"You... you say again what you're going to do?"
Seeing the bewildered expression on the face of this former civilian and current militia captain nicknamed " Ginseng Rooster," the Grand Knight Commander, who had just suffered a major loss, looked rather grim.
"I mean... my knightly order has been attacked, so I need to draw some usable militia from your forces as replacements..."
He glanced at the militia captain in front of him, whose name was difficult to pronounce, gritted his teeth, and said:
"This is the archbishop's will. I... I need these men to rebuild my knightly order."
You definitely need to rebuild the Knights.
[ The Ginseng Rooster ] recovered from his shock, but had already begun to agree with the person in front of him.
A full order of knights only has five hundred members, and the two hundred Soul Returner captured more than fifty people, resulting in a direct loss of one-tenth of their strength.
Furthermore, this is not actually a simple mathematical problem, because most of the people who are targeted and abducted by the Soul Returner are courageous and of decent character.
These individuals typically serve as squad leaders within the Holy Crusaders Knight Order.
So although it may seem like only fifty-odd people were missing, the actual losses suffered by this knightly order were far greater than they appeared.
This is not just a loss of data on paper, but also leaves some lower-ranking Holy Crusaders in a state of neglect and lack of management.
So, what kind of people should we select?
At this moment, a multiple-choice question appeared in front of [ Ginseng Rooster ].
He could use this opportunity to eliminate disobedient local NPCs from his own ranks, and also to send more Soul Returner into the Knights Order as covert spies.
Both options have their advantages, and [ Ginseng Rooster ] fell into deep thought for a moment.
However, he quickly made a decision--
He wants to scatter the Soul Returner home.
The reason for this decision is simple: as a member of the prankster community, [ Ginseng Rooster ] firmly believes that such sneak attacks will definitely not be a one-off occurrence.
Even if the various knight orders are prepared, [ Autumn Light and Osmanthus Shadows ] and the others will definitely try a few more times before changing their plans.
In other words, it won't be long before a second Grand Knight Commander of the Holy Crusaders comes to demand his men.
If I send the NPCs away every time, the player population here will soon become too high.
If, at that point, Luorui'er were to issue an order to re-select and replenish the militia with 500 men, then his previous efforts to purify the ranks would instantly become meaningless.
Furthermore, sometimes, it only takes one or two key individuals to change the course of a battle. When too many players gather in stealthy positions, it can actually create a certain boundary effect...
Thinking this, [ the Ginseng Rooster ] already revealed a bright smile:
"Very well, Grand Knight Commander, you may choose any of the militiamen here; I will have no objection."
"There's just one thing I need to make clear beforehand..."
His tone carried a hint of mystery:
"As you know, the Holy Crusaders Grand Knights are definitely a better place than the militia, so... in order to catch your eye, their actions might be a bit extreme."
Upon hearing this, the Grand Knight shook his head and said:
"I've been reflecting on this for a long time on the way here. Perhaps my knights really do need some fresh blood to lead the training."
[ Ginseng Rooster ] nodded in satisfaction.
That's good. I've given you a good heads-up. Just don't come looking for a refund when you're being tormented by the Soul Returner and can't sleep.
"That's good then. I'll gather the militia in the open space right away, and you can choose whatever you like."
"Okay, thank you."
The Grand Knight Commander, a chronic alcoholic, looked somewhat disheveled, and [ Ginseng Rooster ] was slightly puzzled by his appearance.
If a Grand Knight Commander appears so loyal, how could his physique be so out of shape, and his face so unshaven?
However, he believed that the answer to this matter would soon be revealed, because he had already begun to implant the Aberration plant seeds given to him by Archbishop Luorui'er into his own body.
He really wanted to give this thing to Ed in exchange for trust points, but unfortunately he was currently in Black Pine City, and the reach of the Soul Returner Express couldn't extend here. He could only experiment on himself first, and then report the matter to Ed was far away in Valhalla, in writing.
[ Ginseng Rooster ]'s order was relayed, and soon groups of energetic-looking militiamen emerged from the surrounding tents.
Although it was immediately apparent that their physical abilities were far inferior to those of the regular Holy Crusaders, their vitality far surpassed that of the lazy, complacent regular soldiers.
In just one glance, the Grand Knight Commander spotted three guys who could do somersaults to get around.
A somersault certainly doesn't increase movement speed, but the move is cool enough, shows off his well-proportioned body, and makes him look good in front of the Grand Knight Commander.
That's enough.
In the past, the Grand Knight Commander might not have liked these unruly subordinates, but now, in order to inject some Vitality into his lifeless knightly order, he began to carefully memorize the faces of those hyperactive militiamen, intending to select them later.
[ The Ginseng Rooster ] stood in the center of the open space and clearly stated to everyone the Grand Knight Commander's purpose in coming here:
"Everyone, I know it's a bit annoying to interrupt your rest time, but I did call you all here because there's something important I need to discuss."
He stepped aside and offered the main seat to the high knight commander, whose name he did not yet know:
"This is the Grand Knight Commander of the Holy Crusaders Knight Order stationed in the West District. His troops were attacked by rebels outside the city at noon. In order to maintain the peace and stability of Black Pine City, the Grand Knight Commander plans to select some elite soldiers from our ranks to replenish the Knights."
As he spoke, a hint of inexplicable smugness gradually appeared on his face:
"Gentlemen, the Archbishop wants to see energetic new recruits, so if anyone has expressed a desire to join the Holy Crusaders, please demonstrate it to the Archbishop!"
The militia captain stretched out his arms, as if to embrace the crowd, or as if to announce the start of some kind of celebration.
In short, as soon as he finished speaking, the militiamen below quickly started discussing among themselves, and many of them were instantly moved by his words.
Upon hearing that the Holy Crusaders Knight Order were going to select men from among them, and specifically from among the Holy Crusaders who never left the city and were only responsible for maintaining order within the city, how could the men possibly remain calm and composed?
Are militia teams any good?
It looks alright, but compared to a proper knightly order, it's nothing at all.
With this in mind, some local NPCs immediately began to stir, but there was a group of people who acted even faster and more swiftly than them: the Soul Returner who had infiltrated the militia.