Victory Celebration Feast

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Reiner got dressed with the help of his attendants, pulling a layer of leather armor over his clothes. He lazily stepped out of his tent to find the soldiers already awake, having started fires and begun cooking.

Clay pots hung over the flames; a handful of snow tossed in would quickly boil into hot water. The soldiers then threw in hulled oats and a bit of dried salted meat, and breakfast was complete.

This was already excellent fare. Fresh meat was incredibly precious. What they were eating now was dried meat from animals hunted by archers in the forest during autumn and summer, as well as meat from sheep too old to produce. Before Reiner improved their provisions, they had never eaten such things.

Reiner was also served this meal. The taste, well, it wasn't particularly good, but thankfully, it wasn't inedible. The slightly salty dried meat was quite chewy. He was never a picky eater, so he finished his food quickly.

After breakfast, the soldiers assembled under Reiner's command and set off again on their journey home.

The remaining journey wasn't long. That afternoon, Reiner led his army back to Morland Castle. Strangely, even though he had only been gone for three days, Reiner felt as if an age had passed.

When Morland Castle, not grand but sturdy, appeared on the white horizon, the soldiers spontaneously let out a cheer.

Reiner had left ten soldiers stationed in Goer Castle to control it. His forces were already stretched thin, but there was nothing for it. Maintaining even a few dozen regular soldiers was the limit for Morland Castle.

Drafting one man out of every ten adult males into the army was already a very dangerous, almost catastrophic situation for a territory. Reiner currently had direct control over just over 1,500 residents. Maintaining this many standing troops was already quite good. Although he had gained Goer Castle and its residents, it wouldn't be easy to convert them into an army.

Arming an army cost money. For lords of this era, as long as they maintained a small contingent of regular troops to ensure they wouldn't be caught off guard and immediately defeated, they could then call upon serfs and free men to fight.

However, being caught off guard wasn't common. Not to mention that private duels had been forbidden within The Empire for twenty years. Even if private wars did occur, they usually involved both sides issuing a declaration of war, agreeing to a battle, and then deploying all their forces for a single engagement.

But Reiner disliked this model. Imagine, for example, playing Mount and Blade: you have a group of Swadian recruits, and the enemy also has a group of Swadian recruits. Both sides then engage in a chaotic melee. To Reiner, this was simply intolerable.

He didn't know what tactics others used in Mount and Blade, but he personally preferred the "fifty Swadian knights steamroll everything" approach, dominating the world.

He also understood that instead of expending valuable productive citizens in battle, it was better to let them continue producing where they were, and then arm a group of well-equipped and well-trained professional regular soldiers for combat.

Following the other method, there were many countries and lords who always won battles but became poorer with each victory. This wasn't difficult to understand; if all the able-bodied laborers at home were drawn into war, with no one to farm or work, wouldn't they just become poorer?

Reiner felt it wasn't worth sacrificing so much labor just to save a bit of money. Forming his own elite regular army was an issue that had to be put on the agenda.

However, the immediate priority was to exchange for a unit from the System. Reiner wasn't worried about being able to afford their wages. The iron produced by the extra iron mine in Goer Castle could be organized into caravans and sold within The Empire, or even processed into chainmail and sold, potentially fetching as high as ten gold coins per piece.

He only hoped to command a powerful army to protect his territory.

The soldiers received their rewards. After a hearty meal in the barracks, they returned home. They would have three days of leave, after which they had to report back to the barracks.

Because Reiner was determined to thoroughly improve his army, after he exchanged for Basic Infantry Drills, he had simply given it to the army to train themselves. While there were results, they weren't very significant.

This time, Reiner intended to personally oversee the army's training. The recent events had given him a warning: he needed a stronger army. Moreover, the Main Quest issued by the System also needed to be completed. Without a powerful army, how could he complete the quest?

Even if he took a step back, to ensure his own safety in such a turbulent situation, a powerful army was essential.

Wendell seemed very happy about Reiner's return. The fact that his older brother had left to travel at a young age and then returned to win three consecutive battles filled the young boy's heart with extreme admiration for Reiner.

"You're so cool, big brother! Those Krad People were practically scared sh*tless by you!" Wendell punched the air, almost jumping off the ground, his face alight with excitement as he spoke to Reiner.

Reiner smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "One day, you'll also appear on the battlefield with your own longsword and armor! Cherish this peaceful time you have now!"

"That's great, big brother! I should be making achievements on the battlefield right now! Next time there's an opportunity, I want to go to the battlefield with you!" Wendell chuckled, making a chopping motion with his hand as if holding a longsword.

Reiner: ...

Well, well, this kid was waiting for me here. When did he get so cunning?

As Reiner and Wendell chatted and laughed, the evening's feast was already prepared. After a war victory, a Victory Celebration Feast was essential.

The servants were bustling, and the cooks were tirelessly preparing the day's dishes in the kitchen, with the kitchen maids assisting. Jars of honey were carried out of the storeroom by servants, and stacks of dried meat were laid out on the dining tables.

Precious spices were added to the cooking broth. For this feast, Reiner had slaughtered five sheep. The entire hall was filled with the rich aroma of wine, as if just a whiff could intoxicate one.

The knights had brought their families from their respective fiefs to attend the feast. They also looked forward to the main event of the feast: the rewards for their merits.

Some squire knights were very eager for their rewards. Unlike before, even when they had distinguished themselves in past battles against the Krad People, they had only received financial compensation because there was no extra land to bestow.

But this time was different. Goer Castle had been brought under the control of the Moreland Family. Some of its subordinate villages would certainly be parceled out as fiefs for the knights. Then, they would truly be knights with their own fiefs, rather than ordinary knights who relied on the Moreland Family for sustenance every day.