novelODS Chapter 63 Instructions before departure
Chapter 63 Instructions before departure
The mountain forest was still shrouded in the lingering morning mist at dawn, and the air halfway up the mountain was unusually damp and cold.
On a flat, open ground, the young men newly recruited by Rogge all put on the studded leather armor they had been assigned the night before.
They were either clutching battle axes or holding longswords.
After returning from the night raid on the pirates, these men immediately washed the bloodstains off the studded leather armor they had been assigned.
Even though it was still damp, many people couldn't wait to put it on.
Rogge stood in the center of the open space, his chainmail gleaming with a metallic sheen.
Looking at the soldiers in front of him, their attire was somewhat neat, finally looking presentable.
The most obvious difference between peasant soldiers and regular soldiers is their standardized uniforms.
The same unit, equipped with the same gear, instantly gains an extra boost in morale.
Having relatively neat and orderly equipment makes one look more imposing.
At this moment, these villagers, who had never received any drill training, stood scattered on the opposite side of Rogge.
They can't even stand in the most basic two-line formation!
Even if everyone is wearing the same style of leather armor,
That peasant spirit ingrained in his bones could never be hidden!
Everyone was disheveled, their messy hair covered in dust, and their necks were covered in a thick layer of black grime!
Roger knew that it was the grime that had accumulated from years of not bathing!
Rogge glanced at the group of armed youths in front of him and cleared his throat:
"From this day forward, you are no longer ordinary villagers, but warriors who follow me, Rogue!"
He paused, watching the crowd instantly fall silent, before continuing:
"I will give you armor and weapons, and after we win a battle, everyone will share in the spoils!"
"But I have three rules here, and anyone who breaks them will be immediately removed from the line!"
"First, follow orders in all actions!"
Everyone must unconditionally obey my orders; subordinates must obey superiors, and orders must be obeyed without question!
"Secondly, all weapons, food, supplies, and money captured in future battles will be handed over to the higher authorities for unified distribution!"
"Thirdly, and this is the most crucial point!"
Rogge's gaze swept over everyone, including Gold and Virgil.
"We are all ordinary people, we are all ordinary people!"
The third rule is that you must not bully ordinary people!
We cannot harm them, we cannot damage their interests!
The crowd fell silent, all staring at Roger in stunned silence.
"This means that as long as you are still my people..."
You cannot rob, you cannot steal, and you absolutely cannot rape women and children, regardless of which country you are a civilian!
At the same time, when trading with the poor, one must offer a fair price!
As soon as he finished speaking, a few scattered "Understood" voices rang out from the crowd.
Roger frowned; he knew he had been entertaining himself a bit too much.
These demands were unimaginable to the villagers; they neither understood nor comprehended what they meant or what the rationale was.
But Roger was not discouraged. His rules were not only set out for the villagers, but also a summary and plan for the future.
Lofty ideals are often misunderstood and ridiculed.
One day, they will understand that, besides strength, this third rule is the fundamental reason why they can survive in this chaotic world.
After finishing his speech, Roger turned and nodded to Virgil beside him.
Virgil began demonstrating the most basic slashing, blocking, and thrusting techniques to the recruits.
The coach's rough voice echoed in the morning mist.
Roger stood aside, his gaze fixed on the group of clumsy young men, while he pondered in his mind.
Most of these people were ordinary villagers at the first level.
Aside from farming, I've never had any serious training in my life.
Virgil's two points in coaching skills are enough to teach them how to fight quickly and level up!
The most crucial aspect of recruit training is...
It means having enough to eat, it means eating meat!
At lower levels, the most effective way to improve is always to have enough to eat!
Including the ancient period of Rogue's previous incarnation,
As long as the officers at the top don't withhold soldiers' pay or exploit them, and can ensure that the soldiers have enough to eat every day and occasionally have some meat, this army is an elite force!
The same principle applies to the land of Pande.
The only difference between ordinary farmers and fifth-level militia members is that the militia members have received the most basic training.
The difference between a level 5 militiaman and a level 10 militiaman lies entirely in their physical fitness.
Rogge already has a plan.
Virgil's military training, coupled with ample food and meat,
Before long, these villagers will be able to steadily improve their strength to level five!
With enough effort, you can even reach level 10!
What ignited Roger's passion even more was that
With the help of experience candy, he can cultivate a group of elite individuals!
These were his followers, though they weren't as completely loyal as Virgil and his companion.
Rogge couldn't "manage their skills."
However, Roger can also extract "experience candies" from them!
As long as they keep improving, Rog will continue to receive experience candies!
So far, Rogge has used most of the resources at his disposal for himself.
His strength has now reached level ten, while Virgil and God have only improved by one level in all this time.
He knew in his heart that his own strength was the foundation of everything.
