Throne of the North.

Chapter 350: The Bard, the Value of Goods

The next day, the five men on night patrol were commended, and Parker finally confirmed that he was one of the three hundred men.

To his surprise, Wright and another group of people who were captured at night were also among them. The old captain asked him to be on guard against them because these people were from the Kingdom.

The street patrol was still as dull as before. Parker was already a little absent-minded and no longer enjoyed the awe-inspiring looks from the people around him. His mind was only on the long journey that would soon arrive.

This day is coming soon, because the honorable Master Ryan has already packed up his storage in the other world.

Svadifari, above the wild world.

There are not many people here, and they are all horse officers who take care of and train war horses, as well as some old people in this world. They have superb skills and also grow a lot of fruits.

The fruits growing on the vines are specialties from another world. Whether they are eaten directly or brewed into fruit wine, they are precious commodities loved by nobles from afar. In the past year or so, Ryan has also asked them to brew the fruit pulp into dried fruits.

“These barrels.”

Ryan was a little curious about how these craftsmen could weave soft tree trunks into such barrels and make them watertight. After asking, he found out that there was actually a thin layer of bark on the inner wall of these barrels.

"Even without the bark, it can still hold water without leaking, but with the bark, it can keep these barrels for longer, maybe more than a decade without leaking."

The old craftsman is still proud. The world of Svadifari brought Ryan strong northern war horses, as well as such ancient and exquisite craftsmanship that has not been eliminated.

"The dried fruits are also placed in wooden barrels so that the wind won't blow in and they won't rot. As for the fresh fruits, we soak them in ice water according to your idea."

The craftsman was a little hesitant, thinking that the container would not be able to hold so many fresh fruits.

In response to this, Ryan just smiled and said:

"Freshness is everything. The nobles will pay extra for it."

Ryan also discovered the advantage of the geographical environment of the frozen land, that is, there is an inexhaustible supply of solid ice for refrigeration and preservation, which is an advantage unique to the North.

"Let's move to the frozen land and load the truck."

Ryan went to the Bilki world again and brought back some fish and wild vegetables from the War Bear Tribe, as well as specialties, meat and fruits sent from the other world in the mountains and forests of Thunder Cloud County, all of which were loaded into the carriages.

"Although these pack horses are not as good as war horses, their strength and endurance are still good. But I think you should buy a batch of ox carts."

Master McKen was very dissatisfied. He felt that even pack horses had the potential to become war horses.

"People have their own lives, and horses have their own world. They may be more suitable to follow the caravan."

Ryan named his caravan the Northern Caravan. They will go to the Kingdom of Serra and the Kingdom of Andara, and then soon there will be a second Northern Caravan that will go to the land in the south of the empire.

He was the first to try something new, and was also setting an example for the nobles who had gradually been won over by him.

"Let the caravan set off."

Ryan stood on Rhino Horn Mountain, feeling the still cold wind on the mountain and the still hot blood in his body.

"Finally I can relax."

……

Parker was fully dressed, with leather armor, leather pants, leather boots, a spear and a dagger. This was all he had as a guard.

Leading the fifty men like him was a knight master, Lord Bronze Knight Colin.

A team of three hundred people and eighty carriages, including ten bards and two hundred and forty pure laborers in addition to their fifty-man guard.

It was the first time that Parker heard of such an identity, and he couldn't help but look at those showy bards who acted as if the world owed them a reason to be melancholy.

To his surprise, there were dozens of reindeer jumping happily in the team.

What are you carrying? To store food?
"In our hometown, bards are highly respected because they have been to many places, met many people, and know many secrets and stories."

"It is our duty to restore the glory of the bards."

The bards' eyes were determined, as if they were determined to gain the glory that belonged to them.

On the first day, the Northern caravan stopped at Lingdu City.

The next day, the caravan set out on the North Wind Road. The wilderness wind made the people in this team feel a little warmth. The wide road represented an unknown world. Three hundred pairs of eyes all looked around curiously, and even the reindeer opened their smart eyes wide.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and the pack horses neighed as if they felt some fearful force.

The guards tensed up, and as a shadow passed overhead, Parker looked up at the sky, shocked to see a huge pair of wings hovering above their heads.

"Don't move, keep moving!"

"Those are the Wyvern Cavalry from Wing Canyon. They are responsible for keeping the North Wind Avenue open and safe."

In front, Knight Colin spoke loudly. Although he was also shocked by the power of the wyvern, he now understood why Lord Ryan sent a caravan to the kingdom with only him, a bronze knight, in the team.

What they need to face are wild beasts, and it is possible that they may not even encounter ferocious beasts. What they really need to worry about are the thieves.

The thieves will not be too powerful, and those who are too powerful will not be thieves, so this caravan does not need too high-end defensive forces.

In other words, this caravan is not worth those powerful extraordinary people to rob. If they really appear, it will be useless to add more manpower. Moreover, the extraordinary people can follow the traces. The caravan is actually declaring war on Baron Ryan. The extraordinary people need to consider the consequences.

