Pay and Rewards

"Now, fulfill the promise! According to the roster, come forward one by one to collect your pay!" Karl shouted.

Brendan took out the roster and began calling names. The soldiers whose names were called stepped out excitedly and walked over to Karl.

Karl personally placed the shining silver coins into their hands. Combat soldiers received one silver coin plus fifty copper coins, while auxiliary soldiers received one silver coin.

Every soldier who received money had trembling hands, their faces filled with unbelievable joy and gratitude.

To them, this money was a huge fortune—and, more importantly, proof that the Lord always kept his word!

"Thank you, my lord!"

"I'd gladly die for you, my lord!"

Voices of gratitude rang out without end.

The veteran City Defense Army soldiers Richter had brought stared at the scene in stunned disbelief!

They received military pay as well, but it had never been distributed so promptly or openly, much less by the Lord himself!

What was more, the pay this Lord offered was actually higher than what they had received in the City Defense Army! Looking at the solid silver coins in those soldiers' hands, envy involuntarily surfaced in their eyes.

Once the military pay had been distributed, the soldiers' excitement had yet to settle.

Karl spoke again, his voice even louder: "Military pay is what you deserve! And now, there are additional rewards! To honor the warriors who fought bloodily in Riftstone Canyon yesterday! Rewards will be given according to merit!"

He picked up another record of achievements that Brendan and Roland had compiled overnight.

"First, everyone who took part in the battle will receive an additional five silver coins!" With that single sentence from Karl, another wave of subdued cheers rose up. This was practically free money!

Next, he began calling names one by one, commending those who had performed especially well in battle—mainly the auxiliary soldiers who had held the front line.

"Eddie! Held the left flank and slew two Kobolds alone. Ten silver coins!"

Eddie, a young auxiliary soldier whose face still carried a trace of childishness, flushed with excitement. He hurried forward almost tripping over his own feet, accepted the ten heavy silver coins, and stared at Karl, his lips trembling too much to speak.

Karl patted him firmly on the shoulder. "Well done, boy! You did great!"

"Peter! Fought to the death without retreating, protected his comrades, and suffered three wounds. Eight silver coins! An additional five silver coins in compensation!"

The veteran named Peter's eyes instantly reddened. He limped forward on his injured leg, accepted the coins, and choked out, "My lord... I..."

Karl supported him and said solemnly, "Everyone saw your bravery! Rest and recover properly!"

Everyone whose name was called received far more reward money than expected, along with Karl's sincere encouragement.

Gratitude and excitement nearly boiled over on the training ground. Many soldiers looked at the coins in their hands, then at the Lord, too moved to speak. They could only express the surging emotions in their hearts with the most formal military salute.

Throughout the entire rewards ceremony, Richter and his thirty veterans watched from beginning to end. They were utterly dumbfounded.

They had never seen... no, they had never even imagined that a Lord like this could exist!

Pay distributed on time and in full was already rare.

To immediately reward merit after a major battle, with rewards this generous, was even more unheard of.

The Lord personally handed out the money, could call every ordinary soldier by name, remembered their achievements, and offered sincere encouragement and care.

This completely overturned everything they knew about "noble Lords"!

Looking at the soldiers on the training ground, all fired up and utterly devoted to Karl, then at the meager pay in their own hands—pay that was often delayed and docked—the veterans felt as if a fire had been lit in their hearts.

Safety? Family?

Following such a generous and brave Lord who genuinely treated soldiers well, making a name for themselves, earning more rewards, and giving their families better lives—wasn't that the better choice?

Danger? Carnford Territory?

If they were led by a Lord like this, it seemed... not quite so frightening after all.

After distributing pay and rewards to his own soldiers, Karl turned his gaze toward the City Defense Army veterans at the edge of the training ground, who had witnessed everything and now wore complicated expressions.

He walked slowly over to them, his gaze passing over faces weathered by hardship, now filled with astonishment and longing.

"And you as well." Karl's voice was clear and powerful. "Although you aren't my direct subordinates, yesterday in Riftstone Canyon, we fought through bloodshed together and slew our enemies side by side! I saw your bravery and discipline. These achievements must not be forgotten!"

He turned and gestured to Roland. Roland immediately picked up the Moneybag and came over.

