The young farr soldier said sowhat bashfully, "No, Lord, it's not that I'm cowardly, I'm just worried that if we die on the battlefield, we won't be able to repay the Count's kindness—you know, we haven't even managed to pay a copper coin in taxes to the Count yet."
Not long ago, the tax officer Reynard in Hebron had just collected the midsumr taxes.
The next tax paynt day was set for the Michaelmas at the end of September.
Fabio laughed heartily and said, "Listen, little Karami. The Count granted you land, provided you with rations, lent you farming tools and livestock for plowing, and had train you in combat skills, not to send you to the battlefield to die."
Fabio was the best among the many Imperial Knights because he understood the Saracen language, even better than Losa.
Although Losa had studied Arabic and Kurdish from Prajna for a long ti, due to accent issues, he still often ended up talking past each other when conversing with the people of the land.
Fabio loudly said to the farr soldiers he trained, "Would recruiting those inadequately clothed and starving, fanatically faithful and fearlessly brave Frankish pilgrims be more expensive than us?"
"Look at the armor on you; it's even more valuable than all your possessions combined. Do you not understand the expectations the Count has for you?"
The farr soldiers shouted:
"That's right, Lord Fabio is right, everyone knows what the Lord and the Count have done for us."
"With Heavenly Father above, in this battle, I must kill a few heretics to repay our lord's kindness."
"We will let those enemies know that we are not only capable of using hoes and pitchforks."
The farr soldiers might have limited insight, but they were definitely not fools.
Fabio couldn't help but laugh and said, "Lads, don't forget what I taught you. You need not be overly brave in this battle, just follow my orders as in training."
The marching troop's footsteps beca much lighter during the conversation.
So farr soldiers quietly complained to Karami, "You shouldn't speak to Lord Fabio like that. The Count liberated us, made us free n, and we can fill our own bellies."
Angrily, he said, "Don't forget how you lived before, working the fields with the plow every day, getting whipped for slacking off, and being chained like a dog at night."
"It is the Count who gave us such a good life; for this, even to sacrifice life, what shouldn't be done?"
The young farr soldier lowered his head and stamred, "So...sorry, but it's just that seeing the good life in front of us, I am even more reluctant to just die like that."
His tone grew solemn: "Now we have our own land, and the rent we have to pay is pitifully less than before… Moreover, it's fertile land by the river, so fertile that it doesn't need livestock for deep plowing, and can produce endless oats."
"The Lord has also permitted us to cut trees from his forest to build houses... I was just thinking about building a granary and raising a patterned cat to catch mice."
"If my mother hadn't starved to death back then, she would have been very happy now."
The farr soldier accusing him fell silent.
Famine, for peasants unable to save surplus grain, is a nightmare.
The forr Lord Hussein never cared about their life or death.
During tis of grain shortage, he would rather send grain to the city to sell than lend it to grain-deficient serfs.
Except for those self-farming peasants with so land, as they could use their land for debt repaynt.
The shadow in front of him enlarged.
Fabio's silhouette on horseback appeared before him: "Little Karami, is this life alone what satisfies you? Do you not yearn to ride a tall steed and wear a bright new armor that can reflect your image like ?"
The young farr soldier subconsciously swallowed.
Although they all wore armor, these farr soldiers were far behind compared to knights like Fabio in plate armor.
It's the difference between a beggar and a king!
The young farr soldier opened his mouth, sowhat in disbelief, "Can we also?"
He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to wear such armor and ride such a magnificent horse.
The rest of the farr soldiers were filled with desire and anticipation.
Fabio's grand vision was simply too enticing.
"The Count is a generous man; I think you all have realized this.
Moreover, you have all converted to the true faith.
Then, after you have accomplished enough rits, what reason does he have not to bestow upon you the re title of Knight?"
Fabio said so.
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