The Dilemma of Troop Upgrades

Honestly, Shen Mu was truly delighted.

After all, 30 Swadian Footmen, 50 Swadian Peasants, and 25 Swadian bandits had joined him—a total of 105 people.

Including his current 45 members, Shen Mu's subordinates had directly reached the milestone of 150 people!

This increase in strength made Shen Mu quite happy.

"First, let our friends who came from afar eat their fill, then get a good night's rest. Once daylight comes tomorrow, they'll be put to work in our stronghold."

Shen Mu made the arrangements.

He had the Swadian Footmen, fellow Swadians themselves, welcome these deserters, refugees, and bandits into the room containing the Wheat Field.

After all, that place followed the rules of the Mount & Blade World rather than the Necromantic Rules, making it suitable for rest.

"We... are grateful for your acceptance, Lord Shen Mu!"

The refugees and bandits were deeply moved. One by one, they respectfully bowed to Shen Mu before the long table, then entered the room containing the Wheat Field.

Especially the thirty Swadian Footmen still standing in a row. After being defeated on the front lines, they had helplessly become deserters. Too ashamed to return, and not daring to return, to the current new capital of Praven, they had come to seek shelter with Shen Mu, hoping to shed their status as deserters and make a fresh start.

Having come here, Lord Shen Mu truly did not pursue their current identities. He still regarded them as the Swadian Footmen they had once been.

How could that not leave these Footmen, who had experienced life as deserters, grateful and deeply moved?

Thus, after the thirty Swadian Footmen struck their chests, they turned and entered the room containing the Wheat Field. Their expressions were solemn, their eyes reddened, and it was obvious their loyalty to Shen Mu had already reached its maximum!

Or rather, soldiers who came to this other world were all trustworthy when it came to loyalty.

But sometimes, extreme loyalty meant they were willing to fight to the death without retreating for a name, a slogan, or an order.

As these newly joined Swadian Footmen entered the room containing the Wheat Field.

The kitchen in the Stronghold Main House became busy again.

The Mercenary Sentinels were helping with the cooking.

Fresh wheat porridge, bread chunks baked until crisp, and Blue Star's native syrup simmering in small jars.

There were also chopped vegetables and various beans they had found.

As well as frozen meat, canned food, and so on.

Everything was dumped together into the large pot, making the boiling wheat porridge increasingly rich in flavor.

To Shen Mu, this sort of stew did not taste as good as eating canned food himself.

But for these Mount & Blade soldiers, who came from poor backgrounds and backward times.

This food.

Especially food with various seasonings added, which had no nourishing effects but still provided sweetness and saltiness.

Was nothing short of a feast!

"Whew... It's delicious! So good!"

"Even the landlords back home couldn't eat something like this!"

"Delicious! Wheat porridge with salt!"

"And bread covered in sugar! Sweeter than honey!"

"It's the same as what the manor lords back home eat!"

Thus, within the Wheat Field, the newly joined Swadian Footmen, the arriving Swadian refugees, and the bandits all held wooden bowls and shoveled down the still-steaming food.

They devoured it ravenously. Even the food scraps stuck to their filthy, unwashed fingers from their journey were licked clean.

Their faces were filled with bliss.

The Mercenary Sentinels who had carried over the large pot, small jars, and baked bread could only wear strange expressions as they watched.

Of course, that was the Mount & Blade soldiers' own business.

Shen Mu was still busy with his own matters.

"There are only about three hours until dawn..."

Shen Mu estimated the time. This was a skill every Blue Star human possessed now that they had entered the terrifying era of the Necromantic Rules.

He reached out and lightly twisted the Silver Ring on his left index finger, the Low-level Supply Ring from the Empire of Einfast.

"Use it!" Shen Mu's Mind Communicates with System.

The system then communicated with the Low-Tier Battlefield Magic infused within the ring.

'Buzz—'

An extremely unusual wave instantly emerged from Shen Mu's brow and acted upon the Silver Ring on his finger.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it erupted. Mixed with countless fine Data Streams, it suddenly descended upon many Mount & Blade soldiers inside the Stronghold Main House.

Within the quivers removed by the Mercenary Sentinels, crossbow bolts that had previously been nearly depleted, with only two or three remaining or none at all, began to have phantom crossbow bolts materialize within them at incredible speed amid fine Data Streams.

Once the white glow formed by the Data Streams faded.

The depleted quivers were once again filled with neatly arranged crossbow bolts, complete with fletching, straight shafts, and iron arrowheads!

The same scene appeared in the packs of the Lake Rats Recruits, where the Fishing Darts they had thrown were restored one by one.

On the rooftop of the Second Floor of the stronghold, the javelins that had been fired from the ballista beside the wine barrels.

