Chapter 60 March to the Highlands
The first touch of fresh green after the rain finally appeared on the wasteland outside the city, and the blood of the hounds gradually changed color.
The harsh winter has passed, and the warm spring has quietly arrived.
The prisoners of war captured in the night attack have accepted the rule of the Jimena family very smoothly. Under the supervision of the Lapruk warriors, they have become the most diligent workers in the Thorn Territory.
However, Leon didn't know whether this was the effect of Fast's speech that day, or the effect of the Thorn Territory providing him with enough food to fill his stomach.
But no matter what, the result is always good.
Compared with the embarrassment of life that the mountain people had before, the conditions and food provided to the captives by the Thorn Territory were only one-half of those of the local residents of the Thorn Territory, but it was good enough for them.
Only with contrast can motivation be generated.
When the captives realized that hard work could lead to better living conditions, efficiency naturally became no problem, and the progress of land reclamation outside the city was obviously accelerated.
Building bridges does not mean that there are many people.
Therefore, under Leon's order, most of the prisoners picked up the tools of land reclamation and became the pioneers of land reclamation and logging.
At the same time, Leon was already anxious as he watched the land reclamation process gradually get on track and the land compactor that was temporarily unusable because of the lack of warm stones.
Fortunately, Hillman's arrival greatly improved the speed and quality of ordnance creation, so that Leon was finally able to mobilize his troops and horses in time for spring, and follow the path that Juan and others had previously explored, towards the March towards the southwestern highlands.
The First Antolian Militia Regiment, equipped with halberds and a series of weapons, naturally took over the task this time.
This was the first time that they, led by Leon, fought independently without the assistance of mercenaries.
To be honest, this is something that can't be helped.
As Antolia's stalls gradually spread, both the Lapruk Army and the Antolia mercenaries had their own tasks.
The mercenaries of Antolia not only need to ensure the safety of the moon velvet during transportation, but also need to bear the heavy burden of escorting grain and grass back from the city of Parma.
You know, although the continuous expansion of the population has provided Leon with a large number of young and middle-aged labor, it has also put great pressure on food supply.
Before this year's autumn harvest, the grain shipped from Parma can almost be regarded as the lifeline of Antolia.
The Lapruk Army will be stationed in the Thorn Territory. After all, under the pressure of the ever-expanding population, the Thorn Territory now not only has many prisoners, but also is filled with a large number of refugees captured from other noble territories.
Always leave an army to guard your home to prevent someone from having your home stolen.
However, although this was the first time to fight independently, the high-intensity training and Leon's personal leadership still kept the morale of this army high.
Viscount Antolia personally led the army, which undoubtedly showed great trust in the militiamen. Perhaps it was because of this that even though the journey was far away, the faces of the militiamen were still full of perseverance.
What's more, compared to the several battles that broke out in the cold winter, the nature of this troop dispatch is completely different.
This is not a defensive war, but an expansion of territory!
This alone is enough to excite the militiamen.
Not even just the militia, but Leon himself.
As long as the battle is successful and the southwestern highlands are completely brought under the rule of the Jimena family, the name Leon will surpass the previous patriarchs of the Jimena family and leave a strong mark on the Jimena family's genealogy.
Even if Leon is a time traveler, who doesn't want his name to be remembered by future generations after his death?
Plus there are mines in the southwest highlands! And the valley leading to the Forsaken Lands!
"Southwestern Highlands..."
Looking at the map drawn by Juan in his hand, Leon couldn't help but muttered silently.
Previously, facing the threat of plateau hounds, everything he did was just to continue the rule of the Jimena family.
And now, his goal has become to make the Jimena family more powerful!
Pass through the deep dense forest and set foot on the desolate plateau.
After several days of marching, Leon finally saw with his own eyes the tall, strange birds entrenched in the southwest highlands.
"So ugly!"
Even though the previous reconnaissance team had drawn an extremely abstract pattern for Leon to describe the weaknesses and characteristics of the tall-footed strange bird, when Leon finally saw it with his own eyes, he I still couldn't help but sigh with emotion:
"Nature is really magical."
The heads of these monsters are almost connected to the body into a spherical shape. It is really hard to figure out how they grow.
And the giant tall-legged bird's eyes, which can barely blink, are even more difficult to understand.
"Line up!"
This moment is obviously not the time to explore the origin of species.
When hundreds of militiamen set foot on the southwest highlands, it means that they will have difficulty hiding their figures and positions.
The militiamen's faces no longer had the previous liveliness, replaced by their fortitude and solemnity in the face of war.
"Archers, prepare!"
Seeing that the tall bird that was closer had noticed the arrival of the soldiers, Leon immediately gave the order.
To the tall-footed monster bird, the militiamen who set foot on the highlands are undoubtedly reckless intruders.
In the sight of everyone, the tall birds in the distance began to kick the ground with their feet, and then rushed straight towards the Antolian militiamen as the ground shook.
Seeing this, Leon immediately gave the order to release arrows.
This was a tactic that Leon, Todd and others had studied for a long time based on intelligence before attacking the southwest highlands.
The rain of arrows shot out may not be able to cause serious casualties to these monsters whose bodies are covered with tough bird feathers, but it can affect the attack route and speed of the tall-legged monster birds.
The purpose of shooting arrows is not to kill, but to "block the road."
Even though they have the halberds that the craftsmen have worked so hard to build, if they face the full charge of the tall-footed strange birds, the Antolian militiamen will inevitably suffer extremely heavy losses.
But once there is interference from arrows, you can aim in advance for the path that the tall-footed monster bird must take when it charges forward. The instinct of these monsters to avoid danger will undoubtedly make them avoid it subconsciously.
In this way, the original straight-line charge turned into a curved charge or even a zigzag charge under the arrows of the Antolians. Not only did the speed drop sharply, but the impact force was also greatly reduced.
However, even though he saw that the previous plan had come to fruition, Leon did not dare to relax his vigilance at all. You must know that what makes the Antolians feel like a powerful enemy is their pecks that can pierce the skull.
Crazy eating...
(End of chapter)