Imperial Crown.

Chapter 56: Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in war
The military camp is located on the west side of Eagle Fort, built on flat earth on a high slope and surrounded by a two-meter-high wooden wall.

After entering the door, there is a training ground the size of a football field. On the south side of the training ground is a high platform built with logs for issuing orders, and on the north side are neat soldiers' dormitories.

It was already very dark, but the gate of the military camp was still open - after all, no one would be so desperate as to storm here.

The sun, which had completely set behind the mountain, cast its last rays of light, casting two long shadows on the road. They were Raven on horseback and Volaf, who was guarding him.

He rode into the military camp, handed the reins to the soldier guarding the gate, signaled him not to make a sound, and walked straight to the platform.

Eric was directing the training upstairs. He was startled to see Raven coming and quickly saluted.

Raven shook his head and looked at the training ground filled with smoke and dust. Eric took a step back and stood behind the Baron with Volaf on his left and right.

What was being conducted was a confrontation exercise, with the two phalanxes led by Gall and Mosingam participating in the confrontation.

The former was a neat three-layer spear formation, and the latter was a group of sword and shield soldiers ready for battle. Both sides charged simultaneously across the spacious training ground.

The two sides moved faster and faster, and then collided like two city walls - that's how it should have been.

But what Raven saw was something completely different.

Although their steps were in step, they lacked any momentum. When they were about to approach, the wooden spears used for training even aimed at the shields, leaving a light gray dot on it, and then immediately raised them up again, making a crackling sound.

The sword and shield formation used wooden swords to draw shadows around the gun barrels, slapped them twice symbolically, and then the two sides separated.

Raven could even see some of the recruits with grins on their faces.

He had come here with high expectations, but at this moment, Raven felt disappointed, followed by anger.

"Sir, this is the third training session this afternoon..." Eric argued nervously.

"What do you want to say? That they are tired?" Raven laughed angrily: "They are here to serve in the army, not to go on vacation!"

With a serious look, Raven ordered, "Assemble!"

Eric looked embarrassed: "Understood, sir!"

After saying that, he turned around and yelled, "Assemble!!"

Under the command of Goyle, Link and Mosingam, the recruits slowly formed three square formations, and the distance between people was like cheese strings.

Raven's face grew darker and darker. He knew that town soldiers were difficult to train, but it had already been more than three months, nearly twice as long as the training time for the first batch of private soldiers, and they had problems with even the most basic formations.

Only when it stands still does it seem to be the case.

"Your Excellency the Baron!" the recruits saluted and shouted in unison.

Raven returned the greeting with a gloomy look and said loudly: "Today, I am very dissatisfied."

"Battle formation training is like playing, and the basic formation is so ugly!"

"I feed you, give you vacations, and even pay you military pay, and this is how you repay me!?"

"It seems that I was too nice to you!"

"From today on, there will be no holidays. All you have to do is train, train, and train again!"

Suddenly, a sarcastic voice came from the audience: "Yes~ You need to train~"

The sound was harsh, the recruits held back their laughter, and the three captains and Eric felt their hearts sink at the same time.

Raven's face turned extremely gloomy: "Gall, the voice came from behind you, who was speaking just now?"

Gao Er was also confused. The team was crowded and the man was speaking in a pinched voice, so he didn't know either.

He glanced back with hatred: "Who did it? If you are a man, stand up!"

However, the only response he got was silence.

Seeing this, Gao Er's mouth twitched fiercely, and he took a step forward and knelt on one knee: "My Lord Baron, I am not strict with my subordinates, I am willing to accept the punishment!"

Raven's face turned pale, and he smiled faintly, looking past Gale and onto the square formation behind him:
"According to the rules prevailing on the Middles Continent, this kind of behavior will be punished with flogging at the very least, or beheading during war."

"But there is another rule, which is the so-called 'the law does not punish the masses'. You think that I can't beat all of you into half-cripples and think that I can't do anything to you, right?"

"Really smart."

"Unfortunately, it's just a little cleverness!"

