Mount & Blade: Rebuilding Rome from Mercenaries

Chapter 10 The Training of Endurance

At the entrance to Cassignano, Isaac's servants drove several wagons away, taking with them the Papacy's "goods" worth a fortune.

Of course, Tankred would never take out that Fisherman's Ring, and Isaac would certainly not ask for such a troublesome thing.

"Little Tankred, let's part ways here. You can come to me anytime you encounter financial troubles in the future!" The loan shark waved goodbye to Tankred with a beaming smile, as if the two were old acquaintances.

That damned loan shark, I'll make sure you go to hell when I get the chance!

Tankred thought this to himself, but a formulaic smile appeared on his face.

The mercenaries watched the treasure that had just been before them slip away, and as they tallied their spoils, some felt a pang of disappointment. Only Bashir remained optimistic.

"Hey guys, don't be so discouraged! Those Vatican treasures are indeed valuable, but we can't convert them into cash. These everyday items are much more practical!"

"I'm talking to you, little John! Bring those old hoes with you, they have plenty of iron at least!"

"Hey! Isn't a foot towel cloth a piece of cloth? Don't throw it away! You can stuff it into your nail lining when it's worn out!"

"Oh my god, what a pity! A perfectly balanced Germanic sword, only damaged by the chainmail rings; otherwise, it would be worth hundreds of copper coins!"

Bashir always gets so enthusiastic when it comes to money-related matters; he quickly compiled a list of his spoils, complete with a rough estimate:

"One patched leather armor, five battle-damaged cloth armors, ten tattered linen garments, and thirteen coarse cloth robes. These garments are worth approximately 65 copper coins."

"12 hoods, 7 leather hats, 2 simple iron helmets, 1 worn-out nose guard helmet, 1 leather helmet, these hats are probably worth..."

"Alright, alright, Bashir, stop, stop! Just tell me how much it's worth in total!"

Tankred interrupted Bashir's incessant report. Was this guy going to read out all the items one by one?

"Oh, yes, sir. After counting all the weapons, armor, and all other valuables, along with the cash found, the total is a little over thirty-seven silver coins."

It's outrageous that everything of value belongs to the church!

This is actually a good thing, as it should allow the village of Cassignano to absorb all of these goods, saving them the trouble of having to transport them back to Aversa for sale.

Before long, the mercenary group returned to Cassignano in their wagons laden with wreckage. After receiving the final payment for the commissioned task, Tankred finally managed to reach a deal with the village elders after much effort.

"Alright, alright, twenty-five silver coins it is. Your village should hurry up and move all this junk away, and don't forget to fill our wagons with supplies!"

Tancred was too lazy to argue about a few copper coins any longer, so he waved his hand and left most of the goods at a discount to the village of Cassignano.

"Ding! You've made a terrible deal. Your negotiation skills haven't improved, but you've gained the village's favor. [Prestige] +20 (-150 → -130 - Embarrassing)"

The elder readily agreed and directed the villagers to move the goods. Then, as if remembering something, he turned around and presented a sealed earthenware jar: "Generous sir, this is some wine we brewed ourselves using the old method of Aversa. Please, esteemed mercenaries, have a taste to relieve your fatigue."

As soon as the jar was opened, a rich aroma of wine wafted out. The mercenaries gathered around and drank it all down in their wooden bowls.

"God bless this, it's ten times better than watered-down sour beer!" Bashir muttered as he licked the bottom of his bowl, completely oblivious to the fact that their God forbade drinking alcohol.

"It is indeed fine wine," old John said, smacking his lips with a hint of relish. "Old man, your poor village has such a treasure?"

"Elder, then let's move another jar onto the supply wagon. You can give me twenty-four silver coins!"

The village elder thanked him profusely and managed to scrape together enough money from his tattered bag to hand over to Tankred. Meanwhile, the mercenaries glanced at the money in Tankred's hand and then at the village women who had gathered again, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"Oh, you bunch of bastards, yes, it's on me, grab your damn money!"

"Little John, you're out of luck! You little brat, go stand guard by the carriage!"

Tankred covered his face and distributed the silver coins he had just received to everyone.

He knew very well that he could not hold his men to the same standards as modern people, especially the army of his homeland, in the Middle Ages.

