Chapter 617 Teacher, do you also like to seduce girls? (6.3k)
Altria was busy.
This was the conclusion that Lorne had come to through observation after living in the manor for several months.
Every day before dawn, she would get up and go to the stables to prepare fodder for dozens of war horses and check their health.
In the morning, we were busy with the horsemanship lesson and the theory of cavalry warfare, which was in the charge of old Hector;
In the afternoon, Lorne was responsible for sword training and magic confrontation, and also had to learn some court etiquette;
And when it’s evening, she will open the stables and ride on her warhorse to patrol the nearby villages with the knights in the territory…
The nights of this era are very dangerous.
In addition to ferocious beasts, there are even more terrifying monsters and monsters, as well as restless goblins.
Once they cross the cordon and break into the village, a tragic bloodbath often occurs.
Therefore, knights often patrolled all night to protect the safety of the people in the territory.
Of course, such high-intensity work cannot be done by a group of people alone, so patrols are basically divided into two or three shifts.
Altria's shift is basically in the first half of the night, and her adopted brother, old Hector's biological son, Kai, will be responsible for the second half of the night.
After the two sides change shifts, Altria will be sent back home to sleep.
But at this time, there are only four to five hours left until dawn.
This is a rare break in her day.
But even so, Altria still felt that she was too idle, and even asked Loen to let her take classes in her dreams to fill the gaps in her dreams and learn more knowledge by the way.
Of course, Loen rejected this request without hesitation.
Although he really wanted Altria to accumulate knowledge and awaken emotions as quickly as possible, that was not the way it was done.
However, Loen's rejection did not dampen the student's spirit. Every night, she would take some time out of her meager sleep and sneak to the open space outside the manor to practice swordplay alone.
After discovering this several times, Lorne finally couldn't stand it anymore and followed him to stop the student's self-abuse:
"Didn't I tell you? Even the strongest man should have a proper balance between work and rest. Eat when it's time to eat and sleep when it's time to sleep."
Altria put down the wooden sword in her hand and looked at the teacher walking towards her on the grass:
"Teacher, I understand your good intentions. But I can't sleep, and I always have to find something to do to feel at ease."
After a brief thought, Loen quickly figured out the crux of the problem.
An empty shell without a soul is like a machine on standby, which can only operate normally if commands are input.
The same goes for Altria. Only when she is given orders and constantly busy can she feel a sense of fulfillment.
Luo En thought for a moment and said:
"Well, since you can't sleep, let's sit down and talk about something happy."
"Happy things?"
Altria frowned, a little confused, as if she found it difficult to understand emotions like "happiness" and "joy".
Luo En had no choice but to settle for the next best thing:
"It's okay to ask questions. What is chivalry to you, Altria?"
"I was just wondering what you were talking about. Follow the morals, protect the people with your own body, keep your master alive, show no fear on the battlefield, and swing the sword not for your own desires but to protect your country and beliefs. That's what the knight taught me."
Altria breathed a sigh of relief and uttered the answer fluently.
"That's a very profound answer. Hector is a little too good a teacher."
After Luo En made a comment, he changed the subject.
"However, this is someone else's answer. What I want to ask is your own thoughts."
My thoughts?
Altria blinked, confused.
Even if I tried hard to think, my mind was still blank.
This was a question she had never thought about before.
Luo En rubbed his brows and taught:
"Chivalry is a very broad concept. It is different for each person and has different emphases. For example, some people believe that courtesy and humility are the primary conditions. Some people believe that punishing evil is above all else, and some people can use all despicable means to protect their territory and subjects... So, if you plan to live up to Hector's expectations and become a qualified knight in the future, you must think about what path you should take."
Altria nodded as if she understood, but her expression didn't change much.
Luo En asked again: "Then what do you think a king is?"
Altria thought seriously for a moment and gave an answer: "...the one who killed the most people in order to protect them?"
There was obvious progress this time, and her ideas were incorporated.
But in Loen's opinion, this result is still more human-like.
What kind person would give such an abstract definition?
Sure enough, it is quite difficult to make a piece of stone become emotionally rich and complex.
In desperation, he could only change his approach and continue to inspire:
"Forget it, you ask the questions. You can ask me anything you want."
"I heard that the fairies left the earth and went to Fairyland. The only ones left on the island are the giants and monsters who hate humans."
"Not entirely true. Although most fairies have entered fairylands in various places, it does not mean that they will be isolated from the world. They can still enter and exit through special passages. It's just because of the order of the Fairy Queen that they dare not easily interfere with human life, so they are relatively rare. The giants hate humans out of prejudice. They cannot break free from the physical shackles and cannot become spiritual bodies like fairies, so conflicts with humans are inevitable. But as long as they run into each other and don't take the initiative to provoke, they can still live in peace. As for monsters and gods and monsters, we need to see whether they are intelligent, whether there are conflicts of interest, and whether they can communicate. Whether they will be hostile depends on specific analysis of specific issues."
