After nearly two months of training, the cavalry under Aegon’s command had finally begun to resemble a proper military force.
Every soldier now wore padded armor reinforced with iron plates, along with matching black training uniforms.
When everyone dressed alike, a natural sense of belonging began to emerge.
The quality of the uniforms Aegon had provided was also quite good, giving the soldiers a faint sense of pride.
The three-percent increase in the side quest’s progress was proof enough of that.
The Army Development quest had now reached 67 percent.
And the improvements weren’t limited to training.
The total number of cavalrymen had now surpassed three hundred.
The new recruits were a somewhat complicated mix.
They were all technically Pentoshi soldiers, but Aegon’s unit was the only one that was actually flourishing.
Seeing the changes, some soldiers had abandoned their former units and joined his ranks.
Fortunately, Aegon’s sponsorship system kept things under control.
New recruits could only join if they were recommended by one of the original hundred-odd veterans.
In other words, although the army had now doubled in size, the veterans served as a bridge between the old and new soldiers, allowing the newcomers to integrate quickly while preventing many potential problems.
There had been a few cases where veterans had misjudged someone and opened the door for men who simply wanted to come in and make some easy money.
The consequences were simple: the guilty recruit was expelled, and the veteran who had sponsored him went with him.
The day one such veteran was dismissed, he had nearly wept his eyes out.
He knelt before Aegon and repeatedly slapped himself across the face, while several others even stepped forward to plead on his behalf.
Aegon’s heart, however, proved far harder than they had imagined.
Once he decided someone was out, they were out.
There would be no second chances.
In the eyes of the soldiers, Aegon normally never beat or abused them.
He even took an interest in their daily lives.
He was practically a combination of the God of Wealth and the most easygoing commander imaginable.
But after this incident, they began to fear him.
No one wanted to be thrown out.
Although Aegon had lost some money by enforcing the rule, his prestige had increased considerably.
The rise in the quest completion score made that clear.
Aegon estimated that another month should be enough to bring the army up to the system’s minimum rating.
He also remembered that the Army Development quest had a hidden reward, and that alone made him rather eager to see what would happen.
That afternoon was as hot and stifling as ever.
The soldiers were still following their orders and training rigorously.
With less than two hours remaining before the day’s training ended, everyone simply gritted their teeth and pushed through.
Aegon walked among the soldiers, supervising their training, when he suddenly saw Belwas waving toward him.
Someone stood beside him.
The newcomer wore silk clothing.
His cheeks were somewhat round, and his skin was delicate, though darkened by the sun.
The two small mustaches curling upward beside his lips were another giveaway.
A truly poor man who spent his days doing hard manual labor wouldn’t have the time to groom his facial hair so carefully.
When he approached Aegon, the man immediately bowed slightly and said with a smile, “Commander, my name is Lantio.
We have a shipment of fruit waiting at the docks that needs to be moved into the cellars as quickly as possible.
We’re short on manpower, so I’d like to ask your men for assistance.
The wages are negotiable.”
His face was covered by a smile.
He had probably smiled like that countless times throughout his life, until the expression had become less an emotion and more a mask permanently fixed to his face.
Aegon glanced at the soldiers training nearby.
There was no problem with letting his men earn some extra money, but only after they completed their training.
A soldier’s sense of identity was an important part of evaluating an army.
A victorious army developed fearless confidence, while an army that constantly suffered defeat developed a deep fear of war.
Soldiers in a newly formed army often didn’t even identify themselves as soldiers yet.
If earning money became more important than training, their sense of identity would inevitably begin to deteriorate.
“Fine,” Aegon said.
“But you’ll have to wait until their training is finished.”
To his surprise, the man refused to back down.
The smile remained plastered across his face, but impatience had already begun to surface in his eyes.
“Commander, this shipment belongs to Lord Morlagen.
I hope you’ll cooperate with me.”
The moment the man invoked his employer’s name as a threat, Aegon’s expression cooled.
“I already told you.
We’re training.
Once training is finished, you can hire them however you please.
That’s none of my concern.”
Aegon’s voice wasn’t loud, but his displeasure was unmistakable.
“Commander, surely ending the training a little early won’t make any difference?”
The smile remained fixed on the man’s face, though his mustache had drooped slightly.
Aegon couldn’t be bothered to argue with him anymore.
“Belwas, see him out.”
Belwas didn’t move.
Instead, he quietly reminded Aegon that this so-called Lord Morlagen belonged to House Kezelya, the family that controlled all of Pentos’s major ports and more than seventy percent of its ships.
They were one of the three most powerful governing families in Pentos.
Belwas’s warning was reasonable.
Aegon still didn’t like it.
What Aegon wanted was a personal retainer who would execute his orders without hesitation the moment he gave the command to kill.
“What kind of fruit is this?” Aegon asked coldly.
“It spent more than half a month at sea without spoiling, yet somehow these two hours are suddenly the difference between life and death?”
He knew perfectly well that Lantio was simply using his master’s name to throw his weight around.
House Kezelya might be powerful, but they weren’t so arrogant as to behave like this without reason.
Aegon was certain that the moment he ordered his soldiers to stop training, their growing sense of identity would immediately weaken, and the Army Development quest progress would fall with it.
Seeing that Aegon remained completely unmoved, the man’s smile finally disappeared.
“So the commander has decided not to give House Kezelya any face?”
“A lackey like you thinks he speaks for House Kezelya?” Aegon’s eyes hardened.
“Get out of my sight.
Don’t make me say it twice.”
“Hmph.”
The man left behind a cold snort before turning away.
…
“Steward, I already tried to reason with him, but Illyrio’s son said his men would be training until late tonight and had no time to help us move the cargo.”
“Did he really say that?”
Under a shaded canopy, the man known as the steward frowned.
“That’s exactly what he said.
I swear it!
He doesn’t have the slightest respect for House Kezelya.
Training at night?
You can’t even see the road after dark—how are they supposed to train then?!”
The steward, Sevatt, slowly twisted the enormous yellow-gem ring around his thick finger.
The gemstone was as large and ugly as a swollen tumor.
His expression darkened.
“I’ll report this matter to the lord governor.
You go find some laborers immediately.
The entire shipment must be moved before sunset!”
“Yes, my lord!”
Hiring Aegon’s soldiers had been Sevatt’s own idea.
But if he used them, he wouldn’t be able to pocket a share of the difference.
With casual laborers, however, he had far greater bargaining power.
He alone could decide what price to quote the workers—and what price to charge his employer.
Watching the laborers on the shore, drenched in sweat as they struggled to move the heavy cargo, Sevatt began humming cheerfully to himself.