In May, after several months of training, Art finally decided to lead the army to eliminate mountain bandits throughout Tyniec County.
There are three reasons for this large-scale crackdown on bandits. One is to train the army's actual combat capabilities by clearing out bandits with outdated weapons and equipment and low combat effectiveness. By the way, they can also seize a lot of trophies from the bandits to support the army's expenses. The second is to prepare for the next step of opening up the eastern route of the southern goods trade. In any case, this is the only road that is not raging. After the bandits attack, it is possible for caravans to carry out trade from north to south, and his own caravan can travel safely and smoothly on this road, and only then can the next steps be taken; the third is to increase his influence, whether it is to form a certain reputation in Tyniec County or to hand over a satisfactory answer to the nobles of the court to attract their attention.
Matt knew very well that "it is easy to defeat the bandits, but it is too difficult to find the traces; it is easy to annihilate some, but too difficult to encircle and annihilate them all." Therefore, his plan for the suppression was to start from the southern border outpost and form a crushing force from south to north.
Throughout May, the army fought five battles with bandits in various parts of southern Tyniec County.
Thanks to the "Eagle Eyes" previously deployed in manor villages across the county and the information collected by border outposts from passing travelers and merchants, Art has mastered the traces of a larger group of bandits in the south. Since early May, After leading his troops out of the valley, in just over twenty days, Art led his army to kill seventeen bandits, captured more than thirty of his followers, and seized three thousand pfennigs of money, more than two thousand pounds of grain, six cattle and horses, and other large livestock. This kind of victory did not meet Art's expectations, but these bandits were indeed not rich. If they were really rich and had food, they would not take the risk of taking this job that was easy to lose their heads.
The army also suffered battle losses. Excluding the wear and tear of weapons and armor, the Yate army lost three people and seriously injured five people in several battles. Most of these soldiers who died and were seriously injured were recruits who had recently been promoted to the military. During the battle, they were too timid to face the enemy directly. They even knocked down the enemy but did not dare to cut down the raised sword and ax. As a result, they were killed by the ruthless bandits who had reflected.
After wiping out several groups of bandits in the south, Art's goal was basically achieved. After personally experiencing the power of the Art army, the bandits scattered in the southern border of Tyniec began to move north, either fleeing to the northern wilderness or hiding in dense forest valleys. More often, they gathered near the villages and manors along the line of Lane, Thorne, and Bura, because apart from the north-south trade routes, these were the only places where food and materials could be plundered by the bandits.
For a time, the city of Tyniec County continued to receive warnings about bandits from all over the country. Although he had received Art's letter in advance and knew that this was Art's strategy to eliminate the bandits, Viscount Pierre still cursed Art, the "culprit", while scratching his head.
Things must be resolved after scoldings, and Art is really doing something, so Viscount Pierre, who calmed down, calmed down various places in the county and strictly ordered to strengthen defenses. At the same time, he kept sending orders to urge Art to move the army to the north as soon as possible to eliminate the bandits that were causing harm to various places as soon as possible.
Although Art does practical things, he will never do anything that will result in losses. On the one hand, he asked Viscount Pierre for money, supplies, weapons and equipment, and on the other hand, in the name of raising food and salary to eliminate bandits, he collected security taxes for the purpose of suppressing bandits from villages and manors in various parts of the county that were harassed by bandits.
Of course, the tax collection process of Yate this time was much smoother than when collecting food and wages a year ago. Not only because various places have been frightened by bandits, but more importantly, Yate led the army into the village and entered the fort. In the past, those small lords who dared to expel the tax collectors in the county saw that Yate had strong troops and horses, and greeted them with smiles, and then obediently handed over the money and materials they had prepared.
They were wise, but also forced, because not long ago, a small village fort that refused to pay the anti-bandit security tax to Art was attacked by a group of bandits of unknown origin on the night that Art led the troops to withdraw. The squires in the village were killed, and several wealthy households were robbed. Although Art made it clear that what happened to the village fort was definitely not his fault, they were immediately robbed as soon as they left. Who would dare to believe that he had nothing to do with it...
