The last day of June, the weather was already unbearably hot.
Standing on the gentle slope of the Valley Land, one could see nothing but inviting greenish-yellow, and the afternoon's hot breeze carried the fresh scent of wheat seedlings.
The spring wheat on the more than 120 acres of newly reclaimed land in the Valley Land was almost ready for harvest.
According to Cooper and some experienced farmers' estimates, these 120 acres of cultivated land, meticulously cared for by the farmers, could yield nearly 80,000 pounds of wheat.
After hulling, there would still be over 70,000 pounds of grain.
After returning the portion due to the Wood Fort and reserving seeds for next year's spring planting, the farmers would still have nearly 30,000 pounds of grain left.
Because there was no grain tax in the first year, this amount of grain was enough to supply the Wood Fort residents for a year.
Art inspected the Valley Land, accompanied by Scott and Lynn, the new Valley Land Steward (subordinate to the Wood Fort Steward) and Deputy Captain of the Fort Guard.
All farmers in the Valley Land were responsible for cultivating the land allocated to their respective families during the busy farming season, and during the off-season, several Stewards would uniformly arrange labor tasks.
As the spring wheat harvest season had not yet arrived, the farmers were relatively idle, so apart from a small number of people sent to the Wood Fort to help with odd jobs, most of them continued to reclaim new wasteland.
The wasteland that had been reclaimed earlier but had not been planted with spring wheat was sown with 'inferior wheat' such as oats and rye, or vegetable crops like peas, beans, and cabbage.
Newly reclaimed land that truly had no grain or vegetable seeds to plant was simply left to grow high-quality forage grasses such as sweet clover and alfalfa for feeding horses and livestock.
Art came to the wheat field below the gentle slope, pulled off a handful of wheat ears, rubbed open the husks to reveal the slightly greenish-yellow white grains inside, took out the kernels, and chewed them carefully.
The not-yet-fully-ripe grains still contained a layer of slightly sweet juice.
“Scott, the army is about to go out on campaign.
This time, I’m not only taking all the troops from the Valley but also the Old Butler and Lawrence.
So, all matters in the Valley will rely on you to manage at home.”
“This campaign will be short, two or three months, but it could also be as long as half a year or even a year, so I need you to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Valley.”
Art paused, glanced at the Valley Land, which was full of the breath of harvest, and continued, “Scott, you are also a wanderer in a foreign land, and you know how important land is to farmers.
Both the Wood Fort and this Valley Land were created by the hard work, blood, and sweat of so many of us.
No matter where our army goes, this place will always be our foundation.
I am now entrusting this foundation to you.
Do not let my Soldiers worry about an unstable foundation while they are fighting on the battlefield.”
Scott's expression was serious.
He had transformed from a refugee fleeing with his wife and children into a highly regarded Civil Affairs Officer, all bestowed upon him by this man and this land.
His love for this land was beyond doubt, and his loyalty to Art was steadfast.
Moreover, his son, Roen, accompanied Art every day.
“My Lord, rest assured, I will not disappoint you.
I dare not speak for other things, but when you return triumphantly, I will certainly return the Valley to your hands exactly as it is, or even better.”
Art nodded and continued to Scott and the new Steward, Lynn, “While I am leading the army on campaign, you two must grasp two most important matters.
The first is to organize the grain harvest and land reclamation and cultivation in the Valley Land.
You both have experience with this, so I won't say much.
The second is to maintain stability in the Valley.
The carriage road at the edge of the dense forest to the north should not be opened for now.
Use the dense forest to shield the outside world, and no one should leave the Valley easily.
As for the area around the Valley, some time ago I organized Soldiers to conduct a thorough patrol within a day's journey of the Valley, and no signs of human habitation or bandit activity were found, so there should be no hidden dangers in the surrounding area.
For the Fort Guard, in addition to the farmer-Soldiers I have drawn away, you can recruit a few more farmers.
Temporarily arrange the injured Soldiers from the Patrol Team into the Fort Guard.
This way, with the two of you, you will have ten Fort Guard farmer-Soldiers.
I will have Odo allocate a batch of weapons discarded by the army to you.
These Fort Guard farmer-Soldiers are absolutely sufficient for you to maintain the safety of the Valley.
In addition, I will leave the honest and reliable prisoners of war in the Valley for you to employ.
You can give the remaining prisoners of war some freedom, but for now, do not let them come into contact with weapons and important supplies.
