Expedition

The date arrived at Imperial Calendar 1157, March 32nd, Thursday. Morning, cloudy.

Sean brought Thor and Phil along with him to the Garrison barracks early in the morning; afterwards, they all participated in the Oath-taking Rally before the Expedition. After various figures from different factions made their appearances, Lieutenant Colonel Merkel, serving as the Commander-in-Chief, issued the order to set out.

This expedition to suppress the River Bandit Gang consisted of 1,200 soldiers from one battalion and four independent companies, divided into three echelons to head to the combat zone in the Southern Wilderness Region.

The First Echelon, serving as the Advance Team, was composed of 400 soldiers from one company and one battalion, and had already assembled and departed yesterday morning. They would carry minimal supplies, cross the Dorosun River, then travel by land along the southern bank of the Dorosun River to reach the combat zone ahead of time. They were also responsible for setting up temporary camps and defensive positions for the main force, as well as gathering specific intelligence on the River Bandit Gang.

Sean and his independent company were assigned to the Second Echelon, along with the other three independent companies. The Second Echelon was Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's Direct Command Unit, consisting of 500 soldiers from one company and four independent companies. They were to follow him as they boarded ships at the Dock Area of Linshui City and sailed upstream along the Dorosun River. The voyage would take about two days, after which they would turn into the Lingnan River, a tributary of the Dorosun River, and continue sailing south. Upon entering the combat zone, they would rendezvous at the temporary camp set up in advance by the First Echelon.

As for the Third Echelon, it consisted of only 300 soldiers from one company. They would be responsible for transporting the vast majority of the army's grain and other logistical supplies by horse-drawn carts along the northern bank of the Dorosun River to the small town at the confluence with the Lingnan River, where they would stand guard and wait for the Second Echelon to rendezvous with the Advance Team. Only then could the transport ships be freed up to return to the confluence of the two rivers to carry the grain and supplies to the temporary camp. After all supplies were in place, they would sail to join the others.

To ensure the smooth boarding of all officers and soldiers of the Second Echelon, Linshui City had not only mobilized all patrol boats but also requisitioned a large number of fishing boats. Sean's company was allocated one patrol boat and one fishing boat responsible for transporting the company's logistical carts. He boarded the patrol boat with Thor and Phil, along with four squads of soldiers. The remaining squad was responsible for guarding the fishing boat carrying the carts, under the command of Sergeant Donnie. The two groups would rendezvous after reaching their destination.

Sean's independent company had no directly supervising superior officer. This was in consideration of his status as a Cadet Officer, as he was not yet a true professional soldier. The other three independent companies were similarly led by Cadet Officers like Sean. Thus, all four independent companies would effectively be under the direct command of Lieutenant Colonel Merkel.

Soon, the soldiers of the Second Echelon boarded the waiting ships one after another. After the responsible officers conducted inspections and confirmed everything, the Flagship, flying the command flag, set off first. Sean also commanded his ship to follow closely and depart from the harbor. As the soldiers in the cabin chanted in unison and pulled hard on the oars, Linshui City gradually grew smaller in Sean's view until it completely disappeared.

Because the middle reaches of the Dorosun River lacked large lakes to regulate and buffer the water level, the river would flood every summer and autumn. Additionally, the terrain of the Southern District on the northern bank was slightly higher than that of the Southern Wilderness Region on the southern bank, so the floodwaters would mostly rush toward the southern bank.

This had created the empire's largest swamp area, the Southern Wilderness Great Swamp. The River Bandit Gang responsible for the recent kidnapping of nobles was active in the central area of the Southern Wilderness Great Swamp, nearly a hundred kilometers southwest of Linshui City.

The Southern Wilderness Great Swamp was not entirely unsuitable for human habitation; rather, it was like an archipelago. Amidst the densely packed swamps were terrains such as small hills, forests, and small plains. During the current dry season, the area of land that could be traversed or used for combat became even larger.

This time, the Garrison would penetrate deep into the Southern Wilderness Great Swamp. According to the intelligence obtained, the River Bandit Gang to be eliminated numbered nearly 500 people. It was also one of the largest bandit groups in the entire Southern Wilderness Great Swamp.

But even so, the strength of this River Bandit Gang was still far inferior to that of the expeditionary force. Their actual combat effectiveness could only match that of a company of 300 soldiers. Setting aside the disparity in weapons and equipment, there was a huge gap in the completeness of training organization and logistical support. In Sean's view, the strength of a large-scale army did not lie in individual martial prowess, but in the casualty rate the army could endure—that is, the rate of casualties at which it could still persist in battle without collapsing.

Because in a frontal battle between two armies, the number of soldiers killed or wounded was far less than the losses suffered during a rout after a collapse. Generally, an ancient army that could endure a 10% casualty rate was already considered a strong army, while a modern army could even continue fighting at a 50% casualty rate. Therefore, in Sean's view, under the same numbers and disregarding differences in martial skill, a modern army, even with cold weapons, could almost unilaterally slaughter an ancient army. The reason for this was related to the training methods of modern armies, which emphasized discipline as the essence, treating an army as a single entity...

