William Grant and his men traveled day and night, and in order to be able to hide from the public, they deliberately chose a route that seemed to be a bit of a detour. Pen %Fun %Pavilion www.biquge.info He doesn't like anything extraneous to happen on the road. Today, they were only half a day's way away from Valencia, and William promised his men that they would first be given a cool bath when they arrived in the city.

As they were making their way down the road, the current Pathfinder came back to report that something was going on.

"What's going on, Subisareta?"

"Lord Grant, there's a little bit of a situation up ahead."

"Oh? Could it be a trap or an ambush? ”

"I don't know, a group of people who look like farmers have besieged a carriage, and the besieged man seems to be a nobleman."

William cupped his chin and looked down in thought for a moment.

"Subisareta!"

"Here I am, my lord."

"Organize the boys, and after almost a week's drive, they're all tired of it. Tell them to make a real charge now. We're going to get the trapped people out. William ordered.

"Yes, my lord." Subisareta bowed, and turned to call out to the knights who were resting one by one, as if they had conveyed the Count's orders. The young and vigorous knights immediately came to their senses, and someone pulled out their matching swords with a "sigh".

Leaving 10 men to guard the Count, Subisareta divided the rest of the men into 2 teams, the first of 30 men to rush through from the front to break up the besieging crowd and drive them away. The second team of 10 men had to go around to the front of the carriage so that it could be stopped in case of an unforeseen situation.

"Lads, draw out all your matching swords, lift them up, lift them high! Clear your voice. We're not going to kill people, we're going to save people, and the opponent is just a rabble. Just scare them away, so I don't have to give the order to raise your sword high and not fall, understand? Subisareta instructed his subordinates, "If anyone violates the order, I will act according to military law, this is not a joke." I don't want to cause us unnecessary casualties because someone is trying to be happy and heroic, you know? ”

"Got it!" The knights replied in unison.

As the mob besieging Baron Mendes and his party were about to rush forward, and the Baron and his men were being forced to stiffen by the danger before them, a surprising sound of horses' hooves burst into their ears. A few thugs turned their heads to watch, and immediately spotted what they saw as a group of heavily armed knights rushing towards them. The sword in the knight's hand glowed in the midday sun, making it impossible to look at it. And these charging knights let out a thunderous shout of killing, which made these farmers completely stunned.

"Run!" I don't know who shouted such a sentence, which not only cleared the farmers' minds, but also caused their morale to collapse at once.

At this time, the second group of centaurs who made the detour also rushed out from the front, and the knights on the horses brandished their swords and shouted vigorously: "You are surrounded! "Rush! Kill! Such words. The thugs, who were completely panicked, suddenly realized that they were nothing more than farmers, and they all crawled in the direction they had come.

Watching the thugs besieging him disperse in a hurry, Baron Mendes couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He put his thin sword back into its scabbard and ordered his men to lift the wounded Takeben out from under the car.

"Albert, are we saved?" Lucia leaned out of the carriage.

"Yes, Lucia, our siege is over. We're lucky, we don't know which lord and his retainers it is. Baron Mendes replied.

It was at this time that Lucia saw a middle-aged knight riding towards them. When the knight came before them, he turned over and dismounted, and bowed humbly to himself and to the baron.

"I hope our actions didn't cause you any trouble." The middle-aged knight said. Lucia only saw the appearance of the visitor clearly at this time, a very ordinary Chinese face, with a high nose bridge and cheekbones that made him look a little thin. However, this thinning does not make people feel that he lacks health, but shows his seriousness and ability. All in all, this is a completely different kind of man than Andrew. Lucia finally concluded.

"No, not at all, we need to be a little higher to help us out." Baron Mendes replied.

"So, are there any horses to lose, or anything else that needs to be reinforced?" The other party asked carefully.

"Well," replied the baron, after a moment's thought, "maybe we need some bandages, because one of them is injured." ”

"No problem at all, we happen to have quite a few." The other party immediately called a knight, gave a few orders, and after a while, the other party sent a large bag of bandages.

"Thank you so much, please ask where you are from, and I would like to come to thank you in person later. Ah, I forgot to mention that below is Albert de Mendez, whose family has always lived in Valencia. ”

"It's just a gesture, you don't need to worry about it, any moral person will help when he sees what has just happened, not to mention a lady who is in danger. So, if there's nothing else I need help with, I'll just leave. The middle-aged knight saluted them again with a humble salute.

