SWDnovel Chapter 17 The Lord's Private Army Knights
Chapter 17 The Lord's Private Army Knights
At the entrance of Gangde Village, the noise between the two villages stopped instantly, and the villagers of Gangde Village all turned to look at the dirt road to the north.
Under the bright morning light, a group of more than ten cavalrymen dressed in green robes and silver armor appeared at the end of the road.
The cavalrymen held long spears in their hands, and their warhorses were also clad in standard horse armor. One of them held a flagpole with the family crest of a green background and a black axe on the flag.
"They are the lord's private army knights!"
In the crowd, a sharp-eyed villager noticed the flag emblem and exclaimed in surprise.
These words struck like a thunderbolt, startling Olsen so much that his violent aura instantly diminished by more than half.
He abruptly turned his head, his bull-like eyes fixed on old Járrolf, and roared fiercely:
"Old man! So that's why you dared to bring this bunch of cowards to our doorstep! Turns out you've been using these underhanded tricks again!"
"Despicable! Did you bribe that lord at the fortress again?"
As he spoke, the villagers of Gangde behind him gripped their weapons tightly, their gazes toward the people of Duanpo Village seeming to spit fire.
The villagers of Gangde stole someone's catch and even assaulted them. It's really hard to explain, and if this matter goes to the lord, they won't get away with it...
In the past, lords wouldn't concern themselves with such matters; they only cared about whether taxes were paid on time...
Seeing this, Rogge secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He guessed that the approaching cavalry force must be a backup plan that old Yar had prepared!
As long as the outsider intervenes, since Olsen provoked first and forcibly seized the neighboring village's catch, violating the lord's decree, Duanpo Village will not only be able to get justice, but also make Olsen pay a heavy price!
But when Rogge's gaze swept over old Jarl, the resolute old Jarl did not relax for a moment; instead, he frowned.
"Something's not right!" A bad feeling welled up in Roger's heart.
His previous guesses were completely overturned. If the visitor was a backup plan arranged by Old Yar, he shouldn't have looked so grim...
"What happened... or did this cavalry unit come uninvited?"
"If a fight breaks out later, we have to run! We don't know if we can still stay in Duanpo Village after this..."
The cavalry moved quickly, and a dozen or so cavalrymen soon entered Rogge's field of vision.
He subconsciously activated his "Eye of Insight," his gaze sweeping over the captain leading the cavalry at the front, and information instantly surfaced in his mind:
Fieldsway, the Rogue Noble Knight
[Level: 35]
[Attributes: Strength 21, Agility 15, Constitution 18, Intelligence 9, Charisma 14]
[Combat Power: 4206 (Tier 4!)]
Weapon Proficiency: 300
【equipment:
Vanscare Warlord Helmet + 55 Head Armor;
White and green two-tone chainmail robes +45 body armor, +12 leg armor;
Chainmail Boots +31 Leg Armor.
Overall Armor Value:
+55 Head Armor
+45 Body Armor
+43 Leg Armor
【arms:
Green Enhanced Cavalry Rifle +22 Piercing;
One-handed battle axe +36 slash damage;
[Concave Gold-Based Blue Dragon Kite-Shaped Shield +11 Resistance (430/480)]
"A fourth-tier rogue noble knight!"
Their strength is no less than that of old Yar, and they are eleven rogue noble cavalrymen!
This force is enough to crush a small village of just over a hundred people!
"They're all fourth-tier... Is this the lord's entire private army?"
Or are the great nobles really that powerful?
Rogge was astonished. The entire squad consisted of mid-to-high-tier Tier 4 troops! He had never encountered the noble class before and couldn't comprehend their strength, which far surpassed that of the commoners!
At this moment, Rogge is like an ordinary person looking at a business tycoon...
Ordinary people wear two or three grams of gold as jewelry, while the wealthy have their entire house made of pure gold, even the electrical wires...
"Perhaps, high rank is indeed quite common among the nobility?"
Among the villagers, most are at the first or second tier, while those at the third tier are considered team leaders.
And now, a small squad has gathered eleven Tier 4 soldiers!
However, when Rogge thought about its "private army" attribute, he understood. "Lord's private army" is something that is specially trained with a huge amount of resources!
Rogge had been stuck in a misconception, equating "high-ranking" with "high position."
That's not actually the case. Society is made up of "people." Some people are born "emperors," while others, no matter how good they are or how strong they are, are still just "soldiers."
