Early the next morning.
Ser Pere Pili and his Recon Corps had already departed in secret.
Nearly all the nearby wildling tribes had emptied out, leaving behind mostly the old, the weak, women, and children.
This was precisely their target.
The members of the Recon Corps were the finest hunters in the Crabb domain.
Overrunning these defenseless settlements was child’s play for them, but more than a dozen tribes were scattered across the region, each holding its own territory and varying in size.
Three of these tribes were the largest, each boasting a population of several hundred.
Green’s tactical assignment for the Recon Corps was to target these three major tribes, requiring them to take down at least two today.
Thus, the key to the Recon Corps’ operation today lay in their marching speed.
The experienced Ser Pere understood this all too well.
Since the rugged terrain made riding impossible, he chose not to wear the bright silver plate armor he usually wore into battle, so as not to hinder his march.
Instead, he slipped a simplified leather vest—a recent “invention” of Lord Green’s—over his chainmail.
Ser Pere found Lord Green’s logic remarkably sound: as long as you always face the enemy, why bother protecting your back?!
Looking back, Ser Pere felt he had always fought like that on the battlefield anyway.
Although Green hadn’t stated it outright, Ser Pere felt the young lord was subtly praising his courage and valor.
*The lord understands me!* Ser Pere was ambitious.
This was the first battle since the lord had inherited House Crabb.
He not only had to win, but win brilliantly, to solidify his status as the most loyal and valiant knight in Whispers Castle.
With proper command and tight scheduling, even all three major tribes—left with only the elderly and weak—could be dealt with today.
Once the three main tribes fell, the remaining small ones would be terrified out of their wits and easy to clean up; they wouldn’t even dare to resist.
*** As dawn broke with the faintest light, Green stood on high ground wearing black leather armor embroidered with yellow marsh marigolds, silently observing the assembling soldiers.
The courtyard was a din of noise, shouts and calls rising and falling in waves.
Green quickly noticed that the newly formed Thorn Corps was actually the fastest to assemble.
Once gathered, Emparo immediately began inspecting the soldiers’ gear.
Green knew that perfection couldn’t be achieved overnight.
He had simply compiled a few basic rules and pre-battle precautions suitable for their current state and passed them on to Emparo.
Emparo executed every single instruction meticulously.
Green had to admit this was a rare gift…
or at least, the exact trait he most wished his commanders possessed right now.
Green liked Emparo’s temperament and knew he could rely on him even more in the future.
*** With her silver hair tied into a high ponytail sticking straight up, Raina was exceptionally eye-catching in the crowd.
After inspecting the Thorn Corps’ equipment alongside Emparo, Raina glanced toward Green in the distance, exchanged a few words with Emparo, and then trotted toward Green.
Green spotted her running toward him.
As she ran, the lively girl even bounced happily a couple of times, bringing a smile to Green’s face.
Green gestured for his guards to step back.
Raina stopped a few paces away and bowed nicely.
“Forgive the intrusion, My Lord!” This was etiquette she had just picked up from Emparo.
Greeting the lord face-to-face for the first time, Raina seemed thrilled, her voice crisp and pleasant.
Green held a mild smile.
“You are Raina, Commander Emparo’s second-in-command in the Thorn Corps.” “Ah, I haven’t even introduced myself yet and you already know my name?
My Lord, you really do know everything, just like the rumors say!
…
Oh, and those soft leather gloves you made for us are fantastic!
I tried them out—my fingers feel so much better after rapid-firing.
The girls are all confident about pulling off rapid volleys now.
We promise to complete the task!” There was plenty of soft leather in the storehouses.
Green knew how taxing continuous shooting was on bowstrings and fingers.
Right after crafting the “new leather armor,” he had arranged soft leather gloves for the archers.
Raina babbled on without pause, hopping excitedly when she hit a peak of enthusiasm.
With time to spare, Green showed immense patience with the soldiers who were about to march into battle with him.
The warm smile remained on his face, and he didn’t interrupt, waiting until Raina finished speaking.
“Well, time was tight, so the gloves might be a bit too large or small for some.
In the future, every one of you will have gloves tailored to fit.” “It’s no problem at all, no problem!
Look!” Raina held out her right hand, showing off a glove that fit her palm perfectly.
“I altered mine last night!
It was super easy, and all the sisters whose gloves didn’t fit followed my lead and fixed theirs!” “Well done.
Go back and assist Emparo well.
Remember: unity is strength.” “Yes!
My Lord!
Unity is strength!” *** *** The agreed battlefield with the mountain wildlings was a relatively flat plot of terrain about two miles east of Whispers Castle.
By the time the sky was fully bright, Green led his forces to the designated battle site.
Green spotted the mountain folk assembling a few hundred meters away—a massive, pitch-black crowd.
Ser Marston dismounted and roared at the top of his lungs, “Armor on!!” Ser Marston’s gruff voice boomed through the moving crowd as he occasionally kicked a straggler’s rear.
“Shieldmen, form up!
Form up!!” “You sluggards, get into formation!
Fast, fast!” “What are you panicking for?
Over there!
Move it!” “If you don’t want your wife rolling around in someone else’s bed tonight, check your gear again!” “Damn it, shoulder to shoulder!
Shoulders together!!” *** Green sat atop his horse, beside him the fully assembled Thorn Corps.
Green sighed inwardly once more at the brawl-like warfare of Crackclaw Point.
It felt vastly different from the grand military engagements of the Song of Ice and Fire world in his past life’s memories.
If his own army were disciplined and well-trained enough, Green would have already ordered a battle line to push forward and steamroll the enemy while they were still milling about in chaos.
Just as Green’s forces finished forming their line, strange roars suddenly echoed from the wildlings opposite them.
Their voices grew increasingly synchronized and thunderous.
The wildlings, who looked to Green like a completely unstructured mass, began surging forward like a dark tide, pressing toward his square formation step by step.
“Ranging arrow!” “Yes, sir!
Ranging arrow!” An arrow whistled through the air, planting itself in the ground.
The wildlings closed in on the conspicuous ranging arrow.
“Loose!!!”