harleyscars Chapter 2 My Uncle Jules
Chapter 2 My Uncle Jules
Tiberius never imagined that one day he would be asked about his sexual orientation.
Tippi glanced sideways at Vito, watching him quietly.
"Alright, alright!" Vito chuckled, glancing away from the topic and patting Tiberius on the shoulder.
"Let's go eat first, then meet with our leader, Jules Maud—that's the real business! As for the team-building event at the Ries Erotic Park, we'll talk about that later!"
"By the way, Vito."
When Tiberius walked out of the corridor and into the living room, he looked at the richly dressed servants and couldn't help but ask a question.
In the courtyard, beautiful female slaves and strong male servants came and went; they often carried glass goblets filled with sweet local Lisbon wine.
They were mostly dressed in silk or fine linen. Some of the female slaves wore gold earrings, while the male servants' clothes were adorned with lace from Mil.
If it weren't for the "S" brand or tattoo on their collarbones, who would know they were actually slaves of Reis?
Compared to their servants, Vito and Tiberius were dressed more like servants or slaves.
"Vito, we merely repelled an invasion by the Ironborn pirates. How much commission did our employers pay our White Legion? How much did they pay my uncle to rent such a luxurious mansion for us? And with silk-clad female slaves serving us?"
In his memory, the White Legion was at best second-rate in the mercenary world of Essos. The legion had more than 1,500 experienced veterans, plus more than 400 knights from Westeros—among whom 120 heavily armored knights were the captain Jules's prized possession and trump card; opening up the battlefield depended on them.
In addition, there are about three hundred support personnel responsible for odd jobs and who can also take up arms when necessary. In the event of a large-scale battle, it may be necessary to temporarily recruit more slaves or free men as logistics personnel, or even to temporarily find some outsourced personnel from other mercenary groups.
Therefore, even if they achieved an extremely glorious victory or their employer offered them an extremely generous commission, Jules would not first provide his mercenaries with such a mansion to relax.
As the leader of the mercenary group, Jules' first priority was to pay the monthly salaries of the mercenary members and the compensation for the dead and wounded, while also putting some money into a public treasury as a reserve for the next operation.
As for Ries, this city has always been known for its extravagance, and the cost of living has always been very high, so living there is naturally a very luxurious thing.
In Tiberius’s memory, the mercenary group at most rented a multi-story civilian apartment building called “Insura” in Essos, a city in the civilian district.
These apartments are cramped, poorly ventilated, and have poor sound insulation. At night, you can always hear your neighbor's comrade venting his desires on a prostitute.
Even apartments like these aren't available for everyone after every victory.
Only after completing the most dangerous missions, or receiving a large commission from the employer, would his uncle, the captain, rent such an apartment for three months, allowing his mercenaries to experience the charm of Ries, the "City of Desire."
More often than not, they rent accommodations in rural areas or small towns on the outskirts of cities. These places are more suitable for caring for warhorses and are also cheaper.
Living in Lisze is no easy feat!
Tiberius could not help but be astonished that they now lived in such a mansion.
"Tiberius, don't be surprised, this is just a side courtyard. There's an entire large estate outside as our residence!" Vito said with a smile.
"Our current employer is Lisandro Rogal, the richest banker and landowner in all of Ries, and even the entire Three Daughters Kingdom! And we're just living in one of his suburban manor houses. It's nothing to him!"
"Besides, he also owns the best erotic perfume garden! That's why I suggested you join us for a team-building activity at the erotic garden... after all, the boss is paying. But I've heard that the boys there are more effeminate than effeminate, while some of the girls are more like men!"
At this point, Vito's lips curled into an extremely lewd grin.
"A girl who's like a man? Haha! That kind of wild horse needs a great rider!"
Upon reaching the kitchen doorway, Vito leaned against the entrance and shouted, "Cook, damn it... you fat lazybones! Get out here! My commander's nephew Tiberius is awake. Is there anything to eat?"
