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“Next, get ready!”

Creak!

Screeeeech!

“Fire!”

Shhhhhhhh-thunk!

Perfectly executed maneuvers.

It had been two and a half months since they abandoned the gold mine base and returned to camp.

In just one week, the ownership of the gold mine would fully transfer to the Iren Kingdom.

That meant they had only two or three days left before the decisive battle.

Damian looked at the archery unit before him.

A special unit of fifty soldiers selected for their potential in archery.

The result of three months of grueling training alongside the third squad leader was finally beginning to bear fruit.

Swish.

Damian observed the arrows embedded in the targets.

Not a single arrow was off the mark. It was as if a picture was being painted in his mind.

He nodded approvingly.

“That’s enough. Third squad leader, come forward.”

“Yes.”

The third squad leader quickly approached Damian, who then gave his instructions.

“When we retake the base, once our soldiers begin climbing the hill, the archery unit will provide cover from below. Those with good mobility will join them on the climb and provide close support. Make the call based on the situation.”

“Understood.”

The third squad leader nodded, and Damian turned his gaze toward the other squad leaders.

Each was deeply engaged in their respective training.

Their shield techniques were now on par with, if not superior to, those of many regular soldiers.

It was expected.

Though the time had been short, nearly four months of daily training had made a significant impact.

And their charge tactics, honed with a square formation, had already caught the Iren Kingdom off guard once.

‘They’re likely preparing counter-strategies against it.’

That’s why Damian had prepared the archery unit as a trump card.

Damian headed toward where the other squad leaders and soldiers were training.

He approached the first squad leader and asked.

“Getting used to it?”

“We’ve got it down perfectly. We can read each other’s moves with just a look.”

“Good.”

Their movements weren’t flawless, but they were more than sufficient for actual combat.

Damian turned away.

“Training ends here for today. Take the next two days to rest well. In two days, we will reclaim the gold mine base.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers were brimming with confidence.

And they had every reason to be.

They hadn’t wasted a single day over the past four months.

Fifteen hours of intense training each day, combined with careful attention to their nutrition.

‘…Though it cost a fortune.’

Feeding over 150 soldiers a steady diet of meat for nearly four months had been a huge financial burden.

And then there were the bribes to Seorael, who kept showing up to check on the unit and asking for supplies.

In these past four months, Damian had spent enough money to buy a small house in a provincial town.

It was manageable thanks to funding from the Hamel Merchant Group, but still…

Crackle.

Night fell, and the torches around the camp flickered to life.

Damian stepped outside and looked toward the direction of the gold mine.

Swish.

“…Not sleeping?”

Damian turned to see the third squad leader approaching him.

The third squad leader seemed deep in thought before finally speaking.

“Do you remember what the first squad leader said before?”

“What he said? About what?”

“He mentioned… joining your unit once this is over.”

“Oh, you were listening?”

The third squad leader smiled faintly.

It was a rare expression from someone who usually kept a straight face, and it struck Damian as genuinely pleasant.

The third squad leader continued.

“Everyone already knows. The first squad leader’s been bragging about how he’s already talked to you.”

“Hmm… Looks like I need to schedule another lesson for him.”

Though Damian’s comment was offhanded—

The third squad leader flinched in surprise.

“Ah, no need to go that far….”

“I’m kidding.”

“…Sorry?”

“It was a joke. I get why he said it, though nothing’s been decided yet.”

“Oh… I see.”

“Why? Do you want to stay on as a soldier too?”

Damian asked. The third squad leader held up his bow.

“Yes. I didn’t realize it before, but whenever I’m shooting, I feel calm. It makes me think this might be my calling.”

“Heh, you’ve definitely got talent. I’ve never seen anyone learn archery as fast as you did.”

To be precise, the third squad leader hadn’t just improved rapidly; he’d been good from the start.

After only a few tries, he was hitting the target with ease.

But what made him even more remarkable was his ability to teach others.

Damian had handed the archery unit to him simply because there was no one else.

‘In just three months, he’s trained them to the level of regular army archers.’

Of course, the fifty selected had a knack for it, but it was the third squad leader’s teaching skills that helped Damian complete this crucial piece of the puzzle.

Damian spoke.

“We’ll talk more about that after this is over. You’ll need your sentence reduced first if you want to live as a soldier.”

“Yes, understood.”

“What’s your sentence again?”

“…11 years.”

“Even with the reduction, you’ll still have a year left.”

“Yes.”

“For now, let’s deal with what’s right in front of us.”

“Understood.”

