Simulator startup

[Simulator starting]

[You arrived in Calradia]

[Time: unknown]

[Location: outside Sargoth]

[You were a farmer who made a living tilling the land near Sargoth]

[Now King Ragnar, ruler of the Kingdom of the Nords, was driving you like livestock.]

[You carried a sack filled with sand and earth to fill in Sargoth's moat, using up the defenders' arrows along the way. Vaegir archers on the walls kept shooting at you and your "colleagues."]

[Whether the hem of the goddess of fortune's skirt sheltered you or your own sturdy physique saved you, you successfully charged up to the moat and hurled your sack into it.]

[But you knew you could not run back. Running back made death even more likely, and even if you returned safely, the Nords would force you to make another trip. Only heaven knew whether you would reach the moat next time.]

[Fortunately, while running, you spotted a hollow beside Sargoth's walls. You thought that if you lay there, with a little luck, the Nords would not notice you. Even if they did, they were unlikely to waste arrows hunting you down. As for the people on the walls, they were supposed to be protecting you.]

[You decided to gamble. Freed of the cumbersome sack, you moved faster and more nimbly. There was little water left in the moat, and you scrambled and crawled into your chosen hiding place.]

[You thought you were safe. You let out a heavy breath and decided to lie there until nightfall, then find a way to escape.]

[At that moment, the defenders on the walls noticed you. Several stones the size of a person's head flew down from the walls and struck your back.]

[Your internal organs ruptured.]

[You died.]

[Simulation ended. Result: failure]

[Nothing of value available to retain]

[Continue simulating? Yes/No]

[Simulator starting]

[You arrived in Calradia]

[Time: unknown]

[Location: Lion Tavern, lower district, Praven]

[You were the captain of a Mercenaries company whose members had all died in yesterday's battle. Alone after collecting your bounty, you drank yourself into a stupor at the Lion Tavern.]

[A man wearing studded leather armor, carrying a bow and crossbow on his back and a longsword at his waist, stared straight at you. Despondent and drunk, you instinctively shouted, "What are you looking at?"]

["You look like a mangy dog," he said, looking at you with contempt. Furious, you drew your only weapon, a German Sword, and slashed at him. But you were too drunk to even grip your sword properly, let alone mount a decent attack. He easily dodged, then drove a longsword through your chest.]

[Your heart ruptured.]

[You died.]

[Simulation ended. Result: failure]

[Nothing of value available to retain]

[Continue simulating? Yes/No]

[Simulator starting]

[You arrived in Calradia]

[Time: unknown]

[Location: recruitment station outside Veluca]

[You had originally been a small-time merchant, but the situation had grown increasingly chaotic lately. Bandits burned, killed, and plundered wherever the army's reach did not extend.]

[After careful consideration, you disposed of your remaining goods and went to Veluca's recruitment station to become a soldier under Lord Matheas.]

[At first, the recruiting officer saw your sturdy build and assigned you to become a Rhodok spearman.]

[But after handing over most of your savings and demonstrating your natural marksmanship and almost superhuman combat abilities, you successfully became a Rhodok sharpshooter. In an excellent mood, the officer also put ten newly recruited Rhodok crossbowmen under your command.]

[As a newly appointed squad leader, you reported directly to Lord Matheas's only son, the second-in-command, Master Matheas.]

[The officer told you his name was Bob and that Matheas was his brother-in-law. If you ever needed anything sorted out, you could find him in town. He then explained your equipment and the camp's location and waved you away. Before you left, however, he warned you to take your men straight to camp and stay out of trouble.]

[You headed toward camp with your ten sallow, skinny subordinates. The afternoon sun was fierce. Along the way lay a large market set up by nearby villagers and merchants who followed the army, mainly catering to the nearby military camp.]

[You keenly noticed your men walking slower and slower. You then learned that most of your ten subordinates had family running small businesses in this market and wanted to visit them. The remaining three hoped to have a few drinks before entering camp.]

[They told you that recruits usually had to undergo a period of training, during which they could not freely enter or leave camp. You looked at the camp gate just ahead, then at your men's eager faces, and agreed. You told them you would wait at a nearby food stall.]

[You casually tossed a few silver coins onto the table. After taking the money, the owner brought some food and a large mug of beer for you and your three penniless men. You took a sip, then calmly handed the beer to a subordinate you rather liked and started eating the snacks on the table. The food, at least, was palatable.]

[Just as you began to grow impatient, your men returned one after another.]

[You thought things were going fairly smoothly, until one of your men came running over in a panic. He told you that a fellow villager, who was also one of your men, had been seized by a group of thugs.]

[After a brief moment of thought, you gave the order, and every member of the squad ran toward the scene.]

