noveltune Chapter 15 Fierce Standoff at the Village Entrance
Chapter 15 Fierce Standoff at the Village Entrance
In the early morning, the wind from East Lake carried the smell of fish and wafted onto our faces as more than two hundred people trudged along the lake shore, their feet sinking into the soft mud of the lake area.
In just over half an hour, the group arrived at the entrance of Gangde Village.
No one in Duanpo Village made a fuss. They stood in a few loose rows, each of them gripping their weapons tightly and staring intently ahead.
Rogge and his two companions stood on the flank of the group. He could clearly see that the entrance to Gonde Village and the area behind the fence were already crowded with people.
Hundreds of people were already on high alert!
In the front row stood more than thirty regular combatants, wearing studded leather jackets and wielding round shields and iron swords.
The other villagers mostly carried spears, hand axes, or other miscellaneous farm tools.
His eyes swept across the thatched roofs of Gonde Village, and through his Eye of Insight, Rogge detected more than a dozen figures crouching on the rooftops, hidden in the shadows, impossible to spot without careful observation!
Most of them carried hunting bows; they were the archers from Gonde village.
In Fieldsway, archers equipped with hunting bows are usually only used as auxiliary troops, but now they can still pose a huge threat to the civilians in Broken Ark Village who don't even have armor!
Activating the Eye of Insight, the strength data of Gondo Village clearly came into view:
[Fieldsway Militia x45]
[Level: 5]
[Strength: Tier 1]
[Equipment: Leather boots, animal hide warrior's hat, worn red battle robe, leather vest...]
Weapons: iron sword, boar spear, long spear...
……
[Fieldsway Skilled Militia x37]
[Level: 10]
[Strength: Tier 1]
[Equipment: Leather boots, animal hide warrior's hat, nose guard helmet, worn red battle robe, studded leather armor...]
[Weapons: Spiked spear, fighting axe, longsword, boar spear, round shield...]
Rogge had a general idea of the relative strengths of the two sides.
If the "militia" had some training, most of the members of the two villages were "ordinary villagers" (ordinary people without military training, but with some fighting ability).
The weapons that ordinary villagers carry are nothing more than pitchforks, sickles, and woodcutting axes.
The skilled militiamen were fine, but the villagers couldn't even afford a decent suit of armor; having a thick vest meant they were considered well-off.
Young men like Giss are only level 5 militia members.
……
Here in Duanpo Village:
Ordinary villagers: 158 people
Level 5 militia: 35 people
Level 10 skilled militia: 13 people
In contrast, consider Gangde Village:
Ordinary villagers: 273 people
Level 5 militia: 45 people
Level 10 skilled militia: 37 people
Gangde Village has about a hundred more ordinary villagers than Duanpo Village! They have the home advantage again!
In terms of manpower, equipment, and elite combat strength, Duanpo Village was at a disadvantage in almost every aspect.
Rogge knew perfectly well that in these village-to-village confrontations and battles, the hard gap in numbers and equipment could never be bridged by morale alone.
The enemy archers were positioned on higher ground, while their elite front-line troops formed a shield wall.
"The gap is too big... we can't win this game!"
"Unless old Yar has help..."
……
A short while later, the crowd from Gangde Village dispersed from the middle, and a man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, broad shoulders, and a thick back led a few people out.
The burly man was wearing a full set of chainmail, a shiny nose guard on his head, and a heavy long-handled axe on his shoulder.
Roger's gaze swept past the burly man, then was drawn to the two figures following behind him.
They were two women, both dressed in well-fitting chainmail, each wearing a slightly oversized nose shield helmet, and with iron swords at their waists.
Their figures exude a healthy beauty, their steps are steady, and they show no sign of fragility.
Roger thought to himself, "There are so many female warriors from the Green Nation..."
……
Their gaze returned to the man with thick eyebrows; this must be Yar from Gangde Village.
