The Model Knight Squad
To the west of Iowa Valley ran a Boundary River. Now, the western bank of the Boundary River had practically been crammed full by a chain of camps stretching for dozens of miles. Even Landen's old Barbarian camp was pitifully small compared to the linked encampments along the riverbank.
From the air, most of those camps appeared to be burrows. Several kilometers of flat ground had been ruined beyond recognition by vast stretches of rat holes. Only a very few spots contained large tents like those of the Barbarians, standing out among the earthen pits like cranes among chickens.
"There must be tens of thousands of rats across such a huge area, right?" Blaze sent Landen a message, its tone thick with worry.
"I don't think that many Ratmen could break through the mountain pass, but what are they after? Dying in service to the Beastmen Royal Court?" More than unease, Landen felt bewilderment. He could not understand the logic behind the Ratman army massing at the border.
When he returned to the castle on Iowa's South Slope, the many subordinates awaiting him already knew about the situation west of the Boundary River. Their faces were all troubled, and Landen had barely arrived at the castle, without even having time to pet a cat, before he had to rally them.
"I've seen those Ratmen in Abadi. Ordinary Ratmen are a little shorter than Nila, and even the biggest ones are shorter than Little Hilt," Landen said, using his own people as examples as he waved his fist with fighting spirit. "With that kind of combat strength, it doesn't matter how many come. Our knight order's new armor is nearly complete. Pair it with Black-Scaled Horses, and one blaze will sweep through them in droves!"
Landen's words