Heart of the Castle

Chapter 289 The Banquet and the Covenant of Mutual Help
Not long after Flandara's golden face fell into the western horizon, drums and brass horns sounded in the ancient Green Castle.Hearing this voice, apart from the necessary sentinels, all the soldiers of the Lord's United Army, the soldiers and militiamen of the Viscount's Castle, and the guards who originally belonged to Sir Lidwan gathered towards the square in front of the main building of the Greencastle. Several piles of bonfires have been set up, and the hot flames are rolling and jumping upwards, reflecting the old stone statues and broken high walls of the Green Castle red.

The air was already filled with the aroma of barbecue, spices, and ale, so every soldier looked very happy, looking at the source of the aroma, that is, the door of the main building of the Green Castle, with burning eyes.Especially the fighters of the Lord's Combined Army.

The lords' combined army was not prepared to fight. Their masters just followed Lord Cedric, the commander of the northern border, to support Lord Lidwan's rebellion as appropriate and benefit from it.It is conceivable that the quality of the army raised for this purpose is poor. Before they were called, most of them were not qualified soldiers, but pig herders, craftsmen, gangsters and country bumpkins. Some of them had never received combat training. Others find it hard to even walk with a shield in leather armor.

They had never feared a desperate fight today, but neither had they expected any decent hospitality.Because their masters were not only stingy, but also did not regard them as real fighters.Perhaps only Lord Cedric's white wolf guards and the entourage of those lords can sit, but the soldiers of the other lords' joint army still fantasize about getting some delicious leftovers.

Horns sounded through the night, and then the doors of the main building were thrown open, and the low tables were brought out, though the top was empty.People's expressions were disappointed at first, and then excited again, because they saw many plates placed on the table. Although there was nothing on them, the plates were all very large, and sharp-eyed people had already seen the dishes in the hall of the main building. , the table and chairs have been set up, one end of the table is full of all kinds of delicacies, and the other end is a can of ale, wine and shochu, and the mouth of the can has been opened.

However, for many people, this is no less than the beauty of the highest heaven where the Father God resides. It was quickly covered by two large doors, and the laments from hundreds of voices were so real that it almost made people cry. I thought it was a terrible disaster that once again came to this unfortunate land.

"Benevolent Father God...look at those delicious food!" A chubby guy sucked his finger and said, he was a cook in a tavern by profession a few days ago, and he was no stranger to the aroma of food. "Grilled steak, sprinkled with good spices; and pork and potatoes stewed well, and good peppered sausages... I smell the cream of mushroom soup, with precious saffron and thyme; And fresh bacon pies and brown bread..."

Countless hands stretched out from the side, covering the fat cook's mouth tightly.The fat cook struggled twice in surprise, his hands were motionless like iron pliers, and a vicious voice came from his ear.

"Shut up, fat pig!" An ugly face came close to his ear, the beard and hair were messy and tangled, and the mouth was full of rotten teeth. "Stop torturing our stomachs with those delicious names, or we'll eat you without even touching the salt." The guy warned, pulling the fat cook's hair fiercely. "Did you hear me?"

The fat cook nodded pitifully, feeling that his scalp was about to be ripped off. After those hands were removed, his mouth was immediately shut tightly, tighter than an oyster that landed on the shore.

The horn, the brass horn and the big drum suddenly shouted at the same time. The loud and majestic notes echoed over the Green Castle. The gate of the main building was opened again. Wolf guards and soldiers from Viscount Castle keep order and nearly cause a riot.Immediately afterwards, a few strong guards rolled out of a large wooden barrel as tall as half a person, and black bread and large pieces of barbecue were also brought out, piled up on the table like a hill.

Each soldier was allocated two white iron cups, which were as big as half a head. They could line up and walk to the table, and let the cook fill them up with a spoonful of thick soup that exudes a strong meat fragrance. You can still see the pieces of meat; then go to the other side and get a black bread and roast meat.As for the barrels, they were placed in the corners of the square, and anyone could scoop a glass of cold brown ale from them.

