Chapter 4 Tavern Meeting

After entering the room, Uncle Joshak casually took off his casual clothes and placed them on the hanger before sitting on the sofa. So did Locke. He put his clothes away and sat on the other side. The two men in military leather shirts were not in a hurry to speak. Locke first opened the wine bottle, filled the cups for Uncle Joshak and himself. They clinked their cups and drank first. Then they began to talk about business.

"Good, you are becoming more and more steady. It seems that you have improved a lot these years." Uncle Joshak said first. It was really incredible. In others' eyes, the bold, straightforward, and rugged Joshak taught a person to be calm. It seemed that this bearded man was not as simple as how he looked like.

"Uncle Joshak, you must be joking. This is nothing. I learned it from you." Locke said humbly.

"Don't talk nonsense! When did I teach you this? Am I that kind of person?" Uncle Joshak laughed and scolded. After that, they laughed in unison again.

"Uncle, is there any hope for my promotion this time?" Locke filled another cup for the two of them and asked.

"Locke, I was the one who took care of you since you were a soldier. It has been four years since that. I see you as my own son. I will definitely help you promote this time." Uncle Joshak promised Locke. He really liked this clever and powerful young man.

"Uncle, I believe you!" Locke indeed believed in Uncle Joshak. He also treated Uncle Joshak as an elder. "However, other than your help, it shouldn't be enough. What else do I need to do? Uncle, tell me." Locke asked.

"Just my support is not enough. I will call Old Carl to support you. The rest still needs you to fight for it yourself." Old Carl was the Deputy Captain of their squadron. He had heard that he was one of the best friends of Uncle Joshak. Outsiders would think that Old Carl was a strict and serious old soldier. However, he was very good to his soldiers. Locke had a good impression of him.

"Uncle Joshak, if you have anything else to say, just say it. I'll listen." Uncle Joshak obviously had something to say.

"There are two places for the election this time. The ones who are qualified to be nominated are six Captains and Deputy Captains, the Captain of the cavalry team, and our Captain, Baron Cadozzi as well as his eldest son, Deputy Captain of the cavalry team, Young Master Solon." Their camp was a large battalion. There were four squadrons of infantry and a squadron of cavalry. Locke had seen many battles between their cavalry units. To be honest, Locke felt that this squadron of cavalry equaled three times their number of infantry under the open terrain. With the strong armor, the straight spear of the cavalry, and the impact of the warhorses, most of the infantry were not a match for the cavalry. "Baron Cadozzi won't participate in this election, and neither will the Captain of the cavalry team. The only people who should be nominated were the six of us and Young Master Solon. I've already given you two votes. You have to gain at least two more votes." Uncle Joshak said to Locke.

"I only have acquaintance with their Deputy Captain in the first squadron. I don't know the Deputy Captain in the third squadron and the Captain in the fourth squadron. Moreover, aren't they still recovering from their injuries?" Locke answered honestly and asked.

"The hard battle is over. Now is the time to plunder the profits. After only two weeks of recovery, the two guys have already taken the remaining fellows of their team and the new recruits to 'wander'." Uncle Joshak said disdainfully.

"Wander" was a type of term in the army. It meant that they were going to attack the villages that were still under the rule of the Karlaw Kingdom. To be more specific, it was more like sweeping through. The resistance of the villages was not strong. There were no regular soldiers, and most of them were only militiamen and reckless villagers. The big villages had one or two hundred people, and the small villages only had a few dozen people. A squadron could suppress them. In fact, under the leadership of Uncle Joshak, their squadron would go to 'wander' in these two months as long as they had time.

Their main mission was to capture a town that still had some resistance, and only the cities above the size of the town would have merchants, rich farmers, and even nobles. Baron Cadozzi's cavalry did not have much interest in villages that did not have much profit. Only the four infantry squadrons would go out to fish for profits. However, the baron's caravan would buy the supplies seized by the soldiers, like the ancestral silver bracelets, the fur collected by the hunters in the village, and even horses, cows, and donkeys. There were also some good clothes and shoes, and the soldiers would keep them for themselves when they got them.

The soldiers had their own bottom line. At least they would not rob the food. The higher-ups of the military also strictly prohibited it. However, it was common to catch two chickens or ducks to improve the food. Locke was also a rural resident. Originally, he was ashamed of doing these things to bully the common people, but after experiencing the sacrifice and death of war, he did not know what attitude he had towards these Karlians. There was hatred and also guilt for these Karlians. However, this did not prevent Locke from getting rich. He also needed to survive and needed to let his family and his fellows live better. Locke had a lot of money recently, and he often sent money to his family and invited his subordinates to drink.

"Uncle, we haven't gone to 'wander' for almost a week. Are we going to move forward soon?" Back to the main topic, Locke asked.

"Yes, it has been decided. Lord Baron wants to join forces with Baron Kashmir of the 7th clan to attack Frances City. This is also why we have to select two Captains in the near future. Moreover, there are no more rich villages around here." Most cities had city walls and moats. It was very difficult to take it down with a team of more than 500 people. Therefore, the higher-ups often chose to cooperate with allies. It had been two months since they had attacked the hinterland of the Karlaw Kingdom. They had also fought three city-level battles. In these wars they all worked with other teams. Locke was also experienced in siege warfare. The casualties in the siege war were not low. But the rich rewards in the city made the soldiers' desire for winning the war greater than their fear of death. In fact, their aims were the money they could gain after sweeping through the city. The troops of Baron Kashmir had already cooperated with their battalion twice.

The two chatted as they drank. After a while, a bottle of ale was finished. Locke opened the second bottle and filled it for Uncle Joshak and himself. Uncle Joshak raised his glass, took a sip, and said, "The Vice Captain of the first squadron is also from our Mineton. I also have an acquaintance with him. Give him some gifts, and I will talk to him and try to win his vote. As for the remaining three people, I don't know them well, and I don't even want to talk with them, so you need to work hard yourself." In the military camp, there were many dirty things between the soldiers, not to mention the Captains. Even Locke, who had good relations with others, could not guarantee that he had a good relationship with half of Lieutenant in the camp. You may know a person's face but not his mind. It was the truth.

"I suggest you think of a way from Young Master Solon." Uncle Joshak seemed to have recalled something after he finished speaking and added, "You and Young Master Solon are both young people of 18 or 19 years old. You have common topics. If you find him to express your loyalty or give him some gifts, you might be able to succeed. However, in that case, you will be Young Master's fellow in the future." Baron Cadozzi had more than one son. Although there was a tradition in the Kingdom of Faustine that the eldest son would inherit the title of nobility, the other sons of the baron also had a chance to inherit the title. As far as he knew, the one who temporarily helped the baron manage the territory in the country was his second son.

"He's a noble. What gift would he like? Let me think of a way." Locke said helplessly.

"I knew you had a way. This is all I can help you with. The rest is up to you." Uncle Joshak patted Locke's shoulder and said.

"Okay, uncle, I will work hard. Cheers." Locke raised his glass and toasted Uncle Joshak again.