King of Mercenaries

Chapter 22: Lost

When Marin came to Vienna again, it was already at the end of November. In fact, if Marin wants to come early, it will take only ten days. After all, there are no walkers in their ranks, they are riding and driving. However, because on the way, Marin often led the team to kill the wild boar in the forest, wasting a lot of time. Therefore, Marin and his party arrived in Vienna at the end of November. In other words, they spent more than a month from departure to arrival. After entering the city, Marin began to look for a place to live. But what surprised him was that at this time the hotel in Vienna City was almost full. After many inquiries, he realized that Emperor Maximilian I began to recruit mercenaries. Therefore, the warriors who want to work for the emperor all over the country are coming. This led to the fullness of the Vienna hotel business.

In this era, Vienna is just a city of more than 20,000 people. When the Ming Dynasty was put in the same period, this population is equivalent to a state city and a city. But in medieval Europe, this is already a big city.

How many hotels can you have in a small town with a population of more than 20,000? Therefore, when thousands of young people who volunteered as mercenaries flocked to Vienna, the hotel would not be enough. Many of them couldn't live in hotels, even bought tents and settled in the city directly. Marin and his team of seven people, as well as six horses and a cow, naturally can not find the land. To this end, Marinte dealt with the residents of the city, rented a small yard, and temporarily hired the owner of the yard to help buy the fodder of cattle and horses. After finding an placement, Marin continued to go to the pub in the city to inquire about the news.

The situation and Marin's estimates are not much different, and even worse. Originally, Marin believed that although Emperor Majesty had difficulty getting money from the Imperial Parliament, he could still get a war tax in Austria and Burgundy. But the reality is that Austria's tax is no problem. After all, the Habsburg family has been ruling here for a long time, and the control is not bad. The Principality of Burgundy was inherited by Maximilian I through the marriage of the daughter of "Bold Charle" the Duke of Burgundy. Strictly speaking, Maximilian I is currently only the regent of the Principality of Burgundy. The true master of the Principality of Burgundy is the son of Maximilian I, the Philip "beautiful". Of course, this is Philip's later nickname. At the moment, Philip is still a big boy who is about the same age as Marin.

In the Principality of Burgundy, there is its own aristocratic parliament. And this council has the local tax rights. Even if the Duke levies taxes, he must obtain the consent of this council.

Unfortunately, the Burgundian Parliament, and Maximilian I did not deal with it very much. Once, Maximilian I was placed under house arrest in the Burgundian palace by the Burgundian Parliament. Finally, the father of Maximilian I sent a soldier to rescue him. Therefore, the control of Maximilian I in the Principality of Burgundy was not as strong as Marin thought. It is as difficult as Maximilian I to impose a war tax on the Principality of Burgundy as much as it is difficult to obtain a war tax authorization in the Imperial Parliament. Therefore, Maximilian I has only collected a number of war taxes in Austria. The number is limited and the number of troops that can be supported is limited. If you want to expand on a large scale, at least you have to wait until the Imperial Parliament and the Burgundian Parliament agree that he will impose a war tax. At the moment, the emperor with limited funds can only recruit some troops first. However, when the emperor was recruited, the enthusiasm of the people of the country was high. You must know that to fight for the emperor, getting a salary is secondary, and being able to become a nobleman is the most tempting. What is the emperor? The emperor was the largest aristocratic powerhouse of the Holy Roman Empire. As long as the emperor is willing, he can promote a count as a duke, seal the duke as a king, or seal an ordinary person as a noble. As long as you can give a noble title,

Even if you don't get a salary, there will be a lot of people going on. Therefore, as soon as they heard that the emperor recruited troops, all kinds of people from all over the country flocked to Vienna. Among them, there are sons who have no inheritance rights, such as wandering knights, bankrupt farmers and handicraftsmen, and even gangsters. They all do the same rich dreams and gather in Vienna. Among them, the most favored by the emperor, the number of wandering knights. The wandering knights are all born in the knight family, all of whom are martial arts and have far more fighting power than ordinary people. Moreover, wandering knights usually bring their own horses, armor and weapons. As long as the wandering knights are teamed up and trained a little, they can be put into the war as a powerful force. At the same time, Maximilian I was actually a plate control, especially fond of Gothic plate. Otherwise, he will not personally design the famous Maximilian armor in a few years. However, for Maximilian I, there is a big problem - it takes a lot of money to feed the knight. In general, recruiting an infantry, paying only 3 Finney's salary every day, and providing soldiers with free meals during the war, that is, the kind of black bread that can be used as a brick. Recruiting a knight is not the same, recruiting a knight, paying a salary of up to 2 shillings per day (24 Finney). In addition, the cost of the knight's five attendants is the responsibility of the knight, but the knights and the followers, as well as the food of their animals, must be undertaken by the emperor. Therefore, the cost of recruiting a knight is high.