"And what about dragons? Where are the dragons that protect Britain?"
A rare look of curiosity crossed Altria's face.
On the one hand, she was called the Son of the Red Dragon, so she was naturally interested in this creature that represented her origin. On the other hand, she wanted to meet this powerful and majestic existence in the legend.
"The Dragon of Albion?"
Luo En organized his words and said,
"This thing fell in Orkney in the north a long time ago. Now even its bones are almost turning into stone. It will soon merge completely with the earth and become something like ore. However, the soul of the Albion Dragon has completed its reincarnation and is currently serving the Fairy Queen. He is one of the three Fairy Knights under the Fairy Queen, named [Melushin]. Now he should be living in seclusion in the Fairy Country (Misty Forest) with the Fairy Queen."
"Where are the other two goblin knights?"
"One is called Bagster, a dog demon with a big appetite, and the other is called Bavanshi, a vampire with a bad personality."
"——I see. As expected of a teacher, you are well-informed!"
"Of course. I am an expert in magic and the mysteries. I have a mountain of things to tell you. Come and learn from me."
Altria nodded, and couldn't help but ask the question that had been weighing on her mind for a long time:
"Teacher, how were you born? Have you ever seen your parents?"
"Want to hear a story?"
"Um!"
"Sit down and talk."
Lorne bent down and sat on the grass, pointing to the open space beside him.
Altria sat down obediently next to her teacher, holding her chin up and pretending to listen.
Luo En cleared his throat and told his life story half-truthfully:
"My parents are very powerful. My mother (Semele) is the daughter of a king. Legend has it that she has the blood of gods. My father (Zeus) is even more special. He is either a devil or some kind of evil ghost. He is cruel and cold-blooded, and extremely lustful. Every day he is either sowing seeds or on his way to sow seeds. My mother was seduced by his sweet words."
"It sounds a bit like the 'Nightmare' in Celtic legend?"
"Yeah, about the same."
"So, teacher, you are also a 'dream demon'? Do you also like to seduce girls?"
"...Do you still want to listen?"
"think."
"Then shut up!"
Luo En glared at the student who was not very talkative with a dark face. After confirming that the other party had calmed down, he continued his story:
My father suddenly killed me, my mother died, and I fell into the sea but luckily survived...
He became a disciple of the great witch of Aiyu Island, met goddesses and gods and monsters, and together they defeated his father's conspiracy...
In order to repair something that was damaged in the war, I went to other places (Northern Europe) to collect materials, made more friends, experienced more adventures, and completed more [miracles]...
The story is long, but not boring.
The voice was deep and magnetic, like a bard singing an ancient and magnificent epic in front of a campfire.
Altria was deeply attracted and listened attentively without realizing it. Her consciousness seemed to sink into that magnificent world as the story unfolded, witnessing every scene of the past.
The night fades away and the morning star sinks in the west.
Lorne looked down:
His beloved disciple was lying on his knees, sleeping soundly.
Her steady breathing and the faint smile on her face proved that she was having a beautiful and sweet dream.
Finally I'm honest...
Lorne breathed a sigh of relief.
But thinking of what Altria said before, he couldn't help but feel annoyed again:
"What do you mean I'm also a 'dream demon'? I also like to seduce girls?"
"Lao Deng is Lao Deng, and I am me! How can we be the same?"
The girl did not answer and continued to sleep in a comfortable posture.
Looking at that completely defenseless face, Loen's eyes flashed, and a strong malice appeared in his eyes.
~~
early morning.
Artoria yawned, crawled out of the grass, stretched her limbs lazily, and her bones made a slight hum. The expression on her face seemed extremely comfortable.
I didn't expect that sleeping could be so comfortable.
The girl muttered something and looked around in confusion.
The teacher is not here? Did he go home early?
Never mind. It's getting late and I should get back to work.
Altria brushed off the dirt and grass on her body and walked quickly towards the manor.
My adoptive father Hector lives outside the town, far away from people's living circle.
Although the knight likes solitude, he does not hate humans. He chose this place to protect his identity and safety as the son of the red dragon to the greatest extent possible.
However, being away from people’s daily lives does not mean that there is really no one around.
On the way back, although Altria did not meet any townspeople, she met the knights who had finished their night patrol.
As soon as they met, the knights' eyes became strange, their facial muscles twitched violently, and they had an urge to laugh.
The leader of the knights, who was riding a warhorse and wearing high-quality plate armor, laughed out loud:
"Hey, whose cat is this that escaped? Why is it green?"
Altria was stunned, somewhat confused.
