Chapter 249: Recruitment

Chapter 249: Recruitment

Wushan Fort sprawled across a vast area, housing numerous buildings. On the left side of the outer perimeter stood a square tower, marking an essential communication hub.

Hundreds of carrier birds resided here, constantly flying in and out, ensuring Wushan Fort's connection with the outside world.

May 26th was the busiest day the station had seen in a while.

Liaison officer Carolina spent the night sealing letters from the officials, securing them to the carrier birds, and sending them off.

As the birds soared into the sky, the news of the Polante Bandits' occupation of Chishan Town would spread swiftly.

The nobles and knights all knew—war was coming again.

Last year, Wushan Territory had been forced into a counteroffensive against the Black Gold Brotherhood, who had been wreaking havoc on the southeastern border.

This year, another retaliatory campaign loomed, this time against the Polante Bandits encroaching from the southwest.

No one knew exactly when it had begun, but Wushan Marquisate had been caught in a constant struggle against these two forces.

Although the nobles were displeased, they had grown accustomed to the cycle of conflict.

Over time, some even regarded these battles as opportunities—testing grounds where they could gain experience and merit. Those who performed exceptionally well could even earn new fiefdoms.

For instance, when territories were reclaimed from the Black Gold Brotherhood last year, several plots were handed over to the Hyde family for redistribution, while two were granted to valiant knights—creating two new barons.

The nobles had little objection to such a war.

Wiggins' conscription orders would reach the noble households of Wushan Territory within a day or two—a relatively quick dispatch. However, the actual mobilization process would take considerably longer.

The nobles needed time to assemble their troops, secure provisions, and organize supplies.

Fortunately, dealing with the Polante Bandits wasn't expected to be a prolonged war. Based on past experiences, mobilization would take about half a month, followed by another month of travel to the front lines.

This meant the noble coalition would likely arrive in Boulder City around mid-July, with the actual battle commencing near the end of the month.

Though the situation in Stone Territory was urgent, the mobilization period couldn't be shortened. Sending knights into battle unprepared was out of the question.

That didn't mean, however, that the Stone Lord would be left to fend for himself in the meantime.

To prevent the situation from deteriorating further, Toru ordered Philip Kent, the deputy commander of the First Knights, to lead five squads to Stone City the following day.

By the afternoon of the next day, a carrier bird delivered another letter from Stone Territory.

In response to Wiggins' inquiry, Coreyon detailed the reasons behind the recent defeat and described the current state of Stone Territory and Red Mountain Town.

According to Coreyon, the five knight squads under Deputy Captain Hahn had failed to defend Chishan Town adequately.

Their negligence had allowed enemy forces to launch a surprise attack under the cover of night in Kassir Town.

By the time Coreyon and his remaining knights reached the outskirts of Chishan Town, the battle was nearly over. The Polante Bandits had already wiped out Hahn and his knights. Spotting Coreyon's forces, they quickly shifted their assault.

Outnumbered and facing the might of the Golden Knights, Coreyon had no choice but to fight while retreating. Severely wounded, he and his surviving men barely managed to return to Boulder City.

At first, Coreyon feared Boulder City would fall next. However, the Polante Bandits made no move to besiege it. Instead, they withdrew to Chishan Town.

"Perhaps their goal was simply to seize the iron mine in Chishan Town. Once they secured it, they had no reason to continue attacking," Luo Ning speculated as he set the letter down.

After all, none of the territories the Polante Bandits had occupied produced iron.

Rather than relying on Coreyon's people for low-cost transactions, they might have decided it was better to take the mines and extract the ore themselves. Not only would they save money, but they could also profit by selling the iron elsewhere.

Moreover, Boulder City was a baron's stronghold with favorable terrain. If the Polante Bandits continued their assault without resting, they would likely suffer heavy casualties.

Yet, something didn't sit right with Luo Ning.

Did the bandits really believe Wushan Fort wouldn't retaliate?

Or were they simply reckless, grabbing whatever they could and holding on for as long as possible?

Luo Ning wasn't convinced.

"Since you've decided to go to the front lines, I'll arrange for Toru and Kabir to assist you. Marvin will likely join as well," Rulans said, idly stroking his cane as he discussed the upcoming campaign.

"Wiggins' noble coalition should have no trouble reclaiming Chishan Town. Treat this as a learning experience—observe their tactics and heed their strategic insights."

Luo Ning nodded.

He still wasn't sure how warfare in this world played out.

Did it rely on strategic maneuvers, or was it merely a matter of setting a time and place, deploying troops, and charging headfirst into battle?

He needed to watch and learn.

Luo Ning was familiar with the three people Rulans had mentioned, and their good rapport would make coordination easier.

However, one name raised concerns.

"Sir Toru is joining the war as well?" Luo Ning asked.

The First Knights stationed in Wushan City weren't just responsible for maintaining order—they were also tasked with protecting Wushan Castle and Rulans himself.

With the deputy commander dispatched to Stone Territory, Toru's departure would leave Wushan Castle vulnerable.

Could Rulans still defend the stronghold if an enemy struck?

"Are you worried someone might seize the opportunity to assassinate me?" Rulans chuckled before giving Luo Ning a reassuring glance.

"Don't worry. I'm not that easy to kill. Besides, I'll have Melonica come here when the time comes."

Luo Ning suddenly understood—Rulans already had a plan.

Melonica, the leader of Wushan Castle's Third Knights, was a veteran Golden Knight who had served Rulans for many years. She was currently stationed in Wushan Town, southwest of the castle.

Luo Ning had never interacted with her directly, only seeing her on rare occasions at the Extraordinary Academy in Wushan Town.

Even at Rulans' birthday celebration, she hadn't attended in person, merely sending her son to offer congratulations.

It wasn't that Melonica was too busy—she simply had an eccentric personality.

She disliked crowds and avoided social gatherings.

It was even rumored that Rulans once intended to grant her a noble title, but she had declined, content with being a knight and uninterested in managing land.

However, regardless of her quirks, Melonica's strength and loyalty were unquestionable.

With her overseeing Wushan Castle's security, Luo Ning set aside his worries and focused on gathering more intelligence on the Polante Bandits.

After staying at Wushan Castle for two days, he mounted Carlos and rode back to Wubei Territory to prepare for war.

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