“You still have an army?” Baron Belian hadn’t expected this so-called Patrol Officer to actually have Patrol Soldiers.
“Yes, My Lord, I have a Patrol Team. But not many people.”
“Are there ten people?”
“Including those two, I have sixteen Soldiers, and twelve New Recruits currently undergoing training.”
Hope flashed in Baron Belian’s eyes: “Art, are you and your Patrol Team Soldiers willing to accept my employment to transport grain for me to near Aosta in Provence? I am willing to pay you a full salary.”
“My Lord, I can help you escort the grain, but my Patrol Team just participated in bandit suppression at Andermatt Fortress a month ago, suffered heavy losses, and is now resting at their station. If you want to hire me to help you escort grain, you might need to offer sufficient terms to entice me. You should know that this journey not only faces fierce and cunning mountain bandits and marauders, but the central region of Provence is also a war zone, so safely delivering the grain will not be easy.”
Baron Belian was already at his wits’ end; he no longer cared about Art’s conditions: “Tell me, what kind of conditions do you want?”
Art lowered his head in thought and replied: “Baron, you helped me out of a tight spot today, and I will not repay your benevolence and bravery with greed. I agree to take all the Soldiers of my Patrol Team to help you transport grain to Aosta, but you must pay me a daily salary of one hundred and fifty fenny. If combat is required, you must pay at least three hundred fenny per day during the combat period. Of course, I believe no ordinary bandits or robbers would dare to hijack a grain transport team escorted by dozens of people, especially since your coat of arms is more effective than ten Soldiers.”
“Your terms are not excessive; I agree. I will pay you a week’s commission in advance once you gather your Soldiers. After a week, I will pay daily, and I will be responsible for your Soldiers’ rations. How about it?”
“Deal!”
Art and Baron Belian agreed to meet at Thorn Village with all the Patrol Team Soldiers and five four-wheeled carriages in three days.
Back at Valley Wood Fort, Art urgently convened several Military and Civilian Stewards for a meeting in the Wood House.
“Cooper, the Patrol Team will soon leave Wood Fort for central Provence to escort military rations for a noble. You all discuss and carry out the previously arranged matters. Also, have Lawrence select a few more young and strong Fort Residents to join the Fort Guard. The Fort Guard will assign people to guard the prisoners of war building the road, and Scott will temporarily be in charge of all matters in Valley Land.”
“Simon, how are the preparations for building the Sentry Post coming along?”
“My Lord, preparations for building the Sentry Post are almost complete. These past few days, I have discussed it with Old Butler and Officer Odo. We selected seven honest prisoners of war from Ars Fort, and the wounded Soldier with the injured eye will also be transferred to prepare for building the Sentry Post. Additionally, three people will be transferred from the Fort Guard, and Old Butler has temporarily assigned Bard the Carpenter to me, making a total of thirteen people. We don’t have many tools, but with Old Carpenter Bard’s guidance, it should be enough.”
“Simon, take the food and supplies and set off as soon as possible to the border to begin building the Sentry Post. Odo, allocate some simple weapons to Simon. The border is not peaceful, so they must have weapons for self-defense.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Odo, stop training starting at noon today, rest in the afternoon, and tomorrow, accompany me south to escort military rations. Has the New Recruit training been completed?”
“My Lord, the New Recruits’ basic training has been completed. Starting yesterday, they have been temporarily assigned to three small teams and have begun battle formation training under the leadership of veteran Soldiers. Weapons and shields are also largely fully equipped.”
“Good, then let’s discuss the expansion of the Patrol Team.”
As it involved a major military expansion, everyone paid extra attention.
“This time, I plan to expand the Patrol Team into four small teams. One veteran Soldier will be drawn from each of the first, second, and third small teams to join the fourth small team, and the missing Soldiers in each small team will be selected from the New Recruits to fill the gaps.”
“The newly formed fourth small team will be led by Tuba, the former Combat Squad Leader of the first small team’s second Combat Squad. The missing Squad Leaders for each team will be nominated by the Small Team Leader and appointed by me.”
