Before departure, Avi had already prepared two large canvas cloths for the team, which were to be used for setting up makeshift tents for camping on the spot.
Camping in the wilderness itself was not much of a problem—sleeping under the stars with the ground as a bed and using clothes as bedding was sufficient to get through a night in a pinch, even without tents or established campsites.
The real trouble lay in what might lurk in the wild: greenskins, goblins, orcs, bandits, beasts... Most of these creatures would track down camping parties by following the light of the fire or the scent of humans, turning people's dreams into harsh realities.
Within the Empire's borders, no place was truly safe. Thus, setting up and rotating sentries was essential regardless of the camping location. This seemingly straightforward task was actually a significant test of the captain's experience, and Avi happened to lack any experience in this regard.
"In the past, finding a place to sleep was all that mattered, and it was manageable with fewer people. But now, with more cargo and personnel, we must arrange for sentries."
"Boss, this isn't a problem at all! No one else needs to do it; I can handle standing guard. You can rest assured with our friendship of over a decade. I, Old Rafe, can handle five men effortlessly!"
Watching Rafe, brimming with confidence, Avi hesitantly agreed. He instructed the team members to scatter and find a pond, where they set up camp near the water and lit a fire to prepare for the night.
As the night deepened, the silver moon hung faintly in the treetops. The occasional breeze in the air, perhaps the legendary "magic wind," imparted a sense of freedom and ease.
After a day of toil, most team members quickly succumbed to sleep. Avi sat by the campfire, with a system panel above the orange-red flames that only he could see.
"The experience provided by the bandits is notably generous," he mused. "It seems that Rafe and I are just a hair's breadth away from leveling up. During this time of mounted combat, I've also been rewarded with some 'riding' skill. Not bad."
Because his real-world activities had unlocked a reward pathway, a piece of text appeared on the panel: 'Any skill or specialization can be improved through repeated practice, and skill points are not the sole means of advancement.'
Upon reading this, Avi suddenly felt something was amiss—Rafe had never used a two-handed sword before, so why could he wield the greatsword so proficiently at first touch?
Although his weapon proficiency had reached 4 points, was this skill truly that powerful?
"It seems rather unlikely. Otherwise, with 'weapon proficiency' maxed out, one would become a master of all weapons without any practice. Such a scenario seems too good to be true."
Avi decided to prioritize exploring the hidden content on the panel as an important task for the future. For now, he needed to thoroughly inspect the soldiers' statuses.
Imperial soldiers who had been upgraded to regulars required equipment corresponding to their level to continue advancing. This meant that the team's strength would not experience any significant improvement for a while.
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Just as he was consumed by these despondent thoughts while perusing the retainers' pages, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that some of them were different.
The 'retainers' unit displayed on the panel was followed by a hint. Avi placed his finger on it, and a text message appeared: This unit belonged to the noble subordinate units. Such units cannot be promoted to brand new units, but their attributes will increase with the growth of the squad leader's strength.
By changing their equipment, you can transform them into any unlocked units.
"This seems like a windfall!" Avi exclaimed with a smile, rubbing his hands together as he contemplated how to leverage these special soldiers in the future. "With this approach, I can gradually train them. Perhaps in the future, I can establish a knightly order similar to those in the Empire. Wouldn't that be impressive?"
But who was their squad leader?
Avi's gaze trailed along the indicated direction, unveiling a new feature within the team interface—now offering the flexibility to reorganize various units or subgroups. Presently, the team comprised three default squads: infantry, archers, and cavalry, with only the infantry unit designating Rafe as its leader.
"This won't do."
Avi took decisive action, segregating the retainers and entrusting them to Airen's command, while retaining Rafe's leadership over the infantry.
"If the strength of subunit leaders correlates with the prowess of their members, it's prudent for me to abstain from direct leadership for now," Avi contemplated. "After all, I'm sacrificing personal prowess for the team's benefit. In combat, I pale in comparison to Airen and Rafe."
After meticulously assessing the attributes and skills of his comrades and himself, Avi endeavored once more to commit their current statuses to memory for strategic deployment on the battlefield.
Avi, Level 19, Constitution 20, Agility 19, Intelligence 18, Charisma 14; Skills: Oratory 1, Trade 2, Lore 1, Riding 2, Weapon Proficiency 2, Leadership 1, Endurance 1.
Rafe, Level 20, Constitution 33, Agility 16, Intelligence 5, Charisma 8; Skills: Weapon Proficiency 4, Riding 2, Toughness 1, Endurance 1.
Airen, Level 23, Constitution 26, Agility 24, Intelligence 14, Charisma 23; Skills: Oratory 1, Lore 1, Riding 4, Weapon Proficiency 3, Leadership 1, Toughness 2, Trade 1, First Aid 1.
"I never fathomed Airen to be our ace—proficient not only in combat but also boasting a plethora of team-oriented skills," Avi muttered introspectively. "In that case, he shall spearhead as the vanguard and deputy squad leader, with Rafe assuming command over the infantry. This stratagem should optimize their collective effectiveness."
"However... if Rafe is to lead, I must bolster his intelligence."
Observing Rafe's paltry 'Intelligence: 5' on the panel, Avi couldn't shake off a twinge of remorse. Owing to the initial scarcity of fighters, he had unwittingly molded Rafe into a brute without considering his eventual role as a leader.
"Let's chart their future training trajectory now: Rafe assumes command of the infantry, Airen leads the cavalry, and acts as my second-in-command. Subsequently, I'll appoint someone dedicated to cultivating team skills, thus freeing me to concentrate solely on enhancing my attributes."
Just then, Avi discerned approaching footsteps.
Swiftly adopting a pensive pose, as though deeply engrossed by the flickering campfire, he discretely shut down the panel—while imperceptible to others, their scrutiny of his gesturing motions made Avi reluctant to disclose the system's existence to anyone but Rafe.
"Sir, I wish to discuss a matter with you."
It was Airen's voice.
"What is it?" Avi barely lifted his gaze before succumbing to a sudden bout of dizziness and throbbing headache, compelling him to brace himself against the ground to forestall collapse.
"Are you unwell?" Airen hastened over. "Have you sustained injuries in battle? Permit me to examine you."
"I'm fine, merely grappling with sleep deprivation of late," Avi waved off Airen's concern, signaling for him to maintain distance, before assuming an air of composure and inquiring, "What weighs on your mind?"
"Um, well..." Airen averted his gaze, his expression betRafeing discomfort. "I've stumbled upon a disconcerting revelation—the purported goods aboard those merchants' carts are not the honey and timber as professed, but rather gunpowder and..."
At this juncture, Airen's countenance contorted in palpable unease, as if he had tasted something acrid, knitting his brows in consternation.
"Proceed."
Avi discerned the situation to be more intricate than initially perceived. Undoubtedly, Kis, the rotund merchant, wouldn't proffer such substantial profits without a clandestine motive.
"Corpses."