Chapter 78: Chapter 77: Preparations for the Expedition

Ronin had learned of the Wilderness Tribes’ existence from Holwart the butler back on the very day he was enfeoffed as the Baron of Mountain Forest Town.

But in all the time he had been in Mountain Forest Town, he hadn’t obtained any useful information about them.

This time, Ridder’s intelligence completely filled that gap. It not only told Ronin the number of Wilderness Tribes but also gave him a general understanding of their relationships, population, and number of Transcendents.

The current situation was perfect for Mountain Forest Town to step in and shatter the stalemate between the Tripartite Alliance and the Black-collar Tribe.

In response to Ridder’s declaration that “the time has come,” Ronin slowly nodded.

It was said that the best strategy was to disrupt the enemy’s plans, followed by their alliances, and only then to attack their army, with sieging a city as the last resort. But his opponents had no natural defenses to hold nor city walls to rely on. The advantage was entirely on Ronin’s side.

Seeing their Lord give his assent, a fighting spirit ignited in the eyes of everyone seated below. This was especially true for the Professional Knights, whose constant ambition was to win glory on the battlefield. The time for blood-pumping action was finally here!

“We won’t just fight—we’ll fight fast!”

Ronin stated emphatically, “If the Black-collar Tribe detects our movements, the hostility between these four tribes could very well shift into a temporary alliance. Then we’d be facing an alliance army of Wilderness Tribes, just like the Noble Alliance Army that Wushan Territory faced back in the day.”

“So, once we attack, we must conquer the Grey Soil, Cyan Bamboo, and Purple Fruit Tribes with the utmost speed. We have to take down this Tripartite Alliance before the Black-collar Tribe even has time to react!”

As long as he incorporated these three tribes into his territory, Ronin wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked from multiple sides and forced into a passive position, even if the Black-collar Tribe was a bit stronger.

Everyone was stunned by Ronin’s decisiveness. They had never imagined that their Lord, who usually focused on farming and construction, would be so resolute when it came to launching an offensive.

“My Lord, when will we begin the attack?”

Macken couldn’t help but ask. “Our Guards are ready!”

Ronin pondered for a moment. “Today is the fifteenth. Our autumn harvest has just ended. The eighty militiamen Wilson selected are only here to observe and learn; they haven’t undergone formal training. So, for the next few days, Macken and David, you two will be in charge of training them. But remember to conserve their stamina. The militia’s main role is to deal with ordinary people. It’s enough if they can be intimidating on short notice. We don’t need them to have much combat power.”

Not everyone in the Wilderness Tribes was a skilled fighter; most were just ordinary people. Faced with an imposing force, they would have little courage to resist.

“Ridder, I’ll also need you to draw up a simple map in the next couple of days. We’ll formulate a detailed plan after that.”

“Your considerations are very thorough, my Lord!” Ridder nodded in agreement.

And just like that, the preliminary plan to take the initiative and attack the Wilderness Tribes was settled.

Over the next few days, Macken and David were in charge of training the militia. They focused mainly on shouting slogans and marching in formation to build up their overall presence, while also teaching some simple and practical combat techniques.

As for the regularly trained Guards, their stamina-draining exercises were halted. Even their one-on-one sparring sessions were temporarily suspended.

Some of the more perceptive Guards noticed the abnormality. They privately speculated whether the Lord was about to declare war on Sain Territory.

After all, they had been directly involved in Princest’s betrayal and had later witnessed Ronin’s confrontation with Knight Philton. They knew relations between Sain Territory and Mountain Forest Town were poor.

The Guards who made such guesses showed no signs of fear. On the contrary, every single one of them was eager for a fight.

They had been eating well and training well for some time now. It was indeed time for them to prove their worth and achieve glory!

As the saying goes, “An army marches on its stomach.” Although the distance between Mountain Forest Town and the Cyan Bamboo Tribe wasn’t great and they wouldn’t need to carry many supplies, they still had to bring rations for a midday meal.

Ronin had already instructed the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for a hundred servings of white bread, ensuring everyone would have enough for two meals.

In addition, everyone was given a water bottle to carry, solving the problem of thirst along the way.

