Eryk didn’t raise his shield.

His first denar came from trading fish between Seonon and Marunath—a known economic exploit in this version, but one the developers never closed. The second thousand came from smithing two-handed swords. The algorithm of the world rewarded repetition until diminishing returns set in. Eryk learned the rhythm. By spring, he had 47 men: 20 Vlandian sharpshooters (still overpowered in this build), 15 Battanian Fians (patched but lethal), and 12 Imperial Legionaries (bought as prisoners, re-recruited—a classic repack trick).

He swore no oath. Oaths caused diplomacy stutters—kingdoms declaring war, then peace, then war again within three in-game days. Instead, he became a corporate lord. He bought three workshops in Ortysia, two in Sanala, and a brewery in Myzea that somehow produced beer even when the village was looted.