Upon returning to his territory, Henwell immediately gathers his military chiefs. After taking actual control of the Peace Haven Defense Force and the Cavalry Regiment, Henwell appoints Rawkins to lead the Cavalry Regiment and Ayla to command the Defense Force. Henwell’s private army is now managed by his gladiator companions who have returned to the territory.

Arnold is appointed as the commander of the Cavalry Battalion, while Gevana takes charge of the Infantry Battalion. Both of these gladiators have reached the rank of knight and are exceptionally skilled. More importantly, they possess remarkable military talent.

Over a year ago, Henwell began teaching these individuals the art of military command. Arnold and Gevana excelled in their studies, prompting Henwell to focus on developing their leadership skills. Their sudden rise to command positions certainly stirs discontent among some officers.

However, Arnold and Gevana are not only capable, but also bring with them a group of several dozen individuals into the army. These individuals were trained by them in Pi and have been vetted by Henwell, making them qualified officers.

As commanders, both Arnold and Gevana stand out not only for their military knowledge and personal prowess but also for their effective leadership and management skills.

Arnold and Gevana returned to Peace Haven earlier than the other gladiators. They joined Henwell’s army six months ago.

Although they suddenly rise to command positions, Henwell actually did not directly appoint them.

At that time, they were initially appointed as centurions, within just half a year, they excelled in various evaluations, outshining all competitors to become commanders. Now, they are well-qualified for their roles.

Henwell’s military structure is preparing to train two groups of officers. One group consists of local knights, with Rawkins and Ayla at its core. The other group is made up of young gladiators, led by Arnold and Gevana.

Henwell isn’t worried about potential conflicts within the army. He believes that competition and comparison drive progress. As long as Henwell is alive, neither group can cause significant disruption. If he were to die, it wouldn’t matter to him—he’d be beyond caring about any chaos that might ensue.

Moving forward, Henwell plans to strategically place all members of Pi into key departments. This isn’t due to a lack of trust in Rawkins and others, but because Pi has no roots or external support. They rely solely on Henwell, making betrayal virtually impossible.

All the military chiefs gather in the conference room. Victor, serving as Henwell’s assistant, distributes the battle plans to everyone.

Henwell points to a large, detailed map of the area surrounding Peace Haven.

“Some have grown impatient and want to test Peace Haven’s strength. It’s time we show them what we’re made of!”

Rawkins responds firmly, “Sir, we won’t let you down!”

Ayla adds, “The Defense Force is ready! We can move out at any time!”

Arnold asks, “Are we focusing on defense and counterattack, or are we going on the offensive?”

Gevana inquires, “Who are the enemies? Have we defined the intensity and scope of the war?”

Henwell points within Ogiro’s borders, “Here! We will take the initiative and crush the enemy!”

He then moves his pointer north of Peace Haven. “If we don’t decisively eliminate the enemy, there will be movements here, potentially becoming our adversaries.”

At this point, Henwell glances casually at Rawkins and the local Vorry officers. Despite Henwell’s somewhat rebellious remarks, the senior officers show no signs of dissent. After all, their loyalty lies with Henwell, not with Duke Amir.

The saying goes, “The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal!”

This system is good!

What a great place for rebellion!

Moreover, the personal and familial interests of these senior officers are closely tied to Henwell. Strictly speaking, their interests are linked to the prosperity of Peace Haven. Everything about Peace Haven is deeply connected to Henwell, binding them even more tightly to him. So, even if Henwell were to rebel outright, many would follow.

The only question is whether Henwell can inspire confidence in them for such a rebellion. Henwell’s decision to take the offensive is precisely to instill confidence in everyone, to show them just how formidable their army truly is!

Henwell points his baton back to the Ogiro border area. “Soon, someone will take you to see the war zone sand table. Study it carefully and figure out how to fight this war! You have three days to give me a complete battle plan. Before we act, no information about this operation is to be leaked! Director Chick from the Intelligence Department will oversee this. If you have any questions, ask them now while I have some time.”

Rawkins asks, “How many troops will the enemy deploy?”

“Intelligence indicates that Ogiro will deploy the Ninth and Twelfth Border Legions. Additionally, they’ll send a reorganized legion of over ten thousand troops. The nobles’ private armies involved won’t be few either.”

Ogiro’s border legions typically consist of around seven thousand combat members each. This means Ogiro will likely deploy over twenty-five thousand regular troops, along with an equivalent number of noble private forces. If we estimate conservatively, we’ll face over sixty thousand enemy troops.

After hearing this, Ayla asks, “How many troops are we deploying? All of them?”

Henwell shakes his head. “No need. The Cavalry Regiment and my Cavalry Battalion, totaling two thousand, will form a mobile cavalry group. The Defense Force will deploy all five thousand infantry, along with five thousand private troops, split into two wings, totaling ten thousand. I will draw five thousand from various security teams and militias to form a reserve force, mainly to protect the logistics convoy.”

“Additionally, there are ten thousand logistics troops, but they primarily handle transport and occupation tasks. So, you have to use two thousand cavalry and ten thousand infantry—twelve thousand in total—to crush Ogiro’s forces!”

Rawkins frowns. “Sir, if that’s the case, we might suffer significant losses! Why not gather more troops? We could rally another ten thousand from scattered locations.”

Henwell replies coldly, “I want you to formulate a plan, not present me with conditions and difficulties! I’ve spent so much money to maintain these soldiers not for show, but to tackle tough challenges when needed! All troops in this operation have served for over two years, and many are officers or reserve officers. If such a seasoned army needs equal numbers just to win, then why bother? I might as well hand over Peace Haven and my authority!”

Seeing Henwell genuinely angry, everyone falls silent and begins to contemplate how to execute the battle plan with the given forces.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep