Chapter 28: Encirclement Hunt

At the end of September, the three hundred wooden shields Farra had requested were all completed.

He retrieved the iron swords and bronze swords stored in the System Space… exactly three hundred… and distributed them.

The three-hundred-man sword-and-shield guard corps was instantly fully armed before Farra.

The half-beastmen were not allocated swords. However, with their strength, wooden spears still packed enough killing power. It was practically the same.

“Harrington, Yanis, form up the units!”

“Yes!”

The two immediately turned and, as Farra had taught, counted the six units behind them. No one was absent.

“Report: all personnel are present!”

“Very well. Let’s move out!”

Farra nodded in satisfaction as he eyed the six companies of one hundred men standing in perfect formation.

“Begin… our hunt!”

“Yes… !”

The six hundred men followed excitedly behind Farra as they left the barony. They all knew another chance to earn merit had come.

Long ago, Farra had set the rule: defending the territory and slaying enemies all counted as battle achievements. Afterwards, they could bring back enemy heads to exchange for rations… one head for one jin.

But in the past few months, only one bandit raid had occurred, and that was recent. Apart from that, the territory had been completely peaceful. Ordinary people had no opportunities to earn merit. But the troops setting out with Farra were different… they had plenty of chances to earn battle achievements!

The six hundred men, carrying rations, followed Farra directly into the back mountains. There was no sign of human presence at all.

Farra led them over mountains and through forests, constantly updating the map provided by the System with newly discovered information.

Before long, they encountered a wild beast… a wild boar.

“Everyone, halt! First Company and Second Company, flank from the left; Third Company and Fourth Company, encircle from the right! Move in quickly and don’t let the prey escape!”

Farra issued the order.

Immediately, the four companies quickly maneuvered. They were not very adept at navigating the forest terrain. The wild boar sensed something was wrong and bolted.

“Pursue!”

Farra commanded decisively.

Although the troops were unfamiliar with this terrain, it didn’t matter. The unfamiliar was for them to become familiar with. The encirclement hunt they were bad at was for them to master. This was the very purpose of this expedition.

All six units began moving rapidly. They crossed obstacles in the woods and struggled to pursue the prey. They chased it for several hundred meters, only to end in failure.

When they realized the boar had completely vanished, Farra paid it no mind and led the troops to another direction.

He had the map from the System, so he knew his exact position. Leading six hundred men through the woods, he moved with absolute decisiveness… no need to determine direction.

Soon, Farra spotted another wild boar. He led the six units to encircle it again. With the previous experience, the troops were noticeably more cautious this time. They located the target, pursued it, conducted the encirclement hunt, and killed it.

Under Farra’s leadership, the six hundred men began tirelessly operating in the mountains and forests. The first few encirclement hunts had all failed, but on the third day they claimed their first prey. Then came the second and third.

By day, Farra woke promptly to lead the hunt; by night, he organized sentries for rotating guard duty. He continuously drilled the obedience of his six hundred men, acclimating them to the combat atmosphere and its various demands.

On the sixth day, after penetrating deep into the wilds, Farra encountered a bear. The men’s faces turned horrified at the sight of the black beast.

“Finally, something fierce…” Farra muttered to himself, then issued his command.

“Listen to my order: encircle at once! Any who fall back will be slain!”

“Surround the target! If this bear breaks through anywhere, that person will remain in the mountains forever! They will not return with me!”

At Farra’s roar, the six units forcibly suppressed their fear and pressed forward. The bear’s roar and the men’s shouts echoed through the mountains.

Farra gradually tightened the encirclement. Just as the bear lowered its head and charged to break free, he gave the attack order. The man facing the bear head-on forced himself to overcome instinctive fear and met the charge. He blocked the first lunge with a wooden shield, staggering back several steps. The spear-wielding half-beastmen swarmed in and drove several wooden spears deep into the bear’s body.

The bear did not die; it struggled and fled in another direction, its aggression greatly heightened.

“Do not let the target escape!!”

Farra barked.

The troops forced their way forward and delivered the finishing blows. Only then did they kill the bear in a rock crevice.

Farra looked at the bear’s corpse and, satisfied, praised the men, “Well done! Only those who fearlessly defy death are worthy to be warriors of my domain!”

That day, they butchered the bear and feasted on roasted meat. Farra then announced loudly,

“From now on, anyone who dares to face bears or other wild beasts and kills one will receive ten jin of rations upon return as a reward! No upper limit!”

It was the first time such a generous reward had been offered, and the troops cheered again, faces glowing with excitement.

“Long live Lord Jago!!”

“I knew following Lord Jago could never be wrong!”

“Ten jin! I can’t even finish it all! After we get back, I could even marry a wife!”

Excitement rippled through the ranks. Extra rations meant they could support more mouths, even start families. After Farra abolished the head-for-rations system, everyone felt a renewed sense of crisis, and the value of each jin of rations soared. More rations also meant greater resilience against risk… who wouldn’t want to set up a household with enough capital? Rations had become the currency of ordinary civilians in the territory.

After killing that first bear, almost every wild beast in the forest became Farra’s hunting target. He and his men roamed the woods, searching for new prey and unlocking the map. The men’s hunting skills grew ever more proficient. Under the temptation of generous rewards, more and more fearless volunteers stepped forward. Close-quarters combat also continually tested the six hundred men’s spirit, making them increasingly accustomed to it.

After more than half a month of continuous hunting, one day Farra led the troops for a full day without encountering a single wild beast.

“Strange, why haven’t we encountered a single wild beast today?” Yanis asked, puzzled.

“…I’m afraid those beasts have sensed our presence and gone into hiding,” Farra said after a moment’s thought.

“Really? Those beasts are that smart?” Yanis looked incredulous.

“Beasts have brains too… though they lack human intelligence, they still possess the instinct to seek safety and avoid danger.”

“So what should we do, Lord Jago? If we can’t catch any prey, our rations will soon run out.”

“…We’ll head back first,” Farra decided.

“Since we can’t catch prey, there’s no point wandering around. We’ve been out for over half a month; let’s return and rest for a few days.”

“Yes.”