Moreover, after the battle of Nancy, the situation of the knight fell after the situation of the Swiss pikemen restrained the plate knight. Maximilian I, who also imitated Swiss mercenaries, began recruiting civilians in Germany to serve as pikemen and learn Swiss tactics. Of course, the role of the knight is also great. Not to mention the love of Maximilian I for the armored knights. On the battlefield, once the enemy's pikemen are torn apart, they need the knights to launch assaults and expand the results. And the enemy's artillery positions also need the knight to stop. Because the artillery threat to the pikemen's front is too great. In the Anglo-French war, the French were initially unable to find the North by the British longbow soldiers. However, after the heavy use of artillery in the latter half of the period, they gradually reversed the situation and eventually rushed the British out of France. The artillery bombarded the pikemen lined up in a dense formation, absolutely sweeping a large piece. Napoleon, the incomparable general and emperor, was relying on a large number of artillery pieces lined up to smash the other infantry line. However, at that time, the French army used a huge variety of ammunition, but now the artillery is still a solid bullet or even a stone bomb.

This time, Marin heard the news that the emperor decided to use the Austrian tax to recruit 500 knights and 5000 pikemen. When he heard that the emperor only recruited 500 knights, and Marin felt bad. You must know that there are many small countries in the German region, and the knights are everywhere. Therefore, in the German region, there are wandering knights everywhere. Today, the emperor recruits, and the wandering knights who come to apply for it are estimated to be thousands. However, as long as the emperor has 500 people, this is too pit. This difficulty is much more difficult than the undergraduate entrance exam. It is difficult to test the famous university. In fact, the Emperor recruited the 500 knights and used them as military officers. In Europe, officers are generally aristocrats. For example, the emperor's army commander is currently served by the Earl of Hohenzollern in the Swabian Division. However, an army, in addition to senior officers, also has grassroots officers. It is impossible for civilians to serve as officers, even if they are not at the grassroots level. At most, civilians can only mix a non-commissioned officer. Therefore, the general grassroots officers are composed of knights, the worst, but also the wandering knights of the knight family. Because, in this era, civilians have basically not received military education. Only aristocratic families will teach military skills and tactical tactics. Therefore, these 500 knights are actually the grassroots officers prepared by the emperor for the future army. It turns out that Marin's feelings are right. When the news was received, the population of Vienna increased instantaneously. In order to prevent some mercenaries who are not afraid of death from messing around in the city, Maximilian I arranged the recruitment of infantry outside the city of Vienna. As for the city, he was only responsible for recruiting knights.

But what surprised Marin was that there were already three or four thousand wandering knights in the city. Moreover, there are also wandering knights coming from all over the world.

Finally, by the end of December, Maximilian I announced the beginning of the contest, to select the knights. The competition is implemented in the elimination system. If the first round is eliminated, there will be no more opportunities. And if you can survive the first round, there is another chance to challenge. The official competition is divided into three games. After the draw draws the opponent, the first game is not a match, but the organization personnel verify the knight warriors, armor and weapons. Especially the war horses, you can't take work horse as a war horse. To this end, there will be professional professional horses, reviewing the knight's war horse. After all, the emperor recruited ready-to-use mercenaries who needed to be recruited to bring their own horses and weapons armor. If the emperor is to prepare for the war horse, the cost is too high. Therefore, only the knights who have completed the warhorse and the armor of the weapon can enter the second round - the battle. After the end of the battle, it is a horse fight.

Marlin was not very lucky, and in the first round he got a very strong knight. Looking at his face, it is estimated that around the age of twenty-seven, it is the peak of a knight. Marin was only 16 years old and still not fully developed. The first round of verification of horses and weapons armor, naturally no problem. The armor legs and boots that Marin originally lacked were also re-matched at the Hoffmann Manor.

In the second round of battle, Marin and the knight, fighting with wooden two-handed swords. For the battle, Marin has little strength, but both the opponent and Marin have rich combat skills. Moreover, the traverser Marin also knows the Taiji principle of "four or two."Therefore, in the battle, although the strength is much smaller than the opponent, Marin often uses the "four or two pounds" approach, always swaying the wooden sword that the opponent has come across, making the opponent's fierce attack no achievements. European knights, martial arts are not like the Eastern martial arts, and they are paying attention to footwork. Because, even if the knight is fighting, he is wearing a full-body plate it is inconvenient to want to move for a long time on foot.

Therefore, the knights fight, usually using two-handed swords or battle mace (Bec de Corbin), violently slashing or confronting each other. Because both armor are very thick, the fight continues until one yield.

Marin is not afraid of violence. Although, his strength is much smaller than his opponent. However, he knows a little Tai Chi sword. Even with a two-handed sword, he can also slash the other side's slash. However, the Taiji sword is not good at attacking. He can swing the other's wooden sword, but he can't bring his opponent down. Because, the knight who played against him, the bottom plate is very stable, even if the wooden sword is swayed, he will not lose his focus. So, in the duel, Marin and the knight played for a long time. Unlike the competitions of other knights, often one or two outbreaks, one person lost. In the end, the referee was impatient, and announced that they were fighting together. Then, the two entered the horse battle. The competition was immediately carried out on a long strip of land. In the middle of the field, there is a wooden fence. The knights on both sides are on the side of the fence, and the fences are on the right side of their direction. After the start of the contest, the two knights drove their respective horses and began to accelerate. The right hand slammed the lance and violently collided over the wooden fence. Moreover, the requirements of the competition, only to stab the opponent's chest, prohibiting the stabing of the head and the horse, this is to minimize casualties. It is because of these many restrictions that Marin can't let go. Hard against the opponent, Marin's strength is obviously not an opponent. However, when wearing a full set of armor, he can try dodge on the horseback.

