Through Count Euz, I'd been informed of some Burgundian deserters who hadn't been able to return to their homeland after the last war. They were causing trouble along the Euz-Burgundy border.
I remembered many of them being from Holland or Flanders.
But why were they still wandering around the area instead of going home?
Hilda, who had heard plenty from my father-in-law and Michael, cleared up my confusion.
"They probably can't return home because of debt."
"Debt? Mercenaries take on debt to participate in a war?"
"They need their own funds to travel to a war zone, but mercenaries who love to spend lavishly aren't likely to have saved any money. Most of them borrow from moneylenders to cover their travel expenses."
"So the plan is to earn money through plundering and pay it back when they return. But what if they die and can't pay it back?"
"The moneylenders aren't fools. Do you think they'd just lend the money? They'd hold collateral."
