Upon hearing the request from the Scott family, the Deli family sent 12 people over without any hesitation, including Billy's second son, Delazet Deli. This surprised Rodney and Norfy.
Rodney looked at the 18-year-old young man in front of him. He was sturdy and tall, and would be a formidable force on the battlefield. However, Rodney couldn't help but express his concerns.
"Why did your father send you here? We're going up against the Bandits this time~"
Delazet scratched his head and replied with a simple smile.
"I know we're fighting the Bandits, but my dad said that you, Uncle Rodney, are someone who fought their way out of the battlefield. So he thought it would be a good idea for me to learn from you! And next year, send me to join the military! By then, my little brother will be a mage and I will be an officer. The Deli family will definitely rise to a higher level!"
After saying this, Rodney and Norfy were a bit awkward. They didn't expect this kid to be so straightforward. Was it intentional or was he just naive?
But since he came, the Scott family naturally welcomed him. Rodney patted his arm.
"Go over there and get yourself a set of armor and weapons. We'll start training today. The Deli family will form a team, and you will be the captain~"
Delazet happily rushed to the corner, holding his pile of equipment in his arms, and couldn't stop smiling.
"Thank you, Uncle Rodney! Thank you, Uncle Rodney!"
And then he started to caress the steel knife assigned to him. Norfy had just forged it from the latest batch of steel, meticulously heat-treated and with carbonization on the surface to enhance its hardness. Although it couldn't be compared to a knife that could slice through iron like mud, it was far superior in toughness and strength compared to the standard military knives currently in use. It was hard to imagine what kind of decent weapons the Bandits would have in their hands, probably not even as good as those used by mercenaries.
Over fifty farmers stood on the drying ground of Scott Village, ready to undergo Rodney's training, while five oddly-shaped steam engines whistled their way over, neatly stopping at the edge of the drying ground with a section of iron wagons trailing behind each one.
Rodney, dressed in shiny silver armor, stood on the table placed at the front of the drying ground.
"Fellow villagers! I'm sure you all know why we gathered here today! Those damn Bandits have set their eyes on our wealth at the Scott family and are planning to gang up and rob us!!! But our crops have just been planted and our factories have just opened. We haven't even enjoyed the good days yet, and they already smell the scent of gold and come to plunder us!"
As soon as he finished shouting, angry roars from below followed, and many farmers raised their shiny steel knives and shouted.
"No! Screw those damn Bandits!! Let's fight them!!"
"Yes, let's fight them! We're not afraid!!"
"Fight them! We have weapons!"
After a burst of passionate shouting, Rodney continued.
"We can't let them bully us, but we can't act recklessly either! So starting today, we need to train and prepare ourselves for when the time comes to fight back! Also, we don't know when those damn Bandits will come, so starting today, we'll take turns patrolling the village. The five steam engines behind us will be the patrol vehicles for the five teams! One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and three at night! We can't let those damn bastards take advantage of us!"
This time, the farmers shouted again.
"Yes!! We can't let those damn bastards take advantage of us! What we've worked so hard for should not be taken away by them!"
"Kill those damn Bandits! They're all scum! We won't let them off!"
Rodney looked satisfied as he watched the farmers dressed in armor. He felt like he had gone back to the time when he trained new soldiers. The first thing to do to make them fight on the front lines was to let them understand why they were fighting. As long as they understood that they were fighting for themselves, their morale wouldn't be a problem.
～～～
As the sun began to set, Rodney started personally teaching the farmers how to cut down scarecrows by hand. On the other half of the drying ground, Norfy was explaining tactics and how to use weapons to two resting teams. In order to quickly form combat effectiveness to deal with unexpected attacks, the father and son each occupied half of the drying ground, taking turns training and instructing each team.
Norfy used charcoal to draw a schematic diagram of the "Iron Armored Train" on the wall and spoke loudly."In each group, choose one driver and let Riaz teach you how to start the steam locomotive. The other four sit in the front carriages, and the six sit in the back. Remember, don't rush down and try to stab the Bandits with knives! Only idiots would do that!"
After he finished speaking, all the guys below laughed, and then Norfy pointed to the rows of square holes on the carriage and said, "The entire row on the train is shooting ports. When you encounter Bandits, stop the train immediately and shoot them with crossbows! Don't directly confront them. It's much safer for everyone to stay inside the armored train! If the Bandits run away, we'll catch up with them by driving. And don't be afraid even if they attack, their knives can't harm our iron carriages! Understood?"
"Understood! Young Master Norfy, it's as safe as a turtle shell made of iron! Very safe~" a man quickly said, causing everyone around him to laugh for a while.
Norfy also laughed, then turned to another map, which clearly showed the route of patrol - "We will set a lookout post on the blast furnace of the ironworks. During the day, we can see what's happening within a dozen miles with binoculars. Once we spot Bandits, we will wave a red flag. So everyone must pay attention to the situation there. The direction of the flag represents the direction of the Bandits' attack. At night, both the steel mill and the shipyard will be empty, so the three patrol cars will circle around the village. As soon as Bandits are spotted, blow the steam whistle immediately. However, the other two cars should not rush over because we need to be on guard against Bandits coming from other directions."
"But, Young Master, it's pitch dark at night, and we can't see anything!"
Before Norfy could answer, the man beside him patted him on the shoulder. "What do you need to see? Who would go out in the middle of the night in our village? If you see a figure, just call out! It must be the Bandits!"
Norfy nodded in agreement. He hadn't thought about this before, but no matter which world it was, night battles were always a tricky problem.
"Alright, remember, if you can shoot with a crossbow, don't get out of the car and fight them with knives! They are all ruthless Bandits, and it's not worth getting injured by them! Is that clear?"
"Clear! Shoot them dead! But Young Master, why does the Lord still train us to fight with swords and knives?"
"Cough, cough, just in case they infiltrate the village. In that case, everyone can handle it. This is another weapon, specifically used against Bandits that infiltrate the village. Every three people get one."