When Ridder presented the simple map, Ronin called everyone together for a second meeting. This time, he even summoned Chahar, who was in charge of the castle’s logistics.

“Our first target this time is the Cyan Bamboo Tribe, directly north of Mountain Forest Town.”

Ronin pointed to the Cyan Bamboo Tribe’s location on the map. “There are two roads leading from the Cyan Bamboo Tribe, one to the northeast and one due east. They lead to their allies, the Purple Fruit Tribe and the Grey Soil Tribe, respectively. Both are several miles away. To prevent anyone from the Cyan Bamboo Tribe from escaping to send a warning during our attack, I need teams to lie in ambush on both of these roads.”

Ronin’s gaze swept over all the Transcendents at the long table, finally landing on the two newcomers at the far end: Juliet and Sim.

“We will move in three teams. Juliet and Sim, you will each take five Guards and ten militiamen and lie in ambush in the woods along these roads. If you spot anyone trying to escape, capture them immediately!”

All eyes turned to the two newcomers at the end of the table, causing them to straighten their backs and stare straight ahead, though their hearts were pounding with nervousness.

’We thought we would just be part of the main charge,’ they thought. ’We never expected the Lord to have us lead our own teams.’

Ronin reiterated the mission’s objective: “Your task is to ensure that nothing of what happens at the Cyan Bamboo Tribe reaches the Purple Fruit and Grey Soil Tribes. Understand?”

Juliet and Sim immediately stood up and gave Ronin a Knight’s salute. “Understood, my Lord!”

Ronin motioned for them to sit. “The third team, the main force, will be led by the five of us Transcendents: myself, Ridder, David, Tom, and Elron. We will take ten Guards and sixty militiamen to attack the stockade. Bob and Marseille will lead the remaining seven Guards to defend the castle.”

He then looked at Ridder and Macken, instructing, “After our main force officially begins the attack, have the militiamen shout at the Cyan Bamboo Tribe. Let those people know that their stockade has been surrounded by the army of the Marquis of Wushan! Make them understand that their only way to survive is to lay down their Weapons and surrender!”

Ridder nodded in agreement. “A surprise attack will already cause panic. Adding those shouts on top of it will certainly throw these Wildmen into greater disarray, making them lose a good deal of their nerve before they even begin to resist. This method of yours is brilliant, my Lord.”

As locals, Tom, Juliet, and Sim were also deeply impressed with their Lord.

In their minds, war was simply a matter of lining up and charging. They had never considered so many arrangements and plans. Today was truly an eye-opener.

Ronin chuckled, accepting their praise.

’Morale is crucial,’ Ronin thought. ’This will make our morale sky-high while crushing the enemy’s. That way, we’ll win faster and with fewer losses.’

“The Cyan Bamboo Tribe doesn’t have many Transcendents, three to five at most. As soon as we spot them, we subdue them with maximum speed. Capture them alive if you can, but it’s fine to kill them if capturing them proves too difficult.”

Ronin added with special emphasis, “But remember, there is no need to kill those who kneel in surrender or beg for mercy. You all know the situation in Mountain Forest Town. We need more people to produce more food, build more homes, open up roads to the outside, and so on.”

He chuckled. “If anyone is found to have killed those who surrendered, after we get back from the battle, I’ll have them join the manure collection squad and go pick up dung on the town streets.”

The manure collection squad was a unique feature of Mountain Forest Town. Everyone had, at one point or another, seen the ten-man team carrying buckets and baskets, collecting dung from all over.

The thought of having to do that job themselves made them immediately commit the Lord’s warning to heart.

Ronin discussed a few more details with everyone before officially concluding the meeting.

“Today is September nineteenth. We have all of tomorrow to prepare. Make sure the Guards and militiamen get a good rest these next two nights.”

Ronin stood up. “At four in the morning on the twenty-first, everyone will assemble outside the castle for breakfast. We depart at five o’clock sharp. Now, go and make your preparations!”

This would be Mountain Forest Town’s first offensive campaign. Ronin didn’t want any surprises.

He chose the twenty-first to ensure he could claim his second “Heartwarming Gift Pack” for September. Every little bit he could do to increase his side’s strength counted.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep