Real Mount and Blade Game

Chapter 77: Profits of the Black Market Caravan

Fatis rode on this sturdy Swadian warhorse, looking at the dense vegetation around him, the straight and hard roads, and the huge, angular super-large towers. His head under the flat-top helmet was already stunned with shock.

This other world is really amazing.

As early as when he was traveling in the continent of Calradia, he had heard that in the legendary other world, there was a great man who was blessed by God.

As long as you recite his name devoutly and are willing to follow him, you can go to his side.

At first, Fatis didn't believe it.

However, as the entire Swadia Kingdom, his native country, began to spread the reputation of that great man and the astonishing things in the other world in a miraculous way.

Fatis's heart was also shaken.

Even the robbers who once roamed the towns and the wilds and specialized in doing evil things began to connect with each other and spread the reputation of the great man's kindness and generous attitude.

More and more people, more and more people who have been devastated by the years of seemingly endless wars on this continent, have begun to believe this.

Everyone was discussing the big shot in whispers or openly.

Even those nobles who were originally high and mighty would discuss with great interest what the legendary figure did in the other world in their spare time during banquets or martial arts competitions.

And when Fatis traveled to Dehrim, a prosperous town in the center of the continent of Calradia.

We even saw a group of soldiers who went to another world and came back for additional special training.

To be precise, it was a group of new recruits.

To be more precise, they were a group of villagers who had fled or immigrated from the Kingdom of Swadia. After several battles, they were recruited as new soldiers by the legendary figure, and then sent back for special training to become militia. Then they returned to the other world to fight for him.

Out of curiosity, Fatis went over to inquire about the details.

Then, I knew about that different world.

Got it Shen Mu.

Know about that horrible undead monster.

And I also know that Shen Mu, this legendary figure with miraculous powers, has a journey full of miracles and hope in another world.

Although there, you will still experience various battles and encounter terrible enemies.

But everyone says it.

Over there, there is no high or low, and no class gap.

As long as you are willing to.

Whether it is fighting hard on the battlefield or working hard in the village.

Everyone can get their own reward.

Can get...

A bright future!

So Fatis was tempted, and followed the 400 Swadian militiamen, mixed with a caravan that looked a bit creepy but was considered normal, and planned to go to another world together.

After passing a strange forest and darkness, it was all in a blink of an eye.

Fatis discovered it.

I really came to another world and saw that person coming out to greet me personally.

Young and vigorous.

At just one glance, it was as if he saw King Bihalos, the ruler of the Swadian Kingdom who had personally appointed him as a noble.

We must respect, admire, and honor Shen Mu even more!

"That person... is the legendary big shot, Shen Mu?" Fatis' heart was beating violently at this time, and an excitement from the soul level made him take off the flat-top helmet on his head.

Then he tapped the horse's belly with his legs, causing the Swadian warhorse, which was not wearing armor, to trot faster.

Just when he was about twenty meters away from Shen Mu.

Just hold the reins.

Turn over and dismount.

He casually hung the flat-top helmet and lance on the hook of the warhorse's saddle, and simply adjusted the chain mail on his body to make sure it was still flat.

He immediately walked over quickly and knelt on one knee with the etiquette of a noble knight.

He said in a deep voice: "I am Fatis from the Kingdom of Swadia, a knight, a cavalry officer, and the Suno region. Nice to meet you, respected Lord Shen Mu."

Shen Mu was standing in front of him.

Looking at this sturdy and well-proportioned young man, wearing chain mail, a half sword on his waist, and a fan-shaped shield hanging behind him, he was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old and half-kneeling in front of him.

Shen Mu smiled and nodded gently in response: "Very good, Fatis, I have heard of you."

In the world of Mount and Blade, this Fatis is indeed an excellent cavalry general.

And the individual cavalry combat capability is also very strong.

He is one of the heroes in the good camp. Once you meet him, you can choose to recruit him without thinking too much.

And the most satisfying thing is that recruiting this Fatis does not require any dinars.

It means you don’t have to spend any money.

Even when there was a shortage of maintenance funds or even no food, Fatis would not come out to protest.

He is simply a standard template of a knight who places great emphasis on character and despises money.

"You... have heard of me?"

But Shen Mu's response made Fatis slightly stunned, and even his tone changed slightly.

His originally straight back, including the seemingly unbreakable spine, now slightly hunched.

He lowered his head, pursed his lips and didn't say anything for a while.

Because he has original sin.

"Of course, Fatis, as an excellent cavalry officer, you have the excellent character of compassion and care for civilians and soldiers. Even here, I have heard and praised your name from many civilians."

Shen Mu chuckled and nodded.

He walked over, came to Fatis personally, stretched out his hands and helped him up.

Looking at his young and confused face.

Shen Mu patted his shoulder and said seriously: "I like the Kingdom of Swadia very much. I also like you, Fatis, who was born in the Kingdom of Swadia, is good at commanding heavy cavalry, and has rich command experience."

