Below the stronghold known as Valinburg, Valin assembled his subordinates.
Most of these assembled men were farmers, armed with weapons modified from farming tools, which, though crude, were enough to kill.
As for the few who wore armor, they mostly came from the wealthy families within the territory, but they still looked like farmers.
The only ones who looked the part were a few hunters and lumberjacks; their life skills could also be applied to the battlefield, making them look the most like soldiers.
As for the few personal guards Valin kept, they stood among these men, wearing chainmail shirts and shouting orders for everyone to form roughly neat ranks.
However, most people didn't pay much attention to them until these few men drew their swords and cursed with various foul words, only then did the conscripted men cooperate obediently.
Compared to when it was first built, Valin's stronghold had changed significantly; it had once been occupied by the Bulgars, and to accommodate their soldiers, the Bulgars had expanded the place.
After the Bulgars were driven out, Valin took over the stronghold, and this expanded stronghold indeed befitted his status.
Valin was granted a large amount of land after the war, becoming a powerful landowner, even invited to attend meetings in the city; his power was top-tier in this region.
As for his stronghold, it had also become a small town housing a hundred households, most of whom were engaged in work serving the Kashinsky family, such as falconry and blacksmithing.
Because of this, a church was built in Valin's small town and designated as the center of its parish, with a resident priest, though it was a pity the church was made of wood.
Valin had recently intended to spend some money to upgrade this church, but unfortunately, war arrived, and Valin naturally had to save his money.
Now, whatever Valin wanted to do, he had many people following him, surrounded by attendants, looking like a nobleman.
This was something he had never dared to imagine before, but now he took it for granted, especially after showing off his achievements in Kiev last year; he now considered all of this his due.
Oh, and Valin now has a surname.
After the war that arose due to Kashin's silver mine ended, Valin was grateful for the opportunity the war gave him to achieve merit, so he took a surname for himself: Kashinsky.
Speaking of Kashin, after the silver mine dream there collapsed, many people fled to his territory to become his subjects, and Valin took them in, which significantly strengthened his power.
His full name is now Valin Kashinsky; as for why he has no patronymic, it's because he had long forgotten his father's name and couldn't be bothered to think of one, as his father had left him long before he could remember anything.
Lord Kashinsky's governance was unanimously praised by the people under his rule; this Lord was never a useless person who only holed up in a tower giving orders, but truly worked alongside everyone and helped villagers solve problems.
Once, he even brought the issue of the people's lack of tools to Moscow, and Moscow quickly sent a batch of tools, which made the people even more convinced of Valin and the Moscow Prince above him.
In daily life, Valin maintained a very humble demeanor towards people; he was always gentle with everyone, gladly solved problems encountered by the common folk, and took charge when issues arose.
Once, distant tribesmen came to raid his territory, and Valin decisively organized the villagers to attack, crushing those fellows in one go and even beheading their leader.
In that battle, Valin led the charge, fearlessly rushing into the midst of the tribesmen to fight, opening a gap for everyone and leading them to victory.
This made Valin's authority truly recognized by everyone; from that moment on, he truly became the master of the territory.
Moreover, Valin was also implementing the production improvement methods proposed by Moscow; initially, his initiatives received no support, but as results emerged, everyone began to imitate him, and their support for him grew stronger.
This earned him several commendations from Moscow, but Valin was never proud because of this; instead, he continued to work diligently, wanting to build his territory into a richer place and transform his small town into a true city.
Due to this series of benevolence and authority, when Lord Valin Kashinsky summoned the able-bodied men of his territory, many men enthusiastically picked up their weapons, very willing to fight for this lord.
Of course, the spoils of war promised by Rostislav were also very important; in the countryside, the Prince's declaration of war had completely changed, becoming Rostislav leading everyone to the East to seize wealth.
In these rumors, the land named Bulgar was full of wealth, guarded by a group of cowards, and everyone could get rich by going there.
If Rostislav heard such news, he would surely rub his forehead, but the Moscow Prince knew from the beginning that all this would develop this way, and for the large army he desired, it didn't matter.
"I truly didn't expect to be able to gather so many people," Valin murmured, looking at the hundred or so able-bodied men assembled in the courtyard, while his wife tidied his clothes beside him.
This was Lord Kashinsky's first time assembling the manpower of his territory, and he also found that he had raised a force of better quality and quantity than he had imagined, naturally filled with a mix of surprise and delight.
"Don't be proud just because you've gathered so many people. Your small force is nothing on the battlefield. When it's time to hide, you still need to hide. Don't try to be a hero. I don't want to become a widow, and my son to lose his father."
His wife came from a local wealthy peasant family; back when he first arrived in this land, this marriage helped him gain a foothold here.
Valin's wife was unwilling about the war.
But since the men had already decided, she had no room to refuse; all she could do was pack her husband's luggage and dry rations, letting him take these things on his journey.
"I know my limits. I've been through so many years of fighting on the battlefield, and this is an opportunity to campaign with Lord Rostislav. This Lord has never been defeated. I will return with gifts and wealth from afar. Perhaps Lord Rostislav will give me more land, and in the future, maybe I can even have a mansion in Moscow."
Valin confidently assured his wife; he was full of confidence in the war, never doubting the Prince's winning rate, and saw a bright future for the war.
His wife just smiled at this; she had, of course, heard of the Prince's reputation, and recalling Rostislav's martial renown, she subconsciously relaxed a little, but her mouth didn't stop, after all, it was a battlefield.
"No matter what, just be safe."
After she fastened the high-quality coat he had bought from Moscow, her husband walked out of the tower, and his attendant followed immediately, carrying his armor.
Valin deftly mounted his warhorse, looking behind him to see his subjects, dressed in varied clothing and armor, watching him, while their families either gave blessings or presented gifts to their departing loved ones.
Seeing this scene, Valin thought of his wife's farewell, then he glanced at his wife standing in front of the tower.
And his son, he didn't know when, came out, his small hand pulling at his mother's skirt, timidly looking at his departing father.
Because Valin had poured all his time into work, the child was quite unfamiliar with him; Valin hadn't expected him to come see him off.
A surge of emotion rose in Valin's heart; he suddenly didn't want to participate in the distant campaign. After all, he now had both power and wealth, so what was the need to pursue those things anymore?
However, these thoughts were quickly extinguished, and the ambition to advance further surged up again. Valin hardened his heart and no longer looked at his wife and child.
"Depart!"
With the lord's shout, the procession began to move, heading into the distance.