Mercenaries and Adventurers

The Whitestone City Wall checkpoint is quite prosperous. Even though the southern provinces connected by the checkpoint are in the midst of war and chaos, there are always a lot of businessmen who want to take advantage of the chaos to make a fortune from the war.

It's just that if you want to do this business, it's different from ordinary merchants. At the very least, you need to have some basic armed forces.

Kiel whispered with Priest Batar all the way, watching the streets in the morning, some armed caravans passing through the Whitestone City Wall checkpoint from east to west.

The refugee youths walking east did not dare to approach these armed caravans, because the horses of some caravans and the weapons of the caravan guards were stained with crimson dried blood.

It looks scary.

Of course Kiel and the others were not afraid. When the team of several people and the armed caravan crossed the street, Kiel even wondered if those blood stains were really blood stained by the battle.

After all, horses have to clean their body fur every day, and good fighters also have to take good care of the weapons they depend on for a living after battle.

No matter how stained with blood it is, it looks a bit pretentious no matter how you look at it.

Laughing to himself twice, Kiel narrowed his eyes, and he noticed that the goods transported by the passing caravans turned out to be heavy rough iron.

Rough smelted iron with a lot of impurities is close to high-quality iron ore and smelted pig iron, and it can be regarded as a commodity with a high consumption ratio in transportation.

After all, metal materials sell well no matter where they are.

Through a large **** cut in the tarpaulin of a wagon, Keel could see the contents.

He was a little strange. Didn't he say that the security in the southern province was in chaos? Moreover, the battle for iron ore in the southern border area is breaking out, so where does this rough iron come from?

Although he was curious, Kiel was not stupid. It was impossible to just go up and ask the businessman in charge of the caravan. Isn't that looking for a fight? I didn't see that although this caravan is small in scale, when passing through the checkpoint, there are even local checkpoint soldiers to lead the way and clear the way.

In this way, it is said that the local aristocrats did not have this ostentation. Obviously, either this caravan has people in the local aristocratic circle, and they are people from above, or this caravan transporting a large amount of metal materials can hand in a piece of paper for the checkpoint. A lot of tax money.

Although the tax money will not really be distributed to the grassroots soldiers, but if the managers of the checkpoints eat meat, they will probably be able to share a sip of soup, right?

That's why he looks so courteous.

-

The two teams passed by each other, and Keir didn't think much about it, and continued to lead his companions all the way east to the gate of the city wall on the east side of the checkpoint.

The city wall here is completely built by humans. Compared with the glowing white stone city wall opposite the checkpoint, which is as panic-stricken as the sun, the city wall built by humans is really low and ugly, if it is not built with solid rocks , the style of this city wall will be even lower.

"It's a shame, how can those dwarves build such a magnificent creation?"

Hearing Kiel's sigh, Bloodtooth snorted and said, "Those dwarves may be particularly good at this kind of ability? After all, they dig holes in the ground all day long to survive. They are naturally good at this, but we are not bad, humans Good at everything."

Bloodfang pointed to the surrounding buildings and the north-south mountains in the distance with his whip-holding arm: "Look at all this, the land under our feet, but the legendary bard and his companions follow the crowd through music and poetry It was won by the hands of God! The dwarfs probably could only whine and sing some earth-shoveling songs when digging holes in rough voices. Haha."

Kiel and Priest Batar were both amused. Although he has not seen what a dwarf looks like, whether it is as similar as in the artistic fantasy works of his previous life, he feels that he has a little understanding of what a dwarf is through the "stereotype" of his companions. Looks good.

When leaving the city gate on the east side of the checkpoint, the soldiers at the city gate saw that their carriage was carrying a lot of things and wanted to stop it for inspection. No words, no other actions, let the checkpoint soldiers give up the idea of ​​inspection.

"After the two adults arrive in the southern province, please be careful and watch out for various dangers."

The captain of the soldiers at the city gate waved to Kiel and the two of them, and shouted a reminder from afar.

Keir waved his hand: "Understood, thanks for the reminder."

Priest Batar nodded without saying anything.

Passing through the city gate hole less than ten meters long, and the wooden iron-clad city gate opened inward, the southern province finally appeared in front of Kiel.

Contrary to his expectations, nothing special.

Badlands, woods, creeks, river banks, and mountains not far away.

Everything looks normal—

What a ghost!

Comparing the two sides of the Whitestone City Wall checkpoint, you can see that the west side is the ancient Whitestone City Wall of the dwarves, not counting the small castles of the noble viewing manor outside the Whitestone City Wall, and other large areas of farmland have never been broken. It extends all the way to the city walls of Montorca.

Obviously the completion of land development is very high.

But as soon as he exited the Whitestone City Wall checkpoint and headed east, Kiel couldn't even find ten houses within Kiel's visual distance. There is not even a single piece of cultivated farmland.

"Obviously the terrain here is relatively open, and it is also near the river. Why is there no development at all? No one settles down?"

Kiel turned his head and asked Priest Batar.

