Seeing the spire does not mean that you will arrive at the castle soon.

With the traffic conditions of the medieval world - especially areas close to forests - to reach a castle that can already be seen from a distance and has a straight line distance of no more than one thousand meters, there will be at least another three kilometers of detours in the middle.

The team walked forward for more than ten minutes, and bypassed a big bend, a long gentle slope appeared in front of everyone.

"Master..." The sender who led the way turned around: "It's here. Going further forward, it's the 'Lighting Mountain' of Fort Akford in this direction."

Akerry Village will set observation points at key locations when entering and leaving the forest. As the center of the entire Baron Corps, the core area of ​​Fort Arkford is of course even more vigilant.

For the weak and rarely migrant population, as soon as the "outsiders" were found - no matter how many - they would immediately light at least one black smoke in comparison with the village of Akerley, which was strong in the Arcford Fort and often had people coming and going, the threshold for warning was undoubtedly much higher.

But no matter how high the threshold is, when a team led by the knight, with a total number of people reaching double digits, half of the members carry iron weapons, and obviously have logistics livestock, whether it is a weak village of Akerley, the powerful armed Fort Akford, or the Fishgard Parish Fort Collins, which is a military fortress, guarding the watchtower on the highest mountain around, they will ignite all the fuel as soon as possible, raise three, four, five, six, seven or eight black smoke, and make the most urgent alarm to the villages, castles, and military fortresses to gain about half an hour of early warning time.

This does not mean that the strong castle is worried about being attacked by a team of eighteen people, but that if such a team suddenly reaches the vicinity of the castle, outsiders do not need to attack the castle at all. Just kill dozens of farmers, steal about a dozen livestock, cut off the buckwheat in the field, and light a fire, it will be enough to make any territory's efforts over ten years of waste.

With early warning, the castle has time to react.

The so-called reaction time is not used most of the time to summon soldiers to go out to fight. - The armed group of more than a dozen people touched the nearby area, and they knew if there were more ambushers and precious combat power behind them, so of course they should be used to defend the castle.

The early warning of the reaction time is to allow serfs, free people, and most important livestock to escape back to the castle, and send a few skilled scouts in time to investigate the real power of the invaders.

If the invader has weak power, it is best, but the knights who go out will try to expel them directly; if the invader is more difficult, these knights who risk their lives to investigate often carry a certain amount of common high-value items such as salt, honey, precious metals, etc. that do not affect the war horse operations, and use them to trade and compromise with the other party. If the compromise fails, or the other party's power is too strong, the knights of the investigation can also perform the last task: simply burn the food in the field with fire to avoid being used by the invaders.

In other words, as long as black smoke represents the highest warning level rises, unless it is a pure military fortress like Fishgard Parish Fort Collin, most other castles and most villages mean that at least all mobilizations are required, farmers fleeing, livestock running around, trampling, knights falling, and igniting... and other series of unexpected risks that will definitely make the lords nervous or uneasy, or heavy prices that will make the lords bleeding.

With the information collected some time ago, Wu Qingchen certainly would not have offended the entire Akford Corps as soon as he arrived in the field.

After stopping the team, Wu Qingchen followed the sender to observe. After confirming the observation point, according to the plan formulated by the staff, Wu Qingchen asked the entourage to retreat two or three hundred meters from its original position. The next two kilometers away was the last two kilometers. When visiting Fort Akford for the first time, Wu Qingchen would only bring one entourage to ensure that there was no misunderstanding.

However, if you don’t make a mistake, you won’t make a mistake. In order to ensure your own safety, smooth action, and future interests, you need to implement another plan of the staff team before you set out:

"Brother Grace, Brother Longcorn..." He held his long ears and Wu Qingchen looked around and called them one by one: "Uncle Pamela, Uncle Antoine, Uncle Abvell, Dean, York, Harry... Weival, An... Let's start."

———————

One hour later.

Fort Akford.

When Garu searched, Busser was staring in a daze in the stable.

Since the last time I followed the farming officer to Akerley's village, urgently dealing with the collective injury of the plowing ox, accompanied Los/More to pick herbs and participate in the treatment of some plowing oxes, I returned to Fort Akford. Whenever there was something wrong with the big livestock, everyone's first reaction was to come to Busser immediately.

The stable tastes very strong. Of course, Busser would rather stay with the big beasts than cleaning up the dirty corners of the castle or risking his life to suppress the tax-resistant villages.

