March on Hulek Forest and reclaim the land that belonged to us Cormyrians.
Aaron's call immediately drew an enthusiastic response from everyone. Apart from the Dwarves, everyone in the castle hall longed for battle. Even the Clerics of Selûne, who most cherished peace and advocated kindness, answered Eleanor's call, intending to bestow the Punishment of the Dark Moon upon their enemies in Selûne's name.
At Aaron's summons, the army swiftly assembled. The entire Ninth Shepherd Legion mobilized, with every major fighting unit deployed. Only Fairy Princess Buer remained behind to defend Sunset Town.
Beneath the biting autumn wind, recruitment orders went out as well. Aaron's Black Eagle Guard posted notices for the upcoming Expansion War in every village across the Sunset Lands.
As it turned out, Aaron had greatly underestimated the people's enthusiasm for war. Upon hearing that their lord intended to launch an Expansion War into Hulek Forest, everyone eagerly signed up, especially the farmers who had finished harvesting and entered the slack season. This year, under Buer's guidance of the power of Isha, every one of them had enjoyed an unimaginably bountiful harvest. Aaron's grain tax was also fairly low. Even though they still had to pay a tithe of one part in thirty-five to Chauntea, the Earth Mother, the farmers accepted it.
After all, their harvests had quadrupled!
Merchants began traveling into the countryside to buy grain. Once the farmers sold their surplus and had a few gleaming Golden Lions in their pockets, they naturally began entertaining other ideas.
They had heard that a farmer named Douglas had gone into town to perform compulsory labor. Not only had he avoided starving to death, but his hard work had earned him rewards, and he had risen all the way to become a regular soldier in the Shepherd Legion.