Ever since Art brought back a large amount of grain, the hearts of everyone in Valley Wood Fort felt much more at ease.
The task of reclaiming Valley Land, which was only half-finished, stopped as the ground froze solid, making it impossible to use hoes.
Cooper, following the plan Art had previously drafted, began to work on clearing a carriage road between the Wood Fort and the edge of the northern dense forest.
To shorten the construction period and reduce the amount of work, Cooper, along with Bard, set out from the Wood Fort and mapped out the shortest and flattest route to the edge of the northern dense forest.
Thus, on the seventh day after Art and his companions returned to the Wood Fort with the grain, the massive road construction project officially began.
Most of the farmers and farmwomen in the Wood Fort who were idle due to the frozen ground were put into the work of clearing the carriage road.
They were divided into three shifts: one group followed the route marked by Cooper, cutting down trees and weeds along the way; the second group was responsible for clearing the roots of the trees and weeds, digging out raised ground, and filling in depressions; finally, the third group used heavy wooden stakes to pound and compact the ground.
According to Cooper, this method of road construction was the fastest and simplest.
If more attention were paid, the carriage road would also need to be laid with large stones, leveled with gravel, and have drainage ditches dug on both sides.
However, considering the shortage of manpower, the difficulty of obtaining stones, and the high cost, Art adopted the simplest and most direct method of road construction.
Even this simplest method progressed very slowly.
While the carriage road was being cleared, the construction work of the Wood Fort also did not stop.
To husk the wheat, the farmers pooled their efforts to make a simple stone mill, and built a small mill and bread oven next to the mess hall.
In Art's private courtyard, a sturdy log-and-thatch granary was built using timber cut down during road construction.
Old Carpenter Bard, who had been helping Cooper direct the construction of the carriage road, was called back to the Wood Fort by Art.
He was specifically responsible for using the high-quality timber, such as oak and ash, cut from the road construction to make several simple, thick wooden round shields and ten iron-tipped short spears.
The farmwomen in the fort who knew simple sewing also, under Emma's leadership, hastened to make a batch of black cloaks and capes.
Almost everyone in the Wood Fort joined in the various ongoing construction projects, with only Odo, Roen, and the other two being exceptions.
To improve the four men's combat abilities, Art took them to practice basic horsemanship, combat fighting, and shield-and-short-spear formations in front of the Wood Fort's open ground every day.
In addition, Art fully absorbed the formation used by Odo, Baskazak, and the other two laborers during their group brawls, and after improving it, made it one of their daily training exercises.
This improved three-man battle formation consisted of a courageous main attacker holding a spear-shield or sword-axe-hammer in front, and two assistants holding spear-shields or swords behind.
When the three-man battle formation attacked, one person led the charge, and two people cooperated to cover and rush into the enemy formation.
When facing strong enemies, they would contract and defend back-to-back.
Coupled with their weapons and round shields, their performance in actual combat was quite good.
This three-man formation did not require high individual martial prowess, but it demanded a high level of coordination among the three.
Every morning, Art would take the four men to practice individual combat skills by sparring with long and short wooden sticks.
In the afternoon, they trained in the three-man battle formation and short spear-round shield offensive and defensive formations.
In the evening, Art would try to continue teaching them to read and recognize the common script and some simple military strategies...
Just like that, they continuously repeated training for over a month.
Odo and the others made great progress in both individual combat skills and formation coordination.
At least they were no longer just reckless laborers who charged into battle relying on sheer brute force.
As Bas put it, if they were to fight those guild ruffians now, the three of them could easily take down seven or eight...
...
That night, in Art's wooden house, Odo and the others, sitting around the wooden table, yawned while listening to Art's boring lecture.
"Last night I talked about individual combat skill training, and today I'll tell you about battle formation coordination and military discipline.
I'm sure you've all experienced it: during this period of training, if you fought me individually, I alone could almost defeat all of you.
That's because I started individual combat skill training from a young age; I know how to use the simplest methods to kill an opponent.