As he spoke, Shen Mu pointed to the livestock shed that was visible from afar inside the east city gate.

He said in a positive tone: "I have 40 Swadian heavy cavalry. From now on, you will lead the team in person. I think you will definitely not let me down."

"Invite me to be the captain of the cavalry..." Fatis said blankly.

Of course he saw inside the city gate.

That was because those Swadian heavy cavalrymen did not join the battle last night and had ample opportunity to put on armor and conduct impromptu drills during the day.

Whether it is the chain mail on the cavalry or the chain vest worn by the Swadian warhorses.

All very familiar!
Because the Swadian war horses of Fatis have the same shape.

Even the chain mail he was wearing.

It’s the same style too!

If he hadn't been forced to leave the family because of that incident, he would have been able to wear an extra piece of precious half-sleeved plate armor and come here in a more elite manner!
"But, Lord Shen Mu, there are many more stories behind me."

Fatis didn't want to deceive others.

Therefore, at this time, he wanted to report his experience to Shen Mu in full.

Then let Shen Mu decide whether to take him in and hire him as the cavalry captain, an important appointment as an army commander.

"Everyone has a story." Shen Mu chuckled and stretched out his hand to signal a pause.

He took the initiative to stop Fatis from explaining himself.

Of course he knew the story behind the cavalry captain Fatis, who was guilty of parricide because of a socialite in the aristocratic circle who accidentally killed his own brother.

But Shen Mu also knew that this was really just a background story.

It was just a miss.

Among the NPCs in the world of Mount & Blade, Fatis is a noble, but his behavior is almost the same as Bandak, the tribune who was born a commoner.

All of them have compassionate and upright character.

It is someone you can trust.

"Follow me, Knight Fatis, my cavalry captain."

Shen Mu patted his shoulder again, as if they were old friends who had known each other for a long time, and made arrangements on the spot: "Then go and welcome the returning Swadian militiamen. After entering the village, let them settle down first."

"I... understand! Thank you for your kindness, Master Shen Mu."

Fatis bowed his head in gratitude.

he knows.

This gave him enough face.

While Shen Mu and Fatis were simply communicating, the 400 Swadian militiamen also arrived here and lined up neatly.

Each of them wore a cotton hat, a cotton robe with a waistband, carried an old fan-shaped shield on his back, and had a pickaxe and a hunting crossbow on his waist, as well as a quiver of 24 crossbow arrows.

In addition, he was holding a spear about 2 meters long in his hand and his face was full of excitement.

Looks very energetic!

"Hello! Lord Shen Mu!"

These Swadian militiamen spoke in unison, their voices filled with joyful cheers.

Clearly, they like it here.

Willing to follow Shen Mu, this legendary figure, to create a new world with a bright future in this alien world!
"Well, let's all go in." Shen Mu nodded, signaling them to follow Fatis's arrangements.

"Alright, everyone! Follow me back inside the city wall and return to your positions!"

Fatis greeted.

These trained and disciplined Swadian militia responded and began to quickly enter the city walls.

There was no extraneous sound except for the sound of footsteps and the occasional collision of wooden shields.

Appears to be extremely efficient and disciplined.

"good."

Shen Mu nodded in satisfaction.

Looking at the back, there were 10 caravan guards on horseback and 5 horse-drawn carriages loaded with goods, pulled by pack horses.

There were also 20 mercenary sentinels, who were being commanded by the familiar face, Nalot, to push the carriage over together.

There was a smile on the corner of his mouth.

The caravan he invested in has finally returned.

"Lord Shen Mu! It's nice to see you again!" Nalot, who was born into a bankrupt businessman and was proficient in business, had no choice but to become a robber because of bankruptcy. Nalot, who originally thought that his life had fallen into the abyss, was extremely excited at this moment.

He was wearing a fine linen robe, which was not expensive, but it was clean and tidy.

There is no longer the miserable state of being a robber.

At this time, he walked over quickly and came directly in front of Shen Mu, knelt on his knees humbly on the spot, held Shen Mu's chain mail boots and kissed them very respectfully.

This made Shen Mu a little unresponsive.

"Okay, get up."

Shen Mu waited for him to finish kissing, then spoke calmly and motioned for him to stand up.

"Thank you for your generosity and kindness." Nalot then stood up, hunched over and stood in front of Shen Mu, his face full of excitement.

He also explained to Shen Mu the business he had been doing in the continent of Calradia during this period.

The key lies in the central plateau, where Dehrim and the surrounding villages take advantage of the bandits' familiarity with the local conditions and start a grain trade with the village elders.

A bit of forced monopoly trade.

"Lord Shen Mu, this is all thanks to the ironware you let us take away. This was our first pot of gold. Then the war between the Kingdom of Vikia and the Kingdom of Swadia broke out. The price of ironware skyrocketed, and the price of food in the Kingdom of Vikia also skyrocketed. I made a lot of dinars by using the relationship between the robbers and smuggling between the two sides!"

