After a burst of incomprehensible laughter, everyone gradually calmed down, while [ Practice More If You're Bad ] wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, then waved to the young NPC:
"Come over."
The young guard stepped forward a few paces.
"Thank you for the information."
[ Practice More If You're Bad ] got up and patted him on the shoulder:
"Name?"
" Aluode."
The tent, filled with veteran players, fell silent instantly as everyone turned to look in this direction.
"You said... what's your name?"
" Practice More If You're Bad," I asked again, still not believing it.
" Aluode, Xiuyi Aluode... Is there a problem?"
The young guard, unaware of what taboo he had violated, became increasingly cautious in his tone.
Hahahaha!
[ Practice More If You're Bad ]'s expression changed several times in a flash, then he suddenly burst into laughter.
Unsurprisingly, the others burst into laughter again.
Just like a dozen seconds ago, the young guard, or rather Private Xiuyi Aluode, still couldn't understand what these guys were laughing about.
[ Practice More If You're Bad ] He massaged the area around his cheekbones, which were a little sore from laughing, with one hand, and patted the young man's shoulder forcefully with the other, while looking intently at the young man in front of him:
"... Aluode..."
He savored the seemingly uncommon name, as if he were seeing an old friend:
"From now on, you'll be working for me."
He looked at the person in front of him with a playful expression:
"The information you brought is very important. What kind of reward do you want?"
Realizing that he might truly have been accepted, Xiuyi Aluode relaxed slightly and looked earnestly at the group of people in front of him, saying:
"I just want a place to stay... After all, a centurion like this really frightens me..."
"Although you may not believe it, I am not a despicable person. I was truly forced to resort to this tactic because that centurion is really difficult to deal with."
"If his plan fails this time, the first person to be called into the tent and strangled might just be this stupid donkey who came up with the idea..."
"It's alright, Aluode."
[ Practice More If You're Bad ] sat back down in his seat:
"I promised to protect you, so you'll be fine."
"You should go back soon. The plan over there hasn't started yet, and we still need you to appear before your centurion."
"Once he starts his arson plan, you don't need to remind him personally; just run straight to my hundred-man squad."
Standing there stunned for a moment, " Aluode " then understood the intentions of the person in front of him:
Neither launching a preemptive attack nor secretly informing on the centurion, this [ Practice More If You're Bad ] actually decided to turn the tables on him after learning of the centurion's next move!
That's so dangerous, what if something goes wrong?
Another one that's incredibly audacious!
Aluode felt a mix of emotions, but the thought that these people could sit comfortably amidst a pile of braziers made him realize that they must have something to rely on.
"Thank you for taking me in, sir. I am deeply grateful."
Aluode bowed down again, and finally began to retreat with small, hesitant steps.
After dismissing the man, [ Practice More If You're Bad ] turned his attention back to his trusted companions, including [ Howling Pothos ], intending to discuss how to deal with the lurking knife in the shadows.
Aluode moved with extreme caution through the gaps between the tents, afraid of accidentally disturbing anyone.
After all, he had been away from the tent for a rather long time compared to a normal trip to the toilet, and even his own tentmates might cause trouble if they woke him up.
He returned to his tent with a heavy heart, and once again became drowsy, throwing off his shoes and crawling back into his straw mat.
With a soothing snore, Xiuyi Aluode finally drifted off to sleep.
Night had fallen, but apart from [ Practice More If You're Bad ]'s tent, there was still a brazier burning in another tent.
"Did he really say that?"
The young viscount, his eyes half-closed, leaned back in the wide wooden chair, listening as if to a story to the man before him recount the slanderous words a centurion had uttered about him earlier that day. Surprisingly, he showed no anger.
"It's absolutely true, sir!"
The person in front of me lowered their head again, but their profile did not seem unfamiliar.
If Xiuyi Aluode, who had just fallen asleep, were also here, he would have recognized this man at a glance as another of the centurion's personal guards.
Obviously, it's easier to advance by climbing the social ladder than to have a superior who has been in the army for over a decade and is still only a centurion.
Hearing the other party's confident tone, although he still only believed it to a certain extent, the young viscount still sighed helplessly:
"Reward."
The middle-aged bodyguard who was already prepared immediately stepped forward and stuffed a small leather wallet, about the size of a palm, filled with imperial gold coins into the man's hand.
"Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you, Your Excellency!"
The guard, who had sold his superior, the centurion, for a good price, disregarded all decorum and kowtowed repeatedly before bowing and striding away from the tent.
After seeing off the guests, the young viscount was filled with mixed emotions.
How could he not know?
He knew he had no right to inherit the family business, and he knew that the old soldiers only obeyed him because they were on his father's orders. He knew that as long as his marquis father issued a transfer order, he would immediately become a lone centurion.
He knew all of this, of course. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shamelessly begged his father for a thousand-man squad, and then painstakingly recruited men to fill his ranks. Even a seemingly strong but mentally unstable person (his first impression of " the Practice More If You're Bad ") was recruited into the team and given important responsibilities, although it turned out to be the right decision.
What is the point of all this hard work?
It all boils down to three words: "Our own people."
Of the massive force of a thousand men, nearly six hundred soldiers, only a little over a hundred truly belonged to him!
The young viscount, who had anticipated the complaints from his subordinates, felt somewhat physically weak.
He probably knew how those people saw him, but he still didn't expect the truth to be so harsh; they had looked down on him to such an extent behind his back.
Although my usual performances are mostly acting, they are all performances from the heart.
Why can't we earn even the slightest bit of loyalty from these people?
Although the young viscount remained outwardly calm, his heart was already fluttering.
At that moment, the Viscount made up his mind:
He wanted soldiers, soldiers of his own!
He wants to lead his troops and establish his own great achievements!
He wanted to ensure that the obscure branch of the family, after the division and change of surname, would survive in the empire a thousand years later!
For this, he was willing to make a deal with the devil, willing to give up everything, including his life!