The cold wind howled under a sky thick with dark clouds.
Perched on the shoulder of a Giant, Levi pulled out a telescope to get a better view. His gaze passed through two crystal lenses inside the wooden tube as he carefully observed the endless enemy camp in the distance.
Ever since Mier had developed the telescope, the Lord hadn’t rested on his laurels. Instead, he had guided the Feder Craftsn with so principles of telescope design from his past life.
After countless experints and improvents, this new telescope was an impressive achievent.
The image was far clearer than the original model. Even from over a mile away, he could still make out the movents of the Wilderness Natives’ lips, like watching a silent film.
This camp was the perfect definition of a ragtag outfit.
Beast hide tents were scattered haphazardly across the grassland, and the ground was littered with all kinds of excrent and trash.
If it weren’t winter, Levi could already imagine the nauseating stench of rot that would rise in the sumr.
As for their fortifications, they were utterly pathetic. A snowbank only a few feet high had been erected in front of the camp. It was mixed with wild grass and straw, and once frozen solid, its defensive capability wasn’t much worse than a stone wall. However, at that height, it couldn’t even stop a person, let alone a warhorse, which could leap right over it.
The natives in the camp had clearly noticed these uninvited guests and were scrambling to form ranks to et them.
Levi could see their lips move as they communicated, but since he couldn’t read lips, all he could do was stare helplessly.
He took a mont to observe their equipnt and morale, finally concluding, ’What a bunch of paupers from the Wilderness.’
He had thought this grand Wilderness Alliance Army might be a little better, but the Goblins and Kobolds, who made up seventy percent of their Vassals, were still equipped with the sa old trio: rocks, wooden clubs, and scraps of iron.
Though their numbers were well over twenty thousand, Levi was confident he could cut them all down with just his fifty-man Personal Guard Team.
Only the powerful warrior Races that ford the main force were equipped with proper iron weapons. As for armored troops, based on Levi’s observations, if the main force was ten thousand strong, fewer than twenty percent wore any armor, and most of that was just Beast Hide Armor to get by.
It perfectly matched the Lord’s stereotype of the Wilderness Natives.
Or perhaps it was just that Debei’s ban on selling ironware to the Wilderness was being enforced rather effectively.
It was no wonder Fulina found it hard to take this Alliance Army seriously.
Even the rank-and-file soldiers of the Thorn Corps wore Light Armor. As for their Heavy Armored Infantry Corps, its defenses were on par with—if not superior to—the troops from High Cliff Castle.
Moreover, the Thunder Lizard Beasts were pulling four or five small catapults forward, which were being positioned on high ground.
At the right mont, they would deliver a devastating blow to the enemy.
As a corps capable of fighting a large-scale battle, the Thorn Corps was fully equipped.
Besides cooks, Auxiliary Soldiers, and Warriors, they also had their own craftsn and Blacksmiths.
These small catapults had been built over the past few days, with the craftsn working overti to finish them.
Although they were a bit crude and couldn’t compare to the large, ticulously crafted siege engines used against mighty fortresses, they were more than enough to deal with a horde of Wilderness Natives.
They even had a dozen small Bed Crossbows transported from Bailiu City. As Northern People, they had long been prepared for the harsh winter.
These Bed Crossbows were specially made, so their kinetic energy wouldn’t be diminished even in the ice and snow.
With just these two types of weapons, it wouldn’t matter how exceptional the enemy’s individual martial prowess was. Even a Minotaur that had gone Berserk would be shot down by a Crossbow Arrow as thick as a man’s wrist.
He lowered the telescope and stomped on the Giant’s shoulder. The Giant Beast slowly bent down, setting the Lord on the ground, then joyfully caught a piece of at thrown its way and began to devour it.
The Lord shared his findings, only to notice Si Kai staring at him with wide, expectant eyes, like a pining newlywed.
Unable to stand his lovesick puppy look, Levi let the telescope pass through a few hands before it was returned to the Lord of High Cliff Castle.
"Lord, this thing is incredible. Could I buy one from you?" Si Kai asked, clearly wanting more.
"With our friendship, buying one would be too formal. I’ll just give you one later," the Lord said with a dismissive wave, making a generous promise.
The craftsmanship for the telescope wasn’t complex, and the cost was just a few pieces of White Crystal and a Wooden Tube. It wasn’t an expensive item at all.
"Boss, I want one too," Zat chid in from the side, quickly raising his hand when he saw that even an outsider like Si Kai could get a telescope.
Every ti the Boss finished observing the enemy, he would tuck it into the back of his belt, walk a couple of laps with his hands behind his back, and look so damn smug.
He wanted one to tuck into his belt too. He could pull it out whenever he felt like it, pretend to observe the enemy, and make all the grunts under his command look on with envy.
"Want, want, want! All day long, all you know is how to ask for things! First, it’s a telescope. What will you dare to ask for next? I shudder to think."
"Besides, do you even know how to read and write yet? A telescope is for observing enemy numbers and deploynts, not for you to look important."
The harsh tongue-lashing left Zat feeling terribly wronged, but the very next sentence made him grin from ear to ear.
"Go ask Mier later. See if he’s willing to make one for you."
"Brother Zat, when we get back, I’ll make you a custom model." Faced with Zat’s hopeful expression, Mier agreed with a nod.
"Mier, I knew you were a true friend! I’ll go hunt a Barbarian Bear later and stew so paws for you to build up your strength!" Zat grinned widely, slinging an arm around Mier’s shoulders.
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