Chapter 158: Training Plan and Preparations for Land Purchase

For most of them, who were born as serfs, leaving the standing army meant that the path upward would be closed to them, and their descendants would no longer enjoy the preferential policies of the territory.

No one stirred, no one made a sound. They stood quietly in place, listening attentively to the lord's speech.

A few minutes later, Velin finished his speech and began reorganizing the three thousand six hundred men.

As Velin's squire and steward, Kyle led several scribes to begin regrouping the army.

Ten men formed a squad, fifty-five formed a platoon, six hundred and ten formed a cohort, and the three thousand six hundred men were organized into six cohorts.

In the afternoon, the winter training officially commenced. Cassius, Isius, and Eden served as deputy instructors, while five talented bronze warriors acted as cohort commanders, officially beginning the training for the three thousand six hundred men.

Inside a wooden cabin, Velin summoned the three deputy instructors for a meeting.

"Three thousand six hundred men in total: six mid-tier bronze warriors, eighty-seven low-tier bronze warriors, three hundred and twenty-seven high-tier warrior apprentices, two thousand one hundred and twenty-six mid-tier warrior apprentices, and one thousand and fifty-four low-tier warrior apprentices."

"The standing army is subdivided as follows: six hundred will train as shield-bearers, eighteen hundred as spearmen, six hundred as swordsmen, and six hundred as archers."

Kyle stood beside Velin, meticulously reporting the targets that needed to be achieved in this winter training plan.

Shield-bearers, spearmen, swordsmen, and archers were the four most common career paths for warriors advancing toward silver-tier professionals.

Therefore, during this winter training plan, Velin directly subdivided them, stipulating the development path for each soldier and training them accordingly to avoid wasting the resources he invested.

Afterward, Kyle closed the report, stepped back, and waited quietly.

Velin looked at the three men present and said, "You all know the effects of the black-skinned meat pigs. The initial yield is low, but the later yield is definitely high. Therefore, subdividing the soldiers' development paths in advance can greatly accelerate the building of the army."

"During the training period, each of you will be responsible for evaluating two cohorts of soldiers and adjusting their training sequences in a timely manner."

"Eden, have you decided on your development path?" Velin looked at Eden, a high-tier bronze warrior sitting in the second row, and asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Eden stood up and replied, "My lord, when I reach the silver tier, I will choose to become a swordsman."

Velin looked at Eden and continued, "How much longer until your breakthrough?"

Eden thought for a moment and replied, "Three to six months, my lord. I feel I can become a silver warrior."

"Talented."

Velin praised him with a word and waved his hand for him to sit down.

"During this winter training, try your best to discover promising prospects."

"For every person discovered and passed my assessment, there will be a reward of ten gold coins."

"Understood."

The three men answered in unison. Eden's reply was the loudest, while the other two responded with composure.

"Very well, go down and begin your work. I will return in three months to inspect the final progress."

"Yes, My Lord / Milord."

After the meeting, Velin led Kyle back to the castle.

On the way, Velin patted his Red-Phosphorus Steed, slowed its pace, and said to Kyle, "Eden is a very talented man."

"So, My Lord, you intend to invest another batch of resources in him through my hands?" Kyle quickly analyzed the potential meaning behind Velin's words and asked.

"Clever. Upon our return, take four bottles of glowing wine and a pound of red tea leaves from the private treasury in my name. Keep half for yourself, and have the other half delivered to him," Velin nodded and instructed Kyle.

"I understand." Kyle quickly grasped his master's intention and replied respectfully.

"Cultivate diligently. After consuming the Seven-Colored Life Flower, your talent is not much inferior to mine. Stop spending your days dabbling in those miscellaneous life skills."

"In addition, select six bronze knights."

"Yes."

Kyle replied with a respectful expression. In the future, he would have to practice other life skills more secretly so as not to be discovered by his master again.

Unaware of the other's true thoughts, Velin patted the Red-Phosphorus Steed, accelerated, and returned to the castle.

Over the next three months, he needed to make a trip to the Leitner Duchy.

Two years ago, through destiny's guidance, he received word that a natural spatial passage would form in Maple Leaf County, the capital of the Leitner Duchy, three years later—a spatial passage connecting to the Underdark.

There was less than a year left until the formation of that natural spatial passage, and it was time to start laying out preparations.

Additionally, he would take the opportunity to gather information in Devonshire's hometown, seeing how to poach this knight commander whom he had designated as his own.

Velin deeply coveted this temple knight who possessed such rich teaching experience.

Therefore, Velin mentally named this expedition plan the "Poaching Plan." Because it was somewhat embarrassing, he had no intention of telling anyone else about it.

Three days later, after settling various affairs in the territory, Velin packed one-seventh of the territory's liquid cash—nearly fifty thousand gold coins in gold notes—into his spatial ring, and departed from the Lake of Praying Stars with Kyle and six others.

Eight days later, the party of eight arrived at the provincial capital of Cadelro Province.

Coming out this time, Velin did not expose his identity. He casually found an inn to stay in and dispatched the six bronze knights to gather information about Devonshire.

"My lord, there is a slave auction being held in the western district of the provincial capital recently. Shall we go take a look?" Kyle entered Velin's room and reported.

"A slave auction?"

Velin curiously took the promotional pamphlet from Kyle's hand and opened it. Numerous shocking pictures were brazenly printed inside, accompanied by text descriptions and estimated prices below the images.

Half-elves, female lizardmen, snake-women, centaurs, and various foreign dancers—everything was there, featuring both appropriate and entirely inappropriate imagery.

Velin squinted as he continued flipping through and found that most of the individuals featured were women, each possessing some specific trait. Those without any special features were not even qualified to be printed in the pamphlet.

"It seems our governor is going to make a fortune this time."

Velin closed the pamphlet and said to the calm-looking Kyle.

"When the lord speaks of this, he refers to the nobles from other provinces, as well as those fresh from the battlefield and from military noble families."

"Spot on." Velin smiled, placed the pamphlet on the nearby table, and continued, "We won't get involved in such matters; we have serious business to attend to."

"In three days, once we have gathered enough information, we will set off for Maple Leaf County in the Leitner Duchy. If we go too late, I'm afraid we won't grab any land."

"Yes, I will have them speed up." Kyle bowed respectfully and then exited the room.