Amon Hunter

Abel led two Travel Horses out from the shed beside them, walked up behind Nord, and said, "Young Master, everything is ready."

Nord finished the remaining bread in his hand and took a sip of wild vegetable soup. The wild vegetables in the wooden bowl must have grown in the mountains; he had not seen any dedicated vegetable plots yesterday. They did not taste good either, with a slightly bitter flavor. When famine struck the village, this was probably what they ate. It was still better than having nothing at all.

The hunters in the courtyard had finished their bread and were ready to go, all looking spirited now that life held hope again. Taking advantage of that momentum, Nord planned to recruit them into his troops to complete the system's quest, while also boosting morale and putting the people at ease.

"Brave hunters, I am your lord, Viscount Nord Isaac. I am a lord enfeoffed by Duke Payne Besser, ruler of the Besser Duchy, and the rightful owner of these mountains. You are my subjects. This trip to buy grain is meant to help the villagers through this hardship, though they will also need to build a manor for me."

"You are skilled warriors and fearless hunters. I intend to recruit some of you into my guard. You will receive thirty Copper Be each month, as well as three loaves of bread per day for rations. Who wishes to join?"

"Lord Nord, I am willing to serve you! I hope to join your guard."

Before Nord had even finished speaking, a firm reply rang out from the crowd. Marco stepped forward. He was the youngest among the hunters, only twenty-five this year, but he was merely a little thinner than Ryman and far stronger than the other hunters. Marco also had considerable prestige among the younger men. Whenever he returned from a hunt with a catch, he would share half of it with his companions who had come back empty-handed. Everyone considered Marco a dependable, loyal friend.

After Marco answered Nord's call, the others also voiced their willingness to join Nord's guard.

"Lord Nord, I'll join as well."

"Lord Nord, what do you think of me? I fought two forest wolves a couple of years ago. Their hides are the boots on my feet now. Do I qualify to join?"

All the hunters wanted to join Nord's guard. Those who spoke later even feared Nord would reject them, and began showing off their abilities. Only Old Mor, standing to one side, seemed unmoved. Noticing Nord's gaze, Old Mor explained himself.

"Lord Nord, I'm too old to compete with these young fellows. Just give me whatever orders you have. It is an honor to serve you, kind Lord. You have brought hope to our village."

After hearing Old Mor's explanation, Nord waved a hand to show that it did not matter.

"You are all outstanding hunters. I will recruit every one of you into my guard, including you, Old Mor. I need your Archery Skill to destroy my enemies."

The hunters erupted in cheers, all thrilled to have joined the guard. Amid the cheers, the system displayed the quest progress.

Twelve Amon Hunters have joined the party.

Daily Quest completed. Distributing reward.

Having completed the quest, Nord let out a breath of relief. With the system's power now showing itself, he at least had some ability to protect himself. He no longer felt as though danger lurked everywhere.

Nord did not intend to hand out all the Leather Armor and One-Handed Swords. It would be enough to give them first to Ryman, Marco, and Old Mor. The problem was not scarcity, but unfairness. Those three were capable and respected men; equipping them first would strengthen their combat power without hurting morale.

He instructed Abel to bring the equipment down from upstairs. Of course, it was not actually upstairs. He needed to avoid the others before taking it out of his storage space. Something so shocking was better kept secret. Even if they suspected where the equipment came from, they would not dare question a noble.

While waiting for Abel, Nord turned his attention to the Troop Type panel. Troop Types were the core of Mount and Blade, and Nord had been looking forward to this. Amon Hunters should be a unique Troop Type in this world.

Troop Type: Amon Hunter

Troop Information: A Troop Type promoted from Amon Mountain Dwellers. Skilled with bows and close combat, nimble in build, and among the finest hunters of the mountains and forests.

Troop Equipment: Light Leather Armor, Climbing Boots, Machete, Amon Hunting Bow

Troop Attributes: Strength 10, Agility 12, Intelligence 8, Charisma 6

Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 90, Bows 120

It seemed Amon Hunters were archers with some close-combat ability. They could attack from afar with bows and fight at close range when necessary. They were quite a powerful early-game Troop Type.

But that was only true in the game. Reality looked promising, yet the Troop Type's equipment had not appeared along with them. The hunters still carried their own Hunting Bows. Though clearly well maintained, their crude craftsmanship and long use had reduced their power.

In this age of material scarcity, a good Hunting Bow could be passed down through several generations. Making bows was no easy task. It required not only extensive experience, but also a great deal of time to shape the bow stave, and the failure rate was extremely high. To a hunter, a bow was immensely precious.

Arrows also directly affected combat strength. Handcrafted arrows each had different flight paths, making bow accuracy extremely low unless one possessed finely crafted bows and arrows.

The equipment provided by the system was certainly excellent, but for now, quest rewards were the only source. Rewards alone could not support an army. He could not even gather enough equipment for a dozen men. It would be wonderful if Troop Types came with their own equipment, just as they did in the game.

Nord shook his head and stopped dwelling on it. Things were already fairly good for now. He would deal with future problems when they came; first, he needed to solve what was right in front of him.

After handing the equipment Abel brought down to the three men, the other hunters looked on with envy. The Leather Armor had been repeatedly tanned from cowhide, finely made and neatly stitched. The chest had even been reinforced with an extra layer, giving it a strong sense of protection.

The One-Handed Swords were also forged from refined iron. Though not as ornate as Nord's One-Handed Sword, both their craftsmanship and materials were of the finest quality.

Compared to the crudely made Leather Armor they wore, and the rust-covered short swords or daggers at their waists, whose chipped edges were plainly visible, the difference was stark.

Nord saw that the atmosphere had turned somewhat sour, but there was nothing he could do about it. It seemed the matter of equipment had to be resolved as soon as possible.

"Don't envy those three. You will receive equipment like this in the future as well. I simply do not have enough at the moment, but I will have the steward prepare more as quickly as possible. As long as you are soldiers in my guard, I guarantee every one of you will have such equipment. You will also receive even better-made bows and arrows."

"Now, let us solve the grain problem first. If we leave for Crison Fort now, we can still return by tonight and avoid spending the night outside. This grain will save lives; the sooner we bring it back to the village, the safer it will be. Let's set off at once."

With Nord's promise, the remaining hunters gradually put aside their concerns. Grain was more important, after all. Thinking of their starving wives, children, and elderly family members at home, their gazes and footsteps grew even firmer.

Thank you all for your recommendation votes. Your support is my motivation to keep writing. If you have any opinions or suggestions about the work, please leave them in the comments. I will always pay attention to what readers have to say.