Chapter 94

After speaking, Earl Adrian's gaze stared fixedly at Roko, waiting for his answer.

Reno also looked at Roko a bit nervously.

He knew that his father's decision, although seemingly sudden, actually contained deep meaning.

If Roko agreed, then there would be an unusual layer of connection between the Ramirez Family and the Raymond Family.

This is of great significance to the Ramirez Family.

Mike stood there blankly, seemingly not having figured out the situation yet.

Let him be an Apprentice Knight for a Baron younger than himself?

In his heart, he was one hundred percent reluctant.

But he didn't dare to disobey his father's orders.

A look of thought appeared on Roko's face.

He didn't agree immediately.

Earl Adrian saw this, his heart sank slightly, thinking Roko was unwilling.

He was about to say something more, but saw Roko suddenly raise his head, a smile appearing on his face.

"I wouldn't dare to refuse the Earl's kindness."

"Since Mike has the heart to gain experience, I naturally welcome it."

"However, the training of the knights under my command is quite strict, I wonder if Mike can endure this hardship?"

Earl Adrian heard this and was overjoyed.

"Haha, don't worry, Baron!"

"This kid has thick skin, just train him as much as you want!"

"If he dares to be lazy or slip, Baron, just punish him severely!"

Saying that, he glared fiercely at Mike.

Mike was startled by his father's gaze and quickly lowered his head, not daring to have the slightest complaint.

Roko saw this and smiled slightly.

This transaction regarding interests had already reached a preliminary consensus.

"Since that's the case, then from today on, Mike is a knight under my command, Roko Raymond."

Roko said loudly.

"I hope you can perform your duties faithfully in the future and not live up to the Earl's expectations."

Mike heard this, his body shook, and he raised his head in disbelief, looking at Roko.

He didn't expect that this young Baron would actually accept him.

For a time, his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

There was unwillingness, confusion, and also a hint of inexplicable expectation?

Earl Adrian saw that the matter was settled and was in a great mood.

"Haha, good! Good! Good!"

He said "good" three times in a row, the smile on his face becoming even more brilliant.

"Baron Roko is indeed a straightforward person!"

"Since that's the case, let's talk about the business you just mentioned."

"Baron, just ask for as many daily necessities as you need."

"My territory also produces high-quality fur coats, which can also be sold to you."

"As for the price, I can make the decision and give you the most favorable price!"

Roko heard this, and there was also joy in his heart.

It seems that this move of his was the right one.

"Then many thanks to the Earl."

"Junior needs two thousand fur coats every month, and various daily necessities, the list is here, please take a look, Earl."

Roko took out a list that had been prepared long ago from his bosom and handed it to Earl Adrian.

Earl Adrian took the list, read it carefully, and then nodded.

"No problem."

"These materials, our Adrian territory can all provide."

"As for the price, how about half of the market price?"

Half of the market price!

Roko heard this, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

This price could be said to be quite favorable.

It seems that this Earl, in order to establish a relationship with him and the Raymond Family behind him, also paid a heavy price.

"The Earl is so generous, Junior is deeply grateful."

Roko said sincerely.

"Easy to say, easy to say."

Earl Adrian waved his hand, a smug smile on his face.

"From now on, we are one family, no need to be so polite."

The details of the cooperation were quickly finalized.

Every month, Adrian Earl's territory would provide a batch of high-quality fur coats to Roko's Vanguard Valley,

as well as other daily necessities.

The price was half of the market price.

This was undoubtedly a timely help for Vanguard Valley, which was currently lacking resources.

The business was discussed, and the atmosphere became relaxed.

Earl Adrian warmly invited Roko to have lunch together.

Roko gladly accepted.

The luncheon was set in the banquet hall of the Earl's Mansion.

Sumptuous dishes and mellow wine were all available.

During the banquet, Earl Adrian and Roko talked happily.

Reno also interjected a few words from time to time, quite admiring Roko's knowledge and conversation.

Mike looked a bit restrained, sitting in the corner silently, not daring to say much.

Fura was still in her usual cold manner, sitting quietly beside Roko, tasting the delicacies in small bites.

Falco showed great interest in the various delicacies on the table, eating with great relish.

The meal was enjoyed by both host and guest.

The second day.

Mike Ramirez came to the inn where Roko was staying with a simple luggage.

He had changed into a common knight's outfit, looking much more spirited than yesterday.

"Baron."

Mike walked to Roko and bowed a bit awkwardly.

"From today on, I am a knight under your command."

"Please give me more guidance, Baron."

His tone carried a hint of resignation and a hint of confusion about the future.

Roko looked at Mike in front of him and smiled lightly.

