Chapter 168: Daily Life After the Battle

Amidst the swirling heavy snow, over twenty massive, pitch-black tents stood abruptly on the vast, white Wilderness, surrounded by a perimeter wall formed from snow-covered wagons.

At this moment, the gale-force wind, carrying snowflakes, buffeted these tents, making them creak and groan, but thanks to the protection of the numerous wagons and the soldiers who continuously cleared the melting snow from the tent roofs, they were able to stand firm in such harsh conditions.

Right now, Allen was busy in the largest tent, using his own abilities to stabilize the conditions of the severely wounded.

In the battle not long ago, although the Cavalry was the decisive force that secured victory, the infantry had borne the greatest pressure during the fighting.

Therefore, some casualties were unavoidable.

Fortunately, Allen's Archers had suppressed the enemy's Longbowmen at the very beginning of the battle, and by the end of the war, the enemy's Cavalry and War Chariots had no chance to enter the fray.

Otherwise, there is no telling how tragic the casualties would have been.

Even so, there were dozens of soldiers who died on the spot because there was no time to save them, and the wounded filled more than a dozen tents, with the proportion of severely wounded accounting for more than half, including those Easterlings who hadn't died on the battlefield.

According to past experience, if the treatment goes smoothly, these wounded should be able to initially recover their health in about two or three days.

And by then, Allen, having regained his strength, could perform a second round of treatment, which would be enough for them to fully recover.

However, that would require a comfortable environment for recuperation, as well as sufficient and nutritious food.

These, Allen could barely guarantee with the large amount of supplies obtained after the battle; if it really came to it, he could just buy them from the Simulator—people are always more important than money.

But in an environment like this, maintaining a temperature that isn't freezing is truly no easy task.

This required thanking the Heaters left behind by the Easterlings, as well as the fuel Allen purchased from the Simulator.

Of course, this was also due to the hard work of those prisoners.

Allen truly hadn't expected that the tents these Easterlings had set up at this moment could actually prevent smoke poisoning.

In the cold North, this could barely be considered an extraordinary craft; after all, in this era, keeping warm—especially in a tent—meant poisoning was an unavoidable issue.

However, these fellows were the culprits behind his own soldiers' injuries, and Allen did not intend to give these Easterlings a pleasant look just because of this small merit; at most, there would be a bowl of hot soup for them in the evening to ward off the cold.

In fact, most of the uninjured soldiers and prisoners had already left here a short while ago, heading toward that Easterling camp Allen was using as a bridgehead.

One must know that, counting the support from the Dwarf and Elf, as well as Allen's soldiers and the Easterlings who surrendered in this battle, the total number was over ten thousand; there was really no need for everyone to stay in this Wilderness and freeze.

Furthermore, the resources here were insufficient to supply so many people to hold a victory celebration in the Wilderness, so why did everyone need to be gathered together?

Under Allen's orders and suggestions, Fatis led the uninjured Humans warriors and, together with Lindir's Elf Cavalry, took most of the prisoners and left; they would return to the Anduin Valley in batches over the following period.

Remaining behind, aside from the wounded who were difficult to move, were Allen's personal guards, the Northern Rangers who were more resistant to the severe cold, and the Dwarf elites who feared no cold, to deal with any accidents that might suddenly occur in the Wilderness.

Such cold weather always reminded Allen of the Severe Winter that occurred decades ago, when the snow in Rhovanion similarly covered half of Mirkwood.

He didn't know if Sauron had a hand in this godforsaken weather that had suddenly appeared, but who could say whether the Orcish could march in such cold weather? What if they could?

Even without the Orcish, guarding against some rampaging beasts was necessary; after all, this was the Wilderland, home to many wild horses and wild cattle, as well as fierce creatures that preyed upon them.

Suddenly suffering such bitter cold, some animals might do anything to survive; making more preparations was never a bad thing.

At this moment, having finished treating the last severely wounded soldier, Allen softly comforted the soldier before him with a few words.

