Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 90 What a huge cow!
Although Cloud Mist Territory, due to certain political considerations, openly "erased" Chen Mo's achievements, Earl of Flowing Clouds privately provided sufficient compensation.

Not only did the Count give the green light to the application process for the territory, but he also sent his most trusted old clerk to assist Chen Mo in recruiting some private armed forces to protect the territory.

"It's best not to hire people from mercenary guilds, especially during this time of war."

The old clerk from Yunwu Territory stroked his white beard and carefully explained the differences to Chen Mo.

"Mercenaries are just people who do things for money, so they are inherently lacking in loyalty."

"Large mercenary groups that value reputation and image are a bit better off, but as for those small and medium-sized mercenary groups, well, it's common for them to raise prices at the slightest sign of trouble."

"Even worse, it is not uncommon for them to turn around and rob their employers."

"Besides, once the war breaks out, the most capable members of the Mercenary Guild have already been drafted to the battlefield."

"The rest are either old, weak, sick, or disabled, or lazy, cowardly, and wicked. If you hire them, you have to be careful and wary."

"Those who can truly be of use are those who come from humble backgrounds and are looking for a way to make a living!"

The old clerk forced a smile and counted on his fingers one by one: "Death row inmates, prisoners of war, debt-ridden good men, and retired soldiers supporting their families."

After careful consideration, Chen Mo realized that this truly was a profound understanding of the ways of the world.

Of course, young Chen was no slouch either. He had already inquired about the old clerk's family structure and promptly presented a generous gift package to his wife and three children: "Then I'll trouble you, sir!"

The old clerk waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, I'm doing this for the lord, and you're a young hero who has helped the princess all the way. I dare not accept your reward."

Chen Mo smiled slightly. As the one in a more advantageous position, he had a foolproof method taught by his family for giving gifts to others.

"This is just a small token of my gratitude. If you refuse it, it means you're looking down on me. I can't let you do the job of choosing people!"

The old clerk accepted the gift with profuse thanks, and the conversation naturally became more and more in-depth.

"Back then, the kingdom's pioneering knights went out to fight, and those lessons were all learned through bloodshed."

"The most useful ones are the personal guards who have been raised by your side since childhood and have served your family for generations. They are connected by blood and are absolutely loyal."

"Secondly, there are serious criminals and death row inmates. Others earn money, but they earn their lives. When they see a way out, they are truly willing to fight and risk their lives."

These are all experiences, Chen Mo couldn't help but open his notebook and write them down.

Upon seeing him, the old clerk perhaps felt respected, and his words became even more earnest.

"So that you may know, sir, there is a method to selecting people from among the prisoners. Our orthodox pioneering knight family has a set of rules, which are called 'three dos and three don'ts'."

Chen Mo's eyes lit up: "Hey, what do you mean?"

"The three essentials are: the strong must have them, those who are seeking survival must have them, and those who are of lowly status must have them."

"We can choose those who are good at fighting and have a special skill; we can choose those who value their lives and want to survive; and finally, under the same circumstances, we should choose those of lower status, preferring commoners to nobles."

"Why is that?" Chen Mo pressed.

“Nobles, ordinary crimes won’t be enough to bring them down to the point of being prisoners. They must have committed some serious crime or offended someone they can’t afford to offend. Tell me, can we accept that?”

Chen Mo slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "What a brilliant insight!"
"So, what are the three 'don'ts'?"

"We don't want red-eyed mad wolves, we don't want treacherous traitors, we don't want political charlatans!"

"Those who kill too many people outside the battlefield, and become bloodthirsty, will inevitably have some mental problems. Even if such people seem fine most of the time, they might suddenly go berserk if something happens. It's best not to choose them."

“Those who have betrayed their master are not to be accepted. This goes without saying, sir, you surely understand.”

"Finally, we can't accept those who have been imprisoned because of their political stance or because of religious infighting; they are likely to cause trouble in the future."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo had an immediate urge to kidnap the old man without a second thought. Unfortunately, the man was a "house-born son" of the Earl, the kind who had served the Earl's family for generations, and he certainly wouldn't go with Chen Mo.

In any case, after a long talk, Chen Mo entrusted all matters to the old clerk. While he and the deputy city garrison were watching a battlefield movie in the rear camp, the old clerk had already arrived at the front line.

As soon as the flag of Tiebeiguan was changed, the deputy city garrison led Chen Mo forward. By the time they arrived at the prisoner-of-war camp, the old clerk had already walked around and pre-selected the prisoners for Chen Mo.

All that's left is for Young Master Chen to "take the second test".

The prisoner-of-war camp was guarded by the duchy's soldiers with long spears and short halberds. After checking his identity tag and accepting several bribes, Chen Mo was able to enter the simple wooden shed that was enclosed.

As soon as he entered the door, Chen Mo felt a blur before his eyes.

Wow—what a huge cow…

No, it's a huge minotaur!

Among the people chosen by the old scribe, this minotaur, who was squatting and as tall as the others standing, was really eye-catching.

Just looking at his bare upper body, with its rock-like, bulging muscles, a fierce aura immediately comes to mind.

This guy was quite a target on the battlefield, and he looked like he'd taken a lot of hits, with jagged, dark red scabs all over his body.

One of its two large horns was broken off, and the minotaur kept baring its teeth and touching it, looking aggrieved and as if it was about to cry at any moment.

The adorable expression on its face and the ferocious beast-like appearance of its body create an inexplicable contrast.

The old clerk was clearly very satisfied with this "beast." As soon as Chen Mo came in, he immediately pulled him aside as if presenting a treasure, his voice full of barely suppressed excitement.

“I’ve already checked his origins. He’s a pure-blooded minotaur from Motianling, which is considered a strong race among orcs. His level is also close to the silver armor level. If I invest some resources and give him some time, I estimate that he has at least a 50% chance of awakening to the fourth tier.”

This level is considered very high.

Prisoners of war who have reached the first level are difficult to capture. If they are captured, the opposing family or mercenary group will usually spend a lot of money to ransom them. Even if a few are missed, they will become prey for the duchy's ruler and the nobles.

Only prisoners who haven't changed jobs have room for manipulation.

The old scribe's eyes narrowed into slits as he realized he had found such a fourth-order seed; he was clearly quite pleased with himself.

"This ox is a bit simple-minded. It lost a territorial dispute with its tribe and left in a huff. It became a mercenary to make a living among humans. This time, it was recruited by Green Pine and placed in the garrison of Ironback Mountain."

“I’ve already checked his mercenary badge and had someone investigate his mission records. His mission completion rate is very high. He can complete all kinds of tasks, from running errands and delivering messages to collecting data, perfectly. He’s the kind of obedient and capable guy that mercenary groups love. I’ve just kept him on board.”

"I've already made arrangements with the management of the POW camp. If you're interested, I'll naturally send you a token of my appreciation and help you get a ransom document stating that you're 'severely wounded and disabled, but still retain your wild nature'."

Chen Mo couldn't help but look him up and down again: "This, seriously injured and disabled?"

The old clerk chuckled: "Look, you're covered in injuries, but not serious? Such a big horn is broken off, isn't that a disability?"

That's right!

　Some authors and operations staff have suggested that I release longer chapters, so I will consider updating in the form of two chapters of 4,000 words each.

　　Just wanted to clarify something. Please don't criticize me just because I have fewer chapters.

　　I'll try to earn 6,000 every day, aiming for 8,000, but I don't know how long I can keep it up.

　　The main problem is that I think a lot while writing. I'm not one of those naturally gifted people; the quality of my writing drops sharply when I write too much.

　　Thank you for your support, I will continue to work hard!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)