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

Chapter 82 Talent (Please Subscribe!)

Time slipped away quietly amidst the hustle and bustle of the camp, and when the sun was no longer at its highest point in the azure sky, Rogge's team finally completed their assembly.

The group of over seventy people clearly split into two teams. Looking at the two teams that had spontaneously formed, Roger frowned slightly.

Led by Aino, the villagers of Gangde stood on the left. In the group of forty-one people, including Olsen, four lay on sturdy stretchers, their faces pale, being carefully carried by the men from their village.

Ai Nuo walked on the left side of the stretcher, her long, light golden hair blowing against her cheeks in the wind, her gaze occasionally turning to check on Olsen's condition.

Eileen followed behind her sister, clutching a small cloth bag tightly in her hand. Inside were a few pills that her sister had kept for her. They were precious medicines given to her by her older brother, Roger, and they were the ones that saved her brother's life.

The team on the right is composed of members from Duanpo Village.

Of the original twenty-seven veteran members, one injured his shoulder in the first battle in the wilderness, so Roger left him at the outskirts of Ganders fortress to feed the remaining sheep.

The team members were all in high spirits, with their shields on their backs and standing ramrod straight.

In addition to these team members, the team also included several members who were originally from Duanpo Village.

Aunt Slin and her son Gis, young Ragnar, and former Jalrölf.

Rolf was merely accompanying someone to the fortress to search for his daughter; he did not officially join Rogge's group.

The most eye-catching were Gis and his mother, Aunt Slin, who looked exactly like a family moving away.

Giss had a military greatsword that Rogge and his men had made for him hanging at his waist, and two bulging burlap bags on his back.

The two large bags looked exceptionally heavy, filled with who knows how many odds and ends, yet Giss still walked with steady steps and calm breathing.

Aunt Silin followed behind her son; she wasn't much better off.

The large basket on her back almost completely covered her upper body, and it made a crisp, tinkling sound as she walked.

Roger had noticed before that the basket was crammed with old pottery jars, large wooden spoons, earthenware bowls, and a few chipped earthenware pots—a hodgepodge.

Rogge had mentioned to Aunt Slin that these things were readily available in the fortress, and even if you bought several brand new sets, it wouldn't cost a single dinar.

There's really no need to go through all that trouble to carry it, since it's a journey of dozens of miles.

But when Aunt Slin said, "Every penny saved counts! You'll always find a way to save money if you ever run out later, won't these come in handy?"

Roger was left speechless.

Virgil was standing at the edge of the line, a hint of helplessness on his face.

On his back was a large basket of smoked fish, which was the "belonging" that Aunt Silin insisted on bringing along.

Seeing that the old man was having a hard time carrying the basket, he offered to lend a hand, and as a result, the basket of smoked fish never left his back.

Roger watched his stiff back and couldn't help but laugh, patting him on the shoulder: "You've worked hard. I'll treat you to a nice meal when we get back to the fortress camp!"

In stark contrast to Slin's bulky luggage was old Járrolf.

He carried only a small cloth bag on his back, looking quite relaxed; it probably contained a few changes of coarse cloth clothes.

In addition, there was a cloth bag of dry food and a sheepskin water bag, which he tied to the branch of his walking stick with hemp rope and gently swayed.

This man from Duanpo Village, Yar, left most of his wealth and food to the villagers, taking only the most basic necessities with him on his journey.

He walked at the end of the line, leaning on his cane.

His back appeared somewhat hunched, but his steps were very steady.

Old Yar's eyes were clear, and his face showed the relief of having been relieved of a heavy burden.

"If you're ready, let's go!"

Roger raised his hand and gave the order, and the entire team began to move down the mountain in an orderly manner.

The area outside the camp was already crowded with villagers seeing them off, a densely packed mass.

Their expressions varied; some were filled with worry, while others carried regret, lamenting why they hadn't made up their minds to follow Roger.

The group slowly moved through the crowd, but a few strong men in their thirties and forties approached Rogge: "Chief Rogge, take us with you! We're strong, hardworking, and can do any kind of work!"

"I'd be willing to accept a lower salary just to work for you!"

Several men looked at Rogge with eager eyes, and seeing this, many villagers around them became eager to try again.

Looking at their expectant faces, Roger felt a pang of sadness.

To be fair, many of these people were hardworking and diligent, but he still refused all their requests: "I'm sorry, I understand how you all feel."

"Chief Rogge, please reconsider!"

'

Roger sighed and patiently explained again, "But now is definitely not the time to expand enrollment."

My team has just recruited more than forty new members, most of whom are wounded militiamen who need time to recover and train.

Moreover, our food, weapons, and armor are limited. If we recruit too many people at once, not only will training be difficult, but even feeding everyone will become a problem.

Once we're back in the fortress and the group is back on track, we'll definitely recruit you guys first next time we come to Broken Ark Village.

Roger knew he understood the villagers' feelings, but he couldn't be soft-hearted.

The team may appear strong now, but its foundation is actually unstable.

What he needs most right now is not numbers, but quality—to train the existing team members into elite troops capable of fighting and winning battles.

A team can't be too small, but sometimes too big isn't good either.

Especially for teams composed of ordinary villagers, elite individuals are already scarce, and blindly expanding recruitment will only drag the entire team down.

Five hundred villagers with hoes would most likely be no match for fifty knights clad in plate armor and fully armed!

Moreover, Rogge already provides his players with generous benefits, and the more players there are, the greater the expenses become. With his current financial resources, he simply cannot afford to support too many people.

The most crucial issue is still potential.

Looking at the villagers in their thirties and forties, Roger shook his head inwardly.

They have been engaged in heavy agricultural labor for many years, which has given them great strength, but has greatly reduced their physical plasticity.

Their bones and joints become stiff, and their reaction speed is not as fast as that of young people.

More importantly, they have developed fixed mindsets and find it difficult to accept new tactics and training methods.

They might become qualified conscripts, responsible for transporting supplies and building fortifications on the battlefield, but it would be difficult for them to grow into true elite soldiers.

They could be used as conscripts for the militia on the battlefield, but they were not what Rogge truly needed.

What Rogge wanted to build in the future were tier 4 and tier 5 units that could stand on their own, not just militia that were only there to make up the numbers.

Even if he has a heaven-defying item like experience candy that can forcibly enhance their overall abilities.

But the costs will be so high that he cannot afford them!

After only a rough mental calculation of the costs, Roger immediately dismissed the idea.

The benefits of using ten experience candies to train a middle-aged person may not be as good as using one to train a young person!

Today, Rogge's team is almost entirely composed of young people under the age of thirty.

Even thirty years old is considered old.

These people are the foundation of his future. Rogge must make full use of all resources to help them grow quickly, since the source of the experience candy is the growth experience of the team members.

Only when the team members continuously become stronger and break through their own limits in battle and training can he gain more experience points, forming a positive cycle like a snowball rolling downhill.

Rogge trains his subordinates and extracts experience candies, much like cultivating a forest.

Young people are like the best-growing and fastest-growing saplings; with careful nurturing, they can grow into towering trees.

He then concentrated the fallen leaves from these saplings on a few of the most promising seedlings, allowing them to grow into pillars capable of standing on their own.

If the saplings themselves are not growing well, they will not only fail to provide nutrients, but will also consume a lot of resources, and the forest will never be able to flourish.

Seeing Rogge's resolute attitude, the villagers showed disappointment on their faces, but they did not persist and could only silently make way for him.

Rogge nodded slightly to them, then turned and followed the group.