Except for a portion of the soldiers standing guard, all the soldiers of the territory gathered in the open space inside the Barrier Wall.
The number of soldiers gathered that way was about two hundred.
At first glance, it seemed small, but for a small frontier territory, it was quite a large number.
However, it was still an insufficient number to fight monsters.
In the tense air, the soldiers were busy making their final checks.
Their armor was unimpressive, but they inspected it carefully, sharpened and polished their weapons, and checked one another’s faces.
In their eyes, tension, unease, and will were mixed together.
The greatest among them was their strong will to protect the territory.
Jason stood before the soldiers with Lawrence beside him, his steps full of confidence.
He looked at the soldiers’ faces one by one and met their gazes.
“Did everyone sleep well last night?”
Jason asked in a friendly voice to ease the soldiers’ tension.
“No. I couldn’t sleep. I was so excited thinking we could finally teach those monsters a lesson that sleep wouldn’t come.”
At one soldier’s joking words, the soldiers burst into laughter.
“Yes. Today, we will not be fighting a simple battle. Today is the day we show our strength to the monsters that have tormented us until now and make them pay the price.”
“That’s right!”
“Hear, hear!”
“Let’s punish those bastards!”
The soldiers responded to Jason’s words and powerfully thrust their right arms high into the sky.
“Since this is the first major battle in a long time, all of you must be nervous, but there is no need to be afraid. As everyone knows, our fighting strength is the greatest it has ever been. My son Lawrence and I will stand at the front and lead you.”
At Jason’s confident words, the soldiers’ morale pierced the sky.
That was only natural, because this was the combination of Jason, who had always stood at the front in battle, and Lawrence, who had shown the bravest figure at the Barrier Wall.
If these two joined forces, no monster was frightening.
The soldiers had been attacked one-sidedly until now, and resentment had accumulated in layer upon layer.
Finally, today, the chance had come to release all the resentment they had held until now.
With morale raised as high as it could go, the soldiers followed Jason and crossed the Barrier Wall in perfect order.
The faces of the soldiers stepping onto the land beyond the Barrier Wall were all flushed.
It was land right beneath their feet, but for years, they had not even dared to step on it.
But now, this land was as good as theirs.
“All soldiers, form ranks and files.”
At Jason’s command, the soldiers formed up in perfect order.
“Today, let us show our strength. We will make it clear who the master of this forest is!”
When Jason shouted, Lawrence shouted after him.
“Follow the lord!”
Waaaaah—
And the soldiers’ powerful cheers followed.
“Everyone, advance!”
Jason commanded in a strong voice.
His heavy armor reflected the sunlight and revealed his dignity with a dazzling radiance, and his sharp gaze shone as if it pierced through the entire battlefield.
Even the small unease that remained among the soldiers was swept away by his presence.
‘I had only heard rumors about him, but seeing him in person, he really is incredible.’
Lawrence thought he had known quite well from the soldiers how strong Jason was…….
But the presence Jason showed in reality was like that of a giant.
It was enough for Lawrence to fully understand why the territory’s method of battle had changed simply because he had been absent.
With Jason at the lead, the soldiers began advancing toward the Monster Forest.
At the appearance of a massive enemy known as an army, the Monster Forest stirred.
And goblins began gathering one by one to face the newly appeared enemy.
At some point, the goblins and the human army were positioned across the wide plain.
A goblin horde nearly one thousand strong.
Just looking at them gave off a tremendous sense of might.
As a result of only defending until now, the goblins had made this place their territory and increased their numbers.
After a brief standoff, the goblins attacked first.
As befitting savage monsters, they charged without considering what lay before or behind them.
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD!
The sound of footsteps shook the ground, as if a massive wave were rushing in.
“Raaaaaaah!”
The tremendous roars the bastards let out occupied the field first and swept over the soldiers.
But as if refusing to lose, the soldiers shouted back.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
“Kill them all!”
