin's mansion. Art marveled at the wealth of the "merchant noble" Baron Galvin while pondering the purpose of his private family banquet invitation to a commoner.
"Sir Art, please come in."
The servant pushed open the wooden door of the inner hall. The Galvin family was already seated around the long wooden table in the hall. The table was set with honey-spread bread, almond milk carrots, buttered peas, raisin salad, and onion cheese pie. Each person also had a glass of pale ale and silver cutlery.
Art, with a puzzled expression, entered the door guided by the servant. The Galvin family stood up to greet Art, and Art quickly bowed slightly in return.
After they were seated, the Baroness, with a benevolent expression, said to Art, "Mr. Art, you drank too much last night. To help you sober up, we specially prepared a family banquet just for you. The table is filled with light food."
Art politely nodded to the Baroness: "Noble Baroness, thank you for your motherly and meticulous care."
The Baroness smiled knowingly and turned to Baron Galvin beside her, saying, "My dear, we can begin."
Baron Galvin bowed his head and softly said, "Thank you, Holy Lord, for giving us food. Amen."
"Amen."
"Amen."
Art took a sip of pale ale, feeling strange, especially since Miss Lottie kept looking at him—
"Could it be? No way?"
Art racked his brains but never expected that the Baron was inviting him to discuss marriage.
"Art, I asked your Soldiers, and I heard you are not yet married, is that true?" Baron Galvin was quite straightforward. He didn't wait for the wine to flow freely before stating the purpose of the banquet.
Art was a bit at a loss, replying, "Yes, I am not yet married."
The Baroness's face lit up with joy upon hearing this. She said, "I heard you are already twenty-two. It's time you had a virtuous wife."
Lottie listened to her parents' words, and even though she was usually outgoing, she shyly lowered her head.
Baron Galvin gulped down a large glass of wine, hesitated for a long time, and then sighed, "To be honest, I never thought I would one day marry my daughter to a commoner, but I believe you are not an ordinary commoner. Perhaps Lottie's choice is correct..."
...