Chapter 30: The 600-Man Expedition

Farra did not stay long in his territory after returning with an army of 600 soldiers to rest.

Soon, he once again left his territory with the same 600-man force, whose aura was distinctly different. Everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and taken enough dry rations.

They took the same route as before, heading straight into the forest. However, this time they did not march into its depths. Instead, after lingering along the forest’s edge for a while, they immediately advanced along the perimeter.

The gray areas on the System map began to open up rapidly under Farra’s efforts.

It was not long before Farra encountered a band of mountain bandits hiding along the forest’s edge. The bandits visibly paused when they saw his force approach.

“Where are you from…” the leading bandit asked immediately.

But the response he received was Farra’s command. “Leave no one alive, attack!”

Six companies of one hundred men each emerged from behind Farra and charged silently at the bandit gang ahead.

“Damn it! Brothers, get them!” the bandit leader roared, charging forward with his crude wooden spear.

They had neither knives nor swords… but there were so many of them! From one end of the bandits to the other, the group seemed endless. Even they, looking back, saw the vast mass of their own men behind them and felt their confidence surge. That was why their leader ordered the attack without hesitation.

Farra did not take action himself at first; he watched from the rear to see how the six captains he had chosen would perform. After undergoing the Encirclement Hunt against wolves, tigers, and leopards… and training in courage, coordination, and cooperation… these six units’ combat effectiveness was clearly several tiers above that of the mountain bandits.

The swordsmen and shield-bearers coordinated seamlessly. Defensive and offensive teams supported each other. The half-beastman Imperial Guard armed with wooden spears moved swiftly and ruthlessly, dashing into the greatest danger. They then plunged into the bandits, turning their rear ranks into a chaotic mess.

“Do not fall back! Charge forward! What are you doing?!” the bandit leader shouted, but the battlefield was too chaotic. No one heard him.

In contrast, Farra’s six units remained calm. Sword-and-shield formations advanced layer by layer, methodically eliminating approaching enemies. The spear-wielding half-beastmen charged recklessly, wounding or impaling every bandit in their path.

When the bandit leader realized he was cut off from his men, he anxiously looked toward Farra, who stood in the distance. Eyes gleaming, he shouted, “Charge! Kill that leader! Whoever kills him shall be richly rewarded!”

He and his men swarmed toward Farra. Farra remained expressionless as he drew his finely forged iron sword from his waist. Warfare in this era was indeed crude. The human race dominated the half-beastmen not because humanity was especially powerful, but because the half-beastmen were more primitive.

Farra stepped forward and charged into the crowd. Dodging wooden spear thrusts, he began the slaughter. With superior strength and battle-hardened experience, he was like a tiger among sheep, each swing of his sword claiming a life.

The bandit leader, realizing too late, tried to flee… but the tip of Farra’s sword pierced his abdomen. “Ugh…” he cried out. Farra pulled out his blade and slashed his throat as he fell. The stench of blood and the cries of battle filled the air. Farra calmly wiped his sword on the fallen man’s clothing.

Chaos, violence, savagery, and slaughter were the era’s main themes. Farra disliked them, but after surviving here for years, he had adapted and even mastered these rules.

He watched silently from the rear until the battle ended. Unsurprisingly, the mountain bandits were wiped out by Farra’s 600-man force. Although they carried nothing of value, they granted him ten Resource points.

“Take the wounded with us; it’s time to head back,” Farra ordered.

This encounter had disrupted his original plan, but it was no matter. He returned to his territory with the wounded and the rest of his men, arranged for their recovery, and set out again on the third day.

Once more, they traversed the forested slope of the mountain’s rear. After passing the site of the bandit ambush from days before, Farra chose to descend the mountain. Wandering deeper, they came upon a village. After a brief rest and resupply, Farra dragged out the village official.

“I ask you… who is your lord?”

“My lord is Ake Engel, Baron Engel…” the official stammered.

“Where is his castle?”

“I-I do not know. Apart from the tax collector, I have never seen Baron Engel…”

“Tsk.” Farra clicked his tongue and shoved the official aside. After half a day’s rest, they resumed their journey, heading west.

They marched along dirt roads, resupplying in each village. Ordinary villagers, seeing Farra’s force, dared not resist. They served in terror, then sent Farra off with relief… he took only a modest amount of food and forbade his soldiers from pillaging. He was far better than ordinary bandits.

Farra continually inquired about local lords. On the System map, faction territories began to mark themselves off. Three days later, he reached a village nearest to Ake Engel’s castle.

The village official glared at him. “Do you know under whose protection we are? How dare you rob us here!”

“We know… Ake Engel,” Farra said.

“You say you know, yet… !”

Farra sat in the official’s chair, propped his leg on the table, and smiled. “Engel’s castle isn’t far. Go deliver him this message: tell him he’s a worthless coward…”

He rattled off every insult one could hurl at a noble. “If he still wants to prove he’s a man, let him bring his men here to talk to me. Remember that?”

The official stared blankly. He knew that if he repeated this exactly, he would never leave Engel’s castle alive.

“It seems you didn’t remember,” Farra said, shaking his head. He sat up and slapped the table. “Bring me ink, pen, and paper! I’m writing a declaration of war to your lord.”

“A declaration of war?” the official trembled. He finally understood why Farra was unafraid: he was here to start trouble. His own life was now at risk, for Engel’s name could not save him.

“Hurry up! Or I will slaughter your entire village!”

“Y-yes, sir,” the official stammered, then bolted away in panic.