“Get out of our land right now!”
As the distance gradually closed, the tension reached its peak.
The soldiers glared at the monsters and tightened their grip on their weapons.
When the goblin army entered the proper distance, Jason shouted in a booming voice.
“Archers, prepare!”
At Jason’s shout, the archers quickly nocked arrows to their bows.
“Now. Shoot at the enemy!”
Around fifty arrows covered the sky and flew at fierce speed.
Even without deliberate aiming, there were so many goblins that most of the arrows lodged into their bodies.
“Good. Keep shooting.”
The archers drew their bowstrings without stopping until the arrows they had were exhausted.
“Kyaaaaaak!”
The goblins struck by arrows screamed horribly, their faces twisted in pain.
Even so, the bastards did not retreat in the slightest.
They trampled over their comrades who had fallen after being struck by arrows and charged at full speed toward the soldiers.
Because of their death-defying charge, the distance closed in an instant.
Just before the goblins collided with the soldiers, each holding their own weapons, Jason shouted loudly.
“Shield soldiers, raise shields!”
At his command, the soldiers moved in perfect order and braced their large shields against the ground.
“Spearmen, wait until the bastards get closer!”
When the order was given, the spearmen waiting behind the shield soldiers gripped their spear shafts and waited for the next command.
“Now! Spearmen, lower spears!”
At Jason’s command, the soldiers lowered their long spears forward.
They drove the ends of the spear shafts into the ground so they would not be pushed back and prepared for the goblins running toward them.
SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH!
Along with the unpleasant sound of spear tips piercing flesh, the goblins’ screams burst out.
“Squeeeeeal!”
“Screeeeeech!”
“Grrrrk.”
A fight between those trying to stop them and those trying to break through!
“Hold! All of you must hold for everyone to live. So hold even if you die!”
The soldiers endured with all their strength so the spears would not be pushed back.
The fearless goblins charged toward the spears like moths rushing toward flames, and under the weight of the goblins that had been pierced through, the spears grew heavier and heavier.
At that moment, someone shot out from behind.
Jason, riding a horse, charged toward the goblin horde.
“Haaaaaap!”
Along with Jason’s shout, the massive spear rotated.
Because enemies were all around him, Jason swung his spear at full power without restraint.
Everything within the spear’s range was cut down.
It was tremendous strength to an absurd degree.
Like a whirlwind sweeping across a dry field, Jason moved here and there, trampling through the goblin horde.
“He’s really incredible! Will I ever be able to fight like that……?”
At that sight, Lawrence’s mouth fell open without him realizing it.
“Wow! The lord has returned!”
Along with that, the soldiers’ cheers burst out.
The sight they had wanted so badly to see was unfolding before their eyes.
They had thought they would never see it again.
Seeing Jason trample the goblins exactly as he had in the past, the soldiers gained new hope and courage.
Because of Jason’s performance, the soldiers’ morale rose in an instant, and in contrast, the goblins could not regain their senses.
In an instant, the battlefield was split into two, and battles were taking place separately in two places.
The battle between the goblins and Jason, and the battle between the goblins and the soldiers.
But neither battlefield was easy for the goblins.
Jason swept across the battlefield while swinging his massive spear, and the soldiers held firm like an iron wall while thrusting their spears.
And as if refusing to lose, Lawrence also immediately joined the battlefield.
However, because Lawrence was still poor at horsemanship, he charged into the goblin horde while relying on a single spear.
Whoosh!
Lawrence, swinging the spear, was nimble, and his strength was powerful.
Just like the sight Jason had shown moments earlier, everything within the spear’s range was swept away.
Another whirlwind erupted on the battlefield, and the goblins could not gather together, instead scattering apart and having no choice but to attack individually.
As Jason and Lawrence rampaged and scattered the goblins’ attention, the pressure the soldiers received from the goblins decreased by far.
Taking advantage of this, the spearmen abandoned the spears with goblins skewered on them like meat on sticks and picked up new spears.
