Section 4 The coming of the Winter Taming Festival

When Little Randolph's mother was dragged out from the Iron Virgin, she completely turned into a blood gourd, and she could not see it on her body with holes. The appearance of this beautiful lady in the water city, the terrifying scene often appeared in Little Randolph's dreams from then on. When he was playing in the family courtyard without worry, he saw his beautiful and kind mother suddenly flowing with blood all over his body. The scarlet blood gradually flooded the entire courtyard until he was awakened from his dream.

The shocked little Randolph didn't know how he was sent back to prison. He didn't eat anything all day, nor did he drink a sip of water. The old man just watched coldly. If Little Randolph died of hunger strike because of sadness of his mother, it would be his own fate. But after a day and a night, Little Randolph quickly became stronger. He turned hatred into a desire to survive. The old man quietly called Little Randolph late one night when the time was right.

"Boy, listen, although this place looks extremely strict on the surface, I know a shortcut to escape, that is, I don't know if you have the courage." The weird old man asked seriously.

"Yes." Little Randolph nodded and listened seriously.

"Very good, I tell you, there is a drainage hole under the corner of the wall. The hole is very small, but it's enough for a child like you to get in. They must have never thought you could escape from there. It's just that whether it's open to the place or not is entirely up to you. It depends on your own luck."

Little Randolph uncovered the messy straw and there was indeed a drainage outlet. Adults could not get into it anyway, but children could do nothing. He drilled in through the narrow drainage outlet. The drainage channel was left by a long time. It was very dirty and covered with slippery moss. However, Little Randolph didn't care about this. He only knew how to crawl forward with all his efforts.

When Srick came back to his memory, it was already bright. He had survived death but was caught by a slave trader who sold children. Fortunately, he was not sold to sea as slave labor, but was bought by Duke Han Ruowei and trained to become an assassin Nighthawk. Because he had practiced the things of the weird old man, Srick quickly excelled in the Nighthawk. Little Randolph also changed his name to Srick.

"Why did you think of such a long time?" Srick stood up and stretched his waist. Perhaps it was because he had brought memories in Sir York's dungeon, which made Srick's heart, who had learned to control his emotions, and sleeping in this peaceful castle of Mark, recalling the hatred of the family. Although he worked hard to do his best to the Duke Han Ruowei, he did not want to revenge the church through the Duke's authority, but over the years of observation, he had already understood that the weakness of the Duke's family was inevitable, and the center of gravity of the empire had shifted to the south.

In order to be crowned emperor, His Majesty the King had already thrown his arms to the church, and the Hanruowei family, whose power and status were far behind the royal family, had any power to fight against the church. But when Schwab, a strange nobleman, appeared in Srick's sight, he felt an unprecedented sense of novelty. Schwab's Mark Legion could be distinguished from other noble armies at a glance. The strange tactics and army organization foreshadowed a scene in a huge change, and Srick was already deeply attracted by it without realizing it.

"Master Srick, please invite him." When Srick fell into deep thought, a servant reported to him.

"Okay, I'll come right away." Srick put on a monotonous jacket and a wind bag, slowly walked out of the door and walked towards Schwab's room.

"Srick, you are here." Schwab sat behind his wooden table, reading Rupert's letter. In Hanruw Rupert's business was getting better and better, and the sales of Mark paper were getting bigger and bigger. The inflow of funds allowed Schwab to buy enough iron and leather. These essential materials in the war provided support for his recovery of Steding. However, Schwab knew that he had to know himself and his enemy about the situation in Stedingshire, so he called Srick, who was proficient in intelligence spy early in the morning.

"Sir, come to me." Srick stood respectfully in front of Schwab, looking at the young Count. His handsome face always had a confident smile, and he treated everyone kindly, without the arrogance of a nobleman at all.

"Yes, I want to know more about Stockingshire." Schwab was not polite to Srick. He was originally a servant sent by Princess Mary, who was equivalent to being given away. Schwab also completely regarded him as a entourage working around him, which was a manifestation of complete trust.

