Regarding today's report work, Commander-in-Chief Oerstein had done extensive preparation.

He is a follower of the Sun Goddess. Although his temper is fiery and proud, he is by no means a reckless man. On the contrary, his wisdom and knowledge are quite remarkable.

After all, the Sun Goddess is also known in some places as the Goddess of Wisdom and the God of Tactics.

Knight Oerstein's grasp of military matters is almost perfect. After standing up, he delivered a report in a loud voice that was akin to a speech.

"I have just listened in detail to the Minister of Agriculture's report. Their agricultural department and the Dawn Goddess Church have quite a few locations that need our protection."

"For instance, the Hot Spring Farm is both a tourist attraction of the territory and the most important spice production site. If our defenses are lax and thieves take the opportunity to act, the loss to our territory would be severe."

"And the pastures of the territory, the holy land of the Dawn Church, the Essence Soul beneath Bjorn Shallow Bay, as well as Heisen Castle, Hesse Town, border outposts, and mining stations—all need our army's garrison."

"This requires us to expand the size of the army and enhance its quality."

The size of the army concerns not only the defense of the territory but also the upcoming war against the Subordinate Legion of the Green Dragon, which can be said to determine the life and death of the Hesse Territory.

Su Li asked with concern, "Commander, has the army compensated for the losses from the battle against the Demon Legion after this period of full mobilization?"

Knight Oerstein immediately replied, "Lord, since our return from the Bloody Highlands, we have been fully conscripting. To this end, we have also increased the army's benefits. Each soldier receives a subsidy ranging from 1 to 30 Silver Coins depending on their strength."

"Along with the army's extremely high welfare, all the Knight Clans in the territory have enthusiastically signed up to join, and Knights of Chivalry and Wandering Knights from nearby territories have rushed in from all directions."

"The strength of our army has somewhat recovered, and we are currently conducting organizational training."

The so-called conscription by the Empire evidently does not refer to enlisting from the Free People, but mobilizing each Knight Clan to send their clansmen into the army.

For example, a Hesse Guard Knight may not be the only knight in the family. There can be multiple Extraordinary Knights, including his father, brothers, and sons, etc.

Some of these knights undergo training and cultivation within the family, some practice doctrines, travel widely, study military tactics, and challenge monsters. Others seek opportunities in various territories, as supporting a large family of knights is no easy task. The costs for food, clothing, housing, and utilities alone are enough to impoverish a family without ample financial means.

Now that the Hesse Territory is in full swing conscripting troops, those knights whose family bases are not in the Hesse Territory are very likely to send letters home, summoning a large number of knights from all over.

One must know that most of the knights and populace who joined the Hesse Territory have migrated from the north. Who doesn't have a few relatives or old friends in the north?

Oerstein then reported: "After the reorganization, we now have 36 Hesse Guard Knights and 6 Sun of Vengeance Half-Lion Griffin Knights."

"There are 68 Elite Knights in the army, and it is worth mentioning that we have already gathered a large number of Formal Knights, reaching a scale of 132 people!"

"I propose slaughtering a batch of Fire Rabbits to distribute to the Formal Knights before the decisive battle, to quickly enhance their tier and allow them to follow the Elite Knights in training."

Upon hearing this, Su Li pondered slightly. He did not mind slaughtering a batch of Fire Rabbits.

He has been a lord for almost half a year now and profoundly understands the saying that feudal nobles will do anything to maintain their ruling position.

As long as they can defeat the Green Dragon, let alone a few Fire Rabbits, even if it's 30, he wouldn't bat an eye.

He was just very dissatisfied with the scale of this army.

It should be known that to expand the size of the army, he specifically appointed Religious Advisor Rong'en to be the head of the Provincial Affairs Council.

He thought that with all efforts, he could succeed in gathering 500 Elite Knights before the decisive battle with the Green Dragon.

By then, along with the Dwarf Alliance Army, the Half-Elf Vassals, and the Free People's Legion of the territory, he might even form a force of two to three thousand.

This is not wishful thinking on his part. For the battle with the Green Dragon concerns the survival of the territory, thus a large number of Free People's Legions will surely join.

Although the core of an Imperial army is the professional army composed of knights, in defensive operations, this army is often enveloped by a much larger number of Free People, who, whether willing or not, are drafted to the front line and sacrifice themselves when necessary.

It is often impossible to calculate how many Free People were conscripted for a battle or evaluate their combat levels because they have never been systematically organized and trained.

These militias are usually passionate citizens and farmers—they have the courage to stand up to protect their homes and families from the ravages of various vicious monsters and demons. Others are typically mercenaries, bandits, and pirates—those who lick blood on the blade—also willing to sell their power and fighting skills for money.

The Sun Goddess Church in the territory organizes a large number of Free People for militia training every rest day. Their combat skills make defeating kobolds and goblins a breeze.

If there are two to three thousand Free People's Militias, in addition to 500 Elite Knights, Su Li believes that this battle has the foundation to confront the Green Dragon.

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