And you were laborers and farmers not long ago; your individual combat skills cannot be greatly improved in a short time.
As for why Odo and the other two were very strong among the laborers in Lucerne before, it was because your opponents were also laborers who had never had any training.
Everyone didn't understand combat skills, and they all held back a bit, so those who were stronger and dared to fight always gained an advantage."
"But once you really face bandits, rogue bandits, and mountain bandits, your strength and courage will not be an absolute advantage, because your opponents are desperate people who have fought for years, and some even escaped from the army.
They are even more courageous than you, and they often know how to kill you in one move.
So when facing opponents whose combat skills are even stronger than yours, battle formation coordination becomes especially important.
Think carefully: were the times you won against me during this period all achieved through close and tacit battle formation coordination?
Especially your three-man battle formation, Odo, Bas, and Kazak: Odo charges in front, Kazak and Bas cover from behind.
When the situation is favorable, you attack; when the situation is weak, you contract into a group for defense.
If I attack any one of you, I will face the attacks of the other two's swords, axes, spears, and hammers..."
"In addition, when facing a numerically superior enemy, we must also skillfully use the spear (sword) and shield linear formation.
This formation can withstand the enemy's first wave of desperate charge.
After the enemy's momentum is blocked, we can then disperse into three-man battle formations to counterattack..."
Bas, Kazak, and Roen, sitting around the table, were completely confused.
They knew that the battle formations they trained in daily were very effective in actual combat, but they couldn't grasp the theory of formation coordination that Art was talking about.
Odo, however, began to understand the difference between group brawls and military formation combat.
After listening to Art's lecture, he realized that his previous ability to defeat numerous opponents with Bas and Kazak was not entirely due to their strength and daring, but also because they had some battle formation coordination compared to opponents who rushed in haphazardly.
Art's voice continued to sound, and Odo snapped out of his thoughts.
"Having discussed battle formation coordination, let's talk about military discipline.
Strictly speaking, we are not yet an army.
The Patrol Team we are about to form is merely a civilian security force for apprehending thieves and resisting mountain barbarians.
However, we must still have the discipline of an army.
I imagine you will never forget the experience of being chased by that group of bandits in the forest!
I always feel that those bandits are not ordinary people; they must have escaped from the army, at least with army Soldiers as elite backbone.
They chased us for an entire afternoon!
Do you think those bastards could have chased so desperately without absolute discipline?"
"You might ask me, what is military discipline?
For that group of bandits, military discipline means that once the leader gives an order, even if it means running to death, they must continue the chase.
In the future, after we officially form the Patrol Team, everyone must also obey military discipline—if you are told to charge, you must go, even into an arrow rain or a spear forest; if you are told to retreat, you must retreat, even from a mountain of gold and silver.
I demand this of you, and you will demand this of your subordinate Soldiers in the future... Know that I not only have tempting grain and military pay here, but also sharp blades and steel knives for execution..."
Everyone's understanding of military discipline might not be thorough, but they would never forget the incident of being chased by bandits for an entire afternoon.
Moreover, in their simple way, they believed that if you ate someone's grain and took their wages, you should obey their commands.
Odo said loudly, "What the Lord says is reasonable, just like when we used to have group fights.
If none of you listened to me, not charging when you should, not running when you should, then we would have been driven out of the city by the guild ruffians of Lucerne long ago.
So now we will absolutely obey the Lord's commands!"
"Yes, although I don't know what this... this military discipline is, if the Lord tells me to charge, I'll charge; if he tells me to retreat, I'll retreat."
Bas responded actively, and Roen and Kazak also expressed their support.
...
The ice on the stream in front of the Wood Fort began to thin, and the coldest part of deep winter had passed.
The frozen ground in Valley Land began to soften.
Cooper stopped the carriage road construction project and shifted his focus back to plowing and cultivating the newly reclaimed wasteland.
As the weather began to warm, Art, who had been cooped up in Valley Wood Fort for half a winter, also decided to go out and form a Patrol Team.
