Chapter 35: The Two Fools at His Side

Upon returning to the riverside camp, Leo reported his findings to Urian.

“Not bad. At least we don’t have to worry too much about those wildfolk taking advantage of our absence,” Urian nodded in satisfaction. “For now, focus on training the militia, gathering more equipment, and keep a sharp watch on the far bank to guard against boarfolk raids. Still, keep an eye on those wildfolk; don’t let your guard down.”

“Understood,” Leo replied without objection.

As Leo walked away, Urian couldn’t help but sigh repeatedly. “Ah, he’s really grown up.”

Old Luther, standing nearby and tapping his empty pipe, teased, “Then why not marry your daughter to him? Wouldn’t you like to have grandchildren sooner?”

His pipe had long run out of tobacco. Northern folk grew their own, and Luther was no exception—he’d smoked through all the tobacco he’d brought from home before they even reached the camp.

“Impossible! You think he can marry my precious daughter just like that?” Urian shook his head, but seeing Luther grinning, he retorted, “If you had a daughter, would you let her marry that rascal?”

“No way! Far too wild, far too wild,” Luther shook his head adamantly, as if warding off a viper.

Yet after a moment’s thought, Luther added, “But Olivia really is a fine girl. It’d be a shame if she didn’t marry Leo.”

Leaving aside the gossip among the old men, Leo himself was kept busy.

He continued to lure and coax groundhogs into digging channels with food, urged the militia to train harder, and cracked down on the rampant problem of people relieving themselves all over camp.

In particular, for the last issue, Leo formed a scouting troop of children, instructing them to sneak up and prod with sticks anyone found defecating in or around the camp.

As a result, the camp often rang with the indignant shouts of men and the shrieks of women.

During militia drills, Leo would take out his long yew bow and practice archery under the envious eyes of the militiamen.

This two-meter-long yew bow had a draw weight approaching two hundred pounds; even Leo, with his prodigious natural strength, had to muster all his might to string it, being careful not to strain his tendons in the process.

At first, he only practiced drawing the string to build his strength, waiting until his body adjusted to such a powerful bow before attempting to shoot.

Though simple in appearance, such a single-piece longbow was in fact difficult to make. Achieving such a high poundage without sacrificing practicality demanded exponentially greater care in both materials and craftsmanship.

Even in Wolfbane Plain, where yew trees grew in abundance, not every tree could yield a bow of the quality now in Leo’s hands.

Moreover, its energy conversion was inferior, ranking lowest among all bow types. The longbow relied solely on brute strength, making the archer’s physical prowess paramount.

A robust young man like Leo, standing a full six feet tall, was more than qualified to serve as a third-rank heavy infantryman. But to become a third-rank imperial longbowman, he’d need to be even taller.

When Urian saw Leo practicing, he would often offer pointers.

Though a sergeant of heavy infantry, Urian was familiar with the imperial longbowmen stationed at Gale Fortress and had often observed their training.

He himself owned a longbow, though with a much lower draw weight, and after his legs failed him, he’d used it to hunt numerous times.

The posture and technique of a longbowman differed significantly from those of an ordinary hunter. Without guidance, one could easily go astray by trial and error.

With Urian’s instruction, Leo quickly became adept with the yew longbow, though it would still take time and practice to reach the level of a wildfolk hunter or imperial archer.

Meanwhile, a steady stream of iron ore arrived from the kobolds, which the Petukhov family’s fishing boats traded for grain at Isenport, temporarily solving the camp’s food shortage.

Freya’s arrival, too, had freed up much labor. She was not only unmatched at digging channels; for any task too heavy for ordinary folk, calling on her was sure to get it done.

Boulders weighing several tons could be smashed to pieces with a blow of her brow, and then rolled about like snowballs wherever needed.

The stone foundation of the lord’s hall, originally planned to be three feet high, was now forced up to two full meters thanks to her efforts.

However, if left unattended, her antics could easily cause trouble within moments.

Seizing the opportunity, Urian had a batch of shields made, expanding the militia to fifty men.

With no surplus standard weapons, the new recruits carried their usual hand-axes and short spears alongside their shields.

Among the remaining able-bodied men, another fifty were chosen as reserves, joining the militia for drills.

As food shortages faded, Olivia, following Urian’s instructions, saw to it that villagers received extra rations. The people’s health visibly improved, no longer resembling the half-starved wretches they’d been upon first arriving at the riverside.

Many of the able-bodied men, still full of energy after a day’s labor, were better taught the art of war than left to brawl or harass women.

Each evening, over a hundred militiamen and reservists gathered to drill on the riverbank, their numbers and discipline offering a real sense of security.

In the past, when Leo was in camp, Little Mouse always stuck close to him, never leaving his side for a moment.

When Leo wasn’t around, Little Mouse would help Olivia and work diligently.

Thanks to Leo and Olivia’s influence, the other village children no longer shunned Little Mouse. When she timidly approached while they played, they ignored her rather than scold or chase her away.

Still, she remained wary and fearful of anything unfamiliar, preferring to hide in Leo’s small tent or wander alone by the fish pond.

Only when Leo teased her did she reward him with a shy, bashful smile.

Though she still hid leftover bread under her blanket, at least she no longer poured uneaten porridge into her pockets.

When Freya joined the camp, Little Mouse quickly became friends with her and Olivia, forming a pair of lovable fools at Leo’s side.

Freya even allowed Little Mouse and Olivia to ride on her back, carrying Olivia’s twenty-six adopted “children” on adventures through the western oak woods, driving off the evil kobolds that dwelled there.

Wait—twenty-six?

Leo counted the kobold pups in the house three times, picking out a few scrawny, underfed ones before fixing his gaze on Fissa and asking sternly, “Are you sure you haven’t sneaked any more of your offspring in here?”

The husky-woman, who had come to complain about the groundhogs’ mischief, looked away guiltily and muttered, “They just followed me here on their own!”

But she soon plucked up her courage and asked, “You said adult kobolds can come to the camp too, right?”

“Of course they can—as long as they work, they’ll get fed!” Leo replied easily. Whether newcomers were to be killed, spared, or pacified was Urian’s concern, not his.

Labor was scarce, and the camp’s needs were endless. As long as the kobolds could work, their presence was welcome.

Fissa’s eyes lit up as she began to consider what jobs her pups might be suited for.