It's been almost two weeks since Celedora and her party started their journey, and they've been going well in Mastar. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoThis was different from what Cyodora expected, she thought that Sigrani would definitely send people to search for her, so Fiona even planned various escape routes and methods for her. As a result, none of these plans were used.

On this day, they entered the territory of the county of Palmeiras. Considering the imminent departure from the territory of Mastar into Iberia, Mazik decided to give everyone a day off.

It was not originally part of the Mastar Empire, but Sigrani took advantage of the Iberian civil strife to gain de facto control of the area. Although the Mastar fleet was nearly completely wiped out by the Zigna fleet on its way north to attack Valencia, they were able to control the five counties of southern Iberia at the end of the Seven Years of the Iberian Rebellion. At the time of the peace treaty with the Grant dynasty in present-day Iberia, Sigrani returned two of the counties, and three other counties, Palmeiras, Cruzeiro and Rosario, were added to the Mastar.

Because it was a new territory, and the Mastar people had seen the strength of the new masters of Debans later in the war, a large number of troops of the Eastern Army were stationed in each of the three new counties. Due to the supply of the army, and Sigrani implemented a more liberal tax policy for the three places. As a result, during these years, the local population profited financially and gradually recognized the rule of Empress Mastar.

The ladies of course decided to go to Palmeiras together, and Mazik took this into account and wrote them a list of purchases. Fiore wanted to accompany him, but his sister and Theodora unanimously rejected his offer. This made him a little frustrated, and Lan Feng learned that he didn't need to serve himself after asking, but he didn't care. Mazik would not mingle with them, and he had already informed the congregation that he was going to do some personal business and was away for a long time.

There aren't many things to buy, mainly small things like salt that are difficult to replenish halfway. It didn't take long for the three of them to finish shopping for the items on the list. The girls used the rest of the money to buy a large bag of preserves, found a quiet tavern by the market, sat down and began to enjoy a rest.

"I didn't think it would be tiring to travel like this." Cyodora slipped a candied fruit into her mouth and sighed.

"You've been out too little for you, and Estella and I have no problem at all." Fiona laughed.

"Ha, you have an elder brother, and a Lan Feng who wants to repay the grace of saving his life, with these two flower messengers here, can you still be tired of your Miss Hayes?" Saildora shot back unceremoniously.

"Haven't you been taken care of by that Farency mercenary all the time?"

"That's also called care, he is deliberately looking for my fault. I know, people like him feel uncomfortable with people of status, and they always want to find an opportunity to show me some color. ”

"Speaking of which, that Falenci is employed by Mr. Lan Feng, so he doesn't need to talk to you at all." Estella interjected.

"I'll just say it's because he doesn't like me."

"You're a complete amateur in the wilderness, and you should feel lucky to have someone who will guide you. Speaking of which, the Falencian had an amiable attitude compared to the Templar instructors. Estella took a sip of cider.

"The Templars have a good attitude."

"That's because you're a princess and I'm a commoner."

"Alright, alright, the food is finished, the money is gone, let's go back." Fiona emptied the empty sack and said to her two companions.

Generally speaking, beauties of their calibre, if they are not accompanied by men, are likely to get into trouble outside. Sure enough, as soon as she walked out of the door of the tavern, the third girl ran into someone who came up to talk to her. The non-commissioned officers of the local garrison often had the opportunity to come to the city to have fun, because they had plenty of money and were not stingy, so the locals also turned a blind eye to this.

We will not repeat the third-rate pick-up lines, it is obvious that this group of non-commissioned officers of the Eastern Army lacks enough eyesight, and they do not see that the identity of the other party is mostly unusual. After being categorically rejected by Saildora, the non-commissioned officers were naturally ready to forcibly take the three women away. So, for the purpose of self-defense, the two sides began to move.

Both Cyodora and Estella were formally trained as knights, and they certainly knew how to fight with hand-to-hand. The sergeants suffered a great loss at the hands of the two girls, and the first three to pounce were all neatly put to the ground. But they were outnumbered, and they quickly recovered from the initial shock, knowing that if their side continued to attack, the two girls would be defeated by them sooner or later.

Fiona is a non-combat-ready personnel, so she can only hide to the side to avoid injury. The sergeant's attention was all on the two capable of fighting, but they completely ignored her. Cyodora and Estella are in surprisingly good shape, and even though it's their first street fight, the two girls seem to be having complete fun. Especially Saildora, the people who usually do her sparring have some reservations about her, and it is impossible to attack with all her strength. And these sergeants have no scruples at all, and as the battle deepens, they have completely forgotten their original intentions, and they only want to beat the two arrogant women in front of them. Perhaps, Cyodora's talent for group fights is genetic.

As a blacksmith, Estella's strength and endurance naturally don't have to worry, and she easily throws her opponent to the ground. This made her opponent a little jealous of her, so she focused her attacks more on Theodora. At this time, someone finally drew his sword because he couldn't take advantage of it with his bare hands, and this person happened to be attacking from the blind spot of Cyodora's sight. Fiona cried out when she saw this.

"Theodora, be careful!"

