Chapter 3, Military Intelligence

After pondering for a moment, Lei suddenly asked, "Should I carry a knife on me? If I run out of arrows, I can still use the knife to fight the enemy."

Lei nodded, just about to speak, when Klaus had already pushed him off the city wall, whispering in his ear: "You didn't hear anything just now, understand? This is military intelligence, confidential military intelligence. You must know that if the enemy learns about our lack of equipment, we will be in danger, understand?"

However, his beautiful dream was soon interrupted by thunder. The somewhat hesitant thunder ran up to the city wall, and after being inspected by several of Klaus's personal guards, cautiously approached Klaus and inquired, "My lord, should we begin training now?"

Duke Green has a good plan; now his province's southern region is densely populated with 500,000 new troops and over 20,000 not particularly elite private soldiers for their training. If the Smart Empire were to launch a direct attack from the border, they could overwhelm them using sheer numbers.

Soon, a tall man stepped forward, waving his fists and shouting: "So, kid from Kary Village, how about we have a fair fight? We are also learning from those knights, hahaha, let’s have a fair duel, oh little knight from Kary Village, haha..." The surrounding recruits burst into laughter, mercilessly mocking Lei, who was struggling to get up from the ground after a long while.

Behind him stood a tall general clad in dark green armor, with a pair of gray eyes, who nodded and said in a deep voice: "This is natural; compared to the elite troops of the Vant Empire, the army of the Smart Empire is utterly vulnerable. Fortunately, the Smart Empire possesses a large number of mages; otherwise, heh heh."

Klaus stared blankly at the perspiring Wenlies, unable to utter a word. Wenlies seemed to feel that the equipment he had delivered was truly inadequate. At such a critical time in this territory, he should have made a concerted effort to win over the team leaders who remained behind. He couldn't help but force a smile and said, "Well, actually, the Duke has done his best. The nearby provinces do not have such a large stock of military supplies, and we must wait for the Imperial Army to arrive before we can receive substantial equipment support... We can only let the new recruits adapt to this situation."

Kolo sneered at the officers of the Smart Empire on the city wall, made a crude gesture, and then, gathering all the fighting spirit within him, laughed maniacally: "You just stay in the city, ha ha, do you think we would attack the city to deplete our forces? Are we that foolish? Hmph, when our imperial army arrives, your good days in the Smart Empire will be over"

Kolo froze for a moment, puzzled as to why the Smart Empire would send a magician as the commander of the army. Just then, a longsword, infused with red fighting spirit, pierced through his heart from behind. Kolo let out a tragic howl: "How..." and then he swayed and fell from his horse.

Lei licked his lips and asked, "What do you all think about going to the battlefield?"

Carlin pouted, furrowing his brow. After rummaging through his belongings for a while, he pulled out a copper coin and tossed it onto the ground, muttering softly: "Well, I bet a copper coin that the first one to arrive will definitely be a new recruit summoned by Duke Green..."

Kolo led a group of elite knights, galloping to within less than a mile of the "Iron Blood Fortress," brazenly observing the situation in the city. Behind them, a team of elite archers had firmly grasped their powerful bows, ready to launch an attack on the enemy's mages at any moment. This was an act of confidence in their own formidable strength by the knights of the Vant Empire; they paid no heed to the ground forces of the Shimat Empire, believing that their archers could easily deal with the enemy's mages.

The black-robed mage unveiled his cloak, revealing the emblem on his left chest, a smug smile appearing on his face: "I am Karlin, one of the elders of the Mage Association of the Shimat Empire, the commander of the Shimat Central Army, the highest-ranked Diamond Dragon Mage... Hehe, I am not a knight, so I have the right to refuse your challenge... Especially, why should I care about the challenge of a dead man?"... Hehe, I am not a knight, so I have the right to refuse your challenge... Especially, why should I care about the challenge of a dead man?"

Shalin looked angrily at Karlin's nape, contemplating the consequences of delivering a punch. Wasn't it this strange and sarcastic fellow who had just insulted the army of the Smart Empire? ... It was truly infuriating ... . ... In his home country, he held the secret title of Marquis, while this brat, despite his noble birth, was merely an Earl at present, hmph

Klaus's eyes lit up, and he quickly approached, warmly greeting, "Vice Governor Wenlies, may I ask if you have come here to deliver supplies to us?"

