The Arrival of the Robber Gang

Just outside the Stronghold Main House, at the edge of the Wheat Field shrouded in normal darkness, three sneaky figures suddenly appeared.

At this moment, the complete darkness outside the window solidified, and strange Gray Fog flowed.

This made the three guys, dressed in Linen Robes, holding stones and Slaughtering Knives in their hands, and with very hesitant expressions, feel very scared.

They were Robbers from Dhirim, or rather, homeless people who had taken this evil path after going bankrupt in the town.

Therefore, every time they acted in the wilderness, they were always very careful.

Otherwise, whether they encountered the Lord's army, the patrol teams between towns and villages, passing merchant caravans, or Slave Catching Teams eyeing their bodies, it would be quite dangerous.

After all, in this day and age, even becoming a Robber was a last resort, a highly dangerous profession with not much future.

Especially since even if they were Robbers, they might encounter Bandits or Robbers, as well as the famous Outlaw Bandits within the Kingdom of Swadia.

Because they were in the same line of work.

They would also be robbed, extorted, or even killed...

"Narot, is that generous Lord you mentioned really here?" a Robber asked cautiously.

Another Robber also looked up at the companion in front of him.

A guy who, in the Robber circles of Dhirim, had been bragging loudly that he was captured by a Lord from another world, and then, seeing that he was a Swadian, let him go, and often gloated about this matter.

Narot, a young man, a former merchant who had reluctantly joined the Robber profession due to bankruptcy.

"That's right, it's here."

Narot walked in front, looking at the strange, concrete Load-bearing Columns around him that looked like stone but had no stacking gaps, and nodded slowly.

Especially when he looked up at the ceiling above his head and the concrete walls on both sides.

His tone became even more certain: "This is the other world where that Lord exists!"

"But can the three of us really connect with that Lord by coming here?" another Robber behind him said worriedly, "He won't tie us all up and sell us to those slave merchants who deserve to go to hell, will he?"

"Narot, you know, I still have a 7-year-old child, I didn't want to be a Robber either," the other Robber also said.

"Trust me!"

Narot's tone was very confident: "That Lord is extremely benevolent, and I know he lacks a lot of supplies, this is our opportunity!"

In the past, Narot was a small merchant.

Although his assets were only a little over ten thousand Denars, he quickly went bankrupt due to being involved in certain incidents.

But Narot never thought of himself as a real Robber.

Instead, he regarded the profession of Robber as a way to accumulate initial capital again.

The last time he failed and was captured.

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

Unexpectedly, that benevolent Lord actually let him go.

This was something Narot really didn't expect.

Even after returning to Dhirim and mixing in the Robber circles again, he still couldn't forget what happened that day for a long time.

At the same time, every time he thought about this matter late at night, he felt a stirring in his heart.

That benevolent Lord Shen Mu seemed to be lacking a lot of supplies. If he could get in touch with him and buy and sell in between, perhaps he could use this opportunity to regain his former wealth!

This was also why Narot finally made up his mind, in the dark night, called his two trusted friends, and searched for a way to come to this other world, looking for Shen Mu.

Now, by chance, they had finally passed through a patch of darkness and arrived at this place.

"Let's go, we'll go over."

Narot straightened up slightly and said to his two Robber friends behind him, "Our attitude must be humble in a moment."

"Of course we know," the two replied.

After walking a few more steps, they also saw the faint light at the end of the Wheat Field.

And the few guards standing in that light.

This further strengthened Narot's idea.

"We..." But before Narot could say anything, his foot suddenly tripped over a pile of hard things.

Narot immediately fell to the ground with a 'thud'.

And his calf and knee also hit this extremely hard pile of things, the pain making his face slightly pale.

"What's wrong?" The two Robber friends quickly came over to help him up.

"It hurts so much, who threw this here..." Narot was already nervous, and after being helped up, his face was also very ugly as he wanted to curse.

But he looked down.

A pile of dark, smelly Iron Forks were just thrown here haphazardly.

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

But when Narot reached out and picked up these small Iron Forks, which were about the length of an adult's arm, his face was even more surprised: "No, these weapons... Could they be spoils of war?!"

Narot saw that on these iron forks, there were still some clearly fresh, sticky, dark red liquids remaining.

