The small hill ten miles south of the Valley Land, where the river turned, was bustling with activity.
On a six-foot-high cliff on the western side of the hill, a “fierce” offensive and defensive battle was underway. The defending side was Bard’s first squad of six Soldiers, while the attacking side consisted of a dozen Soldiers from the other three squads. Bard’s “City Defense Army” held long, forked wooden poles, repeatedly pushing away the “Siege Army’s” makeshift scaling ladders. Soldiers on the “city wall” continuously threw hard clumps of dirt down. Although those below kept blocking with their shields, the “Siege” Soldiers were covered in mud from head to toe.
About a hundred paces outside the “siege” battlefield, Sentry Cavalry Soldiers, led by Lawrence, were also launching cloth-wrapped arrows at the “city wall.” A few Sentry Cavalry were already poor archers, let alone shooting upwards, so eight or nine out of ten shots missed…
About a hundred paces outside the “siege” battlefield, the newly arrived Medical Officer Thomas and the “Kitchen Steward” Spencer were treating the wounds of several Soldiers. Although this “offensive and defensive battle” was just a training exercise, with arrows and dirt flying, and sticks and wooden forks wildly swinging, there were always a few unlucky fellows who got bruised and swollen from dirt clods or scraped their skin and sprained their ankles.
Medical Officer Thomas cleaned the wound of a Soldier who had been hit on the head by a clod of dirt and tied a piece of rag around it to stop the bleeding. He glanced at the heated “battlefield” not far away and curiously asked Spencer, who was boiling water: “Hey, Kitchen Steward, what is your Lord trying to do? He’s tormenting these perfectly good Soldiers like this, and so many have been injured before even going to war. I’ve never heard of such a training method.”
Spencer threw the firewood in his hand to the ground, turned his head, and fiercely said to the Medical Officer: “Old man, I told you not to call me Kitchen Steward, my name is Spencer!!!”
The white-bearded Medical Officer shrugged.
Spencer glanced over there and continued: “Speaking of my Lord, he is truly remarkable. It is said that he is a descendant of a fallen noble, who once visited the Holy Land, participated in a Holy War, and witnessed grand events. His training methods are naturally not comparable to ordinary people. This is called ~ uh ~ it’s called ~ that the blood shed during training is the life saved during battle ~”
Spencer recalled carefully again: “Hmm! That’s right, that’s what it means.”
The white-bearded Medical Officer chewed on Spencer’s words, shook his head, and continued to bandage the wounded Soldier: “What kind of strange logic is this? If Soldiers shed all their blood during training, they would have gone to see God long ago. How would they still have a chance to go to war~~”
Spencer was momentarily unable to answer.
The white-bearded Medical Officer continued: “I say, fellow, how did a burly man like you end up cooking in the kitchen? Your food isn’t that great either, you know?”
Spencer’s pride was once again trampled. He stood up and retorted: “You quack, if my food isn’t good, then you can starve. Besides, I’m not just a cook; I’m also a Quartermaster, a Medical Soldier, and a Logistics Soldier. Do you think just anyone can handle that??? ”
The white-bearded Medical Officer smacked his lips, staring at the fuming Spencer, “You do everything ~ so you’re just a handyman, then ~”
Spencer’s expression grew increasingly displeased. The white-bearded Medical Officer, seeing his clenched fists, quickly said: “Don’t forget what Commander Odo said. You are my apprentice now. If you dare to hit me, I’ll tell Commander Odo immediately.”
Spencer, unable to contain his anger, picked up a wooden bucket and walked towards the river, muttering, “That old geezer has such a foul mouth, no wonder he was chased here~”
… … … …
On the “offensive and defensive battlefield” side, Art stood on the edge of the cliff, drawing his bow and aiming at Commander Odo, the “attacking Commander” who was organizing Soldiers to raise their shields and cover the erection of scaling ladders. Odo was busy directing Soldiers to cover the ascent, and he actually forgot that his head and body were exposed outside the shield. Only when a sharp pain came from his chest did he suddenly realize that he had lost his shield protection, and he was so annoyed that he beat his chest and stomped his feet. However, according to the prior agreement, he was already considered “killed in action.” Thus, a fierce “offensive and defensive battle” ended because the attacking Commander was “killed in action”…
… … … …
In the open space below the small hill, the Patrol Team Soldiers were sitting haphazardly on the ground, gnawing on rye bread with a bowl of meat broth.
