Chapter 10

"Your battalion has the strength of a regiment, with the highest commander being Baron Kaido. Even the battalion commander is a knight under the baron's command. So if you want to climb higher, you need to get close to the baron. Isn't it all just a matter of the baron's word?" Xiaxi said.

"So I need to rely on Young Master Zoro? He is the young master of the territory and is likely to be the future baron. If I join his camp now, I might gain his favor and cultivation." Lock was somewhat clever and immediately understood the reason behind Xiaxi's suggestion to join Young Master Zoro.

"Exactly. From your introduction, I feel that the most powerful person in your camp now is the baron, followed by your battalion commander and Young Master Zoro." Xiaxi explained, "Since the baron and the battalion commander are not participating in the election for company commander, you should seize the opportunity to get close to Young Master Zoro. I even think that this election for company commander is to help Young Master Zoro build his own team."

Xiaxi, who had grown up in the city, was indeed very adept at understanding human nature. Lock had once heard from Warner that the third and fourth companies might merge into one, and then a new company would be established. At the time, Lock had taken it as a joke and didn't take it seriously. But after Xiaxi's words, it seemed like it could be true. If a new company were to be established, who would be the new company commander and deputy? Wouldn't a leaderless team be perfect for Young Master Zoro to gain experience and build his team?

With this thought, Lock felt enlightened. He kissed Xiaxi excitedly and shared the news about the company merger with her, which further confirmed her suspicions.

"Why would the baron want to build a team for the young master so early? Besides, I heard that the baron's second son is currently managing the territory." Lock was still a bit confused.

"There are many things you don't understand. Why do you care so much?" Xiaxi rolled her eyes at Lock, "What you need to do now is climb higher to make our future life better." After all, Xiaxi was just a commoner who grew up in the city. Although she was shrewd, she didn't fully understand or dare to understand the ways of the nobility. In this era, commoners mostly revered the nobility.

Lock didn't have grand ambitions; he was content as long as his family had enough to eat and wear. Xiaxi's use of "we" touched him, and he hugged her tightly, saying, "Our future will definitely be good."

The next day, Lock woke up when the sun was high in the sky. The reason, of course, was that the two of them had been passionate the night before. "Maybe I was just too pent up," Lock muttered. He slapped his face to wake himself up and then strode towards the camp.

Last night, Lock and Xiaxi had decided to join Young Master Zoro. As for what gift to give, Xiaxi suggested that it shouldn't be too expensive or luxurious. "What good things can a squad leader offer? It's better to give a gift that fits your status, showing your sincerity and lowering your threshold. Don't go for flashy things; make Young Master Zoro see that you are a useful person."

From what Lock had seen of Young Master Zoro's role as a deputy cavalry company commander and his deeds in the camp, he felt that Zoro wasn't someone who valued material enjoyment. So he followed Xiaxi's advice. The gift he chose was the wine he and Uncle Yoshak had drunk the day before. Xiaxi said she didn't have much of this wine left, only five bottles, and she needed to buy more wheat and other ingredients to brew it. This time, he brought two bottles to meet Young Master Zoro.

When Lock returned to the squad's tent in the camp, the tent was in a mess, and the noise of the guys could be heard from a distance. Peter, a young servant soldier with bright eyes, was on duty at the tent entrance. He was a follower of Cain and specialized in archery.

"Brother Lock! You're back!" Peter suddenly shouted, startling Lock, who had just reached the entrance. Lock glanced at him sideways, knowing what he was up to. Without saying more, Lock lifted the tent flap and walked in.

"I bet Brother Lock was still plowing the innkeeper's bed last night..." Lock heard Cain's excited shout from a distance. It seemed Cain hadn't heard Peter's warning. He was facing away from the tent entrance, gesturing wildly as he told the others his fantasies.

