Chapter 12: A Nation of Longbowmen
One month later, beneath a clear blue sky, the sun hung high.
Outside Light Whisper City, at the training grounds of the Thorn Corps.
To Aelopa's shocked expression, Glyn effortlessly drew the bowstring to its fullest extent.
The longbow in Glyn's hands was a specially crafted longbow with a draw weight of approximately 200 pounds.
*Swish!* The arrow loosed by Glyn let out a head-numbing, heart-shaking sound as it flew.
Reina's eyes widened in astonishment, her expression freezing on her face. Her small mouth formed a large "O," and she stood rooted to the spot like a wooden doll.
…
Every day for the past month, Glyn had set aside some time to practice archery.
Glyn's original body was already highly skilled in archery. Coupled with the continuous, all-around enhancement of his physical attributes after transmigrating, Glyn felt that the day he would become a legendary long-range marksman was drawing ever closer.
The 200-pound longbow was custom-made by craftsmen under Glyn's orders. Glyn estimated that with this specially crafted longbow, its effective lethal range was within about 300 meters.
Beyond 300 meters, the arrow's penetrating power would begin to drop off sharply.
After loosing the arrow, the deep-seated anxiety Glyn held regarding the Giant Dragons lessened considerably.
Glyn knew all too well how terrifying the Dragonflame of a mature Giant Dragon could be. He certainly did not wish to see the soldiers he had trained so hard be annihilated in a matter of moments by a few blasts of fire from a Giant Dragon.
Glyn had very carefully studied the genealogy of House Clegane and confirmed that House Clegane had no intermingled Targaryen dragon blood, and thus could not tame Giant Dragons.
Since confirming he could not become a dragon rider, Glyn could only choose to become a dragon slayer.
The rational Glyn would certainly find ways to avoid direct conflict between his army and a Giant Dragon. But when such a confrontation became unavoidable, aside from the cumbersome dragon-slaying scorpions, Glyn himself was the most dangerous dragon hunter.
Glyn could tolerate the existence of Giant Dragons, but if they ever became a threat to him, he was prepared to eliminate them at any time.
The preparations started now.
The carpenters would continue to craft bows with even greater draw weights. As long as Glyn could wield them with ease, the more powerful they were, the more satisfied he would be.
…
*Clap, clap, clap!*
"Hurrah!"
The surrounding people applauded and cheered for their Lord's archery skills.
Glyn instructed a carpenter, "Make another one of similar power, and then… wrap it to make it look as presentable as possible."
From now on, the 200-pound longbow would be the one Glyn typically used in public. Any bow exceeding 200 pounds would not be displayed and would be practiced with in secret.
The standard-issue Clegane longbow was too plain in appearance, and Glyn intended to bring a bow with him when he went to King's Landing.
For the longbow Glyn himself used, he planned to have it properly decorated—without compromising its normal function—to give it a more exquisite look.
Everything Glyn used represented the prestige of House Clegane. In a world that placed great importance on the prestige of a Noble House, accommodating this would make things considerably easier.
Glyn was preparing to contend for the realm. It was crucial to avoid unnecessary conflicts and not squander his energy on trivial matters.
…
Reina came skipping over. "Lord! My Lord! You have the strength of the gods!"
"Sigh, following your training methods, the sisters have all gotten much stronger, and drawing a bow is getting easier and easier for them! Only I haven't made much progress!"
"Reina, you need to be more patient. You're still young, you can't be too hasty. Moreover, you are a commander now, and your piercing voice is something others don't possess, which will be of great help when you're commanding soldiers."
The petite Reina indeed had the loudest voice in the Thorn Corps. In this world where battles largely relied on shouting, this ability was a significant advantage for a commander.
"Yes, my Lord! Just you watch, I will work hard! Unity is strength!"
Glyn smiled and nodded. "I'll be watching. Unity is strength."
Aelopa's voice carried over, "Reina, fall in for training!"
As soon as Reina left, Aelopa happened to walk up to Glyn.
"Lord Glyn, do you need me to arrange a place for you to rest?"
Glyn shook his head. "No need, I'll be leaving directly in a moment."
Saying that, Glyn reached out and lightly patted Aelopa's left bicep. "You're doing very well. You've always been very dedicated. Training soldiers is a repetitive and dull affair; you must get used to the monotony. Only if you persevere can more of them survive on the battlefield."
"I have always remembered, Lord Glyn. You said that only by sweating more in our daily training will we bleed less on the battlefield."
…
After the last battle, the Thorn Corps had made a name for itself. Building on its original foundation, it quickly recruited another 180 spear-wives from the original territory. Combined with the 200 spear-wives absorbed from the subdued mountain clansmen, the Thorn Corps now numbered 500 soldiers.
As the corps commander, Aelopa knew that her Lord was preparing to reclaim the old lands of House Clegane. The next war was fast approaching, and Aelopa was training the Thorn Corps with extreme diligence.
…
After the war, Glyn immediately established a male-dominated corps with the longbow as its standard-issue weapon. Its full name was the "Clegane Longbow Corps," shortened to the "Longbow Corps."
Glyn selected several men from the Clegane Household Guard to serve as commanders for the Clegane Longbow Corps. After the first wave of recruitment, their numbers stood at just over 100 men.
In the future, the Clegane Longbow Corps would be the corps with the broadest recruitment base. As the armories produced more and more longbows, the secondary profession for most people in the territory would become that of a longbowman, serving as reserve soldiers for the Clegane Longbow Corps.
For example, according to the new laws enacted by the Lord of House Clegane, every commoner in the Clegane Territory must dedicate one day out of every ten to longbowman training. Glyn had set detailed regulations for the training content and standards. Absentees, those who resisted, and those who failed to meet the standards would all face corresponding punishments.
Glyn also planned to hold a territory-wide longbow archery competition every three months, divided into various skill levels. He prepared generous prizes to stimulate the populace's enthusiasm for longbow training.
This was precisely Glyn's plan for a nation of longbowmen.
…
After completing the recruitment for the Clegane Longbow Corps, Glyn also established the "Clegane Longspear Corps," with the 3-meter longspear as its standard-issue weapon, shortened to the "Longspear Corps."
The Clegane Household Guard were loyal and dependable veterans with rich combat experience. Glyn regarded these Household Guard as reserve commanders.
The commanders of the Clegane Longspear Corps were also personally selected by Glyn from among the Household Guard. After a period of recruitment and replenishment, the Longspear Corps consisted of about 200 soldiers.
The Clegane Territory lacked warhorses, making it impossible to form a cavalry corps for the time being. The Longspear Corps was established to protect the longbowmen in field battles with dense formations, especially against cavalry charges.
With the exception of cavalry, the various military branches of the Clegane Territory were now more or less complete. Through daily training and strict discipline, the overall combat effectiveness of the Clegane army was steadily increasing.
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