Chapter 433 - 181: Trampling the Steppe
Chapter 433: Chapter 181: Trampling the Steppe
"The Viscount has arrived!"
"Viscount!"
"Viscount."
Robson followed Bo Yang to where the nobles were gathered.
The area was also in ruins, but it was relatively open.
When the crowd saw Robson arrive, they all placed a hand over their chests in a military salute, showing their acknowledgment.
Among them were Robson’s old subordinates, who were accustomed to the gesture. However, most were newly sworn southern nobles, military aristocrats, and Northern Nobles.
For Robson, this battle—the first he had personally led them on—held not just military significance, but an even greater political one.
Although they had fought that group of goblins before, they were just goblins. The Centaurs they crushed today were the regular army of the Beastman Empire.
Now, these frontier nobles were truly convinced.
"Ha! When did you learn to do that?"
As Robson walked over, he noticed Noon copying the military salute along with the others. Surprisingly, Noon’s form was quite standard.
"The military academy teaches it. We all have to learn it for easier communication," Noon said with a smile.
"Robson, what’s our next move?"
Valentino stepped forward and asked.
Militarily, Valentino had now grown accustomed to relying on Robson’s judgment.
She herself had no military talent, and it was no matter that others in her family might.
Hearing this, the noble lords around them grew visibly excited.
This was why they had come. Conquering Julian was a counterattack against the Beastman Empire, but since Julian was originally human land, it felt more like reclaiming their homeland.
What would bring them true glory was invading the Beastman Grassland. That would be something they could boast about to their descendants for generations.
Robson said nothing. Instead, he walked to a ruined wall and, using a flat section as a platform, unrolled the parchment Chief Mole had given him.
Chief Mole was still on his way; the Bear Race was just too slow. There was nothing to be done about it.
Seeing this, Valentino and a group of officers immediately gathered around.
The parchment map was very simple, one might even call it unadorned.
"This was given to me by a friend I met from the Mountain Rock Bear Race."
"The Mountain Rock Bear Race?!"
Hearing those four words, many of the nobles cried out in surprise. History was a required subject for many nobles, and though the Mountain Rock Bear Race had fallen on hard times, they had once been prosperous.
’How could Sir Robson get involved with Beastmen?’ The nobles were filled with doubt.
However, when they saw Robson remain silent, they could only give up on asking.
Robson continued his explanation.
"I’ve discussed this with Earl Fengman. Our current position is to the east of the Beastman Grassland."
"There are only two paths for us to push into the Beastman Grassland. One is to cross the mountains and strike at the homeland of the Gray Dwarves."
"However, the mountains are treacherous, so that’s clearly not feasible. Therefore, my personal preference is the second option: take the more northern route and enter the Beastman Grassland from a gentler slope."
"The only things to worry about are the enemy attacking from high ground while we’re marching, putting us at a disadvantage in the lowlands, and the possibility of our soldiers suffering from physical discomfort due to the change in environment," Robson said.
’In truth, only the latter was a real concern.’
If they charged into the Beastman Grassland from the northern slope, their enemy would be the Centaur Royal Court.
The Centaurs belonged to the Royalist Faction, and most of their military strength was concentrated on the central front. Robson knew this from recent battle reports transmitted from that front.
In other words, the Centaur Royal Court was likely short on troops right now.
Moreover, Robson had already crushed a Centaur army back in Julian Province, killing several thousand Centaur Warriors. The number of Centaurs who had died as a result of this war since then was even greater.
However, Robson knew this in his heart but wouldn’t say it out loud.
After all, there was always a chance of the unexpected. If he kept his mouth shut, the decision would be a collective one. If he spoke up, it would be Lord Robson’s decision alone.
He couldn’t be the one to take the blame. With a group effort, if something went wrong, there would be others to share the fault.
"The physical aspect is easy to handle. My Fengman Clan’s Priest Corps will arrive at the front tomorrow.
"The kingdom has already received reinforcements from the Holy See. We don’t need to worry about things like Holy Water now," Valentino said.
Robson nodded. His earlier concern was whether the soldiers would suffer from altitude sickness, as the elevation would suddenly increase by over a thousand meters.
Although that altitude wouldn’t be a problem for most people, one always had to prepare for the unexpected, right?
With Holy Water, it was no longer a concern. To the people of this world, Holy Water was the ultimate panacea, a cure for all ailments.
"Gentlemen, any other questions?"
Robson looked around at the crowd.
What other ideas could the nobles have? Robson had already decided. Did they dare to object?
No one spoke, so Robson had them take a vote.
Although Lord Robson’s word was law, if something went wrong, he couldn’t be the only one to take the blame.
Unsurprisingly, the matter passed with a unanimous vote.
"In that case, everyone should go and prepare."
...
After the crowd dispersed, Robson saw Ais still standing in the same spot.
"Ais, is there something else?" Robson asked, puzzled.
Ais nodded and took a few steps forward.
"My lord, the first batch of Steel Armor from the domain has been delivered. Would you like to go see it?"
"Oh?"
’So soon?’
The Affleck Domain hadn’t been idle. Before setting out, Robson had even ordered the Steel Factory’s production capacity to be doubled.
"Let’s go take a look."
He followed Ais to the South City Gate, where a dozen or so horse-drawn carriages were already waiting.
The one leading them was, surprisingly, a resident of Affleck.
Upon seeing Robson, the man dismounted from his carriage and bowed.
Robson walked up to him.
"Is this the new weaponry and armor produced in the domain?"
The armor Robson’s army had been using recently was mostly requisitioned from the Royal Capital, with a few rarer pieces produced in the Affleck Domain.
The armor from the Royal Capital was all southern-style chainmail. To be honest, Robson’s personal experience with chainmail was not a pleasant one.
Not only was it heavy, but its defensive capabilities were also limited. It was effective against swords and blades, but against a heavy impact, it could only ensure your corpse would be found in one piece.
The Beastman Grassland was different from the Southern Kingdom. In the Southern Kingdom, the climate was hot and humid, and heavy weapons were uncommon, so chainmail was sufficient.
But things were different in the north. In the north, Beastmen and other races alike were very fond of using heavy weapons like hammers and great-axes.
This was also because the Beastmen’s weapon-smithing technology was poor, leaving them unable to perform more advanced forging.