Klaus's barracks were originally only sufficient to accommodate a team of 1,000 personnel. Later, Duke Green, in order to expand his power, reported that each team actually had a strength of 1,500 soldiers, which made the situation somewhat crowded. This time, he was again dispatched to recruit soldiers, and nearly 30,000 new recruits were summoned from various regions. How could such a small garrison accommodate them all? Fortunately, Duke Green was willing to spare no expense to protect his territory and power. Tents were distributed one after another, and with the wooden houses built by the soldiers who arrived earlier, a densely packed new encampment appeared beside Klaus's small castle, allowing the 30,000 new recruits to barely settle in.

Shalin revealed a faint cold smile at the corners of his mouth and let out a couple of snorts

Klaus stood on the low castle tower and laughed: "Right now, I am even more impressive than the commander of the 'Green Wild Brigade.' I have over 30,000 men under my command, haha, and in terms of actual military strength, I surpass him. However, I cannot guarantee their combat effectiveness. If all these soldiers were Black Iron Knights, even with just a single wolf fang, more than 30,000 men would be enough to sweep away any brigade of the Smart Empire, wouldn't it?" Klaus was also indulging in beautiful dreams.

This was originally a very obvious issue, yet Duke Green still ordered the private troops stationed in the area to remain fixed in their barracks, training the newly conscripted soldiers. In his view, since he had already dispatched over 20,000 men from the 'Green Wilderness Corps' to reinforce the front lines, along with the more than 10,000 regular troops from the imperial military stationed in his territory, it should be sufficient to sustain operations for two months, allowing him to provide some training to those new recruits.

Klaus was taken aback: "Deputy Commander, you must be mistaken, right? I have recruited nearly 30,000 new soldiers."

Karlin shrugged: "General Shalin, have you lived in the Vante Empire for so long that you have forgotten you are a subject of the Smart Empire? Well, such disrespectful words about your own country's army should not be uttered carelessly. This time, I can pretend I didn't hear it, do you understand? ... Hmm, I really wonder whether the follow-up will be the royal direct troops of the Vante Empire or those ragtag recruits."

Kolofer was furious: "Amusement? You consider us mere amusement? Damn you, I challenge you to a duel. State your name and family title, for I wish to duel you one-on-one."

Lei nodded repeatedly, and Klaus forced a few smiles on his face: "As for this, you go tell your companions that weapons will be provided, armor will be provided, everything that is needed will be available, so everyone need not worry. Haha, the Duke will definitely gather the weapons and such as soon as possible. Well, you all go train first, strengthen yourselves, so that you can do justice to the weapons in your hands"

Klaus's face immediately darkened as he muttered under his breath, "Damn it, are there no weapons? How could I forget about this? My God, how is it possible to supply weapons for thirty thousand people in such a short time? And armor, right, and food. Food is not a problem; the nearby cities can provide that much. But combat weapons... um, young man, is your name Lei?"

A black-robed sorcerer appeared on the city wall and said in a very gentle tone: "Is the one who has come the third-tier Golden Knight Kolo of the 'Green Wilderness Legion'? Ah, a major general of the Empire, truly a significant figure. Has Duke Green sent you to deal with us?"

Lei was taken aback, and Bi Te shook his head: "It seems that it won't be long before we are also sent to the front lines; otherwise, we wouldn't have been recruited. So, Lei, you must be mentally prepared for it."

The captain of the forward scouts, a black iron knight with five teeth in his wolf-like mouth, looked strangely ahead. He could even vaguely see the shadow of the 'Iron Blood Fortress.' Could it be that the army of the Smart Empire had been waiting for their arrival inside the 'Iron Blood Fortress'? Using the fortress's facilities to deal with the Vant Empire's army would indeed be a good idea

Sterka, a first-tier knight of gold, grinned menacingly as he swung his longsword. The howling fighting spirit created streaks of red, and before his colleagues could react, he severed the necks of three senior knights. Subsequently, he crazily spurred his horse towards the 'Iron Blood Fortress'.

Kalin suddenly turned around, smiling as he looked at Shalin: "Are you not convinced? It would be best if you were. Look, if it weren't for us magicians inventing the illusion magic that can conceal armies on a large scale, the army of the Vant Empire wouldn't have been so easily deceived. Even if you mobilize those who have betrayed their own country, you still might not be able to deal with the enemy's elite troops, right? ... Hmm, I wonder how the other two armies are doing. They should have already entered the attack positions, shouldn't they?"

The group of young people who got along well with Lei erupted in anger, shouting loudly: "What does it mean to kick someone from behind?"

