Mount & Blade: Pendor Becomes a Dominator Starting with the Creation of a Self-Established Knigh

The night was as dark as ink.

On the flat ground west of the Xiaoshuitan campsite, hundreds of people gathered silently.

Dozens of resin torches crackled as they burned, casting shadows on silent, weary faces filled with sorrow.

The suppressed sobs of the women rose and fell among the crowd; many of them had lost their loved ones forever on this land.

The mountain wind swept through the treetops, emitting a low, mournful sound, as if it were singing a dirge for the departed souls.

Nearly forty newly dug pits were neatly arranged on the open ground. The pits were not deep, just enough to hold a body.

Roger stood at the front, his gaze slowly sweeping over the slightly raised mounds of earth, each topped with a large stone to prevent wild animals from digging and gnawing on them...

His fists were clenched tightly, and his gaze finally settled on the eleven mounds on the far left.

These eleven mounds, these eleven team members, were people he personally trained...

Now they remain here forever.

Those familiar faces still flashed through his mind:

Just a few days ago, Jack was complaining to him that his monthly salary was too low and he couldn't afford to visit the Happy House, and he was clamoring for a raise;

Leon wants to pursue a female teammate but is too shy to speak up;

Martino, who is obsessed with learning cooking from Roger and dreams of opening a small restaurant in the city someday...

They were laughing and joking in the camp yesterday, but today they are cold corpses, sleeping eternally in this unfamiliar mountain forest.

……

Besides his teammates,

There were also three Fieldsway guerrillas.

And twenty-three militia villagers who rushed up to support Lao Kui!

The pirates were far more powerful than anyone imagined.

If Roger had a hundred men, he could have easily wiped out these one hundred and twenty pirates without suffering many casualties himself...

But he trained too few elite troops!

Even though his team members drank the medicinal wine infused with experience candy, gaining a near doubling of their combat power.

Even though they had the advantage of terrain, they still paid such a heavy price!

The militiamen, who were almost untrained and armed with rudimentary weapons,

In the face of the brutal pirates, they were like lambs to the slaughter, almost being slaughtered in one-sided way!

If those few hired riders hadn't mutinied and retreated first, thus triggering the overall collapse of the pirates,

Even though Roger personally killed the pirate leader,

The remaining seventy-odd pirates were enough to slaughter them all!

But they won in the end.

The outcome of this bloody battle was equally brilliant and dazzling!

Around the steep slope at the camp entrance, fifty-four pirate corpses lay scattered about!

The greatest achievement was undoubtedly leaving that fifth-tier pirate leader here forever!

Of the fifty-four corpses,

All nine fourth-tier pirate warriors were captured!

Among them were fourteen Tier 3 pirates, nineteen Tier 2 raiders, and eleven mercenary riders!

Such casualties would be a devastating blow to any small pirate tribe.

The joy of victory flashed through Rogge's mind only briefly before being completely replaced by deeper worries.

After Ivar heard that the one killed was "Stan," he explained that it was a joint effort by Rogge and the others that resulted in that kill.

They were not some small group of pirates, not some minor tribe, and certainly not some nobody...

Instead, he is Stan the Broken Spine, the second leader of the super-large tribe "Kare Tribe" from the Vanscare Islands in the northern West Sea!

This tribe can easily muster an army of two thousand men.

It far exceeds the size of ordinary small and medium-sized tribes, which typically number three to five hundred, or at most five to six hundred people!

And this former second-in-command, who once dominated the West Coast, has now died in this small place...

According to Ivar, if Rogge were to publicly declare that he had killed Stan, he would immediately become a guest of honor for many lords on the West Coast!

Listening to everything Ivar described, Roger felt no joy, but rather a chill that seeped into his bones.

The revelation of Stan's murder will undoubtedly boost his reputation, but for Roger now, it's nothing short of suicide!

They have completely offended the Kare tribe, one of the top tribes in Vanscare!

Rogge knew very well that if he dared to publicly announce that he had killed Stan when he was not strong enough,

What awaits him next is endless vendettas and revenge from this large tribe!

They will use every means to retaliate, even if it means spending a lot of money to hire assassins!

"Looks like I'll have to lay low for a while," Roger thought to himself.

With his current strength, he is simply no match for a large pirate tribe!

……

Putting aside these heavy thoughts, Rogge recalled the gains from the battle.

This is absolutely his most rewarding battle to date!

The seized supplies were piled up like mountains.

Dozens of complete sets of chainmail, leather armor, nose-protecting helmets, and so on.

Nearly a hundred weapons of various types, including longswords, two-handed raider axes, and giant axes!

