Chapter 735

Following Lakeheart Town's orders, Lion Harbor established a civilian armed group known as the Horn Bay Volunteer Army.

Although it was publicly described as a civilian armed group, its land forces were in fact built around three Marine Corps battalions from the Arda Navy and six newly arrived army battalions. More than five thousand officers and soldiers in total came from the Northwest Bay.

Because they had formally entered the Horn Bay War and might need to conduct military operations deep inland in the future, the Horn Bay Volunteer Army adjusted its command structure. The fleet at sea remained under Fleet Commander Quirk, while the land forces, including the Marine Corps, were placed under the command of Major General Andrew, who had been promoted from commander of the former Bairdin Battalion, also known as the former Fourth Infantry Battalion.

As the army expanded, the Arda Army added new military ranks. Above colonel came Senior Colonel, major general, lieutenant general, and general. At present, both Quirk and Andrew were major generals.

In addition to the regular troops from the Northwest Bay, there were also fifteen thousand local Horn Bay mercenaries serving as an auxiliary force. These mercenaries had originally been formed from Horn Bay mercenary prisoners captured during the Usurper's War. Lakeheart Town had transported them back to Horn Bay and recruited local people to bring their numbers up to the current total.

With the changing situation, the mercenaries' mission expanded from maintaining order and protecting property to participating in combat. Their organization and establishment were also changed to mirror those of the Arda Army. To keep them from holding back the regular army, their training had been intensified as well, using the infantry manuals compiled for the Royal New Army by Claude and the others in Crystal Radiance as ready-made