Lock silently walked behind Cain. The others in the tent, who had been laughing, suddenly changed their expressions. Cain, being a scout, quickly reacted to the change in their faces. He lunged forward, dodging Lock's sweeping kick. Then he rolled to the left, avoiding Lock's stomp. Lock, a strong soldier with the strength of a second-class soldier capable of competing for a first-class soldier, caused a layer of dust to rise and a dull thud to sound with just a hasty stomp.

"Hey, brother, calm down, I was just joking." Cain, seeing Lock's serious demeanor, knew he was serious. He couldn't beat Lock, and besides, which archer was good at hand-to-hand combat? He wasn't stupid and didn't want to be beaten for nothing.

"Hmph, you haven't regressed." Lock, seeing that Cain had dodged his two attacks, didn't pursue the matter of his secret criticism. "You're like an eel," Lock muttered.

"Alright, no more jokes. After training these few days, Yade, you take Phil and the others to the Green Palm Inn to keep the peace." Lock instructed his squad members. Just dealing with some hooligans, a third-class soldier plus four or five servant soldiers would be enough.

Lock's words revealed many things. First, by sending his men to keep the peace at the town's inn, he was already exceeding the power of a squad leader. Although he had the strength, he didn't have the authority to act arbitrarily, which could invite jealousy. This indirectly revealed Lock's confidence in being promoted to a first-class soldier and company commander.

Second, by only instructing them to keep the peace for a few days, it hinted that the unit might be moving out soon. Living in the camp, everyone had a general idea of where they might be going.

Finally, by going to the Green Palm Inn, it wasn't hard for the soldiers to guess that their leader might have something with the beautiful innkeeper. By sending them to protect his woman, it showed that he trusted them, which strengthened the cohesion of the squad.

Lock didn't just send Yade and the servant soldiers because they were enough to handle the hooligans. Who wouldn't want to send their strongest forces to protect their women? However, there were also patrol officers in the camp, and as a squad leader, he couldn't act too boldly. Additionally, it was to train them. Most of the servant soldiers had joined his squad in the past year, and some were even ordinary farmers a year or two ago. They needed more combat experience. Although they fought fiercely yesterday, it was because Lock and Cain were there to lead and inspire them.

After living together for so long, the old hands understood the implications of the captain's words. Even if they didn't understand, Cain and the others would remind them during their evening chats.

This was Lock's charm—sharing sensitive information with his teammates in advance, both preparing them for battle and boosting their confidence in his promotion.

Around three in the afternoon, Lock arrived at the center of the camp, where the baron, the battalion commander, and Young Master Zoro resided. As the baron's eldest son, Young Master Zoro's tent was guarded by at least two squads of soldiers, and there were likely many more hidden experts.

After requesting the guard to inform Young Master Zoro, Lock waited outside. This time, he came alone, carrying only two bottles of wheat wine in glass bottles. This was something he and Xiaxi had discussed; ordinary gifts wouldn't impress Young Master Zoro, and he didn't have anything better, so he decided to bring the wine. In the camp, wine was the best way to build relationships. Bringing two bottles would help build a bond, allowing Lock to express his loyalty without appearing disrespectful.

After a routine search, the guard who had gone to inform Young Master Zoro returned and invited Lock in. Lock nodded to him, straightened his clothes, and entered the tent.

This was Lock's first visit to Young Master Zoro's tent. He had rarely interacted with Zoro, only greeting him respectfully when they met in battle or in the camp. In Lock's impression, Young Master Zoro was a strong and relatively easygoing person. As a noble, he didn't look down on the common soldiers in the camp but fought alongside them. Zoro's strength was undeniable; he was a warrior who had learned martial arts, and Lock estimated that with his current skills, he could at most match Zoro.

This was already remarkable. For someone who hadn't learned martial arts to fight against someone who had was like challenging a higher level. Of course, a significant reason was that Zoro was a noble and the direct heir of a baron, who would have learned family martial arts from a young age. The baron would never put his son in danger, and Lock, who had fought his way through battles, could match someone with martial arts, which was reasonable.