The mage's badge of Karlin prominently features a dragon made of intricately arranged, jagged diamonds, with an olive branch held in its mouth, adorned with seven vibrant green olive leaves depicted in the illustration

After a while, seeing Lei still in a daze, Biter heavily patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Lei, don't worry, I will include you in my team. If we really end up on the battlefield, you will be responsible for covering me. Your bow and arrow are the best in the village, and they are the most effective means for shooting at people... Who knows, you might even take down the Grand Marshal of the Smart Empire, and then you would be quite successful."

Klaus waved his hand and said, "Of course, it is not just training, but rather rigorous training. Look, this is equivalent to the scale of a legion. You all must train diligently and earnestly, and I will have those real soldiers properly drill you. Hahahaha..." Klaus's eyes were filled with enthusiasm; if he could lead this army to achieve certain results in battle, surely he would deserve a promotion, wouldn't he

Ray was struck speechless by Klaus's words. Indeed, isn't a soldier supposed to live up to the weapon in hand? An untrained soldier, even if wielding an extraordinary sword, would still be unable to defeat the enemy, right? Thus, after standing at attention and performing a military salute that he had just learned, albeit not very standard, Ray was about to head down from the city tower.

Lei exclaimed: "Then, wouldn't that mean the weapons are even more insufficient? With 1,500 bows and arrows, if the archers are to carry swords, wouldn't that require deducting these swords? How will we fight then?"

After pondering for a moment, the black-robed mage smiled and pointed at Keluofei: "I am well aware of your temperament. That coward Green sent you to gather intelligence and to stand by at the border of the Xili Province, didn't he? Yet you unexpectedly rushed to the 'Qingfeng Plain', which aligns perfectly with my plans... Well, while waiting for your imperial army, devouring your 'Greenfield Corps' is also a bit of amusement."

Klaus casually replied, "Of course, no problem, Lev. Lev, where the hell have you been? Take Lei to collect the weapons and let him choose the best ones for the young men of Kali Village. By the way, when you assign the squads, those young men from Kali Village can serve as squad leaders, understood? First, send someone to divide the teams. Alright, I want to see the new recruits training this afternoon. Let them eat well and then train; no slacking off. As for those who do slack off... you can deal with them as you see fit. It is wartime now, and military law applies."

The messenger soldier burst into laughter: "Alright? Ah, you new recruits, I've seen plenty of this. Every time there's a struggle, someone ends up unlucky. This is none of my business; it's an order from the team leader. He wants these young people from Kary Village to be squad leaders. If you're unhappy, so be it. As long as you can defeat them, the squad leader will be yours... Just don't be like that stupid bear, getting knocked out in the blink of an eye."

His knights were astonished and shouted angrily: "Sterka, Sterka, what are you doing?"

As his financial officer boasted: "Your Excellency, each fallen soldier requires only five gold coins in compensation. We can continuously rally troops, exhausting the mages of the Smarte Empire."

However, it is evident that the Bitters do not share this perspective. Perhaps it is the unique fervor of youth; they have already begun to discuss animatedly, contemplating how to train the new recruits as quickly as possible and how to enhance their own strength more rapidly

The strange thing is that for three days now, the 'Green Wilderness Corps' has not encountered a single soldier from the Smart Empire

Before Klaus could speak, Wenlies had already begun to complain: "In recent years, in order to befriend the ministers of the imperial capital, our duke has spent a considerable amount of gold coins. The recruitment of 500,000 new soldiers alone cost 1,000,000 gold coins, followed by the military tents, which consumed another 1,700,000 gold coins. Additionally, the 'Greenfield Legion' needs to replenish the arrows, armor, and weapons for frontline use, and we also have to advance three months' worth of military pay. Moreover, each soldier received an extra 20 gold coins to boost morale. All of this amounts to a significant expenditure."

Klaus pondered for a moment, glanced at the astonished Lei, and suddenly laughed: "Well then, let's prioritize these for the new recruits from Keli Village, as there aren't many of them. The rest should also be prioritized for the new recruits I have summoned from the mountainous areas; their quality is far superior to that of the urban citizens. Good weapons should naturally be given to them, don't you think, Lei?"

Kolo furrowed his brow: "Who knows? However, our 'Green Wilderness Corps' is indeed the most elite corps in the southern part of the entire empire, under the command of the Duke. The army of the Shimat Empire would not dare to confront us... In a direct confrontation, who do we fear? Hmph, they are also aware of their weaknesses, which is why they are holed up in the castle they seized through schemes, not daring to come out www.hetushu.com.com right?"