[As you ran, you realized for the first time just how strong your body was. Wearing mail beneath a surcoat, a kettle helmet on your head and mail boots on your feet, with a siege crossbow on your back and a bag of steel bolts and a straight-bladed military cleaver at your waist, you still raced along without flushing or losing your breath.]

[Your men, wearing crude armor and carrying only crossbows, were already panting. The young fellow who had come back to report the incident was especially breathless as he explained what had happened.]

[It was the same old story of an impoverished debtor and a helpless young girl: some local thugs without any powerful backing demanding a man's sister in payment because he had no money. You had seen plenty of it, but that did not stop you from ordering your men to span their crossbows.]

[You soon caught up with the leisurely strolling thugs. You shouted, and they stopped and turned toward you. Several held blades on your subordinate while dragging along a little girl as helpless as a chick. You ordered your men to load and aim, confronting them from ten meters away.]

[When your subordinate saw you, he cried for help and struggled to wrap his arms around his sister. One of the thugs promptly kicked him to the ground.]

[Their richly dressed, rat-faced leader lost his nerve the instant he saw you. He stopped his men and loudly declared that this was merely a misunderstanding. He was willing to pay compensation and wipe your subordinate's debt clean, hoping you would forget today's unpleasantness.]

[You agreed, inwardly marveling that money could smooth things over in any world. Its allure was truly irresistible.]

[You had just taken two steps forward to retrieve your subordinate and collect the other man's purse when a quivering crossbow bolt lodged in his chest. He collapsed, staring at you in disbelief. You turned back with equal disbelief to look at the fellow you rather liked. As he held his weapon and awkwardly explained, "I drank too much, I drank too much," you ordered your men to fire.]

[You drew your cleaver and casually bestowed your "mercy" on any enemies on the ground who were still moving. Your men began gathering the spoils without being told.]

[You stopped your men from stripping the enemies' clothes, declaring that you were not bandits. You then had them collect every bolt, gave the little girl a few Denars to go home, and warned her to have her family hide for a while. Afterward, you took your squad straight back to camp.]

[You did not think the matter had ended there, but neither did you consider it particularly important to your current situation.]

[Recruit training began. It was still the eve of war, and fierce fighting had yet to fully break out. On your second day in camp, an officer under Commander Matheas led your squad and several dozen others through a simple training session covering shooting and formations. The rest of your time was spent idling in camp.]

[Unable to tolerate this waste of life, you took the money looted from the thugs and found Bob, who had transformed into the quartermaster. You asked him to allocate more bolts to your squad, procure some animal organs and apples, and provide extra food for your men.]

[With the money in hand, Bob readily agreed. He also told you, with a slightly mysterious air, that his brother-in-law had already settled your problem.]

[You thanked him, but did not give his words much thought.]

[A month passed.]

[Under your merciless "lash," your subordinates ran for two hours every morning and another hour every afternoon. You dragged them to the range for shooting practice during the remaining time.]

[You firmly believed that even the least talented shooter would develop some feel for it after shooting several hundred times a day. You also went so far as to make several movable straw dummies, having your men compete at shooting moving targets every day.]

[The winners received extra food that evening and even rewards in Denars. The losers had to wash chamber pots and clothes. Your strange behavior drew gossip from the others in camp, but little more.]

[Your squad endured under your slogan, "More sweat in training, less blood in battle." With the extra food you constantly provided, your men finally started looking like proper soldiers, despite the short time that had passed.]

[One afternoon, while you were conducting shooting practice, your direct superior, Matheas, summoned you to his tent. You emerged half an hour later.]

[Bob had recommended you to Matheas for a mission that was more complicated than it appeared. Matheas's sister, Lady Emma, had disappeared on her way to visit relatives in Jelkala.]

[Matheas said that few people knew Emma was visiting relatives, making this clearly a long-planned kidnapping. He could not discuss the details, but fortunately the family had located the kidnappers. To avoid alerting them, he ordered your squad to leave immediately with the family's scout, Night Owl, and rescue Lady Emma.]

[Upon receiving your orders, you immediately found Bob and collected the ten sets of Rhodok trained crossbowman equipment Lord Matheas had promised. After all, your unit was only a small squad of Rhodok crossbowmen and needed stronger equipment. Once you quickly assembled your squad, Night Owl led you out.]

[On this chaotic continent, a noble's orders were absolute. The Rhodoks called them councilors, perhaps, but that changed nothing about their nature. You had no right to refuse, especially since Matheas had helped you before.]

[By evening, you were deep in the mountains dozens of li outside Veluca. Guided by Night Owl, your squad force-marched for a full hour and finally reached the vicinity of the kidnappers' camp before dark.]

