The next moment, the war drums sounded, their thunder echoing across heaven and earth.
As Velin looked at the serious yet youthful faces below, he felt deeply moved.
When he truly counted them, most of them were younger than he was. Only Greg and Doxius were older than him.
The Fourth Battalion and Fifth Battalion had been established in the year 9728 of the Radiant Calendar, forty-three years ago. Their original soldiers had come from the militias of Qixing County and Blue Gauze County. They had initially been formed to address the shortage of defenses during the development of the Underground World. Since then, they had participated in both the kingdom's Seven Years' War against the Dwarves and the Expeditionary War in the Different World, as well as several smaller border conflicts.
Over the decades, personnel had come and gone. From what he had learned over the past few days, few of the original soldiers remained. Some had died in battle, some had retired due to injuries, some had been promoted for their merits, and some had been reassigned when the army was reorganized.
The Fourth Battalion had 3,388 officers and soldiers on its roster, with only twenty-three veterans from its founding still remaining.
The Fifth Battalion had 3,135 officers and soldiers on its roster, with thirty-seven veterans from its founding still remaining.
Greg stepped forward to the front of the platform, clenched his right hand into a fist, and struck his chest with a deafening bang. He reported loudly, "My lord, Greg, commander of the Fourth Battalion, reporting to you. The Fourth Battalion should have 3,388 men present. We have 2,037."
As soon as he finished, Doxius walked forward and stood beside Greg on his right. He struck his chest in salute and said loudly, "Doxius, commander of the