Fire!

The next morning.

Knight Pell and his Survey Corps had already slipped out. Their mission today would not be easy. Nearly every able-bodied member of the dozen or so nearby Wildling tribes had gone out, leaving mostly the old and weak behind.

The Survey Corps consisted of the best hunters in Crabb Territory, so it would be easy for them to overrun tribes that had only left the old and weak behind.

The problem was that these dozen or so tribes could not all be gathered in one place. If they were, they would be one tribe, not a dozen.

The dozen or so tribes were scattered across the region, each with its own territory of varying size.

Three of the tribes were the largest, each with populations of several hundred.

Gryn had assigned the Survey Corps to target the three largest tribes. They had to take at least two today.

So the key to the day's operation was how quickly the Survey Corps could move.

The experienced Knight Pell naturally understood that. The route was too rugged for horses, and to avoid slowing the march, he had left behind the bright silver plate armor he never usually went without. Instead, he had simply worn the simplified leather armor Gryn had invented over his chainmail.

Knight Pell thought Lord Gryn had made a lot of sense. As long as you always faced the enemy, what was the point of protecting your back?

Knight Pell felt that was how he had always fought on the battlefield.

Though Gryn had not said so outright, Knight Pell felt that he had been indirectly praising his bravery. My lord understands me!

Knight Pell was ambitious. This was the first battle since the lord had inherited House Crabb, and it had to be not only successful, but glorious, to secure his standing as the most loyal knight in Whispers.

With proper command and careful timing, they could take all three major tribes today, since only the old and weak had been left behind.

Once the three major tribes were dealt with, the remaining small tribes would already be terrified and easy to handle. They might not even dare to resist.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Wearing black leather armor embroidered with Marsh Marigolds, Gryn stood on high ground, silently watching the soldiers assemble.

The entire square was noisy, filled with all kinds of sounds.

Gryn soon noticed that the newly formed Thorn Legion, under Amparo, was actually the fastest to gather.

Once the Thorn Legion had assembled, Amparo began inspecting their equipment.

Gryn knew that nothing could be accomplished overnight. He had simply organized a few training tips and reminders for before battle that seemed appropriate for the moment, then passed them on to Amparo.

Amparo followed every instruction to the letter.

That was a kind of talent—or rather, the kind of talent Gryn most wanted in his commanders right now.

Gryn liked Amparo's personality and knew he could rely on her more in the future.

Lena's silver hair and high ponytail made her stand out in the crowd.

After helping Amparo inspect the Thorn Legion's equipment, Lena glanced over at Gryn, said a few more words to Amparo, then jogged toward him.

Gryn noticed Lena jogging his way.

As she ran, Lena bounced a few times. Her lively nature made Gryn smile.

Gryn waved for his guards to step aside.

Lena stopped a few paces from Gryn and bowed. "Sorry to bother you, my lord. It's an honor to meet you."

She had just learned the etiquette from Amparo.

This was the first time Lena had greeted the lord face-to-face. She was thrilled, feeling that she had finally made something of herself.

Lena's voice was clear and sweet.

"You're Lena, right? The deputy to Amparo, commander of the Thorn Legion."

"Oh! I haven't even introduced myself, and you already know my name? My lord, you really are just like the rumors say—you know everything! And the leather gloves you prepared for us are so useful. I tried them out, and my fingers felt much better after shooting repeatedly. The girls are confident they can each fire forty arrows in a row. We promise we'll do it!"

There was plenty of soft leather in the storeroom. Gryn knew that shooting a longbow repeatedly was hard on the fingers, so after making the "new leather armor," he had immediately arranged for leather gloves for the archers.

Lena kept talking, bouncing with excitement as she spoke.

There was still time, and Gryn was patient with the soldiers who would soon be marching out with him. He smiled warmly and let Lena finish without interrupting.

"Right. We were short on time, so some of the gloves may be too big or too small. You'll all get gloves that fit properly later."

"It's okay, it's okay. Look!"

As she spoke, Lena held out her right hand to show off the glove, which fit her perfectly. "I altered it last night. It was easy. The girls whose gloves didn't fit followed along and fixed theirs too!"

"Very good. Go back and support Amparo. Remember: Together We Stand."

"Yes, my lord! Together We Stand!"

The place chosen for the battle with the Mountain Wildlings was about two miles east of Whispers, on relatively flat ground.

By the time the sky was bright, Gryn had led his troops to the chosen battlefield.

He spotted the Mountain Wildlings gathering several hundred meters away, a vast, dark mass.

Knight Mason dismounted and shouted, "Armor up!"

With his deep voice, Mason strode through the moving crowd, occasionally kicking someone into action.

"Shieldmen, gather! Gather!"

"You lazy bastards, get into formation! Quickly, quickly!"

"What are you panicking for? Over there! Move it!"

"If you don't want your wives rolling around in someone else's bed tonight, check your equipment again!"

"Damn it, shoulder to shoulder! Shoulder to shoulder!"

Gryn sat on his horse, with the already assembled Thorn Legion beside him.

Once again, Gryn marveled at the way people on Crackclaw Point fought as if they were meeting for a brawl.

It was completely different from the way battles were fought in the World of Ice and Fire he remembered from his previous life.

If his own army had been well-disciplined and sufficiently trained, Gryn would have ordered them to form up and sweep forward while the other side was still in disarray.

Just as Gryn's side finished forming up, all kinds of strange cries suddenly rose from the Wildlings.

The cries grew more coordinated and louder.

The Wildlings, who had seemed to Gryn to have no formation at all, surged toward his ranks in a dark mass, step by step.

"Marking arrows!"

"Yes! Marking arrows!"

The Wildlings came within range of the conspicuous marking arrows.

"Fire!!!!"