These items, along with the weapons and armor he had previously accumulated at the Ganders Fortress, were enough to arm all the hundreds of able-bodied men in Brokenpe Village!

Armored and unarmored militiamen are two completely different concepts!

Putting aside the equipment, Rogge alone has nearly four thousand experience candies that he can convert from this battle!

If we calculate based on the fact that it takes two hundred experience candies to increase one's constitution by three points,

Rogge can train all two hundred members into elite units with an additional 3 points in each of the three-dimensional attributes (strength, agility, and constitution)!

If a unit has just entered the second tier and only has ten points of strength...

Rogge's team members already had thirteen points upon entering the second tier. What could the enemy possibly use to fight them?

……

Time was of the essence, and no grand funeral was held.

Only these simple stone graves stand silently in this mountain forest, proving that they fought to the last moment to protect their homes and loved ones.

Everyone stood silently, burying their sorrow and hatred deep in their hearts.

The entire burial ceremony took less than half an hour; they had no extra time to waste.

The simple burial ceremony ended nearly three hours after the pirates had retreated.

Dozens of corpses lay scattered around the steep slope, and Roger had no intention of collecting the bodies of the pirates.

Several black crows were already circling on the nearby treetops, emitting hoarse cries...

There were more than seventy pirates who fled, but Roger was not afraid that they would launch a surprise attack on their own.

These defeated soldiers were terrified and had no courage to return.

But he was worried that these fleeing soldiers would encounter other roaming pirate groups on their way out.

Once they join forces, they can attract hundreds of pursuers in the blink of an eye!

We must move immediately!

This idea was crystal clear in Rogge's mind.

Rogge has already sent Virgil down the mountain.

He ordered Virgil to ride back to the temporary camp at Ganders fortress overnight and inform the remaining soldiers to prepare for the transfer.

Commander Ivar lent Virgil his golden-maned steed and sent three of his elite men with him...

Evacuation is never an easy task, especially when Roger has to lead nearly four hundred women, children, and the elderly to evacuate overnight.

If the nearly four hundred women, children, and the elderly were to remain here, they would have no chance of resistance and would be mercilessly slaughtered once surrounded by the pirate army.

When the women and children who had hidden deep in the mountains were recalled to camp, Roger had already issued strict orders:

During this march, only a small amount of necessary supplies were allowed to be carried, and each adult male could carry a maximum of fifty catties of goods.

This regulation is mandatory and there is no room for negotiation.

Faced with life and death, those bottles and jars, those old pieces of furniture that you couldn't bear to throw away, all become worthless.

If the team is slowed down due to carrying too many supplies and is caught by pirates, everyone will die.

Even the village's few oxen were ordered by Roger to be slaughtered on the spot.

The beef was cut into large chunks, and a dozen strong men were instructed to take turns carrying it.

Rogge took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and turned to walk towards the square in the center of the camp.

When Rogge reached the open space of the camp, more than four hundred villagers had already gathered there, and the torchlight illuminated the entire open space as if it were daytime.

The noisy crowd fell silent the moment Rogge appeared.

All eyes turned to him.

Roger walked through the crowd, looking at their large and small bags, and was somewhat speechless.

Despite his repeated orders to strictly limit the weight of the supplies that could be carried, these villagers, who were used to hardship, still couldn't help but bring along things they couldn't bear to part with.

The men were all carrying bulging bundles on their backs, their backs bent slightly from the weight.

When they saw Roger's gaze sweep over them, they quickly straightened their backs, trying to appear relaxed.

Many women carried their sleeping toddlers on their backs, with extra bulging bundles on their shoulders.

Even the eight- or nine-year-old children were so sensible that it broke your heart. Each of them carried a bundle almost half the size of their own body, staring wide-eyed at their surroundings, not daring to make a sound.

Rogge moved to the front of the line.

Roger walked to the front of the line, where more than twenty stretchers were ready and neatly arranged on the ground.

Those team members whose injuries were too severe to walk were lying quietly on it.

Of the thirty-three team members he led this time, eleven were killed.

At that moment, there were five seriously injured people lying on stretchers!

The remaining dozen or so people also had minor injuries of varying degrees, but fortunately they were still able to walk on their own.

Rogge's gaze swept across the crowd again, and most of the villagers' faces were filled with fear and confusion.

Duanpo Village is where their ancestors have lived for generations, but now they have to leave their homeland, facing an unknown future and uncertain fate.

No one knew what awaited them, nor did anyone know if they would ever be able to return to this familiar land...

Old Kui's figure could be seen weaving through the crowd from time to time.

