After forty-two laps, I was beyond exhausted, my large body drenched in sweat, my left arm on fire. Every time a citizen came through they stopped in complete astonishment, sometimes gathering in groups to stare, until a frown sent them scurrying about their work. I lived for the nod of approval from Carradock each time I arrived back at the gate against which he leaned, often in conversation with other soldiers. Also, for the thought of a long, long warm bath.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWN0Ydt68uG
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A castle servant, the one from breakfast, was ahead of me, twisting her apron in her hands and looking everywhere but into my face.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllb38jRE9N
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'Wha'?' I wheezed out.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6tr7s1EDm
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'Chef–' she flung her hand out in a gesture towards the keep, where a short man in what looked like a grey baker's outfit '–wants to know what to prepare for dinner.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2d6Ccr1BQq
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'Dear lord.' I came to a stop, worried my aching legs would not want to resume. 'It's not important. But keep it simple.' My predecessor had obviously enjoyed eating extensive meals with several courses. 'Just a couple of slices of roast meat and …' What would an athlete eat? Food with plenty of protein and vitamins. 'Wait. Grilled fish. Nuts. Fresh vegetables, like tomatoes and carrot, that don't need much, if any, cooking.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4468B5nKU
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I wasn't really hungry just now, my body was too stressed, but no doubt my appetite would revive later.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrd6t6lidu
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'Ahh…'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFkVEE46Ku
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'What?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWr4rnWksD
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'Chef won't be pleased.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9EgicfxXg
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I stared at her. 'Hands up if you are king.' I put my own hand up. 'That puts me in charge.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmMnaAyQb7
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Once she had turned away, alarmed, I returned my focus back into my final few laps. Although it was distracting I when I turned a corner and was facing the keep: there I could see the chef remonstrating with the servant. He kept looking over at me, as though in appeal, but I wasn't having any of it and focused on moving one leg, then the next, and on keeping hold of that enormously heavy sword.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2lscaKaL1
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I wasn't allowed to settle into my rhythm again though, for with a clatter of metal-hooves on cobblestone, a small group of riders came into the barracks yard. Some were soldiers of mine but one was carrying a green pennant (deep green, with a golden wolf's head) and dressed in expensive-looking clothes.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sK0O31OPv
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'King Carlos?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBstQD6pQ3A
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Either I looked dumb, having forgotten my name here, or else the new arrival was dismayed by my appearance.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXyapTI5gD
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'King Carlos?' he tried again.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOd0TcIziG
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'Yes?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF5dvoj2V2
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My impression that this was a man who was attentive to his looks was reinforced as he dismounted and made his bow. No one had a beard as neat his without some effort.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EAJ94dwmP
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'Lord Oseso, ambassador to his majesty King Wace of Southway.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqZwePoEUa
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'Pleased to meet you.' My politeness was automatic. I felt no warmth towards this man. Quite apart from the fact his rich, fur-lined cloak and black, oiled hair alienated me, this was the enemy.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLzxY6wgWW
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A crowd was gathering as soldiers and civilians moved closer to hear the ambassador's words.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgXYFAcsjn
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'Perhaps we can take some refreshment in private?' Lord Oseso suggested.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4T0JSQpng
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I shook my head. 'There's nothing you can say that I would hide from my people. Why are you here?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPz2rPIkPV
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'Are you sure?' There was a knowing sneer in his gaze, inviting some kind of complicity from me.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhSgsZdFxp
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'Get on with it. I'm busy.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXC0JCvWEo
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Supressing a smile, the ambassador from Southland shrugged, as if to pass off any blame. 'King Wace, in his generosity, offers to make Greyland a dependency of Southway. You,' he gestured to everyone, 'are spared conquest. And you personally, sire, will be given a comfortable retirement, dining on the finest food of our realm in the company of delightful personal companionship, in return for implementing the decisions of his highness on your interface.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroBXifDmJs
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A silence fell over the square and even the crows stilled their caws, as if to listen to my answer. I let my heart and breath settle.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFO8oKPfo6
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'Firstly, we are not conquered yet. Secondly, we all know what it would mean for our kingdom to be run by an invader…' I raised my voice for all to hear. 'People dragged off to work wherever your ruler wanted; our soldiers used up in his battles to spare his own troops; our wealth drained into your coffers; starvation and ruin here.' I knew what I was talking about, it's what I intended to do to them.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgZd0gH5xH
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Lord Oseso shook his head. 'Careful what you say next, this offer won't come again.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9PIM23BaW
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'Good. If we see you again, you'll be executed as a spy. Greyland will never surrender and you can tell King Wace that unless he withdraws from our territory, it is he who will suffer conquest.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tLbKlmp5c
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'I'll tell him of your empty threat and he will laugh. And he will remind you of it when you are in chains at his feet.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5gcT8tvYR
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'That is disrespectful.' I was furious and at least a part my anger was drawn from the uncomfortable feeling, fear even, that he was going to be proven right. I walked over to him, using my height and bulk to lean down and snarl. 'Vincit qui patitur, he who endures conquers. And Greyland will endure.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzlvUA9EW4
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Perhaps he saw the determination in my eyes. Perhaps he understood how close I was to striking him with the sword in my left hand, which no longer felt heavy. In any case, the ambassador's head dropped and he stepped back, then turned away to find his horse and remount.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTJSXfnknj
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'Blindfold him and lead his horse. Don't let him look around as he leaves.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRS4cjNpVT
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'Yes sir.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRO9Q3nWgUi
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'Right, then everyone, back to work. We're going to have to work extremely hard, myself included, to endure and escape conquest.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWrAJOb1CO
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Muttering broke out among the people and it was hard to judge the tone. Certainly, it was not the cheering enthusiasm of a people rallying to their king. But among the soldiers especially there were several faces that looked brighter and more supportive than they had.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2nWk3fuWM
