Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 513: Departing From Vaale

That night, Bain Lawrence summoned all officers to his room on the warships.

Each man took a seat around the circular table in the room. There's only a single candle at the centre of the table, used to brighten the area.

Everybody realises the nature of this meeting so they keep the noise down, not wanting to wake anyone, especially Hugo Hagen.

Though Bain doubts Hugo will wake up at this moment. That diplomat is pretty tired and probably in a deep sleep right now.

Even so, it won't hurt to be cautious.

"So, how was your investigation on this city going?" Bain asked right off the bat.

"General, we've identified the number of garrisons, their positions, and the location of their central command. Based on our assessment, defeating them shouldn't pose any significant challenge."

Bain nodded slowly, "Good."

"When should we start, General?"

"No. Don't do anything yet. Please wait until the cities are formally transferred to us and see how the situation develops. If possible, I want to avoid using rough methods."

He doesn't want their first impression to be bad. The people here aren't their enemies.

Moreover, brute force creates resentment and hostility, making their job harder in the long run.

"What about Velten up north? Does anybody have intel about that place?"

"From what we've gathered through the locals, Velten isn't much different from Vaale. So we expect the difficulty is not great either."

"We can't afford to assume anything. Just to be safe, when we depart to the Vernau later, left some soldiers behind in Velten to do reconnaissance works."

"Understood, General."

After concluding their meeting, everyone was dismissed for tonight.

The next morning arrives and Bain has yet to issue any new orders, leaving the men to their own devices for the day.

Many soldiers happily left the ship and went to the city. Yesterday wasn't enough for them to fully explore this new place.

Meanwhile, back on the ship, Hugo keep pestering Bain to depart just as he had the day before.

His persistence was admirable, though Bain felt increasingly annoyed.

In the end, Bain couldn't take it any more. The general feared that he'd beat this foreign diplomat if he kept acting like this.

Since his soldiers had collected all the intel needed, Bain 'reluctantly' complied with Hugo's request and promised him to depart tomorrow.

After being promised, Hugo finally shut up and peace returned to his quarters.

....

At the first light of dawn, the ships are full of activity. This is because today is the day they're heading to Vernau.

For this official duty, the soldiers wear their uniforms. Would the locals panic once they see the soldiers' appearance?

The answer is no. Over their standard military attire, they wear thick coats and scarves that cover their uniform.

The climate in Vaale is colder than the temperate warmth of Ryntum, and it will get colder the further north they go.

For soldiers unaccustomed to the chill, the added layers were not just a precaution but a necessity.

Out of all the people, Hugo looks happy today. One might mistakenly think light is emitting from his face.

The soldiers, numbering in the thousands, moved loosely through the city streets of Vaale.

Although they didn't cause any trouble or make a commotion, the sheer size of their group couldn't be hidden from civilian eyes.

It was not every day that the people of Vaale saw a mass movement.

Bain who's walking at the front clicked his tongue. He notices the sluggish pace of the rear ranks and the growing curiosity of the city folk.

"Tell the men to pick up the pace! We are drawing too much attention."

He foresees this situation will arise and there's not much he can do except to rush the soldiers.

A military march is out of the question. That will reveal their true identity immediately.

Reaching the northern gate, Bain orders the group to keep moving.

The gate guards were bewildered by the sheer number of people passing through.

Not to get into any trouble that might delay their journey, Bain sends Hugo to do the smooth-talking, which proves to be effective.

Once they were beyond the city limits and a comfortable distance from Vaale, Bain signalled them to begin marching in proper formation.

Their speed slightly improved but was far from meeting Bain's expectations. To him, the march was excruciatingly slow.

Their speed was hampered and the fault lies in the deplorable condition of the so-called road beneath their boots.

It was just a muddy trail riddled with deep ruts and uneven patches. Puddles of stagnant water fill the path, forcing the soldiers to zigzag to avoid the worst spots.

Each step caused wet mud to cling stubbornly to their boots.

The path is not worthy to be considered as a road.

Along the way, the soldiers keep cursing at the terrible terrain.

"Damn this place!"

"This is a swamp!"

Bain can hear their frustration from afar and he did not like it.

"Pass the word to the front. Focus on the mission. I don't want to hear any more complaints."

"Yes, sir!"

Despite the soldiers' best efforts, the trail's condition continued to slow them down. Every mile felt like a battle against the Earth itself.

Boots became heavier with every step. They're covered in thick layers of mud. The wagons carrying supplies struggled even more.

In such conditions, the soldiers were quickly exhausted.

Bain called for a brief rest, allowing the men to catch their breath and tend to their equipment.

Finding a place to sit in the middle of nowhere, the soldiers scraped the mud off their boots and discussed their miserable situation.

Hugo walks toward Bain. He looks embarrassed, probably because of the state they were in.

He feels compelled to apologize.

However, Bain didn't take it seriously in the first place.

"Don't worry about it. These soldiers have grown too comfortable marching on good roads. They've been spoiled and forget about hardship."