Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords

Entering autumn, the wilderness gradually cooled, but Highcliff Keep was unusually hot as the territory's inhabitants mobilized, preparing for the impending war.

Considering the blacksmith shops and slave camps at the foot of the hills took so long to build, it wouldn't be easy to abandon them.

Ultimately, Li Wei decided to place the battlefield on the eastern side of the hills near the river, an area of fields cultivated by the slaves.

The terrain here gently sloped upwards. Positioning the warriors at the highest point would effectively hinder enemy cavalry charges and deplete their horses' stamina.

Moreover, the lord didn't intend to waste the natural fertilizer delivered to his doorstep.

Adjacent to the planned battlefield, along the riverbank, lay a reed marsh where reeds and weeds grew half a person tall.

Li Wei transferred Old Neil, the slave foreman, to the riverbank, tasking him with using Land Fertility until sunset, causing the weeds and reeds to grow at an astonishing rate.

Soon, it formed a green wall bordering the riverbank, so dense that it could easily be mistaken for a thicket if one didn't know better.

It could easily conceal a few hundred people, let alone a ten thousand-strong army.

Carts laden with green weeds were dragged into the reed beds by ogres, disappearing without a trace.

Groups of five gnoll riders, totaling forty, were divided into eight teams, with four teams on shift, patrolling around Highcliff Keep twenty-four hours a day, investigating any disturbances.

Even at night, it was no different than daytime for the gnolls, not to mention their keen sense of smell, allowing them to detect any movement from kilometers away.

Meanwhile, a new round of discussions unfolded in the lord's hall.

"Zat, how is the training of the new orc brothers progressing?" Li Wei turned his gaze toward the military leader.

"Boss, aside from the unfamiliarity with battle formations, they are ready to fight," Zat replied, wearing an inner chainmail shirt, a chainmail outer coat, and an exaggerated horned helmet, a fierce appearance that could intimidate most people.

To prepare for the imminent war, the leaders of Highcliff Keep wore two layers of armor, with the final layer ready to be donned in a moment.

The orc tribe that joined Highcliff Keep numbered seven or eight hundred, with about one hundred and fifty able-bodied individuals.

Li Wei directly incorporated one hundred and fifty of them into the Burning Legion's orc guard, bringing the number of these future heavy assault troopers to two hundred, forming a full unit.

However, compared to the old warriors, all of whom were Tier 5 units, these recruits were generally Tier 2, with only a few reaching Tier 3.

But for the lord, that was enough. These orcs might not be able to compare with Highcliff Keep's veterans, but their baseline was still high, making them invaluable elite warriors compared to others.

"Good, let Muto temporarily command them independently. Once their strength catches up with the old warriors, mix them together."

"Yes, sir," Muto saluted.

"And Olak, have you gained any insights into the spells on the stone slabs during this time?"

"I'm sorry, Lord, I still have no clue. I suspect that the spells on these stone slabs do not align with my elemental spells," Olak said with regret, his hand on his chest.

"If it doesn't work, then forget it," the lord nodded.

The arrival of Olak, this experienced shaman, could be said to have filled the knowledge gap in Highcliff Keep's magical expertise.

It made the lord realize that spellcasters also had elemental divisions.

For example, someone with fire element talent could learn Fireball and Ring of Fire, but could not learn Water Cannon or Obscure, spells of other attributes.

Olak said his elemental attribute was a special blood type, so all three of his witchcraft spells were blood-related.

"Although your witchcraft spells are all self-buffs, your shamanic experience is clearly not lacking, so you will serve as the leader of Highcliff Keep's spellcasting group."

"As you wish, Lord," Olak smiled slightly.

Sam, sitting at the very end, was both envious and jealous. He was the first to arrive, he was Highcliff Keep's first shaman, but now a newcomer, and a heretical shaman at that, directly held a higher position than him.

He really wanted to speak up and fight for it, but he had just been involved in an escape attempt, and speaking up now would only result in a scolding.

What angered him the most was that Old Neil, the kobold slave, was actually sitting in front of him.

Old Neil, who was listening attentively, suddenly felt a chill down his back. He turned around and saw Sam staring at him, baring his teeth in a friendly smile before turning back around.

He felt a deep contempt for this human who taught him magic.

Although he was just a kobold, he despised such opportunists.

"Lower the training intensity for the warriors these days, and make sure they have good food, good drink, and enough physical strength every day," Li Wei quickly finalized one matter after another.

"Hogg, continue to lead patrols. Muto, take the new recruits for training."

"Yes," the leaders of Highcliff Keep responded in unison.

Bai Ruisi Tina looked at Li Wei with sparkling eyes, her sapphire-like eyes filled with someone's figure. For a group, it was extremely fortunate to have a spiritual core, even if they just sat there and did nothing, they could attract everyone to revolve around them.

Without a doubt, Li Wei played this role. As long as he was present, the proud soldiers of Highcliff Keep could naturally be twisted into one rope.

"Don't I have anything to do?" Zat scratched the back of his bald head.

"You are responsible for maintaining law and order," Li Wei tapped the table, glancing heavily at Sam: "If you find anyone deliberately disrupting the order of Highcliff Keep, execute them on the spot! I will give you the authority to mobilize the Burning Legion's guard, but you must also maintain stable order."

Feeling the lord's undisguised killing intent, Sam shrank his neck, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Yes, Boss."

"I don't care at ordinary times, but this time our opponent is a ruthless character. Everyone, pay attention!" Li Wei shouted.

"Yes!"

The sitting leaders of Highcliff Keep stood up in unison, the sound of shoes colliding crisp and pleasant.

When they sat down, the lord's hall was quiet again, and everyone lowered their heads to solve the food in front of them, with only the sound of knives and forks colliding.

"Um... I have a suggestion," Bai Ruisi Tina looked at the lord next to her, raising her white and tender little hand crisply.

"What suggestion?" the lord asked.

Everyone who was eating quickly raised their heads again.

"Now Highcliff Keep is no longer the two or three kittens it used to be. It's not appropriate to use names instead of flags anymore. Why not make a new flag?" Bai Ruisi Tina looked at everyone, making an exaggerated gesture with her small hand: "Like those legendary flags that have been passed down for thousands of years in epic battles."