The sound of cheers and hustle and bustle suddenly soared into the sky.

At this time, the atmosphere in the Greencastle hall was also extremely warm. The fireplaces on both sides of the hall were blazing again, expelling the cold air of all winter nights from the hall. Spiced poultry and side dishes such as mushrooms and green peppers are used to relieve oiliness.Several servants and cooks shuttled between the dining table and the fireplace, sending up all kinds of delicacies like flowing water.

The lords adjacent to the Viscounty were all sitting around a long table covered with a gorgeous golden tablecloth. There were more than a dozen people, except for Donner and Dragunson who had not yet fully recovered from the severe blow. In addition, the knights under Li Wei were also present.

Of course, the one sitting in the first place was Levi, who holds the position of temporary military chief of the Viscount. Wilps accompanied him at the bottom, and Lord Cedric sat on the other side of the table. Those who are familiar with him can't help but see a trace of incongruity in his expression.

Lord Cedric has reason to think this way. He originally hoped that he was sitting across from the more familiar and beneficial Sir Lidwan, but now he may not be able to bring back anything except this sumptuous dinner. up.Contacting the twelve surrounding lords and dispatching hundreds of troops, the final result was this result, which was a fatal wound to Lord Cedric's prestige.

And this trauma has now been clearly displayed in front of him. The old knight of the Sherwood family was the first to toast to Levi, followed by Sir Chirawala, the exiled offshoot of the Merister family.When the lords of the Darda and Gauchak families also stood up, Lord Cedric finally stood up a little unbearably, with a red light on his already drunk face.

"Get out of the way, you two." He swayed and squeezed between the two lords, and at the same time mocked half-jokingly: "It's not a bad thing to want to court a powerful new neighbor, but I'm not too drunk to hear your voices."

The blood on the faces of the two lords disappeared immediately, and their footsteps stopped. However, Lord Cedric did not look at them more, but walked to Levi's side and raised his glass to the young knight.

What the lord held in his hand was a large cup made of bison horns that did not match his identity.It's not that the person who arranged the banquet deliberately neglected it, but that Lord Cedric never liked to drink in small sips from silver cups, whether it was honey wine that was too sweet, wine that was as sweet as water, or wine that was burning in the mouth. For shochu, he likes to drink it in a large wine glass.

"Lord Li Wei Ston, I respect you for this glass of wine." The commander-in-chief of the Northern Territory spewed a strong smell of alcohol, and Li Wei couldn't find any expression on his glowing red face, whether it was good intentions or malice, but The ox horn cup that was almost delivered in front of him was so imminent.

"Thank you very much, Lord Cedric." Levi said with a troubled look on his face, "But I don't drink." He pointed to his silver cup, which contained a glass of clear water as he said. Bottomless and tasteless liquid.

Lord Cedric's eyes flickered, "Lord Levi, this is not what a knight would do." He grinned his bearded mouth, revealing two rows of sharp and healthy teeth, "A man should drink heavily. , eat meat, and slash enemies!" He roared, "This is the life a real knight should live!"

"This is a bit different from my understanding of knights, Your Excellency." Levi frowned, and retorted in a gentle voice: "A true knight should practice the motto of knights with his words and deeds from the heart, instead of watching Can he drink and eat meat?"

Lord Cedric was obviously choked by Levi's words, his thick gray eyebrows raised, and the noise around him suddenly faded away. Many people held their breaths watching what happened between the two chiefs. The reputation of the commander of Jingda is second only to Earl Ansair, the lord of Dirk City in Northern Border County, but Li Wei performed exceptionally well in today's battle with the dead, whether it was repelling the Shadow Assassin or expelling the Shadow Banshee, Almost all by himself.

These two enemies were opponents against whom even Lord Cedric could do nothing.

Wilps stood up with his hands on the hilt of his sword. Lord Cedric's character has always been known for his roughness. Li Wei's face-to-face rebuttal would obviously offend this fierce and famous Lord with a sword.Although Wilps knew that he would not be Lord Cedric's opponent, he was already ready to block it.

