The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 46 - 46 21 Sharpening the Sword on the Eve of Battle

?Chapter 46: Chapter 21 Sharpening the Sword on the Eve of Battle Chapter 46: Chapter 21 Sharpening the Sword on the Eve of Battle Seeing Puber and Baoling return from the frenzied purchase at the Slave Market, Ilot and Fran stood far away within the courtyard they had booked, frowning. Tattered clothing hung on the figures before them, some even in a state of semi-nudity, with eyes filled with either hatred or indifference, staring around. The sour smell of sweat and stench, mixed with the scent of unbathed bodies for who knows how long, was enough to make someone retch.

“Sir, I fear that what you’re doing will hardly achieve your goal. Warriors can’t be trained in a day or two, and even if they were trained, they would be no match for those Magical Beasts,” Fran suggested gravely. As a seasoned warrior, he knew all too well how much effort it took to train a common person into a warrior, but against Magical Beasts, even warriors were of no value.

“Magical Beasts? No, Fran, you’ve misunderstood. There are no Magical Beasts in the Leon Region, but there are plenty of bandits who rob and loot homes. We can’t be careless. As for training them in a short amount of time, we can still reserve more time for that in Caucasus. In the next two days, you and Baoling will have your hands full. Tidy them up well, and send Puber to buy some premium armor and weapons. Don’t be stingy with money—we might depend on them to make it through Leon alive.”

Komer shook his head. He had already learned a lot about the situation from the fortress commander.

The dangerous state of the Leon Region was no secret anymore. Escaped and rebellious slaves were joining the bandits, constantly attacking small mines and manors, looting supplies, and even kidnapping merchants for ransom. Those nobles patrolling ahead were their most coveted targets.

In Bruce, they too had their meticulous informants. The arrival of Komer and his party couldn’t be hidden from them. They might think a juicy sheep had come their way. To make matters worse, the two Thunderhorse Knights had vanished since arriving at Bruce, and Komer had a premonition that they wouldn’t join him on the trip to Caucasus.

The price of mercenaries and bodyguard companies was too steep. They quoted Five thousand golden shields to go from Bruce to Darman Pass with no chance for a discount. Perhaps the recent surge in banditry made them feel that the risk was greater, thus inflating the price. Komer didn’t want to succumb to their demands, and he also doubted whether these groups, under the guise of mercenaries and bodyguard companies, were already in cahoots with the bandits.

In the last two years, there were not a few instances of merchant caravans and nobles, despite being protected by mercenaries and bodyguard companies, being looted and kidnapped. The mercenaries in these places were nothing like the formally registered organizations found within the big cities at the mercenary guild.

Thus, buying and training slaves had become a desperate measure taken in the eleventh hour. To be honest, Komer also hoped that the two Thunderhorse Knights would continue accompanying him; however, it seemed that the knights’ actions weren’t in the least swayed by his opinions. Even if he pleaded again, it would probably be just a waste of breath.

The twelve slaves cost Puber more than six thousand golden shields, causing him great distress, and the batch of armor and weapons used up another three thousand. If it hadn’t been for the sale of the Gray Wolf skins, Komer’s financial steward would almost have to declare the first bankruptcy of Caucasus Lord Baron Komer.

However, Puber didn’t resist the task Komer had given him. What he had seen and experienced in the Greenland Forest had made him aware of an impending danger that could become even more real in the Leon Region. Without life, there is nothing. Though he had great hopes for Komer’s abrupt actions, Puber was willing to spend more to prepare in advance.

Out of the twelve slaves, aside from the five Mortals and one Mortal with Elf Bloodline, the other six included three Half-Beastmen and three other hybrids of Half-Beastmen and Mortals. As per Komer’s request, Puber and Baoling had carefully selected slaves who were particularly robust, agile, and with a relatively sharp mind. This naturally gave the slave traders an opportunity to extort them, particularly for the mixed-blood with Elf Bloodline, who alone cost a staggering nine hundred golden shields – enough to make Puber’s blood boil.

Twelve slaves donned rugged armor made from top-grade prairie bison leather, with helmets crested like a rooster’s comb, dividing into two groups of six. In each group, three armed with heavy shields and great swords became Swordsmen Shield Soldiers, two wielding long spears were categorized as Attack Soldiers, and one equipped with a short bow served as a Mid-range Striker, forming a rudimentary yet highly effective offensive and defensive combination. Quality weapons and armor do not inherently bestow combat prowess; only when one already possesses certain battle capabilities do these items prove functional.

Crafting such a simple offensive and defensive combination was an idea Komer came up with after taking in Fran’s suggestion, having inspected the slaves they had purchased. However, this assembly, albeit simplistic, couldn’t yield results in just a few days, especially since these individuals were slaves without formal training.

Half-Beastmen and mortals with Half-Beastmen lineage naturally became Swordsmen Shield Soldiers, their robust physiques providing the ideal basis for this type of warrior.

Agile and nimble mortals were designated as Long Spear Soldiers, who, positioned behind the Swordsmen Shield Soldiers, could harness their three-meter spears to initiate an attack first. But once they lose their swords and shields for protection, their ability to defend themselves diminishes significantly, as mere reliance on a short sword rarely affords an advantage on the battlefield.

The archer is the nucleus of the entire unit, given that his reach far extends that of the prior two soldier types. This positioning is crucial within the group, demanding rapid and precise shooting skills that average warriors struggle to fulfill.

As a seasoned soldier leader, Fran’s teaching methods tailored to his students’ abilities had broadened Komer’s horizons. The Swordsmen Shield Soldiers and Long Spear Soldiers commenced with foundational movement and discipline training, while the slave of Elf Bloodline and another mortal faintly skilled in archery naturally assumed the role of archers, urgently needing to enhance their archery skills.

Chop, block, parry, push, thrust—these fundamental movements revealed to Komer just how monotonous the training for Swordsmen Shield Soldiers could be. To use Fran’s words: shortcuts to proficiency never existed; just to become moderately familiar with these movements in a few days was commendable enough. As for the rest, there was no need to consider it now; everything would wait until after the hurdle at Leon had been crossed.

Long Spear Soldiers practiced even simpler motions. Besides coordinating with the Swordsmen Shield Soldiers to launch attacks, their offensive tactics were more singular—charge, retract, charge again, and retract again. Repeating these actions thousands of times was the homework Fran left them, while the physical training designed to boost their upper body strength was another major task prepared by Baoling.

The late autumn in Bruce was beautiful. The vast Greenland Great Forest here bore a significant gap, where a huge Floating Bridge linked both sides of the river. The elite knights and infantrymen firmly secured the area, making everything seem so harmoniously natural.

When the refreshing autumn breeze skimmed along the Nissai River Bank, it always brought along the fresh air from the forest. The geese flying south for the winter passed over the fortress, their honking sounds infusing the atmosphere with a sense of autumn. The clamorous market gradually settled down as night fell, but other places naturally bustled to life.

As the Commander of Bruce Fortress, Knight Balmore found immense satisfaction in his current life.

All that lay before him was under his control. As a Commander overseeing five hundred robust soldiers, he was confident in the security of the fortress. Beyond the gratification of wielding such power, the market outside the castle and the passing merchant caravans also brought him substantial personal profit. He wouldn’t have stayed here for five years if being a Commander hadn’t proven far more lucrative than the position of small aristocrats like Barons or Viscounts.