You must manage this yourself; the bottom line is that the Valley must not be put in danger.
If there is indeed a major crisis, you can go to the Border Outpost in the south to ask Simon for support.
If that still cannot solve it, as a last resort, go to Sap Fort to seek help from Baron Galvin.
Of course, I don't think such a thing should happen…”
Art spoke with the two in the Valley Land for a long time, until the farmers finished their work and began to return to the Valley Land's gentle slope village for lunch, only then did Art stop his conversation with the two.
He ate a hearty lunch, specially prepared by Lawrence's wife, with the farmers of the Valley Land and the Fort Guard.
In the afternoon, he took Scott and Lynn back to the Wood Fort to attend the pre-campaign Wood Fort banquet.
The Soldiers who had been training for a full month in the Valley Wood Fort were not given a rest.
The various Soldier squad leaders were leading their Soldiers to collect their squad's weapons and equipment from the Wood Fort armory, including six brand new cloaks and capes, six oak round shields reinforced with iron strips, six seven-foot beech wood short spears, two broadswords, four short swords, two sets of leather armor and iron helmets, six short knives and daggers, two battle axes (or flails, poleaxes), six pairs of short boots, and six marching backpacks for carrying personal items such as felt blankets, whetstones, wooden bowls, water skins, and hardtack.
In addition, each Soldier also needed to carry two rye bread loaves, five pounds of hulled wheat, a half-pound piece of smoked meat, and a small packet of coarse salt.
These were the items each Soldier needed to carry individually.
Besides these, each squad also had its own army tent, several felt blankets, and camping tools such as shovels, hand axes, and wood saws.
The Sentry Cavalry was also very busy; all Sentry Cavalry not only needed to collect their cavalry weapons and equipment but also needed to maintain their warhorses before the campaign.
As the Sentry Cavalry Captain, Roen was already skilled at changing horseshoes, trimming hooves, and cleaning the fur of warhorses.
The Sentry Cavalry's warhorses had become robust again after a month of careful fattening and feeding.
The Sentry Cavalry's standard weapons and equipment differed from those of ordinary Soldiers.
In addition to the common cloaks, capes, belts, short boots, backpacks, short knives, and eating utensils, each Sentry Cavalry was equipped with a cavalry sword (or a heavy weapon such as a long-handled poleaxe), a ten-foot long spear with spear wings, a cavalry bow (hunting bow), a quiver with fifty arrows, a leather armor, and an iron helmet.
In addition to the individually configured weapons and equipment, each warhorse was also equipped with a complete set of tack, a set of homemade black horse robes, a feed bag, and a small wooden bucket.
The saddle blanket also carried fifty pounds of black beans and concentrated feed.
Furthermore, the Sentry Cavalry was also equipped with a large donkey specifically for carrying black beans, wheat bran, and concentrated feed.
In the goods warehouse, Cooper, Lawrence, and Sartre were organizing seven or eight prisoners of war to transport the selected goods to the edge of the dense forest north of the Wood Fort.
All of the Wood Fort's vehicles were hidden at the edge of the northern dense forest, and all goods would be loaded there, awaiting transport.
This Valley was becoming increasingly prosperous.
Two years ago, there was only a hunter's thatched hut here, but now it was thriving with people and livestock, and its granaries and warehouses were full.
Adding up the spoils from previous captures, commissions, and the money earned from selling southern goods at Sap Fort last time, Art already possessed nearly 35,000 fenny.
Art currently did not have enough carriages and Soldiers to guard a merchant caravan, so he only planned to give 10,000 fenny to Cooper and Sartre.
This, combined with the funds from selling the goods taken from the Wood Fort this time, would be the starting capital for Art's journey as a merchant.
Three thousand fenny would be given to Scott to maintain the normal operation of the Valley and the Border Outpost, and the remaining 22,000 fenny would be used as expenses for Art's current military campaign.
Needless to say, the Valley had always relied on purchasing large quantities of grain and supplies from outside to sustain itself.
After satisfying the basic rations carried by the expeditionary army and merchant caravan, the remaining grain in the granary could only sustain the Valley for less than a month.
Fortunately, the wheat in the Valley Land was about to be harvested, so everyone did not need to worry.
Livestock and tools had also been greatly supplemented.
Art had eight warhorses (mostly riding and pack horses), four oxen, one pack horse, four mules, two donkeys, two pigs, and twelve sheep.
