NOVEL NEXT chapter 53 - Expedition
On the day of the expedition, the streets of Red Tide Territory were bustling with people.
The villagers spontaneously gathered on both sides of the road to send off the knights and soldiers who were about to depart.
Louis rode at the forefront, wearing a black and red cloak, with Calvin's family crest embroidered on his shoulder.
Behind him were the knights and soldiers, ready for battle, totaling eight Elite Knights, twenty-five Formal Knights, sixty Apprentice Knights, and two hundred infantrymen.
Every person was armed and armored.
This force, even in the Northern Region, was an elite unit ready for combat at any time.
Louis had taken almost half of Red Tide Territory's combat power for this expedition.
First, Red Tide Territory was located in the southern part of the Northern Region, which was relatively safe; even with depleted forces, it would not face too much threat.
Second, he had the Daily Intelligence System, which allowed him to foresee dangers and avoid being ambushed by enemies, thus preventing total annihilation.
Given this, he had to bring enough troops to earn more military merits.
This would not only solidify Red Tide Territory's position but also help him gain a foothold among the old noble families in the Northern Region.
He had one goal: to make Red Tide Territory's name known in this campaign.
In the crowd bidding them farewell, Weil stood in the front row, his eyes filled with envy.
As an Apprentice Knight, although he had already awakened his Battle Qi, he was too young and not yet proficient in knight skills, so he was left behind in the territory to continue training.
As Weil watched the majestic knights surrounding Louis, his heart was filled with longing.
He also wanted to be such a person, able to follow the great lord onto the battlefield.
"Alright, no need to see us off," Louis reined in his horse and scanned the villagers on both sides.
Their faces showed reluctance, but more than that, pride.
Louis declared loudly, "Thank you all for seeing us off!
No matter what enemy lies ahead, we will return victorious!"
With that, he pulled the reins and said in a deep voice, "Depart!"
Iron hooves thundered, battle flags fluttered in the wind, and the mighty procession marched out of Red Tide Territory.
Behind them, the cheers of the villagers echoed throughout Red Tide Territory.
...
In late spring, the wilderness of the Northern Region still carried a hint of chill.
Wasteland Wild Boar, a type of monster with thick skin and rough but energy-rich meat.
Louis sat on horseback, watching the wild boar monster galloping ahead, and casually instructed, "Be careful not to damage too much meat."
"Leave it to me!"
An Apprentice Knight leaped up, his long spear imbued with Battle Qi thrusting down, but the spearhead was deflected by the wild boar's tough hide; the force was slightly insufficient and failed to pierce!
"Haha! You're not strong enough!"
The Formal Knight next to him laughed, his long spear thrusting down smoothly, piercing the armor with one strike, splattering blood on the wasteland.
The wild boar howled in pain and fell to the ground; the knights quickly stepped forward to finish it off, ending the hunt.
Louis had set out early, with plenty of time.
Anyway, for this kind of thing, other lords would most likely arrive just in time, so he didn't need to be the flashy one who showed up early.
So he simply used his Daily Intelligence System and led the knights on a hunting spree along the way.
Although the threat of monsters was not small, for these Elite Knights, as long as it wasn't a high-level monster, they could generally deal with it easily.
So every day before setting off, they would hunt a bit and bring back some spoils when they returned to camp.
The knights had long grown accustomed to Louis's "prescient" good luck.
Every day before setting off, the lord would casually point, "There should be monsters over there today, let's go take a look."
And then they would go and find prey.
Although most of what they hunted were low-level monsters like Wasteland Wild Boars, Split-Horned Antelopes, and Iron-Feathered Wolves, their meat was firm and rich in energy, enough to fill their stomachs and slightly increase their strength.
At first, they were a little surprised, but after it happened many times, everyone became numb.
They simply attributed it to: "The lord is favored by the Dragon Ancestor; we are just along for the ride."
They started traveling in the morning, went hunting at noon, and then grilled meat over a bonfire at night, eating their fill before sleeping.
It was even more comfortable than training in the territory.
After a few days, the knights enjoyed this life even more.
The bonfire blazed, wood crackling in the flames, sending up wisps of smoky aroma.
Large pieces of monster meat dripped fat onto the grill, sizzling and filling the entire camp with their fragrance.
"It smells so good! Hurry up!"
An Apprentice Knight swallowed, his eyes fixed on the roasted meat.
The knight in charge of flipping the meat laughed and scolded, "What's the hurry? It tastes best when it's done just right."
The soldiers nearby also gathered around, their sounds of swallowing saliva rising and falling.
Normally, the most they ate was black bread and salted fish.
Now they could heartily eat fresh roasted meat; it felt like a dream, even though they could only eat common wild game.
"Tonight «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» is a gift from the Dragon Ancestor!" An infantryman excitedly raised his wineskin and took a hearty gulp.
Another infantryman echoed, "Haha, going on an expedition with the lord is even happier than training in the territory!"
This atmosphere didn't feel like an expedition at all; it was more like a spring outing, wasn't it?
Louis looked around; the knights were relaxed, sitting around the bonfire.
Some were cutting meat with daggers, some had set up a pot to boil monster bone soup, some were raising their cups and laughing, and some were directly grabbing whole pieces of meat and devouring them.
Who goes on an expedition to suppress bandits and lives so comfortably?
But looking at the soldiers' smiling faces and satisfied expressions as they ate, he ultimately shook his head and smiled.
Never mind, work and rest.
Just then, a knight quickly walked over and reported to Louis, "Lord, we encountered Baron Yoen's team on the east side; they are heading this way."
Louis was slightly startled, and the round figure immediately appeared in his mind.
The little fatty who always smilingly called him "Boss."
That's right, his territory was also nearby, and he would most likely need to gather in Snow Eagle City as well.
"Oh? What a coincidence."
No sooner had he sighed than a rapid hoofbeat sound came from afar.
"Boss—!!"
Accompanied by a familiar shout, an oval-shaped knight rushed over.
Yoen Harway jumped off his horse and excitedly ran towards Louis, his face showing a long-unseen expression of excitement.
Louis stared at him for a moment.
Yoen had indeed lost a lot of weight.
The round mass of flesh he used to be had now become an oval shape, though he was still essentially a fatty.
But the next second, Yoen's gaze was drawn to the roasted meat by the bonfire.
He stared intently, his Adam's apple subtly bobbing.
"Gulp."
The sound of swallowing was particularly clear in the night wind.
Louis's mouth twitched slightly; he casually tore off a piece of roasted meat and offered it, "Uh... want some?"
Yoen nodded frantically, his eyes lighting up.
He immediately took the roasted meat and took a big bite, a look of pure bliss on his face.