Sure enough, after the first collision, Marin felt the strength of his opponent's strength. Although Marin escaped the hit of the opponent's lance, he used his own lance to open the opponent's stance. However, this round of collision made his arm numb. After barely resisting the two rounds, Marin felt that his arm was not his own. Finally, in the third round of the hedge, the opposite knight seemed to adapt to the style of Marin, stunned a shot, avoided the blockage of Marin's lance, and quickly stroked Marin's breastplate and knocked down Marin from the horse. This knight's horse speed is much higher than when he played against two rookies at home and Kahn and Schwartz. Moreover, there is no soft dirt on the ground, but an iced dirt. Therefore, after falling off the horse, Marin could not climb for a long time. In the end, it was only after the help of the attendants that they were carried back to the cattle cart that Kohler drove. However, in accordance with the principle of a round of elimination, the knight were selected, and Marin was already unsuccessful and did not qualify for the challenge. So, lying on the cart, Marin was hurt. Not only was my body hurt, but my heart was also sad.

"As a traverser, am I not the protagonist? Why, this knight trial, I can't even go through the first round? When I can't be an emperor's knight, how can I stand out as an officer? Is it a gunman of the pikemen?" In bed, Marin thought sadly.

In fact, the most important reason why the Marin's place is to apply to be recruited by the emperor is for Marin identity. Now Marin, don't look at the difference between a piece of equipment and other knights, but in fact, he is not a real knight. At least, the official does not recognize him as a formal knight. Like Marin, he has the resources and abilities of a knight, but has not yet been officially recognized. There is a special name - the trainee knight. Trainee knight, can only be regarded as a prepared knight, not a formal knight. You know, the officially recognized knighthood is aristocrat. The trainee knight can only count as a civilian before he is sealed. There are three types of knights. The first one is the most wanted, called the landed knight. This kind of knight is usually set up by the senior lord or the king as a landed knight after the heroic battle, and rewards the seal (the land). The seal can be hereditary, but only if this family of knights, each generation must provide a fully armed knight for the lord to fight for the lord or king. If there is no person in the family who can serve as a knight, the seal may be withdrawn. There are also those that are not taken back, depending on the mood of the lord of this knight family. Like the Hoffman family, it is the family of pickers in Mark Bo. The eldest son of each generation of the Hoffman family must wear a plate armor and ride a war horse to fight when summoned by the count.

Below the sealed knight, it is the Knight of the House. These knights are generally born in the non-eldest sons of the aristocratic family, including the knights, who were born without inheritance. In order to keep their nobility, they have been practicing martial arts and riding a war since childhood. Because there is no land for them, the non-eldest sons of these noble families (usually low-ranking aristocrats) have to apply to the great aristocrats to become the knights of the great aristocrats or kings. They are stationed in the castles of the great aristocrats for a long time like mercenaries and keeping the safety of the aristocratic family and castle property.

In return, the king or the great aristocrats will give these knights the official knight title. Since then, these people have become nobles and enjoy many privileges.

As for the trainee knight, before the official title, it was just an ordinary person, not a nobleman. Although, their combat power may not be worse than the official knight.

The reason why Marin sharpened his head to apply for the Imperial Knight was to obtain a formal knight title and obtain the lowest aristocratic identity. With the aristocratic identity, Marin will not be used as a bodyguard by the big guys, and will be killed.

In fact, in addition to recruiting knights, the emperor also recruited heavy cavalry. The heavy cavalry is almost the same as the knight, wearing a plate armor, holding a lance, and charging with the knight. Moreover, these heavy cavalry are also basically from the knight family.

However, Marin did not want to be a heavy cavalry. Because even if it becomes a heavy cavalry, it is impossible to obtain a knight title. Without a title, you cannot be a nobleman. Moreover, in combat, the official knights are naturally officers, and without the knight's title, they are naturally big-headed, and at most they are higher than the infantry. Medieval Europe, aristocratic identity, like the identity of the scholars of the Ming Dynasty, is a versatile pass. In the Ming Dynasty, scholars can walk the world without being restrained. Ordinary people, if they leave their hometown, they must go to the official government to open the way, otherwise they will travel illegally. The same is true in Europe. The nobility can travel across the world and even exempt from the city tax. And civilians, must enter the city to be included in the city tax, and pass the various taxes. Moreover, sometimes you encounter an arrogant tax official, give you a tax, blackmail you, you have no way. But for the nobility, they have no right to do so. Even the aristocrats are killing people, and they will not be sentenced to death, and they will lose up to a maximum of money. Unless he killed the same aristocrat. In short, the nobles who are traversing Europe can do anything, as long as they do not encounter nobles who are more powerful than themselves. This is also the reason why Marin wants to have an aristocratic identity. At least, when he is a nobleman, he will not be killed easily.