The treasure chest shown on his retina reopened.
As he confirmed his choice, the last honor Kant had disappeared.
A faint rainbow glimmer was seen as the treasure chest slowly opened.
[Ding... You have acquired a hero pack.]
[You have opened the hero pack and found Firentis, the Wandering Knight from Swadia.]
[Acquired: Firentis the Wandering Knight (the only hero)]
A card appeared on his retina.
It was not a building or an item illustrated on the card. It was the image of a young knight. He was looking ahead, seemingly gazing at something. However, the knight's eyes were filled with sorrow. He looked as though he was perhaps hesitant or anticipating something.
Kant was slightly jolted.
However, he quickly grinned. He was quite familiar with the Wandering Knight known as Firentis.
"Materialize."
His will connected to the system. The card in his mind disappeared into golden specks of light.
On a nearby dune, a rider clad in mail armor and a linen robe riding a chestnut-colored warhorse had become visible. The rider seemed to have just appeared there by chance. The rider halted his horse at the top of the dune, seemingly watching the Oasis Lookout.
He had the appearance of a traveler who had been on a long journey and just discovered a village. The rider slowly rode down the dune.
"Firentis, a noble of Swadia."
Kant wore a wide grin as he watched the rider heading toward him.
Kant was impressed with Firentis, the man who called himself a Wandering Knight. He thought, This is one righteous guy who managed to hold onto his beliefs in this messed up world. He is a true knight.
Kant knew that man quite well.
Firentis was a decent character back in the game. He was a hero who stood fast to the principles of knighthood.
The knight was kind-hearted and compassionate to the weak.
Firentis was someone who hailed from a militaristic noble clan in Swadia. He was proficient at combat and leading forces into combat. Furthermore, he held fast to the code of knights and was eager to lay the hammer down on crime and evil.
He never robbed commoners or attacked villages with force.
After defending villagers from invading bandits, he had even refused gifts from them.
If a player committed any of the above acts, Firentis would have immediately left the party. Those actions violated the principles he held so steadfastly in this messed-up place of a world. While he seemed insignificant, he was still shining like a star.
Furthermore, personal problems never caused him to leave a party.
Firentis had not cared about realistic problems, such as pay being delayed or a food shortage. He always remained waiting for orders from the party despite any problems.
That was why Kant liked the knight very much.
Firentis was a true knight who never resorted to cunning tricks or sheepishly fled from the battlefield. He also had a great sense of responsibility. A party that was in the early stages of establishment could not have asked for a better member.
"Greetings, Lord Kant."
Firentis came before Kant, deftly halting and getting off his horse.
He looked at Kant quietly after briskly getting off his horse. His eyes glittered for a bit before he half-kneeled before Kant and said, "Although I have never met you, your kind actions of taking in the refugees have impressed me."
"Welcome aboard, Firentis."
Kant was slightly stunned, but he quickly came to his senses.
Kant's intention of taking the refugees in was only to add to the population of his village. In the eyes of Firentis, it was an act of mercy for the weak that deserved praise.
Firentis lowered his head and replied, "It would be my honor to serve you."
Kant helped him up. Firentis was his first hero general and one of the best combatants available in the game. Kant was overjoyed to have Firentis join in his forces.
Firentis was a noble as well as a knight with formidable combat prowess.
He was capable of leading troops into battle, as well as fighting on his own.
Firentis' arrival alleviated Kant's pressure in commanding Drondheim's current growing fighting force. The knight was able to make his forces fight more efficient.
After chatting with Firentis for a bit, Kant was even more pleased.
Kant was of noble birth in that world as well, yet he relied mostly on self-study when it came to affairs of war.
Firentis had provided him with a systematic elaboration on how to make use of the fighting forces of the Kingdom of Swadia. Besides, he was a true Swadian and a knight from a militaristic clan.
He was proficient in matters like leading Swadian fighting forces into battle and using strategies and tactics.
From what Kant knew, Firentis the Wandering Knight was a person who walked the talk.
My stress is considerably lessened with a general leading the forces.