Then, half a cold salad, oat bread, a pot of hot beef stew in red wine, lemonade with ice, and silver cutlery were all laid out on a snow-white linen table.
The rich aroma of the food wafted into Tiberius's nose, instantly whetting his appetite.
No matter what, he had been unconscious for a day and was really starving.
"Hey, cook. Let me tell you, this young master, though only twelve, personally nailed a lowly Ironborn to the deck with a javelin, and this is all you give him?" Vito looked at the food, then slammed his hand on the table, nearly knocking the pot of beef to the ground. "What, you look down on me? Roast chicken, lamb leg, and Ries's most famous sturgeon pie!"
The cook adopted a fawning expression, bowing repeatedly to Vito. "It's already three o'clock, and this is all the food we have in the kitchen."
"However, our twenty-eight chefs are preparing a grand feast for you all tonight. Young Master and Lord Vito, you will naturally be able to enjoy a true Risso's Feast!"
"Young Master, Lord Vito, I'm sorry, please make do with this."
Tiberius tugged at Vito's sleeve, telling him not to make things difficult for the cook.
Why bother? After all, they're busy right now.
Once the cook had gone into the kitchen, Vito quietly explained to Tiberius.
"Tsk, Tiberius, you don't understand. These guys are Rogal's slaves. You can only make them obey if you're ruthless... A bunch of bastards! They call Rogal's whips and enslavement their master's mercy. If you're nice to them, they'll stomp on your face! These guys are just bastards, understand? In their eyes, we're nothing but a bunch of murderers, and they..." Vito sneered.
"They consider themselves servants of the wealthy and benevolent master Lisandro! They think they're superior to us."
"Alright... but Vito, our mission this time is tricky, isn't it?" Tiberius asked while swallowing a loaf of bread.
"Otherwise, Lord Lisandro Rogal wouldn't have gone to such lengths to let us stay in such a magnificent manor and provide such delicious food. Our mercenary group's rough men could even have team building activities in his erotic garden and play with those bed slaves."
"Putting everything else aside, Vitor," Tiberius swallowed a mouthful of bread with lemonade, pointing to the pot of beef stew in red wine, "can our legion eat this 'simple meal' every day when we're not on a mission? Tell me, who are we going to fight? Is the Kingdom of the Three Daughters about to have a civil war? Or is Pentos planning to attack Myr? The invasion of Volantis? Or is the Kingdom of the Three Daughters planning to provoke the Sleeping Dragon of King's Landing and try to claim the Iron Throne for themselves? Just so you know, if we're going on an expedition to Westeros, I'll be out of the loop."
Vito's smile immediately turned into terror.
"Tiberius, how did you guess that we were going to war with Volantis?"
"Well, now I understand," Tiberius thought to himself.
"However, you are not wrong," he said to Tiberius in a low voice.
“Yes, the Free City-State of Valantis, the eldest daughter of Valyria, the Queen of the Rhone River, the mistress of the Summer Sea… and the nightmare of the Kingdom of the Third Daughter.” Vito counted Valantis’ titles on his fingers. “Their recent movements on the border have made the governors of the Kingdom of the Third Daughter very uneasy, so the city-state representatives have united and plan to strike first.”
"Since 96 AC, when the Kingdom of the Three Daughters defeated Valantis in the border war and drove them out of the disputed lands, they have been relatively quiet. But after three years of recovery, they are now restless again. They have begun to reorganize their army, recruit mercenaries, and the Tiger Party and Elephant Party lords in their council are unusually quiet, and the 'war tax' has been passed unanimously by the council."
"The Ironborn invasion we encountered this time was their doing. We found gold coins from Valanthi in the ship's hold."
"And in the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, Rhys's fleet is strong, but his army is almost non-existent! But they happen to have their own colonies in the disputed lands, and they happen to be the first territories to face the vanguard of Valantis. So they need us to be the 'protectors of wealth and freedom,' of course, all that's just nice-sounding nonsense!" At this point, Vito's voice suddenly became shrill, much like those of a bloated millionaire.
