The march to the north was through the kingdom of Alon, which stretched across diverse terrain, from the fertile plains in the south to the rugged mountains in the north.
However, the further one traveled north, closer to the borders of the northern noble territories, the more the changes became apparent. Poverty began to spread across the land, and chaos increased steadily.
The poverty wasn't just due to a lack of resources, but it was primarily the result of long-term neglect by the nobles, who preferred accumulating personal wealth over ensuring the welfare of their people.
This neglect had led to endless suffering. The exploitation of the serfs by the lords was merciless, with high taxes and grueling labor imposed on them without any assistance or genuine protection. The peasants worked until their sweat soaked the earth, but all they received in the end was disdain and injustice.
As a result of this exploitation, many peasants chose to flee to the surrounding mountains.
But life in the mountains wasn't much better; they were forced to turn away from the path, becoming bandits who attacked caravans and besieged small villages in search of food and shelter.
They became a constant threat to anyone who dared to travel through these abandoned lands.
The northern lords were lazier than ever. They cared little for what was happening around them; they had abandoned their responsibilities and allocated no resources or effort to eliminate the gangs or even improve the living conditions in those areas.
Instead, they allowed things to fester and worsen over time, turning the north into a land beyond control, where the law of the strongest reigned.
At the same time, the 1500-soldier battalion had begun its march towards the northern front. The soldiers marched with steady, precise steps, as if they were a harmonious war machine that could not be stopped.
This army wasn't just a random group of recruits; they were soldiers carefully chosen by Arthur using the summoning card, having been trained in combat and military discipline to a high standard.
Each soldier in the battalion knew their role well, so there was no need for threats or harsh orders. They moved as one cohesive unit, exchanging glances and small signals to maintain order.
There were no soldiers lagging behind or complaining, and each knew exactly what to do at every moment of the battle. The results of the training over the past weeks were evident in their perfect discipline.
Arthur, mounted on his horse at the front, carefully observed the battalion. His gaze shifted between the soldiers, sensing their calmness as they advanced without any issues.
He didn't need to shout or resort to violence to maintain order; he knew these soldiers were fully prepared. Discipline was ingrained in them, and every step they took was a strong indication of their complete professionalism.
What further enhanced the effectiveness of this battalion was the efficiency of the summoned officers, who had a profound impact on maintaining discipline.
Thanks to them, they managed to march 65 miles daily without needing to slow down, an impressive feat for an army traveling across barren and uneven terrain.
The logistical supply was incredibly streamlined, with each soldier carrying only a few dozen kilograms of dry food, which allowed them to move quickly and efficiently without excessive fatigue.
There was no need for frequent stops to reorganize or handle the usual chaos that plagues armies during a march.
On the contrary, the troops moved with the precision of a clock, and with every mile they covered, they got closer to the northern border.
The biggest difference in this campaign was the competence of the officers leading the soldiers. They were not just inexperienced nobles or recent recruits, but seasoned soldiers personally summoned by Arthur with the card, which gave them advanced combat and administrative skills.
Each of them knew their responsibilities well, ensuring the military formations remained solid and that every soldier adhered to their role without overstepping or slacking off.
There was no negligence or poor decision-making; orders were issued with precision and speed and were carried out without hesitation.
"This is the army I can rely on," Arthur thought, looking at his men with pride. This was not just a march to meet the enemy; it was a demonstration of the power of a disciplined army ready for any confrontation.
"It's good to turn the summoned soldiers into officers and leaders of 10-man squads. Though the idea might seem rough and simple, it's much more efficient in utilizing their strengths," Arthur thought to himself as he observed the movements of his battalion, his eyes carefully scanning the soldiers.
There was something in the way they moved, in their initial coordination, that made him feel this was the best way to make the most of every individual in the army.
This was the first time Arthur led an army. Although Vixthor was the actual commander, Arthur was not one to remain a bystander.
He was not a lazy fool; he knew that he did not possess the innate military talent that made great commanders shine, but that would not stop him from striving to improve himself.
He understood that even if a leader was not fully capable of commanding the troops, they should at least be able to understand battle reports, absorb military information, and grasp the results.
He did not expect to rely on interpretation and assistance for every decision.
If he was unable to lead the soldiers, then he should not be an obstacle to their progress; his goal was to learn and grow, enabling him to support the actual commander in the best way possible.
The small battalion he was leading now was an excellent opportunity for training and learning. It consisted of conscripted soldiers and newly recruited peasants—individuals with no combat experience.
Arthur needed to find a way to harness their potential and make the best use of their abilities.
