Chapter 12: -12- Nationwide Longbowman Initiative
One month later, under the clear blue sky with the sun shining high, outside the Whispers, the training ground of the Thorn Corps.
In Emer's astonished expression, Gallen effortlessly drew his bowstring.
Gallen's longbow had a draw weight of about 200 pounds, specially made for him.
Swish! The arrow Gallen shot out made a hair-raising sound, sending shivers down the spine.
Reyna's eyes widened in astonishment, her expression frozen, her mouth forming a perfect "O" as if she were a wooden doll.
........
Every day for the past month, Gallen had devoted some time to archery practice.
Gallen's archery skills were already excellent, and with his physical abilities continuously improving after crossing over, he felt himself getting closer to becoming a super marksman with extended range.
Gallen estimated that with his specially made longbow, he could effectively kill targets within about 300 meters.
Beyond 300 meters, the arrow's penetration power would start to drop drastically.
After shooting the arrows, Gallen's hidden concern about dragons decreased significantly.
Gallen was well aware of how terrifying the flames of dragons could be in later stages. He certainly didn't want to see his soldiers, whom he had trained so hard, perish in an instant from a dragon's breath.
Gallen had carefully studies House Crabb's lineage and confirmed that there was no Targaryen blood in their family, so they couldn't tame dragons.
Since he couldn't become a dragon rider, Gallen could only choose to become a dragon slayer.
Gallen, being rational, would surely find ways to avoid direct conflicts with dragons. But when unavoidable, apart from cumbersome dragon-slaying ballistas, Gallen himself would be the most dangerous dragon slayer.
Gallen could tolerate the existence of dragons, but when they posed a threat to him, he was ready to eliminate them at any time.
Preparations began now.
The carpenters would continue making bows with higher draw weights, and as long as Gallen could handle them alone, the more powerful they were, the more satisfied Gallen would be.
........
Clap! Clap! Clap!
OHHH!
The people around applauded and cheered for the lord's archery skills.
Gallen instructed the carpenters, "Make another one with similar power, and then... try to make it look as nice as possible."
Gallen would use a 200-pound draw weight longbow publicly, while anything over 200 pounds would not be displayed publicly and would be secretly practiced.
The standard Crabb longbow was too simple in appearance. When Gallen went to King's Landing, he would have to bring a bow with him.
Every item Gallen used represented the face of House Crabb, and in a world that valued noble appearances, catering to them would make things much easier.
Gallen was preparing to compete for dominance. To avoid unnecessary conflicts, he couldn't let himself be distracted by trivial matters.
........
Reyna bounced up and down, saying, "My Lord! You're naturally strong!"
"Oh, according to your training methods, my sisters' strength has increased a lot, and it's getting easier to draw the bow! Only I haven't made much progress!"
"Reyna, you need to be patient. You're still young, so don't be too eager. Besides, you're a commander now, and your voice is very loud, which others don't have. It's very helpful for you to command soldiers."
"Okay, My Lord, I'll work hard!"
"I'll be watching."
Emer's voice came over, "Reyna, line up for training!"
As Reyna left, Emer walked up to Gallen.
"Lord Gallen, do you need a place to rest?"
Gallen shook his head, "No need, I'll be leaving in a moment."
With that, Gallen reached out and lightly patted Emer's left bicep, "You've done well. You've always been diligent. Training soldiers is a daily repetitive and tedious task. You have to get used to the boredom. Keep it up, and they'll live longer on the battlefield."
"I'll keep that in mind, Lord Gallen, you said that only by sweating profusely during ordinary training will there be less bloodshed on the battlefield."
........
After the last war, Gallen immediately established a predominantly male archery-equipped legion, officially called the "Crabb Longbow Legion," or simply the "Longbow Legion."
Gallen selected several people from the Crabb family's troops to serve as commanders of the Longbow Legion. After the first conscription, the current number of personnel is about 100.
In the future, the Crabb Longbow Legion will be the most widely inclusive legion, with the increasing production of longbows in the arsenal, and the majority of people in the territory will have longbowman as their second profession, serving as reserve soldiers for the Crabb Longbow Legion.
For example, according to the new laws of the lord, every ten days, the subjects of Crabb territory must dedicate one day to participate in archery training. Gallen has made detailed regulations regarding training content and standards, and those who are absent, disobedient, or fail to meet the standards will face corresponding punishments.
Gallen also plans to hold archery competitions for various levels of archers across the entire territory every three months, offering generous prizes to stimulate enthusiasm for archery training among the subjects.
This is exactly what Gallen envisions as a nationwide longbowman initiative.
........
After completing the recruitment of the Crabb Longbow Legion, Gallen established the "Longspear Legion," with 3-meter-long spears as standard equipment.
The Crabb family soldiers are loyal and experienced veterans of battle. Gallen regards them as reserve commanders.
The commanders of the Longspear Legion are naturally selected personally by Gallen from among the family soldiers. After a period of recruitment and equipment replenishment, the legion currently consists of about 200 soldiers.
Since Crabb territory lacks war horses, a cavalry legion cannot be formed temporarily. The establishment of the Longspear Legion is to provide dense formation protection for longbowmen, especially against cavalry charges.
Apart from cavalry, the various branches of the Crabb territory's military are barely complete. With daily training and strict discipline, the overall combat effectiveness of his army has been steadily increasing.
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