Chapter 21: Last-Minute Training

Seeing Pupber and Baoling returning from the frantic purchases at the slave market, Ilot and Fran stood at a distance in the courtyard under Baoling’s command, frowning. Their clothes were tattered, some even half-naked, staring around with either hatred or indifference. The smell of sweat, filth, and an unknown length of time without bathing was utterly nauseating.
“Lord, this approach may not achieve your goal. Warriors can’t be trained in just a day or two, and even if trained, they’re no match for those magical beasts,” Fran suggested gravely. As a seasoned warrior, he knew well how much effort it took to turn an ordinary person into a warrior, but against magical beasts, even warriors were useless.
“Magical beasts? No, Fran, you misunderstand. There are no magical beasts in the Leon region—only bandits who rob and plunder. We can’t be careless. As for not being able to train them quickly, we can spend more time in the Caucasus. These next few days, you and Baoling should work hard to get them in order. Also, have Pupber buy some high-quality armor and weapons—spare no expense. Whether we can survive in Leon might depend on them.” Komer shook his head; he had already learned much from the fortress commander.
The danger in the Leon region was no secret. Escaped and rebellious slaves kept joining the bandits, who attacked small mines and manors, stealing supplies and even kidnapping merchants for ransom. The nobles patrolling the area were their favorite targets. In Bruce, they also had thorough spies, and their arrival couldn’t be hidden from them. They might think they had found easy prey. The fortress commander had also declined Komer’s request to send troops to escort them to the Darman Pass. Worse still, the two Rema knights had disappeared since arriving in Bruce. Komer had a feeling they wouldn’t be joining him on the journey to the Caucasus.

The prices charged by mercenaries and bodyguard groups were exorbitant. From Bruce’s arrival at the Darman Pass, they demanded five thousand gold shields, with no discount at all. Perhaps the increasing banditry in recent times made them feel greater risks, hence the higher prices. Komer didn’t want to accept their demands, and he also suspected that these so-called mercenaries and bodyguard groups might already be in collusion with those bandits. In the past year or two, it wasn’t uncommon for caravans and nobles to be robbed or kidnapped even when protected by mercenaries and bodyguard groups. The mercenaries in these areas were very different from those formally registered in the mercenary guilds in big cities.

As a result, buying slaves to train them became a last-ditch measure. To be honest, Komer also hoped that the two Rema knights could accompany him further, but it seemed their actions weren’t influenced by his opinions at all. Even if he pleaded again, it would only be a waste of words.

The twelve slaves cost Puber over six thousand gold shields, which saddened him greatly. The armor and weapons alone cost three thousand gold shields. If it weren’t for the money earned from selling wolf skins, Komer’s finance manager would have had to declare Baron Komer of the Caucasus bankrupt for the first time. However, Puber had no objections to Komer’s instructions. What he had seen and heard in the Greenland Forest had made him aware of the imminent danger, a danger that might become even more real in the Leon region. Without life, there is nothing else. Although he had high hopes for Komer’s sudden actions, Puber preferred to spend more money to prepare in advance rather than rely solely on that.

Among the twelve slaves, aside from five mortals and one mortal with elven blood, six others included three half-orcs and three hybrids of half-orcs and mortals. At Komer’s request, Puber and Baoling carefully selected slaves, choosing those who were particularly strong, agile, and intelligent. This led to even higher prices charged by the slave traders. Especially that hybrid with elven blood cost nine hundred gold shields—so much that it made Puber want to vomit.

Twelve slaves donned sturdy armor made of first-class prairie wildcowhide, wearing crowns on their heads. They were divided into two groups of six each: three who carried heavy shields and great swords became shield-bearers, two who wielded long spears were attack soldiers, and one who carried a short bow served as a mid-range attacker, forming a simple yet highly effective offensive and defensive unit. Excellent weapons and armor do not guarantee combat effectiveness; they only come into play once one already possesses a certain level of combat skill. This simple offensive and defensive formation was devised by Komer after examining the purchased slaves, following Fran’s advice. Though simple, it wouldn’t yield results in just a few days, especially since these were all slaves who had never received formal training.

Orcs and mortals with orcish blood naturally became shield-bearers, their strong physiques making them the ideal candidates for this role. Mortals with agile steps and nimble movements became spearmen; they hid behind the shield-bearers and used their three-meter-long spears to launch attacks first. However, with nothing but short swords aside from their spears, their self-defense capabilities dropped significantly without the protection of the shield-bearers, making it difficult to gain an advantage on the battlefield with just a short sword. Archers were the core of the unit; their ability to attack from a much greater distance than the other two types of soldiers gave them a crucial position. Rapid and accurate shooting skills were highly demanded for this role, and it was difficult for ordinary warriors to handle.

As a soldier leader with extensive combat experience, Fran’s approach of teaching according to individual aptitudes greatly impressed Komer. The shield-bearers and spearmen first underwent basic movement and discipline training. The slave of elven blood and another mortal with some archery skills naturally became the candidates for archers, with improving their archery skills being their top priority.

Swinging, blocking, parrying, pushing, stabbing—these few basic movements made Komer realize for the first time how dull the training of shield-bearers could be. In Fran’s words, there was never a shortcut; being able to get familiar with these movements in just a few days was already quite good. As for anything else, it wasn’t worth worrying about yet—everything could wait until they cleared Leon’s challenge. The movements of the spearmen were even simpler. Aside from attacking in coordination with the shield-bearers, their offensive methods were more limited: charge, retreat, charge again, retreat again—repeating this thousands of times was the task Fran assigned them. Strength training to enhance upper body strength was another exercise prepared for them by Bao Ling.

Late autumn in Bruce is beautiful. The vast Greenland Forest has a large gap here, with massive floating bridges connecting the two banks of the river. Skilled cavalry and infantry hold this area firmly, and everything here appears so harmonious and natural. When the cool autumn winds blow along the banks of the Nise River, they bring fresh air from the forests along the river. Geese fly south, passing over the fortress, and their calls convey the essence of autumn. The noisy markets gradually quiet down as night falls, but other places naturally become lively.

As the commander of Fortress Bruce, Knight Bamoeli is very satisfied with his current life. Everything is under his control. As the commander of a fortress with five hundred strong soldiers, he is confident in its security. Besides the satisfaction of holding power, the markets and passing caravans outside the castle also bring him substantial profits. Being a commander here earns him far more than ordinary minor nobles like barons or viscounts, otherwise he wouldn’t have stayed here for five years.