High-tier units can be developed by accumulating massive amounts of resources.
Therefore, it's not surprising that a powerful lord could maintain a private army of thirty to fifty men, as long as he had the money...
……
The cavalry slowly approached the center of the crowd from the two villages. The leader, mounted on his horse, silently surveyed the nearly six hundred villagers gathered around him.
The villagers from the two villages, who had been at loggerheads just moments before, were now completely silent.
There was no commotion or discussion; the tense atmosphere, which had just been on the verge of erupting like a volcano, had now plummeted to freezing point.
Rogge observed the cavalrymen.
The warhorses they rode did not look strong and tall; instead, they appeared thin and small, almost like large donkeys!
Compared to the "Griffin's Iron Hoof" that Rogge had seen before, it was like heaven and earth.
"Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Fieldsway is famous for its infantry?"
……
Upon seeing who it was, Olsen's previously furious face instantly transformed into one of utmost respect.
He handed the axe to the man beside him and hurried forward, saying, "Commander, why have you come in person?"
The leading cavalryman nodded to Olsen but did not reply directly.
Old Járrolf also stepped forward to greet him, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. The previous solemnity on his face had vanished, replaced by a calm expression.
"Rolf".
The lead cavalryman, looking down from his vantage point, addressed old Yar by his given name.
"You've brought so many people to block the entrance of Gonde Village, creating such a tense situation. What are you trying to do? Don't you have any respect for the lord?"
"Commander, the people from Gangde Village stole our fish catch and injured our villagers. Today..."
Before old Yar could finish speaking, the cavalry captain interrupted him:
"Alright, I don't want to know who's right or wrong in your situation. If you were robbed, take it back; if you were hit, hit back..."
Old Jarl paused for a moment, then took a few steps forward, still maintaining his composure:
"Commander, you've misunderstood. We're just here to reason things out..."
"Didn't the sheriff come with you...?"
"He went elsewhere with the lord. I, the commander, am here on the lord's orders to deliver his decrees." He glanced at everyone present, his tone indifferent.
Upon hearing this, old Jarl's face darkened, and his expression became extremely unpleasant.
"The lord has heard about the conflict between your two villages, so both of you better behave yourselves!" The cavalry commander paused, then continued:
"The lord has long forbade large-scale brawls between villages. Anyone who dares to disobey the lord's orders today is disrespecting him! Don't blame me for my ruthless use of my spear!"
The crowd in Duanpo Village seemed to erupt in chaos, with everyone whispering amongst themselves, but no one dared to utter a word in rebuttal.
Rogge also clearly heard what the cavalry commander said; it seemed he was there to suppress the unrest and prevent a large-scale brawl.
"Looks like we won't be fighting today," Roger breathed a sigh of relief.
Old Yar's expression grew even more somber. He was about to say something when the cavalry commander waved his hand and slowly spoke:
"I don't want to hear any more. I've come here today to inform you of two things."
"Sir, please speak!" Olsen replied respectfully.
He could tell from the cavalry commander's attitude that this wasn't an accomplice Rolf had brought in, and while he breathed a sigh of relief, his attitude became even more respectful.
The cavalry commander nodded.
"The first thing is that this year, all taxes and fees collected from all villages within the territory will be increased by an additional 10% on top of the original amounts!"
These words were like a boulder thrown into a still pond, instantly igniting an uproar among the villagers of both villages. Some villagers in Gangde Village even began to curse:
"What! Another 10% tax?"
"How are we supposed to live like this? Even the ocean isn't this outrageous! They don't deserve to be descendants of sea wolves!"
"What lord? I curse you! May the sea capsize your longships!"
"..."
Complaints and curses rose and fell, and the cavalry commander's face darkened completely as he listened to the disrespectful words of the surrounding villagers.
The villagers of Gangde Village made no attempt to hide their anger, and the villagers of Duanpo Village were no better off.
Old Yar could no longer maintain his composure. He knew all too well what a 10% tax increase meant. With a 40% tax increase, countless families would go hungry this winter.
Even Olsen, whose face had been full of flattery just moments before, now had no smile on his face, which was filled with astonishment.
He couldn't help but step forward and cautiously asked:
"My lord, why...why are you increasing taxes again? The tax rates were just raised not long ago..."
"Hmph," the cavalry commander sneered, then said coldly, "You still don't know why taxes have been increased?"
……