Art’s voice rang out amidst the Soldiers’ slurping and chewing: “Today is our fifth training exercise for castle offense and defense. As you have all experienced, no castle can be easily captured. Over this period, offensive and defensive Soldiers have tried various methods, but not many strong assaults have succeeded. Of course, battering rams and trebuchets can play a greater role in sieges, but a sturdy castle cannot be brought down by a few stones or a heavy log. Not to mention the reasons for these siege weapons themselves, think about it: can the defending side allow the enemy to use these siege tools at their leisure? Today we used dirt clods and cloth-wrapped light arrows; on the battlefield, it will be rolling stones, logs, and fire pots with hot oil… … … … ”
“…Therefore, under normal circumstances, there are two effective methods for the offense and defense of a strong fortress: First, for the attacking side, it is a siege. The defending side is besieged within the city, and food and supplies cannot be continuously replenished. Over time, resources become scarce, morale drops, and naturally, the city cannot be held. Just like Aosta City and Kalk Fort in the Osta War Zone, the Lombardy army did not forcefully assault the city, but instead surrounded Aosta and cut off external supply lines, literally starving the defending garrison inside. Second is to penetrate the castle’s interior. Just like our battle to retake Ars Fort, a elite army is sent to infiltrate the strong fortress, disrupt the enemy’s deployment from within, and then coordinate with forces outside.”
Art picked up his wooden bowl, took a sip of hot soup to moisten his throat, and continued: “Then, similarly, as the defending side, to hold the city, two points also need to be done well. First is to ensure that there are ample food and supplies within the city, and that the Soldiers’ weapons and armor are excellent. As the defending side, there is a clear advantage during a strong enemy assault. But if the enemy besieges the city, then it is essential to ensure that the city has one more meal’s worth of food than the enemy. The enemy army is also human, and typically, conscripted armies are unwilling to continue fighting after their term of service expires. If the defending side can hold out until the enemy’s term of service expires or their food runs out, that is victory. The second is to guard against infiltration and raids. When a castle is too strong, the enemy will certainly try every means to infiltrate the city and cause trouble, so it is crucial to strengthen patrols and deal with sudden enemy situations…”
The Soldiers nodded, seemingly understanding, though Tuba, the captain of the fourth squad, closed his mouth and put down his eating utensils, asking softly, “My Lord, if I am the attacking side, how can I make the defenders run out of food? Conversely, if I am the defending side, how can I ensure that the enemy runs out of food?”
Art turned his head and looked at this newly promoted squad leader with approval, then said loudly to everyone: “Tuba’s question is excellent. Both the attacking and defending sides want to exhaust the other’s food and supplies, so how can this be achieved? For both sides, it is essential to learn to establish external support. Just as Kalk Fort, held by Baron Belian, serves as support for Aosta City; similarly, the roadside manor outpost outside Kalk Fort is a support for the Lombardy army. One of Kalk Fort’s functions is to harass the Lombardy army’s food and supplies, while the roadside manor’s main purpose is to cut off Kalk Fort’s food transport. Furthermore, cavalry or infantry must be dispatched to harass the enemy’s supply areas, just like the ruined villages we saw when we entered the Osta War Zone… … … … ”
… … … … … … … …
While the Valley Land was bustling, the Valley Wood Fort was also a hive of activity.
With the army’s departure imminent, Wood Fort was also preparing for the expedition. From military rations, bread, and smoked meat to cloaks, capes, and military boots, and even wooden bowls, wooden spoons, and buckets, all necessary equipment and supplies had to be readied. Fortunately, over the past six months, the Patrol Team had been constantly fighting, constantly acquiring spoils, and continuously purchasing large quantities of food, cloth, tools, and raw materials from outside and bringing them back to Wood Fort. Coupled with the two Master Craftsmen, Cooper and Old Bard, and a group of half-grown children and farm women drawn from Wood Fort, after a month of accelerated production, the army’s expedition supplies were largely complete—thirty sets of black cloaks, capes, belts, short boots, water bladders, and mess kits; thirty sets of modified saddlebags; thirty-five oak round shields; forty long (short) spears; fifteen broadswords and twenty short swords; ten long and short battle axes (pole hammers, chain hammers); fifteen sets of various armors (leather armor) and helmets; plus one hundred fifty rye bread loaves weighing about one pound each, and one thousand pounds of hulled wheat to be carried with the army; six military tents; tools such as wood saws and iron shovels; and one four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage.