The captain of the White Wolf Guard, Baroque, stretched out his hand to take the longbow, but Sir Grace, who was across the table, stood up almost at the same time, shrugged slightly, and the silver fir longbow slipped into his hand, ready to shoot at any time.

For a master archer like them, there is no need to aim at such a short distance.

However, in the next moment, Lord Cedric's loud laughter broke the stiff atmosphere, "Master Levi, your bones are really hard!" land. "It's been a long time since I've heard such rebuttals in person. It's really a fresh feeling."

Li Wei's expression relaxed accordingly. At such a close distance, facing the silent threat of a Lord with a sword, both will and physical strength, can be regarded as quite a severe test.

Li Wei smiled a little at a loss, because he couldn't find what expression he should use to respond now. "Sir Cedric, you surprised me just now." He finally admitted, "I didn't mean to offend you, but..."

"I understand, I understand." Lord Cedric seemed to be in a good mood. He shook his disheveled hair and poured all the remaining wine in the glass into his mouth. "If you forced yourself just now, I would look down on you. You are strong enough, so you have the right to say these words."

"Only the strong have the right to speak?" Levi muttered in a low voice, then raised his head and found that Lord Cedric had returned to his seat and was holding a piece of pork blood mixed with bacon. Chow down on the pie.The noisy and enthusiastic atmosphere suddenly returned to the surroundings. The knights and lords were talking to each other, but there were always people who glanced in the direction of Levi and Lord Cedric from time to time.

Wilps moved his body to Li Wei's side, "Master Li Wei, actually, you should try it and drink some lighter wine or ale." He suggested: "If you don't drink at this kind of occasion, it is very It might be seen as a faux pas."

"I'm really afraid of that thing." Li Wei replied with a wry smile, "After trying it once, I don't want to try it a second time."

"As expected, Mr. Li Wei, you probably drank a very powerful spirit that time?" Wilps laughed, picked a piece of thick and juicy mushroom steak from the dinner plate next to him, bit it, and immediately Dripping brown savory gravy. "When I was your age, I traveled around the world with loyal knights, and I didn't even know how many times I got drunk."

A few loud applause came from across the table, and the noise weakened slightly again. Levi and Wilps also stopped talking and looked towards the place where the sound came from.
Lord Cedric stood up, holding the horned wine glass in his hand. He scanned the surroundings with majestic eyes, and was satisfied to see that everyone stopped and waited for his speech. "Lords and knights!" His loud voice rang out, "First of all, I would like to thank the supreme Father God!"

"Thank you forever!" Some people shouted immediately, but it was clear that Lord Cedric did not stand up to pay his respects to God the Father.So more people did not do this, but waited for what the commander of the northern border would say next.

"Why should we thank Father God?" Lord Cedric asked a little thoughtlessly, and then he replied himself: "Because Father God has given us a strong and powerful neighbor! The military leader of the Viscounty, the end The hero of the disaster, Lord Levi Ston!"

There was a moment of extreme silence in the hall, including Levi himself, who did not expect Lord Cedric to say such a sentence.I can't even tell whether it's irony or praise from the bottom of my heart.

"Salute to the hero who ended the disaster!" A voice sounded, it was the old knight of the Sherwood family.The few people around him held their breath for a moment, they thought that Lord Cedric would lose his temper immediately, but what they waited for was a loud laugh from the Great Commander of the Northern Territory.

"Yes, salute to the hero, salute to Lord Levi!" Lord Cedric raised his glass and drank it down.Only then did the others affirm that His Excellency was not deliberately speaking ironically, but actually praised Levi.

Li Wei stood up immediately, his young face flushed as if he had drunk too much. "Your Excellency, your praise makes me feel ashamed. It is the result of the joint efforts of all the knights in the Viscount Land, including Sir Lidwan who was accused of the assassination by the deceased. Without them, there would be no end to the evil disaster." Li Wei raised the silver cup filled with clear water and suggested loudly, "Let's pay tribute to the people who died in the evil disaster."

"Salute, salute!"

"For the dead, for everyone, and for Lord Li Wei and His Excellency!"

