Mount & Blade: Rebuilding Rome from Mercenaries

Although Tancred's small mercenary group was short of personnel and finances, they had plenty of equipment. On their way to Cassignano, all seven of them were dressed in neat Norman mercenary attire, Tancred being no exception.

However, while ordinary Norman riders would wear two layers of armor, those with the "tailor-made" bonus wore an extra layer of armor compared to others.

The inner layer was a thick lining made of multiple layers of linen, stuffed with cotton for added cushioning. It protected against blunt force injuries and also prevented the outer metal armor from rubbing against the body.

In the center is a complete set of chainmail. The knee-length chainmail robe tightly covers the upper body and arms, the chain guards protect the neck and jaw, the chainmail leg guards protect the legs, and the head is covered by a typical Norman nasal helmet.

The outermost layer is a set of leather armor covering the entire torso, while the hands are covered with sturdy leather gloves and wrist guards. The tanned, hardened leather can largely protect against stabs from sharp weapons, compensating for the shortcomings of the chainmail.

Meanwhile, a battle axe hung at his waist, a knight's zither shield bearing his family crest was slung across his back, and a lance, a crossbow, and a crossbow magazine were mounted side by side on his warhorse.

Although the entire set of equipment was somewhat worn, it was still worth at least 80 gold towers, and these seven sets of equipment in the mercenary team were Tank Red's hope for a comeback.

Cassignano was only 10 Romani (about 14 kilometers) from Aversa, and after an afternoon's march, a dilapidated little village was in sight.

Upon reaching the village entrance, Tankred ordered his soldiers to dismount, and the fully armed mercenary team, leading their warhorses, traversed the muddy paths of the village.

"Normans!!!"

Upon seeing Tankred and his group, the village erupted into chaos. Several children playing in the mud scattered and ran away, while villagers quickly pulled their children back into their houses and locked the doors. The once noisy village fell into an eerie silence.

It seems that in southern Italy, the Normans are not exactly universally loved, but rather universally disliked!

The mercenary group slowly advanced along the village path, with Tankred and Old John walking side by side at the front. From time to time, people curiously peeked out from the wooden houses on both sides of the road, but their eyes were filled with vigilance and fear.

A moment later, an elderly man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, arrived before Tancredma and asked in broken Norman, "Oh, God bless, esteemed knights, what brings you to our little village?"

"So you're the village steward?" Old John's question perfectly captured Tancred's doubts.

Generally speaking, villages in southern Italy would have trusted confidants of the nobility serving as officials to handle judicial, tax, and administrative affairs.

"No, no, no, esteemed sir, our village chief was taken away long ago by those demons... oh no, by your righteous kin. I am the elder elected by the villagers to temporarily maintain order in this village."

Good heavens, it turns out they've been exploited by their own kind through "sustainable depletion"!

"So you initiated this commission?" Tankred took out the mercenary commission from his pocket and handed it over.

The old man examined the body carefully for a long time, turning it over and over, before finally relaxing and shouting, "It's the mercenaries who came to suppress the bandits, sir! All clear!"

At the elder's whistle, the villagers slowly emerged from their houses. Their eyes no longer held fear, but were filled with curiosity, even a hint of...anticipation?

Tancred then noticed that most of the villagers were women, the elderly, and children.

As for where all the able-bodied men went?

Tankred turned and looked in Avelsa's direction... It's really hard to guess!

While he was pondering this, the curious villagers had already gathered around.

The children marveled at the mercenaries' gleaming helmets and chainmail, while the village women's eyes lit up with anticipation. They dared not provoke Tankred and Old John, instead pulling up their hair and groping the rest of the group.

"Ahem... Sir, you have to understand them," the elder said with a smile, "It's been many years since so many men have come to the village."

Tankred looked over helplessly. The other mercenaries were clearly veterans, but poor young John, who was being touched here and there by several bold women, making him blush bright red.

But the most impressive one has to be Bashir. In just a few minutes, this Saracen was already leading a plump widow into the house!

"Seriously, all of you! Bashir, you come back here too!" Old John couldn't stand it any longer and quickly sternly ordered discipline.

Bashir paused at the sound, somewhat embarrassed, and released the widow's wrist, returning to the ranks amidst the hushed laughter of his companions. The villagers, seeing this, also stepped back slightly, though their gazes remained intensely fixed on the mercenaries.

"Elder, let's cut the small talk and get to the commission!" Tankred turned his gaze to the white-haired elder, for completing the commission was his most important task on this trip.

