?In the Yuexi Plain in mid-October, you can no longer feel the residual heat of the hot summer, the breeze blowing on your face, and the waves of wheat in the golden autumn. It is indeed the best time and scenery for travelers on the road.
The Golden Skylark Troupe marched on the avenue of Yuexi Plain, and today was already the sixteenth day since they left Muxi City.
“Speaking of fine wines! The first one on the list should be Lone Rock City’s Branta! It’s fragrant and mellow in the throat, and has a long aftertaste, making it unforgettable!”
A short, fat knight in his forties with a big rosacea was sitting on a horse and talking to the people around him.
"Guyan City is located in a mountainous area with steep terrain and good lighting conditions, so it is particularly suitable for the construction of vineyards and wineries..."
Listening to the knight's loud analysis, Barbara, who was sitting in the carriage, curled her lips, opened the curtains and whispered to Randall, who was driving the carriage, and asked in a low voice: "That Captain Horne, is he really responsible for this escort operation?"
commander?"
Randall didn't look back: "Yes, he is a senior officer in the Muxi Knights. This time he was appointed by Muxi's cabinet to lead 22 knights and 200 soldiers to escort us to Lone Rock City.
"
Barbara stared at the knight commander who was talking loudly and laughing on horseback. She frowned and asked, "Is there something wrong? I always feel that he doesn't look like a knight at all."
Randall waved his horse's rein and said with a smile: "Don't make wild guesses. During the Silver Ring City incident, Knight Commander Horn followed Lord Cumberland and left the Silver Ring Guards. He was the first batch of immigrants to join Twilight West City.
He has superb martial arts skills and is loyal. If it weren't for some words and deeds, he might have taken the position of chapter leader by now."
Barbara asked strangely: "Words and deeds?"
Just as Randall was about to explain, Horn's loud voice came from afar, interrupting their conversation.
"Let's talk about wine, let's talk about women!"
Horn blinked his eyes pretending to be mysterious, and asked the people around him: "Do you know where the woman with the most delicate skin in the world comes from?"
The onlookers listened to him riddle and urged him to tell the answer quickly.
Seeing that he had whetted the appetite of others, Horn shrugged his nose, raised his head and said proudly: "Of course she is our woman from Muxi City!"
"Why?!"
Horn blinked and raised his eyebrows: "Because only women from Muxi City take baths every day."
Amidst the burst of laughter, Barbara snorted angrily and pulled the car curtain forcefully.
Randall scratched his head, looked at the Muxi knight not far away who was chatting about love, and shook his head with a wry smile.
As the sun set in the west, the exhausted Golden Skylark Troupe stopped and chose a highland near a mountain stream to set up camp among the mountains less than 70 kilometers away from Lone Rock City.
Members of the troupe who travel between kingdoms have already regarded this kind of outdoor camping as a commonplace. As for the soldiers of the Muxi Knights, they don't feel any inconvenience at all.
Barbara was wearing a Liliel brand autumn hunting suit. When she got off the carriage, she received the attention of countless men. The most egregious among them was the guard commander-Knight Commander Horn. This guy not only cheered loudly, but even
He also blew the whistle.
Ignoring these unpleasant sights and sounds, Barbara approached the theater staff and asked where Randall was.
After asking around, someone finally told her that Randall seemed to be walking towards the top of the mountain.
After returning to the carriage and putting on a pair of light shoes, Barbara followed the trail behind the camp and slowly walked up to the top of the mountain. She saw Randall sitting directly on top of a large rock, staring blankly at the mountain peaks in the distance.
"It's really rare that you come here to be lazy." Barbara picked up the handkerchief, put it on the stone, sat next to Randall, and said with a smile: "I remember your hometown is Lone Rock City. Return to
How does it feel like in your hometown?”
Randall's eyes did not move and he said softly: "It's like an old wound on a rainy day."
"Strange metaphor."
Barbara watched the last ray of sunshine in the eastern sky slowly disappear, and said to Randall: "Now, when the performance in Lone Rock City is over, will you apply for leave?"
"take a vacation?"
"Well, we have been traveling around for His Majesty's Protestantism these past few months. Shouldn't we enjoy a short vacation?"
Randall lowered his head, thought carefully, nodded and said, "That's fine."
Barbara became interested: "I heard that there are many famous attractions in Lone Rock City! Such as the Statue of the Holy Father, the Stone of Fire, and the Mochila Hotel that only accepts nobles!"