And obviously, bandits, river pirates, and the like lacked strict discipline; they were only good at fighting when the wind was at their backs or in pursuit.

Time came to the afternoon of that day. After eating a simple lunch prepared by Phil on the patrol boat, Sean stood alone on the deck, looking at the scenery on both banks. It was nearly April, and the banks were lush with green grass, presenting a vibrant scene. However, the northern bank had neat farmland, while the southern bank was only overgrown with wild weeds.

The fleet's sailing speed was very slow that day, covering less than 30 kilometers in over three hours. Sean practiced the Riding Secret Method alone on the deck, not wanting to miss a single day of training.

Only through persistent effort can one see the final scenery. Sean planned to complete his training for these days during the afternoon period. From a practical standpoint, the afternoon was probably the safest time. The night might require more vigilance; once caught in a night raid, a chaotic army was very dangerous.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Southern Wilderness Region, in a river bend on the middle reaches of the Lingnan River, dozens of fast boats of various sizes were moored. This was the infamous Gil River Bandit Group's base. It was also the central area of the Southern Wilderness Great Swamp, with vast stretches of swamp and reed wetlands. The terrain here was very complex, and with few outsiders visiting year-round, it was very secluded.

The Gil River Bandit Group had existed here for decades. What it was originally called was now forgotten by anyone. But ever since the current leader, Gil, became the boss of the River Bandit Group, it had taken its present name.

Gil, who had been the leader for over a decade, had originally been relatively relaxed. His only task was to keep an eye on his ambitious underlings, carefully guarding against any tricks they might pull, just as he had done to the previous leader half a month ago.

Half a month ago, Max, the leader of another large bandit group, sent someone to seek an audience with him. He requested that Gil capture a person for the Max Bandit Group on the Dorosun River, and promised to pay a large sum of money as thanks upon completion.

Gil did not agree to the request on the spot. He was not a fresh rookie; he would not rashly agree without knowing the specific identity of the target. After all, even as a bandit, one had to consider one's own reputation.

Gil pressed for the target's specific identity while sending trusted subordinates to gather information on the grapevine. After several days of investigation, Gil confirmed that the person Max wanted to kidnap was merely an old blacksmith.

This delighted Gil immensely. Without further hesitation, after some bargaining, he agreed to the request. He then sent his river bandits to take turns monitoring the situation on the Dorosun River. Whenever a boat passed, they would immediately rob it while looking for travelers matching the description.

The bandits of the Southern Wilderness Region did not rely solely on plunder for survival; at most, it was only an occasional side job. They had to cultivate some land within their actual control to grow grain and other crops, ensuring they wouldn't suffer from hunger. After all, the Southern Wilderness Region was so barren that sometimes months would pass without any potential victims passing by.

The Gil River Bandit Group also had large tracts of farmland cultivated near the small hill at their base. However, this year's rainfall had been heavier than in previous years, causing Gil and his many chieftain-level river bandits to worry about the scale of this year's floods.

Among them, one big, crude chieftain had done something stupid a few days ago while plundering a boat: he kidnapped a Noble Cadet to extort grain. This infuriated Leader Gil, who wished he could personally kill this fool. But he also knew clearly that even if he did, it would be useless. So in recent days, he had to be cautious, constantly sending clever subordinates to scout the movements of Linshui City.

"Brothers, speak up. What should we do now?" Leader Gil, after receiving news of Linshui City's expedition, asked his chieftains with displeasure.

The dozen or so chieftains sitting below Gil exchanged glances and then, as if by tacit agreement, glanced at the troublemaking Big Boss chieftain.

Big Boss felt a chill run down his spine from the strange looks everyone was giving him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and tentatively suggested to Leader Gil, "Boss Gil, we could ask Leader Max's bandit group for help..." He finished with a humble smile at Leader Gil, his eyes full of fawning intent.

"Help? Damn it..." Leader Gil, upon hearing Big Boss's suggestion, let out a huge roar. The sound was so loud it seemed to shake the entire meeting hall. He panted heavily, venting the pent-up frustration of the past few days—not just because his subordinate had courted deadly trouble, but also because after handing over the old blacksmith to the Max Bandit Group, the other side had immediately reneged on their deal, failing to pay the full bounty as agreed.

"Boss, calm down." The dozen or so chieftains tried to soothe Gil as he roared. After a while, Leader Gil's anger subsided. Just then, another river bandit chieftain suggested, "Boss, I heard the Garrison's grain hasn't arrived yet. How about..." He glanced toward Big Boss as he spoke, which immediately caught Gil's attention.

The two's undisguised gazes quickly drew responses from the other chieftains present. Being stared at with strange eyes by his boss and the other chieftains in the hall made Big Boss feel an inexplicable panic. He then realized that disaster was likely about to befall him.

After the crowd of river bandits in the hall discussed for another half hour, Big Boss walked out of the meeting hall with a pale face.