Arthur stood in the open ground at the edge of the camp.
He looked at the three men in the middle of the field with his soldiers.
Bronn, Lucien, and Hakon.
The two of them were very obedient to Lord Arthur's words.
As soon as they had free time, they immediately sought Bronn's guidance in swordsmanship.
Bronn initially seemed a bit reluctant.
But later, he found that it was a good way to vent his emotions.
He felt like he was being manipulated! This made him furious!
And by a sixteen-year-old minor noble!
His guidance to Lucien and Laosiman was less instruction and more a one-sided beating.
He casually wielded a wooden sword, nonchalantly instructing Lucien and Laosiman.
His movements seemed lazy, yet they carried a sense of power.
Every swing, every parry, was precise and forceful.
In contrast, Lucien and Laosiman.
They appeared somewhat clumsy, their movements carrying the brute force of a farmer's labor, completely lacking in skill.
It was as if they were wielding farm tools.
Arthur felt that if he were to fight Bronn, he should be able to hold his own.
Perhaps he could try it later.
He had not yet fought against the top fighters of Westeros.
"Not like that, you idiot!" Bronn finally lost his patience, striking Lucien's wooden sword with a dull thud.
He stepped forward, correcting Lucien's grip, his tone carrying a hint of undisguised mockery:
"That sword grip of yours! Are you trying to chop down a tree with your sword?! A sword is for cutting people! Not for cutting trees!"
Lucien's face turned beet red, but he still followed the instruction.
"And you! Idiot!" Bronn turned to look at the other side, "What do you think your sword is? A hoe? Are you digging the ground?!"
"Again!" Bronn growled, repositioning himself.
He was very impatient, not knowing why he had to teach swordsmanship to two farmers.
These two farmer guards had a very poor foundation, only brute strength, and even the most basic combat techniques were a mess.
His gaze drifted towards Arthur, who was standing to the side.
But he had no choice; he couldn't gauge the depth of their master's abilities right now.
He paused, his tone softening slightly: "However, you two have made some progress; you're not complete idiots!"
"Remember, when you can't win, attack the vital points."
"Eyes! Ears! Throat! Crotch! As ruthless and shameless as possible!"
"Remember! Combat is for survival! Not for honor!"
Arthur watched from the side, a smile flashing in his eyes.
These were all experiences of a mercenary.
Although Bronn's character was very poor, he indeed had real skills.
On the battlefield, only survival was the ultimate truth.
What was the point of dying for honor?
His guidance, though crude, went straight to the point.
Just a moment of observation, Arthur could see that Lucien and Laosiman's stances had improved, though still unrefined.
Bronn glanced at Arthur, as if to confirm whether the young noble was truly watching.
After confirming that Arthur's gaze was indeed on him, he knew he had to show some real skill.
He looked at Lucien and Laosiman: "I'll demonstrate it for you first, pay attention to my footwork, my center of gravity!"
This time, Bronn's movements became continuous and fluid, like a preying wolf, every step, every turn carrying a deadly rhythm.
He was no longer just venting his emotions, but truly teaching.
Arthur pinched his nose.
This mercenary was indeed very sensible; he knew Arthur was watching and also knew Arthur's intentions.
"Lucien, Laosiman." Arthur's voice rang out, interrupting their training. "You two go prepare, gather everyone."
"The rest is over!"
Then he looked at Bronn, "Have you apologized to my soldiers whom you injured?" He asked with a half-smile.
Bronn's mouth twitched, but he still replied: "Of course! Lord Arthur! I've already been there!"
"Very good!" Arthur nodded, not pressing for details, just motioning for him to follow him out of the tent.
Inside the military tent, Lucien and Hakon arrived after gathering the troops.
The four stood around a wooden table, on which lay a map outlining the general terrain around Deep Valley City.
Arthur moved his finger across the map, his voice calm: "Scouts report that the wildlings have split their forces, roughly four to five hundred men."
"They are searching for traces, looking for us."
The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became serious and oppressive.
They had previously been fighting small groups of wildlings.
And now they were very likely to face a force larger than their own.
Bronn looked at the suddenly oppressive atmosphere inside the tent, then grinned:
"This is a good thing; these idiots finally couldn't hold back."
"Separated wildlings are always easier to deal with than wildlings clumped together."
Arthur nodded, acknowledging Bronn.
Seeing Arthur nod, Bronn paused, then added: "However, four or five hundred people is not a small number."
"Although the Lord's army has fighting spirit, they probably won't be a match in a frontal confrontation."
"I don't intend to fight head-on." Arthur's lips curled into a strange smile. "What I want is to devour them with the least cost."
This was a crucial battle, and Arthur could not afford to lose.
Lucien and Hakon got goosebumps when they saw Arthur make that expression again.
Hakon quickly spoke: "Lord Arthur, our tracks are very well hidden!"
"The wildlings definitely won't find us!"
Arthur smiled as he looked at Lucien and Laosiman: "No, from now on! I want you to leave traces!"
"Why? Lord Arthur?" Lucien and Laosiman were greatly shocked.
Bronn silently looked at this young noble who was only sixteen years old.
Damn it! Was he really only sixteen years old?
He admitted that this team was very combat effective.
But the equipment of this team was too poor.
Moreover, he didn't think this team had the ability to fight head-on with the wildlings at all.
Arthur pointed at the route on the map, giving orders to Bronn, Lucien, and Laosiman:
"Bronn! I'll give you a wildling warhorse! I want you to lead five riders from my team to leave traces for the wildlings!"
"Let them be able to follow us! But you must maintain a half-day's journey distance!"
"Don't let them get entangled, and don't let them be intercepted."
"You are the bait to lure them, and also our eyes and ears."
Arthur's gaze met Bronn's, carrying a hint of warning:
"Remember! Although wildlings can lose their minds when enraged! They are not stupid! If the traces are too fake! They will be suspicious!"
Then he looked at Hakon:
"Your task is to cooperate with Bronn, leaving traces of life along the way."
"Hakon, you must destroy all wells and water sources in the middle of the journey."
Arthur emphasized his tone:
"Not just simple blockage! But to make them undrinkable!"
"Throw in livestock! Or anything that can quickly rot and emit a foul odor!"
"At the same time! Burn all the farmlands!"
"Any stored food that the wildlings might plunder! Burn it all!"
"Anything the wildlings might find and use to satisfy their hunger! Burn what can be burned! Destroy what can be destroyed!"
Arthur pulled out the short dagger from his waist and fiercely plunged it into the map, "Populated villages! Unpopulated villages! This town now! Burn them all!"
There was some silence in the tent.
"Tell them! Tell them to go to Dreadfort! I will return their land and houses to them!" Arthur slowly began, "For all the livestock you kill! You must leave them proof!"
"Tell them! Suleiman Foul Castle, Esquire, bought their livestock! I will pay them!" His voice deepened, "Tell them the wildlings are coming, if they don't want to leave, don't force them."
Then Arthur pointed to the river valley on the map: "Lucien! Your mission cannot fail! Time must not be wrong!"
"I need you to, in a few days! Lead two hundred men! Build a dam!"
"The dam cannot collapse early! Nor can it collapse late!"
Arthur grabbed Lucien's shoulder.
"This mission cannot fail! My life is in your hands!"
Lucien's eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth: Yes! Lord Arthur!
Bronn looked at Arthur in shock.
Damn it! Was he really only sixteen years old?