Lord: I Grind EXP with Warband Panel

"Fioro?"

"Robson?!"

"Robson! Ha! It really is you! Are you really the renowned Commander-in-Chief of Qimo Fortress?!" Led to Robson’s tent by the guards, Fioro couldn’t believe it at first. When he finally saw Robson with his own eyes, his jaw dropped in amazement.

"Oh, my heavens! I’m not seeing things, am I? Lord of Dawn above! I really can’t believe it! I just assumed it was someone with the same name, you know?" Fioro said, still staring at Robson with an incredulous look.

"The one and only! Fioro, long time no see." Robson stepped forward and hugged the man who was, in this world, his own dear brother.

Although the original soul was gone, Robson had inherited all of the body’s memories. In such a state, it was hard for him to say who he really was.

He could only say that he *was* Robson, the master of this body.

Having been away from home for so long, suddenly seeing his own brother... even someone like Robson couldn’t help but feel a stir of emotion.

To be honest, that father of Robson’s was a rather capable man. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He treated all seven of his children—four sons and three daughters—with remarkable fairness.

Even Robson’s eldest brother’s only real advantage was his right of inheritance. Besides, his eldest brother was truly formidable, being the first of the siblings to reach the Silver rank. Back then, he was hailed as a genius throughout the province.

Now, his eldest brother was in his late thirties, and his claim as heir was secure.

As a result, the family was a happy and harmonious one, and there had been very little conflict among the siblings growing up.

Of course, Robson’s warmth toward his family was also driven by his own pragmatic considerations.

After all, his future domain would be lacking in practically everything, and what he would need most was trustworthy people.

Many tasks weren’t particularly difficult, nor did they require a large workforce, but they absolutely required a trustworthy person to oversee them.

In that regard, blood ties were the most reliable guarantee.

To avoid anyone discovering his peculiarities, Robson had been among the first to march to war. The troop movements later became too chaotic, and with no means of communication, all he knew was that his eldest brother had been sent to the central front. The whereabouts of the others were unknown.

Looking at his brother, alive and well, Robson felt he finally understood the sentiment in that poem by Bai Juyi from his past life, about a family scattered and longing for reunion.

They hugged for a moment before pulling apart.

"I never expected this... I was just curious, so I came to have a look." Fioro shook his head, still in a bit of a daze.

"You left in such a hurry back then that you didn’t get to take the war banner Mother and our eldest sister prepared for you... By the way, I still have it. Do you need it now?" Fioro asked.

"Of course. My army is in dire need of the ginkgo flower insignia right now."

Robson nodded.

The ginkgo wasn’t a tree but a flower, and it was the symbol of the Odogin Family, representing integrity and virtue. It was a rather common flower in the southern Frank Kingdom, so many lesser noble families also used it for their family crest.

Robson hadn’t had the time to bother with such things before. In fact, if he hadn’t run into Fioro today, the thought probably would have never crossed his mind.

.....

After their reunion, the two brothers talked at length about everything that had happened recently.

Fioro had been stationed at a nearby fortress. However, since he held no title and had lost all the soldiers their father had provided him, he carried little weight there.

Robson went directly to that fortress’s Commander-in-Chief and requested Fioro’s transfer.

The man naturally didn’t refuse Robson’s request; in fact, there was no reason to.

A Bronze Second Tier noble with nothing to his name—his presence or absence made little difference.

Besides, they were blood brothers. There was no sense in standing in the way of a family reunion.

What surprised Robson was that Fioro also turned out to be a hero with his own set of skills.

"[Fioro Odogin (2nd Rank Bronze Knight): Talents: Intermediate Knight, Intermediate Archer Commander, Crossbow Specialization]"

Seeing Fioro’s status panel, Robson clicked his tongue inaudibly. ’Looks like I’ve stumbled upon a hidden gem.’

Come to think of it, Fioro had always been remarkably perceptive, even as a child. Whenever they went fishing, he was always the one who caught the most.

An Intermediate Archer Commander was perfect. He could put Fioro in charge of the archers in the second and third regiments to speed up their training.

This was where the results of Robson’s previous reforms became apparent. The entire army was becoming more modular. All Robson had to do now was call over the captains—each in charge of fifty soldiers—and introduce them. From there, the orders for unified Archer training would quickly disseminate down to the lowest ranks.

Of course, it would ultimately depend on Fioro’s actual abilities, but Robson wasn’t too worried. Claude had only been a junior Cavalry Commander, and his recent promotion to Intermediate had already brought an astonishing boost to the cavalry’s training.

Fioro was starting out as an Intermediate Commander and even had a "Crossbow Specialization" of uncertain significance. Robson figured he couldn’t be much worse than Claude.

Even if there was an issue, Robson could just rescind the order. He could always have Fioro fill the role of commander for the fourth regiment instead.

This was his own brother, after all. Given the Odogin Family’s current situation, their father certainly wasn’t going to be able to give them any more property. But Robson had managed to become a Baron out here, and he might even become a Viscount in the future.

In the future, many Odogin cousins and kinsmen would naturally come to seek him out. These people would be important assets for his domain.

Nepotism might have its downsides, but it was undeniable that in most cases, friends and family were simply more reliable than outsiders. In terms of loyalty, for instance, Robson had to worry about Bo Yang deserting at any moment, but he’d never have to worry about Fioro doing the same.

Not only did Fioro have no better prospects himself, but their eldest brother and father would also pressure him to stick with Robson.

Fioro, for his part, was overjoyed by Robson’s decision.

As a man approaching thirty, he was keenly aware of his current predicament.

The Odogin Family’s lands were already spoken for; there was no spare fief for him to be granted a knighthood.

According to the traditions of the Frank Kingdom, he would most likely have to eke out a living under some border Baron. If he stayed in the south, it would be as one of the Free People, with no hope of ever attaining a title in his lifetime.

If he stayed in the south, his generation might be able to use their connections to remain in noble circles, but what about his children?

Even if his eldest brother was a responsible man, he couldn’t force his own children to provide for their cousins.

And while serving under a border Baron offered a chance at a knighthood, why go elsewhere when his own family now had a Baron?

As long as he wasn’t completely useless, with the bond he shared with Robson, his brother would have to make him a Knight sooner or later.

In fact, this was precisely the thought Fioro had in mind when he first came looking for Robson.

When he first heard that a Knight named Robson had earned a barony on the frontier through illustrious military service, he had been suspicious.

After all, his own younger brother was also on the frontier. Fioro had come over to see for himself, just on the off chance it was true. The moment he was summoned for an audience, however, he knew he was probably set.

After all, the Commander-in-Chief of a fortress wouldn’t waste his time meeting someone like him.

But when he actually saw Robson, Fioro couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment.

It was a wondrous feeling. It was like knowing you might have won ten million, but it’s only when the money actually lands in your account and you realize your life is about to take off that your mind still goes fuzzy for a moment.