Lord of the Oasis

"Confirm," Kant said as he verified his choice.

The Denar balance in his mind instantly dropped.

The Swadian Peasants, who had just woke up not long ago from their sleep in the sand pits and tents in the Oasis Lookout, were quickly wrapped in gushes of data streams.

The data streams left as quickly as they came.

However, all of them in the Oasis Lookout became stouter and their muscles bulged.

Their gazes also became sharper.

Dark-brown leather armor materialized beneath their loose, tattered linen robes.

Wooden shields, which were pieced together using planks, were seen on their backs. They now had shorthand axes strapped to their waist with linen cords, and two 3-foot-long spears in their hands. They wore reinforced and boots securely strapped to their legs.

All of them had become Swadian Recruits.

The 200 peasants had turned into the most basic, first-level troop class of the Kingdom of Swadia.

They were as much as cannon fodder as cannon fodders could have been.

Yet, such cannon fodders were the main element of Kant's fighting force for maintaining his line of offense.

While it would have been like throwing eggs at a stone wall to have those Swadian Recruits fight against the elite, heavily armed armies of human kingdoms, their crude armament, and basic military training allowed them to have no problems taking on the primitive Jackalans.

The Kingdom of Swadia never feared fighting battles with such a basic force.

The Continent of Caradia was thoroughly ravaged by the constantly warring states within it, yet anything related to the military always saw advancement by leaps and bounds.

Even the lowest recruits developed rather high levels of militaristic professionalism.

Having such a fighting force gathered to take on the Jackalans, which had no concept of tactics or strategies, head-on was entirely doable.

That was what Kant relied on.

Time passed.

The fragrance of food permeated the entire place.

Meals to feed 300 people were being prepared in the kitchen of the Council Hall.

Five huge basins of food were prepared.

There was bread and dried meat cooked using leftover heat from the charcoal, soup made from cabbage and flour, and dates for everyone.

While the food was simple, the meals contained a mixture of vegetables and meat. Not only were the meals hearty, but they were also very nourishing.

Everyone ate their breakfast in silence. It was as if all of them were anticipating the upcoming war. The atmosphere throughout the entire Oasis Lookout was solemn and serious.

Even the building foreman, who was skilled at sucking up to people of a higher status, chose to squat somewhere quietly with the builders.

Besides, they were just civilians entirely incapable of fighting.

Kant had no intention of conscripting them. While the builders might have appeared well-built, they were only slightly better than the peasants. It was absurd to think they could have fought like the escorts and sentries guarding the trade caravan.

While everyone was eating breakfast, a group of riders appeared at the northeastern dune.

Firentis and the 17 Elite Desert Bandits had returned.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary, Lord Kant."

Firentis leaped onto the sandy ground after halting his horse. He looked rather relaxed as he said, "It seems like everything will be going well at the start."

"Very well." Kant nodded and said, "Come, let's have breakfast."

"Thank you very much."

Firentis bowed respectfully.

He sat on the chair opposite Kant without refusing his lord's offer. He dove right into the meal he had been given.

Breakfast was also being eaten outside the Council Hall.

After they were done putting their horses aside, the 17 Elite Desert Bandits went to eat with Kant's troops.

The soldiers, who were squatting and eating breakfast with their compatriots around them, cared little about image. Things were dire at the moment. A meal capable of filling their stomachs was deemed sufficient. They saw no need to ask for anything more.

They were about to wage a war.

Everyone sensed the thick air of war throughout the oasis.

The killing intent was rife in the atmosphere.

Although Kant had yet to actually announce the news of attacking the Jackalan Tribe, everyone was psychologically ready.

It was a sixth sense developed through years of living with constant fighting.

There were no longer any peasants around. All the soldiers were getting ready, awaiting orders.

The farm work to be done in the Oasis Lookout was completed. As for daily watering with the irrigation channels to keep the jungle of Date Palm Trees quenched, the Swadian Recruits were more than able to handle it.