As the leader of the knights pointed to the puddle nearby, she walked over and saw her reflection in the water, and then she understood the reason.
There were three feline whiskers drawn on each of her cheeks, and a "king" character pattern in the middle of her forehead.
The paint on it is a deep green, exuding the scent of grass, as if it is some juice squeezed out of grass.
Being stared at by so many strange eyes, Altria felt the emotion called "embarrassment" for the first time. Her pretty face turned red and her mind instantly locked onto a suspect who had committed the crime at that time.
It must have been the teacher!
Altria gritted her teeth, feeling the urge to bite someone.
"While there are few people on the road now, why don't you go back and wash up."
After hearing the reminder from the knight leader, Artoria came to her senses, lowered her head to avoid everyone's sight, and rushed towards the manor.
After fetching some clean water and washing it diligently, the graffiti on his face was finally removed.
Altria breathed a sigh of relief, then looked around and found the culprit at the kitchen door:
"Teacher, why did you play tricks on me while I was asleep?"
"Haha, it's just a little joke. You're usually so serious. You don't look like my student at all."
Lorne replied with a grin.
And Artoria couldn't help but grit her teeth again:
"Just because of this? That's too much..."
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. I came back early to make amends by preparing a big meal for you."
"Can you cook?"
Altria was a little skeptical.
As if insulted, Lorne patted his chest and loudly assured:
"Just kidding, this is a must-learn lesson for surviving in the wild~! I'm a great cook, I guarantee it will be more delicious than any meal you've ever had!"
Having lived in the manor for several months, he had a taste of the Celtic food of the minor nobility.
To describe it as “hard to put into words” is to be considered as being lenient.
The manor is close to the forest, so it is not difficult to obtain meat. Goose, rabbit, suckling pig, skylark, turtledove, teal and other ingredients can all be served on the table.
But since spices are as valuable as gold, sprinkling some local parsley leaves and salt on it would be good enough. It is simply a dream to expect to restore the taste of later generations.
In order to protect Altria's identity, strangers are not allowed to enter or leave the manor, and cooking is basically the responsibility of the knights and followers under Ector.
The food prepared by these rough men who were marching and fighting basically had the same characteristics: it was easy to eat and store, and the quantity was large enough to fill you up, so it was fine as long as you could eat it.
Therefore, after a few cuts, some of them will have carbonized layers similar to crocodile skin, while others will be half-cooked and even have blood in them.
What's more, there are hard dishes like black pudding here.
Please note that this is not a dessert pudding. The main ingredient is animal blood. The method is to mix the animal blood with oats, salt and spices, wrap it with some materials such as cloth, sausage casings, etc., and then throw it into water to cook.
After opening the package, the lingering fishy smell and the black color made Loen retch physically.
The so-called simple and convenient stew prepared on the march didn't taste much better.
Take hare as an example. Take the hare, skin it and shave the meat off the bones. Cut the meat into pieces and boil it with the blood. Then take it out and put it in cold water. You can add other spices such as chopped onion and parsley to the soup and boil it again. Put the washed meat and bones into the soup and boil it again. Serve.
Although seafood is also provided, the ingredients prepared for large-scale banquets naturally cannot be freshly caught fish. They are often smoked and salted, and the taste is definitely compromised.
Some of them still have the peculiar smell of pickling, which is even more of a torture for the sensitive Loen.
As for vegetables…
Actually, there is nothing much to say. There are only a few ingredients, such as peas, cabbage, lettuce, onions, etc. Then the method is to boil them in water. All green things should be fully boiled...
Because the view at this time was that green vegetables were bad and harmful to the body if eaten raw.
By the way, eating fruits raw is a habit of the poor. The orthodox way is to boil them, or make them into jam or fruit wine...
For several months, the only thing he could eat was freshly baked white bread with raisins, bacon and jam. The taste was barely acceptable, but due to the underdeveloped grain grinding technology, the bread was still a bit rough when chewed.
But this was already a good treatment. At least I didn't have to eat black bread, and I could eat things like stones, sand, cloth strips, sawdust, and grass stems.
Faced with this catastrophic level of diet, Loen only needs to make a slight move to launch a crushing dimensionality reduction attack.
However, words are not enough.
Estimating that the time was almost up, he led the suspicious-looking Altria into the house, raised his hand to open the lid of the pot, picked up the spatula, and stirred the sticky sugar color. The rich aroma spread all around.
At this moment, the juice in the pot has almost been dried up, the color of the meat pieces is bright red, and the aroma is fragrant.
Artoria moved her throat, her mouth secreting saliva in a mad desire for food, and she couldn't help asking:
"What's this?"
"Braised pork, the last dish."