As soon as Cyodora turned around, she could only see a cold light rushing towards her, and she had no possibility of dodging or parrying. Just after she reflexively raised her hand to resist, the expected pain did not come. She looked up and saw Fiona standing there with her mouth covered in surprise, her expression of happiness for the rest of her life.

"It seems that the knight of Mastar did not teach you to keep an eye on your back at all times." Mazik said, and with a force on his wrist, the sneak attacker let out a scream, muffling the sound of the sword falling to the ground. "Alright, ladies, it's time for us to retreat. Well, it looks like they shouldn't be able to catch up with us. The Pharians said as they looked at the non-commissioned officers of the Eastern Army, who were already lying on their stomachs.

When Fiore saw his sister and the other three scurrying into the inn, he knew they were in trouble again.

"Hurry up and pack our things, let's get out of here at once." Young Master Hayes made a decision immediately.

After a burst of chickens and dogs, the group took all the soft and went directly to the city gate. Thankfully, it seems that the matter has not been made into a big situation, and no additional soldiers have been sent at the city gate to investigate. Princess Mastar, led a group of people, rushed out of the city gate in a panic, causing everyone on the road to turn on their backs, and there was inevitably a burst of shouting and scolding.

And at this moment, in the office of the county guard, the military governor of Palmeiras was smiling at the man who had come from Shurasa.

"Her Royal Highness Princess Theodora is really full of energy." This is what the bureaucrat of the Eastern Army said.

"Fortunately, I didn't hurt Your Highness, please pay attention to your military discipline in the future."

"Yes, yes, the subordinate must be more strict with his subordinates, those guys who work with His Highness, I have already ordered the military law to deal with them."

"Hit a few sticks and close it for two days." Michelle said, "Then, I will take my leave first, and I will catch up to protect the safety of His Highness." ”

"Walk slowly, walk slowly, the official is not well entertained."

Michelle walked out of the office, and the rest of the Praetorian Guards were already waiting outside. He waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately took the order to set off to track down Theodora and the others. Michelle walked behind alone and smiled bitterly, His Royal Highness Sailor is too capable of causing trouble, and he doesn't know how much trouble he has to clean up for her along the way. The authority of the empress can be used in the territory of Mastar, and when it comes to Iberia, it will be a headache.

However, the parties concerned are completely unable to understand the troubles of the eldest son of the Lance family. Although I am grateful for being rescued by Mazik, it is difficult to put down a princess and thank a mercenary, especially someone with the character of Cyodora. Mazik didn't show that he cared much about this, which made Seodora uncomfortable.

The rest of the journey is inevitably when you have to camp outside. Due to the war, the rural areas of southern Iberia have not yet fully recovered, so the road is sparsely populated. Run-and-run villages are a common sight, but these places at least provide shelter from the elements, rather than sleeping in the wilderness.

In the evening of the second day after entering Iberian territory, the group settled in such a small village.

"Lan Feng and I are going to find a water source, and your husband will build a fire and roast the dry food to eat." Mazik instructed the others.

"Go ahead, I'll take care of them." Fiore replied.

Lan Feng and Mazik then left the house with a few water bladders, and the girls sat down to make a fire, while Fiore went out to search for firewood.

After a lot of effort, Theodora finally lit the fire. She's not very proficient in these techniques yet, but she's a lot better than when she first set out. After a day's walking, the three girls were already hungry. They immediately took out the dry food and dried meat, roasted them on the fire, and prepared a full meal.

The smell of coarse tea and light rice may make people scoff at ordinary times, but if a person has been tormented by hunger for a day or two, it is simply a smell that can be compared to the best delicacies in the world. As soon as Fiona had taken off a piece of baked bread, a gentleman crawled in through a hole in the earthen wall behind her. This startled Miss Hayes, but compared to the fright she received along the way, it was something that could be brushed off.

"Who are you?" Cerodora had already drawn his sword and pointed it at the man's nose.

The man swallowed his saliva and looked at the bread in Fiona's hand, and raised his hand to block the blade of Cyodora's sword, "Please don't get excited, I'm just a hungry traveler, I just want to come over and share the food with a few young ladies, there are no other bad intentions, really." ”

"Why should we trust you?" Sailor Dora was unceremonious.

"Well......" The man was about to explain, when there was a noise in his stomach.

"I think this should prove something, how long have you been hungry?" Fiona asked, crouching down next to the man.

"Two days, two whole days, since I was separated from my students."

"So, you can take this and eat it first." Fiona handed the bread to the other party.

"Fiona!" Theodora cried.

"Well, well, what's the matter, if he dares to act rashly, you can stab him to death with a sword." Estella said, "By the way, sir, I don't know what to call you?" ”

"Just call me Penns." The man replied vaguely as he gobbled down the bread.

"And Mr. Pennes, if I don't give you this bread, will you starve to death?" Fiona asked.

"That's for sure."

"So, I'm saving your life?"

"Needless to say."

"Very well, I hope you are a kind person." Fiona laughed, "I've heard that there is a great poet who has always been admired by the Phalens, also named Peines, I wonder if it's Your Excellency?" ”

"This young lady is really well-informed, I didn't expect my reputation to reach your ears." The man who called himself Paynes triumphed.