"Wait a minute!" Lucia spoke up.

"Does this young lady have any other orders?" The knight, who had just turned around, looked back again, "If you're still worried about those people coming back, don't worry, I'll leave some people to keep watch at a distance from you." And those farmers may be half exhausted from running away, and they should not have the energy to commit any more. ”

"No," Lucia was secretly happy to be addressed as "Miss," "I just wanted to ask for your name." ”

"I'm just a nobody, and it's not worth remembering Miss, so I'll leave here, and I wish you all the best for the rest of your journey." The knight only smiled, did not answer the question, saluted again, and then mounted his horse and left.

"Heh, there are not many knights who have such a chivalrous spirit nowadays, but are not stupid enough to challenge the windmills." Baron Mendes summed it up.

The wounded were then lifted into the carriage at Lucia's insistence, and the baron chose to sit with the coachman. The group continued so cautiously that it was already past lunchtime by the time they arrived in Valencia. The baron sent his men to eat, and the already hungry Takeben and the coachman hurried away with the wounded. Lucia and the Baron made their way to the duke's bedroom.

"Ah, madam, you're back, you haven't eaten yet, you must be hungry, I'll urge the kitchen to arrange lunch for you." The butler was overjoyed to see Lucia, even though he had known about it for a long time.

"Then I'll bother you." Lucia replied with a smile.

"How does the Duke have a good appetite for noon today?" The baron asked.

"The host has a good appetite today, and he has a good conversation with the guest who has come from afar."

"Has the guest arrived?"

"They arrived just before noon, and they had a meal together in the bedroom."

"Oh, that's great, I'm going to see them right away, you take care of Madame first, and leave me alone."

"Yes, Lord Baron." The butler humbly sent the baron away, "Madame, where would you like to dine?" ”

"I'm in the little hall at the edge of the garden, where it's coolest at this time."

"Do as you command." The butler then summoned the two maids and told them to serve Lucia to the small hall.

Lucia made her way to the small hall, one of her favorite places in the entire house. The floor-to-ceiling windows face due east, in the direction of the sea. In summer, the east wind brings cool air from the sea, passing through the gardens and cloisters, bringing a cosy comfort to this small room. For many of the past afternoons, Lucia had spent peacefully here.

No sooner had she sat down than the cooks showed up with plates. First of all, the tomato soup, which has long been lukewarm, is appetizing, the main course is conch meat and shrimp served in lettuce leaves, and the dim sum is fish jelly pudding that melts in your mouth. When she's done with it all, instead of fruit is a glass of chilled lemon juice.

The maids then brought her a chaise longue and a book, which she was supposed to lie down to read for a while, as was her custom. Today, however, the content has changed. Lucia saw a somewhat familiar figure, and she told the maid to go and bring the gentleman who was walking in the garden.

It wasn't until the man followed the maid to her that Lucia was sure she wasn't dazzled. The person in front of him was the middle-aged knight who led a group of knights to save him in the morning.

"I thought I shouldn't be dazzled, so I took the liberty of inviting you over."

"It's an honor to see you again...... Madam. The other party hesitated for a moment, choosing the word.

"Why did you come here? By the way, I haven't asked for your name yet. ”

"Sal Subisareta, willing to serve you, ma'am." Subisareta humbly owes herself.

"Please don't be polite, I also want to thank you for your timely rescue today. Say, how can I express my modest gratitude? ”

"If you really want to thank me, of course you should thank my lord, not me, the specific executor, ma'am."

"Your father-in-law?"

"I am a subordinate of Lord William Grant, and I follow his orders."

"I see." Lucia got up and said, "Then Mr. Subisareta, can you take me for a walk in the garden so that I can hear your story?" ”

"If it's just around here," Subisareta looked around, "I'm willing to serve." ”

Only then did Lucia notice that the balcony of her father-in-law's bedroom was on the second floor, which was quite close to here, and if she was a strong person, she could quickly climb from the flower stand on the side to the balcony. In other words, Subisareta was not just here for a walk.

"I'm not going to trouble you, am I?"

"No, as I said earlier, it won't cause me trouble if it's in the vicinity."

"I think it's better to sit next to me and tell us interesting things about what you've experienced."

"Well, then, I'll talk to you."

On the second floor of the same house, three nobles were discussing various political matters.