The Bitters exchanged glances and nodded, saying: "What does it matter? Think about it, in the village, we earn at most one gold coin a year. If we can take down a few more enemies, we stand to make a fortune. And, Lei, don't you want to achieve great things on the battlefield?"

Standing on the city wall, Carlin sighed: "Our Smart Corps is truly useless to the extreme. Attacking the enemy with superior forces and still suffering so many casualties, if it weren't for the 'Iron Blood Fortress', I really wouldn't have the confidence to complete this plan. Honestly... if it weren't for Starka, dear Count Starka, who ambushed and eliminated their highest commander and three capable hands, I fear the casualties would have increased by another 5,000"

The captain laughed: "Are you joking? Attack 'the second city of the mainland'? Have we lost our minds? It would take fifty 'Green Wilderness Legions' to accomplish such a task, right? Reporting to Sir Knight Commander, we have already spotted the 'Iron Blood Fortress'. Please advise on the next course of action. Should we set up camp here? Hmm, on the plains, the armies of the Smart Empire shouldn't be able to defeat us, right?"

Lei finally got up from the ground in a disheveled state and asked in confusion: "What exactly is military law enforcement? The team leader just mentioned this term as well"

Klaus's chief bodyguard, Lev, nodded upon hearing this and took Lei away. Watching Lei's departing figure, Klaus shrugged helplessly: "Sigh, what a gullible kid. However, I have no choice; I also want to have sufficient weapons... Just kidding, using sharpened wooden sticks and weapons forged from steel to fight, being able to trade five of my men for one of theirs would be quite an achievement... Sigh!"

Bit bitterly smiled: "Thunder, do you think the Duke spent so much money to gather us just to maintain public order? I inquired with one of Lord Klaus's personal guards on the road, and the Duke's most elite troop is the 'Greenfield Corps,' which has already been dispatched to the front lines. His additional three divisions of private troops are the ones currently responsible for training us. Think about it, under normal circumstances, the 'Greenfield Corps' would never maintain public order. The other three divisions are stationed at key transportation routes, responsible for tax collection or guarding the borders of the territory. In fact, the responsibility for maintaining public order lies with the four teams of the Imperial Army within the territory, but they only number around four thousand. Now we have five hundred thousand new recruits; do we really need them?"

Klaus's team is stationed on the plains approximately one hundred miles from Keli Village, guarding a road that connects the 'Qingfeng Plain' to the capital of Xilihang Province. In peacetime, this road serves as the main thoroughfare for transportation and commerce across the continent, making it convenient for tax collection and defense. However, during wartime, the opposing army will not adhere to the road, rendering such stationed troops effectively useless, and even facilitating the enemy's ability to determine the location of the garrison for encirclement.

Duke Green asked with deep confusion: "Well, putting that aside for now, the issue is that the nearby lord refuses to send troops to assist me. It is their duty, and they have no need to expend the strength of their private armies on my behalf. But why hasn't the imperial army arrived yet? Hmm? Does His Majesty Shagru really intend to...?"

The knights of Vante, filled with rage, spurred their horses to give chase. However, they were met with a barrage of fireballs and countless arrows raining down from the city walls, forcing them to retreat in disarray. As they hurled curses at Sterka, who stood at the city gate laughing maniacally, a thunderous battle cry suddenly erupted from the rear camp. Four ambush units charged towards the unfinished camp of the "Green Field Legion" from four directions. Supported by a large number of powerful mages, the numerically superior army of the Smart Empire, despite suffering over 10,000 casualties, annihilated the "Green Field Legion" in half a day's time.

In the blink of an eye, Olie achieved a resounding victory. The surrounding new recruits stirred, glancing at one another in silence; they could tell that Olie's skills were different from theirs, honed through special training. Perhaps their strength could surpass Olie's by a considerable margin, but when it came to actual combat, they would undoubtedly be the ones to lose

Shalin felt a chill run down his spine under Karlin's eerie gaze and quickly changed the subject: "I think it should be the elite troops of the Vante Empire, right? They wouldn't send useless trash with no combat capability to their deaths."

Three soldiers galloped back on horseback. After approximately three hours, the main force of the 'Greenfield Legion' arrived in full force. Under the command of the golden dragon-badged knight, Kolofer, who bore three tusks in his mouth, the 'Greenfield Legion' began to prepare to set up camp on the spot. They brought enough barriers and arrow stones, as well as powerful crossbow bolts, ready to let any enemy who dared to invade perish before their camp.