[After scouting, Night Owl spotted Lady Emma. Before nightfall, she came outside briefly under the kidnappers' escort. Ten minutes later, they forced her back into a small wooden hut.]

[Security was hardly tight. Perhaps the enemy thought the place was safe. Only two guards stood beside the campfire outside the hut's door. West of the building was an earthen slope seven or eight meters long and two or three meters high, with another enemy guarding it.]

[About thirty kidnappers were active in the camp, scattered throughout it. Their equipment was mediocre, much like the mountain bandits so plentiful in Rhodok territory.]

[You discussed the plan with Night Owl: rest for an hour, then, after dark, you and Night Owl would sneak into the hut first to rescue or protect Lady Emma. The soldiers would attack on your signal. Of course, if everything went smoothly, slipping away quietly was also an option. Rescuing her was your first priority.]

[After dark, the rescue began. Everyone lay hidden beside the slope, watching the kidnapper atop it loudly joke with his companions by the campfire.]

[After a while, the kidnapper stopped joking and began patrolling. Seizing an opening, Night Owl quietly followed the guard on the slope, slit his throat out of the campfire guards' sight, and gently lowered him to the ground.]

[The enemies still chatting beside the fire noticed nothing amiss, and they would never get another chance. After you and Night Owl spent several minutes sneaking to the side of the hut, the crossbowmen waiting on the slope took their lives with a few bolts. You and the scout rushed into the hut.]

[The moment you entered, you saw a well-equipped man running toward Lady Emma in a corner. Without pausing, you raised your shield and charged, cutting him off. Night Owl likewise swung a sword to intercept a young man in leather armor who was shouting loudly.]

[You locked into combat with the enemy, and the fight turned fierce from the outset. Wearing mail and wielding a massive two-handed sword, he attacked relentlessly. You could tell he was a difficult opponent, yet strangely, you felt no pressure. It was as though you were not a rookie facing battle for the first time, but a veteran of countless fights with complete mastery of sword and shield.]

[You kept moving your broad shield to block his attacks while seeking openings to strike with your military cleaver. After parrying several of your blows, he switched to dodging and fighting on the move, while you steadily restricted the space available to him.]

[This was indoors, after all, where a two-handed weapon was difficult to wield. Night Owl finished first. After a few exchanges, the scout stabbed the youth in the right shoulder, bringing him down. Your enemy sensibly dropped his weapon and surrendered. Looking bitterly at you, still unflushed and breathing steadily, he said, "I am a noble. I demand proper treatment!"]

[The young man's shouting had nevertheless stirred up the entire camp. Your men had already shot several enemies trying to rush into the hut. Sensing time was short, you quickly bound the surrendered enemies, signaled for the scout to watch them and Lady Emma, and charged out of the hut with your shield raised.]

[In the darkness, you could barely make out at least twenty enemies gathering opposite you and running swiftly toward your position. You loudly ordered your men to fire at will, then tucked most of your body behind your broad shield, ready to receive their charge.]

[But the charge you expected never came. After one volley from your men, roughly a third of the enemies lay on the ground. The rest scattered and vanished into the vast mountain forest. You blinked, then called for your men to begin clearing the battlefield.]

[In this battle, you not only rescued Lady Emma but also captured the kidnappers' leader. There were also over a dozen bound farmers in the bandits' camp, some of whom even knew your subordinates.]

[You freed them, then unceremoniously put them to work carrying your spoils out of the kidnappers' camp. Before leaving, of course, your men prepared a firebreak and burned the camp's buildings to ashes, preventing other bandits from occupying the place.]

[Upon returning to camp, you received Commander Matheas's commendation. When you left his tent, you were already a company commander authorized to command ten squads.]

[Though this did not make you a noble, you were now a proper officer. Commander Alai had only five company commanders under him, after all. You left the spoils and villagers you brought back for Bob to handle. Bob also informed you that Commander Matheas's troops would march to Grunewald Castle in three days to defend against an attack from the Kingdom of Swadia.]

[Simulation ended. Progress saved.]

[Retain your officer status as a company commander in Veluca's Second Legion. Relinquishing this status allows you to permanently summon ten Rhodok trained crossbowmen. They are willing to fight for you, regardless of the world.]

[Rewards obtained: 1 honor, 20 renown, 1,000 Denars.]

[Denars can directly purchase equipment and ordinary supplies from the continent of Calradia.]

[Renown can be exchanged for status or used to upgrade your soldiers.]

[Honor determines the highest status you can redeem. It can also be spent on prize draws and certain special functions. Spending honor does not affect the upper limit of the status you can redeem.]

[Continue simulating? Yes/No]