Kant sighed, but he looked happy and contented.
He had been the one leading the battles with the Jackalans. While he had managed to win every single one of those battles, those victories made Kant realize that it was crucial to bring superior troop classes to bear down on any enemies.
When it came to details with strategies and tactics, he had nothing truly out of the ordinary to offer.
To put it precisely, he knew next to nothing about strategies and tactics.
All that he learned about war from games, movies, television series, and novels could not be counted as experience on the real battlefield.
At the very least, Kant knew that he was the one who was talking about things he knew little about. There was a lot he could learn from Firentis.
"Oh, right, Lord Kant."
Firentis interrupted his thoughts.
His rather hesitant tone piqued Kant's curiosity. "What is it, Firentis?"
"Well, Lord Kant, I'd like to first apologize for my rudeness."
Firentis lowered his head and sighed, saying, "I saw a group of homeless vagrants on my way here, and I told them that there is a merciful lord, as well as hope for a better life, to be found here.
A prompt from the system was heard when Firentis was done speaking.
[Ding… Side Quest assigned]
[Side Quest: Firentis' Refugees]
[Reward: Swadian Militias x 28]
[Introduction: Firentis led a group of refugees, who had nowhere to go, to the oasis. He is hoping that a merciful lord such as yourself will take them in.]
The dialog box was seen clearly on his retina.
Kant's eyes glimmered. The grin on his face turned into boisterous laughter.
"Sure. Is there a reason why I wouldn't take them in?"
As he turned to look at Firentis, Kant was in a considerably better mood. He said, "I would always welcome refugees into my village. I would bring them new hope, should they choose to believe in me!"
"Your compassion is impressive." Firentis lowered his head with the utmost respect from the bottom of his heart.
[Ding... You have chosen to mercifully take in the refugees.]
[Side Quest: Firentis' Refugees completed.]
[Reward Acquired: Swadian Militias x 28]
[Introduction: It is a wise choice to absorb refugees to boost the population. However, it is worth noting that too many refugees will strain the village, affecting the mood of the peasants.]
A dialog box from the system quickly appeared.
The assignment and completion of the side quest took less than two minutes.
The reward seemed to have been something like a free lunch.
Kant was pleased with the turn of events. Be it the incoming refugees or the new 28 Swadian Militias added to his forces, all of them were vital human resources to the current Oasis Lookout.
At the very least, Kant had yet to encounter the overpopulation mentioned by the system's introduction.
Fighting wars was the best way to keep populations in check.
At the very moment, Drondheim had a lack of peasants, troops, defensive measures, and civilian buildings.
The place had a shortage of everything.
The arrival of more refugees was a boon to him.
It was worth noting that the 100 Date Palm Trees spread over the two acres of land had the potential to produce more than 4,400 pounds of dates. Kant had been wracking his brains on how to divide his forces to pluck the dates.
At that moment, a huge labor force was sent his way.
Soldiers, who knew mostly how to hack and slash, were more suited for combat.
Farm work and menial labor were best left to the peasants.
"They are here."
Firentis looked up at the dune from which he had come.
A huge group of refugees in ragged clothing was helping each other up as they moved. The 28 Swadian Militia members were surrounding and protecting the refugees.
They all looked exhausted, but they all cheered in excitement when they saw Drondheim appear before their eyes. Their steps immediately quickened.
All of those people had been Kant's side quest and reward from the side quest.
He had gained 200 Swadian Peasants and 28 Swadian Militia members.
"Get them food and water."
Kant nodded and ordered several recruits not far away, "Make sure they have enough to eat and drink."
"Yes, My Lord!"
The recruits immediately nodded and headed toward the spring water pond to the south.
Smoke immediately billowed from the Council Hall's kitchen. The fragrance of cooking food gradually spread throughout the place.
The refugees, who had all been on an arduous journey, needed a good rest. Kant would have never taken them to be numb, unfeeling NPCs. They were all people of flesh and blood. At the least, he had to ensure that those people had their stomachs filled.