CHAPTER 379: CHAPTER 258: THE NEW 20 NOBLE SYSTEM

When Gowes first joined the Nix Army, he was still a bit unruly. However, after a few punishments and extended exposure to the environment and his companions, he gradually went along with the crowd.

Although he consistently excelled in every military training session for Reserve Tribe Members, it did not elevate his status within the army. Like other Reserve Tribe Members, he remained just a rookie soldier.

But this rookie soldier was neither as nervous nor uneasy as most rookies. He also didn’t pay much attention to the veterans’ conversations, keeping his gaze fixed on a soldier sitting in front of him. Finally, he couldn’t resist and gave him a light kick.

When the soldier turned around to see it was Gowes, he immediately glared at him with hostility. "Gowes, are you looking to fight me again?!"

"Kid, let me be clear up front!" Gowes glared back without backing down, giving a low warning: "When the fighting starts in a moment, if you dare to retreat or cause trouble in the ranks, I won’t hesitate to deal with you!"

As Gowes spoke, he shook the short sword in his hand as a threat.

Prisus, who often clashed with Gowes during military training, fell silent in the face of this provocation. Not just because he was a Reserve Tribe Member of the Nix Tribe, but also because he had once been a Segestica and a Panlonian. Now, he was about to fight against his own people.

The dispersal of more than a thousand Segestica Reserve Tribe Members across the First, Second, and Third Legions had been Maximus’ proposal. After deliberation in the Military Department, it had been implemented six months ago to help them integrate more quickly into the tribe, so they could contribute more to its development in the future.

Of course, the primary enemy facing the Nix Tribe next would be the Pannonians. Could these Segestica Reserve Tribe Members cause problems in the battle against the Pannonians?

Maximus and the Military Department were not too worried, as there were, on average, only four or five Segestica people in each Centurion unit, leaving them vastly outnumbered. Moreover, they were dispersed among various squads and surrounded by their adversarial Skodisqi Reserve Members, who, like Gowes, would keep a close eye on their former enemies. Even if someone had other thoughts during the battle, they could not stir up much trouble.

At this moment, Prisus—like most of his companions—even though knowing there were no Segestica warriors among the upcoming enemies, felt a tangle of complex emotions. He had no desire to respond to Gowes’ noisy provocations beside him.

Just then, a familiar voice came from the front: "Brothers, you’ve all seen it. The Pannonian army is huge, far larger than ours. Are you afraid?!"

Prisus lifted his eyes to see Centurion Tini Bazus standing with hands on his hips at the front of the formation. His words immediately sparked a commotion: "Captain, are you joking? In all our past major battles, weren’t we always up against outnumbered foes? And yet, we always emerged victorious. No matter how many more enemies come, we won’t be scared!"

"Not only are we unafraid, we’re excited and overjoyed! The more soldiers they have, the greater the glory and merits we’ll earn when we defeat them!"

...

"Brothers!" Tini Bazus shouted louder, signaling the soldiers to quiet down as he pressed his hands downward. "Two months ago, the First Legion gained the upper hand. They participated in the Aldean fight against the Otarlat people and earned battle merits, with some even receiving promotions. Now, it’s finally the Second Legion’s turn to shine on the battlefield!"

"Just now, the Legion Commander told us this battle has been classified by the Military Department as Second Level. If we become the first Legion to secure victory, every one of you brothers will receive a Fifth-class Merit!

When that happens, my congratulations to the Reserve Tribe Members among you! After this battle, you will be directly promoted to Second-class Tribe Members, gaining 60 acres of land, your own house, your own fields to farm, your own cattle and sheep to raise, a woman you love to marry, and plenty of children to care for... You will live an abundant life!"

The newly implemented Twenty Peerage System fundamentally restructured advancement through military merits. Gone were the days of cutting off enemy ears to calculate merits. Now, merits were divided into six classes:

First-class Merits were for massive wars that annihilated nations, states, or tribes. The commander responsible for leading the army to victory in such wars would receive First-class Merit, with Legion Commanders involved receiving Second-class Merit, Great Captains earning Third-class, Centurions gaining Fourth-class, and soldiers obtaining Fifth-class.

Second-class Merits applied to pivotal battles critical to the tribe’s survival. Commanders would earn Second-class Merits, Legion Commanders Third-class, Great Captains Fourth-class, Centurions Fifth-class, and soldiers Sixth-class.

And so on—the less crucial the battle, the lower the merit awarded.

