Chapter 40 Preparations

  Facing the young people whose passion had been stirred up, Dean didn't wait any longer and shouted directly.

  "Western Forest!"

  "Arrived, Captain!"

  The young militia captain answered loudly and stood up straight.

  "Lead your squad to the outpost I previously guarded to set up an ambush - that's where the bandits and the Til Kingdom are closest, and if they want to retreat into the snowy forest, it's a must-pass route! Remember, your mission is only to set up an ambush, report immediately after discovering any traces!"

  "Yes, Captain!"

  The young militia captain gave a somewhat unstandard military salute, then retreated to the side under Dean's gesture. Later, Dean's gaze turned to Ake, and he said: "Although we have maintained those swords before, but if you want to really fight, these swords are still not enough; let alone, aren't you good at archery?"

  Including two militia captains, all young people nodded unconsciously.

  "But our warehouse doesn't have any bows and arrows."

  "There isn't one there, but in Til Town they do! As a town where hunters gather, every household should have a hidden bow!"

  As soon as these words came out, the young people in the hall were stunned - it was clear that they had thought of something bad.

  Using some excuses to confiscate the belongings of civilians is really too common for nobles, although Baron Teir didn't do it, but several barons around him often did such things, and young people living in the territory of Teir naturally had heard about it.

  What's more, this time the collection is of bows and arrows - for a hunter's family, bows and arrows are the foundation of survival, everyone knows it in their hearts.

  Unless it is at the last moment, no hunter will take out his bow and arrow as a pledge.

  At this moment, the atmosphere in the entire hall was stifling, as if it were about to solidify.

  However, Dean wouldn't give these young people who had just been recruited a chance to daydream. He directly pulled out a pouch of money and threw it at the thin militia captain: "There are twenty gold coins in here. Fifteen of them will be enough for you to buy equipment and bows and arrows for everyone! The remaining five coins need to be used to buy a large amount of food. After leaving the military camp, there won't be any more food at that sentry post!"

  The young people who had thought Dean was up to no good at this time all lowered their heads in shame, and the thin and weak militia captain's face turned bright red. Another militia captain looked at Dean with excitement - it was clear that he hadn't expected Dean to think of their food specially.

  In fact, in Xiren's heart, if they could bring the leftover food from this celebration banquet as dry rations for this trip, that would be the best thing.

  But his natural way was just a luxury, the most likely thing was the dry rations made from hard black wheat, buckwheat and some wild vegetables mixed together in the military camp kitchen - in fact, they were eating this for most of the time; even if they used fire to heat it up, it still felt like gnawing on a piece of dry earth.

  As for rebuying?

  Such things were no longer a luxury, and Xiren didn't even dare to think about it.

  But it's something I didn't even dare think about, yet it happened anyway.

  Looking at the young man sitting there continuing to arrange the remaining tasks, Xilun had a strange feeling for the first time - really hoping that Lord Dean could always sit here as our team leader.

  Undoubtedly, such a feeling is absolutely not just Xiren alone. Those young people who went to garrison were all excitedly looking at Dean.

  What about the former team leader Pots?

  Nature is forever good and never comes back.

  As for the inner voices of young people, Dean was unaware, but looking at the expressions of these young people, Dean could guess a thing or two.

  And that's exactly what he needs - a one-time thing to get these young people under his wing, no matter how simple or naive they are.

  Apart from the time accumulated day by day and month by month, it is naturally necessary to go through such tests of kindness and severity again and again.

  Of course, for these simple-minded young people in front of them, "恩" is undoubtedly more important - the hunters' longbow, although also called longbow, but it's different from the one provided by Long Lang, and is a simplified version. After all, the hunters' longbows are all made by themselves.

  Although it's also considered good, wanting to reach the level of a true bow master is impossible. Apart from materials, it's more about craftsmanship.

  Hunters' "longbows" are worth several times less than those made by real bowyers.

  In general, a longbow made of good materials but crafted by an unknown bowyer would cost at most six or seven silver angles.

  Normally, the price of a longbow made by an unknown bowyer is two or three times that of one made by a hunter, and sometimes even higher.

  So, fifteen gold pounds and a full one hundred fifty silver angles are more than enough to buy about thirty longbows made by hunters, it's even more than double the amount.

  "Troop, captain, this is really too much! If we buy bows and arrows, half would be enough!"

  The thin and weak militia captain handed the purse in his hand to Dean, as if it were a hot potato, and stuttered to Dean.