It was blood!

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

[You can now engage in black market trade or fence stolen goods with them.]

"A group of robbers has arrived?"

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

Moreover, the content in the dialogue box even stated that black market trade or fencing stolen goods was possible.

"Doesn't this mean I can get some Denars and some much-needed supplies?" Shen Mu stroked his chin, a smile in his eyes.

This was truly a timely help.

"Stop! Who's outside!"

Just then, a shout came from the direction of the wheat field outside the stronghold.

It was the voice of the Lake Rats recruit guarding there.

"We, we are civilians from Dhirim. We were treated kindly by Lord Shen Mu before, so we came to visit him."

An unfamiliar voice also answered tremblingly.

"Stand there! Be honest! I'll go report!" It was the Lake Rats recruit's reprimand again.

Then the cloth curtain was lifted.

A sturdy young man wearing belted leather armor and carrying fishing darts walked over quickly. After respectfully saluting, he reported to Shen Mu: "Lord, there are 3 fellows outside who say they knew you before, but they don't look like kind civilians to me. They look like robbers."

In the world of Mount & Blade, the Lake Rats were a genuine gang of villains in Sturgia.

They usually fished in the swamps when they had nothing to do.

If something happened.

Then they were the most notorious criminal gang within Sturgia!

Therefore, when it came to identifying their peers, or rather, distinguishing whether someone was a civilian, a merchant, or from a lord's family or a wealthy merchant, their eyesight was quite sharp.

They could tell at a glance that these 3 arriving robbers were not ordinary civilians as they claimed.

"Let them in," Shen Mu's mouth curved slightly. "They are indeed old acquaintances, friends."

"I understand then."

The Lake Rats recruit nodded, then turned and went outside the cloth curtain, bringing in the 3 robbers who were still being stared at coldly by other Lake Rats recruits holding small bladed axes.

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

5 Swadian Footmen immediately drew their Germanic Swords and stood on either side of the chair Shen Mu was sitting on, acting as guards.

This seemed to add to Shen Mu's aura as a lord.

"Narot, who was kindly spared by your benevolence, pays his respects to the benevolent Lord Shen Mu!"

Narot, along with his 2 robber friends, walked over quickly and knelt directly and respectfully before Shen Mu.

Their attitude was extremely humble.

His 2 robber friends also had the same appearance.

"Mm," Shen Mu nodded at the robber who called himself Narot, and said calmly, "Stand up, my friend."

"Thank you for your benevolence." Only then did Narot stand up with trembling legs under the indifferent gazes of the Swadian Footmen and the Lake Rats recruits.

He now realized that this Lord Shen Mu seemed to have changed quite a bit compared to before.

It wasn't just the surrounding environment and the resources he possessed.

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

This made Narot, who was currently a robber, even more apprehensive.

It wasn't just him.

The two robbers behind him were now so scared their legs were weak, their backs were bowed, and they didn't even dare to raise their heads, looking pitiful.

They were clearly terrified!

"Narot, your arrival makes me very happy."

Shen Mu didn't want to waste time and asked directly, "But I want to know, what kind of help can your arrival bring me?"

"Ah? Of course! Lord Shen Mu!"

Narot was slightly stunned.

Shen Mu's directness was unexpected.

But then he showed a look of ecstasy, immediately knelt on the ground again, and said very seriously, "Lord Shen Mu, I was once a qualified merchant, but I went bankrupt due to the war. I think you need me, this former merchant, to help you solve some financial problems and material needs!"

"Continue," Shen Mu nodded, signaling him to continue.

"I have many merchant friends, and I've also made many robber friends who work in the dark of night."

Narot swallowed hard and said very seriously, "Lord Shen Mu, if you can trust me and give me some spoils of war or valuable items, I will sell them and exchange them for Denars or equivalent goods, and then bring them back to you!"

After speaking, Narot immediately prostrated himself on the ground.

He didn't say another word.

It was as if he was waiting for Shen Mu's judgment.

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

"Lord, those iron forks you have outside, and the weapons you've captured, if sold to the Kingdom of Swadia, which is currently extremely short of iron products and iron ingots, you will receive a generous return!"

At this moment, Narot spoke with absolute certainty.