Chapter 382 - 265: The Patrolling Garrison: Heh Heh

Chapter 382: Chapter 265: The Patrolling Garrison: Heh Heh

Besides, who were they even marching out to fight? They were completely in the dark.

War was imminent and the army was on the move. They were filled with confidence, yet they didn’t even know their target?

"Sir, what is our objective this time?" a Deputy Captain finally couldn’t help but ask a senior officer beside him in a low voice.

However, the senior officer simply shook his head, admitting he didn’t know either.

’Don’t ask me; I have no idea either. I’m just a regular infantry officer.’

Meanwhile, the residents of Odoche were also utterly baffled. They lined the streets, watching the neatly formed army slowly march out of the city gates.

’This new lord of ours is something else. He just conquered Odoche, and now he’s off to war again?’

’Take a break, will you!’

That said, while they wouldn’t celebrate a victory for Henry as fervently as the people of Westwood Laine, they didn’t want him to lose either.

Over the past month, public safety in Odoche had improved drastically. Their wages hadn’t gone up, but their lives had become much more peaceful.

It didn’t matter to them who their lord was. What mattered was the change in their quality of life—and unless you were a complete moron, you could feel the difference.

"Our new lord is going on a campaign again," a resident of Odoche said quietly to the person next to them.

"Yeah, public safety has improved a lot this month, but if something happens to His Lordship, what will become of us?" another resident sighed.

Their impression of Henry wasn’t bad; they were even a little grateful. Henry’s arrival had improved public safety in Odoche. The gang members propped up by John had been wiped out in one fell swoop! And man, did that feel good!

No longer would you be enjoying a barbecue and singing, only to be suddenly robbed by thugs! A whole month of labor! All that hard-earned money, gone in an instant!

And if you tried to report it to the authorities? You’d find out they were all in it together! Was there no justice? Was there no law?!

So, even though they were clueless about Henry’s plans, they hoped he would return safely.

"May our lord return triumphant," an elderly resident prayed softly, and those around him nodded in agreement.

The remnants of the underworld factions that Henry had brutally suppressed were overjoyed to learn he had departed with his main army.

They had thought their situation was hopeless, but Henry’s departure unexpectedly seemed to offer them a sliver of hope.

In small groups, these remnants began to connect, secretly passing messages and plotting to launch an uprising to sabotage Henry.

’If I can’t beat you, I can still screw with you, can’t I?’

"That butcher Henry has taken his army and left!" a gang remnant whispered, hiding in a dark alley.

"Yeah, this is our chance. If we can use this opportunity to stir up some chaos, we might be able to reclaim everything we’ve lost."

They began to conspire in secret throughout the city, attempting to incite other suppressed remnants and planning to launch a riot one night.

The Gangsters: *Tee-hee!*

However, little did they know, Henry had anticipated all of it.

The garrison left behind in Odoche had not relaxed its guard. Before his departure, Henry had given them detailed instructions to remain on high alert and prevent any potential uprisings.

These weren’t soldiers washed out from the main army... When the moon rose and the remnants made their move, they found themselves already surrounded by the garrison.

The garrison soldiers had long been lying in ambush at every key location, weapons in hand, waiting for the remnants to walk right into their trap.

"Did you really think we didn’t know what you were planning?" a garrison officer said coldly, sending a chill down the remnants’ spines.

"We’ve been watching your every little move," the officer continued.

The Gangsters: *We’re screwed!*

The garrison soldiers moved swiftly, wiping out the remnants in one fell swoop. The crackdown was clean and decisive, giving them no chance to even catch their breath.

Those who tried to resist were swiftly subdued, and those who attempted to flee were hunted down and recaptured by the garrison soldiers.

The entire operation was completed overnight. When the residents of Odoche awoke the next morning, they found the city had returned to its usual tranquility.

"Too bad. Those idiots actually thought they could stir something up," a garrison soldier remarked with a hint of disdain as he helped clean up the aftermath.

’Military merit was the only real currency in Henry’s army. You couldn’t look down on suppressing internal bandits and gangs; every little bit counted, after all.’

’But still... this was barely anything!’

’They hadn’t even made a ripple. There wouldn’t be much merit to go around for this. A few Dinars as a reward would be the most they could hope for.’

"Hmph. They should have known better. Our lord isn’t someone to be trifled with. This lesson should keep those clowns quiet for a while," another soldier chimed in.

The residents of Odoche also breathed a collective sigh of relief. The swift crackdown had once again demonstrated Henry’s authority and Wisdom. It reassured the populace, proving that Henry had not abandoned his subjects in Odoche.

As the army marched, Henry’s old schoolmates discovered a shocking fact: the infantry teams they were assigned to had only been training for a single month! It was unbelievable that they could reach this level of proficiency.

They had assumed these were veterans with a year of training, now just undergoing pre-battle drills. They never imagined they were actually raw recruits!

The memory of sparring against these new recruits not long ago—and fighting them to a standstill—made them feel like their whole world was falling apart.

As they marched along with the column, they watched the uniform stride and ironclad discipline of the young soldiers beside them, and a sense of shock grew in their hearts.

The soldiers of the New Recruit Team moved as if they were meticulously sculpted, as if they had been training together for years, not a mere month.

Witnessing their absolute obedience, strict discipline, and high morale, the alumni half-suspected they were dreaming.

’Could this really be achieved in just one month of training?’

In their experience, even seasoned veterans required long periods of training and integration to achieve such a standard. Besides, no nobleman ever bothered to specifically train soldiers in formation marching.

And yet, in just one short month, these recruits were displaying such a powerful spirit, along with impressive combat readiness and fighting strength.

"The formations of these recruits are even more orderly than ours were back at the academy!" one of the old schoolmates whispered to his companion in disbelief.

"I know, I can hardly believe it. How could one month of training possibly achieve this?" another schoolmate agreed, shaking his head.

They recalled their own time at the academy, how they had endured countless drills and hardships to gradually become qualified cadets.

Yet these recruits before them now seemed to have already surpassed the level they themselves had reached after a full year at the academy.

"How on earth was this done?" an old schoolmate couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

It was so demoralizing! They began to meticulously observe the recruits’ every action, trying to uncover the secret.

They noticed a confidence shining in the eyes of every recruit, as if each man had an incredibly clear understanding of his mission.

’This wasn’t just the result of training. There had to be something deeper at play.’

"Maybe it’s Henry’s leadership."

Another schoolmate nodded. "He always finds a way to make his soldiers realize their full potential."

They continued to march with the column, the profound shock in their hearts lingering.

They could wrack their brains forever and never guess the truth: the recruits’ confidence stemmed from a sense of group identity, from being a collective of equally "loyal" individuals.

They were never lost, forever loyal to Henry!

"It seems we still have a lot to learn," one of the old schoolmates said softly.

"Yeah. By following Henry, I’m sure we’ll learn even more."