Blood Debt, Blood Repaid!

The sky was bright, and the sun hung high overhead. A gentle breeze brushed against them, carrying a refreshing chill. It was the perfect weather for marching.

The soldiers packed up camp and placed their armor on the accompanying wagons. They wore thick padded armor and carried spears over three meters long as they marched lightly toward the northwest.

Although the weather pleased the soldiers wearing thick padded armor, the ground beneath their feet was truly disappointing.

The former battlefield was extremely muddy. It had not rained for the past month, yet what made the ground difficult to traverse was the blood of the warriors sprayed across it.

"Damn it! My boots cost me two copper coins!" A soldier stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

His boots were stuck in the bloody mud. He grumbled as he pulled them free, cursing nonstop. "Damn those western barbarians! Even dead, they still cause me trouble!"

"Stop complaining! If the officers hear you, you'll suffer for it!" His squad captain glared at him. "Hang in there. We'll be leaving this battlefield soon. There are even more achievements and glory waiting for us ahead!"

The long baggage train moved slowly along the winding, rugged road like a giant serpent. It traveled ahead of the marching columns, carrying grain, fodder, beans, and replacement armor parts.

More than a thousand large wagons, pulled by heavy Northern Frontier draft horses, carried enough provisions to feed this fifty-thousand-man army for three months. Behind them, another large supply convoy was continuously setting out from the imperial capital.

"We finally made it out! I'm going to hack off all the enemy's heads! Those weaklings are only fit to be my dogs! Hahahaha!"

A burly, rough-looking man sat on the ground, gripping a waterskin and letting out a hearty roar.