Who said free? There is Initial Cost and Upkeep, it's in the rules. You start with no weapons, then buy some with Initial Cost. After that, you pay for Upkeep which is maintenance to make sure they don't go into disrepair.

Apparently, if it is true, you can choose some starting equipment. Which doesn't really make an army. I'd say your starting army is a reasonable starting equipment. If you try to exceed a stable army, you would kill all your people in a season if you really wanted to do that. Now, in the beginning it has been said, you have no reason to have a starting army. I have one to make sure I have the defense ready because I'm siding with "lawful good" and some players may like to be evil and use my morals against me and see a way to kill me. You can never be too prepared.