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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaMWGCIzjq
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4T9dDH40U
A castle servant, the one from breakfast, was ahead of me, twisting her apron in her hands and looking everywhere but into my face.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFRCKc4rPO
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'Wha'?' I wheezed out.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ozBJ9M99b
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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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3PRO8TJYk
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPwn8I5s7g
'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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmbOEmf1T7
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFAaPyg1aA
I wasn't really hungry just now, my body was too stressed, but no doubt my appetite would revive later.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6s16mKgcwr
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'Ahh…'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxNTQT748t
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'What?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqvvM75FEN
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'Chef won't be pleased.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78jVSPTGUZ
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4gSqbQonY
I stared at her. 'Hands up if you are king.' I put my own hand up. 'That puts me in charge.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSbzZZ93io
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqU1r4GiaMc
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqYWaFMTso
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BZzjZ5lIh
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrTarbUV2e
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjEQLKd62k
'King Carlos?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFriY8ckeyY
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81C8y2ujMR
Either I looked dumb, having forgotten my name here, or else the new arrival was dismayed by my appearance.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpobrONqMO
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'King Carlos?' he tried again.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFg6IoHVLx9
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'Yes?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAPTji4Eqa
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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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw4exQEwlZ
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouiS8xrchr
'Lord Oseso, ambassador to his majesty King Wace of Southway.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmFf87jc85
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJV7KywDA5
'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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvmlOCQXHF
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcXJ2xzoFE
A crowd was gathering as soldiers and civilians moved closer to hear the ambassador's words.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiuWj5FC7q
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesWAwcni91
'Perhaps we can take some refreshment in private?' Lord Oseso suggested.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbgPjlnjSq
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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?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VHPsg9fjx
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjESBn4zzW8
'Are you sure?' There was a knowing sneer in his gaze, inviting some kind of complicity from me.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp02l6sMdEV
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'Get on with it. I'm busy.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyfNCZvIvg
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VoFEDwAcP
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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAF1pUtMku
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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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFGZMuLeJH
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fx7bUfMCO
'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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4JArdg3dK
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Lord Oseso shook his head. 'Careful what you say next, this offer won't come again.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoLhwu8Bzx
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnl5gVP6jsz
'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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvx2cmmlv2b
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwSwdCMmef
'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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepHnKyBoi9
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvP2GcDzWo
'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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BHcq7g4Ds
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeVE1UpZRK
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHMzg6MntB
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8hlOT4ex8
'Blindfold him and lead his horse. Don't let him look around as he leaves.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZymWZikA9
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'Yes sir.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiduBGYkmJ
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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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnimr8Ewh0l
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtYB9dfrt7
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhe1d4Ged51
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBFh9H8Jga
'Now, Carradock. I was on lap forty-four, was I not?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSWGtwukFY
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'Forty-three sire.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QlhWxktWC
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'Damn pedant.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9yJDggA0p
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tyLEQWoRE
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9kjgbJyOR
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It was the military menu that got me thinking again.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIftl1kpDiG
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcneheupobA
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV60hdSJLUi
Military392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODARbwRdBl
Light infantry: 32392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaW911IHAII
Heavy infantry: 12392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCj0tTeCDh
Archers: 18392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3Ck0Fqi35
Light cavalry: 24392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lzgGAYfdQ
Heavy cavalry: 4392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqSNZHVvNW
Ballista: 1392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYg0qh5pok
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvZ123tZUB
Hospital: 17392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdJwuJSvFX
Military upkeep cost: 42 gold, 5 silver392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdArHRk25w
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLbiUbnCak
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWIoYdB9UW
Currently training: 1 heavy cavalry392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb27KTDnc2E
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I0XYRs49s
Buildings: keep level 2; curtain walls level 1; towers level 1; town walls level 1392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv54vd2gI3A
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFOA1hNM7H
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2di3HjxLT
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZt3Zug68cK
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TmP0c96dK
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxiFBA3kD3
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Shipbuilding392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVWWXpVQp7
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Unknown.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpEUa91NTN
Create a Shipwright to unlock this option.
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392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zUQbAk4FS
'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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6u3ccruag
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'Sire?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIP8ys86HP
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugInHeW1lo
'Get the Chief Carpenter for me.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9WjndXOw8
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZEB9xqg8Q
'Yes, sire.' The lad got up without any urgency and strolled down a shadow-filled street.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYEUJM6A56
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9rWGSughx
I was on lap forty-six when the carpenter arrived, he was a bald, confident looking man, with intelligent brown eyes.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerwdJdDwPF
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'Walk with me,' I grunted.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnrjudQKsx
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'Sire.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPl7AcXN1H
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'Can you make us a trading ship?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT24fAKTuS
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2b6Ak2QpHs
The question came as a surprise but he took it well, hardly faltering in his step. 'No sire.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qitUckX9j
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYVBu156ks
'What if I researched Shipbuilding One?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyySDNXr9h
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41hE34xQtZ
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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBg47tjxdDN
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6WOfMqrsM
'And I can then assign someone to it?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzb0q3hSu8
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoqZbvVLzv
'If it becomes an option sire.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgrWXcGQN0
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlnEjK4dmq
'Would you like to do it?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcqGD8i8KG
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKaB7XGHXC
'Me? It's up to you sire.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsLLmFpC24
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM93Ddx7aEN
'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?392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTb3ERZi5i
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqnyI94M17
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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IGtGFVG9P
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq653xiczQR
'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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHid5K2Ke0
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVijsHjokt
'Thank you sire.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvB0W69tKP
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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?'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKILD5j2t6
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfDSQgep3q
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.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktd6bWyCNF
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDVjqWUL1t
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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8xV6l6ryA
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Forty-seven.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCONzCkYCq
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Forty-eight.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHI8mAxT5m
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Forty-nine.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ362NSMnaEk
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Fifty.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYmwXEAMeo
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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.392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FFXt7PDHJ
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEW3SZsAtLK
'Well done Sire.'392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVonG36SMNO
392Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWghC6Vf8l
That acknowledgement lifted me all the way back to the keep.
然後按「加至主畫面」