“Bass’s first small team, Kazak’s second small team, Odo’s third small team, and Tuba’s fourth small team, with six people per small team, making a total of twenty-four people. So, this time, in addition to adding a small team, I also plan to add one person to Ron’s Sentry Cavalry.”
“Ron, I permit you to select a suitable cavalry recruit from the New Recruits before they are chosen by others to strengthen your Sentry Cavalry. With you and Jason, your Sentry Cavalry will have three people. The Sentry Cavalry will report directly to me and also serve as my personal guard.”
“Odo, I remember there’s a fellow in the third small team who’s not very keen on training or fighting, isn’t there?”
Odo felt a little ashamed. His third small team had a Soldier who was even worse than Jason, who was known as the “Foolish Soldier.” He was originally an apprentice to a grocer in southern Provence and was selected by Art when he recruited Soldiers on the border trade route. This fellow liked to shirk duties during regular training and was often punished. Odo had wanted to expel this fellow from the Patrol Team, but during the last battle at Ars Fort, this fellow surprisingly showed some bravery, killing a small mountain bandit leader at a critical moment and saving the lives of several Soldiers. Coupled with the significant casualties of the Patrol Team, Odo had no choice but to keep this person in the Patrol Team.
“My Lord, although this Soldier usually shirks duties during training, he also rendered military service during the last battle at Ars Fort, which is why I haven’t expelled him from the Patrol Team.”
“Very well, since he doesn’t want to train or fight, then let him be responsible for cooking for the Patrol Team and feeding the livestock. You are the Deputy Captain of the Patrol Team and are also responsible for managing the entire team’s food, supplies, and military equipment, so this irregular Soldier will report directly to you.”
“Alright, everyone go back and prepare. We will begin reorganization after dinner.”
.........
By the stream outside Wood Fort, several New Recruits were washing themselves in the stream. It wasn’t because they were clean freaks, but because Art strictly ordered Soldiers to wash at least once a week, and the strenuous training also left them covered in sticky, smelly sweat.
A lean New Recruit with a strong physique, while cupping water to pour over himself, said to the burly man next to him, who was scrubbing the sweat and grime from his back: “Obert, Officer Odo just said that we will be assigned to the first small team this afternoon, and we’re going out soon. Is it to suppress bandits? I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
The big man stood up, picked up a torn cloth from the bank, wiped the water droplets from his body, and replied: “What’s there to be afraid of? The Patrol Officer said that as long as we accumulate three enemy kills in battle, we can regain our freeman status. What’s death? Even if we die, our souls can regain freedom. It is said that the small team we are going to join was the strongest in combat power before. That Combat Squad Leader named Colin has cut off several enemies’ heads and is very brave. Following him, we might regain our freedom in less than a year.”
.........
In the Wood House, Colin, who was packing his gear and sharpening his chipped short sword, looked up at Tuba, who was replacing his waist short sword with a broadsword: “Tuba, you’re leaving, and I’m the only one left in the second Combat Squad.”
Tuba tightened his waist belt, walked over to Colin, and patted him on the shoulder, saying: “Colin, you’ll be the Combat Squad Leader of the second Combat Squad from now on. The two new Soldiers will come to find you this afternoon. You must train them strictly from now on. Only by training well in peacetime will it be easier to survive on the battlefield.”
“Officer Odo ordered me to go to My Lord Art immediately. When the New Recruits arrive, you take them to Officer Bass to collect weapons and equipment.”
As he was leaving the main house, Tuba turned to his brother, who had been with him day and night, and said: “Colin, My Lord’s order this time was very urgent, and I estimate the danger is not small. If I die, please cremate my body, and if there’s a chance in the future, bring it back to a small town called Capaccia in southern Provence. All the money I have will be your commission for this act.”
“Tuba, what’s wrong with you today? This isn’t like you!” Colin felt that Tuba should be happy about his promotion to Small Team Leader.
“Colin, I’m not afraid of death. I just remembered a few brothers who were recruited from Kitzby and died in battle. Do you remember what the short one said the night before he died?”