Loen picked up the fork and saw that all the pieces of meat in the pot were pierced through easily. He immediately extinguished the firewood, put a plate of freshly braised pork into bowls and plates, and brought it to the dining table in the living room.
Altria followed him subconsciously, and as soon as she entered the house, she smelled the rich aroma of food.
Mushroom soup, chicken soup, and fish soup are arranged in finished shapes; there are all kinds of high-calorie staple foods such as stewed meat, roasted meat, and steamed meat; vegetables, fruits, cheese and other side dishes are dotted in between... The entire dining table is filled with delicious dishes, like a palace decorated with delicious food.
“Can I eat now?”
Altria couldn't help but ask, with a hint of impatience on her face.
Well, it's good to have a reaction.
At least it proves that it is not real wood.
Lorne pulled out a chair and said with a smile:
"Eat it, these are specially made for you."
However, before Artoria took her seat, the sound of armor rubbing against each other was heard in the yard.
"It smells so good? What delicious food are you eating? And you didn't even call me!"
The leader of the knights whom Altria had met on the road earlier walked in and complained dissatisfiedly.
After taking off the helmet, his short golden hair and handsome face were revealed. The faint smile that always hung on the corner of his mouth exuded an invisible affinity.
However, just as the other party wanted to take a seat, Lorne unceremoniously pulled the chair away:
"I didn't treat you. I paid for all the food. Don't even think about eating and drinking for free here, you bastard!"
"We are all family, why should we distinguish between you and me?"
"Then you're still charging me for the room?"
As Lorne spoke, he became extremely angry.
The leader of the knights in front of him was naturally the good son of old Hector, the sworn brother of Artoria, and the notorious Neku miser among the Knights of the Round Table - Kai.
Although the Camelot Dynasty that Artoria wanted to establish was still just a castle in the air, and Kai had not yet officially become a member of the Knights of the Round Table, he had already demonstrated his talent in finance and logistics early on. Not only did he manage the manor and fiefdom in an orderly manner, but he was also able to turn losses into profits in a short period of time.
However, as a price to pay, the manor's expenses were greatly reduced, especially food expenses, which were strictly controlled.
This made Loen want to cook for himself, but he searched the kitchen but couldn't find any extra grains of rice.
What's even more outrageous is that as Altria's teacher, he worked hard every day to teach classes, but not only did he not get paid a penny, he also had to pay rent to this humanoid vampire on a regular basis.
By the way, the rent is one third higher than the hotels in town...
For this reason, both sides have been spitting at each other over this matter.
What makes Loen depressed is that the legendary Sir Kay is not only a stingy miser, but also a top-notch poisonous tongue.
As a relative, Altria once commented:
"My brother's tongue is so eloquent that it is even praised as, when Sir Kay gets tangled up with him, even a fire dragon can't resist and flies away."
Therefore, he and Kay had been insulting each other for several months, but in the end neither could do anything to the other. Instead, old Hector suffered a nervous breakdown, causing the knight to pack up his bedding overnight and quickly escape from the manor under the pretext of visiting an old friend.
Looking at the dazzling array of dishes on the table, Kai rubbed his stomach, which was growling with hunger from patrolling the night, and asked helplessly:
"It's already time, you have to let me eat first, right?"
"Of course, but how about the money to buy the ingredients?"
"Half for each of us, and I'll use the company account to reimburse my share."
"What about my labor costs?"
"I'm impressed. I have two bottles of good wine on my saddle. I was going to keep them to entertain the knights on night watch. Can you count them as my meal money?"
"Just barely."
Lorne hummed and nodded, reaching out to take one of the bottles of good wine from Kai's arms, whose face was full of pain.
However, as soon as he opened the seal and took a sip, his expression immediately changed and he spat out everything in his mouth:
"What a shitty wine! This is clearly the cheapest stuff in the village. What's even more shameful is that you even added water to it and divided one bottle into two! No wonder none of the knights wanted to drink it. You are so stingy even with the rewards for your subordinates. Are you still a human being?"
"Isn't it enough to be able to drink? Don't ask for so much."
Kai was not ashamed at all. He stuffed a piece of braised pork just out of the pot into his mouth and chewed it with satisfaction.
"Well, this meat tastes good. I want a few more pieces."
"Put the plate down, asshole!"
"I promised to pay for half of the ingredients, why can't I eat it?"
"I haven't eaten yet! Besides, can you please have some shamelessness in exchanging two bottles of watered-down ale for my food?"
"Your level is only worth this much."
The two big talkers started their daily quarrel around the dining table, and the living room was filled with a happy atmosphere.
Amid the noise, Altria picked up the cutlery on the table.
——Now that things have come to this, let’s eat first.
After a period of silent eating, the large bucket of steamed rice beside Altria and the dishes on the table were emptied at the speed of light.
(End of this chapter)
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