He was calming down the anxious villagers who kept asking questions.

His voice was so hoarse that he could barely speak, yet he continued to patiently explain and comfort her.

Compared to the villagers' panic and unease, Rogge's team members were much calmer.

They silently inspected their weapons and equipment, sorting and packing the captured armor and weapons, carrying them on their backs or on donkeys, ready to set off at any time.

In the torchlight, their faces showed no fear, only the calm and perseverance of seasoned veterans.

Rogge walked to the front of the group and stood on a protruding rock.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the heavy emotions surging within him, and stood on the protruding rock, proclaiming loudly:

"Listen up, everyone!"

Roger's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that clearly reached everyone's ears.

The square fell silent instantly as hundreds of eyes turned to him.

"We're now heading north to avoid the pirates' territory, and then we'll all travel together to the major city of Guangxiao Bay!"

"No one is allowed to leave the group without permission, no loud noises are permitted, and in any situation, you must obey all commands!"

"To all team leaders in charge of managing their teams, I'll emphasize this again!"

Every hour, take a headcount of your team to make sure no one has fallen behind!

To facilitate management, Rogge divided the more than 400 villagers into 20 teams, and assigned 20 relatively reliable young men to each team as team leaders.

He preferred that the able-bodied young men carry more supplies in order to maintain order within the entire team.

In this perilous environment, chaos is more terrifying than the enemy.

At this point, Roger paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces filled with fear.

His tone softened, carrying a reassuring quality:

I know everyone is scared!

But as long as you follow me, I, Roger, assure you, I will do everything in my power to protect everyone and ensure their survival! I will make sure you have food to eat and a place to stay!

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose several decibels: "I can afford to support just this many people!"

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the crowd, followed by a burst of discussion.

The fear in people's eyes gradually faded, and the flame of hope was rekindled.

Rogge nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the renewed light in people's eyes.

With a wave of his hand, he gave the order to depart.

"Set off!"

At his command, the large group of nearly four hundred people, divided into two teams, slowly walked out of the small pond camp and headed down the mountain.

As the group passed the bodies of the pirates scattered around the steep slope, gasps of alarm rose from the crowd once again.

Some timid women covered their eyes in fear, unable to bear looking at the gruesome corpses.

Some people's eyes showed trust; in chaotic times, strength is the foundation for stabilizing people's hearts.

"Those vicious pirates were killed by Chief Rogge, weren't they? We don't need to be afraid of them!"

"that is!"

These words were like a shot in the arm, instantly boosting the taxi driver's previously low spirits.

The night was deep, and the mountains and forests were pitch black, with only the light of torches illuminating the path beneath our feet.

From a distance, the lights of dozens of torches were linked together, like a winding fire dragon slowly moving along the rugged mountain road.

The mountain path was already narrow and difficult to traverse, and coupled with poor visibility at night, the team's progress was exceptionally slow.

Rogge walked at the front of the group, his brow furrowed.

He kept glancing back at the long queue behind him, his heart filled with anxiety.

Once daybreak, their massive force will be exposed to the pirates' sight, which will be extremely dangerous!

He could only hope to reach the flatlands at the foot of the mountain as soon as possible, which would allow him to speed up the march.

……

Time passed by, and as midnight approached, the entire group finally emerged from the forest and arrived at the main road at the foot of the mountain.

Taking the forest trails was too slow, so Roger decided to risk taking the main road for a quicker move.

Although the main road is not exactly flat, it is much easier to walk on than the rugged mountain road.

Rogge distributed the three grassland horses he had previously captured to three of his best-eyed team members.

"You three, proceed according to plan!"

"Yes, Chief!"

The three team members responded in unison, then mounted their horses and headed off in different directions.

Their mission was to set off ahead and scout out the road conditions within one kilometer.

Thanks to the donkey riding training organized by Rogge beforehand, all of his team members are quite skilled riders.

When all the villagers stepped onto the main road, Roger breathed a sigh of relief and was about to order the team to speed up when he suddenly paused.

"Stop! Everyone stay put!"

This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.

The villagers looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.

Some of the children who woke up were about to cry when their mothers covered their mouths.

Under the worried gazes of the villagers, Roger's eyes were fixed on a dense forest not far ahead.

Roger gripped his dragonbone axe tightly and called upon a dozen or so team members.

"Follow me!"

He gave a low shout and took the lead towards the woods.

More than a dozen team members followed without hesitation.

Before long, Rogge and the others disappeared silently into the dark forest.

The villagers who remained held their breath, staring nervously at the dark forest.

The torchlight flickered, casting long shadows, and a suffocating tension filled the air.

……