Mount & Blade: Rebuilding Rome from Mercenaries

The candlelight in the castle hall cast flickering shadows on the stone walls. Count Richard's face was as dark as the calm before a storm, and the servants bowed their heads and retreated, not daring to utter a word.

Tancred stood to the side, his brows furrowed. Although he couldn't hear the captain of the guard's whisper, the count's reaction said it all.

"Tankred!" The Count looked up abruptly, his grey-blue eyes burning with rage. "My damned sister Emma! She heard I was arranging a marriage for her, so she eloped with a wandering Norman youth!"

"Elopement! How could a daughter of the Drogon family do something so shameful?!"

Tankred's heart sank.

Elopement was a huge scandal among medieval nobles, especially for Norman lords like Richard who valued tradition.

Moreover, the count's sister has now run off with an unknown vagrant, ruining not only the count's plans but also making the Drogon family a laughingstock among the other lords for not being able to control their own daughter.

"My lord," Tancred asked cautiously, "who was that young man? Where did they go?"

Richard, panting heavily, slammed his fist on the table. "I don't know. All I know is that the boy is a wanderer, landless and penniless, definitely a smooth-talking slut. Emma left a letter last night saying something about 'not wanting to marry a stranger, but wanting to follow true love.' True love? Ha! It's just that boy's sweet talk that fooled her! My guards checked; they should have gone east, crossed the plains of Aversa, and entered a small Lombard village. But we don't know exactly where."

"Tankred, I can't make this public. You have to find my sister for me privately, that'll be my request, okay?"

Tancred nodded; he knew the Earl had given a death order.

To refuse would be tantamount to betraying the Earl's trust. To accept would allow them to further strengthen their relationship and perhaps gain more resources.

"Sir, I accept," Tancred said. "I will take men and give chase. I want her alive or dead... oops, no, Miss Emma must return safely!"

Tankred saluted and withdrew, then rode back to camp. The winter wind blew across the plains, the withered grass swayed, and his thoughts raced.

This quest really does resemble the "Finding Your Daughter" quest in Mount & Blade! First, gather information, then negotiate, and finally, a duel...

Unfortunately, this is the real Middle Ages, and it's not as simple as in the game.

However, since they have escaped into the village, Anna, who is familiar with the situation, may be of great help!

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"Sir," Anna frowned after listening to Tancred's account, "Miss Emma, ​​I've seen him a few times at the market in Aversa, but I don't really recognize him."

"It's alright, Anna. You're just helping me gather information between the villages. I'll also lead Old John and the others to search from another route."

Early the next morning, Tancred led the group to set off. Anna stayed behind in a nearby village to gather information, while Old John, Young John, and Bashir accompanied them. The four rode eastward along the plain, passing through an olive grove and entering a small Lombard village. The first village was called "Valdivia," with several mud-brick houses surrounding a church. The villagers, wrapped in coarse robes, watched the Norman knights warily.

Tancred dismounted and tossed a silver coin to the village chief: "Friends, we're looking for two people. A Norman youth and a Norman girl. The girl has blonde hair and wears a cloak. Did you see anyone like that pass by last night?"

The village chief weighed the silver coin in his hand, then shook his head. "Never seen one, sir. This is a remote and impoverished place; you Normans rarely come here. I've never seen any girl wearing a blue-trimmed cloak."

?

I didn't say anything about a blue cloak.

Upon hearing this, Bashir immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Uncle, stop pretending! A blue-trimmed cloak? Tell the truth!"

The village chief's eyes flickered, but he ultimately did not give in.

Tancred didn't press the matter, tossed down the copper coin, and left. The situation was similar in the next village, "Montevaldo." The villagers remained tight-lipped, so Tancred sent Bashir to a tavern to get a farmer drunk. The farmer, slurring, said, "Last night there really was a couple... a young man and woman on horseback, the girl sitting behind... heading east, across the river, towards the Santa Maria Monastery... wearing blue-trimmed cloaks..."

Meanwhile, news also arrived from Anna; she had confirmed some clues through the elders of Cassignano.

Emma, ​​draped in a cloak, appeared in Montevaldo; the villagers saw them crossing the river.

Sure enough, elopements always prefer to hide in remote monasteries! Tankred couldn't help but grumble.

On the third day, they arrived at Santa Maria. The small monastery in the village had a towering bell tower, surrounded by vineyards. The village chief, an old Lombard with graying hair and beard, turned pale when he saw the Norman knight.

"We're after a couple who eloped. The young Norman, the girl from the Drogon family. Don't hide, we know they're in the village," Tancred said bluntly.

The village chief stammered, "God above, sir... we don't want to get involved in noble feuds..."

Old John stepped forward, drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight: "Old man, speak quickly! Otherwise, the Norman sword doesn't recognize God!"

Bashir tossed out a bag of copper coins: "Uncle, I told you, let's all be friendly!"

Finally, the village chief sighed, "They came last night. The young man said he wanted to marry the girl and asked the village priest to officiate the wedding. The priest refused, so they stayed at the farmhouse at the east end of the village. They should still be there this morning."

Tankred decisively led his team straight to the farmhouse, while Bashir grabbed the money bag and left the village chief with not a single coin.

"Who are you?!"

The wooden door was half-open, and a tall, brown-haired youth was kneeling on the ground, holding the hand of a blonde girl. On the table were rough bread and wine. Upon hearing the sound, the youth drew his sword and stood up.

Tancred sneered, "I am Tancred de Conteville, sent by Count Richard to take Miss Emma home. I hope you won't be ungrateful!"

The young man opposite him had a livid face, his sword tip pointing at Tankred as he said, "I love Emma, ​​and she came with me willingly! But your count wants to sell her out for someone else's alliance, and I will never agree to that!"

Emma also stood up, shielding Eric: "Tankred, I know you, I know you're a morally upright person! I don't want to marry a stranger. Eric truly loves me, you have to believe me!"

"Miss," Tancred shook his head, "this is a nobleman's duty, the Earl's order, and I must carry it out. If you get your lover to lay down his sword and come with me, the Earl might spare his life."

The young man, sword in hand, continued to approach, shouting:

"Surrender? Absolutely not! Unless you step over my dead body!"

"Come on, Tancred, right? You must be a Norman too?"

"Let's settle this with a Norman duel!"