Chapter 64: It Is Time to Repay Riverbend for Its Nurturing!

Cradling a pile of pups in her arms, Olivia was nowhere near as agile as Leo. With a feint, he easily slipped past this mother hen and grabbed the hind leg of the largest pup. Good heavens, this one weighed at least fifty pounds—almost as heavy as a small rat. Due to their racial genes, kobolds grow at an astounding rate, reaching adulthood within three years of birth. An adult kobold stands about 1.2 meters tall, and though their height slows after maturity, they begin filling out, growing stout and sturdy.

In the wild, food is unevenly distributed among kobold tribes. Young kobolds often lack nutrition, so those just coming of age are skinny, resembling upright golden retrievers. Once they mature and receive larger shares of food, they begin to bulk up, transforming from lanky golden retriever-like figures into muscular, pit bull-like beings. Some who eat well and develop properly can grow another twenty or thirty centimeters, even tripling their weight.

Take the kobold blacksmith in Rivermark, for example: he eats his fill twice a day and hammers at the forge from dawn till dusk. Both his height and weight have increased noticeably. He is far stronger than his kin, his arms thicker than a human’s calves. The chief of a kobold tribe is usually the strongest, and thus receives the largest share of meat, nearly monopolizing the tribe’s rations. Fisha’s father, the previous kobold chieftain, was nearly the size of a gnoll.

The pup in Leo’s grasp was among the first batch sent to Rivermark—barely a year old, but thanks to the hearty food here, already approaching the size of an adult kobold. To think that such a hefty young kobold was still hiding behind Olivia, feigning infantile innocence! Leo looked upon him with utter contempt.

Olivia called out in distress, “What are you doing?” Leo briefly explained his intentions, putting her at ease. She set down the whining pup in her arms and soothed the rest of the half-grown ones. She feared Leo’s curiosity would get the better of him and he’d decide to slaughter one just to see what it tasted like. There was nothing Leo Mondo couldn’t be expected to do!

Hoisting the largest pup upside down, Leo forcefully split the kobold young into two groups by size. Ignoring the whimpering little creatures hiding under Olivia’s skirts, he barked an order at the fifteen larger pups he’d selected: “Follow me!”

The fifteen kobold youngsters feared Leo even more than their own fathers, and obediently trailed after him to the riverside beach of Rivermark. This area served as the training grounds for the militia, where targets, wooden swords, shields, and spears were scattered about. The militiamen had already dispersed for the day, but a dozen or so human youths remained, still practicing.

From the northern lands to Rivermark, the villages lost many able-bodied men to war, resulting in a high proportion of women and children. Besides the young ones who often needed Olivia’s care, there were many boys and girls between the ages of ten and fifteen. In the Northlands, this age was no longer considered childhood. Each day, they labored as adults did. Some had lost their fathers to war and had become the pillars of their families.

With several major projects in Rivermark recently completed, the pace of expansion had slowed. Leo grouped these youths into a reserve unit, having them train with the militia. Having spent years as an athlete in his previous life, Leo understood the crucial importance of nutrition and exercise during adolescence. Compared to the adult militiamen, these youths had far greater potential for growth and development.

Through constant training and real combat, most militiamen could be molded into regular imperial infantry, but only about one in ten could ever become elite heavy infantry. The foundation simply wasn’t there. Without targeted training from a young age, unless someone possessed extraordinary talent, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary person to march into battle in armor and wielding a hundred pounds of weapons.

Arriving at the training ground, Leo gathered everyone and called out a half-grown youth. This boy, not yet fifteen, was mature and composed, with notable agility. He usually led the youth squad’s training. “From now on, you are the Third Company of Rivermark’s militia. Nois, you are now promoted to captain of the Third Company.”

“These fifteen kobolds will also join the Third Company and train with you.”

“Understood…” Nois glanced at the dazed kobold pups, troubled, and his response was hesitant. The other human youths murmured among themselves as well. Though contact with kobolds had grown more frequent, the villagers still didn’t truly see them as equals. These kobold pups were often bullied by the village children; had it not been for Olivia’s care, some might have been killed in secret.

Some villagers’ family members had died at the hands of kobolds—how could they view these creatures kindly? Tolerating the kobolds’ existence was less about acceptance and more about putting up with Leo’s constant antics. Leo’s outrageous deeds far outnumbered those of the rest of the village combined; if he could bring home a bear as a pet, what could anyone do but grit their teeth and endure?

Noticing the youths’ obvious lack of discipline, Leo barked, “I don’t care what you think. Keep it to yourselves and follow the militia’s rules.”

“Anyone who can’t obey orders will never join the militia!”

His stern words brought instant order to the scene; no one dared show any further dissent. Joining the militia was every youth’s dream in Rivermark. The privileges were plain to see: each militiaman received an acre of tax-free land ahead of the others, while other adult men had to wait another year for their share. Food rations always went to the militia first, with extra portions as well. New weapons and armor were issued to them before anyone else. True, they had to stand at the front lines in battle and suffered frequent casualties, but hot-blooded youths didn’t see it that way. Better to charge forward and protect their families than cower in the rear, waiting for death!

“Nois, you’re in charge of training the kobolds. Whatever you practice, they practice. Teach them slings, javelins, crossbows, sword and shield—everything.”

Leo held Nois by the shoulder and instructed, “Treat them all the same. If anyone causes trouble, punish them as needed. I have big plans for these kobolds.”

Nois, more mature and steady than Leo himself—and in fact, Leo’s own protégé—nodded firmly. “Understood!”

Training the young kobolds as militiamen and building their physical strength was only the first step. Leo had other plans: courses on scent training, hearing exercises, and, down the line, instruction in reconnaissance and tracking. For now, with limited resources, it would have to proceed step by step.

Kobolds were naturally disadvantaged in size and strength, ranking near the bottom among the wild races. A single brown bear could chase a whole kobold hunting party up and down the mountains. Even at their peak, kobold warriors were only on par with gnolls, and couldn’t even best a wild boar-man hunter. But knowing their unique talents, Leo intended to put them to use elsewhere.

For example, kobold scouts!

When developing reconnaissance units, humans and other races would ultimately train dogs. Leo had it easy—he would make the man and the dog one and the same!