Chapter 224 - 185 Building an Army Blood Claw_1

Chapter 224: Chapter 185 Building an Army Blood Claw_1Blood Claw was a clever man, and with just a subtle hint from Gaven, he fully understood. The fifty kilometers he traveled were swept through torrents of blood and gusts of pungent wind. Whether it was Goblin dens, Gnoll holes, bandit hideouts, Orc encampments, or Hobgoblin Tribes, none were spared—they were all wiped out except for the methods used weren’t so cruel. As long as they were willing to be coerced, Blood Claw did not engage in indiscriminate slaughter. The only ones he did not dare to touch were the Human settlements and the caravans on the High Road—Gaven had warned him repeatedly about the grave consequences of such actions, which could potentially attract Komeer’s War Mages and the Purple Dragon Legion. Blood Claw employed the same tactics as the Black Reaper, driving the conquered Monster Tribes to serve as vassal troops. They were the ones to charge and breach; others simply reaped the benefits behind and occasionally absorbed the robust ones into their ranks. By the time they reached the position designated by Gaven, Blood Claw could be said to have more than fulfilled the mission. The entire army had not only almost completely integrated but its numbers had surged to over three thousand. However, not all were in their prime; among them, over a thousand were women, children, and the elderly from various races. Apart from nearly two hundred Gnolls whom Gaven singled out and sent to the outskirts of Eagle Cliff Town, the rest were handed over to Blood Claw. What he intended to build was a military town, not simply a barracks, which similarly required non-combat personnel. At the very least, with them around, the soldiers could be freed from menial tasks such as laundry and cooking. Other tasks like gathering, hunting, and farming could also be entrusted to them. The collected food supplies were more than enough to feed the three thousand for a whole three months. To avoid waste, a portion of the meat that could not be consumed was sent overnight to Eagle Cliff Town. Now, at the turn of spring and summer, vegetation flourished, and prey was plentiful. Life for the tribes had become relatively easier, with some surplus food stores, all of which were scavenged by Blood Claw. Gaven stood side by side with Blood Claw atop a hill and pointed down, "General Blood Claw, what do you think of the location I’ve chosen for you?" Surveying his surroundings, Blood Claw, with an almost stringently solemn face, managed a slight smile, "Facing the major trade route, it’s ideal for launching attacks. With the valley and deep river at our back, there’s strategic depth, a classic defensive position that’s hard to attack. Give me three months, and I will turn this place into a military fortress. Every caravan passing on the High Road will have to act according to our wishes—if they do not leave enough goods behind, they’ll wish they never came this way." Initially, Gaven’s face was filled with smiles, but by the end, he stiffened and shook his head repeatedly, "General Blood Claw, I did not choose this location for your camp so that you could rob people. On the contrary, it is to protect it, ensuring the safety of the nearby trade routes, especially the High Road, and to prevent any incidents of robbery. Starting today, I hope you and your army will change your mindset. You are no longer a combat group living off plundering, but a group with a territory and a place to belong. Your every word and action will represent me, and will represent the entirety of Dragon Oak Territory. In a few days, I’ll send you a few deputies who will tell you what to do and what not to do." S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gaven decided to assign a mature and stable Supervisor to Blood Claw, not because he questioned their loyalty, but to standardize their behavior. Their background determined that they had no moral baseline—engaging in unlawful and wicked deeds brought them no psychological burden. Blood Claw’s eyes flickered, and he nodded, "Even if Lord did not do this, I would have taken the initiative to request it. After all, we are too used to living wildly. There are things we don’t distinguish properly in terms of importance. If we do something we shouldn’t, and cause trouble for the Lord and the territory, that would be most undesirable." "Those three hundred Gnolls will stay here for some time to assist you in building the military town. Don’t be fooled by their small stature; when it comes to digging, they’re exceptionally skilled." Gaven pointed to the busy Gnolls below. In the ten days they awaited Blood Claw’s arrival, Gaven had not been idle. He had summoned three hundred Gnolls from Eagle Cliff Town to start tidying up the foundation and carrying out construction planning, and the outline was already taking shape. "Lord need not introduce this matter, our entire Blood Claw Tribe is deeply familiar with it," Blood Claw replied with a smile. Gaven smiled and slapped his forehead, "Forgot, forgot, I forgot that your former neighbors were the Pitfall Tribe. Even among the Gnolls, their digging ability is second to none. Well, I won’t say any more, let me introduce a colleague of yours, Gos, Gos—" Upon hearing the call, Supervisor Gos immediately dropped what he was working on and scurried over, bowing and scraping, "Lord, you called me." Now, Gos was noticeably taller and more robust than before. His talent, after all, was limited; even after taking the Dragon Blood Potion, he had not activated the Dragon Blood Template but merely awakened as a high-tier Dragon Vein Gnoll. His spell-like abilities were relatively strong, being a second-level Soft Stone Technique. Unless something unexpected occurred, this was likely the limit of his potential in this lifetime. To this, Gos was quite content, for this already surpassed most Gnolls. As long as he did not fall too far behind the main force, that was acceptable. Whatever position he occupied now, it was not because of his intelligence or ability, but because of his loyalty. He believed that as long as he maintained this trait, he would always have a place among the leaders of Dragon Oak Territory, regardless of rank. "This is Supervisor Gos; he will be in charge of leading these Gnolls. If the General has any issues, he may communicate directly with him. If something cannot be resolved, wait until my arrival, and I will address it then," Gaven said. "This is Blood Claw General, the highest leader of this place, in charge of all matters here, including the construction of the military town. Supervisor Gos, make