The priest looked embarrassed: "When I came to Montorca City, it was not like this. Although it is desolate, there are still residential houses and hotels on the main commercial road."

As he spoke, the priest himself lowered his voice: "It's only been more than 20 days, why is it like this?" He looked at a pitch-black stone house with no roof next to the trade road not far away, and vaguely remembered When I came here, I stayed there overnight, but I didn't expect that after these days, not only there was a fire there, the roof of the house was burned down, and the whole spacious stone house was blackened by the flames.

There is also no family that used to run the accommodation.

"Hope people are okay, Saturn bless them."

Priest Batar prayed in a low voice.

-

Kiel exhaled, looked around, and asked everyone to follow him to get out of the way, and came to the place where young refugees gathered on the grass at the gate of the city next to them.

There were probably more than five hundred of these people, and it was obvious that none of them had arrived, so Keel jumped off his horse.

"Bloodfang, you stay here, priest, you come with me. Let's organize these people."

Priest Batar, who was praying for others just now, saw Kiir striding towards hundreds of young men and women, and wanted to organize these young people from different villages in various places, immediately wailed in a low voice: "I hope his head Not bad, the great Saturn protects me."

After dawdling, the young priest, also in his twenties, reluctantly dismounted sideways, took out the stuck amber metal staff from behind, coughed a few times, and followed Kiel slowly after smoothing his throat.

"Everyone!" Keir yelled loudly, and the young people who were sitting cross-legged on the ground, separated from each other, stopped talking and turned their heads to look in the direction of the loud voice.

It is the knight companion of the priest who can receive food from the gods.

Most of the young refugees present had personally received the food, so they knew who they would follow and whose instructions they would follow after they were voluntarily driven out this time.

However, although Kiel was talking at this moment, most of the young people's eyes were on the imposing priest Batar who was walking slowly.

"Everyone pay attention, the gods gave enough food for you to eat and clothe, not for you to sit on the ground and chat and joke. Get up and gather together according to the villages you originally belonged to. I want to get to know you, and you also need to get to know me. and priest Batar of the Church of Saturn."

Most of the young people who heard that they were asked to stand up and received the food given by the gods stood up hesitantly, and gradually gathered together according to the principle of being together in the familiar village.

But naturally there are still some people who have not seen Kiel and the others stocking food, and because they have found a living business in the checkpoint, they feel a little resentful about being kicked out of the checkpoint by the village old man.

In addition, there are some people who don't want to listen to Kiel, a young man in his teens, even if they have received the food given by God. They sit on the ground, laughing and watching Kiel yelling because they have many brothers.

Because new refugees heard the news and came out of the east gate of the checkpoint and gathered on the grass outside the city gate, Kiel walked around the place where the young refugees gathered, shouting loudly while waiting.

Priest Batar was very popular, and many grateful young people gathered around him spontaneously, some just wanted to talk to him and express their gratitude, while some boldly approached the priest and stretched out their hands in front of him. Waist, stretch your hands forward and lift them up.

Priest Batar, who had been a priest in the village, of course knew what he was doing.

He smiled and nodded, stroked his chest with his free right hand, and then lightly touched the palm of the young man's bent forward.

This is a symbolic blessing, but it is only used by believers in the church, and non-believers do not get a response from the priest. Of course, Priest Batar didn't know at this moment who among the well-intentioned young people in front of him was a believer and who was not.

He treats everyone equally, and he responds boldly to anyone who makes such a gesture of longing for blessings.

Of course, some young villagers who were not believers would be mixed in, but this was meaningless to Priest Batar. He didn't care whether they believed or not before. Anyway, in his opinion, these people in front of him must have believed.

They will all be his followers.

-

Priest Batar saw that Kiel, who was not far away, was still calling for the new young people to form teams according to the village, and it might not be completed in a while, so he got "busy" here and held a small prayer ceremony .

Putting the amber metal staff in his left hand firmly on the grass, the priest took out a wooden statue of Saturn from the leather pouch on his waist.

This is the amulet statue loaned to him by the diocese of Montorca.

It has many functions. Of course, the prayer ceremony activities of believers can be carried out in the open field outside the church.

Carefully placing this shimmering wooden amulet statue on the top of the metal staff, Priest Batar then asked the surrounding 'Saun believers' to kneel around the statue, while he himself Kneel in front of the statue.

Some of the young people gathered around quickly followed suit, kneeling and praying towards the wooden statue of Saturn, while some young people who were not believers moved a lot slower, not only sitting comfortably on the grass, but also talking with their mouths. Li didn't know how to pray, so he had to whisper in his mouth to ask for benefits from the statue of Saturn who was too small to see clearly.

"I hope that the Lord Saturn can end the war, the whole family can have enough food, and get rid of the current miserable situation of hunger. I also hope that the Lord Saturn can prevent the younger sister who died of starvation from being hungry after death. If possible, I will work hard, I can do whatever you want, and I must be full."

"I beg you, Lord Saturn, to still show kindness, so that this priest can always give us food to eat. I gave all the food I had before to my parents. I hope they and my brothers and sisters can eat for a while longer. I If you come out this time, you won’t go back, you will either be killed or starve to death outside!”