Randall said helplessly: "I have heard of Mokira, but we are not nobles."
Barbara puffed up her chest: "Have you forgotten what I do? I am a troupe actor, and any nobleman I can perform is more like a nobleman!"
Randall smiled slightly.
In a forest less than a hundred meters away from them, two uninvited guests were quietly lurking.
“I really didn’t expect to meet the Golden Skylark Theater Company here.”
Werewolf Aldenan looked at the backs of the man and woman on the top of the mountain and said in disbelief: "Maybe this is the fate the gods said."
Seeing that the orc beside him was motionless, Aldenan turned his head and asked, "Carol, don't you think that's the case?"
Carroll did not answer the other party's question, but just focused his gaze on the woman's body and did not move for a long time.
Aldenan looked in the direction of Carol's gaze, rolled his eyes, and said, "Isn't this a good opportunity? These two people are right under our noses now. As long as we sneak over and fight them,
Stun them and take them away. In this way, Mr. Dunlop can do business, and I can avenge the last time in the woods!"
Carol shook his head desperately and said loudly: "No!"
Aldernan quickly gave him a silencing gesture.
Carroll leaned his back against the tree and said listlessly: "We can't leave those two people to Wayne."
Aldenan nudged Carol with his elbow, and his tone was full of teasing: "Is it because of Miss Barbara? That is the popular star of the Golden Skylark Troupe, the dream lover of the entire Twilight City... shouldn't you?
Are you serious?"
Carroll glanced at the werewolf and whispered: "I once owed Miss Barbara a favor."
"Oh? Tell me."
"When I was working as a porter at the dock, I once accidentally broke a glass screen consigned by the Golden Skylark Theater Company. According to the rules of the dock area, I had to fully compensate the customer for the loss, but at that time I simply could not pay that much.
money."
"I don't know who told Miss Barbara about my family situation. She took the leader of the troupe to the person in charge of the dock area and told the latter that it was just a cheap stage prop.
"
Aldenan touched his chin with his furry wolf claws and said with a malicious smile: "So, you fell in love with her."
Carol glared at the werewolf: "No, I owe her a favor!"
Aldenan raised his hands, pretending to surrender: "Okay, okay, excuse me for my slip of the tongue, you owe her a favor..."
Carol snorted, and when he turned his gaze to the man and woman again, he found Barbara leaning her head on Randall's shoulder.
The orc closed his eyes and said in a low voice: "It's time to go."
——————————————
At the same time, Lone Rock City, Regent Jennings's study.
Looking at the military developments submitted by the army recently, Regent Jennings frowned, his eyes full of anxiety and uneasiness.
Military build-up, material transportation, ship supplies... Ayub's imperial army has been taking more and more actions on the border recently.
"Is it possible that these southerners want to launch a war against the parish recently?" Jennings put down the report in his hand, stood up from his chair, walked around the room a few times, and said to himself: "
There is no reason. The Ayyubid Empire first fought against the Abbasid Empire, and then invaded and occupied the Eastern Holy City. Recently, I heard that there is internal fighting within the empire, and it is impossible to launch an offensive against the northern diocese in the recent period."
"There is an old Taylor proverb that goes well. Travelers who are about to travel far will prepare a wooden sign with their name engraved on it before traveling, so that even if they die, they will not become a nameless corpse."
The sudden sound startled Zhannings.
"Who?! Get out of here!"
The door was slowly pushed open, and a tall and handsome man walked into the room, smiled at Zhannings and said: "Regent of Lone Rock City, please don't be too nervous. I have no intention of harming you."
Observing the words and deeds of the visitor, Jennings frowned and said: "You clearly look like a parishioner, but your accent sounds like a southerner."
"Yes, my parents are descendants of the noble Taylor, but I had to grow up in the south... Lord Jennings, can you please stop pulling the alarm cord under the table?"
"You...what did you say?!"
The man picked out a relatively comfortable chair in the room, sat down and said to Jennings: "The guards outside the door, I didn't hurt them, I just let them enjoy a rare sleep."
"Who the hell are you?!"
The man touched his forehead, stood up again and saluted Jennings: "I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Garcia Kiloglia. I am here to warn you...
A week ago, the Ayyubid Empire launched an all-out war against the parish, and Lone Rock City was the first target of the Empire's Eastern Route Army."