Chen Mo's newly acquired barony covered less than 10,000 acres, with a radius of only six to seven kilometers and a population of about three to four thousand. To maintain the territory's normal operations, it could only support a few hundred soldiers at most.
Medieval Europe was plagued by poverty and material scarcity, making it burdensome to maintain an army. Noble lords typically kept only a small standing army, conscripting peasants during wartime.
In this era, knights were the main military force, and the number of knights a lord commanded determined his military strength.
Knights, equipped with warhorses, heavy armor, and swords, held an overwhelming advantage over infantry.
However, maintaining well-equipped knights required significant funds. Although knights provided their own equipment, the daily expenses to sustain a knight were enormous. Even noble lords with vast lands and serfs couldn't afford many knights.
Well-equipped, powerful knights were the strongest force on medieval European battlefields and the most valuable assets for noble lords.
The wealthier the noble, the more knights he could support, and the stronger his power.
Many minor nobles couldn't afford the high costs of maintaining knights and relied on infantry. When faced with an attack by a noble's knightly forces, they could only defend, as infantry alone stood no chance against knights.
Chen Mo's barony originally had eight knights, making it relatively strong among nearby lords. However, all the knights perished in battles against the invading werewolves.
The most powerful lord in the region, Count Warren, commanded fifty knights, nearly a hundred squire knights, and over a thousand elite infantry, enough to fend off a typical werewolf invasion.
Knights held a status just below nobles and were considered the lowest tier of the noble class. As professional soldiers, they fought for their lords.
Some distinguished knights were granted land by their lords, becoming minor lords themselves.
This was the only way for commoners to become nobles.
However, becoming a knight wasn't easy. Knights had to provide their own equipment, including warhorses, armor, swords, shields, and lances. In medieval Europe, with its extremely low productivity, this equipment was incredibly expensive. A warhorse alone cost twelve gold coins, equivalent to six strong oxen.
Iron was also costly. A sword cost seven gold coins, and a full set of armor, including a helmet, breastplate, and greaves, cost twenty-four gold coins, equivalent to two warhorses.
Equipping a knight cost nearly fifty gold coins, enough to buy over twenty oxen.
For an average European family, this was astronomical. Many farmers couldn't afford even one ox, and this amount equaled decades of their income.
Such high costs were unaffordable for commoners and many minor nobles.
Thus, knights were relatively few, and commoners had little chance of becoming knights. Most knights came from knightly families or were noble offspring without inheritance rights. They received knightly training from a young age, with their families providing the equipment upon reaching adulthood.
Wealthy noble families could afford this, but typical knightly families usually had only one set of ancestral equipment, passed from father to son. If there were two sons and the family couldn't afford another set, the younger son couldn't become a knight.
Andrew, whom Chen Mo saved, came from such a knightly family.
As the younger son, Andrew received knightly training from his father but couldn't afford the expensive knightly equipment. Despite his martial prowess, he could only serve as a common soldier in the lord's army, hoping to earn military merit and be rewarded by the baron, eventually becoming a knight.
Unfortunately, after many years, despite killing countless enemies and even several werewolves, Andrew remained a common soldier, with nothing to show but scars and wrinkles.
The dream of becoming a powerful knight, living an adventurous life, and marrying a beautiful noblewoman seemed distant.
Disheartened, Andrew left his homeland and army, settling in the village.
He planned to resign himself to fate, abandoning his dreams and living a simple life as a commoner.
But now, having witnessed Chen Mo's strength and being entrusted with important responsibilities by his new lord, Andrew felt a renewed hope for achieving his dreams.
Seeing Chen Mo's power firsthand and being entrusted by him, Andrew was deeply moved and vowed to serve Chen Mo loyally, not only out of gratitude but also to fulfill his dream of becoming a powerful knight.
His dream was soon half-realized.
The barony's eight knights had all died in the werewolf invasion, leaving behind nine sets of damaged knightly armor and weapons, including the baron's.
Chen Mo, uninterested in the valuable knightly equipment, bestowed it upon Andrew and the other eight he had saved.
As their savior and new lord, Chen Mo had their unwavering loyalty.
However, they weren't true knights yet. Only Andrew possessed the necessary martial prowess. The others, though brave in fighting werewolves, lacked the required strength.
A true knight underwent systematic training from a young age, mastering physical fitness, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and combat. A qualified knight could kill a wild boar barehanded, not just anyone could become a knight by donning the armor.
Nevertheless, the other eight weren't without merit. During the werewolf invasion, while most people panicked and despaired, they bravely fought back under Andrew's command, using simple weapons and terrain to fend off the werewolves. This showed their potential to become knights, which Chen Mo valued.
Chen Mo observed their unwavering loyalty and combat talent, which was enough for him. Their strength could be developed over time.
Moreover, Chen Mo had many valuable items in his space yet to be revealed.