On the Seven Towers

After the group settled down, Xiao Chen took Silla, Roger and Evelin around the town.

This town is a very typical kingdom town. Most of the houses are small and old, and the people's clothes are very simple. There are no shops in the town, only a few small shops opened by millers, bakers, tailors, etc. In addition, there is a tavern and two hotels.

"I have walked through many villages in the kingdom now. I found that Floro Town is really a rich place." Xiao Chen took a look at the bakery, basically eating the unappetizing black bread. Lord.

"Of course, in the previous years, Floro was like a forgotten place. Except for Count Carlos' tax collector who came occasionally, there was basically no one to care about it. And most of the time, the tax collector didn't collect much tax. If here Baron Croto also left this town alone for twenty years, and it will be like Frollo," Ciro said.

Xiao Chen saw two people dressed as businessmen walking into the tavern, so he said, "Let's go and sit in the tavern. Maybe there will be some news."

This tavern is not large in area, but it is divided into two floors. The upper floor is only half the area of ​​the first floor, and the remaining area is the void at the entrance.

The layout on the second floor is cleaner, and there are some small tables, obviously prepared for the merchants coming and going here. Downstairs were long tables and benches, and some seven or eight farmers and craftsmen in the workshops crowded together to drink ale mixed with water. They were loud, knocking their glasses and slapping the table as they laughed.

Xiao Chen and others walked upstairs and sat down along the railing on the second floor. From this position, they could hear the noise of the people downstairs and the discussions of the people on the second floor.

Green Pine Town is naturally famous for its pine trees. There is a local specialty called pine wine, which is brewed with pine nuts, wheat and several other fruits. Xiao Chen ordered a few cups. Although it was a bit sour, there was a slight fragrance of pine in it. Even if this kind of wine is not on the table, it still has a unique flavor.

"Evelin, I wonder if you are used to a place like this." Xiao Chen smelled the smell of sweat and alcohol in the air, and felt that the picky elves might have objections.

"I'm fine." The dark elf took a few sips of pine wine, and a blush appeared on his gray face. "At least it's much more spacious here than underground, isn't it?"

"It seems that the dark elves and high elves look at problems differently." Xiao Chen was sure that if it were Elena, she would not like this noisy and chaotic place.

"How can the stems planted in the ground be the same as the fruits growing on the trees?" Evelin's rhetorical question was quite reasonable.

The four people stayed upstairs for a while, but did not hear any valuable information from the farmers and craftsmen downstairs. All they said was that the tax burden was too high, the labor force was too many, and the current year was bad. Difficulties in raising a family and so on.

However, the two businessmen sitting on the second floor revealed very interesting information during the conversation.

"... As soon as Baron O'Farrell died, his eldest son Matos was awarded his father's baronetcy by the Duke of Greenwood City. When I left Greenwood City a few days ago, the baron who had lost his fiefdom was jumping up and down. , hiring mercenaries," said a businessman.

"It's useless. How could he retake his territory on his own?" Another businessman whispered, "You don't know how neatly the people from the Tower of China attacked the Baron's mansion. That fortress was occupied in less than one night. The Chinese took it."

"The Chinese are powerful, but do you think Matos is just one person? He is just a flag placed in front of the Duke. Behind the scenes, many territories he controls are moving. After all, the Duke of Greenwood City is the strongest in the west of the kingdom. It’s not easy for the Chinese to fight against such a powerful force.”

"Oh, these mages are fighting with the lords. They can destroy a village in just one battle. The unlucky ones are us."

"At least we still have a chance to escape, but the townspeople and farmers really have nothing to do."

Xiao Chen listened carefully for a long time and roughly understood the current situation. He said: "It seems that Chen Hansheng and the others have done more thoroughly than planned and completely controlled Alano. This is a good thing, but it also makes Lu Lin The city has become an enemy, we have to be more careful here."

"Sir, what should we do next?" Silla asked.

"It sounds like these people are not optimistic about our fight against the Duke? Then we'd better take the opportunity to find out what strength the Duke has. If we can ruin his plan to send troops, that would be even better." Xiao Chen thought for a while, then raised his head and asked Roger , "How do you think we can stop the Duke from sending troops?"

"Sending troops is a very complicated process for a noble lord. He has to mobilize vassals from various territories. These people need to recruit soldiers, prepare weapons, and prepare food. If we destroy any link in the middle, he will not be able to send troops normally. "

"Although I'm not familiar with the human political model, I think if I can kill the Duke himself, or the guy named Matos, I can definitely delay the battle." The Dark Elf Ranger obviously prefers direct solutions.

"Well, that's right!" Xiao Chen nodded, "These are all methods, but they require a team to execute them."

Roger knew best what Xiao Chen was thinking. He stopped him and said, "Sir, your idea is too dangerous. There is no need for us to take risks here."

Xiao Chen smiled: "Roger knows me well. That's right, I am considering forming a team to sabotage behind enemy lines. In my hometown, there is a way of fighting called guerrilla warfare. We lurk behind the enemy and destroy the enemy's logistics. Maybe it will make the enemy overwhelmed and difficult to organize an effective attack. There are three high-level in our team, three high-level hiding behind the enemy, it's scary to think about it."

"If you want to participate in the Duke's battle, why don't we return to Alano Town and join Chen Hansheng's team, so that you can still play a big role, but you can avoid taking these risks."

Xiao Chen shook his head and said: "If we give up this opportunity and leave the Duke's territory, let him pull the team up safely, the threats we will encounter in Alano will be much greater, and our losses will be much greater. Roger, if you make the choice, if you take more risks, you can greatly reduce the risk of your companions. If you want to save lives, will you do it?"

Roger took a deep breath and said, "Yes!"

"That's it. I know you think your mission is to protect me, but I need my comrades on the battlefield more than the bodyguards in the wizard tower."

At this time, the bell rang outside. The townspeople downstairs sighed when they heard the sound, and several people complained:

"Why is the bell ringing today? Is there a mission?"

"It must be bad news. The last time the baron rang the bell temporarily, it was to collect war taxes."

The owner of the tavern said loudly: "Well, the bell is always a big deal. Be careful that it will be like what happened to old Ander last time. He didn't go, but the tax was imposed on him."

The boss walked up the stairs and said, "Guests, the baron wants everyone to go to the center of the village. There is something to announce, and the store will be closed temporarily."

"Let's go and listen. Maybe there will be something interesting." Xiao Chen said.