Military service in Wilderness Town had always remained at a relatively primitive stage. It could simply be understood as a system of Recruits, with land serving as the bond and Allen's prestige as their leader forming its foundation. Postwar honors and rewards provided the incentive, encouraging the young and able-bodied men under his rule to join the army so he could deal with crises facing his territory.
This was undoubtedly an excellent arrangement. Exchanging land for fighting strength was convenient and required little trouble, making it especially suitable for a power like Allen's, which had only been established five or six years earlier.
Allen possessed vast tracts of land, and his territory was not particularly crowded. Wilderness Town's current population ceiling took future population growth and development into account; it did not mean that the land was already overcrowded.
That was impossible, of course. After all, this was a territory covering over ten thousand square kilometers. Although much of it was unsuitable for cultivation, plenty of suitable land remained undeveloped. It was just that the existing policies were bound to drive rapid population growth in Wilderness Town. He could hardly make residents move away when that happened, so Allen provisionally declared the area at capacity and directed new arrivals to settle in nearby Eowya.
Moreover, the surrounding region had gradually settled down after several years of fighting, and powerful allies stood nearby. With their training and equipment, his soldiers were also strong enough to meet most military demands.
After the conflict with the Easterlings, however, things had changed somewhat, because Allen had expanded his territory too far. Previously, he had only needed to defend his base in Wilderness Town and the Pasture near Horse-herding Village.
Back then, having the able-bodied men serve as soldiers in wartime and farmers in peacetime