vstars Chapter 567 What are you comparing it to?
Chapter 567 What are you comparing it to?
Everyone's eyes turned to the source of the sound. In the corner of the tavern sat several soldiers wearing uniforms with the emblem of the Kingdom of Midland embroidered on their chests.
The leader was a middle-aged man with a neat beard and a look of contempt in his eyes.
Griffith's smile faltered slightly, but quickly returned to normal. He put down his glass and slowly walked towards the table of soldiers.
"Sir, who are you?"
The middle-aged man glanced at him arrogantly:
"I'm the adjutant of the infantry regiment stationed here, Coleman."
"It's Master Coleman."
Griffith bowed slightly, his tone still respectful, but a barely perceptible gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
"I wonder if you have any advice for us 'young people'?"
Coleman sneered:
"It's not really about instruction. I just see you mercenaries getting carried away after winning a few battles. Don't forget, without the cooperation of our regular army, how could you have won this victory?"
The atmosphere in the tavern suddenly became tense, like a lit powder keg that would explode with just a spark.
Several hot-tempered mercenaries were already rubbing their hands in preparation for a fight, the wine glasses in their hands creaking and flames of anger flashing in their eyes.
Gorkas even slammed the table and stood up, his strong palms slamming on the table so hard that the wine glasses on the table jumped up.
"Hey! What did you say? Without us, could your infantry regiment fight so smoothly?"
Gorkas' face flushed red as he shouted loudly, causing the surrounding mercenaries to echo him.
"That's right! We mercenaries are fighting desperately in the front, and you infantry are just following behind to take advantage!"
"Without you, we can find another mercenary team. We only chose you because the mercenaries your captain quoted are cheaper."
Coleman glanced at Gorkas with disdain and continued. His words were like sharp blades, piercing the mercenaries' hearts.
"It's you."
Coleman turned his gaze towards Griffith and the others, his eyes full of mockery.
"You guys are so arrogant! You have so few people and you dare to compete with Blackwatch? Don't you know who's behind them?"
Griffith's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
He recalled the history of Blackwatch that the instructors had taught them when they were in Blackwatch, and those stories were clearly imprinted in his mind.
"Of course I know that Blackwatch was founded by His Majesty King John of Helderland before the founding of the country."
Griffith said calmly.
"But didn't he also start from scratch at that time?"
"Self-made?"
Coleman seemed to have heard some huge joke and he burst into laughter. The laughter echoed in the pub and was particularly harsh.
"I ask you, what is King John's origin?"
"Of course, he was the second son of a knight family."
Gorkas couldn't help but interrupt.
"Isn't that enough? I come from an aristocratic family, what are you?"
Coleman said directly, his eyes full of disdain and ridicule.
"His father is a knight. Although he is considered low-ranking among the nobility, he belongs to the formal aristocratic system. The lord above him is old Count Milo, and above him is His Majesty the King. What is your background, and who are your superiors?"
"And why do you think John was able to gain an audience with the king? His Hohenzollern family used to spend money every year to build connections with the higher-ups. First, they had their own fiefdom, Count Milo, and then, through Count Milo, they had some of their relatives appointed to official positions in Windam and other noble families. Then, step by step, they built up their connections with the higher-ups. Furthermore, His Majesty John was truly capable of defeating the Yoda army in the Forest Territory. Finally, with the approval of all the nobles and high officials, the king agreed to appoint him as the Forest Governor."
Coleman spoke eloquently.
"Of course, there's another point. That's because our army was at a disadvantage against Yoda's army. The king needed someone from a lower-ranking noble family to spread the word and urge more nobles to join the war, so he appointed His Majesty John as governor."
"Then we're talking again."
Coleman turned his gaze to Griffith again, his eyes full of questions.
"Are you rich, or do you have a backer, or do you have a father who is a noble?"
Griffith's fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the glass, and the beer swayed gently in the glass, reflecting his slightly dazed eyes.
Of course, he thought that John might have the support of nobles. After all, the young man from a low-ranking noble family at that time was able to be promoted to the governor of the kingdom in just a few years. It was definitely not achieved by just a few victories on the battlefield.
But the details that Adjutant Coleman told at this moment were like a sharp dagger, cutting through the thin veil in his cognition and revealing the intricate power network behind it.
"Even His Majesty the King of Mitlan supports him?"
Griffith's voice dropped unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the exertion.
Even Gorkas couldn't believe it. He couldn't help asking:
"How did you hear these rumors?"
"inquire about?"
Coleman suddenly gave a short, cold laugh.
"Your Majesty John and I enlisted at the same time from Milo. Our family's territory is only a few miles away from John's father's fiefdom. This method is used by almost all nobles."
"This is so unfair!"
A young mercenary slammed the table, causing the wooden table legs to scrape against the floor. He pointed at Coleman's nose, his voice trembling with anger:
"Why are these nobles able to become officials by supporting each other? We work so hard, charging into the front lines of every battle, yet we only earn a few hard-earned cents!"
His eyes burned with resentment, and the veins on his neck bulged with excitement.
"Have we shed less blood than the nobles?"
"Because you are worth the price."
Coleman's response was like a bucket of ice water, mercilessly extinguishing the young mercenary's anger.
"You have too little to guarantee. We nobles, let alone anything else, can gain the trust of the upper echelons simply by relying on our hereditary titles. This is because we belong to the same system. Whether it's titles, territories, or connections, they've all been accumulated over hundreds of years."
"And you're just commoners. If you die, wouldn't your investment be in vain? The nobles won't bet on someone they don't know for sure."
"OK OK."
Looking at the dejected looks of these mercenaries, Coleman suddenly waved his hand.
"Since you are just some brats, I will not pursue the charge of disrespecting the nobles. If you really want to stand out, you can't do this."
Griffith took a deep breath, his chest filled with resentment and confusion.
"Please forgive our ignorance and rudeness."
He stepped forward and bowed, his voice so steady that it didn't sound like a mercenary's.
"Please give me some advice on what we should do next for this mercenary team?"
Coleman raised his eyebrows and looked at this unique mercenary captain. Seeing the lingering fire in his eyes, he nodded slightly.
"You have no money and no status, so you can only find a backer."
"Find a place where there are no large mercenary groups and serve the local lords."
"Then we save money, expand our business, and use it to bribe officials to get an audience."
"Then do you have any way?"
Griffith pressed on.
"I don't know. I'm not in the mercenary business. You need to find opportunities yourself. Opportunities are discovered by yourself. If someone tells you about them, it's most likely a trap for you to fall into."
Coleman put the money on the table and left the pub without looking back.