sure to coordinate well with the General’s work," Gaven introduced the new and former subordinates to each other. The two stood side by side, forming a stark contrast. One was just over one meter tall, bowing and scraping, with a face full of flattery. The other, standing two meters and thirty centimeters tall, with a straight back, was unreserved in speech and laughter. Their eyes met, and no matter how one looked at it, they did not seem to get along. But out of respect for Gaven, the two had to shake hands awkwardly, forming a temporary collaborative team. "Alright, get back to work," Gaven waved his hand, dismissing Gos. Then he continued, "I am planning to name this military force the Blood Claw, and the town here Blood Claw Town. Do you, General, have any objections?" A look of uncontrollable delight crossed Blood Claw’s face, "It is my greatest honor." Having a military force and a town named after oneself was undeniably the highest recognition of his achievements. "You deserve this honor; I hope you won’t let this name down," Gaven was very clear on how much these iron-blooded warriors valued their honor. By linking his name with this army, Blood Claw would undoubtedly do everything in his power to maintain the reputation of the force, "How is the Blood Claw Army’s roster coming along?" "It’s all been completed," Blood Claw stated readily when discussing the specifics of the army. "There are currently more than one thousand four hundred Hobgoblin Soldiers, of which three hundred and twenty are Wolf Cavalry, with the remainder being infantry. There are also over four hundred Orcs and thirty-eight Bear Goblins. In addition to these, there are more than one thousand three hundred women, children, and the frail from various races." "What about Combat Profession Practitioners who have activated their career templates?" "A total of two hundred and thirty-four." "What about the rate of armor wear and the condition of weapons?" "The rate of armor wear is less than twenty percent, and the possession rate of iron weapons is less than thirty percent." On the surface, the Blood Claw Army appeared imposing, but in reality, its combat strength was not as strong as imagined. Essentially, they could deal with isolated and weak Monster Tribes, but if they were deployed into the field, not to mention against a Regular Army. Even clashing head-on with a few Purple Dragon Patrol Teams would prove difficult. At lower levels, there is a huge dependence on weaponry and equipment. Armed with good weapons and armor, even non-combatants could overcome lower-level Combat Profession Practitioners. If there were magical weapons and magic equipment... well, that was a thought for another time. Even Regular Armies supported by a nation don’t have a high proliferation of magic equipment. The situation with Spring Bud Fortress’s Yaling is an exception; their foundation was built up over countless years. The production rate of Yaling Armor is extremely low, producing only a few pieces a year, hardly enough for their own use, let alone to support Gaven. "We don’t need to maintain such a large army right now, focusing on quality rather than quantity. Gather all weapons and armor, retain the Wolf Cavalry and an equal number of infantry, distribute the Combat Profession Practitioners as squad leaders among them evenly. The rest should maintain basic militia training, and we will focus all efforts on building Blood Claw Town. Once I find a way to acquire enough weapons and equipment, we can then recruit the best from amongst them to supplement the Regular Army," Gaven made strategic adjustments and deployments based on the situation in Dragon Oak Territory and its surrounds. "Understood," Blood Claw knew very well that Gaven’s arrangement was very reasonable. It ensured the Blood Claw Army’s combat capabilities to the greatest extent while also having sufficient power to deter those around them. Normally, maintaining just over three hundred Hobgoblin Wolf Cavalry would be enough. The additional three hundred infantry were mainly there in preparation for defense. Once the broad direction was set, it was easier to address the various finer details, which were not things that could be explained in just a sentence or two; these issues required discovery in practice. Gaven had delegated the reorganization of the army to Blood Claw, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved at all. The military is crucial to the governance of a territory. Gaven couldn’t possibly leave it entirely in the hands of someone else, nor would he place his trust purely in a True God Blood Oath. Authority, awe, and trust. As long as these three pillars were established, he would firmly hold the army in his hands. For authority, Gaven had a natural advantage; the True God Blood Oath already perfectly resolved this issue, and his ownership of the army was beyond question. As for trust, it was about measured rewards and punishments, a task for the long term, achievable through day-to-day actions and words. Awe was the hardest to grasp, as human hearts are hardest to measure; no one knows how much respect you truly command in the hearts of others. But there was one thing that was essential - to become a familiar face, at the very least, everyone had to recognize you and be aware of your presence. So, for the following period, whenever Gaven had free time, he would visit Blood Claw Town. Living and dining together wasn’t possible, but training together was doable. After all, Gaven maintained a significant training regimen every day, wherever that might be. Every day, Gaven didn’t come riding from Eagle Cliff Town on a Giant Dragon but instead rushed over in Combat Armor. The seven kilometers of mountain road took only about fifteen or sixteen minutes. Even Blood Claw, a fellow training fanatic, was impressed by Gaven’s daily training intensity. Only the Combat Profession Practitioners could barely keep up; many of the non-combatants would just collapse on the way. Live combat training was also indispensable. At first, the warriors of Blood Claw Army were somewhat hesitant to let loose. But when they realized that even Blood Claw himself could hardly land a blow on Gaven, they stopped being polite and would attack in groups of three or five. To date, the most they had deployed was a surprise attack by eight, including two Bear Goblins, and ended up being beaten back. Though relying on the formidable defenses of the Combat Armor, the actual combat skills and bravery displayed were utterly genuine. For these rugged soldiers, being subdued through combat was the simplest, most direct, and quickest way to build rapport.