Prestige System

These horse bandits were merely ordinary brigands. They were neither fanatics nor professional soldiers; they could win an easy fight, but asking them to risk their lives was out of the question.

The Bloodfang Band had already suffered a complete rout. They all retreated, trying to escape through the way they had entered, but although the camp walls were not high, they could not simply be cleared in a single leap.

The caravan guards, their eyes red with killing, had no intention of letting these bandits go. They chased down enemies attempting to climb over the walls, dragged them back down, and hacked them to death in a frenzy, or simply struck them across the back with a sword while they were scaling the wall.

In the end, fewer than a fifth of the Bloodfang Band horse bandits escaped. They mounted their horses and fled in all directions in blind panic. Only a few trusted followers remained at Belik's side.

The caravan guards had also suffered terrible casualties, losing more than half their number. Ronan's troops had inevitably taken losses as well: one mercenary had died, and the sole remaining Nordic Archer had also fallen.

The only good news was that Ronan had leveled up. The remaining Rhodok had advanced into veteran spearmen, and the two Vigyan Cavalrymen were also close to filling their experience bars.

After giving the Kujit Iron Cavalry a few instructions, Ronan watched them swiftly mount up. With the help of the burly Nord men, they moved aside the chevaux-de-frise and rode out in pursuit. Ronan had ordered them to chase Belik and, if possible, capture him alive. He had noticed that only a few men remained at Belik's side, so the task should have been easy for the iron cavalry.

With the Vigyan Cavalry's help, Ronan removed his armor and sat on the ground, leaning against a wagon wheel to rest. His armor was completely stained red with blood, and blood had seeped into his clothes as well. Sweat and blood mixed together, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He had not noticed it before, but once the battle ended, Ronan felt as though he could barely breathe.

Taking off his clothes and exposing his muscular upper body, Ronan wiped down his weapons and armor while watching the caravan leaders gather together and wrangle with each other in amusement.

The weapons, armor, and remaining horses left behind by the Bloodfang Band were no small fortune. All three were goods that sold well in any city in this world.

At that moment, the caravan leaders were vigorously arguing that they and their guards had contributed so much to the battle that they deserved a larger share of the spoils.

After listening for a while and growing bored, Ronan got to his feet. Together with his reasonably rested subordinates, he began organizing the surviving guards to collect the bodies of their allies. Everyone had witnessed Ronan and the Nord men's bravery in battle, so no one resisted his orders.

They dug a large pit near the camp and buried the bodies. Their weapons and armor were inherited by their comrades. When these caravans returned, they would likely have to pay out a considerable amount in compensation, but the Bloodfang Band's spoils should have been enough to cover it. Some might even have made a small profit.

After burying their comrades, Ronan ate to replenish his strength while waiting for the iron cavalry to return. At the same time, he studied some of the newly unlocked system functions.

Achievement Quest: Legendary Battle

Complete 5 battles in which a smaller force defeats a larger one. The total number of combatants in each battle must not be fewer than 500.

Progress: 1/5

Rewards:

Renowned General (Trait)

Leadership Skill +1

Troop wages reduced by 10%

You completed a battle in which a smaller force defeated a larger one, and your courageous performance in battle won over the soldiers who participated.

Prestige +100

Honor +1

Prestige System unlocked

Prestige System: Prestige increases when the host accomplishes certain deeds and they become known to others. As your deeds are celebrated, and as more people learn of and acknowledge them, your prestige will rise accordingly. Prestige affects troop capacity and the chance of the Recruitment System refreshing high-tier units.

Current Prestige: Rising Star (100/1000) (Holy Cross Kingdom)

Honor: Honor is generated alongside prestige. You gain one point of honor for every 100 points of prestige earned. Honor can be exchanged for troops, equipment, and rare artifacts in the Honor Store developed by the system.

Ronan even saw fantastical units such as vampires and angels from the Age of War New Era MOD in the Honor Store. There were also spellbooks from Winds of War, divine artifacts from Light and Darkness, and, most importantly, Flintlock Muskets.

Ronan had already begun imagining himself equipping all his men with Hanyang Types, then saying to the enemy soldiers charging at them, "Sorry, but times have changed!"

However, cruel reality shattered Ronan's fantasy. He could not afford a single one. A Flintlock Musket cost even more than Black Dragon from Winds of War, let alone a Hanyang Type. For that money, he might as well buy a few high-tier units.

As for buying one and then reproducing it himself, Ronan felt that outsiders could not be trusted, while he was a liberal arts student who could not even pass physics and chemistry combined as well as politics. How was he supposed to pull that off? He had not even memorized the formula for the simplest black powder.

While Ronan was still lost in his fantasies, Belicha walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and pulled him back from his wandering thoughts. When Ronan turned to look at him, Belicha handed him a pouch. Ronan opened it and found it full of gold coins. His eyebrows rose, but before he could ask, Belicha cut him off.

"Don't get any ideas. I will definitely give you the rest of the commission once we reach Xinteland. This is the money from cashing out our share of the spoils. Those merchants are going to Acorn Hall to replenish their guards, sell these weapons and horses, and report the Bloodfang Band to Acorn Hall's commander.

"I don't know whether Moran has any more tricks up his sleeve, so I cashed out our share directly with them. Since we've already been exposed, there's no need to keep pretending. At the next town, I'll sell all the goods and travel light."

"You're not planning to keep Daisy in the dark?"

"Of course I am. I've already thought of an excuse. If I weren't going to hide it from her, I would have thrown away the goods long ago."

"These are bloodstained coins!"

"Rodrit, in this world, which coin isn't stained with blood?"

"Heh, you're right. We're nothing but vultures getting rich off the dead!"

There were fifty gold coins in the pouch, just enough to ease Ronan's looming financial crisis. His desire to make a fortune became even more urgent. As his force continued to expand, it would be all too easy for problems to arise without a stable source of income.

Ronan could not help entertaining the thought of returning to Gaoling after delivering Daisy to Xinteland to fight for the family inheritance. After all, his former body's family possessed a hereditary count's title and considerable lands.

But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. Gaoling was at war, for one thing. More importantly, Ronan, an impostor, was not prepared to meet his former body's family, especially that cold-blooded father and vicious elder brother. His former body's mother had also come from a powerful family, but she had died of illness. Only his father, his half-brother, and his half-sister remained at home.

Shaking his head to drive away the jumble of thoughts, Ronan stood and began moving around. His muscles were still somewhat sore, but it was nothing serious. His strength had mostly recovered as well. Ronan was ready to fight again; now he only had to wait for the iron cavalry to return with their target.