Colin thought for a long time and replied: “He said his hometown was occupied by the Lombards, and he really wanted to go back someday~”
“Yes, at the time, I just listened casually and didn’t ask him where his hometown was. When Officer Odo asked me where he was from, I didn’t know, so his soul can never return home. I also want to go home, even if it’s just my soul.”
Colin had never thought of going home; he had long since lost his family: “Tuba, if I die, just bury me here, so don’t even think about tricking a single copper coin out of me~ Haha.”
.........
In the sturdy storeroom of the Wood Fort’s private courtyard, this was one of the most important warehouses in the entire Wood Fort, storing all the Patrol Team’s important supplies, including all weapons, armor, shields, spices, salt, cloth, valuable goods, and some military pay.
Odo was bringing a young man with golden hair and deep-set eyes into the storeroom: “Spencer, you got your wish this time, didn’t you want to avoid training and combat? From now on, you will be responsible for everyone’s food and drink, distributing weapons and equipment to the Soldiers, and any odd jobs I assign you. I heard you were a grocer’s apprentice; this shouldn’t be too hard for you, right? But you must remember, all supplies issued from here must have My Lord Art’s or my order. If you dare to mess around, I’ll have your head.”
The golden-haired fellow thought he would be discharged from the Patrol Team and was worrying about how to make a living in the future when Odo told him he would be leaving the combat team to take on a “plum job” that offered both salary and freedom from constant rigorous training. Although it was a menial job, the golden-haired fellow was very pleased.
Odo led him into the storeroom, where there were a dozen sets of neatly arranged weapons—short spears, short swords, wooden shields, black cloaks, various knives, battle axes, and miscellaneous military supplies like water skins, leather boots, and belts.
“Soon, I will send someone to assist you in distributing weapons and military supplies to the New Recruits. You are to select a complete set of military equipment for the Patrol Team Soldiers from the storeroom. You are a veteran Soldier; I don’t need to tell you about each Soldier’s weapons and equipment, do I?”
The golden-haired fellow meticulously and quickly inventoried the stored weapons and equipment, just as he used to do under the grocer, then turned and asked: “Officer Odo, we need at least twelve sets of short spears, short swords, and wooden shields. Even if we use miscellaneous knives and battle axes to replace short swords, we only have enough for eight sets? And we can’t even put together four complete sets of other various weapons?”
Odo laughed: “It seems My Lord chose the right person to do these odd jobs. You just need to distribute them according to the requirements of the officer who comes to collect the weapons and equipment. Also, your complete set of weapons must be returned to the storeroom. Anyway, you generally won’t need to participate in training or fighting, so you only need a black cloak and a short knife.”
“Yes, Officer Odo. I’ll prepare immediately.”
.........
In the Wood Fort’s kitchen, Emma, with the help of several farm women, was baking rye bread. Five or six loaves were baking in the kitchen’s simple oven, each weighing three and a half pounds. A loaf with coarse salt and chopped vegetable leaves was a Soldier’s standard three-day staple. In the wicker baskets in the kitchen, more than twenty such large loaves were already baked. These loaves were easy to carry, substantial in size, and, due to the addition of a small amount of salt powder, also tasted palatable. If paired with a little smoked meat, they could better replenish the Soldiers’ energy and greatly stimulate their combat power.
.........
In Valley Land, on the newly cleared land. Ron, who had ridden in on a flying horse, was conveying Art’s orders to Lawrence and Scott, the stewards of Valley Land and the Captain and Deputy Captain of the Fort Guard.
“Uncle Lawrence, My Lord ordered you to select five more young and strong men from the Fort Residents to join the Fort Guard, then draw three brave men from the Fort Guard to accompany Simon to the border region to build a Sentry Post. Additionally, you must also be responsible for guarding the prisoners of war and assisting Old Butler in leading them to clear the carriage road. Valley Land will be temporarily managed by my father.”
Lawrence put down his iron hoe and replied: “Yes, I will immediately summon the Fort Guard and farmer-Soldiers back to Wood Fort.”
Scott, who heard the news, asked: “Ron, is there going to be a war?”
