The Arrival of the Robber Gang

Outside the Stronghold Main House, at the end of the wheat field shrouded in ordinary darkness, three sneaky figures suddenly appeared.

At this moment, utter darkness had congealed beyond the windows, while strange gray mist drifted through the air.

The three men, dressed in Linen Robes and holding stones and Slaughtering Knives, all wore hesitant expressions and were deeply afraid.

They were robbers from Dhirim, or rather, homeless men who had turned to this wicked path after going bankrupt in the city.

That was why they were always extremely cautious whenever they operated in the wild.

Whether they encountered a lord's army, patrols traveling between towns and villages, passing caravans, or Slave Catching Teams eyeing their bodies, all of it was exceedingly dangerous.

After all, these days, even becoming a robber was a profession born of necessity—dangerous, with little future.

Especially since, even as robbers, they might encounter bandits, highwaymen, or the Kingdom of Swadia's infamous Outlaw Bandits.

Because they were in the same line of work.

They could be robbed, extorted, or even killed themselves...

"Narot, is that generous lord you mentioned really here?" one of the robbers asked cautiously.

Another robber also looked up at the companion walking ahead.

He was the fellow in Dhirim's robber circles who had loudly bragged about being captured by a lord from another world, only to be spared because he was a Swadian, and who had often smugly boasted about it ever since.

Narot, a young former merchant who had reluctantly entered the robber trade after going bankrupt.

"Yes, this is the place."

Narot walked at the front. Looking at the strange concrete load-bearing columns around them, which resembled stone but had no masonry seams, he slowly nodded.

Especially when he raised his head and looked at the ceiling above, as well as the Concrete Walls on either side.

His tone became even more certain. "This is the other world where that lord resides!"

"But can the three of us really get in touch with that lord?" another robber behind him asked worriedly. "He won't tie us up and sell us to those damned Slave Merchants, will he?"

"Narot, you know I have a seven-year-old child. I never wanted to become a robber either," the other robber said as well.

"Trust me!"

Narot sounded extremely confident. "That lord is exceedingly kind, and I know he lacks many supplies. This is our chance!"

Narot had once been a small merchant.

Although his assets had amounted to only a little over ten thousand Denars, and he had quickly gone bankrupt after becoming entangled in certain matters.

Narot had never believed that he was truly a robber.

Instead, he regarded robbery as a way to accumulate starting capital once again.

Last time, he had failed and been captured.

Narot had already despaired, believing that he would either be killed or sold off.

Yet he had never expected that kind lord to spare him.

Narot truly had not expected it.

Even after returning to Dhirim and once again mingling among robbers, he still could not forget what had happened that day.

Whenever the dead of night came and he recalled the matter, his thoughts would stir.

That kind Lord Shen Mu seemed to lack many supplies. If Narot could establish contact with him and act as a middleman, buying low and selling high, perhaps he could use this opportunity to rebuild his former wealth!

That was why Narot had finally made up his mind. On that pitch-black night, he had called upon two trusted friends to search for a way to this other world and seek out Shen Mu.

Now, through a fortunate coincidence, they had finally passed through a patch of darkness and arrived here.

"Let's go over there."

Narot straightened slightly and told his two robber friends behind him, "Make sure to be humble in a moment."

"Of course we know," the two replied.

After walking a few more steps, they saw a faint glow at the end of the wheat field.

And several guards standing within that light.

This only strengthened Narot's conviction.

"We..." Before Narot could say anything, his foot suddenly caught on a hard pile of something.

Narot immediately fell to the ground with a thud.

His calf and knee also slammed into that extremely hard pile, and the pain made his face turn slightly pale.

"What happened?" His two robber friends hurried over to help him up.

"It hurts. Who threw this here..." Already tense, Narot was helped to his feet with an ugly expression, about to curse.

But then he looked down.

A pile of blackened, foul-smelling Iron Forks had been carelessly thrown there.

His expression changed slightly. "So many iron products... No, weapons?!"

But when Narot reached out and picked up those small Iron Forks, each about the length of an adult's arm, his face became even more astonished. "No, these weapons... could they be spoils captured in battle?!"

Narot noticed that some visibly fresh, sticky, dark-red liquid still remained on the Iron Forks.

It was blood!

Ding! A group of robbers from 'Dhirim' has secretly arrived at your stronghold and recognized your 'Robber Rendezvous Point'.

