Chapter 2050 - 550: The Last Knight of the Land of Knights

"... By Saint Sis! That box contains rifle bullets, not your grandmother! Handle it gently!"

"You idiots over there! Make way! The carriage can't get through!"

"Quickly! Move it!"

Rude shouts tore through the hot air outside Cold Crow City as military carriages transporting supplies drove into the expanding military camp.

This is the northeastern border of the Campbell Duchy.

Also, it's the newly designated frontline.

Citizens in Cold Crow City whispered about this event, with some feeling nervous, others confused, but most were excited.

The people on this frontier have long been displeased with the ratmen to the north. Their dislike for the Ratmen is much like the villagers of Silver Pine Town's hostility toward the Little Demon—

One puts rat droppings in their granaries, while the other urinates over their heads.

By comparison, the threat of the Ratmen is notably greater. After all, the Little Demons reside in the maze, limited in number.

But the Ratmen of the Rot Clan are not only numerous, they repeatedly test the borders of the human world.

It's a pity that Count Spinor is uninterested in this frontier, while the Baron lacks the means to single-handedly bear the expense of expanding northward.

This is the greatest flaw of feudalism; the interests of each family cannot be unified. Some want to solve problems, while others want to appease, and no one truly cares about what those old farmers think, only occasionally do their thoughts align.

It had to be the renowned "White-haired Duke" to take action.

Although Edward doesn't actually know what they're thinking, it doesn't stop the frontier people of Cold Crow City from seeing him as a savior sent by Saint Sis.

Interestingly enough, "White-haired Duke" was initially a nickname used by traditional nobles to mock Edward's "political theatrics," but when it reached the civilians, it changed completely in meaning.

After all, the civilians never hear the news from the upper circles, and instead, they believe more in the harmonious royal family stories from the Thunder City Daily.

On the high slope, Edward squinted as he looked over the gradually unfolding military camp, returning the binoculars to Sir Wesley beside him.

"We've mobilized twice as fast as before, Sir Wesley, that's thanks to you."

Sir Wesley accepted the binoculars with a smile and said.

"I wouldn't dare take the credit, Your Majesty, I believe it's more due to the railway."

"Haha, undeniably, Prince Colin's railway has indeed helped us tremendously," Edward grinned and turned to walk down the slope, "Let's go, there are still some details in the strategic deployment that I need to discuss with you."

Sir Wesley nodded respectfully.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Though Edward has decided to let the "glory" of the frontal battlefield go to the Lizardmen of Mire City and the Dwarves of the High Mountain Kingdom, it doesn't mean the Campbell Duchy plans to stand by.

After all, this is their border.

More importantly, it's a rare "learning" opportunity Prince Colin secured for the Campbell people.

As the Duke Marshal, Sir Wesley proposed an additional suggestion after the military meeting with Duke Edward—

Rather than observing from the sidelines, it's better to learn through actual combat.

Thus, a new unit named the "Mountain Corps" came into being.

A mixture of ten thousand Adventurers and Laine Refugees would undergo a transformative overhaul here.

They discarded the thousand-man team tactics brought by the Aus Continent and adopted a new formation more suited to the bolt-action rifles of Roxey 1054—"Battalions" and "Corps."

This theory originates from the Dragon God's people of the Gutaf Kingdom.

A Lizardman with the loudest voice can command a force of about ten Lizardmen, which constitutes a "Squad."

And a Lizardman with good eyesight, who can run fast and has a loud voice, can unify three squads within their sight, forming a "Platoon."

Why three?

Because the Lizardman's forepaw has three most useful fingers, coincidentally, the infantry square formation of Campbell people is also in three lines.

3 and 4 are scientifically sound "command multiples," although the concept of scientific thought is new to the people of the Aus Continent, "empiricism" has been passed down on this land for thousands of years, so the Campbell people quickly absorbed this advanced combat technique.

The three Mountain Corps each have three battalions, with each battalion comprising six hundred to eight hundred men.

The newly established formation will serve as a trial for the Duchy's military reform, and henceforth, the Duchy's army will no longer predominantly consist of recruits, but will establish a more modern standing army with professional soldiers as the core.

The military system reform is yet another significant weakening of traditional feudal powers, following the reclamation of land and the nationalization of church properties.

To fill the recruitment gap, conscription orders bearing the Campbell family crest were posted throughout the streets and alleys of Thunder City.

Those adventurers who live by licking the blade's edge were driven completely mad. What attracts them is not just the military pay, but also the "citizenship" of the Campbell Duchy.

It is worth mentioning that while the "nationalization of religious properties" occurred in Aus Calendar 1054, the legislative framework for Campbell Duchy nationality was not implemented during Edward's time.

Long ago, Thunder City Parliament had introduced similar legislation to differentiate between "Duke's subjects" and "outsiders," marking the first legal distinction of who could inherit land in the Campbell Duchy, who was protected by parliamentary legislation, and who needed to pay extra taxes to Your Majesty.