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'Now, Carradock. I was on lap forty-four, was I not?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2yb6GG9e9
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'Forty-three sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JWO3mRoj0
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'Damn pedant.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZxQgJDWEB
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The last few laps were painful. It did help, however, that I could study the town menus and take my mind from the constant complaints of my body. That gave me one measure of the effect of my responses to the ambassador from Southway, which was that the score for Happiness under the people menu had risen from 14 to 16. At least it hadn't gone down, so on the whole, they seemed to approve of resistance rather than surrender.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zkWxuDWQ5
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It was the military menu that got me thinking again.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7gzzCeJun
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Military359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuBH2zdVpm
Light infantry: 32359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zMZ3RZTwk
Heavy infantry: 12359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFJSRzq4K8
Archers: 18359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTusB7kGPRD
Light cavalry: 24359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uj4tbi7r6
Heavy cavalry: 4359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiErsYjBCWn
Ballista: 1359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6J24K0HmL
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Hospital: 17359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaZkM90WFS
Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaDHBjNcKS
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Currently training: 1 heavy cavalry359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98VEysFonu
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Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSOuMOMuHG
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Currently building: tower machicolations, 3 days
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Why was I training heavy cavalry? They were costly in terms of iron and tactically useless. We would be holding defensive positions for the foreseeable future and while I hoped the day would come when I rode at the head of a line of formidable heavy cavalry, that was a long way off. Although it meant losing whatever raw materials my predecessor had invested in the project, I cancelled the heavy cavalry from the training queue and instead added fifteen archers to it, at a cost of 10 iron ingots and 15 gold and 15 of the unassigned townspeople.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwbOMca1BM
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That left me 12 unassigned townspeople to think about. Before setting them to various tasks, I needed to know about building a trading vessel. When I tried to call up information about ships, I got a frustrating message.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8ifM2evtm
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Shipbuilding359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AWMnDyinz
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Unknown.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wYMqYKTyx
Create a Shipwright to unlock this option.
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'Hey, you!' I called out to a skinny youth, who was hanging around near the steps of the keep watching me with earnest eyes as though I was last man in for a cricket team that was over a hundred runs behind. And I couldn't tell if he wanted me to fail or succeed.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgflSleKzvc
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'Sire?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEboQxnl4Lh
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'Get the Chief Carpenter for me.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaCM81Nu2B
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'Yes, sire.' The lad got up without any urgency and strolled down a shadow-filled street.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZTNN6FF3l
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I was on lap forty-six when the carpenter arrived, he was a bald, confident looking man, with intelligent brown eyes.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yu1BcsDf7
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'Walk with me,' I grunted.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyZQy7iAUq
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'Sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwFexDgva5
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'Can you make us a trading ship?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hLoEv8Rkr
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The question came as a surprise but he took it well, hardly faltering in his step. 'No sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGnzx6TqMN
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'What if I researched Shipbuilding One?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2W0EqplRhv
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The man looked at me, surprised, then down at the ground. 'As you know, sire, I only have access to a limited menu in order that I can view my tasks... I couldn't be sure about research, but Shipbuilding does sound like it will make the role of Shipbuilder available to you.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJahq8rAgl
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'And I can then assign someone to it?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHE0AZAzMU
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'If it becomes an option sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvczKSxcGzl
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'Would you like to do it?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlysaMf2uk
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'Me? It's up to you sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy7M3NlzwB
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'Yes,' I said, a little impatiently. 'I know that. But I'd rather people enjoyed their work than hated it.' This wasn't just coming from my innate sense of politeness, it was practical too. I wanted that town happiness score to rise and surely by assigning the right people to the right jobs, at least when it came to specialist roles, that was going to help?359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIydcUkTAc
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We walked the entire length of the barracks square and turned back towards Carradock before the carpenter answered. 'I think I would like that sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVyhiDR0wm
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'Right so, find someone in your workshop who wants to be the Chief Carpenter and I'll make you Shipbuilder in…' I checked the research menu, dropped Navigation (there was no penalty, but I risked having to restart it again from the beginning), as it still had five days to go, and swapped to Shipbuilding 1, 'four days.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNnUYXjMuh
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'Thank you sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQWe5FAW5g
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'Now tell me this. I see a lot of people in the town. But not very many on the menus. Why is that?'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm68XdqOqSA
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Again, the carpenter looked astonished. Then a little wary, as if I'd set a trap. 'People want to join the menu, sire, to serve the goddess... and you. But it's limited, isn't it? They can't get on unless you've been able to make room.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnazZVOCh4
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That wasn't an answer that clarified very much, but I gave him a grunt to signal he could go back to work. It was as much as I could manage. As for the twelve unassigned people in the town, I decided to leave them for now. Soon I'd want shipbuilders and sailors.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF1c15zgeO
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Forty-seven.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLm0IOKoq2K
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Forty-eight.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6CuOGYOtm
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Forty-nine.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnqWDBeXJD
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Fifty.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVe0Mis50D
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'That's me done for the day.' I spoke to Carradock with as much nonchalance as I could muster. As if I could do another fifty, although every muscle was groaning.359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZplBUGmjC
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'Well done Sire.'359Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3rjsmqMpz
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That acknowledgement lifted me all the way back to the keep.
然後按「加至主畫面」