Chapter 77: 77 Preparations Before the Expedition

Chapter 77: 77. Preparation Before the Campaign

As for the wildling tribes, Ronin had learned of their existence from Highward the butler as early as the day he was enfeoffed as the Baron of Mountain Wood Town.

Yet, despite having been in Mountain Wood Town for so long, he had not obtained any useful information regarding them.

This time, Rydal’s intelligence completely filled that void, providing Ronin not only with the number of wildling tribes, but also a general understanding of their relationships, populations, and the number of extraordinaries among them.

The current situation was perfectly suited for Mountain Wood Town to enter the fray and shatter the status quo between the tripartite alliance and the Blackcollar tribe.

Faced with Rydal’s declaration that "the time has come," Ronin nodded slowly.

Though it is said that the highest form of warfare is to thwart the enemy's plans, next to destroy their alliances, next to attack their army, and the lowest to besiege their cities, the enemy here had no natural defenses to hold and no walls to rely upon; the advantage lay entirely with Ronin.

Seeing the lord signal his assent, a martial fervor flared in the eyes of everyone seated below. For the professional knights especially, winning honor on the battlefield was their perpetual pursuit, and now, the blood-stirring moment was finally at hand!

"We must not only strike, but strike swiftly!"

Ronin spoke with resonant conviction. "If the Blackcollar tribe catches wind of our movements, the hostility among these four tribes could easily shift into a temporary alliance. We would then find ourselves facing a coalition of wildling tribes, much like the allied noble army of the Black Mountain Domain back then."

"Therefore, once we attack, we must take down the Ashsoil, Greenbamboo, and Purplefruit tribes with the utmost speed, seizing this tripartite alliance before the Blackcollar tribe has time to react!"

So long as he absorbed these three tribes into his own domain, Ronin would not have to worry about being caught in a passive position under siege from multiple sides, even if the Blackcollar tribe proved to be somewhat formidable.

Everyone was struck by Ronin’s decisiveness; they had not expected this lord, who usually focused on farmwork and construction, to be so resolute when launching an offensive.

"My Lord, when do we begin the attack?"

Macken could not help but ask, "Our guards are ready!"

Ronin fell into contemplation for a long moment. "Today is the fifteenth, and our autumn harvest has only just concluded. The eighty militiamen selected by Wilson are only here to observe and learn; they have not undergone formalized training. Therefore, over the next few days, Macken and David, you will be responsible for training them. But remember to preserve their physical stamina. The militia's role is primarily to deal with ordinary folk; it is enough if they can look intimidating in the short term, we do not require great combat prowess from them."

Not everyone in the wildling tribes was a skilled combatant; most were ordinary people who would lose all courage to resist when faced with an imposing force.

"Rydal, I must trouble you to draft a rudimentary map over these next two days, and we will formulate a detailed plan thereafter."

"Your consideration is most thorough, my Lord!" Rydal nodded in agreement.

Thus, an active offensive against the wildling tribes was tentatively set in motion.

Over the ensuing days, Macken and David took charge of training the militia, primarily elevating their collective morale through shouting slogans and marching in formation, while teaching a few simple and practical combat techniques.

As for the guards who had been training continuously, they were no longer assigned stamina-draining exercises, and even their paired sparring sessions were suspended.

Some of the guards, keenly sensing the anomaly, speculated in private whether the Lord was about to wage war against the Thanes Domain.

After all, they had been direct participants during Pleinst's betrayal and witnesses to the subsequent clash between Ronin and Knight Philidon; they knew relations between the Thanes Domain and Mountain Wood Town were sour.

The guards harboring such speculations showed no fear of battle; instead, each and every one of them was eager to try their hand.

They had eaten well and trained well during this period, and it was indeed time to prove their worth and forge their achievements!

As the saying goes, food and forage should precede the troops. Although the distance between Mountain Wood Town and the Greenbamboo tribe was not far, requiring little baggage, rations for the midday meal still needed to be carried.

Ronin ordered the kitchens well in advance to prepare ingredients for a hundred portions of white bread, ensuring everyone would have two meals.

In addition, each man carried a bottle of water provided by the herders to resolve the problem of thirst along the way.

