By the time Allen and Hollimion returned to camp together, it was already evening.
With Hollimion accompanying him, Allen conducted a thorough inspection of the camp's defenses, patrols, food, and tent arrangements. By the time he finished, night was almost upon them.
Allen then went to his own tent, straightened his clothes, and ate a simple dinner before heading to the Marching Command Tent.
Seated at the head of the command tent, Allen looked around the space, large enough to hold dozens of people, and thought of the thousand soldiers in his camp.
An indescribable feeling suddenly welled up inside him-a little satisfaction, a little pride, followed by introspection and thought.
Soon, Allen's personal guards began moving through the camp. Their task was to notify every officer of battalion commander rank or above to attend a meeting in the Marching Command Tent in half an hour.
Darkness slowly fell, and candles were lit in the Marching Command Tent.
By candlelight, more and more people entered the Marching Command Tent. After saluting Allen, they took their assigned seats.
Soon, all dozen or so attendees had arrived, including the two Skin-changers, Beorn and Wulf.
These were Allen's principal military subordinates. They sat quietly in their chairs, waiting for their lord's orders.
Looking at the familiar faces before him, Allen felt a surge of emotion. This was the first time he had gathered all of them around him.
Most were longtime subordinates who had followed him from the beginning. They had either come to Middle-earth with him or arrived during his first summoning.
The only exceptions were Otta, seated among the infantry battalion commanders, and the Skin-changers at the edge of the tent.
These men were Allen's subordinates, helping him control Wilderness Town's military machine. He did not doubt their loyalty, but power