The old Carpenter’s wife picked up something resembling a saddlebag, made with a dried vine frame, covered with thick linen and a small amount of cowhide, and with two cowhide shoulder straps. She asked Emma, who was meticulously sewing stitch by stitch: “Emma, isn’t this thing a saddlebag for mules and livestock? Can a Soldier carry it on their back?”
This item, called a marching backpack, was designed by Art. During the long-distance march south a while ago, Soldiers carried their personal cooking utensils, bedding, dry rations, and miscellaneous supplies simply wrapped in rags and hung on short spears or tied to their waists, looking exactly like mountain bandits. After returning to Valley Wood Fort, Art personally directed Emma and several skillful farm women to sew more than thirty simple “marching backpacks” based on backpacks from his previous life. These backpacks were essentially saddlebags designed to hang on horseback, but with two shoulder straps added. However, they used vine frames, significantly increasing their capacity, and also had several sheathing ropes sewn onto them, allowing Soldiers to tie individual weapons and shields that could not fit into the backpack for carrying. However, for Soldiers wearing armor and carrying heavy loads, this type of backpack could only be used to carry a small amount of personal items such as mess kits, dry rations, whetstones, and clothing. Of course, shields and helmets could also be tied to the backpack for carrying, but other logistical supplies still had to be handled by dedicated Logistics Soldiers and laborers to avoid affecting the Soldiers’ combat effectiveness.
“My man said, don’t underestimate this thing. It looks like a saddlebag for livestock, but it can indeed hold many things, and carrying it on your back is both secure and comfortable, and it won’t affect a Soldier’s march or combat. You know, how come we never thought of putting things used by livestock onto people? Master Art truly is a remarkable person.” Emma tied a solid knot with the coarse thread in her hand, then picked up a small knife to cut off the excess thread.
In the Carpenter’s workshop, Bard, with the help of several farm women, was using homemade dyes to paint Art’s black-background Blood-Eyed Howling Wolf emblem on the capes and wooden shields. The old Carpenter’s painting skills were not exquisite, but they were sufficient as a marker for distinguishing friend from foe and confirming identity.
In the Wood Fort storeroom, the Old Butler Cooper was also busy. The newly joined down-and-out merchant Sartre had already settled into his role. Cooper was currently leading Sartre in the storeroom to select goods that were both space-saving and could be sold at high prices in various northern regions. Raw silk, satin, spices, tea leaves, and salt were naturally the first choices, followed by wine, linen, olive oil, and dried fruits. According to the plan discussed beforehand, the merchant caravan accompanying the army would only carry five carts of goods, so the goods taken had to be repeatedly selected.
As one of only three people in Valley Wood Fort who could read and write the common script, Sartre enjoyed very high treatment. Soon after joining, he was appointed Wood Fort Steward by Art, receiving the same salary as Lawrence and Scott. This salary was far less than Sartre’s earnings from his previous business ventures, but now penniless, he felt fortunate to receive such a high-paying and respectable job.
“Old Butler, I’ve looked at our wagons, and most of them are wooden-wheeled carts without iron rims. If a single horse pulls goods long distance, it can carry a maximum of eight hundred pounds of cargo at a time. If we could use two horses or two mules, they could pull fifteen hundred pounds at a time. Any heavier, and the wagon won’t be able to bear it. Currently, there aren’t many horses or livestock in Wood Fort, so we can only use single horses or single mules to pull goods. Therefore, heavy goods should not be taken for now.” Sartre said to the Butler, who was calculating goods, while writing and drawing on birch bark with a sharpened charcoal tip.
The Old Butler looked at the goods piled in the storeroom and nodded to Sartre: “Sartre, you are a traveling merchant. You decide on these things; I am just helping you count the goods.”
Sartre looked up at the old man, who was respected by everyone as the Grand Steward of Wood Fort. His self-esteem and sense of honor were greatly satisfied. He had not been looked down upon in Valley Wood Fort because of his merchant status; on the contrary, because he was literate and knowledgeable about goods, he always received others’ recognition. If he could truly earn enough money in the future to regain his standing, he intended to stay in this place long-term.