"Yes, sir," the old man sighed, leaning on his cane, his expression turning serious. "About two months ago, a dozen or so people came from the mountains to the north and took over an abandoned cave. They come down the mountain every few days to steal things and livestock; they've almost eaten all the chickens in the village."

"How's their equipment?" Old John asked pointedly.

"What else can we do? We're wearing tattered robes and at most a few patched-up armor plates. We can't compare to the officers' shiny chainmail."

Tancred and Old John exchanged a glance, feeling much more at ease. Without proper armor, these thieves would be much easier to deal with. However, the mountain paths were rugged and the terrain unfamiliar; having a guide would be ideal.

"Anna, come here," the elder seemed to have been prepared, waving to a slightly tidy wooden house behind him.

A young woman of about twenty years old stepped forward in response, curiously observing Tancred. She wasn't wearing the loose, coarse cloth dresses often worn by medieval peasant women, but rather a faded, close-fitting short robe. The belt was tightly fastened, and the fabric gathered along her shoulders and waist, outlining her undulating curves.

"Anna, what did I teach you? Quickly bow to your superiors."

The old man pressed the girl's shoulder and curtsied slightly to Tankred, then introduced her apologetically: "This is my daughter Anna. I've spoiled her rotten; she doesn't act like a proper young lady at all. I'm sorry to have made you officers laugh. But she always likes to go into the mountains and knows those hidden paths best. She also remembers the location of that cave. Having her lead the way will be no problem at all."

Old John scrutinized Anna's light brown skin and nodded in response to Tancred's questioning gaze.

"Then it's settled. As per the rules, please pay us half of the deposit first!" Seeing that everything was arranged, Tankred had a plan for attack in mind, so he simply took out the parchment commission from his pocket.

"Oh, please follow me, sir." The elder led Tancred into the cabin, shakily counting out some silver coins and a few loose change from an old cloth bag. After confirming the count was correct, Tancred took out the signet ring hanging on his chest, gladly stamped the contract with the seal bearing the Comteville family crest, and then turned to walk towards his noisy subordinates.

After a moment of internal struggle, Anna, who was standing behind the elder, made up her mind and followed closely behind, walking alongside him.

"Sir, you're different from the other mercenaries!" she said excitedly in a low voice. "When you entered the village, you made your soldiers dismount, afraid that the mud splashed up by their hooves would dirty the village's wooden houses. Your men were also quite despicable, but you stopped them. You didn't want the other Normans to only know how to burn, kill, and loot. You truly have a heart of gold!"

"Oh? Maybe," Tankred replied absentmindedly.

Tancred never intentionally did these things; they were just habits of a modern person. Moreover, in this dog-eat-dog medieval world, he didn't think these so-called virtues were of much use. Instead, he cared more about his mercenaries, since they were the foundation of his survival in this chaotic era.

Damn it, these old foxes, in just a short while they've started "interacting" with the village women again!

"Ahem, quiet down, listen to Commander Tankred!" Old John felt a little embarrassed by the mercenaries' behavior and quickly restored discipline.

This was also Tancred's first time giving a speech, so he could only imitate old John's tone and speak eloquently:

"Gentlemen! The thieves' camp is in the mountains to the north. Here's our plan—"

"We'll first take a shortcut led by our guide to approach their camp, then set up camp to rest and recharge. We'll launch a surprise attack around midnight when their defenses are at their weakest."

"Oh? Look at the disappointed looks on your faces. I know what you're thinking. You just want to have some fun in the village first, right? I get it!"

The mercenaries chuckled awkwardly, and Anna frowned slightly.

"Listen up! The commission isn't finished yet, and the payment hasn't been fully received. Everyone, be serious and focused! No half-hearted work allowed!"

Tankred first gave a stern warning, then changed the subject, whistling and saying with a flippant expression:

"However, when we return victorious tomorrow carrying the heads of those bastards, I'll give you all a complete vacation and let you have as much fun as you want!"

"My treat!"

"Roar!" After a brief silence, the mercenaries burst into a low cheer.

"Pah!" After a brief moment of surprise, Anna spat under her breath in Tancred's direction. "What a bastard, I almost fell for his trick!"

......

「叮！你成功地用诺曼人的方式获得了僱佣兵们的好感，魅力+10（10→20），个人经验+10，当前等级lv2 (20/20)」

"Ding! You have leveled up to lv3 (0/50), with 2 attribute point available."