But……

If your body is scratched by branches, should you rinse the wound first or should you clean up the dirt first?

After the wound is restored, should you take it out more and bask in the sun or apply herbs to rest?

Busser looked at the thatched grass in the cattle shed overhead.

"Bashi!" Just as Busse started to pull his hair, the eldest son of Dazhuangtou, the furious Garucha rushed in: "Bashi, your teacher is here!"

"Hmm?" Busser turned his head suddenly.

"Lose is here!" Garucha repeated loudly: "Lose/More, the new cowherd of Akerry's village."

"Really? Los... Master Los is here?" Busser's eyes lit up, then frowned and glared at Garucha: "What cowherd? Master Los is now a priest from Akerry's village!"

"Ha! Yes..." Garrocha replied with a smile, "Yes, priest, your priest is here!"

"Where is Mr. Los?" Busser quickly got up, and then suddenly stopped: "No... Mr. Los comes here...how do you know?"

"Of course I know." At the door of the stable, Garucharlah gave his companion: "Today it was Tornio's turn to guard the tower... The sender from Ecre Village came over, and beside him was your Master Los, and they came to deliver the letter together."

"Where is now?" As he spoke, Busser had already walked out of the stable.

“Outside the castle.”

"Huh? Why?" Busser paused slightly: "Why don't you let Master Los in? Is there any problem? Something is wrong with the sender in Akerry's village?"

"No, Bale and Xiao Zhuangtou are by your side."

"Then... don't know Mr. Los?"

"I know..." Garucha replied, "Your companion last time, Makur, who had been to Akerri Village, happened to be in the tower."

"Well?" Busser was even more strange.

"Your priest said that there are many people who cannot see the sunshine. In order not to cause trouble for Akford, we hope we will go and take a look first."

"Hmm?" Busser was slightly stunned: "Many people."

"Go quickly and go quickly..." Holding Busser, Garucha quickened his pace: "Your priest said that in order to solve the trouble of treating oxen, moving honeycombs, and some good things that you just discovered recently, your priest brought many experienced people who are good at these things."

"Well?"

"What else?" Garrocha grabbed Busser's arm hard: "Go away! Heal the cows and move the honeycombs... What a great opportunity! The inferior people brought by Los must not enter the castle, hurry up and grab people!"

"Snatch people?" After being forced to hold him up, Busser stumbled out of the cattle shed: "Don't do it nonsense... Los/More is already a priest!"

"What priest?" Garrocha said with a glance at his eyes: "Student! The priest's student!"

"It will be a priest soon, and it will definitely be a priest!"

"Okay, okay, I know! Come on quickly." Garucha was too lazy to continue arguing, and pulled Busser and moved quickly: "Whether students or priests... we won't bother him. We only need a few underserved people to help for a few days... Don't worry, everyone is still counting on those underserved people to help see the livestock and help build a few honeycombs. Who will make things difficult for them?"

"Everyone?"

"Well...Tornio guard, Makull, you, I... hurry up, if someone else knows, we won't get the hands..."

"Don't do it nonsense! Didn't you just say it? Mr. Los came here to deliver the letter... How long can you stay with the letter?"

"Yes, send a message! Your Master Los needs to send a message. Don't send a message to the inferior person he brings? What's the matter with staying in Akford for a few days? Of course, if this freelance master is willing to stay together to help everyone see the livestock and move honeycombs... I'll go and help him deliver the rest of the letter! Don't talk about sending a message... I'll send him back to Akerry's village!"

———————

Ten minutes later.

"Los...Master."

Walking out of the castle along the suspension bridge, still more than ten meters away from Wu Qingchen, Garucha jumped off his war horse quickly, bowed deeply, and greeted sincerely.

The nonsense that had been said for a moment had been thrown out of the sky by Garucha.

Fraud Wu Qingchen/Loss? Catch Wu Qingchen/Loss's escort?

Crazy?

The priest robe with white body and no wrinkles; Yue Zhiyuan, calm and generous demeanor; the true master's temperament with a solemn expression and no anger...

Looking at Wu Qingchen/Los who were more than ten steps away, Garucha instantly forgot the so-called "freedom master" remarks a few minutes ago, and honestly showed his most obedient attitude.

Garucha must be glad that he has made his choice.

Half an hour later.

Following the trail, leaving the castle, passing through the land, stepping onto the hills, walking around the mountain path, climbing up the long gentle slope, and looking at the team in front of him, Garucha's chin almost fell off.
Chapter completed!