The burly man, carrying a long axe, strolled slowly at the front of the procession, his gaze sweeping across the group from Duanpo Village before finally settling on old Yar.
He scoffed and then roared at the top of his lungs:
"Rolf!!"
"I think you're getting more and more senile as you get older! You think you can just bring these useless guys with pitchforks and dare to come knocking on our door?"
"Have they come to our door begging for alms?"
These words immediately caused an uproar among the Duanpo Village team, with a cacophony of angry shouts echoing back.
"Who the hell are you calling trash?"
"You sworn bastard, you can't even keep your father's word, you don't deserve to wield an axe!"
"Osson, you treacherous, stinking bear, may you eat rotten flesh for the rest of your life!"
"The Lord of Storms will capsize your wrecked ship!"
"..."
In the crowd, Gis saw Olsen insult the old chieftain, and his eyes turned red with anger, his large hand gripping the hilt of his sword even tighter.
Old Jarl, however, did not get angry. Leaning on his hardwood cane, he took a few steps forward, his thin frame standing ramrod straight, his white beard swaying slightly in the morning breeze.
Old Yar spoke slowly, his voice still powerful and clear, reaching the ears of everyone present:
"Ossen, if the people in your village aren't getting enough to eat, you can tell me. Why are you robbing them?"
Twenty years ago, your father and I made a vow on the mudflats where the two villages meet: the northern mudflats would belong to our Duanpo Village!
"Yesterday you crossed the border and stole our catch, and even assaulted and injured my villagers. Are you going to break your oath and breach the agreement? Are you going to disgrace your father?"
"Breaking an oath?"
Olsen looked as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
He spat on the open space between them, his face full of disdain.
"Hypocritical old fools! How many times have we begged you? Count them yourself!"
You'd rather that lake bay be teeming with fish than allow us to set foot there!
That broken stone tablet has been rotting in the ground for ages, how dare you bring it up?
"That land was obtained by you through swindling from my father... Don't think we don't know that you, you despicable scoundrel, used bribery back then!"
"Now that we in Gangde Village are starving, it's time to take back our land..."
Olsen appeared increasingly assertive, his voice suddenly rising in pitch:
"Old Rolf, you said it yourself: whoever has the strongest fist gets to set the rules on this land!"
His mocking gaze swept over the Broken Amber Village group, and he continued to roar:
"Now that you, from Duanpo Village, dare to talk to me about oaths and rules?"
"I advise you to take these old, young, sick, and disabled people and get back to your village right now. Let's pretend today's events never happened. But if a fight breaks out later, it's hard to say whether you bunch of good-for-nothings will even be able to leave the village unscathed!"
Olsen's words were unmistakably threatening, and the villagers behind the fence of Gangde Village also shouted and cursed, while the skilled militiamen in the front row pounded their wooden shields, making a series of loud noises.
The villagers of Duanpo Village were furious, and shouts and curses rose and fell.
The hardwood cane that old Jard picked up fell heavily to the ground.
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the villagers behind him. He slowly raised his thin hand, and the previously restless crowd instantly quieted down, leaving only heavy breathing.
Old Jarl turned to look at Olsen, took a few more steps forward, his brow furrowed, and his voice remained calm:
"Osson, turn back! We must get back what was stolen today, no matter what!"
We don't want to fight you. Once we start, people will die on both sides!
As Old Yar spoke, he pointed to the shimmering East Lake on the distant horizon:
"This lake area is large enough to support our two villages. I can allow your villagers to fish in the lake bay area, but as for that mudflat to the north, that's not possible..."
Olsen hesitated for a moment, then, thinking of the mudflats that were originally his village's entrance, yet his own people couldn't find a way to make a living there, he suddenly burst into laughter, still appearing arrogant and domineering:
"Rolf, you really dared to dream! Now it's too late!"
This mudflat is ours, and we want to fish in the bay too!
"As for returning the catch... if you're so capable, go ahead and take it back yourselves!"
……