One evening in late winter, Art called Cooper, Odo, Roen, Lawrence, and Scott to his private wooden house for a simple banquet.
At the end of the banquet, Art said to everyone, "Everyone, two years ago today, this place could not even be called a Wood Fort, because there was only a dilapidated wooden house and a struggling forest hunter.
One year ago today, Old Butler Cooper came, and under his diligent construction, the dilapidated wooden house became the current Wood Fort private courtyard, with two wooden houses, a stable, and a pen full of pigs and sheep.
Today, there are five or six wooden houses here, over forty people, and large areas of fertile land... Most importantly, there is hope in the Wood Fort, and everyone can see peaceful and prosperous days beckoning.
And all of this is the result of the efforts led by everyone present."
Everyone listened quietly, especially Cooper.
He was one of the witnesses to this Valley Wood Fort; he flourished with this Wood Fort.
Art continued, "You are all the people I trust most.
Valley Wood Fort needs you to continue to work hard and contribute."
"Scott and Lawrence, your main responsibility from now on will be to assist Old Butler in managing affairs in the Valley, especially leading the plowing and sowing of the newly reclaimed land."
"Lawrence, in addition to leading the work in the farmlands, you also need to be responsible for the daily safety of everyone in the Wood Fort.
This time, Old Carpenter rushed to make a batch of short spears and wooden shields, and I will leave some behind.
Tomorrow, I will select several strong, brave men from among the fort residents to form a Fort Guard Team.
The Fort Guard Team will be led by you as captain.
The team members will normally farm and cultivate the land, and in their spare time, you will lead them on patrols in the surrounding area.
I permit the Fort Guard Team to hunt wild game in the mountains.
Additionally, the other Fort Guard Team members will receive fifteen pounds of grain per month individually from the Wood Fort as their pay, and you, as captain, will receive twenty pounds of grain per month.
Scott will also join the Fort Guard Team, and the other three members will be chosen from the fellows who participated in the refugee escort that time."
After arranging for Lawrence and Scott, Art turned his gaze to Old Cooper, saying, "Cooper, as last time, all affairs in the Wood Fort during my absence will be your responsibility.
Furthermore, after the plowing of the new land is completed, you must immediately organize manpower to purchase wheat seeds from the various village forts and settlements south of Tinietz.
We still have two thousand five hundred fenny.
This time, I will leave you one thousand five hundred fenny.
You must purchase a batch of wheat seeds before the spring planting, otherwise, when spring arrives and the refugees and bandits start moving around, grain will not be so easy to buy.
As for the remaining deficit of wheat seeds, I will find a way."
"Do not go to Laine Manor.
I have been to the other villages and settlements and spoken with the local lords and gentry.
When you go, just say that you are sent by Southern Border Patrol Officer Art to purchase grain, and they will help transport the wheat seeds to the edge of the northern dense forest.
Lawrence, at that time, you must take the Fort Guard Team with Old Butler."
Having given instructions for all matters in the Valley, Art shifted the topic to the formation of the Patrol Team.
"Odo, this time we are going to the northern border region of Provence to recruit Patrol Soldiers.
You also need to prepare weapons and equipment for ten people and a month's worth of grain and supplies for fifteen people from the storehouse.
We will depart tomorrow afternoon."
Everyone agreed and went to prepare, and the night passed without incident.
The next midday, Cooper, Lawrence, Scott, and the others remaining in the fort helped Art and his group carry weapons and grain to the edge of the northern dense forest.
This time, Art took the blue mule and the sorrel horse.
Even the carriage parked at the edge of the dense forest was loaded with five hundred pounds of hulled barley, ten iron spears, fifteen homemade simple wooden black small round shields, ten sets of black cloaks and capes, and some swords, axes, hammers, felt blankets, and cooking utensils.
Art, Odo, and the others were also fully armed, dressed in black cloaks and capes.
The group rode horses and traveled by carriage towards the Giant Stone Pile to the north, arriving at the Giant Stone Pile in the evening.
After camping there for a night, they turned southwest and galloped towards the northern border of Provence...