"I heard that you have been sponsored by some wealthy people in Farency, so you must not be shabby when you go out to travel, right?" Fiona continued. When Estella heard this, she had a look of "finally getting to the point".

"Of course, but I've never been very sensitive to money, and all the money is on my students." Paynes had finished the bread and was fixed on the jerky.

"Hey, hey, Fiona, what the hell are you trying to do?" Cerodora asked, dragging Miss Hayes aside.

"It's nothing, it's just that I'm too tired to walk, and I hope I can hire a carriage."

"I am sure that after finding his student, Mr. Paynes will repay us greatly. Do you say yes, Dear Mr. Paynes? Fiona smiled and said to the poet as he began to bite the jerky.

"Ah, definitely."

"Hey, what if he lies?" Cyodora asked.

"Then let him carry the luggage for us to repay the favor of a meal." Fiona replied quietly.

Just after Miss Hayes had decided the fate of the man who called herself Paynes, the men returned from outside. And it was not three people who walked into the room, but four, that is, one more gentleman.

As soon as the stranger entered the door, he let out an exclamation, "Oh my God, teacher, I finally found you!" ”

The man, who must have been confirmed to be Paynes, still had jerky in his mouth, and he jumped up with excitement at the moment - it seemed that the diet had regained some strength for him.

"Roland, it's great to be able to see you again." The teacher and student hugged each other excitedly.

"It's really touching," Lan Feng sighed, "By the way, how could this gentleman's teacher be with you?" ”

"Well, that's a long story." Estella replied.

"Thank you so much for your help, otherwise I would have left the teacher here, and I would not have been able to explain it to Principal Rabelais and the others when I went back. Please accept my sincerest gratitude. Roland bowed to the crowd.

So, everyone decided to sit down and explain everything, anyway, there was still some time before bedtime. Lan Feng and Mazik picked some mushrooms by the way while fetching water, and they set up a small pot to stew the dried meat with these mushrooms.

Pens took his only introductory disciple, Roland, a great poet who, though brilliant, like many talented artists, was not good at taking care of his own life. Therefore, Roland, a student, not only had to assist his mentor in creation, but also take care of him in life. Shortly after they entered Iberian territory from Mastar, the two men were separated on the journey. The reason is not too complicated, it is simply because Paynes is lost alone. For two days without contact, Roland had been searching for his teacher in the vicinity, and he was anxious about all the money and supplies for his travels. As a result, when the search was fruitless and he was sad alone by the river, he ran into Lan Feng and Mazik, who were fetching water. Lan Feng suggested that he go back with him, and then let everyone help him find it. Who knows, it was such a coincidence, and Peines, who had been hungry for two days, relied on the survival instinct of animals to find the camp of Cyodora and others.

Later, everyone introduced themselves to Penns's master and apprentice, and except for Theodora, whose identity was kept secret, the rest of the people told the truth.

Peines was very happy to meet this group of young people, partly because of course there were many beautiful women, and on the other hand, he had heard that Lan Feng was not from the known world of this continent. Out of the reserve of the elders, he was still embarrassed to talk to a few young ladies, so he focused more curiosity on Lan Feng.

"Mr. Lan Feng, tell me about your situation there, for example, from the perspective of my profession, what are your poets and poems like?" Penns asked.

"Poetry?" Lan Feng put down something he was knitting in his hand, "In my hometown, poetry is a very important thing. In other words, you may not understand how important poetry is to us. In my homeland, if a person does not know how to write poetry, he cannot be called a truly learned person. There was once a sage in our country who sorted out all kinds of poems that have been handed down since ancient times, and selected the best parts to compile a collection of poems. He himself persuaded his students that they would not be able to speak decently without studying this collection of poems carefully. ”

Pennes let out a sigh of admiration, apparently agreeing with the sage.

"Our poets were highly respected, and the emperors loved to write great poems, for which they often rewarded them, sometimes in the form of money, sometimes in the form of official positions or fiefdoms. All in all, our emperors attached great importance to scholarship, and they always claimed to be the leaders and protectors of academia. Without this, it is impossible to prove that he is a brilliant emperor. So they often try to write poetry, and of course they know that they can't compare to the really good poets, but they are still keen to prove themselves in academia by writing poetry. ”

"What kind of country would this be!" Paynes and Roland marveled at the same time.

"If I have the chance, I will definitely visit your country." Peines said to Lan Feng.

"Lan Feng, come and recite a poem of yours to us, whatever you want." Fiona suggested.

"Okay."

Lan Feng said, and began to recite the ancient poem. His voice melodies with the rhythm of the poem, and although Peines does not understand the language of the East, he can feel the ubiquitous charm of poetry from Lan Feng's recitation. Fiore watched as his sister hugged her knees, resting her head on her lap, and looked intently at Lan Feng's face illuminated by the firelight.

“…… The road is far away to be difficult, referring to the West Sea.

The morning starts in Tianjin, and the evening reaches the west pole.

Emperor Zhihe was playful, and suddenly came to his old hometown.

The servant is sad and sorrowful, and he can't do it......"

"What does this poem mean?" Fiona asked later.

"It's about a traveler who misses his hometown during his travels."