The arrival of the new recruits didn't disrupt Robson's rhythm. He continued their grueling training as usual.
Thanks to Viscount Fuman's "selfless contribution," the sallow complexions of the newly arrived Peasants quickly faded. Meanwhile, the original Soldiers had all officially begun their journey to getting plump.
Because of his previous pessimistic speculations about Sunset Fortress, Robson didn't dare to slack off in the slightest.
After all, this was still a world of Magic and fighting aura. His own strength was a vital asset for survival.
"DING! Deriman Modified Eight Knightly Techniques experience +30."
"DING! Frankish Peasants experience +20."
...
Perhaps it was because Robson had already maxed out his proficiency in the basic version of the Eight Knightly Techniques, but when he started practicing the Deriman Family's modified version, his progress was incredibly fast.
His experience points were increasing by double digits.
The training progress of the newest Frankish Peasants was even more terrifying.
Robson had the veterans train the new recruits directly. Combined with ample nutrition, this batch of Peasant Soldiers improved at a speed completely incomparable to when Robson had trained his first batch of recruits.
'At this rate, it'll probably only take a few more days to train a batch of qualified Frankish Militia...'
This level of efficiency was likely unparalleled throughout the entire Frank Kingdom.
Don't be fooled by other lords who could also churn out militia in seven days. The quality of those militia was a whole other story...
At least according to the Mount & Blade panel, a militiaman had to be, at the very minimum, a soldier.
The only thing that troubled Robson was the group of Cavalry.
The others were fine. Robson relied on his knowledge from his previous life to have them practice drills and formations.
'What should Cavalry train in?' Robson honestly had no idea.
He had no choice but to have these Knights ride a few laps when they had nothing better to do. The fortress wasn't short on horses anyway; most of the steeds had lost their purpose.
Fortunately, the Mount & Blade system was ridiculously overpowered. Even just having the Cavalry ride in circles and practice a few thrusts here and there, their experience points still went up.
It was just a bit slow, only increasing by single digits.
Just as training at the Robson Camp was in full swing, a cavalryman galloped up to the camp at high speed.
"The Earl requests Sir Robson to attend a meeting in the fortress's main hall."
After delivering the message, the cavalryman spurred his horse and galloped off towards the next camp.
Robson wiped the sweat from his face and ordered a temporary rest.
Two days had passed since the last sortie. It seemed the army of that Fourth Prince of the Beast Race had begun to gather near Sunset Fortress.
'This meeting must be for assigning tasks.'
Although it was an officer's meeting, Robson still brought Ed and Bo Yang along.
They might be his subordinates, but when it came down to it, the influence these two young masters had was certainly greater.
The three of them rode their swift horses and quickly arrived at the main hall, where a considerable number of Officers had already gathered.
People were gathered in small groups of two and three, idly chatting about the recent battles. At this critical juncture, everyone was looking for reliable allies.
Watching them shoot the breeze and chat so casually, Robson felt his worries about the future intensify.
'It's inevitable for a group of nobles to act like this when they get together, but this is hardly the time or place for it...'
'Anyone who knows what's going on would think they're here for a meeting. Anyone who doesn't might mistake this for a concert...'
That said, Robson quickly got into the swing of things.
Although he was concerned about everyone's flippant attitude toward the war, this might just be the custom in the Frank Kingdom, and there was nothing Robson could do about it.
For Robson, the most important thing right now was to quickly find a few reliable allies for himself. That way, they could at least watch each other's backs on the battlefield.
When Robson's party entered, everyone's gazes instantly shifted toward them.
"That's him. He's already a Silver Knight at such a young age..."
"Sir Robson is here. He saved my life on the battlefield before."
"Didn't you hear? Count Offman has officially knighted Robson."
This was where the effects of Robson's impromptu rescue by the Lai River became apparent. Most of the people here had heard of the heroic deeds of Lord Robson, and some had been directly saved by him.
These people all owed Robson a favor, and now, all of that had transformed into a precious network of connections.
Robson, with his two Knights in tow, weaved through the crowd, quickly becoming the very type of person he had previously despised.
'There's no helping it. A man's got to survive...'
As soon as he entered, Robson relied on his profound Inner Strength to masterfully control the rhythm of the conversations. While he wasn't the center of attention, many people still came up to him.
Ed had always been a bit socially awkward, and Bo Yang was even less suited for this kind of occasion. They just followed Robson, watching him work the room.
Ed even suspected that if this kept up, someone would start trying to pitch their daughter to Robson.
"The Earl is here. We should get going."
"We'll be off then, Robson. You must come find me if you're ever in the Royal Capital."
In truth, Ed had completely underestimated the enthusiasm of the crowd. Forget introducing daughters and granddaughters; someone even tried to invite Robson to an orgy...
One could only say that the noble lords were truly open-minded in their... recreational activities.
Robson, of course, kept his distance from such things. Something like an orgy could deal a massive blow to a nobleman's reputation.
Robson still cherished his reputation. Experience told him that while reputation seemed intangible, it could play a huge role at critical moments.
With the arrival of Count Offman and Earl Leiman, Robson parted ways with his new friends—with whom he'd already connected on a deep level—and took his seat in the Fifth Legion's section.
The entire venue was a huge circular platform. The Officers were seated on all four sides, with the two counts on the stage.
Even after the two counts had taken the stage, the hall remained a cacophony of noise.
"Quiet, quiet, gentlemen," Count Offman said helplessly.
A long time passed before the noise slowly died down, a rather helpless state of affairs.
In the Frank Kingdom, the nobility possessed a high degree of autonomy. On minor issues, a great deal of tolerance was shown to these nobles.
The army at Sunset Fortress was said to be a regular army of the kingdom, but in reality, it was more like a Noble Alliance Army.
The kingdom's true royal army, directly subordinate to the King, was currently in Barol City. The Beast Emperor himself was leading the charge there, making it the most fiercely contested battlefront in the entire Frank Kingdom.
"I'm sure you are all aware of the current situation. Since the founding of our Frank Kingdom..." Seeing that the crowd had finally quieted down, Count Offman began a passionate speech.
He spoke of the history of the Frank Kingdom, the history of Sunset Fortress, and the history of the Fifth Legion.
Robson relied on the professional discipline he had cultivated in his previous life to force himself to stay awake.
After what felt like an eternity, Count Offman began to wrap up.
"Now, this ancient legion has once again come to a moment of trial. The enemy Prince is leading an army of over a hundred thousand, with a continuous stream of reinforcements behind them."
"After discussing with Earl Leiman, we have decided to divide our two armies into several parts..."
They were finally getting to the specific task assignments. Robson began to concentrate intently.
On the battlefield, this kind of information could save your life at any moment. Robson didn't dare be careless.
Robson was assigned to the western wall as part of the reserves.
This was the benefit of having connections in high places. If he hadn't known Ed, a well-trained troop like Robson's, but with no background, would most likely have been sent to the most intense northern front.