Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 67 Recruitment
Orville's plan was revealed through Tia's mouth.

In fact, it is not complicated. It is nothing more than "travel agency recruits veterans, provides food and accommodation, preferential treatment, provides a full set of on-the-job training, no age limit, no position limit, and jobs in big cities."

Tia’s appeal is indeed very good, and some people are really desperate and have no choice but to accept Tia’s advice.

There were about five to six hundred people who signed up, and Orville selected about two hundred of them to be the first batch of test subjects.

Certainly not everyone has the corresponding professional skills. The veterans learn while doing, and they are not required to become masters in all walks of life. It is enough for them to reach a similar level. So the task is not too difficult and a few months will basically be enough.

These veterans are generally in their thirties or forties, not yet “old”, able to do most jobs, and their learning abilities are not degraded.

The treatment Orville gave them was not particularly good, but considering that food and accommodation were provided and age was not considered, it was actually acceptable, and these soldiers generally had no other choice.

Those who have made great military achievements, have professional skills or are quick-witted can basically find jobs, or at least find a place to farm. The rest are those who have not integrated into society for various reasons.

As a supplement, Orville bought some slaves from his old subordinate Valerian - there are special cooks and navigators, which require a little professionalism, and they will serve as temporary teachers to impart knowledge and skills to the retired soldiers. In addition, there are some male and female slaves who are quick and nimble, who are responsible for chores and cleaning rooms.

Valerian knew that without Orville, he would be at most a centurion, so he gave Orville a good friendship price and didn't spend too much money. The Valerian family didn't mind making less money, because he knew there would be plenty of business in the future.

Orville offered these slaves a fairly good treatment. As long as they worked for 20 years, he would set them free and give them a small severance pay, and a little extra money every year so that they could settle down after they were free. In addition, if these people were willing to continue working for Orville, he would continue to take them in and increase their monthly salary, and the salary and benefits would be based on the standards of free people.

In fact, in Rome, slavery was different from that in ancient Greece. It was not a stain that could not be washed away in a lifetime. Many people were able to regain their freedom when they were young, but this was only a part of the people. Most people had to work for their masters until they could no longer work and basically lost their value. What happened to them afterwards depended on whether the masters were kind enough.

The treatment Orville proposed was what he thought was widely feasible and relatively realistic. At least these people could see hope and would not be treated too harshly when working under Orville. In his opinion, this was a good start.

The manpower, venue and funds have all been prepared, but it will take some time for everything to get on track. After Orville arranges things, he won't have to worry too much.

It is now September. Orville and Vespasian have talked that soon the Syrian Governor Mucinus will return to Rome again. This time he will come to receive his reward and title. Over the years, he has successfully defended the security of the national border and helped Vespasian ascend the throne. He must show his appreciation in some way.

Taking this opportunity, Orville began to order his men to work overtime to forge weapons. In order to show his determination, he even slept on the floor in the blacksmith shop to rest in recent days.
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After much haste, Orville finally finished the work before Mucinus arrived.

The fleet carrying Mucinus arrived at the port of Ostia in mid-September, and he finally returned to Rome. Vespa's initial idea was to hold a triumphal ceremony for him to commemorate his achievements over the years, but this proposal was rejected by Mucinus himself.

He thought that the treasury was empty and there was no need to engage in these empty things. He also wanted to stay in the Syrian province for a few years and return home when the situation stabilized. Vespasian satisfied his idea.

Orville learned the content of the private conversation between Vespa and Mucinus - after Mucinus left Syria, he would serve as consul once or twice, and the Senate and the emperor would find a way to arrange a smooth career for his son, which would be a reward for their family.

It seems that Mucinus really had little interest in politics. After returning to Rome, he only appeared in the Senate a few times, and each time he just made himself familiar to the crowd. Then he never went there again, concentrating on accompanying his family and occasionally participating in various grand events in the city.

Everyone liked this pure general, so his visit home went very smoothly and he was welcomed by all the prominent families and new nobles in the city.

Considering the changing sea conditions in the Mediterranean, sailing is more dangerous from November to March, so it is the off-season for sailing. Mucinus does not want to take risks for such a small matter, so he plans to set off in mid-October to return to Syria to report on his work.

Before that, Orville made an appointment to meet with Mucinus.

Mucinus, with gray hair and beard, looked at the young man and felt quite strange.

He had a good relationship with Vespa, otherwise he would not have been able to nominate Vespa to be emperor, but he never understood why Vespa wanted to adopt this foreigner.

Like many generals, he didn't pay much attention to the political situation, so he didn't understand the twists and turns. But he had basic political knowledge anyway. It stands to reason that Orville came to him at this time, either because he wanted to ask something of him or to establish a good relationship with him for future plans.

As a result, Orville approached him and said that he was here to introduce newly developed weapons and equipment, and wanted to have Mucinus, who had rich war experience, to judge whether they could be used.

Mucinus knew that Vespa would not adopt a useless person. During this period, he asked the slaves to read the entire "Palphi War" while taking a bath. The most eye-catching one was definitely Tia. He admired this young man very much. In addition, Orville's performance was also very good. Although he might not have the talent to command the army, as a counselor who made plans, his various ideas were very interesting. Mucinus recognized his ability in this regard.

But that was all. Mucinus didn't think Orwell could provide him with any very useful equipment. The weapons that were really used by the army had all been tested for a long time. It was not easy to make some modifications. It was not something that could be done on a whim. It required a very deep understanding of the Roman army and the Romans' enemies.

Orville didn't try to convince the general with words, but got straight to the point: "I think I shouldn't waste your time, so I'll show you directly. First of all, this is the lightweight javelin. You should be able to see the difference after seeing it."

(End of this chapter)