Karl grabbed handful after handful of shining silver coins from the Moneybag and swept his gaze over the crowd. "Every City Defense Army brother who took part in yesterday's battle will receive five silver coins, in recognition of your hard fighting and cooperation!"

The City Defense Army veterans were completely stunned. They had a share too?!

Karl personally walked up to the first veteran and slapped five heavy silver coins into his rough palm.

The veteran's hand trembled, and he nearly failed to catch them. Stammering, he said, "My... my lord... this... we..."

"This is what you deserve." Karl nodded at him, then walked toward the next man.

One after another, five silver coins were placed into each hand, all trembling slightly with astonishment.

Every veteran who received the money looked at the solid silver coins in his hand, then at the young yet imposing Lord before him. The hesitation and watchfulness in his eyes quickly gave way to gratitude and wavering resolve.

This additional reward was almost equal to several months of their pay!

After distributing the rewards, Karl stepped back a few paces and faced all the City Defense Army soldiers again, his expression turning solemn.

Karl declared loudly, "Brothers, according to the latest order from Governor Rochfort, your unit, including Captain Richter, has officially been transferred out of the Fran City City Defense Army and placed under my command. You will accompany me to Carnford Territory!"

Although Richter had already revealed this news, its formal announcement from Karl himself still caused a slight stir within the unit.

Karl paused to let them digest the news. Then his voice suddenly rose, carrying undeniable frankness and strength: "You know better than I do what Carnford is! It is the fortress at the very forefront of the Northern Territory, the first place struck when the Sauron Barbarians march south! It has neither Fran City's towering walls nor its ample garrison—only ruins, danger, and threats everywhere! Going there means facing the blades of the Sauron people head-on. It means battle may come at any moment. It means death will always be close!"

His sharp gaze swept over every person. "Now, I'm giving you a choice! Those who don't want to go, those afraid of death, those unwilling to give up Fran City's peaceful days, can step forward now, take these five silver coins, and leave! I swear on my honor that I will not make things difficult for you. You may return to the original City Defense Army, and I will explain everything to Earl Rochefort!"

The training ground fell silent, with only the howling of the cold wind passing through. The veterans looked at one another, their breathing growing heavy.

It was an extremely difficult choice. On one side stood visible danger and death; on the other was familiar peace and stability, but also poverty.

However, Karl did not let them hesitate for long. He changed tack, his voice striking every heart like a War Drum: "But if you choose to stay, choose to trust me, and choose to entrust your swords and lives to me—Karl von Schmidt!"

"I swear this to you!" He raised his right arm, his voice ringing like iron. "As long as I have a bite to eat, I will never let my soldiers go hungry! As long as I have a single gold coin, I will never mistreat anyone who has earned merit! Your pay will only be higher and more punctual than it was in Fran City! Your military achievements will receive the fairest rewards and records! If you are wounded, I will do everything I can to treat you! If you die in battle, your families will receive ten times the standard compensation and lifelong support from my territory!"

"I won't offer empty words about glory and loyalty. I will give you only the most practical things: wealth, dignity, and the chance to use your achievements to build better lives for yourselves and your families! Follow me. Together, we'll go to Carnford—not to die, but to open new ground! We'll use the heads and blood of our enemies to carve out a place for ourselves and forge a future!"

His words were sparks thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the passion and longing in every veteran's heart!

Safety? Stability? Meager pay and a life spent guarding a city with no future?

Wealth? Dignity? Better lives for their families? And a Lord who kept his word, brave and generous!

Was there even a choice to make?

At almost the exact same moment, all thirty veterans, including Captain Richter, slammed their feet together, straightened their chests, and struck their left breastplates hard with their right fists, producing a thunderous, perfectly synchronized boom!

Not a single person stepped forward! Not a single person put away the silver coins in his hand!

An unprecedented fire burned in their eyes. Summoning all their strength, they released a thunderous roar:

"We'll gladly die for you, my lord!!!"

"We'll follow you, my lord!!!"

"We'll go through fire and water without hesitation!"

The waves of their voices rolled forth, scattering the Northern Territory's chill and completely laying the foundation for the first true core armed force in Karl's hands!

Karl looked at the soldiers before him, transformed into entirely new men, and nodded in satisfaction.

He knew that the journey to Carnford finally had the firmest possible beginning.