"No need to be so restrained."

"In the future, you can address me as Young Master, just like Falco."

"Yes, Young Master."

Mike changed his address a bit unnaturally.

【Loyalty: 60】

【Favorability: 60】

Roko noticed that Mike's loyalty and favorability toward him had improved quite a bit.

Although this kind of loyalty was completely different from the die-hard loyalty established by Falco through the Guardian Knight contract.

Mike's loyalty was more based on considerations of interests and the situation.

But Roko didn't care about this.

What he needed was someone who could be used by him.

As for loyalty, it could be cultivated slowly.

"Falco, from now on, Mike is your companion."

Roko said to Falco beside him.

"You must help each other and progress together."

Falco heard this, a friendly smile appeared on his face, and he reached out his hand to Mike.

"Hello, Mike, my name is Falco."

"From now on, we are comrades-in-arms!"

Mike looked at Falco's sincere smile, and the trace of guard in his heart quietly dissipated.

He reached out his hand and shook hands with Falco.

"Hello, Falco."

Roko stayed in Adrian Earl's territory for three extra days.

These three days, he was not idle.

On the first day, he took Fura, Falco, and Mike, who was nominally already a knight under his command.

Together, they went to the largest slave market in Adrian City.

The market was noisy, and the air was mixed with the stench of livestock and the sour smell of inferior wheat wine.

Skinny slave traders waved short whips and shouted to sell their "goods."

The cages were crowded with numb slaves, men, women, old and young, their eyes hollow, like shells that had lost their souls.

"Young Master, the slaves here don't look very good."

Falco frowned slightly and said to Roko in a low voice.

Although he came from a manor, he had also seen some slaves, and the scene in front of him made him a bit uncomfortable.

Roko's gaze swept calmly over the cages one by one.

A series of D-grade talents and E-grade talents made Roko's heart, which hadn't held much hope, sink completely.

Sure enough, wanting to pick up a bargain in this kind of place was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

Mike followed at the end of the team, looking a bit absent-minded.

He had always kept a respectful distance from places like slave markets.

If it weren't for his father's strict order to follow Roko, he would probably still be sleeping in some corner of the Earl's Mansion at this moment.

He secretly sized up Roko's back; this young Baron seemed to be a bit different from the noble sons he had come into contact with in the past.

No arrogance of ordering people around, but instead carrying a kind of stability and sharpness that couldn't be described.

Fura followed Roko's side quietly, her silver-gray cat ears twitching slightly, guarding against all possible threats around her.

She had a deeper understanding of the fate of slaves, so her eyes always carried a hint of pity that was hard to detect.

"Boss, these slaves, what's the price?"

Roko walked to a stall that looked quite large and asked.

The slave trader saw that Roko was dressed extraordinarily and followed by several knights, and a sycophantic smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Respected Knight, you really have a good eye!"

"The slaves I have here are all carefully selected, strong and sturdy, guaranteed to be durable!"

Roko didn't commit, pointing to a few slaves in the cage who looked like they had some skills.

"Those blacksmiths, and those carpenters over there, what's the price?"

"Thirty gold coins for a blacksmith, twenty gold coins for a carpenter!"

The slave trader opened his mouth wide.

Roko raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Boss, your price is not very realistic."

"In this world, an ordinary blacksmith slave is at most fifteen gold coins."

The slave trader rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Knight, you can't say it like that."

"These are skilled workers, they can be used as soon as you buy them back, unlike those greenhorns that you have to spend effort to train."

Roko didn't waste his breath with him and said directly.

"Ten gold coins for a blacksmith, seven gold coins for a carpenter."

"I want fifty blacksmiths, one hundred carpenters, and one hundred ordinary young and strong slaves, five gold coins each."

"If you agree, we trade now."

"If you don't agree, I'll change to another shop."

His tone was calm, but carried an unquestionable sense of oppression.

The slave trader's smile stiffened.

He sized up Roko carefully, trying to see something from the face of this young noble.

In the end, he gritted his teeth.

"Good! Knight is straightforward! Just follow the price you said!"

Even a small mosquito is meat, business is not easy to do now, being able to sell so many slaves at once can be considered a big deal.

Soon, two hundred and fifty slaves were selected, tied together with ropes, and delivered to Roko.

Roko paid the gold coins and let Falco and Mike be responsible for watching these slaves.

"Young Master, why are we buying so many ordinary slaves?"

Falco asked a bit puzzled.

"The territory is currently waiting to be rebuilt, whether it is building houses or reclaiming wasteland, it requires a large amount of manpower."

Roko explained lightly.

"As for these blacksmiths and carpenters, they are even more professional talents we urgently need."