And the shield soldiers who had stood in place like pillars began to advance.
They had switched from defense to offense.
The spears extending from between the shields slaughtered the goblins.
On top of that, the knights led by Martin also leaped in and created a new battlefield.
At this moment, the scales of victory completely tilted.
Now, all that remained was slaughtering the bastards.
No matter how savage the monsters were, they had no choice but to feel fear, and once frightened, they were nothing but easy prey.
On this day, nearly a thousand goblins died.
And it was clearly engraved into them that this place was human territory.
When the battle, in which they had pushed one-sidedly, ended, everyone without exception raised their weapons high into the sky and shouted in victory.
With a single battle, Jason returned the territory to the state it had been in five years ago.
As a result, the people of the territory would be able to enjoy somewhat more prosperous lives.
As the human domain expanded, hunters could hunt more animals, and gatherers could collect precious medicinal herbs.
The people of the territory would also be able to gather gold dust from the streams flowing through the Monster Forest.
Of course, the monsters’ threat could not yet be said to have disappeared entirely, so the knights and soldiers planned to patrol the Monster Forest and support the people of the territory so they could work safely.
In this way, the territory was quickly regaining stability.
“Lawrence. What are you doing?”
The water spirit flew in front of Lawrence’s eyes and called to him.
At her call, focus returned to Lawrence’s pupils.
“Ah~ I just have a lot to think about.”
“Hmph. You don’t even play with me anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Malgeum.”
When the water spirit sulked, Lawrence quickly apologized.
That was only natural, because lately, Lawrence had spent all day deep in thought about something.
“Forget it. Lawrence is bad. I’m going to play with the cat.”
The water spirit flew out the window with a sulky expression.
The reason Lawrence had fallen into such deep thought that he could not even play with the water spirit was because lately, he had been keenly feeling the limits of the territory.
Jason had returned to the battles against monsters, and the territory quickly recovered its former appearance.
Thanks to that, the lives of the people of the territory had improved a little, but…….
At present, that was the territory’s limit.
Even if it had improved somewhat, the lives of the people of the territory were still difficult and hard.
However, everyone seemed accustomed to this life and was getting by somehow, but Lawrence was not satisfied.
Considering the sacrifice and devotion the people of the territory had shown until now, they deserved to enjoy a better life.
For the territory to develop, a new breakthrough different from everything until now was needed.
‘How can the territory develop further?’
The first thing he thought of was, as expected, farming.
Since most of the people of the territory farmed, it would be a great help if farming went well.
However, the territory’s land was barren, and they were suffering poor harvests every year.
Lawrence was not a farmer, but he had a bit of knowledge about farming that he had seen and heard in modern life.
The reason the land had grown barren was that the nutrients in the soil had been depleted by continuous crop cultivation.
In this case, they needed to let the land rest for a year to recover its fertility and apply manure.
But he could not tell the people of the territory, who lived day to day, to stop farming for an entire year.
‘It would be nice if the territory had some kind of specialty product…….’
In order to somehow find a solution, Lawrence talked a great deal with the soldiers at the Barrier Wall, and whenever he had time, he walked around the village and studied the territory’s circumstances.
But despite such effort, no special idea came to mind.
No, he did think of things, but he did not know how to make them.
For example, he thought of many ideas that could be useful, such as producing better iron through glass, pottery, and smelting, or soap and fabric dyeing.
The problem was that he had only used such things. He did not know how to make them.
Lawrence deeply regretted, thinking, ‘If I had known this would happen, I should have studied a little,’ but how could he have imagined he would end up coming to another world?
After several days of thought, the conclusion he reached was to earn money himself.
Although he had no experience as a merchant, he had various pieces of modern knowledge, so he was confident he could earn money.
“Mm~”
Jason let out a groan with a serious expression.
“So what you are saying is that for the development of the territory, you will go to Trebello Free Commercial City and earn money?”