flstandardbreds Chapter 507: The Young Thieves
Chapter 507: The Young Thieves
In the summer of 1460, the capital of the Viceroyalty of the Southwest, Mont-de-Marsan, shone like a bright pearl in the southwest.
After careful construction by former Governor John, this city has become the most prosperous place in the southwest.
With the arrival of the Helderland Chamber of Commerce, the city has become more vibrant.
The Chamber of Commerce purchased a large amount of land and attracted a large influx of people from other places with its generous salaries and continuous expansion.
The huge population brought abundant demands for food, clothing, housing and transportation, and merchants from all over the country heard the news and gathered here.
It can be said that the arrival of the Helderland Chamber of Commerce marked the beginning of Mondmarsan’s prosperity.
In a slightly crowded grocery store, dim lights flickered on the walls.
The shelves are filled with a wide variety of goods, from daily groceries to exquisite jewelry. The owner stands behind the counter, examining a small gold-plated cross necklace.
The necklace glowed softly in the dim light, and the patterns of the cross were clearly visible.
The owner glanced at Jie Du across the counter, a look of scrutiny in his eyes.
He slowly opened his mouth and asked:
"The item is real, but considering your appearance, it's unlikely that you obtained it through legal means."
Jie Du crossed his arms and said nonchalantly:
"Uncle, you are being too nosy. I know this shop is used by Lord Kali's subordinates to sell stolen goods. Don't worry, this stuff is from outside."
The shop owner frowned and his face turned serious:
"You don't have the guts to steal here. Let me tell you, Mont-de-Marsan is different now. In addition to the city defense troops, there are Black Watch mercenaries and Lord Jacques' patrols everywhere. If you are caught, you will be sent to prison at best, or your hands will be chopped off at worst."
Jie Du curled his lips, spread his hands, and looked indifferent:
"Uncle, please don't scare me. I'm a local and I've heard of the reputation of the patrol team. I also know Master Jacques."
"Don't brag about it, kid."
The shop owner snorted and continued:
"You are unwilling to show your identity, so you cannot prove that you obtained this item legally. According to the rules, half of the owner's estimated price is used as a handling fee. Yours is gold-plated, not pure gold, so the price is probably around 1 gold coin, half of which is 50 silver coins."
The shop owner said as he took out a purse from under the counter and handed it to Jie Du.
The purse was heavy and gleamed with metallic luster in the candlelight.
Jie Du took the purse, opened it and saw that it was full of silver coins.
He weighed it in his hand and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Jie Du put the purse in his arms, stood up, and waved to the shop owner:
"Thank you, uncle. I'll come to you if I have any problems in the future."
The shop owner waved his hand and said unhappily:
"Hurry up and leave. Don't hang around here. If we're seen by the patrol, I'll be in trouble too."
Jie Du responded with a playful smile, turned around and walked out of the grocery store.
The door creaked shut, and the bustling noise outside came in.
The streets are bustling with people, the cries of vendors can be heard one after another, and a wide variety of goods are on display.
Suddenly, there was a crisp sound of horse hooves, and a team of Black Watch mercenaries riding tall horses galloped through the street.
They were dressed in black armor and had stern expressions on their faces. Wherever they went, pedestrians avoided them.
“It’s really impressive.”
Jie Du quickly hid by the roadside, looking at the mercenaries' receding backs, feeling a sense of emotion in his heart.
Jie Du blended into the bustling crowd, like a drop of water merging into the sea, inconspicuous at all. He walked hurriedly, but his eyes glanced around vigilantly from time to time, and finally came to a bustling tavern.
The pub was bustling with people and the aroma of wine was everywhere.
Jie Du walked quickly up the narrow stairs to the second floor.
Jie Du came to a wooden door, raised his hand and knocked gently. Not long after, the door was opened from the inside.
When Jie Du walked into the room, the first thing he saw was Griffith, who was sitting at the table and reading a newspaper intently. He was reading intently, as if he was looking for some important information from the lines of text.
Next to the door, there stood a tall man. He was as big as a mountain, but his face was very friendly and he had a simple smile on his face.
Griffith had seen too many corrupt mercenaries, so his condition for recruiting was that they were underage, preferably young people of the same age as him. This was actually quite difficult to find, because parents of his age generally would not allow their children to become mercenaries, and those orphaned children had mature minds.
This big guy named Bibin was the only one who was willing to work with Griffith and Jiedu and met their requirements when they were recruiting.
Bibin was originally a child from a miner's family. His father died in a mining accident and his mother also passed away from illness last year.
So Bibin had to work everywhere to earn a meager salary to support his life. So after meeting Griffith and his companions, he stayed because Griffith promised to provide him with food.
Although Bibin looks big and strong, he looks very friendly and has a delicate personality.
"Phew! Now we have enough money to buy Bibin equipment and some food."
As Jie Du spoke, he placed the purse in his hand on the table with a "pa" sound. The purse was heavy and made a crisp sound on the table.
After saying that, Jiedu walked straight to the bed, lay down on it with a plop, and stretched his tired body.
These days, Jie Du has been working with Griffith as a "personal belongings transferor", which is what people call a thief.
After all, their startup team only consists of three people including Bibin. Now that the two countries are at war, individual mercenaries are like cannon fodder in the war, and their mortality rate is extremely high.
So Griffith suggested to focus on making money first, and then recruit soldiers after accumulating enough funds.
Now their only source of income is stealing valuable items from corpses on the front line or taking them from the battlefield. Even though the corpses have been searched by the supervision team, there will always be some that slip through the net.
But even though they earn a lot now, it is only enough for the food expenses of three people. The main reason is that Bibin is such a big eater, and as a mercenary, he must eat and drink enough to replenish his energy, so the remaining money is only enough to buy Bibin a set of armor.
"Take a day off today and head to the eastern battlefield tomorrow morning."
Griffith closed the newspaper gently, and the crease left a neat line on the yellowed paper.
"I have a feeling that there will be a big battle between Mitlan and Yoda soon."
Of course, Griffith did not dare to make the assertion because he was a prophet. The source of his confidence came from this Helderland Military Newspaper.
"I'm familiar with this newspaper. I've read it before in the Black Watch training camp. It wasn't called this at the time. It was changed after the founding of the People's Republic of China."
He paused and pointed at the densely packed dispatch news on the newspaper with his fingertips.
"This newspaper not only reports on the military affairs of Helderland, but also the news about the large-scale armies of Midland and Yuda."
"Although it's not real-time, the accuracy is very high. Look, the baggage trains of both armies are moving in the same direction. We can't avoid this battle."