The caravan doesn't need to be too powerful, it's enough as long as the Tundra Territory is intimidating.

Just like the Chamber of Commerce in the Empire, the Blade Rose Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest chambers of commerce in the Empire. Its head and manager in the North Wind Province, Irina, is an ordinary person.

No one would do anything against her, or they would face greetings from the powerful Countess.

As Lingdu City got farther and farther away, the population around it became sparse, and the people in the team could only communicate with each other to dispel the feeling of loneliness.

"Wright, I heard that a lot of food is grown in the Andara Kingdom, and it's very cheap."

Parker was at the rear of the escort, with a few unfamiliar people next to him, but they seemed to be somewhat familiar with each other.

Hearing this, Parker pricked up his ears, curious about the answer from this kingdom man.

"When I was still here, the food supply was almost the same as that of the Frozen Territory. Because of the war, the nobles had no food left. I don't know if they have recovered now."

The only topic that ordinary people talk about is three meals a day. Compared with these people, Parker, who has a higher ambition, is considered an outlier.

"But there are indeed many cultivated fields in the kingdom. Every autumn, the area surrounding the territory is golden."

Wright's tone was somewhat reminiscent. They were now heading to the Kingdom, and the others certainly wanted to know more.

"The wheat fields are all golden, but in the lakes, there are delicious fish and shrimp."

The person next to Wright added, saying something that is thought-provoking.

"When I was a kid, my brother was still alive, we would often go to the streams around the lake to pick up crabs and shrimps. I tell you, once when the lake was flooded, there was a fish this big..."

He exaggeratedly spread his arms out to both sides of his chest.

"I later gave it to the nobleman and got fifteen copper coins."

"There were also days when we collected firewood in the woods. The wild boars there didn't grow big, only knee-high, but their meat was really delicious. In those years, there were so many wild boars that we couldn't catch them all. The nobles allowed us to catch them and eat them, otherwise the wild boars would destroy the wheat fields."

"There are also wild rabbits and wild goats, but they are rare. If you catch them and hand them over to the noble master, you can exchange them for a small bag of flour."

Amid increasingly exaggerated topics, this bloated team finally crossed the Griffin Mountains and arrived at the Kingdom of Serra.

"We are a caravan from the Frozen Territory."

Colin pointed to the flag behind him. The soldier in front nodded and threw a pot of wine towards Colin.

"Thank you for your hard work, brothers. You can go first."

In the team, Parker and others saw that there were many houses here. Some teams were stranded here. He saw some familiar signs, which were the Imperial Chambers of Commerce that had transported supplies in the Frozen Territory before.

"Are we leaving like this?"

He was curious. The soldiers of the Sera Kingdom did not stop them at all and let them pass, while the chambers of commerce were having their tokens checked.

"What's the big deal? The entire Sera Kingdom was conquered by Lord Ryan. Do they still dare to stop us?"

Some people in the team were relatively familiar with some things and raised their heads proudly.

Entering the Andara Kingdom from the Serra Kingdom is much more stressful, but the flag of the Frozen Territory is still useful.

Parker saw that some fortifications were being built on the border between the two kingdoms. Trees were cut down and slaves were forging them into chevaux de frise. However, these had nothing to do with them. Under the banner of the Frozen Territory, the army of the Andara Kingdom quickly let them pass. The knight who led them seemed to be an old acquaintance of Lord Colin and invited him to stay for a while to reminisce about the past.

"Forget it, I still have to rush to Dawn City."

The knight from the kingdom felt a little regretful, but the team was still going smoothly, not only on the tense border, but also in the nobles' territories. Some nobles expressed their desire to buy some specialties from the Frozen Territory, so the team finally stopped.

"There are three carriages of goods in total, Lord Baron Moore. I really can't give you more."

Colin said helplessly. He understood that the baron wanted more goods because these things were very valuable. Whether they were used to trade with other nobles or taken out at a party, they would attract other people's attention.

"OK then."

Baron Moore was a little reluctant, but still happy. He could only buy things for two carriages, but because he was familiar with Colin, he got an extra one.

After walking out of the nobles' territory, Parker couldn't help but frown and looked at Wright and others not far away.

Others were puzzled.

"Wright, this is different from what you said."

Looking at the surrounding farmland, the skinny and dull-eyed serfs, the messy land and the slightly desolate surroundings, it was not at all as beautiful as they had described on the road before.

"This... this I don't know either."

Wright and his men were also a little anxious, so they ran to the front.

"Lord Colin, we want to go find our family."

"You have a list, right?"

Colin said this, he had received the order long ago.

"some."

"That's good. Go ahead. After you see your family, you can choose to catch up with us and reunite with us. Then, go back to the frozen land together or stay here. It's up to you to decide."

"The things on your body...leave the spear behind, and the rest are given to you by Lord Ryan."