"Yes, Lord Earl, I think you must first establish good relations with the church in Stockingshire, especially the two local monasteries." Although Srick hated the church, he had to admit that the church was powerful, let alone the horse-riding monks wielding the hammerheads in the monasteries in Stockingshire.

"But how to win their favor?" Schwab asked.

“Often gifts of property and land are the most popular method, but you don’t have that much land gift.”

"Can they turn them to our side?" Schwab asked with a frown.

"No, that's enough to keep them neutral at most."

"Soon up."

"If the church is not involved, the process of taking back Stockingshire will be much easier. With your force, you can often defeat the local nobles, and then you believe that you can regain the dominance."

"Well, what you said makes sense." Schwab could understand that religion in this era occupied the entire life of people. The common people may not know who the king is, but they must know who the bishop of their own diocese. If they offend the church, they will offend the people of the entire society.

"By the way, there is another thing." When Srick finished speaking, he suddenly thought of something and turned around and said.

"What?"

"There are relics of a saint in the Monastery of Stockington, which is why the local monastery is powerful."

"What relic?" Schwab asked curiously. Although he had been in this era for a long time, he still had no idea about religion. In addition to occasionally praying like Sir Liugudi, he was just to be afraid that others would say he was a pagan.

"A piece of saint's skin is said to be a person who wipes it with that skin will never get leprosy." Srick smiled and said, in fact, he had long seen Schwab's neglect of religion, which is probably one of the reasons why Srick tends to Schwab.

"Is that true?" Schwab shuddered when he thought of touching himself with a piece of dead skin, but this religious sentiment gave him a hazy idea.

"Then let's go." Srick saw Schwab scratching his head and seemed to be thinking hard, so he quietly left, leaving only Schwab in the room thinking quietly.

"Oh, no, I have to go to Stockingshire in person." Schwab thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so he had to stop thinking. He stood up and walked to the window and looked out. Outside the castle, people were busy, and the soldiers of the Mark Legion had just finished their work. At this time, the sergeant led the following line through the city gate and walked into the castle. In the castle, Adele was wearing a royal blue dress he gave her, and picked flowers in the open space with several maids in carrying baskets. When Adele raised his head, he happened to see Schwab. The two looked at each other with their eyes. Schwab quickly withdrew his gaze and turned around and left the window.

"Miss Adele, what are you looking at?" The maid asked when she saw Adele raising her head and staring at the tower window.

"Ah, no, nothing. There is a pink flower there, look." Adele quickly diverted the maid's attention and shouted at a pink flower in the corner of the city wall.

"Yes, it's so beautiful. It would be very beautiful to make garlands with these small flowers. Adele, are you going to give the garlands to that lucky young man?" The maids asked with a smile. Since Adele, with a beautiful face, has been the goddess in the dreams of the Mark soldiers. When this winter festival comes, the girls can give the garlands they make with their own hands to the man they like. The Mark soldiers are eager to discuss who will get Adele's garlands.

"I'll know then." Adele said with a smile. After saying that, she quietly glanced at the castle tower, which happened to be Schwab's room window.

"Sir Earl, Count, this is the list of supplies to be prepared for the Winter Taming Festival. Please check it out." Old Lauke walked into Schwab's room and gently placed a piece of Mark paper full of words in front of Schwab. Schwab picked up it.

"Yes, I've prepared very well. This winter festival is my first festival since I inherited the Mark Castle. We must let everyone have a happy holiday." After reading it with satisfaction, Schwab picked up the red candle on the table, lit it with fire, let a large drop of wax juice drop on the end of the text, then raised the ring on his right hand and pressed it down, showing an eagle's coat of arms on the wax juice, which means that this list has been recognized by Schwab and has formal legal effect.

"Yes, Lord Earl, this is also the first festival after you won the title of Earl of Stocking, so we decided to have a very lively event." Old Lauke took the list and said respectfully to Schwab.

"Very good, I'll wait and see." Schwab could think of how happy people who have worked for a whole year are in this festival that is equivalent to the Spring Festival in the previous life. Since that's the case, I, Schwab, let everyone have a lively festival.
Chapter completed!