Novel Full Chapter 300: It’s time to determine who our enemies will be
Chapter 300: It’s time to determine who our enemies will be
Oblivious to what was unfolding in the realm of the burning ice, with no idea that his mother was about to return bearing a great gift and a vast fortune, Ethan stood at the Goldenveil barracks, his gaze sweeping carefully across the ranks of his soldiers.
It was already the end of the fifth moon, and in total, Doran had managed to muster three thousand five hundred men into the Goldenveil Guard.
That represented a considerable portion of Goldenveil’s population, which now numbered just over eleven thousand inhabitants.
Of those eleven thousand people, four thousand were men of military age, one thousand were children, and the remaining five thousand were divided between women and the elderly.
Adding the five hundred soldiers stationed in Windmere, the total army numbered four thousand.
It was an absurdly high percentage of the population in military service—something that, for most cities, would be completely unsustainable.
For Goldenveil, however, this mattered little.
At the moment, the city had 1,000 female farmers tending to 1,000 hectares of land, each receiving a monthly salary of one gold coin.
These 1,000 farmers produced such an absurd amount of magical crops that, if Ron didn’t arrive soon so Ethan could sell everything, he would end up having to start storing the food directly in his palace’s warehouses.
This was something he currently did only with a few high-quality selections, reserved for sale or personal consumption.
In addition to those thousand farmers, more than five hundred people worked on the city’s construction projects, over a hundred served in the police force, and hundreds more filled civil service roles across a wide variety of positions.
Goldenveil did not yet have an official census, but Ethan estimated the current unemployment rate to be less than 0.1%.
Ethan, to be honest, was excited.
Another thousand soldiers, and he would have a full legion at his disposal.
His eyes moved down each row with careful attention.
In total, Garrick and his men had managed to forge seven hundred suits of armor, which had resulted into more than seven thousand perfectly standardized pieces in the system inventory—not to mention the swords and shields, all of extremely high quality.
Every weapon and every piece of armor worn by those men was, at the very least, Rank B.
Considering that most armies could barely equip their mid-level soldiers with Rank D or C gear, the difference was absurd.
"You now number four thousand, and soon you will be Goldenveil’s first legion," Ethan declared.
The black armor with golden accents worn by his soldiers gleamed under the strong afternoon sun.
They stood dignified and noble, every one of them, from their cloaks to their helmets, down to the long, elegant swords fastened to their belts.
"You will be the spearhead of Goldenveil, the most revered slayers of my enemies, the terror of those who oppose us, and the hope of your fathers, mothers, sons, brothers, and sisters."
Ethan put even more weight into his voice, his chest filling with pride.
"Sharpen your swords and prepare your shields," he continued, walking slowly until he came to a stop in front of the army’s elite officers.
The manes upon their shoulders were not the usual black bear-skin worn by ordinary centurions, but beautiful and elegant golden ones, gleaming with a blinding light beneath the sun.
"Soon, we will march in the name of Goldenveil’s glory—the glory you will win with sword and blood, the glory of conquest and victory."
"Remember this day forever, for it will be the moment you become Goldenveil’s first legion, the guardians of our banner," Ethan declared, raising a single finger toward the sky.
Everyone was gathered in the largest courtyard of the barracks, surrounded by tall stone walls.
The very instant Ethan raised his hand, two gigantic banners slid down those walls, unfurling with slow, heavy grace until they nearly touched the ground.
One of them bore the Goldenveil family banner—a lion’s head encircled by a beautiful golden veil on a silver shield.
It was the banner of Ethan’s family and, at the same time, the banner of Goldenveil itself.
The second bore the sigil of Goldenveil’s army, similar in design to the first, but instead of the lion, it displayed a long sword held by a strong hand clad in a steel gauntlet.
That was the reason all those men were there, lined up under the sun.
After all, how could Ethan begin his journey of conquest without even having a flag of his own to raise?
Well, the ceremony served both to unveil the flags and to present the soldiers with their new armor.
"In two weeks, I will have a major announcement to make. After this announcement, we will march to war, in the name of Goldenveil!" Ethan declared one last time.
He raised his hand, and three thousand five hundred swords slid free of their sheaths in a single synchronized motion, the sound of steel slicing through the air reverberating across the courtyard like thunder.
All were raised toward the sky.
"For the glory of Goldenveil!" three thousand five hundred men shouted in unison, the roar crashing against the barracks’ walls and rolling out far beyond them.
Ethan smiled, satisfied.
It was a shame that the five hundred stationed at Windmere weren’t there to take part. But, after all, he couldn’t leave Windmere unprotected just to have a slightly more impressive display.
"Ah... you’re dismissed. Take good care of your new armor and swords."
The soldiers nodded enthusiastically, some even flashing discreet smiles from behind their helmets.
From recruits to officers, everyone was happy.
Their pay was generous, and now they boasted powerful and beautiful armor.
As they marched through the streets of Goldenveil, they drew interested glances from single women, admiration from men, and the sparkling eyes of children.
Being the object of admiration for so many people, and carrying such a glorious destiny on their shoulders, certainly filled those men with motivation.
Ethan watched them leave, then let out a soft sigh. "Are the invitations ready?" he asked, turning slightly.
"Yes, my lord."
"Good. Every lord within the territory of the Barony of Goldenveil must receive an invitation—dwarves, humans, and elves. It’s time to determine who our enemies will be," Ethan said, his eyes turning cold.