Mercenaries join the army for adventure, money, and freedom; as long as it's not too outrageous, he's fine with it. Besides, they're paid!

The mercenaries, shouting and linking arms with the village women, disappeared behind the doors of the simple wooden huts, laughing and joking.

"Don't always be so tense. Sometimes you need to relax a bit, little Tankred." Even old John just shrugged at Tankred, then took a widow's hand and disappeared from Tankred's sight.

"Oh! Respected, generous sir! Should I... arrange something for you as well?"

The village elder, rubbing his hands, reappeared before Tankred with a fawning smile: "Sir, the village girls adore you! My daughter Anna too. Although she's lively and loves to run around, she's always impeccably clean and never..."

"Oh, Elder, no need!" Tankred immediately interrupted him.

It wasn't that he lacked the desire for such things; it was just that he was deeply impressed by the hygiene conditions of the Middle Ages since his transmigration, especially since he had been traveling for several days and was terribly filthy. Having bathed every day before his transmigration, what he craved most at this moment wasn't these physical pleasures.

"Prepare a clean wooden tub for me, and boil plenty of water. I want to take a good bath. I've been sweating all day in these three layers of armor, and the smell is unbearable!"

The elder was taken aback, clearly finding the request somewhat unexpected. However, after a brief moment of surprise, he suddenly understood:

"A bath? Of course, of course! Generous sir, you are truly a man of refined taste. I'll go prepare it right away, I guarantee you'll be completely comfortable. Please wait here a moment, I'll personally arrange it for you!"

Tankred, who had been busy for a day and a night, nodded, not noticing the elder's "I understand you" expression.

Time passed slowly, and the noise in the village gradually subsided, leaving only sporadic laughter. However, the elder was still nowhere to be seen.

"Does it take this long to prepare a bath?"

Just as Tancred was about to fall asleep on the rock, the elder finally appeared.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, generous sir! Everything is ready for you, plenty of hot water, absolutely secluded, and undisturbed."

The elder kindly led the way, passing through several quiet wooden houses, to a solitary hut on the edge of the village.

"This is the place. Please make yourself at home." The elder stopped at the door and bowed slightly.

Looking through the window, one could see a simple cubicle inside, with a faint glow of steam and warm candlelight emanating from one of the rooms. The rising steam filled the air, and a large wooden barrel could be vaguely seen.

Tankred groaned with satisfaction, removed his filthy armor in the next room, and stepped toward the bathtub he had been longing for.

"Ah—who is it? Don't come any closer!" A slightly familiar, sharp scream almost lifted the roof off.

As the steam dissipated slightly, Tancred saw Anna's flushed face. Her arms were crossed in front of her, her wet hair clung to her cheeks, and water droplets slid down her smooth shoulders and neck.

"It's you, you bastard! You... what are you doing here? Wait! Father, you old liar!" Anna immediately realized what was happening when she saw Tancred.

Tancred's initial surprise quickly faded, and he instantly understood what had happened.

Having transmigrated to the Middle Ages, he had already decided on his attitude towards life. Marriage in this era was influenced by Christianity, which advocated monogamy. Therefore, if Tancred were to choose a marriage partner in the future, he would definitely seek out the daughter of a respectable nobleman to elevate his social standing.

However, although the Middle Ages practiced monogamy, who said that lovers couldn't have each other?

Being a royal mistress is a unique feature of the Middle Ages, and you can't miss out on it! Since you're in the Middle Ages, how can you miss out on this kind of pleasure?

Tancred looked at Anna's alluring figure, and then thought of the way the director had been looking at him these past few days:

"You call me an idiot every day? Today I'll show you what a real idiot is!"

"Ah! Don't come any closer!...Huh? You're quite strong?"

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「叮！您完成了一场艰苦的战斗，耐力+5（20→25），长杆兵器熟练度+5（10→15），个人经验+5，当前等级 Lv3（47/50）。」

"Ding! Your Stamina has reached 25 points. You can choose one of the following specializations:"

[Exceptional Endurance] Stamina recovery +50%

[Daily Morning Exercise] Walking speed +5%

"?"

"!"

"Add points to [Exceptional Endurance]!"

......