"If you have other matters to attend to, you may refuse. This is not a formal summons from your Lord, but merely a call to muster.
If you are free at the moment, or can join us after handling your affairs, then your forces will be welcome.
I hope you can bring a force of one hundred men to Autongard within six days. Bring a small amount of Cavalry and sufficient infantry. If your army is too small, your share of the spoils will be meager."
Henry closed his eyes and thought it over carefully. 'I have to join this muster!'
First, Count Sebastian Solza was one of the King's court Sword Nobility. Although he had no fief, he was a man of high rank and great power, and Henry had to show him respect.
Second, Henry had never fought Half-Beastmen before. He needed others to act as cannon fodder at the front while he trained his own troops.
"Bain! Bain!"
"My lord!"
"Go, have Claude and Philip come here. Right! And tell Philip to bring the troops over as well."
After some time, Claude and Philip, covered in sweat, walked into Henry's study.
"My lord."
"Lord."
Henry nodded and gave his orders, "Have Tommy manage Westwood Laine village. You and Philip are coming with me to Autongard."
Claude nodded and asked, "My lord, how many men are we taking?"
Handing the letter to Claude, Henry explained, "I plan to take fifty veterans, sixty new recruits, and thirty serfs. Claude, you will act as the field Clerk. Philip will command the Cavalry, and Bain will command the infantry... Bain is qualified. His theoretical knowledge scores are very high. He'll never improve if he doesn't get command experience.
"Leave sixty new recruits for Tommy. I'd rather not come back to find the old fellow has been killed by bandits." He chuckled.
And so, Claude went to allocate supplies, and Philip rushed to assign and deploy the troops. Everyone sprang into action.
It would take at least four days to get to Autongard from here, and the letter had already taken two days to arrive. This meant Henry had to set out that very day.
The only person not bustling about was Henry. At that moment, he watched his handmaid pack his clothes, feeling a bit exasperated.
"Ailia, I'm going off to war. Why are you packing my mattress and bedding?"
"My lord, I don't know what it's like to march and fight, but I do know how unpleasant traveling is. If you bring these pillows and bedding, you'll be able to rest well at night."
Ailia's hands never stopped moving, and she packed with considerable speed. Her ancestors were Stegians from the northernmost part of the empire, Free People who lived in the cities.
Ailia disliked shivering through the winter every year, so she had come to the central part of the empire to make a living, where she was hired by Henry. That's right, hired! Not bought. A servant, a retainer, and a slave are three completely different things.
Watching Ailia continuously pack his things, Henry smiled and shook his head. 'She's making it seem like I'm going on a picnic or a hunt.'
He patted Ailia's shoulder and said, "Alright, have it your way. But I must remind you: once we get to Autongard, you are not to leave our camp. If you absolutely must go out, remember to take Orianna with you."
"Oh, right! And pack plenty of toilet paper!"
Henry couldn't bear the thought of going without toilet paper; it was an affront to a nobleman's dignity. In the Caladian Empire, only nobles, wealthy merchants, and major landowners could afford it.
Just then, the sound of hooves echoed from outside. Philip had arrived with the army and was waiting at the gate of the barracks.
After finding Henry, Claude saluted and reported, "My lord, forty new recruits will guard Westwood Laine village, and twenty new recruits are stationed to garrison the castle barracks.
Our provisions for the road have been loaded onto sixteen horse-drawn carts, with one dedicated to the armor and barding for the Heavy Cavalry. The column is ready to depart."
"Move out!"
The fully prepared column marched out of the castle barracks in a long procession. Upon seeing this, the supervisor of the merchant guild's construction site hastily wrote a letter to his boss, Baron Pedro, requesting more men.
Henry encountered no trouble on the road. No bandit foolish enough to be blind to the odds would dare attack a force of over one hundred soldiers. There was no profit in victory, while defeat meant losing one's head. It simply wasn't worth the risk.
After a four-day march, Henry's contingent arrived safely at Autongard.
Autongard, a city on the eastern frontier under the King's direct rule, was a bountiful oasis on the steppes. It produced cattle, sheep, warhorses, furs, grapes, oil, salt, timber, and iron ore—it was the pearl of the eastern grasslands.
The walls of Autongard were tall and sturdy. Its main gates stood wide open, with soldiers crowding the gatehouse and the ramparts above. In the distance, vast temporary military camps stretched out, a sea of tents that seemed to reach for the heavens.
The colorful banners of countless nobles fluttered in the wind, all surrounding the largest and most dazzling flag at the very center—the royal standard of the empire!
When Henry led his troops before the city gate, the garrison soldiers watched him nervously, afraid he might try to force his way inside.
Nobles, after all, had a reputation for being unhinged, always doing something outrageous to flaunt their special status and power.
"I am Knight Henry Bro of Westwood Laine, a Vassal to the King and a Pioneer Noble."
Henry took the initiative to show the guards his noble crest and the letter of summons while declaring his identity. This immediately put the nervous soldiers at ease.
The soldiers found a literate captain to verify the documents. Once confirmed, they opened the gate and allowed Henry to enter the city with ten of his men.
"Our apologies, Sir Knight," the captain said. "Count Sebastian Solza does not permit nobles to bring large forces into the city."