"Gall!" Raven raised his voice.

"At your service, sir!" Gore accepted the order solemnly.

Raven asked, "The one who just spoke was Team 3, right?"

"Yes, my lord," Goyle replied.

"Very good." Raven sneered, "Once on the battlefield, it is no longer the time to rely on personal bravery. If one person makes a mistake, the entire team will make a mistake."

"If one person is punished, the whole team will be punished too!"

"Sword and Shield Brigade, third squad, get ready, line up and run around the field!"

"Aren't you willing to admit your mistakes? Then I'll let you run until you realize your mistakes!"

"Eric, Goyle, as the superiors you are to blame, run away together!"

Eric pounded his left chest with his right hand: "Yes! Sir!"

He turned around with a frown, and ran down the platform quickly. He saw the same shame and anger in Goyle's eyes as his own.

"Line up!"

The twelve-man team, led by Eric and Goyle, formed two lines and began running around the training ground.

The circumference of the training ground is 450 meters, which is not long for these recruits, but running is more than just one lap.

The first five laps were fine, the team was generally neat and the pace was uniform.

But from the sixth and seventh laps, the formation began to become chaotic. In the cold wind, the sweat on their bodies evaporated into wisps of hot air, emerging from the gaps in their armor.

In the thirteenth lap, some people had been left behind by a whole lap. A new recruit suddenly began to vomit violently, but nothing came out. After vomiting, he saw that there was no order, so he could only continue to run.

In the fifteenth lap, a recruit fell down with his thigh twitching, but was immediately carried up again.

Raven watched all this with an expressionless face. The recruits who had been standing on the training ground and watching coldly or even gloating over the misfortune now showed fear on their faces.

By the 23rd lap, the team of 14 people was already completely out of touch, and four or five of the recruits were not so much running as dragging their bodies on the ground.

At this moment, a man ran to the bottom of the platform and knelt on the ground with weak knees. He said weakly: "My Lord Baron, I, I know I was wrong. I admit my mistake and accept the punishment! Please don't let us run away again... I really can't do it anymore!"

His face turned red and his lips were cracked and purple. It was obvious that he had reached his limit.

Raven asked expressionlessly, "What's your name?"

"White... White..." "Yeah, not bad, he can still speak." Raven nodded: "He can speak, which means he still has the strength."

"Final three laps, take a break after running!"

"Yes... Your Lordship!" The recruit gritted his teeth, stood up with his legs as soft as noodles, and continued running.

Following behind him were hateful looks that almost burned his back.

When the last three laps were completed, the recruits of the Third Squad of the Sword and Shield Brigade fell to the ground like deflated balloons. Only Eric and Goyle could still stand.

"Are you convinced?" Raven asked.

White wanted to sit up, but he had no strength at all. He could only turn to Raven and half-kneel under the resentful gazes of his teammates and said, "I accept it, sir..."

Raven raised his voice: "It doesn't matter if you don't accept it. As long as you are in the barracks, I can convince you!"

He looked around the field, his eyes sweeping through the eyes of every recruit: "If one person makes a mistake, the whole team will be punished. I call this - collective punishment."

"From today on, collective punishment will be officially implemented in the military camp. You can experience the consequences of not training seriously!"

A low cry of surprise was heard, accompanied by the sound of people sucking in a breath of cold air. The recruits who had not been punished looked at the Third Squad, which had collapsed like dead dogs, with fear in their eyes, and looked at White with eyes full of complaints.

Link and Mosingam looked at each other and saw fear in each other's eyes.

Baron Raven's words were not only meant for the new recruits, but also to warn the captains!

They all started training at the same time, and there was no difference in the quality of the three teams of soldiers. It was just that Gore was unlucky today, and they were luckier.

This time, only Gore was punished, but if there is a next time, these two captains might also be punished!
Raven's voice continued: "Remember this."

"Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in war!"

"Disband!"

The new recruits returned to their camps. The "culprit" of the third team and eleven unlucky guys also supported each other and returned to the camp.

