Lord of the Oasis

[Ding… Main Quest Assigned]

[Main Quest: The First Powerful Enemy]

[Quest Reward: 10,000 Denars, 1,000 Reputation, 10 Honor]

[Introduction: The first powerful enemy encountered in one’s life will remain unforgettable. The enemy symbolizes power and invincibility, just like how giants leave a lasting impression in one’s heart when one is young. It is but the first obstacle one faces in life. While the impression is a lasting one, it actually symbolizes fear before becoming powerful.]

The dialog box from the system was clear and unmistakable.

Kant’s pupils slightly contracted as he scanned the contents in the dialog box. He felt rather stunned by it all.

He forcefully regained his calm as a bitter smile appeared on his face.

It seems like I’ve gotten myself cornered.

He had only made a simple inquiry to Firentis. He had asked if they had the ability to get rid of the Jackalan Tribe. He knew the chance of doing so was slim. He had asked the question on a whim.

He never expected the system to issue a quest right after he asked the question.

It was impossible to not become restless about it.

He knew that despite the Jackalan Tribe having lost more than 800 Jackalans after suffering a defeat when they last fought, the tribe still had the decisive edge in terms of numbers. Kant’s mere 300-strong force was not able to compare even closely.

Worse still, 200 out of the 300 were peasants. They were a zero-level troop class, which was the lowest of all troop classes.

This is really frustrating.

Kant let out a long sigh. He felt totally overwhelmed.

Kant steadied his emotions as he looked at Firentis. He asked, “If we were to have 500 Vaegir Marksmen on our side, what do you think our chances of winning are?”

He was referring to the three volleys of arrows.

“Hmm… That would be no problem then!”

Firentis was slightly stunned but immediately added, “Of course, Lord Kant, if we had 500 Vaegir Marksmen on our side, running over those brutal Jackalans would be a piece of cake.”

Firentis, who was of Suno nobility, had no doubt known regarding the capabilities of Vaegir Marksmen.

The kingdoms of Swadia and Vaegir were not on good terms.

In truth, both kingdoms had fought several large-scale battles over the ownership of the northern icy plains. If it had not been for the Kingdom of Rhodoks’ betrayal, the Nords invading from the sea, and harassment at the plains from the Khergit Khanate, Swadia and Vaegir would have likely continued fighting to this day.

“Vaegir Marksmen are capable of continuously raining arrows throughout the battlefield.”

Firentis’ expression grew serious as he said, “Coupled with our infantry forces, we could definitely crush that Jackalan Tribe with a frontal assault.”

“Hmm.” Kant nodded.

He still looked rather awkward. Firentis had misunderstood what he meant.

He paused for a bit and said, “Those marksmen are capable of only firing three volleys.”

What Kant said made Firentis frown. “Three volleys? That’s all?”

“Indeed.” Kant nodded in exasperation.

The Vaegir Marksman was a fifth-level troop class in the original system of the game. They were a top-level troop class. Not even the Kingdom of Vaegir in the game had been able to amass a staggering number of 500 top-notch marksmen without using cheats.

If they were available in massive formations, exceptionally formidable archers of that sort were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

If a rain of arrows were unleashed from 500 Vaegir Marksmen in an orderly formation, infantry forces without shields and armor would instantly know what nightmare in a battlefield was truly like.

As a player, Kant knew just how fearsome those archers were.

However, that was where the problem lied. Regardless of the 500 Vaegir Marksmen or not, he did not have even one Nord Archer, which was widely considered as the trashiest of ranged combatants, in his forces. He only had 70 Swadian Militia members standing in as ranged combatants, armed with their hunting crossbows.

In truth, the power of hunting crossbows was hardly considered lethal to creatures with life force as strong as that of the Jackalans.

“Lord Kant, if we were to launch a front assault then, we would absolutely stand no chance.”

Firentis frowned hard. In a severe tone, he said, “We need to rely on effective strategies that are capable of dealing a crushing blow to their morale so those primitive beasts fall into chaos. That will make them lose all courage to fight.

“Please continue,” Kant said.

If both men were to be compared regarding fighting strategies, although he knew a thing or two about them, his knowledge paled in comparison to that of Firentis.

