When Knight Frederick rode his warhorse and followed Su Li away from the military camp, the knights gathered around the gambling table suddenly exploded into an uproar.
"I must have been kicked in the head and dazed by the filthy boots covered in horse dung of a hoof repairman when I got up this morning. What did I just see? Knight Frederick followed Su Li out?"
"By the Divine Spirit! Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Could it be that Young Master Suli is wagering ten Gold Coins because he's confident about something?"
"Nonsense! Impossible! How could a waste like him truly attract an elite knight? Would a lion running across the plains let a wild dog ride on its back?"
"That's right, haven't you heard? A woman once protected by a lion would never fancy a wild dog!"
"But Knight Frederick is not a woman. Aren't you going too far by describing Young Master Suli like that? And what about Count Suna?"
The area around the gambling table suddenly fell silent, everyone shrank their heads and avoided the topic, each knowing not to provoke such issues and wisely choosing to remain silent.
However, a few intrigued individuals and gambling dogs still gritted their teeth and quietly placed two Gold Coins on the column with the highest odds on the table.
Su Li, of course, was oblivious to what was happening behind him. After leaving the camp, he went straight to the town notice board with Knight Frederick.
This notice board was the vital information display center of the town. Not only did the rulers post government matters through the civil servants here, but important recruitment and bounty information from the Thieves' Guild, and key trade route announcements from the commerce guild would also be posted. After all, this world was far from peaceful; outside the town was an abundance of marauders, horse thieves, beastman, and beastmen war gangs. Therefore, merchants traveling for trade often formed large caravans with a multitude of travelers, taking care of each other against threats in the wild.
Today, a large number of people had gathered in front of the notice board because a bounty from the Belarde Commerce Guild was posted there.
[Just this morning, a group of vile thieves stole a batch of valuable pottery from the guild. Such a large consignment couldn't have been moved out of town silently. If anyone can report or expose the location of these stolen goods, please contact Knight Felix at the Golden Grain Tavern in Kumu Village. The guild will reward those providing information with 30 Gold Coins.]
This generous bounty had everyone talking about it. What kind of valuable pottery could be worth 30 Gold Coins? There must be some hidden story here.
30 Gold Coins was not a trivial amount; it was enough to support a common household comfortably for many years.
But this was not something Su Li had the leisure to pay attention to at the moment. He took out 3 Silver Coins in front of the crowd and said loudly, "Who can tell me where the free man Gegil is in the town? These three Silver Coins will be awarded to them."
The town's population wasn't vast, and with Gegil having a pretty wife, many people knew him.
Immediately, a leather craftsman wearing rain boots stood up and said, "I just saw him sneaking around near the threshing ground to the east of the town, the one with the windmill."
"Hahaha, old leather, the time you mentioned is too early! I just saw him walking over from that direction; he should be in the crowd."
What a coincidence? The crowd suddenly buzzed, and everyone looked around.
3 Silver Coins was already several days' wages for an ordinary craftsman or farmer.
"Wow, honorable Knight Lord, I've caught Gegil." In less than three seconds, a plump baker wearing an apron stepped out from the crowd, his right hand firmly gripping a swarthy, robust man.
Su Li glanced at Reve, and she immediately rushed forward, delivering a heavy punch to Gegil's abdomen. The seemingly burly and aggressive man instantly curled up like a prawn hit in a painful bend, crouching to the ground, face contorted, unable to utter a word.
No matter if it's an Apprentice Knight, there's still an insurmountable gap between knights and commoners. Reve, despite her youthful appearance and voluptuous build, can knock down a strong adult man with just one punch. Therefore, serfs in this world simply couldn't resist the rule of the Knight Lords.
Once Reve dragged Gegil out of the crowd by the back of his collar, Su Li smiled and tossed three Silver Coins to the baker: "This is your reward."
The baker hastily extended both hands, catching the three glittering Silver Coins, bringing them to his mouth to gently bite, confirming their authenticity and value. Instantly, a bright smile spread across his face, grinning ear to ear: "Thank you, Knight Lord, bless your generosity~ May the Divine Spirit grant you longevity."
"What a fortunate guy." Envious and jealous murmurs echoed from the surrounding crowd.
Su Li nodded slightly, leading a few knights away from the densely crowded area. With two elite knights and three apprentice knights, who dared to question the removal of a free person?
Once outside the town, with no onlookers around, Su Li ordered Reve to tie Gegil to the trunk of a large tree in the wild.
Frederick was filled with questions: "What does a free man have to do with our trip? Are you wasting my time here?"
Su Li calmly pointed to the tied-up Gegil on the tree and said, "Why don't you ask him where your son Henry is and why he's appearing around the notice board?"
Frederick's brows furrowed as he lifted his whip and lashed it heavily on Gegil, the action of an elite knight instantly tore him apart: "Speak, what are you planning? Where is Henry?"
Gegil screamed as if his tail had been stepped on, not daring to hide anything and hurriedly said, "Henry, Henry is at the windmill in the threshing ground."
Frederick's eyebrows instantly knitted tightly together. Having experienced life, he knew well about the romances of nobles and knights.
For farmers, windmills and flour mills were places of work, but for nobles, they were places of romance~ It's said many knights enjoyed doing this and that with their lovers or noble ladies in windmills or flour mills.
Henry, as a knight, was not in the training camp training but appeared in a mill, which was enough to disgrace him!
Su Li calmly looked at Schwartz and said, "So could I ask Knight Schwartz to visit the mill and bring back the two individuals inside?"
Two individuals? Hearing Su Li's words, Frederick was already fuming with rage.
Schwartz, on the other hand, willingly bowed, responding, "Of course, happy to serve you, Young Master Suli."
Knight Schwartz, being an elite-level knight, moved quickly; it took him only a little over ten minutes to return, riding a warhorse, holding a disheveled man and woman in each hand, and dumping them in front of Knight Frederick.
Before Su Li could speak, Knight Frederick lifted his whip and lashed it down, immediately skinning both of them, who rolled on the ground wailing.
Su Li looked for a moment and couldn't help clicking his tongue. What a pity, such a pretty housewife ruined and disfigured just like that.
Though Henry was a lousy person, he had good taste. This free woman, Alisa, was extremely alluring, and her bosom, having borne a child, was even more impressive, with very fair skin, exuding a certain charm.