You may now conduct Black Market Trade or fence stolen goods with them.

"A group of robbers has arrived?"

Shen Mu looked at the contents of the dialogue box and immediately understood that the effect of the Robber Rendezvous Point had taken effect.

Moreover, the dialogue box actually said that he could conduct Black Market Trade or fence stolen goods.

"Doesn't that mean I can obtain some Denars and urgently needed supplies?" Shen Mu stroked his chin, a smile in his eyes.

This truly came at the perfect time.

"Stop! Who's out there!"

At that moment, a shout came from the direction of the wheat field outside the stronghold.

It was the voice of a Lake Rats Recruit standing guard there.

"We—we're civilians from Dhirim. Lord Shen Mu once treated us kindly, so we came to visit him."

An unfamiliar voice answered tremblingly.

"Stand there! Behave yourselves! I'll report this!" Another Lake Rats Recruit barked.

Then the Cloth Curtain was lifted.

A sturdy young man wearing Belted Leather Armor and carrying Fishing Darts strode over. After respectfully saluting, he reported to Shen Mu, "My lord, three men have arrived outside. They say they knew you before, but they don't look like decent civilians to me. They look like robbers."

In the world of Mount & Blade: Bannerlord, the Lake Rats were a genuine thug organization of Sturgia.

They usually caught fish in the swamps when there was nothing to do.

But when there was something to do.

They became Sturgia's most notorious criminal gang!

Therefore, they had exceptionally sharp eyes when identifying fellow criminals, or distinguishing ordinary civilians and merchants from lordly families and wealthy traders.

At a glance, they could tell that these three arriving robbers were nothing like the ordinary civilians they claimed to be.

"Let them in." Shen Mu's lips curled slightly. "They are indeed old acquaintances. Friends."

"Understood."

The Lake Rats Recruit nodded, then turned and went beyond the Cloth Curtain, bringing in the three robbers who were still being coldly watched by other Lake Rats Recruits holding Small Bladed Axes.

At the same time, the Swadian Footmen sleeping on the ground on both sides of the Stronghold Main House also woke up.

Five Swadian Footmen immediately drew their Germanic Swords and stood on both sides of Shen Mu's chair as guards.

It made Shen Mu appear even more imposing, with the bearing of a lord.

"Narot, whom your kindness once mercifully spared, pays respects to the kind Lord Shen Mu!"

Narot led his two robber friends forward at a quick pace and directly knelt respectfully before Shen Mu.

His attitude was extremely humble.

His two robber friends looked much the same.

"Mm." Shen Mu nodded at the robber calling himself Narot and calmly said, "Rise, my friend."

"Thank you for your mercy." Only then did Narot rise on trembling legs beneath the cold stares of the Swadian Footmen and Lake Rats Recruits.

He now realized that this Lord Shen Mu seemed somewhat different from before.

It was not merely the surrounding environment and the supplies he possessed.

Even the soldiers under his command looked no different from those serving the lords!

This made Narot, now a robber, increasingly terrified.

And not just him.

The two robbers behind him were so frightened that their legs had gone weak. They hunched over miserably, not even daring to lift their heads.

They had clearly been scared out of their wits!

"Narot, your arrival pleases me."

Shen Mu did not wish to waste time and asked directly, "But I want to know what kind of help your arrival can bring me."

"Ah? Of course, Lord Shen Mu!"

Narot froze slightly.

Shen Mu's directness had caught him by surprise.

But then a look of wild joy appeared on his face. He immediately knelt again and said earnestly, "Lord Shen Mu, I was once a competent merchant, but war drove me into bankruptcy. I believe you need me, a former merchant, to help resolve certain financial matters and supply needs!"

"Go on." Shen Mu nodded, signaling for him to continue.

"I have many merchant friends, and I also know many robber friends who work in the night."

Narot swallowed and said earnestly, "Lord Shen Mu, if you can trust me and entrust some spoils or valuable items to me, I will sell them, exchange them for Denars or goods of equivalent value, and deliver them back to you!"

After speaking, Narot pressed his forehead to the ground.

He said nothing more.

It was as though he were awaiting Shen Mu's judgment.

"Then what do you consider valuable?" Shen Mu asked after a moment of silence.

"My lord, those Iron Forks outside, those captured weapons—if they are sold in the Kingdom of Swadia, which is currently desperately short of iron products and iron ingots, they will bring generous returns!"

Narot spoke with absolute certainty.