Eric and the three captains came to Raven. Before Raven could speak, they looked at each other and knelt down together: "Baron, we disappoint you!"

"You only know to lock your door after your house is robbed!" Raven looked at them and said angrily, "You are all fathers and husbands, and I don't want to scold you."

"But it doesn't matter if the new recruits don't know the news, you always know it!"

"The next step is to counterattack the Bloody Heights. You have witnessed with your own eyes how cruel and good at fighting those bandits are!"

"The operation will begin in a month at the latest. With their current character, can you tell me if they can fight a war?"

The four of them lowered their heads even lower.

The most embarrassed one was Eric. General Raven gave him full responsibility for the camp, but he turned it into such a mess. It was really embarrassing.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Baron, don't worry, I will train them well before we set off!"

Raven sighed, "You told me the same thing last time."

Eric's face turned even redder, and he raised one arm: "I am willing to swear to my ancestors that if I can't do it, I..."

"Shut up, don't take yourself so lightly!" Raven scolded, "Eric, you, as well as Goyle, Link, and Mosingan, you are more important to me than all those new recruits combined."

This sentence immediately warmed the hearts of the four people, and at the same time, they felt more ashamed: "We will never betray the trust of the Baron!"

"I know." Raven patted several people on the shoulders one by one and said, "But one action is worth a thousand words. I trust you, and you must respond with action!"

"For example, how about increasing the intensity of these new recruits?"

The four men bowed their heads even lower and said in unison: "Your will be carried out, my lord!"

"Try Harder!"

After saying this, Raven turned and left under Volaf's escort.

At the same time, at the outer wall of the military camp, Nancy jumped off Jenny's shoulders with a "hey", and the latter let out a relieved cry.

"Why, am I heavy?" Nancy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's because I'm too thin." Jenny lowered her head quickly.

"Well, that's good." Nancy said, walking towards Eagle Castle with her hands behind her back.

Kicking away the gravel that blocked her way, she pouted, "Humph, that damn little bee is exuding his annoying charm again!"

"But this 'collective responsibility' system is quite interesting and worth learning."

Not only did he punish the disobedient soldiers, but he also directed all the people's resentment towards White. As a lord, Raven established his authority without causing resentment.

Thinking of this, Nancy smiled: "Raven, Raven, you are very talented in torturing others!"

Jenny, who was following behind her, shuddered.

Nancy pointed her finger at her lips and said, "If your rank was higher, I might really be tempted."

Damn guy, he obviously likes me, but he still insists on charging me 3000 gold coins before letting me live in Eagle Castle!

Oh, right, gold coins!
Her eyes lit up: "I know how to get Raven to take me to Bloody Heights!"

In the blink of an eye, three more days passed, and Simon, who had been away for nearly two months, still hadn't returned.

Raven, who was sitting in the study, was studying the Elvish language.

Casting magic in Elvish is much faster than in the common language of the Empire. Improving proficiency in Elvish is also improving his combat effectiveness.

"Huh..." Putting down the heavy book, Raven breathed a sigh of relief, gently rubbed his brows with his fingers to relax, and then cast his gaze on the Angel's Tears placed next to him.

Just as he was about to pick it up, Raven keenly noticed that the wine in the glass was gently fluctuating.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, stood up and walked to the window, a smile appearing on his originally tense face.

Outside Xiongying Town, a herd of hundreds of horses was seen rolling in like colorful clouds.

Ten minutes later, old Gordon came to the study and knocked on the door gently.

After getting permission, Old Gordon pushed the door open and walked in. Standing at the door, he said respectfully, "My Lord Baron, one hundred and twenty war horses and two hundred pack horses have been delivered, except for the three pack horses that were lost on the way."

"Okay, I understand." Raven tapped his fingers on the table and said, "Mr. Gordon, send someone to notify Philip immediately."

"No matter how many magic cores he has collected, send them all to me before noon tomorrow!"

It's time to start strengthening these war horses.

……

(End of this chapter)