Feicui Long looks at Irina and asks her: "A problem?, did something important happen?, explain it to me as calmly as you can Irina."
Irina tries to calm herself down but even so she quickly approaches and takes out the recording device that she had bought from a merchant a few months ago to record what she explored…
Irina then speaks before showing him the content: "Young master I do not want… to alarm you, but something serious has happened… a large group of slender round-scaled lizardmen has established a camp nearby!"
Feicui Long immediately frowned, although the village is protected by the formation, it is not a good thing to have a tribe of monsters so close, especially for hunting since it is their main hunting area.
Irina then activates her device which projects an exact image, in it one can see how dozens of slender round-scaled lizardmen are building a camp and it is quite advanced with several campaign tents established, nests, among others…
He immediately thinks that this is definitely not something good for the village, looking at Irina whom he had left in charge of the 5 recruits that had joined and did not have a squad, in addition to the fact that she was now also a commander.
Feicui Long tells her: "This… is something really serious, I would like you and your squad to establish several hideouts, take Annie with you so that she helps you with that, they are certainly a threat and we must eliminate them as soon as we can, but we must take precautions after all they outnumber us by quite a lot."
Feicui Long takes the map that he had made of the surrounding areas thanks to Irina and her squad and marks nearby places to the camp, from some areas covered by trees to those closest to the mountain range.
Then he hands it to Irina saying: "Here in these strategic places, I cannot say for certain how many lizardmen there are, but with what I could see I estimate that they easily reach 500 individuals and that is without counting the beasts or other creatures that support them, even if we gather all the golems and undead I think we are barely rivals to them in numbers."
Irina quickly takes the map and says: "And what would the hideouts be for young master?"
Feicui Long touches his chin: "They are part of the temporary strategy… I have not had time to think about it much but mainly it is so that you and your squad observe them during these three days while we prepare to march together with the troops, besides they will serve to replenish supplies and carry out guerrilla attacks."
Irina, understanding, then nods, but even so she does not leave, she approaches Feicui Long and takes his hand and places it next to her face: "I will do whatever the young master says… I just want you to give me a reward for making the effort."
Elise who heard everything and saw everything could not help but put a hand on her forehead before saying: "Don't you have even a shred of self control?, at least wait until I leave."
Feicui Long sighs, for some reason with the awakening of Irina's bloodline, which she was supposed to better control these impulses, for whatever reason they have only become stronger.
Then he replies: "Of course I always reward those who make an effort, now you can withdraw, I have to go and start preparing everything, a military campaign with so few troops is a bit more complicated than one would think."
Feicui Long waited for the two of them to leave, before taking his things and together with the two guards closing and leaving the office, it did not take much time to summon all his 70 troops to the training area, although well 65 would be more exact since 5 went with Irina.
…
In the training area Feicui Long was observing his troops, his 30 personal guards and the 35 former slaves, who had regained their freedom after gathering the 3500 points and decided to stay, even that widowed father who caused him problems decided to do so.
Feicui Long looks at all of them and says: "Alright, I called you all because our situation has changed a bit, the slender round-scaled lizardmen have started a nearby camp and although the village is not in danger, it does affect our economy, after all the energy beasts and other nearby creatures are our main source of income."
Everyone looks at each other, some look worried, it was thanks to hunting that they literally recovered their freedom ahead of time… but also it is thanks to hunting that the village was able to generate so much money in such a short time.
It is a more serious situation than it seems, Feicui Long then explains: "That is why in 3 days we will depart to fight, this will be our first conflict as a barony, as a village and as brothers in arms, so prepare yourselves, rest well, eat and spend time with your families."
One of the official troops of the barony, a recently freed slave who is a minor giant raises her hand and asks: "Young lord… may I ask how many enemies we are going to face?, I have heard that this subspecies of round-scaled lizardmen is known for its large numbers."
Feicui Long looks at her and says: "I really do not know exactly, the approximation I reached after seeing the images is 500 troops without including things like pets or mounts."
Everyone remains silent, although these lizards are slightly weaker than an average human they outnumber them by far, some begin to murmur worriedly.
Mariane who is at one side then speaks for her master: "I know that this is worrying for everyone, but I can assure you that my master and I are not going to take you to fight a lost battle, with the current number of undead and golems that we possess, added to those assigned to the troops, we could easily face them."
Isabella also steps forward saying: "Besides, do not think that we are ignorant, my darling would never send us to die in a fight without thinking it through twice, that is why I would like to ask you to be patient, surely he is thinking of a great strategy for that day."
Feicui Long who had remained silent nods and says: "You have heard them, I do not intend to make you fight to the last one standing, our battles cannot be frontal because we do not know the enemy numbers, but one thing I can assure you is that I will do everything possible so that we all return home intact."
Alexei who was now wearing a commander's armor raises his chest and strikes it saying: "You do not have to worry young master, although we have known each other for less than a year, with what you have done for us, my team and I fully trust you!"
After saying that, Feicui Long tells himself internally… after all this is only a test, what comes later will be increasingly difficult, if people are lost in something of this level, it means that we will have no chance against our enemies.
After that he dismissed everyone, leaving only his guards and his close circle…
That is when he looks at his guards to tell them: "10 of you will have to stay, Ayame had her turn last time, this time Lamira and her squad will stay to watch over and guarantee the security of the village."
From there he searches in his bag and approaches the personal guards who would accompany him to battle and begins to take out several things…
Feicui Long taking out once again talismans and scrolls, as well as medicines and other resources: "Learning from our mistakes, I consider that having these in excess can be useful…"
Making gestures he leaves with the four people before telling the twins and Isabella's group: "I will be planning together with Isabella, Mariane, the second commander Ada and the first commander Ayame, to develop a good strategy."
…
During the following 3 days, Feicui Long had heated discussions with the four women, they had to ensure every minimum detail, they could not take wrong steps…
In those discussions everyone had important contributions, Mariane especially designed ambushes together with Ada, traps and choke points, they were planned to maximum detail, since the two even went personally to verify the important points…
Of course that was not all, Isabella and Mariane organized the main combat groups and the ideal formations, although ambushes and traps would help, eventually they would have direct combats, after all the lizardmen are monster species with intelligence close to or equal to that of an average human and they were not simple idiots.
For his part Feicui Long designed careful guerrilla tactics, arranged several successive attacks to harass and tire the enemy, in addition to the use of formations and baits to draw them into combat…
But that was not the only thing he did, during that time he prepared some extra talismans and scrolls, even some energy grenades and strengthened some of his golems and undead that had not yet gone through that process…
…
While that was happening, Irina and her recruits of the Skydragon exploration squad or as she liked to call it and have others call it, the eyes of the emerald-golden dragon, were watching every movement of the enemy from one of the hideouts.
This hideout was on the slope of a mountain excavated using earth elemental energy thanks to Annie, it was quite spacious and its solid iron doors covered by undergrowth made it extremely difficult to notice its existence especially because the only way to see was through a grille of just a few centimeters.
Irina had already deduced almost all of their numbers and the greatest dangers…
At this point she only wants to see their routines, her eyes are focused on a lizardman a bit larger and stronger than the others, his scales of a very vivid bluish green and the scars on his body revealed his great combat experience.
Then she saw something interesting… she could see how the lizardman gave orders and his subordinates brought captured fauna, this could be of help to them…
She looks at the date and realized that it is time to return to the main army together with her squad, carefully when they leave they sneak their way back toward the village…