Reinforcements Arrive

After confirming the location of the Green Grass Tribe's encampment, the news was relayed back to camp, and Victor once again summoned all the military officers to a meeting.

"The Green Grass Tribe's location has been confirmed. Crossing the river and heading north, it's roughly sixty kilometers away. If we use only cavalry while preserving enough stamina for battle, it will take two days. If we bring infantry, it will take three. After the battle, we'll still need to transport the captives back to the riverbank. The round trip will take five to eight days. Time is very tight." Victor explained the difficulties of the campaign to the others.

"We can fight. The Green Grass Tribe has fewer than five hundred men who can truly fight. But just as you said, even if we take them down, aside from those five hundred able-bodied men, they have over two thousand elderly, women, and children, along with tens of thousands of livestock. We have to be able to hold what we take. If we can't bring the spoils back, this battle isn't worth fighting." Santos also supported Victor's view.

"But if we don't fight, it'll be difficult to recruit barbarian soldiers from the captives later. Our current manpower shortage won't be solved either." Ron still preferred to fight.

Jack also agreed with Ron. There would definitely be many difficulties if they fought, but if they did not, many of the problems they currently faced would be even harder to solve.

James thought for a moment before saying, "What if we give all the infantry horses, then have them dismount to fight once we arrive? Wouldn't that reduce the overall time needed for the campaign?"

Victor raised an eyebrow and thought, Who would have expected it? James, you thick-browed idiot, can actually come up with such a workable suggestion.

Victor then directly asked Powell, who had been listening in from the side, "Do we have enough horses? Can we meet the needs of five hundred infantrymen?"

"Rest assured, my lord, we definitely have enough horses. Our cavalrymen originally had two horses each, and we also have a large number of inferior horses used for transport. The only question is whether all the infantry can ride, and many of the horses are Draft Horses. They can pull carts, but they aren't suitable for riding," Powell said.

Victor considered it for a while before replying, "That won't be a problem. Many infantrymen can ride, though their skills are rather poor. And since we have carriages, those who can't ride can sit in them. We only need to ensure the army's marching speed."

"But even if we march faster and save time, that doesn't mean we can speed up the relocation of the captives. After all, that's three thousand people and tens of thousands of livestock. We only have one hundred and fifty cavalrymen available. When the time comes, if they scatter in every direction, we won't even be able to catch them all." Santos continued to pour cold water on the plan.

Ron said angrily, "In the end, it all comes down to lacking manpower. But if we don't fight, the manpower problem can't be solved."

Just then, a messenger arrived at the entrance of the tent and said he had an important report. Victor let him in. The messenger handed over a dispatch tube. Victor opened it and glanced over the words inside, and his furrowed brow immediately relaxed.

"Everyone, prepare for battle. Return to your units now and begin deployment immediately. We march tomorrow morning."

Everyone was puzzled by Victor's sudden change in attitude. Upon seeing the dispatch tube, Ron suddenly realized something and asked directly, "Has the Edelweiss Flower cavalry arrived?"

Victor nodded. "The two hundred Light Cavalry leased from Edelweiss Territory have arrived in the territory. Their vanguard has already made contact with our patrols. The main force will reach Wood Fort Town by noon. Once they arrive, our cavalry force will more than double, and the manpower problem will be solved."

Everyone was delighted. They could now follow their previous plan and send troops to conquer the Green Grass Tribe. The captured barbarian herders could not only serve as laborers, but also as a source of soldiers. The vast amount of livestock could help develop the territory and be distributed as spoils.

At noon, Edelweiss Territory's cavalry force arrived at Wood Fort Town. Victor had already arranged a welcoming banquet. The knight leading Edelweiss Territory's troops was named Jackson Edelweiss, Ron's cousin. After meeting Victor, he handed over the half-sword symbolizing military command, indicating that they would henceforth obey Victor's orders.

After the banquet ended, Victor brought Jackson into the meeting and explained the next battle plan. Jackson readily agreed and said he would act according to Victor's orders.

Victor was delighted to see that Jackson was so reasonable, and he was deeply grateful to his grandfather for providing him with such immense support.

However, for greater command efficiency, Victor split the two hundred Light Cavalry into two units of one hundred, led separately by Jackson and Ron. Ron's original subordinates would be commanded directly by Jack.

Once everything had been settled, the departure time was set for the following morning. Edelweiss Territory's troops needed at least one night of rest. Even though Jackson said it was unnecessary since they had not made a forced march, Victor told him, "A good meal is worth waiting for. The more thoroughly we prepare, the more glorious our victory will be."

The remaining work involved gathering supplies and organizing the horses, ensuring that each of the five hundred infantrymen who could ride had a horse, while those who could not had a carriage to sit in. Powell and his group of clerks were run ragged by the task.

Seeing this, Victor planned to have Number 1 produce a textbook for the clerks to study, so they could handle such matters of calculation and allocation more smoothly in the future.

In the end, Victor did not disturb those frantic clerks. If he got involved, he would probably have to participate as well. As one who used his mind, he would not use his labor—after all, Baron Victor had plenty of beasts of burden.

Victor went to the wounded soldiers' camp. This was part of his daily routine. After all, by spending only a little time and offering words of comfort to the wounded, he could gain a group of loyal soldiers. There was no more profitable bargain than that. That was why Victor could not bring himself to treat these warriors, who had sworn to serve him unto death over just a few comforting words, as expendable resources.

After speaking with the wounded soldiers for a while, Victor left and returned to his tent.

Sitting before his desk, he thought for a while, then took out a sheet of papyrus and began writing. He had been in the territory for eight days and had left Golden Sunflower Territory eighteen days ago. It was time to write a letter home. Once they took down the Green Grass Tribe in two days, the fleet should begin its return journey. Otherwise, it would be difficult to complete two more shipments before winter arrived.

Victor wrote as he thought, focusing on his experiences during this period, introducing the general situation of the territory, and outlining the priorities for distributing the next batch of supplies. Finally, he wrote of how much he missed his family.

Victor had already integrated into this world and gained a new family. That was why he was willing to become the heir of Beacon Lighthouse—not only to fulfill his ambitions, but also to protect the world that had gently accepted him.