Tie Mu City

Over a thousand soldiers stood ready, awaiting orders. Richard had assembled the elite of the Flying Bear Army, all veterans, along with the best troops produced by the game’s system, and the quasi-knight cadets from Creman and other noble families.

In a battle within the forest, it was quality, not quantity, that counted. The knights’ battle prowess could not be fully utilized in such terrain, leaving only the infantry to fight, so each soldier had to be strong and determined.

A curious phenomenon existed within Richard’s forces: there were more knights than quasi-knights, despite the latter being technically superior. The knights’ ranks boasted over ten members, while the quasi-knights numbered only ten at present.

Perhaps in a few years, as the students of Tie Mu City’s academy continued to train and grow, the number of quasi-knights would explode. But that would take time, and time was on Richard’s side. As his influence expanded, his power would grow exponentially, like a rolling snowball.

“The cannibals are approaching. If we allow them to invade unchecked, our fields will be trampled, our wealth plundered, and our wives and children will become their food. Can we allow this?”

“No!”

“Kill them all!” Richard raised his sword high, pointing it at the sky. “Kill, kill, kill!”

Though the soldiers shouted along, they were mostly carried away by the atmosphere. The truth was, these soldiers from Tie Mu City had never experienced the brutality of the orcs, had never felt the kind of anguish and hatred that Richard felt.

And Richard himself wasn’t a natural leader; though he tried to mimic the speeches of the great orators, his words fell far short of Creman’s, who dreamed of becoming an artist.

The ones who truly bellowed with veins bulging and faces flushed were Al and the twenty-odd half-elf guides. They screamed until their voices grew hoarse, adding plenty of flavor to Richard’s prewar rally.

Of course, Richard knew he needed to add some more fuel to this rally. Before, they had been defending their homeland, but now they were marching into the ironwood forest seeking out a fight.

Even though morale was high now, a major casualty would inevitably lead to the officers and soldiers below questioning his orders. Entering the ironwood forest to seek out an enemy was not a reasonable strategic move, and Richard could not simply explain his goals.

Richard wasn’t good at making grand, inspiring speeches, nor did he have the ability to instill his men with unshakable resolve. However, he did know that a balance of rewards and punishments would get his soldiers to work for him.

At Richard’s signal, Quill, who had been waiting beside him, led several soldiers onto the platform, each carrying a large chest.

Richard opened one of the chests himself, revealing a glittering sight of gold that made everyone stare in awe.

“During this expedition, every soldier who kills a cannibal will be rewarded with a gold piece. This applies to all who are part of the expedition, and those who distinguish themselves will receive the Breathing Technique. Quasi-knights who earn merit will be granted the energy-refinement technique.”

These words were met with another wave of cheering, even more fervent than before.

Once again, Richard raised his sword high into the air.

“Flying Bear Army!”

“Victory! Victory! Victory!”

Even Creman and the others, who had been standing on the fringes, joined in the chant.

The morale of the troops finally reached its peak.

“March!”

At Richard’s command, the Flying Bear Army sprang into action. These elite soldiers wasted no time in finding their places and moving in perfect order, requiring little direction from their officers.

Standing high above, Richard nodded in satisfaction, then joined his officers in following the army out of the city.

“Father, the defense of Tie Mu City will have to fall to you.”

Viscount Souter would not be accompanying Richard on this expedition. Richard was not comfortable leaving such a large settlement without a trusted knight to watch over it.

“There’s no need to worry about the estate. As they say, ‘A miss is as good as a mile.’ You should be careful yourself.”

Ogres were not an easy opponent, and Viscount Souter had personally experienced their might when he was younger. Naturally, he was concerned.

“Father, relax.”

“Sir Souter, relax. I will defend Young Master Richard with my life.”

Ron stepped forward and made his pledge as soon as Richard finished speaking.

Viscount Souter nodded toward Ron, then looked at the fourteen other ironclad knights around him, and his remaining worries dispersed a bit more.

It seemed that his concerns were somewhat misplaced. With a dozen or so knights and the elite Flying Bear Army, Richard was bringing a knife to a chicken fight.

After waving to assure Richard that there was no need to worry, Viscount Souter turned decisively to depart.

The stiff, proud men of the Hunter family would never engage in melodramatic farewells, so it was Richard’s mother who stepped out to see them off, though Viscount Souter gently advised her to return to Tie Mu Fort.

“Lord Richard, we’re about to enter the ironwood forest.”

As a guide, the elf Al was very diligent in reporting matters even a blind man could have easily observed.

“Mm, you and your men will need to lead the way from here.”

“We will not fail you, my lord!”

Of course, there were multiple routes one could take to enter the ironwood forest, but only Al and his fellow elves knew the paths wide enough for an army to pass through.

Setting up camp within the ironwood forest required some care, even during peacetime. Without a guide, an army wandering aimlessly would lose its bearings long before any cannibals could attack.

Though Richard had hunted in the ironwood forest many times, human activity typically stayed on its fringes. A large army like his entering the heart of the forest was not something normal northern lords would ever do; only Richard’s authority could organize such an operation.

“Quill!”

“This subordinate is here!”

“Pass word to the men: everyone must stay alert and stick close to the formation. Absolutely no straggling allowed.”

“Yes, sir!”

Getting lost in the forest was a terrifying prospect; history was littered with examples of armies that had marched into the woods only to become hopelessly lost and starve.

With Al and his fellow elves leading the way, Richard’s army entered the forest without incident. At this time of year, the normally abundant wolves and giant bears had all disappeared; every creature sought to avoid danger, and a thousand-odd human soldiers armed to the teeth were a risk no wild beast would take.

As night approached, the party led by Al arrived at a small lake nestled within the ironwood forest. The area surrounding it was relatively flat, making it suitable for camping.

“Sir, we will set up camp here for the night. We should reach the log fortress tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

Despite his best efforts, Al couldn’t mask his excitement in his report. Upon arriving at this familiar place, the surging waves of hatred he had yet to suppress resurfaced, making him want to rush to the log fortress immediately and slaughter every last one of the cannibal demons who dared to encroach upon his homeland and slaughter his people.

“Al, have your men set up camp properly and rest well tonight. We’ll need all our energy for tomorrow’s battle.”

“Yes, sir.”

Al left, still agitated, unsure if he would be able to sleep tonight.

“Quill, arrange for guards and patrols. We mustn’t let the cannibal demons catch us off guard.”

“Yes, sir.”

This was now territory frequently traversed by cannibal demons, and the royal griffins’ aerial reconnaissance capabilities were severely limited within the forest, so standing guard was of utmost importance.

The sky darkened completely, and the flickering firelight from the camp illuminated the soldiers as they drifted into slumber.

Richard and the Flying Bear Army soldiers were soon asleep, their elite veterans not remotely restless in anticipation of tomorrow’s battle. Instead, they cherished their sleep, knowing they needed to conserve their energy for the next day’s fight. Only a few half-elves remained tossing and turning…