The black-robed mage chuckled lightly: "Oh? This time I have brought along 10,000 mages for the expedition and the library. Your 'Greenfield Legion' is equipped with only ten strong crossbows; what threat could that possibly pose to us? However, as you all know, every mage is a valuable asset, and our empire will not waste their lives..."

Wenlies lowered his voice and said softly, "In fact, those new recruits could kill the enemy with sharpened wooden sticks. Trading three new recruits for one enemy soldier's life, we still come out ahead, don't we? How many troops can the Smart Empire mobilize to invade us? Just think about it. If we can use these new recruits to eliminate the invaders, wouldn't we all have made a significant contribution?"

Everyone fell silent, and an additional sense of worry unconsciously arose in their hearts

During the break after lunch, Bit and the others learned from Lei about the shortage of military supplies, and they all fell into a daze. Ster had told them about the importance of good equipment on the battlefield; without proper gear, they had already lost half the battle. Now, out of thirty thousand new recruits, fewer than ten thousand could be armed, and among them, several thousand lacked armor. How could they possibly fight this battle?

A smile appeared on Lei's face; after all, he was still young. He let go of his worries and began to discuss enthusiastically with his companions. He resolved that he had not yet mastered all the martial arts and marksmanship, so he needed to train diligently. This way, he would have a better chance of survival on the battlefield

Klaus was taken aback: "What? What training with what?"

Lei's face was filled with smiles: "Well, we don't have any weapons, and we don't have armor either. How can we train? Some of my friends have been assigned to the spear unit, and they can train with wooden sticks, but I have been assigned to the light infantry, and we don't have a single sword or knife. There are also some new recruits who want me to tell you that they only know how to shoot arrows; they are not skilled in using blades or firearms. You see... there is simply no way to train." There are also some new recruits who want me to tell you that they only know how to shoot arrows; they are not skilled in using blades or firearms. You see... there is simply no way to train.

Lei looked at his serious companions and said in a low voice: "However, aren't we a defensive unit? Perhaps we don't need to go to the front lines? This... we only need to maintain local security."

Bite looked at him strangely: "Of course, Uncle Ster said that in the Imperial Army, archers are equipped with close-combat weapons, because the enemy is likely to get close to us."

No one could answer his questions, and thus, amidst various doubts and anxieties, the new recruits' training in the Xili Province commenced

Lei did not speak, gently lowering his head and shaking it. What he thought to himself was: "I have no desire to achieve great feats on the battlefield; I merely wish to live a quiet life. My mother's health is poor, and I still have to tend to the little piece of land I have, including weeding it."

Klaus quickly put on a smiling face: "Of course, this road hasn't been repaired for a long time; you must be exhausted, right? Ha, the apple cider from the nearby village is quite good; would you like to try some? Although it can't compare to the wines stored in the duke's residence, it has its own unique flavor... What have you brought me?" Klaus's eyes were filled with anticipation

The other companions also began to joke: "Yes, if you take down the opposing Grand Marshal, according to the imperial military merit rewards, you would at least become a baron, and you would also receive a piece of fiefdom. Lei, you must work hard and aim for their Grand Marshal."

Ignoring the irritated gazes of the new recruits, the soldier greeted Peter with a smile, saying: "Captain, I have returned to report. You should quickly select your team members and form your own squad. A squad consists of ten people, which means you need nine soldiers under your command, in addition to yourself. The order from the team leader is that training must commence after lunch; otherwise, military law will be enforced."

Lei quickly nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice: "But, my lord, what shall we use for training?"

When Lei returned to the vicinity of the tents where his fellow villagers were stationed, filled with excitement and carrying a selection of carefully chosen weapons, he happened to see a group of new recruits from other villages surrounding Biter and the others, engaged in a heated argument. A coarse voice shouted in dissatisfaction: "Why is it that the people from Keli Village can be squad leaders? Can't we do the same? Are we weaker than them? Look, many of them are just kids who haven't even grown their hair yet."

Laughter erupted from the crowd, while the soldier sent by Lord Lev, holding his long sword that weighed less than five pounds, stood by with a grin, seemingly indifferent to the so-called maintenance of order. Reilly quickly called a few soldiers who were helping him carry weapons to stop, then squeezed into the crowd and shouted, "Peter, Peter, what happened?"

