The old fellow didn't say anything, just shook his head, and said nothing, he was going to avoid my questioning, and I probably went too far, and grabbed his sore spots, so that not only would I not get the answer I wanted, but it would make him more miserable and disgusted with me.

I didn't press any further, and the brief conversation ended hastily and in an awkward manner, and the carriage went on and soon entered the primeval forest.

Such forests were common in this era, and they happened to be wilderness, and it was like a huge hunting ground, and the bloodthirsty hunters seemed to hide in the vast shrubs. The tall trees quickly block out the sunlight, and the road beneath your feet becomes very difficult to navigate. The team slowed down and sat in the carriage, and the oppressive atmosphere around me was really uncomfortable. I looked around, my palms pressed tightly against the hilt of my sword, so that I could draw my sword and enter the fighting state at any moment.

The march was slow, and the rustle of the bushes carried by the advance of the soldiers alarmed the birds of the jungle, which chirped in the branches and watched alertly at us "invaders".

This time, instead of being as reckless as I had been, I saw dozens of horseback scouts running from behind me, wearing woollen hats and long-sleeved, loose-fitting robes. With a sword at his waist and a horn in his left hand, he could blow it in time in case of an emergency, so that the team advancing in the middle would be alerted as soon as possible. They scattered their horses into the jungle and soon disappeared into the tall bushes.

"I hope they're okay."

Looking at the branches of the bushes that were still shaking slightly after they were gone, what I didn't expect was that it was the old coachman who said this. He just glanced at them, and then turned his head, his eyes full of indescribable expressions, which were unpredictable.

"You must have something on your mind."

I said to him, "You are afraid that there are Burgundian ambushes in this bush, and that they will not return." ”

"It's a dangerous errand, isn't it, my lord?" The old coachman looked at me, and managed to squeeze an unnatural smile out of his face, but it was not funny at all.

"This in itself is their errand, and if they give a precious warning with their lives, then we will be prepared in time to prevent more people from dying in a sneak attack."

I explained to him the role of scouts, and in my opinion scouts were very honorable, and although they did not have strong armor and swords, they did the most dangerous work, and they had to be awe-inspiring.

"Oh, that's just your opinion, my lord."

The old coachman didn't seem to agree with me, he squinted his eyes and glanced at the bushes around him, I think he was making sure that the young children were still alive.

Perhaps my words piqued his interest, but the old fellow leaned against the hard plank behind him, took out the small kettle that he had placed beside him, and very politely signaled to me that he would like to share it with me.

"Taste it, my own wine."

Although his tone and old horse teeth gave me a very uncomfortable impression, out of politeness and curiosity, I took the little pot, opened my mouth, and poured it up.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem......"

I almost spat out more than half of that sip of wine, for it tasted like swill, and if I had to describe it, I think it would be in the old coachman's mouth. There's no way to describe what disgusting taste is in my mouth right now, and I refuse to call it wine anyway.

"How?" The old coachman saw my embarrassment, and he was not afraid that I would be furious about it, but laughed heartlessly, which made Andrew beside me even more confused. I quickly took out the kettle I hung around my waist, took a few sips and rinsed and spit it out, the smell was really not flattering. I don't know if this old guy is deliberately trying to fix me or if he's really good at it?

The old fellow took the flask and laughed, and took a big sip at me, and to my surprise, he looked like he was tasting tea after drinking such a disgusting thing, and (although there is no such tall thing as tea now) put down the flask, and then he slowly spoke.

"My lord," he breathed a sigh of relief, and I pulled up my cloak over my nose and mouth. I heard him continue: "Don't you know, the wine I make is very unfriendly because of the taste, so I am the only one who can drink it." ”

"Ha, then your brewing skills must be very inadequate!"

I laughed at him and taunted him because he was the worst winemaker I've ever met.

"No, it's not as bad as you think." The old coachman shook his head like a rattle, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "You may not believe it, but I used to be the best winemaker in Worms. ”

"It must have been a long time ago!"

"Yes, it's been so long before the Burgundians came, and I saw Stirico in the streets, when he was on his way to negotiate with the Franks."

"That's a long time ago." I'm on my side, Stilico, the legendary general of the Empire before it was divided, Prince of the Vandals, who witnessed the reunification of the Empire and its re-division. Ironically, it was this Vandal prince who nearly slaughtered his people. I guess he had Rome on his mind, and although it was a fatal scandal, it didn't affect his high status in my heart in the slightest.

"Stilicko drank the wine I brewed, and I was not yet an adult, and the Huns behind him, the short, horse-mounted fellows."

The old guy began to think about it again, and really didn't expect him to have such a glorious and proud history.

"That's what your wine tasted like at the time?" I asked him.

"No, no, no, no." The old coachman shook his head again and continued, "I make very sweet wine, because it's not like those who think they are civilized and add water to it, my God, what kind of wine is that?" He said, taking another sip.

"Just a few years after I learned that General Stilicus had gone to heaven, I married my wife, who was a famous beauty in the city, for winemaking!" As he spoke, the old coachman laughed, and it was a very beautiful smile, not at all pretentious in the face of me, but a heartfelt, happy smile. But the smile lasted only a few seconds before it was withdrawn, and the old coachman continued: "My wife and I soon had a child, and I was very happy to see him grow up day by day, but gradually the barbarians came and cut off the caravan, so that without grapes, without grapes, I could not make wine. I had to work for the nobles in the city, so. "He showed me his right hand again. Then he said: "I wished they were all dead, and just a few years ago, the Burgundians came, and they slaughtered them all in a cruel way, and I could not be happy to be free. ”

I listened quietly.

"Later, the Burgundians occupied Ludinand, and because they needed soldiers, they went out into the city to capture adult children and train them to become warriors, and my children were among them." As if evoking painful memories, a cloudy tear flowed from the corner of the old man's eye: "These barbarians are warriors, they don't care about men and women, my children, and his favorite girl, Hannah. ”

"Hannah!"

I almost screamed at the name, but I held back, I didn't dare to say anything. In my eyes, I felt as if I had gone back to that night, the poor woman, and I had cut her hamstrings with my iron sword, forcing her to kneel before me, and then I saw her tears, probably because of the pain.

"I hope it's not her, of course it's him!"

"Hannah!"

The man was screaming, followed by utter rage and loss of mind, and he lunged at me, only to be pierced by Andrew's flag. I almost forgot the look he looked at before he died, but why did I remember the details of killing him and her so clearly?

"Huh? What's wrong with you, my lord? "The old man sensed that I was dodging, so he asked me.

"Oh, nothing." I smiled, quickly pressed my hand on my chest, and looked back at Andrew, he was just listening carefully, I'm afraid he had forgotten the killing at that time, I quickly explained to the old man: "The wound in my chest hurts again, it's just a labor pain, it's not in the way, let's continue!" ”

"Oh." The old man nodded, then said, "I know he's dead, in Ludinand." ”

"Ludinand?"

"Yes, I don't know exactly where he died, only that none of the people who went to Ludinan came back, including that Hannah."