This young man's injuries were not critical, but he had lost his right hand forever in this war, and the few words of comfort Allen offered were to tell him not to worry about his future life, as he, the King, would handle everything.

Having finished these tasks, Allen stretched his body slightly, and after using a boiled towel from his side to wipe the sweat from his forehead, Allen let out a soft sigh of relief; he could finally rest for a while.

At this moment, Allen felt very fortunate that he had previously utilized a loophole to cultivate in the Simulator for several decades; otherwise, with his strength exhausted, he could only have watched helplessly as some of the severely wounded soldiers died before his eyes.

Meanwhile, the medical personnel assisting on the side looked at the slightly fatigued King before them with eyes full of reverence, signaling that the rest could be left to them.

"Your Majesty, most of the wounded's conditions have stabilized. You may go and rest; leave the rest to us to handle."

Allen stood up, cast a glance around the tent that had quieted down, nodded gently, and instructed: "If any soldiers show signs of fever, convulsions, or delirium, notify me immediately."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, we have all followed the teacher's requirements to provide meticulous treatment to these wounded; under normal circumstances, such problems will not occur."

"Good, then I leave the rest to you."

Those who could become field doctors in the army were basically students who had graduated from James's tutelage, and they would follow Allen's army to campaign in all directions.

It was just that most of the time they would hide and not participate in the intense fighting, and in the gaps between battles, the wounded covering the ground were the battlefield where they had to fight for their lives.

Allen trusted these field doctors; since these professionals had already indicated that things were fine, he could naturally leave.

It was just that when he lifted the thick curtain to leave the tent, the feeling of the cold wind blowing on his face made Allen shiver violently.

While feeling refreshed, Allen immediately stepped away from the tent entrance and then let the curtain fall back into place, letting it continue its task of blocking the cold wind.

Even Allen, whose physical fitness far exceeded that of ordinary soldiers, still found this bone-chilling cold somewhat unbearable, let alone those soldiers who were still recovering from their wounds.

But Thorin, as a Dwarf of Durin, had no problem; their bodies were simply more capable of enduring these harsh environments.

And Abinas, as a Numenorean, didn't seem to care much about the cold weather either, as they were currently chatting in the center of the camp, as if they had known each other before.

In fact, the two had indeed known each other a long time ago; after all, in that place called Eriador, Humans and Dwarf had a common enemy, and Abinas had mainly guarded the Shire area in the past, which was close enough to the Blue Mountains.

It was just that the two did not have a relationship as comrades-in-arms at the time, and for the most part, they were merely nodding acquaintances; even now, Thorin did not know Abinas's true identity.

Upon hearing the commotion Allen made, the two stopped their conversation, and Thorin's resonant and magnetic voice immediately rang out.

"Allen, my friend, you've finally come out! If possible, there are some things I need to discuss with you."

At this moment, Thorin was actually a little bit dissatisfied, because in the battle that took place half a day ago, the Goat Cavalry he led was so slow that by the time the Dwarf arrived at the battlefield, the fighting had already ended.

For Thorin, who was very proud at heart, this was a bit uncomfortable, giving him the feeling that his own kin had been outdone by the Elf and the Humans.

However, under Dain's leadership, the Dwarf Elite Infantry had played an extremely important role in this battle, which made Thorin feel much better.

Meanwhile, Abinas bowed to Allen and said: "If possible, I hope Lord Allen can spare some time."

Allen was taken aback and said with a smile: "What important matter is it? Let's go, let's talk in my tent; this weather is truly too terrible, I have never seen such a cold Wilderness."

Thorin laughed upon hearing this and said: "If you live a few more years, you will feel that this is nothing. I have experienced a colder one; at that time, I was still living in the Blue Mountains, hmm, a bit down and out, but..."

Allen knew that the experience Thorin was speaking of now should be that "Severe Winter" in his own memory, but he did not interrupt his good friend.