Firentis was not known as the Wandering Knight for no reason. He had been wandering the Continent of Caradia for many years on a journey of penance. At the same time, it allowed him to amass ample fighting experience.

“Lord Kant, I thank you for your humbleness.”

Firentis sensed how much Kant appreciated having him around. He bowed slightly and said, “It works similar to the battle you told me about. It was the one in which you defeated an invasion from 2,000 Jackalans by working with 50 retainer knights who were all heavy cavalry units.”

“That was due to having allies,” Kant replied.

If it had not been for Sir Hobson and Scholar, Kant would have probably ended up dead in that brutal battle.

As such, that battle left a lasting impression on him.

“Allies huh?” Firentis lowered his head and looked on with a puzzled expression, before saying, “Perhaps.”

“Do you feel it to be otherwise, Firentis?” Kant frowned.

Firentis solemnly continued, clarifying Kant’s doubt, “Lord Kant, your father exiled you to the barren desert. There was no way he could have sent help to rescue you after doing so. From my perspective, your father was probably only trying to retrieve your dead body.”

Despite being a kind-hearted person, Firentis had wandered the Continent of Caradia long enough to deeply understand the darker side of things with people.

Furthermore, Firentis was of noble birth himself.

That was why he turned against his own younger brother for a seductress and eventually ended up accidentally killing his brother. That led him to choose to leave his family behind, exiling himself to the Continent of Caradia to go on a journey to polish his spirit as a knight and seek penance while doing so.

“It might actually be so.”

Kant did not confirm nor deny Firentis’ judgment in the matter.

He looked up slightly at the winding dunes and said, “At the very least, Sir Hobson and Master Hank, along with the 50 retainer knights, helped me repel the Jackalans. Right?”

Firentis remained silent. He had a rather complicated expression as if he knew what Kant said was true.

Kant let out a long sigh. “They were able to tell that the Jackalans were entirely capable of breaking through to the Oasis Lookout and killing every single one of us, yet they chose to risk their lives and help me.” He paused before saying in a serious tone, “Maybe they did not want to see me dead after all.”

He smiled nonchalantly and did not continue discussing the matter.

If Kant had a strong castle and powerful forces at his disposal, he might have been able to easily crush the Jackalans without help from anyone else.

It was a world where might made right.

“Well, would we still stand a chance of taking down that Jackalan Tribe?”

Kant steered the conversation back to the topic. He looked at Firentis and said, “Would three volleys of arrows from 500 Vaegir Marksmen be enough to cause massive casualties to the Jackalan forces and trigger mass panic?”

“It’s entirely capable of doing so.” Firentis pondered for a bit and nodded affirmatively. “There’s no doubt about that.”

“Tell me your plan,” Kant said.

Firentis gathered his words and replied, “Lord Kant, I remember that you said when you took over the Oasis Lookout, you did so using terrain advantage and the sun. That caused that small Jackalan Tribe to be caught off-guard and get crushed outright, right?”

“That was how it was done. I only had 20 allied knights to serve as shock troops, as well as 30 low-level troops at my disposal.”

As he spoke, Kant felt rather pleased with himself.

The strategy was well-employed back then because he used terrain and the sun to his advantage. It had enabled them to eventually kill all of the Jackalans squatting at the Oasis Lookout and win the battle.

Firentis, who was a veteran in the battlefield, felt rather impressed with it and said, “That would be what I intend to do.”

“Hold on.”

Kant’s grin, which stemmed from self-praise, was somewhat rescinded.

Looking at Firentis’ serious expression, Kant immediately voiced his doubts as he frowned, “But things are different this time. There are just too many of the Jackalans around.”

“Yes, they are many.”

Firentis nodded, but his eyes brightened as he said, “But all of them are useless.”

Kant frowned hard, waiting for Firentis to continue.

Without hesitation, Firentis said, “Those Jackalans are all scattered forces from that defeat. While the weeks since then allowed them to ease the fear and panic from that defeat, if they were to be crushed yet again, they would totally lose the ability to get themselves organized.”

“So, are you saying…” Kant paused for a moment before asking, “Are they now like a burned child dreading the fire?”

He adapted the term using the native language of the place, but the expression was still similar.

Firentis nodded and affirmatively said, “Indeed. That is what our strategy would be based on.”