Nalot pointed to the five carriages behind him and said seriously:

"There are gifts I brought you, some velvet, some honey, some dates, and some edible oil, as well as the dividends for this period, 2000 dinars."

This made Shen Mu raise his eyebrows slightly.

2000 dinars in dividends, plus probably another 1000 dinars in gifts.

It is indeed rich enough.

"Oh, that's right, Master Shen Mu." At this time, Nalot also reported awkwardly:

"I also found some merchants from Dehrim here. They also want to trade with you, Lord Shen Mu. The goods in the five carriages are the materials they brought here to trade with you. They are not all gifts from me to you."

Shen Mu nodded thoughtfully: "This seems to be the gathering place of robbers, the effect of the black market in this special building."

The robbers' gathering place has two effects.

One is the recruitment of 10 robbers per week.

And another.

Right now, you can conduct a black market transaction once a week to purchase the corresponding supplies.

So Shen Mu invited Nalot and his caravan to go inside the city wall together.

Nalot also spotted the robbers' gathering place, a Swadian longhouse that looked ordinary, but was actually quite obvious because of the markings. It was a building belonging to the robbers.

"Right there." Nalot pointed to the drawn curtains and several pots of red and white flowers placed on the window, and explained to Shen Mu: "Those flowers represent the secret code of the robbers and black market merchants. Combined with the color of the curtains behind and the size of the gap, it represents something."

"This is really interesting." Shen Mu followed Nalot and looked at the robbers' gathering place.

"What it means now is that it is completely safe, there is no sheriff managing it, and transactions can be conducted openly."

Nalot said, lowering his head in shame: "Of course, Lord Shen Mu, there is no tax collector in your village, but as long as you want, we are willing to pay taxes to you like normal merchants."

"Well, there will be in the future." Shen Mu shook his head and didn't care about it.

The village of Dehrim is now in a state of disrepair and everything is still blank.

Even if there are tax collectors, they can't collect much tax.

It doesn’t matter whether you have it or not.

"Master Shen Mu!"

Just as Shen Mu and Nalot were approaching the special building where the robbers were gathering, 30 robbers pushed open the door and walked out.

One by one, they put their butcher knives on their belts and saluted Shen Mu respectfully.

of course.

There were also robbers among them who saw Nalot and nodded to him as a greeting.

They were obviously familiar with each other.

But now that Shen Mu is in front of them, of course they have to pay their most sincere respects to Shen Mu, this legendary figure, their lord.

At this moment, a dialog box appeared in front of Shen Mu.

[Ding! You have arrived at the "robbers gathering place", there are currently 30 robbers available for you to recruit. (30/10 people per week) (10 dinars per person to recruit)]

[Tip: If you can raise your legendary reputation with the 'robbers' to +5 points, then the number of recruits for this 'robbers gathering place' will reach 20 per week because your legendary reputation is spread among the robbers.]

[Tip: The robber 'Nalot' assigned by you has successfully formed a 'black market caravan'. It will come regularly once a month to open the black market for you, and also get more or less returns based on your investment. This depends on how the smuggling business in Calradia is going. (Currently 2000 dinars per month)]

"..." Shen Mu looked at the contents on his retina and seemed to be thinking about something.

This recruitment is simple.

And looking at the increase in the number of robbers to recruit, the requirement for the number of robbers is +5 points of legendary reputation.

Shen Mu pondered: "Right now, I have +3 legendary reputation points, which come from the reputation for kindness I got when I let the robbers go for the first time in the other world, as well as the legendary reputation of the Kingdom of Swadia and the reputation of the entire Mount and Blade series, which adds up to +3 legendary reputation points."

The doubling of recruitment numbers and the weekly reward of +20 robbers really made Shen Mu envious.

After all, this is equivalent to +20 new members of the Lake Rat Gang.

This elite force.

"After that, we have to think of a way to increase the reputation of these bandit-type troops."

Shen Mu pursed his lips, feeling a little regretful.

The problem is that I don’t know how to increase these mysterious legendary reputations.

To know.

The last time he gained legendary reputation was when he defeated a larger force with a smaller one and achieved an epic victory with an extremely low casualty ratio, completely annihilating all the powerful enemies from the Diesel Company who had invaded him.

This only adds 1 point of reputation to the entire Mount and Blade series.

Last time.

Last time before last time.

They have also gained various legendary reputations based on their performance, the number of troops they have invested, and the elite level of their troops.

If you want to remake it, it will obviously not be accepted by the Mount and Blade system.

Rewards will only be given after a battle of a new scale.

"Forget it, I don't want to think too much about it." Shen Mu shook his head and didn't think about it any further.

There must be a way to the front of the mountain.

There's no need to worry about this.

Of course, Shen Mu still spent 300 dinars to recruit these 30 robbers first.

[Ding! You paid 300 dinars and recruited 30 robbers through the "Robber Assembly Area". (First-level light melee infantry)]

As the dialog box appeared again in front of Shen Mu's retina.

Recruitment is complete.

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(End of this chapter)