"The forging of weapons and equipment and the construction of city defense works cannot be separated from them."

Mike listened from the side, and his view of Roko added a hint of complexity.

This Baron really seemed to be managing his territory with heart, unlike some nobles he knew who only knew how to enjoy themselves.

For the next two days, Roko purchased a large amount of food, cloth, salt, and other daily necessities in Adrian City.

Of course, the most important iron ore was purchased as much as possible.

Earl Adrian also seemed happy to show favor to him, giving great convenience to his purchases,

and even the price was quite favorable.

This saved Roko quite a few gold coins.

During this period, Roko also sent people to inquire about several small noble territories around Adrian Earl's territory.

But those territories were mostly barren, with sparse populations, far less prosperous than Adrian Earl's territory.

Roko extinguished the idea of deep cooperation with them, only planning to pass by during future trade routes,

and do some small-amount transactions.

Three days later, everything was ready.

Roko's merchant caravan was several times larger than when they came.

Dozens of carriages fully loaded with goods drove slowly out of Adrian City in the morning mist.

Mike rode on an ordinary warhorse, mixed in the middle of the team, looked back at the tall city wall,

his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He didn't know what the future would be like after he left.

"Mike, what's wrong? Reluctant to leave home?"

Falco urged his horse to his side and asked with a smile.

Mike shook his head and squeezed out a smile reluctantly.

"Nothing."

Falco patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, following the Young Master is definitely more interesting than staying at home!"

"The Young Master is a person who truly does big things!"

Mike looked at Falco's eyes full of worship, and his heart moved slightly.

Perhaps, this really was a new beginning?

Fura still followed silently behind Roko, her gaze never leaving Roko's side.

For her, as long as Roko was there, everywhere was home.

For the next month, Roko's merchant caravan traveled slowly in the eastern region of New Wind Province.

He visited more than a dozen large and small noble territories one after another,

relying on the reputation of the Raymond Family, as well as the invisible endorsement of Earl Adrian, plus the specialties of Vanguard Valley he brought out.

For example, improved wheat seeds, and some special medicinal herbs obtained from the Mist Forest.

They also signed quite a few commercial agreements with local nobles.

The process was unexpectedly smooth.

Mike did some things he could do, such as helping to manage carriages and counting materials.

Although he was still clumsy, at least he was no longer as lazy as before.

Evening.

The merchant caravan arrived at a small town named "Fallen Leaf Town."

This small town belonged to the territory of a Viscount.

Roko planned to rest here for a night and continue on his way tomorrow.

After settling down, Roko took Fura, Falco, and Mike to the only tavern in the town to prepare for dinner.

The tavern was a bit noisy, with mercenaries, merchants, and local residents mixed together, talking and laughing loudly.

"Have you heard? That Viscount Winter's widow is making trouble again!"

A burly man looking like a mercenary at the next table poured a large gulp of wheat wine and said to his companion.

"Oh? How so?"

His companion immediately became interested.

"What else could it be? Just fighting for that Red Leaf Forest territory left by the Viscount!"

"I heard that the Viscount's body was not yet cold, and his young and beautiful stepmother couldn't wait to occupy Red Leaf Forest!"

"She even wanted to secretly deal with the Viscount's several sons!"

"Tsk tsk, the most poisonous is a woman's heart!"

Another mercenary also interjected: "Isn't it! Fortunately, the Viscount's eldest son, Young Master Zewen, had great luck and was saved by several loyal old servants."

"Now, Young Master Zewen has raised a team in the northern mountainous area of the Viscount territory, fighting against his stepmother every day!"

"It is said that a few days ago, both sides even fought a big battle by the Black Water River!"

"It was fought so tragically!"

Roko listened quietly, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile that was hard to detect.

He had heard enough of the gossip between nobles, and seen enough of it.

For power and interests, father and son killing each other, brothers fighting, were all common things.

"Young Master, is what these people said true?"

Falco lowered his voice and asked curiously.

"Nine out of ten it's true."

Roko said lightly.

"This kind of thing is not uncommon in noble circles."

Mike heard this, and his face turned a bit pale.

He thought of his family, thought of those brothers and sisters who were fighting openly and secretly.

Although the situation of the Ramirez Family was not so extreme, the oppressive atmosphere also made him uncomfortable.

He suddenly felt a bit fortunate that he was "exiled" to Roko by his father.

At the very least, here, he didn't have to face those hypocritical faces and cold calculations anymore.

Fura was clearly not interested in these gossips.

She just focused on cutting the roast meat on the plate into small pieces, and then used a fork to feed them to Roko one by one.