Wenlies extended his hand, firmly grasping Klaus's wrist, and struggled to emerge from the stairs, panting. He sighed and said: "Ah, dear Team Leader Klaus, you must treat me to a good meal tonight. This path is too difficult to traverse, along with the books. However, His Grace the Duke has insisted that we personally deliver these items into the hands of the esteemed gentlemen, so I have no choice but to endure this hardship."

At that moment, the assembly signal sounded, and Lei quickly rushed out of the tent. After finding his squad members, he hurriedly followed several veterans towards the camp's exit. Klaus's team's fortress was situated on the plain, so there was no need for a specialized training ground. As long as everyone stepped outside, there was ample space for the recruits to practice, which could be considered a convenience.

The four teams directly under the Vant Empire, which were moving around the periphery of the 'Green Wilderness Corps', sensed that something was amiss and quickly fled towards the Sirih Province. The army of the Smart Empire did not pursue them, seemingly disappearing right there.

As the Lei team commenced their first day of training, the "Green Wilderness Corps" had already approached the "Iron Blood Fortress." Four teams directly under the Empire flanked them, serving as their reconnaissance units, while ahead, a large contingent was dispatched to gather intelligence. In the rear, hundreds of messengers were bustling back and forth, conveying military information to Duke Green, enabling him to grasp the battlefield situation as quickly as possible. However, to put it bluntly, Duke Green was a civilian official, and this information merely allowed him to sit comfortably in his residence without the need to flee with his family.

Just as he turned around, a plump middle-aged man, almost resembling a round ball, with a beaming smile on his face, was struggling to climb up the steps on the city wall. Seeing that he had completely filled the entire passage, Lei realized he could not go down, so he had no choice but to stop in place. In order to give him enough space to stand, Lei had to take a few steps back.

The Iron Blood Fortress crouched on the ground like a giant monster, its dark walls exuding a hint of coolness. Several high-ranking generals of the Smart Empire stood on the city wall, their gazes cold as they looked down at the enemy below. A silver knight quietly asked Keluofei, "My lord, how many troops do you estimate they have?"

The soldier drew his long sword, mimicking a beheading gesture, and laughed heartily as he parted the crowd and walked out. The surrounding recruits stirred restlessly, whispering to one another, hesitant to speak. After all, one only has one head; how could one eat if it were chopped off?

As Lei was still pushing through the crowd, a sudden force came from behind him, as if someone had delivered a heavy kick to his backside. The crowd in front suddenly parted, and as a result, Lei flew out as if riding on clouds, landing heavily and awkwardly on the ground. After rolling several times, he ended up right in front of Bit and the others, who were clenching their fists.

Lei felt a surge of honor from being trusted by others, and could not help but straighten his chest as he replied: "Rest assured, my lord, I will definitely not speak of it... However, could you grant me a bow and arrow? I am quite skilled at archery."

Before Bit could react, Olie, a stout and short young man, had already rushed out. He executed the fifth form of the "Heavy Strike Fist" with precision. As his right hand struck the shoulder of the burly man, his left elbow simultaneously hit the man's abdomen, and with a push from his right foot, he delivered a fierce kick to the man's knee. Consequently, the burly man could only collapse face-first onto the ground, while Olie unceremoniously stepped heavily on the back of his head.

As the leaders of the four teams anxiously dispatched messengers to report the battle results to Duke Green, Lei happened to shoot the first arrow at the training camp, hitting the bullseye and earning a round of applause. However, Lei sighed, saying, "This arrow is too soft, too light, and too short; it lacks any power."

Kolo was taken aback for a moment, then shouted: "Hmph, I must admire the intelligence of your Smart Empire... But what use is that? My camp is right behind us; if you have the guts, come and attack us... However, I must remind you, we have prepared crossbows with a range of 1,000 paces. Can your mages' magic work at such a distance? Hahahaha."

Wenlies raised his finger and said: "Hmm, three thousand swords, two thousand spears, five thousand sets of light leather armor, three thousand sets of medium leather armor, one thousand five hundred bows, and thirty thousand arrows. Huh, that's all."

Wenlies rolled his eyes and sighed, saying: "There’s nothing we can do; it’s just too tense, the equipment situation is dire. The entire territory has recruited over 500,000 new soldiers, and being able to guarantee equipment for 150,000 of them is already quite good. This is still thanks to the Duke, who purchased it at a high price from several other territories. Those damned dukes are draining our resources. I know they are jealous of the wealth of our Xili Province, but they are going too far. A regular steel sword costs 70 silver coins, which is more than double the normal price... Team Leader, dear Team Leader Klaus, you must understand our difficulties."