Wright and others knelt down and said gratefully:
"Thank you, Master Ryan."

The escort team was suddenly reduced by more than half, but no trouble occurred during the process of advancing.

After seeing the flag of this team, those slaves who looked like they could eat everyone lost their spirit all of a sudden, lowered their heads in fear, and some even knelt on the side of the road until they were far away.

The caravan did not stay for too long, only stopping for a while when asked to pass through or when invited by nobles to sell some goods. When they finally arrived at Dawn City, the caravan still had more than 60 carriages full of supplies.

"We will be stationed here for a while."

Knight Colin's words made Parker depressed, but he soon became excited, because they, the members of the guard, would live with the knights' servants whom he had been thinking about so much, and eat the same precious food. If the training intensity could keep up, they might also be taught by powerful knights.

"Opportunity, it really is an opportunity."

Parker was like a sponge that absorbed water and was unwilling to miss the training of the knights' squires, and the abundant logistics helped him speed up his training process.

On the other side, Colin arrived at the center of Dawn City with some carriages.

"Your Majesty, this is what the Baron asked us to bring to you."

After Colin finished speaking, he tactfully suggested that these things might provide topics for discussion at a gathering of noble ladies in the near future.

Queen Leta frowned and looked at the fruit brought by the maid.

"What kind of fruit is this?"

"This... I don't know either. Only the bards know the origins of these things."

Colin said this, and soon after, a bard appeared in front of Queen Leta.

“The fruit is sweet.”

Queen Leta said, and the bard smiled and agreed.

"The wisdom of Her Majesty the Queen makes this fruit pale in comparison."

"Its name is sweet fruit. It can bring sweetness to people, make them feel the vitality in the spring breeze, cool down in the hot summer, and bring fragrance to the harvested grains in the autumn. When winter comes, it disappears from people's world, lonely and watching over the hope for the coming year."

"Does the queen know its origin? Sweet fruit brings all the goodness, but its growth process is tortuous and difficult."

"Outside the world, in a world the queen has perhaps never been to, there are vast fields."

"Six hundred years ago, the fields were mountains. The chanting of the gods split the mountains apart. In the crack of the cliff, no one knew a seed was sprouting."

"In the sunshine it breaks through the obstacles of rocks, in the wind and rain it holds tightly to the soil beneath it, and finally it bears its own fruit."

"This is from another world, from the seeds of life six hundred years ago."

The bard said, and continued to laugh.

"But how could people six hundred years ago climb up to the top of a cliff just for such a fruit?"

"Yeah, why, it's so dangerous."

The queen asked subconsciously.

"Yes, in the beginning, no one knew that such a fruit was so sweet. It spent its entire life to break free from the shackles that even the gods would admire, and grew a sweet fruit."

"But no one cared. In the strong wind and heavy rain, it gradually decayed."

"For a long time, it longed for someone to taste its glory again and again, but each time it returned disappointed."

“It witnessed the sunrise and sunset, the light and the darkness on the cliff, but none of them belonged to it.”

"It brings sweetness to the world, but leaves itself with six hundred years of bitterness."

The queen couldn't help but feel dazed.

"So, how did the first person who discovered him find him?"

The bard smiled and said at the banquet that evening:

……

"That will take place one day six hundred years from now."

"On this day, the strange world had already been covered by snow. The ancient people had been drowned in the snowstorm. The remaining lives were struggling in the cold winter in the north. Without food and warmth, they could die at any time. They were also waiting for their own death to come in the quiet north."

"But it was also on this day that the ancient world welcomed its last guest. He was invited by the gods, and the gods used their last bit of power to bless his arrival."

"He saved everyone, including me."

A woman was amazed and asked:

"Are you talking about Baron Ryan?"

"Yes, in fact, the nobles are all curious about why Lord Ryan is so powerful. It is undeniable that Lord Ryan has his own divine favor."

"He appeared in our world, and when the world was coming to an end, he led us to a new life."

"He led us out of the winter when the snow was up to our waists. Although the tundra wasn't that hot, the warmth within shone on every newborn soul."

"A group of people who should have died and were ready to die came back to life."

"And six hundred years ago, the fruit of the gods' sighs that struggled on the cliff also welcomed its owner."

"Baron Ryan brought hope of new life to the lives in the other world, and also made the sweet fruit that had been waiting for 600 years finally bloom with its own glory."

"That day, Lord Baron Ryan thought of his mother who lived far away. He went north alone and acquired his own territory in the cold north. He knew that his mother in the south was still worried."

"He had his soldiers guard the bottom of the cliff, and he climbed up to the top of the cliff step by step alone and firmly."

"He wanted to send the fruits from the mountain to his mother far away, telling her not to worry about him, because the boy he once was was already an eagle with spread wings, able to fly high in the sky."

"He stood on the mountain and saw the gift bestowed upon him by the gods. Six hundred years of solitude made the sweetness of six hundred years ago appear today six hundred years later."

(End of this chapter)