He also had six four-wheeled carriages, four two-wheeled carts, ten heavy plows, fifty sets of iron farming tools, and a large quantity of iron tools.
The Valley already had twenty-five households of eighty-five residents (including the Fort Guard, Medical Officer, and blacksmiths), thirty-two army Soldiers (including two wounded Soldiers), and six Border Outpost guards.
In addition, there were twenty prisoners of war who had not yet been declared free.
According to the plan, tomorrow was the day the army would set out.
On the evening before their departure, a banquet was held at the Wood Fort to boost morale.
Upon learning that they were about to go to the battlefield, the Soldiers felt nervous but also a sense of anticipation, especially the veterans who had participated in battles.
They had begun to enjoy the thrill of fighting on the battlefield and controlling life and death, and only through battle could they gain spoils and military rewards.
The officers also looked forward to the war.
Although Art had not yet explicitly proposed promotion based on military merit, they already knew Art's long-term plan to continue expanding the army.
Only in battle could they gain higher qualifications and prestige, and their status would naturally be elevated.
Art also knew that this campaign was different from previous bandit suppression and grain transportation.
This time, they were fighting against the well-equipped and well-trained Swabia army, and many people might die in a foreign land.
For ordinary Soldiers, relying solely on lectures and aspirations could not boost morale, so at the banquet, he announced the salaries for the combat army during the campaign—twenty fenny per week for ordinary Soldiers, twenty-five fenny for Combat Squad Leaders, thirty fenny for Squad Leaders, and forty fenny for Deputy Captains.
Salaries for other personnel enjoying related benefits would be issued accordingly.
An ordinary Soldier's salary was even higher than that of an ordinary city craftsman, and all food and lodging were supplied by the army.
Naturally, morale was high.
After the dinner, Art gathered all Commanders above the squad leader level, as well as the Wood Fort Steward, Fort Guard Captain, and others in his small house to hold a military council.
As more and more people attended the meeting, Art’s small house became somewhat crowded.
Art moved a reclining chair to the side of the wooden bed and sat down, surveying the room full of people.
They were military or Civil Affairs Commanders and managers, and also the backbone and hope of Art's gradual growth.
The people were divided by the long table in the room.
On the left side upon entering, Odo, Roen, Bass, Kazak, and Tuba sat in order.
On the right side sat Cooper, Scott, Lawrence, Sartre, and Lynn.
This seating arrangement was not intentional on Art's part; it was simply because Art used to have Cooper and Odo sit on opposite sides for convenience when asking questions, so gradually, everyone formed the custom of military and civil officers sitting on opposite sides, which was also convenient.
Art coughed a few times to clear his throat, and seeing that everyone had quieted down, he said, “Everyone, today, except for our brother Simon from the Border Outpost, all military and civil officers of our Valley Wood Fort and Patrol Team are gathered here.
For a long time to come, we will not have such an opportunity to quietly gather and discuss matters.
We have discussed the numerous matters concerning the army's expedition and the accompanying merchant caravan many times, so I will not elaborate further.
Today, I want to boost everyone's morale.”
Everyone in the room was a little surprised.
Previously, in council meetings held in the wooden house, Art would always get straight to the point, listening to the various Stewards report on their respective matters or arranging military and Civil Affairs.
Today, however, Art had not arranged any tasks.
Art raised his hand, staring at everyone, and said, “Everyone, do not be surprised.
Some of these words I have spoken to some of you, and some of you can guess what I want to say.”
Art paused and said, “I am a descendant of a fallen noble, bearing the heavy responsibility of revitalizing my family and washing away disgrace.
In the early winter of the year before last, when I learned that Lombardy and Provence in the south were at war, I felt the time had come.
Therefore, for more than a year, I have been constantly recruiting farmers and Soldiers, ceaselessly Running around and fighting, all for the sake of carving out a path in this chaotic world…”
“Now, I have been entrusted by the Court to Viscount Pierre to be knighted as a squire.
Although I do not yet have a title or a fief, and I cannot change your commoner status, if I can achieve military merits in this campaign, I may be formally knighted and enjoy a title and a fief.
At that time, all of you who have fought and bled for me will surely share in my glory…”
“Everyone, the wind rises in the secluded Valley, and winter is coming.
Come with me and carve out a crimson dawn!”
“We swear to live and die with our Lord!”
“To serve our Lord!”