When Rydal produced the rudimentary map, Ronin called everyone together for a second meeting, this time even summoning Chahar, who was in charge of castle logistics.

"Our first objective this time is the Greenbamboo tribe, directly north of Mountain Wood Town."

Ronin pointed to the location of the Greenbamboo tribe on the map and said, "There are two paths leading northeast and due east from the Greenbamboo tribe, heading toward its allies, the Purplefruit and Ashsoil tribes respectively, at a distance of roughly a dozen li each. To prevent anyone from the Greenbamboo tribe from escaping to deliver word during our assault, I need teams to lie in ambush along these two paths."

Ronin scanned all the extraordinaries at the long table, his gaze ultimately resting upon the two newcomers at the far end, Juwitt and Seam.

"We will operate in three detachments this time. Juwitt and Seam, you two will each take five guards and ten militiamen, and be responsible for ambushing the woods on both sides of these paths. If you discover anyone attempting to escape, capture them immediately!"

Everyone’s gaze shifted to the two newcomers at the end of the long table, causing them to stiffen instantly, eyes fixed ahead, though their hearts fluttered with panic.

They had thought they would merely follow the charge; they had not expected the Lord to place them in command of their own detachments.

Ronin emphasized the nature of the task once more: "Your mission is to ensure that whatever happens in the Greenbamboo tribe does not reach the Purplefruit and Ashsoil tribes, understood?"

Juwitt and Seam stood up immediately, offering a knight’s salute to Ronin. "Understood, my Lord!"

Ronin motioned for them to sit. "The third detachment, which is the main force, will be led by five extraordinaries: myself, Rydal, David, Tom, and Elrond. It will be accompanied by ten guards and sixty militiamen to assault the stockade. Bob and Marseille will lead the remaining seven guards to watch over the castle."

As he spoke, he looked toward Rydal and Macken, commanding, "Have those militiamen shout toward the Greenbamboo tribe after our main force launches the attack, letting those people know their stockade has been surrounded by the army of the Marquis of the Black Mountain Domain. Make them understand that laying down their weapons and surrendering is their only way to live!"

Rydal nodded, chiming in, "A sudden raid will inherently bring them panic, and paired with such shouting, it will surely leave these wildlings even more distraught, striking fear into their hearts before they even begin to resist. This method of yours, my Lord, is brilliant."

Born-and-bred locals like Tom, Juwitt, and Seam were equally full of admiration for their Lord.

In their view, warfare was nothing more than lining up and charging; where had they ever seen so many arrangements and layouts? Today was truly an eye-opener.

Ronin chuckled, accepting everyone's praises.

Morale was still vital; doing this would make their own morale soar like a rainbow while depressing the enemy's, allowing for a swifter victory with fewer losses.

"The number of extraordinaries in the Greenbamboo tribe is small, three to five at most. Once we spot them, we will subdue them with the utmost speed. Capture them alive if possible; if alive proves too difficult, killing them is fine as well."

Ronin stressed particularly: "But remember, for those who kneel in surrender and beg for mercy, there is no need to deal a fatal blow. You all know the situation in Mountain Wood Town; producing more grain, constructing more dwellings, opening roads to the outside, and so forth, all require more hands."

He smiled and said, "If anyone is caught wantonly killing those who surrender, once we return from the fight, I will have him join the manure collection squad to pick up dung on the town streets."

The manure collection squad was a team unique to Mountain Wood Town, and everyone had more or less witnessed the sight of those ten men carrying dung buckets and baskets to gather manure everywhere.

At the thought that they might end up doing such work, they quickly seared the Lord's instructions into their minds.

Ronin discussed a few more details with the group before formally concluding the meeting.

"Today is September nineteenth. We still have the entirety of tomorrow to prepare. Let the guards and militiamen rest well these next two nights."

Ronin stood up. "At four in the morning on the twenty-first, everyone will assemble outside the castle for breakfast, and we depart precisely at five. Go now and make your preparations!"

This was Mountain Wood Town's first active campaign outward, and Ronin wanted no accidents.

Choosing the twenty-first was precisely to ensure he could claim the second heartwarming gift pack of September, allowing their strength to increase by whatever margin possible.

Wishing all readers a soaring Year of the Dragon 2024~

(End of chapter)