FL - Chapter 53: Marching to War

The day of departure arrived, and the streets of Crimson Tide Territory teemed with people.

The residents had gathered on both sides of the road to see the knights and soldiers off to war.

Louis rode at the head of the column. A black-and-crimson cloak hung from his shoulders, embroidered with the crest of House Calvin.

Behind him stood his assembled force: eight Elite Knights, twenty-five Formal Knights, sixty Apprentice Knights, and two hundred infantrymen.

Every one of them wore armor and carried a weapon.

Even by the standards of the Northlands, they were an elite force ready to enter battle at a moment's notice.

Louis was taking more than half of Crimson Tide Territory's total military strength with him.

He had two reasons for doing so. First, Crimson Tide Territory lay in the southern reaches of the Northlands, a relatively safe region. Even with its garrison depleted, it was unlikely to face a serious threat.

Second, the Daily Intelligence System warned him of dangers in advance. He could avoid an enemy ambush capable of wiping out his entire force.

With those advantages, he intended to bring enough troops to earn as much military merit as possible.

Success would strengthen Crimson Tide Territory's position and help him establish himself among the old northern houses.

His goal for this campaign was simple: make the name of Crimson Tide Territory known across the battlefield.

Weir stood at the front of the crowd, envy filling his eyes.

He had awakened his Battle Aura and become an Apprentice Knight, but he was still young and his martial skills remained unrefined. He had therefore been left behind to continue his training.

As Weir watched the imposing knights gathered around Louis, longing welled in his chest.

He wanted to become one of them, a man worthy of following his great lord into battle.

"All right, this is far enough." Louis reined in his horse and looked over the residents lining the road.

Their faces showed reluctance, but even greater pride.

Louis raised his voice. "Thank you for coming to see us off.

"No matter what enemy awaits us, we will return victorious!"

He pulled on the reins and gave the order.

"Move out!"

Iron-shod hooves struck the earth, and battle standards snapped in the wind. The long column marched beyond the borders of Crimson Tide Territory.

The residents' cheers thundered behind them.

...

Though late spring had arrived, a chill still clung to the wilderness of the Northlands.

The expeditionary force made camp in a low-lying stretch of land. Nearby, the knights gathered to hunt their meal for the day.

Their prey was a Wildland Boar, a magical beast with a thick hide and coarse meat rich in energy.

Louis watched from horseback as the boar thundered ahead. "Be careful. Don't ruin too much of the meat."

"Leave it to me!"

An Apprentice Knight sprang forward and thrust his spear, its point wrapped in Battle Aura. The weapon glanced off the boar's iron-tough hide. He hadn't put enough power into the strike to pierce it.

"Ha! You're still not strong enough!"

A nearby Formal Knight laughed and drove his spear down. The point punched through the armored hide in one stroke, spraying blood across the barren ground.

The boar squealed and collapsed. The knights rushed in to finish it, bringing the hunt to an end.

Louis had departed ahead of schedule, leaving plenty of time for the journey.

The other lords would probably arrive just before the appointed deadline. There was no reason for him to make a spectacle of himself by showing up early.

Instead, he put the Daily Intelligence System to use and took his knights hunting along the way.

Magical beasts were dangerous, but his elite knights could handle anything short of a high-tier beast with ease.

Before setting out each day, they hunted whatever the intelligence had revealed and carried the fresh spoils back to camp.

The knights had long since stopped marveling at their lord's seemingly prophetic luck.

Every morning, Louis would point in some direction and say, "There should be a magical beast over there today. Go take a look."

They would follow his directions and find prey waiting for them.

Most were low-tier creatures such as Wildland Boars, Rifthorn Antelopes, and Ironfeather Wolves. Their meat was dense and rich in energy, enough to fill the knights' stomachs while adding a little to their strength.

The men had been amazed at first. After it happened enough times, they took it for granted.

They settled on a simple explanation: "Our lord has the Dragon Ancestor's favor, and we're sharing in his good fortune."

They traveled in the morning, hunted at midday, then roasted meat over the fire at night. Once they had eaten their fill, they slept.

It was more comfortable than training back in the territory.

After several days, the knights had come to enjoy the routine.

The campfire blazed, and the wood crackled as fragrant smoke curled upward.

Thick slabs of magical-beast meat lay across the roasting racks. Fat dripped onto the coals with a hiss, filling the camp with a mouthwatering aroma.

"That smells incredible! Hurry up!"

An Apprentice Knight swallowed, his gaze fixed on the roasting meat.

The knight tending the fire laughed. "What's the rush? It needs time if you want it cooked properly."

The nearby soldiers crowded together, swallowing one after another.

Most days, the best food they could expect was black rye bread and salted fish.

Now they could feast on freshly roasted meat. Even if they only received the ordinary game, it felt like a dream.

"The Dragon Ancestor has blessed us tonight!" an infantryman declared, raising his wineskin and taking a long drink.

Another laughed. "Marching with our lord is even better than training back home!"

The camp felt less like an army on campaign and more like a spring outing.

Louis surveyed the knights sitting at ease around the fire.

Some sliced meat with daggers. Others boiled magical-beast bones into broth. A few raised their cups and laughed, while still others tore into whole cuts of meat with their hands.

*What army lives this well while marching against insurgents?*

But when he saw the satisfied smiles on his soldiers' faces, he shook his head and chuckled.

*Forget it. They need rest as much as they need hard work.*

At that moment, a knight hurried over. "My lord, we encountered Baron Jon's company to the east. They're heading this way."

Louis paused. The image of a round, pudgy figure appeared in his mind.

The chubby young man was always grinning and calling him "Boss."

*Of course. His territory is nearby, and he probably has to muster at Snowhawk City too.*

"What a coincidence."

Before long, urgent hoofbeats sounded in the distance.

"Boss!"

An oval-shaped knight charged toward the camp with that familiar cry.

Jon Harvey leaped from his horse and rushed up to Louis, his face bright with the joy of reunion.

Louis stared at him in surprise.

Jon had lost quite a bit of weight.

The round ball of flesh Louis remembered had become more of an oval. He was still undeniably fat, but the shape had changed.

Then Jon noticed the roasting meat beside the fire.

He stared at it, entranced, and his throat bobbed.

*Gulp.*

The sound carried with startling clarity through the night air.

Louis's mouth twitched. He tore off a piece of meat and held it out. "Want some?"

Jon nodded frantically, his eyes lighting up.

He seized the meat, bit down, and wore an expression of absolute bliss.