BannerLord VR

The night passed without any further events, but the weight of Mannes' death still lingered in the air. I spent most of it in silence, my mind racing. Once the initial shock subsided, I found myself thinking again, but not without a new understanding: this was not a game. There are no second chances, no respawns, and no safety net. Death was very real here, and it had claimed Mannes right in front of me. That realization hit me hard. If I wanted to survive, I had to be more careful with every decision I made from now on. I couldn’t afford to be betrayed like Mannes.

And then there was the system. I still didn’t fully understand it, but it was clear that if I could harness its power, it would be an important asset. I had to learn to control and use it to my advantage. That might be the difference between life and death in this world.

With that in mind, I opened the system menus again, starting with the quest screen. I had only checked the character menu before, but other tabs might hold useful information.

Active quest:

- Main quest line: Tutorial

- Progress: Gather the materials

- Additional quests: A Gift

- Progress: Bring the banner to Garios

The second quest was clear enough. I had the banner, and my task was to deliver it to Garios. But the first quest, Gather the Materials, left me puzzled. What materials? And for what purpose? There were no further details or steps to guide me in gathering them. It was frustrating like being given a puzzle without the pieces.

I set that thought aside and moved on to the party screen. When it opened, I realized just how powerful this tool was. The amount of information it displayed was staggering—it detailed every soldier in our group, breaking them down into categories I hadn’t considered before.

For instance, Leon, one of the recruits, had the following details:

Leon

- Potential: Archer/Cavalry/Blacksmith

- Rank: Regular soldier

- Companion status: Cannot be converted to companion

- Morale: Average

- Gear: Poor

- Daily wage: 5 denars

Every recruit had similar stats, though their potential varied. Some had potential as infantry, others as cavalry or even craftsmen. I could see their morale levels, which was useful, but most importantly, I could track their wages and equipment. This was a cheat, no doubt. In a normal situation, it would take a lot of time to get this much information about every soldier, but with this system, I could assess the entire group at a glance.

As dawn began to break, I realized I had spent the entire night exploring these menus. The sun was rising, and it was time to move. I closed the system and stepped outside. Silvana was already up, and when I saw her, I could tell she had taken charge of the group in my absence. She had a natural leadership quality about her, and in these past few days, she had proven herself capable of handling responsibilities without needing my input.

“Silvana,” I said, approaching her. “Gather everyone. We need to depart soon.”

She nodded, already ahead of me. “I’ve informed the recruits and the equites. We’re ready to move when you give the order.”

I appreciated her initiative, especially after everything that had happened with Mannes. She seemed to understand that I was still grappling with his death, and she had stepped up to fill the gap. The equites, too, had continued their duties without question, which was a relief. I had feared that without Mannes, they might refuse to follow our orders, but they carried on as they had before—scouting our path, watching our flanks, keeping us safe.

As we made our way closer to the city of Lageta, one of the equites rode back to inform us of something significant.

“There’s a large army camped outside the city,” he said, his face unreadable. “It’s Garios’ army. They’ve been stationed here for some time.”

Garios’ army. The moment I heard those words, I felt a chill run down my spine. Garios was one of the contenders for the throne of Calradia, and his army was legendary. It was said that ever since he took command, his forces had not been defeated in battle. The equite mentioned that the army numbered nearly a thousand men, all elites—the best of the best.

We continued onward, and soon, I saw it for myself. An army of that size wasn’t something you could easily ignore. Tents stretched out before the city walls, soldiers moving about in organized formations. Even from a distance, I could feel the power of that force. Every step closer only made me more aware of how small we were compared to them. This was the true power of Garios—the strength of one of the most dangerous men in Calradia.

My chest tightened with a mixture of awe and fear. I had heard stories about Garios, about how he had risen from the ranks of a simple soldier to become the commander-in-chief of the Western Empire. But seeing the full might of his army in person was different. It made the stories seem all the more real.

I glanced at Silvana, who seemed equally struck by the sight. She had told me about Lageta’s rich culture and the Dionicos clan, but now that we were here, all of that felt overshadowed by the looming presence of Garios’ army. We were walking into the heart of power, into the middle of a conflict.

The weight of the banner I carried felt heavier than ever. This banner wasn’t just a piece of cloth; it was a symbol of something far greater—a tool in a game of thrones, a key to power. And now, I had it. Whatever came next, I knew this banner would play a central role in the battles and politics of the Western Empire. And I had to be prepared for that.

For now, though, our immediate task was to meet Garios and deliver the banner as instructed. I only hoped that, unlike Mannes, I could navigate this political web without losing myself—or the lives of those who followed me.