"Please, please, I just want to be full, I just want to be full. The grandfather in the village said that if I come out, I will be full. I don't ask for anything else, I just hope to be full. If the knight master can reward me A piece of land is enough, and I will marry and start a family with Nikki who came out together. I will work hard to farm the land, support her and me, and the children we will have together in the future, if there are children. Is it asking too much, the farmer Lord God, if you are in a good mood, can you grant me one or two wishes? Well, well, eat first, this is the first one, of course, Nikki also has to eat, she can’t die, I will eat my This is the second and the third one. I hope the young master knight can reward me with a piece of land. Forget about the land in our village. Everyone has run away. It’s not safe. It’s better to be this one. A piece of land in Lord Knight's own domain, this is the third one. The fourth one, uh, wouldn't it be too much wish? Then three would be fine, if it doesn't work, the first two are fine too."

Priest Batar walked around silently amidst the buzzing sound, while paying attention not to bump into people's movements, while carefully paying attention to the fact that praying to the gods and asking the gods to make a wish, which are irrelevant, are regarded as prayers. What the 'non-believers' say.

He shook his head, if he casually made a wish to the great god, did he really think that the wish would come true?

Then everyone doesn't have to do anything, can't they just pray to the statue of the gods all day long?

It's ridiculous, true believers understand, or roughly understand, that faith is essentially a fair trade of mutual choices. It's not that there is no such thing as fanaticism, but there has never been love or hatred for no reason in the world.

There are many gods and churches, which one do you believe in and why? And what's the difference?

The reason lies in the comprehensive act of faith, which is beneficial to the gods, the church, and the believers themselves.

The difference naturally lies in which **** believers believe in and which church they approach, and the final results and rewards will be very different.

It is also a farmer, he believes in the God of Wealth, and he believes in the God of Saturn, the results are very different.

The Church of the God of Wealth will assist farmers to find a way to find someone to borrow money safely, so as to find ways to expand agricultural production, or use money to lease fields for farming, or use money to buy cattle to improve farming efficiency, or buy better farm tools to ensure production , or hire people to assist in tilling the fields.

The Saturnalia Church will help you unite with other farmers, mediate disputes between farmers' fields, use water for irrigation, learn some effective farming methods, and if any accident occurs, all farmers can bear the crisis together. Experienced Saturn priests will also study the planting and breeding conditions in various places, and choose the best production direction and means.

The Church of the Sun God, under the organization of the priests, will have a limited influence on the local climate conditions, allowing the crops to receive more sunlight. In addition, other farmers and households will be organized to work in groups during the day and release light at night to learn knowledge, so as to get rid of the life destiny of farmers at the bottom of society. Those who are talented in combat will become soldiers to defend the property of the church and believers, and those who are talented in business will sell local products, buy things that everyone needs, and so on.

And believe in the March God, with the help of the March God Church, you can sleep peacefully at night, not afraid of the fear and intrusion of the night, enjoy harmony and friendship in the family, and get a sense of spiritual satisfaction.

Believe in the God of Craftsman, the skills created by yourself can be improved under the guidance and arrangement of the church, and there will be enough space and occasions for display. Craftsmen with excellent skills will be developed in all walks of life, even if their skills are not outstanding. You can also have the ability and support to support your own family.

Having said so much, it means that believers, gods, and the church are a combination of mutual influence.

The gods need the belief of believers, but no matter how powerful the gods are, they cannot be divided into tens of thousands of themselves, communicate with each believer, and guide their beliefs. At this time, the church and priests are needed as intermediaries to assist the gods to develop people's belief in themselves. Faith~www.readwn.com~ And priests can also get the power and authorization from the gods in the process, and perform various incredible abilities, not only gaining more beliefs for the gods, but also providing believers with Help and assurance of strength.

At the same time, the priest himself has also gained many benefits in the process, including but not limited to a longer lifespan, higher social status, more social power, more power to use material resources, and more control over actual power. The development of civilization brings progress and so on and so forth.

-

Therefore, the desires and desires spoken by some "non-believers" that Priest Batar heard now have no effect at all, and are just weak voices that disappear when they are spoken.

Don't say that the gods can't hear it, even if the gods hear it face to face, the gods will ignore it as if they didn't hear anything.

Why do we need statues of gods, and why do we need priests to teach believers to pray correctly? It is to put the gods, priests, and believers among the three correct behaviors through a series of rules and means. in the position.

If the position is right, the gods can gain faith, the priests can get the divine power bestowed by the gods, and the believers can get direct and indirect help from the priests.

Therefore, the first step often has several beginnings, but as the first step to communicate between the people and the gods, the "god-given food" last night and as early as possible has already allowed non-believers to enjoy the system of belief in gods. Good thing.

Now, it is necessary for the people who want to go one step further to make correct prayers to offer qualified faith to the gods.

Priest Batar is a priest trained by the formal church, so he has already understood the above-mentioned relationship, and at this moment he began to correct the behavior of praying systematically for people who "pray".