After some chaotic shouts, everyone drank the wine in their glasses and waited for Lord Cedric's next words.

"Secondly, what I want to say is, Lord Li Wei, the Northern Territory has always been regarded as a desolate frontier, and the north of the Dusk Forest is even more desolate in the desolate. Except for us lords, the unwelcome side branches of the big family..."

Sir Chirawalla was pouring wine into the cup, and couldn't help shaking his hands when he heard this, and all the mead was spilled out.

"...the unlucky guy who chose the wrong side in the power struggle..."

The old knight of the Sherwood family snorted angrily, grabbed his glass and poured wine into his mouth.

"...Including me, the Cedric family used to be a well-known wealthy family in Dirk City. If there is a way, who would like to stay in such a place?"

"You are the Great Commander of the Northern Territory!" A knight of the lord's coalition army yelled, "The south of the Dusk Forest belongs to Earl Ansair, and the north of the Dusk Forest belongs to you!"

"The Great Commander of the Northern Territory?" Lord Cedric shook his head fiercely, "I would rather be an ordinary nobleman in Dirk City, or some other city outside the Northern Territory, even with half of the territory Come and change it!"

"No one will change a quarter." The old knight of the Sherwood family muttered.

"Yeah, no one has changed a quarter." Lord Cedric added with a wry smile. "Except for Viscount Ryan's territory.

"Your Excellency is right." The lord of the Darda family wearing a cloak with a broken chain and shackle badge said: "This territory is the only fertile land north of the Dusk Forest, unlike other people's land. The territory, except for the forest, is the forest, and the only specialty is wood, but unfortunately there is no shortage of anyone in the northern border, so we can only chop it for firewood."

"That's why you want to take advantage of the fire..." Knight Hall sitting at the end of the table just said a few words, but was covered by Knight Templeton sitting next to him, but many of them already showed shame on their faces. angry expression.

"That's right, I just wanted to take advantage of the fire." Lord Cedric said with an undisguised smile, and the straightforward admission made the knights of the Lord's United Army breathe a sigh of relief.The old knight of the Sherwood family sighed and said: "We people have been thinking about having a fertile land that can grow food for many years."

"Yes, although we are all noble lords, and the area of ​​​​the territory is quite considerable, it is not the desolate gravel Gobi, or the large tracts of virgin forests that are difficult to cut down. It is impossible to support many people." Lord Cedric added.

Li Wei listened quietly, he knew that the words Lord Cedric said were paving the way and preparing for his real thoughts.Sure enough, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Territory then leaned towards Li Wei, "Therefore, there is a covenant of mutual help between us, and Sir Lydwan was once included in it."

"Covenant?" Levi's eyes flickered, and it seemed that this was Lord Cedric's true intention. "Can you be more specific, my lord?"

"Of course you can. To put it simply, in the north of the Dusk Forest, no matter what problem occurs in the territory of the lord, other people are obliged to help. Of course, the lord who has been helped must also give enough help after solving the problem." in return," said Lord Cedric.

Li Wei pondered for a while, raised his eyebrows and said, "It sounds reasonable, but I would like to ask, why didn't I see your helping hand when Viscount Ryan suffered a disaster?"

"At that time, the poisonous fog blocked all the roads, and we couldn't find out the situation inside the Viscounty." Lord Cedric said, with a sneer on his face, "And, Lord Viscount Lane looked down on us poor people. The lord did not sign the covenant at all, and apart from Sir Ridwan, none of his subordinates joined the covenant either."

"So that's the case." Li Wei nodded, agreeing with His Excellency's explanation.

"Now, Lord Levi, please think carefully about whether you can join our covenant of mutual help?" After saying these words, Lord Cedric sat back in his high-backed chair, quietly Waiting for Li Wei to make a choice.

　The 5700 word update is here, I wish all the book lovers in the heart of the castle a happy weekend.By the way, I would like to recommend a good book on the officialdom: the officialdom is unique, the career is going straight up, the secrets of getting promoted and getting rich, all in "Standing Up to the Clouds"!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)