After nearly two months of training, this cavalry force, under Aegon’s leadership and training, had begun to look like a proper army.
Not only was everyone equipped with iron-plated padded armor, but unified black training uniforms had also been issued.
Wearing the same clothes naturally fostered a sense of belonging.
Because the quality of the training uniforms issued by Aegon was quite good, the soldiers even felt a trace of pride in their hearts.
This could be seen from the side quest progress rising by another three percentage points.
Now, the side quest progress had reached sixty-seven percent.
Aside from the improvements brought by training, the total number of cavalrymen had now exceeded three hundred.
The composition of the newly joined soldiers was somewhat complex.
Everyone was a soldier of Pentos, but only Aegon’s side was thriving, causing some soldiers to leave their original units and join.
Fortunately, thanks to Aegon’s sponsorship system, new recruits could only join if they were recommended by the original hundred or so veterans.
In other words, although the force had doubled in size, because of the veterans, the new recruits integrated almost immediately upon joining, saving a lot of trouble.
There were also veterans who misjudged people and opened doors for fellows wanting to cash in, but the result was that the veterans were driven out right along with them.
On the day the veterans were driven out, they wailed bitterly, knelt before Aegon, and slapped their own faces, and some even stepped forward to plead for them.
However, Aegon’s heart was harder than they had imagined; once he said they were expelled, they were gone, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
In the eyes of the soldiers, Aegon rarely scolded or beat them normally, and even cared about their lives, making him almost a combination of a ‘Wealth-Bestowing Boy’ and a good-tempered man.
But after this incident, the soldiers began to fear him, terrified of being driven out.
Although some money was lost, Aegon’s prestige was strengthened, which could be seen from the increased task completion points.
Aegon thought that in another month, this army should be able to reach the system’s minimum rating.
Besides, Aegon remembered that the army building quest also had hidden rewards, which made him very expectant.
This day was still a sweltering afternoon.
The soldiers were still strictly training according to requirements, but with less than two hours left until the end, they gritted their teeth and persevered.
Aegon walked among the soldiers, supervising their training, when he suddenly saw Belwas waving at him.
Beside him was a person dressed in silk garments.
That person’s cheeks were somewhat round, and his skin could be called delicate, though tanned somewhat dark, perhaps from often working outdoors, but he was definitely not a laborer, especially with the two slight mustaches at the corners of his lips curling upward.
Poor souls who truly performed hard labor had no time to groom their facial hair.
After coming to Aegon’s side, that person spoke: “Lord Commander, I am Lanti, we have a batch of goods at the dock, which are fruits, and they need to be moved into the cellar as soon as possible.
The pay is negotiable.”
When that person spoke, his face was piled with a smile.
In his life, he didn’t know how many times he had smiled like this, to the point that the smile seemed glued to his face like a mask.
Aegon glanced at the soldiers currently training.
Letting the soldiers earn a little extra money was not a problem, but the premise was that training must be completed.
In the evaluation of an army, the soldiers’ self-identity was also very important.
In an army that often won, the soldiers would have a fearless confidence.
In an army that often lost battles, the soldiers would feel fear toward war.
For a newly established army, the soldiers often did not identify with the identity of being a soldier.
If the importance of making money surpassed training, then their self-identity would run into problems.
“Very well, but it has to wait until after their training ends,” Aegon said.
However, unexpectedly, that fellow was unrelenting.
Although the smile on his face was still there, impatience surged at the bottom of his eyes.
“Lord Commander, this batch of goods belongs to Lord Moor Argen, so please cooperate with me.”
Hearing the other party actually pull out their master’s identity to threaten him, Aegon was displeased.
“I have already said that we are training right now.
How you hire them after training is over is none of my business.” Aegon’s voice was not loud, but the displeasure within it was already very obvious.
“Lord Commander, what does it matter if it ends a little early?” The other party’s smile was still glued to his face, but his mustache had drooped.
Aegon couldn’t be bothered to deal with him and directly told Belwas to show him out.
However, Belwas did not move, instead telling Aegon that the so-called Moor Argen came from the Qoherys Family, and all the ports of Pentos and over seventy percent of the ships were controlled by this family.
He was one of the three most powerful magisters of Pentos.
Although Belwas’s reminder made sense, Aegon still did not like him.
Belwas, placed by Illyrio at his side, was entirely in the role of half a watcher.
What Aegon wanted was a retinue and guard who would execute his order to hack someone down the moment it was given.
“Just what kind of fruit is it that it could drift on the sea for more than half a month without issue, yet cares solely about my two hours?” Aegon asked in return.
He knew that this fellow named Lanti was merely wielding authority borrowed from others.
Aegon dared to be certain that the moment his order to stop training was issued, the soldiers’ self-identity would immediately weaken, and the army building quest progress would also immediately regress.
Seeing that Aegon remained completely impervious to persuasion, the smile on that person’s face finally vanished.
“Is the Lord Commander refusing to give face to the Qoherys Family?”
“Can a mere lackey represent the face of the Qoherys Family?
Disappear from my sight, and do not let me say it a second time.”
“Hmph.”
Leaving a cold snort in the air, the man turned and left.
…
…
“Lord Steward, I have already advised him nicely, but that son of Illyrio said they are going to train until late at night today and have no time to help us move goods.”
“Is that really what he said?” Standing beneath a parasol, the person called the steward furrowed his brows and asked.
“That is what he said, I can guarantee it!
He simply does not hold the Qoherys Family in his eyes.
Train at night?
How can you even see the road at night, let alone train?!”
Steward Sewett twirled the yellow gemstone ring, which looked like a large tumor on his thick finger, and his face sank.
“I will report this matter to Lord Magister.
Right now, you immediately go find me some hands.
Before dark, the goods must be completely moved!”
“Yes, my lord!”
Finding Aegon was Sewett’s idea, but this way he wouldn’t be able to take kickbacks.
However, if he went to find casual laborers, he would have greater ‘bargaining power’.
In the end, the quote given to Sewett and the quote given to those casual laborers would both be decided entirely by him alone.
Looking at the workers sweating profusely on the shore as they carried heavy goods, he hummed happily.