All of these basic expendable weapons were fully replenished.

"So this is Battlefield Replenishment Magic? It's pretty interesting..."

Shen Mu raised his brows slightly and glanced at the Mercenary Sentinel's quiver by the wall, which had filled out again. He was rather surprised as well.

But the products of Mount & Blade really were remarkable—surprising and delightful at the same time.

This had merely been a trial run of this so-called battlefield magic.

The results exceeded expectations.

It was perfect.

Shen Mu was very satisfied.

"Of course." Shen Mu's thoughts communicated with the system again, and the dialogue box refreshed across his retina. "There's something more important: troop upgrades."

Ding! You have soldiers available for upgrade!

Lake Rats Recruit ×10 can be upgraded to: Lake Rats Veteran Thug (Heavy Throwing Infantry)

Upgrading to Lake Rats Veteran Thug (Tier 3) costs 50 Denar per person.

Swadian Footman ×25 can be upgraded to: ① Swadian Footman (Heavy Melee Infantry) / ② Swadian Heavy Cavalry (Heavy Cavalry)

Upgrading to Swadian Footman (Tier 4) costs 100 Denar per person / Swadian Heavy Cavalry (Tier 4) costs 100 Denar per person.

Please make your choice.

"It's finally here."

Shen Mu did not care about the Denar.

Instead, he carefully examined the troop upgrades in the dialogue box, especially the upgrades for troops from the Kingdom of Swadia.

The Lake Rats troop upgrades were all Heavy Throwing Infantry. There were no branches; they simply had to climb the upgrade tree.

But the Swadian Footmen were different.

As a Tier 3 Troop of the Kingdom of Swadia, they stood at a crucial branching point. Advancing to Tier 4 Troop offered two choices.

One was the upgraded form of the Light Footman: the Swadian Footman.

They wore better Coat of Plates Heavy Chainmail, Iron Composite Helmets, heavy fan shields, Hand-and-a-Half Swords, lances, and Combat Hoes, giving them standard line-holding capabilities.

They could be considered qualified line-holding heavy infantry.

But the second option was the essence of the Kingdom of Swadia.

It was also why the Kingdom of Swadia was said to be invincible on the plains, able to crush all enemies, and why even that reckless King Harlaus could suppress the other four kingdoms in the field—

Cavalry troops!

And among the four kingdoms with cavalry, Swadia was the only one whose Tier 4 cavalry, both rider and warhorse, were fully armored in heavy armor. They wielded cavalry lances, were well trained, and could form a wall of cavalry for a charge—Heavy Cavalry!

That was right. The cavalry upgrade for Swadian Footmen was the Swadian Heavy Cavalry!

They were equipped with cavalry lances over four meters long, heavy Hand-and-a-Half Swords, Cavalry Fan Shields, and Combat Hoes for breaking armor.

They wore Coat of Plates Heavy Chainmail, Flat-Topped Helmets, and even chainmail leggings over their legs.

And most crucially.

Their Swadian Warhorses wore coat of plates chainmail as well.

These Swadian Warhorses, raised in the Kingdom of Swadia—a land focused on Manor Economy, estate-based economics, and training at racetracks—possessed top-tier physique, speed, and strength. They served as mounts for the Swadian Heavy Cavalry.

They were also what forged the renowned reputation of the Swadian Heavy Cavalry!

Sometimes, on the battlefield.

With Swadian Knights, who possessed even greater impact force, leading the charge and these Swadian Heavy Cavalry following behind.

Even Tier 5 knights from other kingdoms would likely tremble in fear!

The Swadian Heavy Cavalry could even be classified as Tier 4.7 troops!

In the wilderness.

Even if they encountered Tier 6 Nord Huscarls, as long as the terrain was suitable and the Heavy Cavalry had sufficient numbers, it was hard to say who would win!

That was the confidence of Heavy Cavalry!

"But how should I choose?"

This was precisely why Shen Mu could not make up his mind.

The Swadian Heavy Cavalry were truly excellent. Their combat power was strong, and their mobility and impact force were invincible in confined spaces.

But precisely because Shen Mu had considered the current cramped environment.

They were on the seventh floor of an apartment building.

Narrow corridors.

This directly erased the most cost-effective aspect of the Swadian Heavy Cavalry: their incredible mobility and superb tactical maneuverability on plains or in the wilderness!

And just look at the corridor's width of one and a half meters.

Charging in would be easy.

Turning around would be difficult.

"I can't possibly treat this Swadian Heavy Cavalry as one-time-use troops, can I?"

Shen Mu sighed. "That would be far too wasteful."

That would also be far too foolish.

This was truly a difficult choice.