"Miss Jenny?" Lord Reine appeared slightly surprised.
He had not expected Jenny to come and pick him up herself.
This showed how much the Crowley family valued his appointment as the family's Guardian Knight.
After some simple greetings, Lord Reine followed Jenny into the carriage.
Soon, the carriage was slowly heading towards the county town, expertly driven by the coachman, providing a smooth ride.
"Miss Jenny, have you ever heard of the 'Bat Market'?" Lord Reine suddenly asked.
"The Bat Market? I've never heard of that," Jenny replied, looking a bit bewildered. After thinking for a moment, she shook her head.
That was quite normal.
It seemed that the 'Bat Market' was quite secretive and not a place just anyone could enter.
That was troublesome.
On this trip, he had intended to visit the 'Bat Market' to see if there were any more items related to wizards or witchcraft for sale, and also to purchase some ingredients listed in the 'Beast Taming Diary.'
Jenny frowned in thought for a moment and said, "Lord Reine, perhaps my mother might know of this 'Bat Market' you speak of."
"If she doesn't know, I can also ask my friends."
"I believe if it's within Meist County City, the Crowley family can certainly help you locate it."
Lord Reine smiled slightly and said, "Well then, thank you, Miss Jenny."
Jenny made a valid point. Indeed, he had somewhat underestimated the resourcefulness and power of a noble family.
This instantly brightened Lord Reine's mood.
When they were halfway through their journey, Jenny seemed to remember something and said to Lord Reine, "By the way, Lord Reine, as per tradition, after you become a Guardian Knight of the Crowley family, we will provide you with a suit of knightly plate armor, appropriate weapons, and a warhorse."
"Of course, you can also choose Gold Coins as your reward."
"Which option would you prefer?"
This made Lord Reine quite pleased.
Lately, he had been somewhat short on funds. The three hundred imperial Gold Coins he brought to the Habsburg estate yesterday were almost all spent, mainly on knightly weapons and armor, which were substantial expenses.
Especially high-quality weapons and armor, which were worth ten or even several dozen times more than ordinary weapons.
A common militiaman's iron sword could be obtained for just a few silver coins and could be forged by any blacksmith in a small town.
However, swords fit for intense combat, like the Bastard Sword the Night Watchman was currently using, cost more than ten times as much, requiring four to five imperial Gold Coins each.
The Fine Steel Greatsword that Lord Reine had previously used cost twenty to thirty imperial Gold Coins.
The expense of good weapons was clearly evident.
After some thought, Lord Reine spoke up, "Miss Jenny, if it's convenient, let's just convert it into Gold Coins."
Why choose Gold Coins?
That was because Lord Reine had essentially secured his weapons himself. A 'Glimmering Greatsword' was currently strapped to his back, and although the Two-Handed Warhammer hadn't been forged yet, the blood-etched steel ingot for the material was already prepared.
Moreover, the weapons provided by the Crowley family were likely to be Fine Steel weapons of excellent quality but, to be honest, they didn't meet Lord Reine's combat needs.
Although Lord Reine currently lacked a suit of knightly plate armor, he already had a plan in mind to acquire one.
As for a warhorse, given his current status as a deputy of public safety, he could use the 'public carriage'—the warhorses housed in the administrative stable for transportation.
If he were to raise a warhorse himself, one issue was that he had no stable at home; secondly, caring for a horse was quite a hassle.
Jenny smiled slightly and said, "Lord Reine, just as I guessed."
She then opened a nearby brown wooden box, took out a heavy leather purse, and said, "Lord Reine, this is your annual payment, five hundred imperial Gold Coins."
Lord Reine looked at Jenny with a bit of surprise.
He had not expected the money to be paid even before he officially became the Crowley family's Guardian Knight.
Besides, after inquiring about prices from Hamilton, he had to admit the amount was quite generous, even higher than he had anticipated.
It was indeed nice to feel valued.
"Thank you, Miss Jenny," Lord Reine immediately accepted and thanked her.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the outskirts of Meist County City.
From the carriage window, Lord Reine saw that pedestrians and carriages were increasingly frequent, and a tall, dark-gray city wall extended in front of his line of sight.
This was his first visit to the county town, which was named Meist, with the entire Meist County named after the city, a common naming convention in the Dragan Empire.
As the Crowley family's carriage approached the city gate, Lord Reine saw a long queue of people entering the city, split into two, lining up at the smaller side gates. Your journey continues on mvl
From their attire, these people were mostly commoners, mercenaries, and merchants, undergoing inspections and paying fees to enter the city.
The widest main gate, however, was relatively empty, even if a few carriages passed by, they barely stopped before moving on.
The carriage Lord Reine was in headed straight for the main gate, and upon seeing the Crowley family's baronial crest on the carriage, the guards clad in chainmail and wielding long spears quickly allowed them through.