SEC Chapter 4 Joining the Militia
Chapter 4 Joining the Militia
"At sunset, go to the inn in the center of the village to collect 30 dinars."
Galon nodded in satisfaction, then turned and called out:
"Walter".
A militiaman stepped forward, his posture upright and his eyes sharp.
"Go and take the equipment from Rosus first, and then find a few skilled riders to come see me later."
"Yes, Mr. Galon."
After giving his instructions, Galon left in a hurry.
The militiaman named Walter walked up to Rosius, looked him up and down, and then looked disappointed.
"My name is Walter, and I'll be your captain from now on."
After arranging for the other militia members to patrol, Walter turned to Luo Xu and said, "Let's go."
Luo Xu didn't care about Walter's somewhat cold attitude. He lowered his head and began to think about how to deal with the bandits.
The village of Lantas belongs to the city of Onila. The wisest course of action is to inform the governor of Onila that "Lantas village has been targeted by bandits" and then hold out until the army arrives.
Galon just asked Walter to find some skilled riders, which must be the plan.
Luo Xu lowered his head and suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Why didn't those bandits just plunder the village during the autumn harvest? Instead, they only demanded 30% of the harvest.
"Captain Walter, I have a question for you."
Walter glanced back at him: "You say it."
"Why are there only ten militiamen in the village? There are clearly more than twenty young people in the village."
"It's simple, because everyone's afraid of dying," Walter said quite bluntly.
"Being a militia member is a very dangerous job. Not only do you need to patrol and scout, but in situations like the one just described, you have to be at the forefront. Otherwise, if you take a step back, the others might take ten steps back."
"That man who was just slashed down was one of our brothers..."
Walter didn't finish his sentence; he clenched his fists and glared angrily.
Luo Xu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and only then did he realize how cunning the bandit leader was.
If an attack is launched directly on the village, the villagers, knowing they are doomed either way, will definitely fight back together.
However, if it is stated on the surface that only 30% is required, some villagers who are afraid of death will try to take advantage of the situation.
After the autumn harvest, cold-resistant crops such as winter rye can be planted immediately, and the remaining 40% of the grain can help them survive.
Although this will cause the soil fertility to decline rapidly, it is still better than death.
This is a classic "prisoner's dilemma".
At that point, the villagers will be scattered and disorganized, making it easy for the bandits to breach Lantas Village.
Luo Xu's eyebrows furrowed more and more tightly.
The bandits killed that militiaman just now, most likely as a warning to others.
Now, all we can hope is that the governor of Enila will successfully receive the plea for help from the village of Lantas.
Luo Xu sighed.
He didn't know how to respond to Walter's words, and for a moment the two fell silent.
The two arrived at a thatched hut, where all sorts of tools were piled up.
Walter picked up a spear and a kite-shaped shield and handed them to Roseu.
"Is that all?" Luo Xu asked doubtfully.
He remembered that Walter and the other militiamen all had a cotton armor and a wrist guard, so why did he only have a shield and a spear?
"I'm sorry, the harvests haven't been good these past few years, and the equipment hasn't been updated in a long time," Walter explained, his voice tinged with apology.
Upon hearing this, Luo Xu quickly checked the shield and spear in his hands.
Fortunately, they only have a lot of dust on the surface, and their overall condition is still quite good.
At this moment, Luo Xu suddenly thought of the militiaman who had been killed by the bandits; perhaps the equipment on that militiaman could still be used.
But seeing Walter's grief and indignation, Luo Xu ultimately did not speak.
"Captain Walter, what should I do next?" Luo Xu asked.
"Wait for me to make arrangements later."
After Walter finished speaking, he took Luo Xu out the door.
By this time, many villagers had already come out of their houses, their faces filled with fear and unease.
A sudden, mournful wail rang out, shrouding the entire village of Lantas in a somber atmosphere.
The wailing grew closer, and just as they rounded a corner, a young woman with tears streaming down her face suddenly appeared in their field of vision.
She was holding the militiamen who had been hacked to death earlier, crying her heart out, while several young children standing beside her were also sobbing uncontrollably.
Seeing this scene, Luo Xu felt a tightness in his chest.
In the game, these villagers are just rigid NPCs.
But here, everything is real, and Luo Xu deeply empathizes with the women's grief.
Walter, who was ahead, suddenly stopped and then turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
Luo Xu realized that he was taking a detour, but didn't say anything, and just silently followed behind him.
The two fell silent again.
Walter's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, while Luo Xu stared blankly at the cold panel behind him.
[One-handed] 0 [Two-handed] 0 [Long pole] 0
……
The two stopped in front of a thatched hut, and Walter stepped forward and knocked heavily on the door.
"Lowell!"
The door slowly opened a crack, revealing a head with red hair.
"Walter, w-what's wrong?" the red-haired youth asked timidly.
Walter frowned and said irritably, "Mr. Galon is looking for you."
Upon hearing the name "Galon," the red-haired youth finally opened the door completely.
"What does Lord Galon want with me?"
"I don't know, you'll find out when you get there."
At first, the red-haired youth was unwilling and made various excuses to refuse, but under Walter's insistence, he still followed behind Walter.
Luo Xu stood silently to the side, taking in everything.
Nobody's a fool; everyone guessed what Galon wanted from them.
After Walter found a few more young men, he and Luo Xu led the red-haired youth and a few others to a stone house.
This is the meeting room in Lantas village, owned by Galon.
Galon was standing outside, seemingly waiting for them.
Walter went to greet him respectfully and said, "Mr. Galon, everyone is here."
Galon glanced at the red-haired youths and said earnestly, "You are now the hope of the village."
As Rosu had anticipated, Galon revealed his plan: to inform the governor of Onila of what had happened in the village of Lantas, and then have them send troops to wipe out the bandits.
However, the young people all looked embarrassed, and for a moment no one answered.
Seeing that the others remained unmoved, Galon added:
"Whoever successfully delivers the message to Onira, I will personally pay him one thousand dinars."
These words left the young people present speechless with astonishment.
Luo Xu was also very surprised.
A thousand dinars is no small sum for important figures in the village, so it seems that Galon probably realized the bandits' true intentions.
The young people present looked on with great interest, but remained hesitant.
A thousand dinars is a huge sum of money, but it requires risking one's life to obtain, and any normal person would think about it carefully.
Just then, a pleasant voice suddenly rang out.
"Father."
A pretty young girl led a sturdy horse over.
Luo Xu noticed that Galon's lips curled up in a smile.