  "Then select for me longbows of sufficient value and enough arrows, remember, these are the weapons you will be using yourselves, absolutely no carelessness is allowed, because this concerns your lives - now, Captain Aike, I order you to lead a sufficient number of men to purchase bows and arrows, can it be done?"

  Deane had never taken a bribe, he looked at the frail militia captain in front of him and said very seriously.

  "Got it!"

  The frail militia captain answered loudly, then, under Dean's gaze, nodded to six fellow travelers and turned to walk out of the military camp.

  "Western Forest!"

  Deen shouted.

  "Arrived!"

  The remaining militia captain immediately replied loudly.

  "Before Aike comes back, you lead your men to start resting and switch the ones on duty with the auxiliary soldiers!"

  Dein ordered.

  "Yes, Captain!"

  The militia captain saluted again and then turned around and left.

  Compared with before, this military salute is undoubtedly standardized a bit more.

  ……

  As the sunset dyed the snow on both sides of the road in front of the General's camp with a layer of red, Aike returned to the camp with his six companions.

  Not only did they bring back enough longbows and arrows for thirty people, but also a considerable amount of food, so much that six strong young men collapsed on the floor of the hall as soon as they returned to the barracks, panting and needing others to help them take off their things.

  Xiren first ran over and handed one of the longbows and several arrows to Dean.

  Holding the longbow and arrows handed over by his subordinates, Dean can be sure that this is absolutely a good longbow and arrow in the hands of hunters. Although there are no purely steel-made arrows and bow staves, they are all made of tough and high-quality birch wood - which is definitely not a simple thing. At least from the initial selection of materials to oil immersion, drying and other processes, it takes almost a year, plus the subsequent maintenance of the bowstring and longbow, this time and effort will be spent even more.

  There is no doubt that the thin militia captain was doing this thing with great care.

  Not only did he make the most of what he spent on Kimpton, but even more so - and this excess was naturally the result of Aike's own efforts.

  After all, there are some things that money can't buy.

  It's just like the yew bow in his hand, an absolutely indispensable weapon and survival tool for every hunter, with no relation to how much gold is spent on it - don't underestimate the stubbornness of mountain people, and as a representative of the mountain people, the Tylers are even more so.

  "Ai Ke, you've done a great job!"

  Dien said, taking out three gold buttons and placing them in the hands of the slender militia captain - when it came to rewarding his subordinates for their achievements, Dien was never stingy, let alone with these longbows in his hands, which were worth such a difference. After re-examining them, Dien was very certain.

  Moreover, Dean couldn't bring himself to let his subordinates 'make up' for the difference.

  "Group, group leader, this, this..."

  The militia captain sitting on the floor immediately jumped up and looked at the Kimber in his hand with a fluster.

  "One of them is a reward for you and the six people who completed this task, as for how to distribute it, that's up to you!" Dean said, then sat back in his own seat, stretched out his hand and pointed to his eyes: "The rest are the price difference of these longbows - I don't want others to misunderstand, thinking I'm doing this for some private motive!"

  "Everyone is willing, and the gold you gave us earlier, Captain, is already enough..."

  The thin and weak militia captain was explaining painstakingly.

  "We all know these things, but what about others? Especially some of my enemies who absolutely don't mind pouring dirty water on me and making it a stain for the rest of my life!"

  Dean directly pulled the relationship between the two parties closer, and with a hint of meaning, he said - integrating himself into a group, establishing mutual interests, and creating an imaginary enemy who wants to compete for these interests, will undoubtedly bring the relationship between each other closer.

  Although it's not good to use such means against some innocent young people, in order to unite this team around him in a short period of time, Dean had no choice but to use some means.

  "Xilun, now select suitable bows and arrows and enough food, then take your long guns and start heading to the outpost - every other day, I need to know the news from there. You can bring two horses as a preparation for sending messages! Remember, I only need defense and surveillance, not combat!"

  Deane once again reminded him.

  "Yes, Captain!"

  Xileng loudly replied, leading his team to start preparing, while Aike and others on the side also began to help their companions and friends prepare, and from time to time sent some words of blessing - as if they were new recruits going to the battlefield for the first time, even though their task looked very simple.

  Dean, sitting in the chair, slowly moved his gaze and when he saw the clouds outside the door dyed red by the sunset, like fresh blood, he couldn't help but think silently: "A bloody battle... will last for a long time!"

  It's too late for me to be decadent... Sorry to say~~~ Once again, I'm asking for everyone's support~~~