"What do you say? You even refuse such a thing?! Baron Mendes' voice unconsciously rose high, for he had just heard a very incredulous answer from the man named William Grant. Even those who theorize that "human nature is inherently good" are likely to utter similar exclamations at this time.

William smiled there: "My dear Lord Baron, you heard me right, and I'm clear-headed, so you don't have to make such a fuss. ”

"Hehe, Albert, as you told me before, this guest of ours is really different." Duke Carreras, who was lying on the bed, also laughed.

"Well, then, I will solemnly declare once more: I have no intention of marrying Madame Lucia and taking the surname of the Carreras family, and becoming the successor of Valencia and Almeria."

"Why? There has to be a reason. The baron asked.

"Reason? There are so many. First, unfortunately, I am already engaged, and I had the privilege of being betrothed to Miss Isabella of Wyvern Valley before leaving Osasuna. Second, even though I was not engaged, Lady Lucia and I did not know each other, and I thought it would be unfair and impersonal for a lady who had just lost her beloved to marry in a hurry. Thirdly, and most importantly, I am honored to be able to entrust me with this responsibility. I did not come here to the detriment of the Iberian nobility, nor to break with the traditions of the nobility. On the contrary, I am here to protect the order that should be respected in the first place. ”

William continued: "As for the important task entrusted to me by the Duke, of course I will not shirk it. Draw up a document to entrust to me for the time being the military regimes of Valencia and Almería, to be supervised by the noble senators of the two places, and to make it known to the world, and to petition His Majesty Ofrite for approval until peace is restored. During this time, the Carreras family can take the opportunity to find and cultivate a more suitable heir. This period lasts for two to three years at most. What does the Duke think? ”

"I think we can try this model." The Duke replied with interest.

"Then let the best legal scholars in Valencia draft this document." William suggested.

"So, Lord Grant, if I delegate power to you, how are you going to weave a safe net for Valencia?"

"With all due respect, first of all, Lady Lucia's maiden family is related to La Seria's Calderón, and this is a condition that we can take advantage of to form a defensive alliance with La Celia. Secondly, Salia's Alves house has been being harassed by Leida and Gijón, and we can bring them in as well. In this way, we gather the strength of the four counties, enough to give us three points in any way. ”

"Well, if this plan can be realized, it will indeed put us in a relatively safe position." Duke Carreras said, touching his beard.

"Well, I'm going to take my leave for the time being. Please think about it, Lord Duke. ”

After sending William out of the door, and hearing his voice coming downstairs, the Duke spoke: "Albert, you have attracted a rather dangerous person this time. ”

"Lord Duke......" Baron Mendes bowed his head.

"This man's ambitions don't end in a big territory like Valencia, and he is much more ambitious than I had previously estimated. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's like asking me to invest in a merchant ship that is bigger than an ordinary merchant ship, which may make me a lot of money, or it may make me lose all my money. ”

"What do you say?"

"If the matter were to be entrusted to the Earl of Grant, the Duke of Valencia would either become second only to the royal family for the next 100 years, or he would eventually be torn to pieces by the long-coveted jackals everywhere. Albert, you've seen this for a long time. ”

"Lord Duke......"

"At least, though, I can rest assured that Count Grant doesn't have that kind of ambition for Valencia. Whether we will be the beautiful decorations in his crown or the burial objects of his ambitions, it is no longer something I can see. So, I can only believe that you are not mistaken, Lord Suarez is not mistaken, and the Earl of Wyvern Valley is not mistaken. ”

"Lord Duke......"

"I'm tired, you go down." The Duke closed his eyes and waved his hand.

When William came out, Subisareta was already waiting downstairs.

"How's it going, Lord Grant?"

"I'm afraid Duke Carreras has seen me from head to toe, and I can feel that he is the kind of old and spicy person who sits firmly in the Diaoyutai."

"Will we go back in vain?"

"Not necessarily." William glanced at his old subordinate narrowly, "By the way, who is that beautiful lady in the afternoon?" ”

"Huh?"

"I saw it all upstairs, and you were with a beautiful lady all afternoon."

"That's Lady Lucia."

"It turned out to be her, and she really lived up to her reputation." As he spoke, the two men who had reached the gate turned over and got on their horses.

On July 20, 349 A.D., the Duke of Valencia announced the appointment of William Grant, Earl of Osasuna, as his sole proprietorship for a period of three years. For a moment, both Debens and Numancia felt the need to adjust their strategies.