Anyway, the performance of each village manor has been much more positive since then. Often when Art and his army have just arrived at the entrance of the village, the lords and squires are already waiting at the intersection of the village and fort with their money bags and food... "Sir, you said you have already explained to them that what happened that night has nothing to do with us, so why do those villages still treat us like bandits?" On the way out of Bura Village, a newly recruited soldier from the second squadron of the third squadron couldn't help but softly asked squad leader Klaus why the villagers looked at them so strangely recently.
Klaus was silent for a long time and finally turned sideways and asked this guy who had just been promoted to a soldier in a low voice: "How do you know it really has nothing to do with us?"
The soldier thought for a moment and said, "Your Excellency said it has nothing to do with us, and we really didn't do anything in the village!"
Klaus smiled and said, "It really has nothing to do with you, but where did Lord Angus and the Sentinels go that night? Why were only the squire who insulted the Lord and two rich households in the village fort robbed while the other villagers were safe?"
The soldier replied: "Didn't the sentries go out on patrol that night?"
At the head of the marching team, Art, riding a horse, was accompanied by Angus, the adjutant of the legion.
Angus was half a horse's head behind Art, and he chuckled and sighed: "Sir, these guys are like this. If you don't give them some threats and lessons, they can really treat us as beggars. You see, aren't we more obedient now~" Angus smiled and patted the bulging pouch of the front saddle.
Att gently pulled the reins, trying to slow down and let Angus catch up by half a horse's head behind, but Angus always remained half a horse's head behind. Art ignored it and turned his head slightly and replied: "Some guys are so ignorant that they will sneer at you with good words. As long as you show your sword, he will kneel down immediately. They also don't think about it. Although I charge money, I am actually doing things. It's better than the garrison in the county that only collects grain and pays taxes but never does anything..."
????Art paused and said: "But we should do as little as possible in the future. After all, this is not enemy territory, and our soldiers are not bandits who just plunder without distinguishing between ourselves and the enemy. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I don't want the army to get involved in these conspiracies, especially my own people."
“Sir, I will come into contact with more people and things in the future. Sooner or later, people will need to do these dirty jobs~”
????"In the future? I have my own arrangements in the future!"
Angus stopped asking about the dirty work, and changed the subject: "Sir, this time we show off all the way, I am afraid it will arouse more people's suspicion. The surrounding lords will not trust an awakened lion to sleep beside them."
Angus's doubts were not unreasonable. Art replied: "Sergeant Major, from the time I was knighted and obtained the fief, we are destined to be spied on. What's more, I just held a grand celebration in the valley not long ago. Those who are eyeing us are probably already sharpening their swords. This time I am not just bringing the army to various places. It's to collect the anti-bandit security tax. My main purpose is to take the army out for a walk, so that those who are spying and suspicious of us can see our fangs, and also think about whether those sharp teeth will eat us..." After saying that, Art lightly tucked his horse under his belly, took Felix and two cavalry followers and returned to the west at the intersection in front of the village.
????The infantry leader following the two men glanced at the road to the east, stopped and asked, "Sir, don't we go to Andermatt Castle in the east to continue collecting?"
Angus turned to look at the red-haired officer and smiled: "Kazak, are you really blinded by money? Fort Andermatt in the east is the territory of Baron Antayas, and we are not so poor that we can exploit our friends~" After speaking, Angus also drove west to follow Art.
Kazak then remembered that Baron Antayas had a close relationship with his own master, "Yes, how can we extort money from our friends."
Kazak said to himself and ran back to the soldiers.
Thirty fully armed infantrymen and a few baggage soldiers escorted five four-wheeled carriages loaded with grain, vegetables, fruits and cloth materials and sped up to keep up with the pace of the cavalry.