The two of them silently stared into the darkness where the gold mine lay.

Even if they retake it, they would still have to hold it for three months.

“It won’t be easy.”

Having lost it once, the enemy would dig in and fight tooth and nail this time.

Moreover, they had to retake and hold the gold mine without any additional reinforcements, relying solely on the current soldiers.

‘First… securing the base with minimal losses is the priority.’

Damian ran countless simulations in his mind, drawing up strategies for the battlefield.

And then, two days passed.

—

Bwooooooo!

A loud trumpet blast echoed across the field.

The faces of the soldiers in the Makstri unit stiffened, their expressions tense.

But then,

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’ve all trained harder than anyone else up until now.”

He could confidently say:

“There are no soldiers on this continent who have trained as hard as you. Trust in yourselves.”

“Yes, sir!”

With their morale soaring, the soldiers donned their newly issued helmets.

They equipped their shields, leather cuirasses, greaves, and easy-to-handle short swords.

They now looked every bit like a proper regular army.

Seeing this, Damian turned.

“Advance.”

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

They stomped heavily, creating an intimidating rhythm.

The Makstri soldiers advanced in a square formation, and as they entered the enemy’s range,

“Shield formation!”

Clack! Clack! Clack!

They pressed together, raising their shields and forming a massive protective wall.

And then,

“…So they’ve finally come.”

There was no doubt they had changed.

Goodwin knew it too.

This was a unit made up of nothing more than worthless criminals.

But when they had retaken the base three months ago, they were different.

They were no longer a chaotic mob charging mindlessly.

They had become a well-organized unit with high-level formations.

Perhaps…

“They might be better than the Baroque Kingdom’s regular army.”

Their tactics and formations were that good.

But that didn’t mean Goodwin and his forces were fools who would fall for the same tactic twice.

“Let’s see you try.”

Goodwin watched as they approached.

“…Commander! There are a lot of obstacles up ahead!”

Wooden stakes as thick as a human arm had been driven diagonally into the ground, their ends sharpened to deadly points.

The first squad leader shouted as he saw the stakes spaced two or three steps apart, blocking their advance.

There weren’t many, but their strategic placement made it impossible for their shield formation to simply push through.

Goodwin’s eyes sharpened as he observed the Makstri soldiers pausing before the obstacles.

‘What’s your move?’

Charging straight in would shatter their tight formation.

They would either need to remove the obstacles or maneuver around them.

And then…

Swish.

Goodwin glanced at his archers hiding in bunkers.

At his command, they would unleash a volley of arrows that would blot out the sky.

The obstacles were working as intended.

The Makstri soldiers attempted to shift sideways to bypass them.

“Heh heh heh… there’s no clear path around these stakes while keeping that tight formation intact.”

The obstacles covered a wide area, forcing them to either stop or break formation to get through.

Goodwin then looked at the catapult placed at the very top of the hill.

He only had one, but if the enemy paused to clear the obstacles…

‘I’ll take precise aim and smash them to pieces.’

He could likely get one or two shots off.

But even one hit would be enough.

Even a near miss could kill a dozen men outright.

In this small-scale battle, a catapult was a terrifying weapon.

“…Commander, up there….”

“A catapult, huh? They’ve really prepared well.”

Large rocks and logs were positioned further up the hill.

They had realized that arrows were ineffective against the shield formation.

The enemy had prepared extensively over the past three months.

‘They must have been deeply embarrassed after losing to an irregular unit.’

The enemy commander, whoever they were, deserved some praise.

‘No wonder they’ve been able to hold this contested area for so long.’

While the catapult was unexpected…

‘I expected this level of preparation.’

As the Makstri unit reached the obstacles, Damian glanced at his soldiers.

“Move on my signal! Reform the formation quickly and make reaching the base of the hill your priority!”

“Yes, sir!”

“It’s all about speed now, so stay focused and keep up!”

“Understood!”

As they neared the obstacles, Damian shouted,

“Break formation!”

“Hyahhhhhhh!”

At Damian’s command, the Makstri soldiers swiftly dispersed.

Goodwin’s eyes flashed sharply.

‘They’ve split!’

“Archers, into formation!”

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The soldiers hiding in the bunkers emerged, bows drawn and ready to fire.

One command, and the sky would be filled with arrows.

“…!”

The enemy had split up, as expected.

It should have been impossible for them to defend against the arrows without maintaining their shield wall.

Or so Goodwin thought.

But then…

“What the hell is that?”

Goodwin’s eyes widened, his gaze shaking at the sight before him.