An ordinary soldier participating in a minor skirmish, even without engaging the enemy directly, could earn a Sixth-class Merit if the battle was won. One Sixth-class Merit could allow a Reserve Tribe Member to be promoted to an ordinary tribe member. However, an ordinary tribe member would need three Sixth-class Merits—or one Fifth-class Merit—to qualify for promotion to a Second-class Tribe Member.

For ordinary soldiers, a Fifth-class Merit was the highest honor most could hope to achieve. Only exceptional luck in killing a key enemy commander to secure a decisive victory might earn them merits beyond their station.

Conversely, Legion Commanders and Great Captains were never eligible for Fifth- or Sixth-class Merits. Their high-level distinctions were essential for advancing to knighthood and beyond, and such lower merits were excluded from their records. Thus, to rise higher after becoming a knight, soldiers had to attain the rank of Centurion or higher.

Of course, earning merits required victories. This meant both officers and soldiers had to work together wholeheartedly to secure success.

Under the new Twenty Peerage System, a Second Level-rated battle like the upcoming one should only grant ordinary soldiers Sixth-class Merits. So why did Tini Bazus claim they could earn Fifth-class Merits?

Because the new system included special provisions, such as rewarding the first soldiers to scale walls in a siege with a merit upgrade, or granting higher merits to units securing an early advantage in a pitched battle. This encouraged soldiers to compete courageously, avoiding a collective handout mindset.

As soon as Tini Bazus finished speaking, the Skodisqi soldiers in the Centurion unit could not help but cheer. Having endured hardship, they never dared to dream of such a beautiful future, now seemingly within reach.

Gowes, however, did not cheer like his companions. His mind remained heavy with thoughts of his suffering compatriots still left behind in the Segestica Territory.

Even though he knew his promotion would require fighting and slaughtering his own people, Prisus couldn’t help but feel tempted. He understood that the bright future painted by Tini Bazus wasn’t mere rhetoric—it was something he saw every day. The Nix tribespeople genuinely lived such lives.

He thought about his own years in the Segestica Tribe. The land he had was less than 30 acres, and despite year-round hard work, whatever he cultivated was overseen by the nobles. Each autumn, a portion of crops was collected, and during periods of continuous tribal wars, those collections grew heavier, leaving only enough for subsistence. A few tribe members who refused to pay were eventually expelled.

By contrast, the Nix tribespeople had much better lives. They submitted less but retained more. Not only did the tribe build infrastructure to improve agricultural output, they also taught better farming practices to yield greater harvests... Thinking of these things, Prisus found his heart unsettled.

Tini Bazus didn’t pay attention to the subtly changing expressions of the Segestica soldiers in the ranks. He continued shouting: "Brothers who are Official Tribe Members! You’re either Second-class or First-class Tribe Members. After this battle, those who already have some merits as Second-class Tribe Members can earn one more Fifth-class Merit to advance to First-class status, along with an additional 20 acres of land to cultivate more crops and raise more livestock.

First-class Tribe Members may not yet have enough merits to rise further, but the leader has declared that this battle is not only crucial but also dire, given the vastly outnumbered enemy. So he has decided to offer bonus rewards!

If any Centurion unit becomes the first to break the enemy lines or rout them, they will be awarded a Third-class Merit, meaning each member will receive a Fourth-class Merit. That’s enough to upgrade everyone’s rank by one level—some could even rise several levels!"

Pointing toward the hill below, Tini Bazus shouted triumphantly: "Brothers, to us, these Pannonians represent land and wealth. The more of them there are, the more merits we stand to gain! Now, let’s fight bravely, defeat them, and advance our ranks—aiming to become the tribe’s next nobles as soon as possible!"

The soldiers erupted in cheers, brimming with excitement.

Other Centurion units were similarly animated, as the Centurions had received the same instructions from the Legion Commander and delivered similar motivational speeches.

A wave of jubilation swept across the long formation of the Nix Army.

"Look, the leader’s strategy works wonders. Morale is extraordinarily high now!" The young attendant Tilius, who accompanied Maximus, couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.

Tilius was one of the children of the Lukelia veterans who had followed Maximus during the rebellion.

"Of course," replied the attendant Marcus. "Everyone wants to earn merits and advance."

"But..." The other attendant, Frisarus, a young slave from Campania, seemed puzzled. "During the Political Affairs Hall meeting where I was taking notes, I heard Lord Volenus mention our tribe hardly has any land left. Yet after this battle, nearly 10,000 Reserve Tribe Members will be promoted, requiring over 500,000 acres of land! Where could the tribe possibly find so much land to distribute?"