With every mile they covered, the new soldiers became more tense, realizing that the great confrontation was drawing near. In the distance, the features of the northern lands began to appear—its rugged mountains and small villages that had been raided time and again.
Although the battalion was merely a newly formed group, its impact on the areas it passed through was clear and shocking.
The villages they traveled through were desolate, as though abandoned by a hidden catastrophe, and Arthur soon discovered that the villagers fled the moment they saw the military banners, as if they feared an unavoidable disaster was coming.
Arthur had repeatedly stressed the importance of military discipline and had issued strict orders forbidding any soldier from leaving the battalion or interfering with the villagers' property.
However, these orders had no tangible effect.
The people did not even wait to hear explanations; they disappeared from the villages before the soldiers' feet touched the ground.
Sometimes, Arthur would meet with some local nobles, trying to open a door for dialogue or understanding, but the reception was cold and filled with suspicion.
None of them wanted to deal with his forces, treating him as if he carried the plague. If it weren't for the conscription order issued by the kingdom, some of these nobles would have sent forces to expel him from their lands by force.
After three days of continuous marching, Arthur began to sense something suspicious. It felt as though his battalion was moving too quickly, as if they were in a race to reach the front line without waiting for the rest of the forces.
This conscription order was not limited to the southwestern district; it covered all the nobles in the remaining regions.
By observing the reactions of the nobles he encountered along the way, it became clear that they were moving deliberately slowly, as if they were waiting for something or watching the situation from a distance.
"Being the first to arrive at the battlefield may be an opportunity to prove worth and gain the leaders' favor, but it could also mean being the vanguard thrown into the flames of war without support. Just cannon fodder in a reckless attack," Arthur thought quietly as he contemplated his situation.
Arthur was not naive, and he had no illusions about his forces. Although they were well-trained compared to regular conscripts, sending them alone to the front was akin to sending lambs to the wolves.
After all, this was not just a small skirmish between two nobles or the suppression of bandits and highwaymen, but a great war involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers spread across multiple fronts.
Once Arthur realized the danger he was facing, he made a decisive choice to slow the march.
The army no longer marched non-stop towards the front; instead, they began traveling only in the mornings, resting in the afternoon, and setting up camp before evening.
This change was not merely for the soldiers' rest, but a strategic decision. It allowed them to monitor the movements of the other nobles, gather more information about the situation at the front, and avoid falling into a trap of being sent to fight alone.
Furthermore, the battalion began relying on hunting to improve their food supplies.
They no longer depended solely on the dry rations they had brought with them, but the soldiers began hunting wildlife along the way, which improved the quality of their food and boosted the morale of the new recruits.
.....
In the evening, as Arthur rested with his soldiers in their temporary camp, he cautiously lifted the summoning card in his hand, his feelings filled with anticipation.
It had been more than a month since he arrived in this world, and now it was time for a new opportunity to draw a random card, which made him feel both excitement and curiosity about what he might receive this time.
Suddenly, the engravings on the card began to glow with a brilliant blue color, as if resonating with his deep focus.
In that moment, he felt something unfamiliar, a flow of energy or data streaming into his mind.
The zeros and ones accelerated at the speed of light, directly transforming into information that manifested in his mind.
As waves of data flowed into his mind, new notifications appeared before him:
[Summoning card activated.][Choosing random content...][Successfully summoned!]
Before his eyes, a picture of a crossbow appeared, and details began to emerge rapidly around it.
[Item Name: 15 Units of Large Crossbow][Product Description: This model of crossbow is capable of firing a short spear, one meter in length, after being wound by a winch. It can effectively kill enemies at distances up to 150 meters.][Support Description: This weapon requires two people to operate and requires a 3-meter by 3-meter space when opened.]
"15 units of large crossbow?" Arthur said in surprise, his face showing astonishment. He hadn't expected such a powerful weapon. In terms of effectiveness, it was like a decisive firepower that could be greatly used in the upcoming battle.
This weapon is one of the heavy weapons used in medieval times and is considered an advanced version of the traditional crossbow.
It uses a mechanical winch mechanism to draw the bow, allowing it to fire spears or arrows with greater power and accuracy compared to a regular bow.
Although the loading process is slower than a regular bow, it is considered a reliable and effective weapon in large-scale battles against heavily armored enemies or against forces moving in tight formations.
Arthur immediately realized the potential benefit this weapon would bring and felt that this addition would be crucial in the upcoming battle.
"It's like adding decisive firepower at the right moment..." he murmured, imagining how he could use this weapon in the next battle.