Waiting is always a tiresome and uneventful affair. Waiting for the enemy's onslaught is an ordeal that breeds anxiety and impatience.

  As the fortifications around the camp grew increasingly robust—trenches deepening, pitfalls multiplying—yet the absence of any hoofed creatures in this sunlit expanse heightened the unease. Avi and his comrades, however, remained vigilant. On the contrary, they redoubled their defensive efforts, utilizing the cover of night for routine training to hasten their members' acclimatization to new equipment and troop types.

  Avi meticulously scrutinized the panel, confirming the characteristics of the Greatswordsmen and Long Pike Infantry. Presently, the squad comprised sixteen Imperial Long Pike Infantry and six Imperial Greatswordsmen. He resolved to delve into the tactical intricacies of these new troop types based on their distinctive features.

  Long Pike Infantry: Trait 1: Resilience against Charges Trait 2: Anti-large Units Trait 3: Spear Wall Trait 4: Forest Concealment—this unit excels at concealing itself within forests, remaining undetected until the enemy is upon them.

  Greatswordsmen: Trait 1: Forest Concealment.

  After this confirmation, Avi felt a pang of vexation. Ideally, Greatswordsmen should epitomize elite troops adorned in dwarven-forged plate armor, pledged to never retreat. However, the reality dictated otherwise—funds were insufficient to outfit soldiers with such armor, necessitating their reliance on mundane iron armor.

  Thus, both Greatswordsmen and Long Pike Infantry fell short of their full combat potential, primarily due to equipment constraints, hindering their effectiveness. Moreover, training issues required addressing.

  Unlike the transition from spear to pike, mastering the heavy polearm of the long pike alongside cumbersome iron armor demanded a significant investment of time.

  Greatswords, meanwhile, diverged drastically from conventional one-handed swords. Even with ample strength to wield these imposing blades, sheer brute force sans finesse proved ineffectual.

  While the system could facilitate a seamless transition to new troop types—enhancing both attributes and skills to match the Long Pike Infantry template—it fell short in imparting tactical prowess. Diverse tactics among Long Pike Infantry posed challenges in withstanding enemy charges.

  Given these circumstances, Avi resolved to dedicate time to training mercenaries newly acquainted with the long pike. Their proficiency in weapon handling facilitated basic training.

  As training and construction efforts intensified, mercenaries found their days occupied, their experiences burgeoning. Though prospects seemed bright, Avi lay awake each night, cognizant that the creatures wouldn't simply forget their hostility. Preparation for battle remained paramount.

  With each passing day, provincial army messengers arrived promptly at noon, delivering promised commissions and inquiring about recent events.

  Despite consistent responses, the messenger's countenance grew increasingly somber. On the ninth day, Avi couldn't resist probing deeper.

  "Why the discontent whenever we report the absence of beastmen?" Avi seized the messenger's cloak. "Does the provincial army deem our endeavors futile? If so, we can seek alternative deployments—"

  "Not at all," the messenger extricated himself, adjusting his attire. "The absence of those vile herds today implies their resurgence in greater numbers tomorrow. I merely question whether mercenaries such as yourselves can withstand their onslaught."

  "We certainly can, if only to safeguard the villagers behind us," Avi retorted.

  His assertion widened the messenger's eyes, who stepped back, scrutinizing Avi disdainfully. "Safeguard the villagers? Preposterous! By Lord Yuri, why would Lord Boris entrust the defense of this place to a weakling like you?"

  "What insolence!" Avi advanced, fists clenched. "Your words insult every member of our group!"

  "Isn't it so? A real man can only rely on himself, using his courage and strength to earn the right to survive in battle!" The messenger drew his own sword and thrust it into the ground, roaring, "Cowards like you should have been born in the South!"

  With that, he stormed off in a fury. Several enraged mercenaries surrounded him, their sharp and heavy long pikes pointed at the messenger's shoulders.

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  People angrily threatened to make the messenger retract his insults, but being a pure-blooded Midlander amidst the angry mercenaries only fueled his frenzy, almost leading to a bare-handed confrontation with the fully armed mercenaries.

  "Stop—!" Avi shouted, "Put your damn weapons away, we're here to kill those wild beastmen with hooves, not to kill each other!"

  With the influence of command and charisma, Avi's words gradually calmed the mercenaries. They began to put away their weapons, making way for the messenger, who stormed straight toward his mount and rode off.

  "Damn it, that bastard!" Rafe angrily threw his broken armor-piercing greatsword to the ground, yelling, "Boss, why didn't you let us beat that idiot up?!"

  "Calm down!" Avi picked up the messenger's sword from the ground. "I think he makes a valid point."

  "What?!" Rafe exclaimed, his emotions surging, "Boss, he called us a bunch of weaklings, and you can tolerate that?!"

  "I didn't mean that," Avi pressed down on Rafe's shoulder, looking at him. "Don't you think we've been heading in the wrong direction from the start?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "We're not protectors, we're assistants. We're hired hands from Midland. They want us as cannon fodder; the goal has never been about protecting anything, but killing beastmen."

  "Boss, can you speak normally?" Rafe gradually stabilized his emotions, looking at Avi with a gaze full of "wisdom." "You keep switching between this 'assistants' and that 'protectors,' it's making my head spin. Just get to the point, what exactly are we doing?"

  "It's simple, you mentioned that there were villagers nearby willing to help. I didn't take that seriously at first. Now, it seems we should actively seek them out and get their assistance."

  "Well, just finding some help, huh? You're making it sound so complicated," Rafe slapped his thigh. "Those people are all eager to kill the hoofed monsters, bringing them here will surely beef up our fighting force!"

  "But sir, what can some untrained and ill-equipped farmers do?" Arian calmly pointed out the problem. "Simply increasing manpower may backfire and burden us. Please reconsider."

  "I've thought about this issue," Avi said firmly. "On the one hand, this area is surrounded by Midland, where faith in Yuri runs deep, so their courage is unquestionable."

  At this point, Avi couldn't help but recall the embarrassment of leading these farmers when he first started—strictly speaking, none of them were native Midlanders, and their courage in battle was somewhat doubtful.

  This flaw caused him quite a bit of trouble at first. Looking back, it wasn't easy to bring them to their current level of development.

  "Sir?" Arian gently reminded, bringing Avi back from his reverie.

  "Hmm? Ahem..." Avi cleared his throat and continued, "The most important thing in battle is morale. As long as they can hold their ground steadily, matters like equipment and combat effectiveness can be improved."

  "But we can train them, equip them..."

  "We'll rely on their farm tools," Avi said firmly. "There's never been a pure notion of being protected or protecting in this world. To survive, one must resist, one must fight. Giving them the right to fight, that's also a respect for a Midlander."

  Arian was persuaded; he stood aside without further objection. Rafe, as always, was bewildered and blindly faithful. Even though he couldn't understand, he firmly chose to support Avi.

  "That settles it," Avi said, "As long as the beastmen don't come, we'll persist in recruiting manpower from the surrounding areas and fortifying our camp. Starting today, everyone must return to the camp before three o'clock in the afternoon, and never step out of the camp after dusk. The number of sentries will be increased to eight, and we must be cautious in all matters."

  With that, he heaved a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "This is all we can do. If the herd really does get stronger the longer they're apart, then our survival won't solely depend on us."

  Hopefully, the captain can keep his promise.

  Avi looked up at the clear sky, feeling as though the vast forest was like a monster, greedily eyeing their camp.