Rogge doesn't prioritize tasks or place his hopes on others.
He now has over twenty people under his command. Once these people level up, the experience candies that Rogge can obtain will be quite substantial.
He even had the resources to cultivate Virgil and Gold as his two right-hand men!
Thinking of this, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Roger's lips.
Everything is moving in a positive direction.
After giving Virgil a few instructions, telling him to continue training the militia, Rogge turned and walked towards the camp.
Just as he reached the edge of the camp, a noisy argument reached his ears, and Rogge walked over.
Upon approaching, he saw his newly recruited henchman, Ragnar, standing like a wolf cub with its fur standing on end, blocking the entrance to a shed.
That shed was where they temporarily stored supplies after they returned last night!
Ragnar stood ramrod straight, showing no fear even though the men in front of him were a head taller than him.
"These weapons and equipment all belong to my eldest brother! Are you trying to steal them by force?"
"What do you mean 'your older brother'?!"
You ungrateful little brat, have you never eaten my food before?
The bearded villager looked displeased, pointing his finger at Ragnar's head, practically ready to shove it down on him.
"The food and supplies in these shacks belong to all the villagers of Duanpo Village! Why should you keep them?"
Ragnar couldn't deny that the supplies did indeed belong to the villagers.
However, the pirates had looted all the grain and valuables from each household, making it difficult to distinguish whose belongings they were.
When he returned last night, he couldn't distinguish the supplies at the moment, so Roger simply wrote them down and managed them as public supplies.
Unexpectedly, some people were worried and wanted to share the supplies.
Looking at the tense scene before him, Roger knew that he couldn't get along with these common people.
All he could do was let them be.
A thought popped into Roger's mind: They should go!
Staying here will only create more conflicts.
These resources belonged to the villagers, and he had over twenty able-bodied young men under his command, all of whom were at the age where they were growing strong.
We can't let them eat as much as they want here!
The villagers' grain reserves cannot withstand Rogge's wanton squandering!
Before the pirates attacked, a strong sheep in the village was worth no more than five or six silver dinars!
Now he wants to buy some live sheep from the villagers to help his new recruits improve their health, but the price has doubled!
They're all holding onto their stock and refusing to sell!
The shortage of supplies was like a rope that was being pulled tighter and tighter, making it impossible for him to stay in the camp any longer and consume the village's already meager food supplies!
Just then, a heavy breathing sound came from behind.
Rogge turned around and saw old Jarl walking over, leaning on his iron cane.
The old man's face was still pale, and his arm was slinged across his chest with a cloth strap.
Old Jarl walked over to Rogge, first glancing at the group arguing, a hint of helplessness and weariness flashing in his eyes.
"Rogge, could we share some of the supplies we brought back with the women and children in the village?"
Old Jarl sighed, his voice low and earnest, with a hint of pleading.
Upon hearing this, Rogge smiled faintly, turned to look at the old man, and spoke without the slightest ripple of emotion:
"Old Yar is joking. Those supplies originally belonged to the villagers; they were yours to begin with. There's no need to say anything more to me..."
The remaining leather armor, throwing axes, and other weapons can all be distributed among the able-bodied men in the village!
Old Yar looked up, his eyes filled with gratitude.
He had expected to have to say a lot, but Roger was so straightforward and generous.
Thank you!
... "
Old Jarl was clearly not good at expressing himself; his expression was full of gratitude, but he couldn't say a word.
Just then, a message popped up on Rogge's panel:
Reputation +2!
Your kindness and generosity have moved the villagers of Yarrolf in Duanpo, and your good name will surely spread far and wide!
Given your reputation, some of your unreasonable requests may be accepted by the villagers in the future!
Rogge chatted with old Jarl and casually mentioned their plans to leave.
Upon learning that Rogge and his men were heading north, old Jarre entrusted Rogge with a task:
"Master Rogge, I have a request!"
Before the pirates attacked, I sent some young men from the village to the fortress of Ganders to ask for help...
But so far, not a single lord's reinforcement has been seen!
I'd like to ask you to make a detour to Ganders Fortress and see what's wrong.
Roger thought for a moment and readily agreed.
Considering that castles are the private domains of noble lords, outsiders cannot easily enter or leave without an introduction from an acquaintance.
Rogge explained his difficulties, and old Jarre thought for a moment and decisively offered Rogge a solution:
"Master Rogge, my daughter..."
My daughter Anya, if you don't mind, please let her come with you!
"She has accompanied me to the lord's fortress countless times, and many adults in the fortress know her!"
With her leading the way, I imagine she can solve a lot of your problems!
As old Yar spoke, he looked lovingly at the girl not far away.
Rogge followed his gaze and could only see the back of a slender young woman.
"this……"