Chapter 57: Notes from the Journey North
On January 3, Lorist bade farewell to Count Miranda and began traveling north.
The enormous caravan followed the main road, covering a hundred and twenty li a day.
On January 4, the caravan traveled forty li in the morning. In the afternoon, it left the main road and turned west onto a forest trail, crossed a small hill, and entered the territory of the first noble of the Kingdom of Redlis.
On the third day, just as the caravan was preparing to depart, Yuri sent someone to report that the lord of this territory, a venerable Viscount, had personally brought over twenty cavalrymen to collect taxes. The Viscount said that if the caravan did not leave one-tenth of its wagons as a toll payment to him, its lord, he would lead his soldiers in attacking the caravan.
Lorist laughed in disbelief. He asked the scout who had come to report, "Did Knight Yuri explain to the Viscount that this is the Northlands' Norton Family army, currently traveling north to return to the family territory?"
The scout reported, "Lord Yuri explained it to that lord several times, but the lord refused to listen. He insisted that we were a merchant caravan flying a noble banner while actually engaging in smuggling. He even mocked us, saying that if we wanted to fly a noble banner, we should at least find one belonging to a family with a reputation. The Norton Family? Who's ever heard of that piece of trash?"
Lorist turned around and called, "Telman, go invite this lord over. I'll show him exactly what the Norton Family is."
Telman returned very quickly. The Viscount had already become a prisoner.
Telman said that when he led the Knight Order in a charge, the Viscount's cavalry