Subduing

The next morning, after a night of rest, all troops had recovered their combat readiness.

Victor decided to depart in the morning to eliminate the remnants of the Wind Corner Tribe. At the same time, he dispatched Captain Jack to scout along the riverbanks, looking for suitable crossing points and dock locations.

Soon, all combat troops were ready to move out. The auxiliary troops were cleaning up the camp; they would not participate in this battle. After tidying up, they would help the stranded troop transport ships get back into the river channel before heading to the Wood Fort stronghold.

Victor took a brief look at all the troops. Their morale was high, and most of them appeared both excited and expectant, full of confidence in victory.

Victor waved his hand, signaling the troops to depart in order. The cavalry naturally took the lead. After a night of rest, both men and horses had recovered well. However, this was a normal march, so there was no need to increase their speed.

The cavalry advanced westward in three columns, a pleasing sight to behold. Maintaining formation during the march was also a form of training.

Victor watched the cavalry depart, then glanced at Santos, who was directing the infantry's departure. The infantry could not travel by boat this time, so their marching speed would be much slower. Fortunately, they had borrowed half the supply carts from the auxiliary troops, allowing them to transport their weapons and supplies, effectively marching with lighter loads and ensuring a reasonable pace.

After confirming that the infantry had also begun their march, Victor left directly, heading west to catch up with the cavalry.

They were about ten kilometers from the Wood Fort stronghold. It was now 9 AM. At a normal pace, the cavalry would arrive by 11 AM. Considering it would be best to wait for the infantry to launch the attack together, Victor planned to have the cavalry establish battlefield cover upon arrival to prevent anyone from escaping or sending warnings.

During the march, Victor also inquired about Ron, James, and Jack's squads, ultimately learning that the casualty figures indeed represented a favorable exchange ratio.

Victor mentally contacted Number 1: "Organize the data and create a campaign settlement interface for me."

"Task confirmed, Victor. It will take 1 minute."

Soon, the campaign settlement interface appeared before Victor:

Victor Legion Combat Report

Commander: Victor

Troop Status

Participating Cavalry: 147

Killed in Action: 6

Severely Wounded (Unable to return to the army): 8

Lightly Wounded (Under control, can return to the army): 21

Participating Infantry:

Lightly Wounded: 11

Enemy Details:

Enemy Unarmored Cavalry: 413

Defeated: 413

Killed: 276

Captured: 137

Glorious Victory!

Victor nodded in satisfaction, but still requested that the UI be further improved, reminding Number 1 to remain humble and continue striving.

A little past 11 AM, Victor led the cavalry to a small hill near the Wood Fort. Victor, mounted on his horse, surveyed the land.

The choice of this stronghold was indeed excellent. It was situated on relatively high ground in the surrounding grasslands, with two small rivers encircling it. The river surface was narrow, only navigable by small fishing boats at most, and lacked commercial value unless widened and improved.

From a distance, the dilapidated wooden fort stood in the center of the land. If one stood on the watchtower of the fort, combined with the terrain, there would be a height difference of over twenty meters from the ground below, allowing for observation of the surrounding grassland up to ten kilometers away.

Victor decided this would be the center of his territory. He planned to redesign it, widen the small river, and allow for the entry of smaller inland merchant ships. There would be no shortage of water, as they were tributaries of the Great Fish River.

By digging two artificial rivers between the two existing rivers around the land of the Wood Fort, a 10-square-kilometer area could be enclosed as the center of the territory. The riverbeds would be dredged and cleared, serving as both a moat and a transportation waterway.

With these ideas in mind, Victor directly instructed Number 1 to add a task: to develop a construction plan for this land.

After confirming the task, Victor stopped paying attention to the progress of the "mounts and external systems" and directly summoned Ron, James, and Jack.

"Later, you will take turns leading men to clear the surroundings. For ordinary herders, try to drive them away without causing casualties. If they are soldiers of the Green Grass Tribe, make sure they cannot flee north.

"Today's order will be Jack's squad, then James's squad, and finally Ron's squad. We have already achieved victory, so do not act recklessly. Absolutely no casualties should occur."

After confirming, the three men took their respective tasks and left to make arrangements. Jack quickly led his men out, while Victor, with Michael, continued to observe from the hillside.

The troops were advancing towards the barbarian camp around the Wood Fort. Although not large in scale, their coordinated formations exuded immense pressure. Chaos had erupted in the barbarian camp, with people occasionally rushing out, only to be driven back by the cavalry patrolling the perimeter. Those who disobeyed were pursued and cut down.

It was now 2 PM. Before 1 PM, the infantry had arrived on the battlefield and spent an hour resting, eating, and organizing their weapons and equipment.

At precisely 2 PM, Victor notified the troops to begin the assault. All the cavalry were spread out to prevent anyone from escaping. The infantry were more effective for attacking the camp.

Although this barbarian camp was very dilapidated, with few intact fences and virtually no defensive capabilities, the cavalry could have taken it with a charge. However, Victor intended to use these barbarians as his serfs in the future, and he wanted them to have a deep impression of his power for easier management.

Therefore, Victor had the infantry advance in full gear, forming a square formation. Their approach from the direction of the camp was incredibly imposing.

Everything proceeded smoothly afterward, with no real combat. Upon the infantry's arrival at the camp, all the herders knelt and surrendered amidst the shouting.

In the evening, the auxiliary troops arrived. Victor's forces set up camp for the night, planning to make simple arrangements for the night and then repair the camp the next day.

Captain Jack also arrived with his men. Approximately 11 kilometers to the northwest, he had discovered a suitable location for an inland dock. The water flow there was calm, making it suitable for crossing the river, and it was adjacent to the fork of the small river flowing past the Wood Fort.

After further detailed inquiries, Victor decided to build an inland dock there. The river widening project would primarily focus on this small river. As this river was located west of the Wood Fort, Victor simply named it the Little West River. By extension, the other river would be called the Little East River.

Once the inland dock construction was complete, larger ships could unload their cargo there and transfer it to smaller boats. These boats would then transport the goods via the widened Little West River to Wood Fort Town. Victor, not being skilled at naming things, simply named this future center of his territory Wood Fort Town.