I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 157 Ezra

The moonlight was cool, making the abandoned church look even more desolate and eerie, but the enthusiasm of the men in the church diluted the feeling of desolation.

"Hahaha, my friend, you are finally here. I have been waiting for you for a long time~"

Luke adjusted his sword and looked at the hook-nosed man with open arms and a smile on his face. His thick throat made his voice sound like the rough friction of boulders.

"Are you Mr. Ezra? My name is John, and as you can see, I'm a mercenary. I believe my companions have informed you of the situation. I need two thousand pounds of rye."

Luc stopped and ignored the man's enthusiasm and chose to get straight to the point. The more enthusiastic the businessman is, the deeper the trap he will design. After getting closer to you, he will seduce you in the name of friendship, and in the end you will be deceived without knowing it, so Luc planned to make business a business.

As for mercenaries purchasing food, it is a common practice and not surprising, and does not require much explanation.

Seeing Luc's guarded face, Ezra had no grudges, but his smile faded a little. "Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be waiting for you in the snow."

"We have two thousand pounds of food, but you'll need to wait a few days. You know we can't carry two thousand pounds of food with us. But it won't take too long. You only need to sleep with two women in the tavern and we'll be back. But you need to pay a deposit first."

Luc shook his head: "We can wait, but the deposit is impossible. I can't guarantee that you won't embezzle my coins and not send the food."

Ezra shrugged. "Your concerns are legitimate, but coincidentally, I was thinking the same thing. I can't guarantee you'll buy the food once it's delivered, and I don't want to waste time hiring people to make a wasted trip through the snow. Besides, this money isn't just for me; it's for the upkeep of the mules stumbling through the snow, and it's compensation for the caravan members' frostbitten hands."

"So rather than calling it a deposit, it's actually just the shipping fee you should pay. And don't worry, it won't be a lot."

Ezra, nicknamed 'Silver Tongue', had been a merchant for many years and was best known for his eloquence. Seeing him act like he had to pay a deposit, Ryan couldn't help but curse under his breath, "What a greedy worm!"

"How much deposit do you want?" Luke frowned. He was not as angry as Ryan. Although he also couldn't stand Ezra's exaggerated words, since the other party insisted on it, he could only helplessly ask the price first.

"My friend, you've made a wise choice. Don't worry, I'm a very reputable businessman. Otherwise, I wouldn't have attracted so many customers. Considering this is our first time working together, I'll give you a special price. The shipping fee is forty pfennigs."

"It's not much. I can give it to you, but I hope you can return as soon as possible. Also, don't try to fool me with some moldy old rice, otherwise my sword will be useless!"

"Of course."

……

"Master, I now believe what Old Eck said. The Jews are really a bunch of damn vultures. The food hasn't even arrived yet, and that guy took fifty pfennigs from us."

Ryan kicked the frozen horse manure on the road and felt a little angry when he thought about the deal just now. Although Ezra swore in the name of God that he would definitely bring back the food, Ryan could not trust the oath of this group of heretics.

"Stop kicking horse manure and don't mind the smell. Also, remember to call me Captain John these few days."

Other villages outside of the Knightsburg didn't have the custom of collecting feces, so even under the snow, some feces was still scattered everywhere. Luc ignored Ryan's complaints and walked straight to the edge of the village. The guards who saw them from a distance immediately raised their short spears and shouted, "Who are you?"

"We are mercenaries passing through and would like to rest here."

Luc stopped and responded loudly. It was already dawn when he stopped. It was not that he was willing to suffer from the cold, but an army of five armored and armed soldiers was enough to pose a threat to a knight leader. Entering rashly at night would likely cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

The soldier stared at Luc and his group suspiciously. "Wait here for a moment. I'll tell our master not to move!"

This is not a peaceful time, and whether the five soldiers can stay in the tavern needs to be decided by the lord himself. Luc had no objection and let the soldiers go away.

Before Luke came, he wanted to disguise his identity, but he never said that he wanted to avoid David. In fact, it was impossible to avoid the other party when trading in David's territory. The best option was to pay a fee to allow him to trade in the village.

After a while, the soldiers came out and brought a message that they were allowed to enter, but in addition to paying a hefty fee for food and accommodation, there was an additional requirement.

After paying the other party a full thirty pfennigs a day (including food) to enter the village, Luc asked in confusion as he walked towards the tavern, "Help us defend against bandits? Are there still bandits in this cold weather?"

But once they got to the tavern, their suspicions were resolved. George quickly found out that the bandits David had mentioned were actually a group of roving bandits who had stolen the baron's horses, killed his fellow villagers, and then attacked a small village.
"This news has spread among passersby. I heard that Baron Berry is furious and that Cooper Castle has increased its patrols. My lord, no, Captain John, it seems these nobles are very concerned about their property~"

George's teasing laughter reached Luc's ears. He picked up a piece of black bread and put it in his mouth to chew. Since there were no real robbers, the next thing he needed to think about was how to transport the food.

First of all, the food did not need to be escorted by the Jews, as it was too expensive and they did not want to expose the location of the valley. However, it was not an easy task to transport two thousand pounds of food back to the valley in one go.

Even with the sleds that were already built, it still wasn't enough.

Because I have a sled but no sled dogs.
"It's a pity I don't have a large pack of dogs, otherwise it would be easy."

So the only tools Luc had available to transport the food were a sled with Charlie the main vehicle, two dogs as support, a donkey, and a mule. War horses wouldn't work, as they were too expensive and easily exposed—hadn't Duberg increased patrols to look for horses?
"That small sled has been tested and can probably carry about 80 pounds. The mules and black donkeys are livestock that travel mountain roads all year round. They were obtained from the Hoffman caravan and Ward Village. Together, they can probably carry about 320 pounds."

It is impossible for humans to carry food. Not only can they not carry much food, but it is also likely to be lost in the mountains and forests. Therefore, at most 400 pounds can be transported back in one trip, which means that at least five trips are needed to transport all the food back to the valley.

"I wonder how much it would cost to ask a Jew to keep it safe. It seems we need to borrow David's warehouse. But how can we get him to help us borrow it?"

Luc was thinking silently when suddenly there was a loud noise coming from the next table. A drunkard with a hangover was beating a thin traveler for some reason. Seeing Luc looking at him, he was about to curse, but he caught a glimpse of Luc's sword and the followers surrounding him, so he immediately shrank his neck and ran away like a flash.

Looking at the back of the escaping drunkard, Luc suddenly smiled and said, "I have a solution, George. Please be patient. I need you to go back to the forest."

(End of this chapter)