Roko was used to opening his mouth, enjoying the feeding service of the Cat-kin.

"Young Master, should we bypass this Viscount territory?"

Falco asked.

"Since it's not peaceful here, we should be careful."

"Hmm, tomorrow morning, we will change our route and bypass from the north."

Roko nodded.

He didn't want to get involved in this kind of meaningless dispute.

The next morning, Roko's merchant caravan had just broken camp and set off, preparing to take a detour.

However, just as they reached a narrow valley, an accident happened!

"Moo!"

A long and shrill horn sound suddenly rang out from both sides of the valley.

Immediately after, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and dust flew.

"Ambush!"

Falco's face changed, and he shouted sharply.

He pulled out the knight longsword at his waist, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

Roko's gaze instantly became sharp.

He reined in his horse and observed the situation calmly.

Only to see more than a hundred cavalrymen rushing out from the dense forests on both sides of the valley.

These cavalrymen were all wearing leather armor, holding long spears or curved swords, their faces carrying fierce expressions.

They quickly spread out, surrounding Roko's merchant caravan in the valley.

"Protect the Young Master!"

The fifty Storm Knights left behind by Hart immediately took action.

They quickly formed a circular defensive formation, protecting Roko, Fura, and others in the center.

The ordinary guards and slaves on the carriages were trembling with fear, their faces bloodless.

Mike was even paler, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Although he was also a knight, when had he ever seen such a battle formation?

"Young Master, look at their banners, they seem to be Zewen's people!"

Falco had sharp eyes and saw a banner painted with a broken maple leaf pattern fluttering in the cavalry team.

This was exactly the emblem of Zewen Brick, the Viscount heir who was fighting for the territory with his stepmother.

Roko heard this, and his brows frowned slightly.

Zewen's people?

Why did they ambush them?

Could it be that they mistook them for reinforcements sent by his stepmother?

"Listen, people in front!"

A loud voice came from the cavalry team opposite.

Only to see a burly knight with a full beard riding out from the crowd.

He was riding a tall black warhorse, holding a shining double-handed greatsword in his hand, his momentum aggressive.

"This road is blocked!"

"If you are sensible, put down your weapons and hand over all your property!"

"Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"

This tone was clearly a robber blocking the road!

Roko's face sank.

He didn't expect that this so-called Viscount heir would also do this kind of dirty business.

"We are a passing merchant caravan, and have nothing to do with the grievances of your family."

Falco stood out, his voice not loud, but clearly entering everyone's ears.

"Please make it convenient for us to pass."

The leading knight heard this and let out a rough, wild laugh.

"Hahahaha!"

"Passing merchant caravan?"

"Kid, do you think we are three-year-old children?"

"In this day and age, where is there such a large-scale merchant caravan that dares to pass through this road?"

"I think you are clearly spies sent by that poisonous woman!"

The cavalrymen behind him also followed with a burst of boisterous laughter, looking at Roko and others with unkindness.

"Young Master, they are going too far!"

Falco was young and vigorous, and couldn't hold back anymore.

"These guys are clearly a group of robbers!"

"Let me teach them a lesson!"

Roko raised his hand, stopping the impulsive Falco.

His gaze remained calm.

Before Roko could speak, the leading knight continued to shout loudly.

"Today, you either leave the road money, or leave your lives!"

"Choose for yourselves!"

He raised the double-handed greatsword in his hand violently, pointing at Roko, murderous intent exposed in his eyes.

The atmosphere in the valley instantly became tense.

The air seemed to freeze, making it hard for people to breathe.

Fura silently pulled out the thin sword at her waist, cold light shining in her heterochromatic pupils.

Her body leaned forward slightly, ready to pounce on the enemy at any time as soon as Roko gave the order.

Falco also tightened the longsword in his hand, his breathing becoming a bit rapid.

His face carried both nervousness and a hint of excitement.

This was his first time facing such a large-scale enemy.

Just didn't know, how much of his strength he could exert against the knights opposite?

As for Mike, he was so scared that he almost fell off his horse.

He gripped the reins tightly, his teeth chattering non-stop.

"What to do? What to do?"

His heart was in a mess, only feeling that the end of the world had arrived.

Roko's gaze swept over the bearded knight's face.

【Name: Aaron】

【Level: Great Knight Mid-stage】

【Talent: B-】

【Favorability: -50】

【Loyalty: 0】

A Great Knight Mid-stage, and he dares to be so arrogant?

The corners of Roko's mouth curled into a cold arc.

It seems that today's matter cannot be ended well.

"Since you insist on this..." Roko's voice turned cold suddenly.

"Then don't blame us for being impolite!"