The Swadian Recruits, who had only been made soldiers not long ago, still had memories of the time when they were peasants as they sported their combat skills.

They quickly gathered around.

They got into formation.

Kant had given the order. His forces were being inspected. He gave them a pep talk before departing.

Firentis approved of it.

However, Kant was doing that because the system had sent a side quest.

[Ding... Side Quest assigned]

[Side Quest: Inspection Before Departure]

[Quest Reward: 100 Reputation]

[Introduction: Letting your troops know what they will be fighting for will enable them to fight with courage.]

It was actually a side quest.

The reward for it was merely 100 Reputation.

However, Kant would have ordered an inspection to be carried out with or without the side quest.

He was about to declare the start of a war.

"Everything is ready, Lord Kant," Firentis gently said.

His forces were on the street before the Council Hall. They stood tall and straight and looked tall, neat, and serious. Their gazes were sharp and lacked a shred of fear. They were simply waiting for Kant to brief them and get the inspection done.

"Alright." Kant nodded.

He sounded rather heavy. Yet, when he began speaking, everyone heard him loud and clear.

"We will wage a new war, a war against those Jackalans. We shall head out to conquer them this afternoon. We shall have those dirty, lowly, primitive creatures kneel before us."

Kant began talking. He sounded very serious.

The expression of the troops gathering and waiting at the street looked just as serious.

All of them listened to Kant talk attentively.

"Just as how we wrestled the oasis beneath our feet from the Jackalans, we shall now continue to rob them of what they have. They do not deserve to live. Swadians and Sarrandians shall continue to grow in this very desert, becoming the sovereign of this new world. Under my leadership, we shall obtain new peace."

Kant continued speaking. His voice sounded rousing and solemn.

It was encouragement given before waging a battle, and he did nothing to conceal their nature as invaders.

There was no compassion or mercy to be had between races. Both sides were only able to maintain peace as long as the fighting prowess of both parties was more or less equal and neither was capable of trumping the other. Otherwise, it would have only been a matter of time before they went for each other's throats.

Kant had lived in this world for 16 years. He was more than used to how things worked.

He took a deep breath and solemnly said, "If we want to have a better life and a better future, then we need to fight for it. We shall kill all those Jackalans and make what is theirs ours!"

"All hail Swadia!"

The soldiers on the street furiously shouted, "Kill the Jackalans!"

Kant had a grin on his face. The speech had been a success.

Even Firentis, who was standing by his side, looked unfazed. He was not disconcerted by the speech that was filled with bloodlust and killing intent because he was not concerned for the livelihood of the Jackalans.

It was just like how a player would have brought Firentis along to kill monsters like bandits and whatnot back in the game.

He was practically declaring themselves to be the righteous ones.

[Ding... You have completed the quest through your efforts.]

[Side Quest: Inspection Before Departure is complete.]

[Quest Reward: 100 Reputation]

[Introduction: This is conquest. This is a massacre. There is no peace between races. One must remove one's enemies to further one's development. Such is the truth.]

A dialog box from the system appeared.

Kant grinned at the 100 Reputation that he just bagged.

The reward might have been peanuts, but it was still a reward.

He turned around and addressed Firentis. "Get the supplies ready. We leave at 2 p.m."

"Understood." Firentis nodded.

Kant continued boosting the morale of his troops. The inspection lasted 30 more minutes.

Everyone in the Oasis Lookout was excited.

It was a frenzy before the fight.

Everyone dispersed and continued to busy themselves with preparations for the upcoming battle.

Firentis was well-versed with making such preparations.

Bread, dried meat, dried dates—food with long shelf lives—were being loaded onto the three carriages that Kant had brought when he came to the Oasis Lookout.

Water sacks were all filled with crystal-clear spring water.

The water was enough to last everyone for three days.

When Kant and the riders had departed the Oasis Lookout the previous time, it had taken them an entire day to reach the Jackalan Tribe. These troops were about to march on foot. It was easily going to take them at least twice the amount of time to make the trip.

Before long, everything was ready.