"What they really mean is: suicide squad! For my olive groves and vineyards... and my pampered young lovers! Although I owe you three months' pay, for the sake of the Lord of Light, for the freedom of the city-state, we will fight to the end!"
"After eight years as a mercenary, my conclusion is: these employers are a bunch of misers, but they insist on making us risk our lives for the little money they give us..."
Tiberius felt a sudden jolt as he listened to Vito's complaints.
No, I just transmigrated, and now I'm going to be involved in a major war?
"Then... should I join the battle?" Tippi asked weakly.
I'm just a kid, it's not like I should be sent to the battlefield...
"Of course!" Vito looked at him with an expression that could only be described as "shocked".
"Didn't you keep saying you'd make sure every mercenary in the Contested Lands knew your name, Tiberius? What, did the Ironborn knock you out with a single oar?"
[Of course not, it's because the original Tiberius, that chuunibyou kid, is long dead.] Tiberius thought to himself.
"And you killed a man, not a boy!" Vito said.
"But I am only twelve years old. Although I can use a javelin, I..." Tiberius hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.
You can't hire mercenaries using child labor, can you?
"But what?" Vito asked, puzzled. "So what if I'm twelve? I've been in a mercenary group since I was nine, doing odd jobs just like you, but I still went to the battlefield when necessary. However, I killed someone for the first time when I was fifteen..."
"Moreover, in our contract with Rojall, you are also a member of the White Legion, and you have to work for him. He paid the commander a commission!" Vito said seriously.
"Once the treaty is completed, the contract must be completed no matter what! Listen, you know your uncle, our commander Jules, the White Legion he formed and leads is only a second-rate mercenary group, but why has it stood the test of time?" Vito asked.
"Keep your word," Tiberius uttered slowly.
Yes, keeping promises.
The White Legion will resolutely complete all tasks assigned in the employer's contract (provided that the commission is sufficient). In contrast, even if it is just a mercenary who fails to appear on the battlefield as stipulated in the contract, it is a disgrace to Le.
"During the war of 96AC, there was a knight who went to the city of Ries to meet his old flame. As a result, he missed the battle on the day of the assembly. Commander Jules didn't say a word, but cut off a piece of that guy's finger as compensation to his employer..." Vito said.
"In 94 AC, during the protection of the Tyrosh landowners' fertile fields from the Dothraki, Commander Jules risked his life to fulfill the contract, sustaining three arrow wounds!"
Well, Tiberius knew he couldn't escape this war.
Just as Vito said, his uncle "the trustworthy" Jules valued his credit immensely.
According to the signed contract, he was already a member of the legion.
If he ran away, according to Tiberius's memories of Leth, this uncle might really "sacrifice family for the greater good"!
"Don't panic, Tiberius!" he reassured himself. "Although we'll be going to the battlefield, it's just a civil war between free city-states... City-states, humph, how many troops can they send? Just a few thousand mercenaries and a few hundred cavalry."
"How many troops did both sides deploy in the last border war between Valantis and the Kingdom of the Three Daughters?" Tiberius asked.
"The 'Frontier War' of '96AC'?"
"Yes."
"Valantis mobilized five thousand elephants and nearly three hundred warships. I heard that half of Essos' mercenaries were employed by them... Of course, the other half were employed by the Kingdom of the Three Daughters. Both sides have employed nearly thirty thousand mercenaries..." Vito said the numbers nonchalantly, completely ignoring Tiberius's eyes, which were wide open like saucers.
"You know, mercenaries are all one family, and we always keep in touch very well. After all, sometimes we shoot a few arrows into the sky and beat drums and gongs, which is enough to make up for the little bit of wages we get from our employers. But when we actually get paid and treated well, it means we're really going to risk our lives..."
Tiberius's vision went black.
A mercenary's identity, a twelve-year-old's body, and the impending all-out war...
This newly arrived system is utterly useless!