That morning after breakfast, he gathers Lady Ioanna, Veleria and Maya over and started asking them about laws governing a mercenary army. During his time at the abbey, Sister Colette had told him in passing that there is a law that governs the formation and use of mercenary forces, and told him that it may be legal to form one, but it has to abide to the strict protocols. Lady Ioanna echoed the same thing on their meeting and elaborated that mercenary units can be employed by any of the ruling houses but only on certain conditions, the most prominent was their employment on the border wars, as a sort of a stop gap, allowing the ruling houses more time to raise their own army and bring it to the field.
Valeria on the other hand offers a soldier's perspective about the whole thing, which is insightful really. One point that she raises that concern him was the fact that local folks distrusted mercenaries and frowns at any local lords when they employ mercenaries on local conflicts.
Maya on the one hand simply told him that despite the laws, there is nothing really that prevents anyone to raise a mercenary army. The law, she explains, only states the protocols and guidelines in forming those unit, placing certain protection on both the mercenary outfit and the contracting entity, and imposing stiff penalties if one side violated the contract, and a stiffer penalty to the mercenary outfit if they are the ones who violated the contract such as abandonment and breach of contract.
Lerris then asked about forming an army outside the territory of those lords and how would the other lords would see. His real concern at this point is the reaction of the local barons and the countess if they found that another ruling house was raising an army inside their territory. Because in his point of view, if it is fine to raise a mercenary army, would raising an army of retainers could cause a ruckus among the local barons and lords, and would they view at as a threat or something else.
Lady Ioanna had admitted that she did not think about it that far and told them that her family had little ties with the local lords within the principality of Jagger except for the usual trade. She also admits that she had no idea how the local lords would react. Even Anise, the lady's companion was not sure if the local lords would think it kindly if they suddenly find an army forming in their own backyard.
In the end, Lerris told Lady Ioanna that he would be forming a mercenary army under her name, so she could have direct command of the forces, and she could easily declare that forces as her formal army the moment they step into her principality. Lady Ioanna agreed to his suggestion.
After their meeting, her sister calls him and told him they need to restock their food cellar as they were running low on supply due to the large number of people that are feeding. It was trivial matter really, and told her he would take care of it.
He then called Maya and Karin over and gave them a dozen silver crown and told them to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some meat at Westen, and called Nico over and ask him to accompany them to market at Westen using the wagon. His cousin quickly agreed especially when he learns Karin is coming with them.
After that, he called out Valeria and when she came out, she was wearing a dress, in which she looks awkward in it, he told her that she needs to accompany him. The woman said yes and quickly went back into her room, and after a while, she came out dress up like a mercenary in her leather armor and with that long sword of hers strapped behind her back. Looking at her, she reminds him of the TV series that he used to watch back when he was still in college, Xena the warrior princess and he could not help but chuckle about it. As soon as she joins him, they both went outside the house and head straight to the horse shed.
Just as they were saddling their horse, Emma and Lydia quickly ran up to him and began pestering if they could come with him.
"Valeria, do you have a sisters like them?" Lerris asked Valeria in an exasperated tone.
YOU ARE READING
A New Life in a Parallel World
FantasyA man in his late forties suddenly found himself in a body of a young boy, in a parallel world. To survive he has to adapt to his new surroundings. (This is my first novel, fantasy genre, which I wrote out for fun)