The once melancholic and gloomy Dwarf Prince had become much more cheerful and talkative after reclaiming the Lonely Mountain; this was actually a very good change in personality, because the nature of the Dwarf was just like this—in front of their best friends, they were chatterboxes, and when they were happy, they would sing and dance amidst laughter and joy.

Of course, when encountering trouble, most Dwarf would also be very noisy, occasionally saying some complaining words, but as a friend of the Dwarf, one need not doubt their loyalty and their courage in the face of difficulties.

The pressure on Thorin's shoulders in the past was simply too great, and coupled with the need to maintain the dignity of a leader, he was suspicious and sensitive in his conduct, and also extremely unwilling to reveal his true emotions in front of friends and subordinates; however, he had changed now, becoming much more long-winded in front of Allen.

Amidst Thorin's resonant voice, the three arrived outside Allen's tent; at this moment, the thinly clad Grim was guarding the place. Sometimes Allen would always curiously wonder, could it be that even in human form, the fur on a Skin-changer could serve to ward off the cold? That would be too convenient.

Grim also hadn't appeared in the previous battle, because at that time he was guarding over two hundred Knight apprentices.

Allen had the children who could not go to the battlefield ride horses and stand behind the infantry ranks to confuse Ashur's judgment; after all, in previous battles, Allen had demonstrated the power of Cavalry, and if there were not a single Cavalry figure beside the infantry during the decisive battle, it would easily make the opponent suspicious.

However, for the sake of safety, Allen still arranged for two Skin-changers and ten Mettenheim Warriors to guard these children; of course, when the battle situation became dangerous, they would still join the battlefield, which depended on whether Alayen needed their support.

It was just that Allen's plan was executed very smoothly, and until the end of the battle, Grim and the others did not leave the children's side.

At this moment, Grim was clearing the snow off the tent, his body over two meters tall making him exceptionally relaxed while doing this work, and the Dwarf's voice immediately attracted his attention.

"Lord Allen, are you finished with your work?"

Upon seeing Allen, Grim greeted him, simultaneously interrupting the "nagging" that Thorin had not yet finished; the personalities of Skin-changers were actually somewhat rude relatively speaking, and they were truly not very interested in matters concerning etiquette, with Grim already being the one who performed the best among them.

At this moment, the young Skin-changer held the status of Allen's Attendant, but after returning to Wilderness Town, he should change to the title of "Warrior"; in these few months, Grim had done quite a few things.

"Yes, finished. Do you know where Cress went? I haven't seen her for a while." Allen had indeed not seen this restless young woman for an hour or two.

Grim scratched his head, looked toward the south, and said, "Big Sister went out; she said she saw something interesting and would be back soon, telling you not to worry about her."

"Went out? No need to worry?"

Allen's voice suddenly became stern as he said to Grim, "Grim, you go call Wulf to find her; even if you have to tie her up, bring her back. She's over twenty years old; sooner or later, I will marry her off."

Looking at Allen, who was suddenly extremely exasperated, Grim hurriedly nodded and strode off on his thick legs to find Wulf; before, when Cress proposed to leave, Grim had actually wanted to go with her, but he was sternly refused by his Big Sister and was also strictly warned not to tell Allen.

Even though Grim was now an adult, it was still hard for him to refuse Cress, who had saved his life; one had to know that in that dark, hopeless life, Cress, who suddenly appeared and saved them, was no different from a deity in that instant.

However, Grim was not particularly worried about Cress's safety, not to mention Cress's fairly good combat power and excellent Wilderness survival skills.

Grim, who could transform into a Giant Bear, could not only move freely in such snowy weather but could also use his exceptionally sensitive sense of smell to find the person he wanted to find.

Otherwise, Grim would not have readily let her leave alone after Cress refused; in fact, if Allen had not come out after a while longer, he would have risked angering Big Sister to go and report to Allen.

And now it was fine; the matter was asked by His Majesty himself, so it had nothing to do with him, this "honest" young Skin-changer.

Allen sighed helplessly as he watched Grim leave, then lifted the tent flap and said to Thorin and Abinas, "Pardon the spectacle, please come in, you two."