Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest
Chapter 170 - 7: Podium, Sending Wife

Chapter 170: Chapter 7: Podium, Sending Wife

The next morning.

Roman stood before a soldier.

His nose was sunken, his face covered with acne scars, and one of his eyes was noticeably larger than the other. His right ear had been frostbitten and was now just a lump of flesh.

Harsh living conditions meant many lower-class individuals didn’t conform to the standard of beauty, which in this era, simply meant having symmetrical features, not necessarily refined beauty.

Beyond symmetrical features, breathtaking beauty or striking handsomeness required a unique personal charisma.

This was the award podium.

Below, thousands of eyes watched Roman’s every move.

"You are Rick. After facing cavalry charges, you conquered your fear and used a Hooked Scythe Spear to hook a Knight’s right leg, pulling him down from his horse, correct?"

Roman had witnessed it himself; the Knight died miserably with his leg caught in the stirrup, dragged far by the horse, his body crushed by the horse’s hooves.

Rick was surprised that the Lord knew of this deed.

Perhaps someone had told their instructor, who in turn reported it to the Lord, because he had never spoken of it to anyone.

When he saw his comrade killed on the battlefield, he instinctively wanted to run but had forcefully stopped himself to fight back instead.

He was once a slave but had become a soldier by passing a series of tests after arriving in Sige Town, leading a life far beyond his old dreams of adequate food and clothing.

He had been trained to deal with cavalry charges; instructors Dick and Aaron had performed drills on horses at a slow pace, repeatedly showing them how to respond.

But the real battlefield was far crueler than any drill.

To this day, the images of his fallen comrades haunted him, keeping him silent. His comrades had lost their lives; seeking praise felt sinful to him.

"Soldier Rick, you did well. Your sacrifices were not in vain; you detained the Chasers and saved a thousand lives," Roman said to him and to all the soldiers seated below.

Some arrived leaning on crutches, others were carried in, but most of the soldiers were seated unharmed on long benches.

Over five hundred soldiers watched intently as their Lord awarded the Longbowman Rick.

It was an iron medal with two Long Spears crossed inside the Divine Ring, indicating a second-class medal. Rick’s salary wasn’t increased, but it laid the foundation for him to become a non-commissioned officer.

Not just Rick, some other Longbowmen with outstanding achievements also received similar medals, and the Longbowmen regiment was collectively awarded second-class honors.

Other soldiers harbored no jealousy; they had seen the brutal reality of the battlefield and paid the price in blood.

The soldiers of the Battle of Pudun Village also received collective third-class honors.

Thus, today’s award ceremony was especially lengthy, carrying a solemn atmosphere throughout.

Everyone sat up straight, chests out, all lined up neatly, radiating a unique energy.

The six hundred new recruits at the back dared not whisper; they silently watched this scene unfold, restless. Some of the new recruits were the Chasers Roman had mentioned.

"Kao, you have proven yourself through combat; I hereby appoint you as one of my Conquest Knights!"

Still recovering from his wounds and carried in, he struggled to sit up and kiss the back of Roman’s hand.

Many soldiers were somewhat fearful of Kao, because the boy did not resemble a child; his pale face was like a cold, sharp blade.

Now, he was one of their instructors as a Conquest Knight.

"Nathan, you have fought bravely; I hereby grant you the rank of non-commissioned officer."

The burly Nathan’s neck was nearly as wide as his jaw; Roman almost needed him to bend slightly to properly place the medal.

His reputation in the army was no less than Kao’s, being extremely formidable and respected by the soldiers, serving under a powerful officer was everything they could dream of.

But Nathan was preoccupied with something else as Roman whispered during the awarding: "This summer I’m organizing another operation in Kant Territory. After the battle, you can leave and then bring your wife over; this should be manageable, right?"

Nathan stared at Roman for two seconds, indicating their previous agreement was now void.

He nodded solemnly.

Life here exceeded his expectations, and bringing his wife over wasn’t a bad thing.

He had secured his position here, and the living conditions were certainly better than staying in Taler County.

Roman had issued over sixty second-class and third-class merits today.

The award ceremony had ended, but the crowd hadn’t dispersed. They looked at Roman with expectation, and then they heard him declare loudly, "Soldiers without wives, step forward!"

Nearly five hundred soldiers stood out in unison.

Most of the soldiers were bachelors. Many had been slaves before joining the army, with no clothes or food, empty-handed, poorer than beggars, nowhere near marrying or having children.

Of course, the soldiers who were widowed or had lost their families also met the ’no wife’ criteria.

"Line up here and draw lots; your wives are right here!"

Roman instructed Jimmy to bring out a lottery box.

This wasn’t a sudden whim; preparations had been made in advance.

Roman could not stand to watch his soldiers remain single, letting them date was out of the question—there was no time for that, and not everyone could find someone.

Arranged marriages were the only option.

He had led his soldiers to attack the Kant Territory under the guise of a rescue, but that was just to provide a legitimate reason for the campaign.

That was how Roman promoted it in the army.

Yet, this didn’t change the nature of the looting.

Those women were the population they had plundered.

Roman selected a number of marriageable females equivalent to the number of his soldiers, specially asking these young women during the registration of their identities if they had fiancés, lovers, or crushes.

After meticulous screening, their identity information was written on slips of paper and placed inside the box.

Whether it contradicted the women’s will was no longer within Roman’s consideration.

They had brought these people here by force, costing them over sixty lives and leaving more than thirty disabled.

Roman knew they had fought desperately for him, and he had to arrange their post-war lives.

"What does it matter if it’s against someone’s will? If I punched you, would that also violate your will?"

If you can’t resist, just endure it!

Roman had announced this event yesterday. Every soldier understood clearly, queuing up with excitement and anticipation, resolved to remain utterly loyal to the Lord.

Their military careers were not painful, but they were dull, and they ended every day exhausted from training.

They trained for 29 days each month, all staying in the barracks.

They rested on the last day of each month, when Roman would hold a pay parade, but they still stayed in the barracks on their rest days, never going home.

Simple reason—some soldiers of slave origins had no home.

But now they would.

Everyone harbors a certain yearning for a family deep inside, a safe haven for the soul, no matter the storms faced outside, returning to this haven provided extreme relaxation of body and mind.

And yet, those at the very front of the line were the disabled.

The more severe the injury, the higher the priority for drawing lots.

They could no longer serve in the military, so Roman had to arrange their future lives.

He would also support them for the rest of their lives, issuing yearly compensation as an example to other soldiers, showing everyone the outcome of dedicating their lives to him.

As each drew a lot, Jimmy would read out the name on the paper, making sure they memorized it.

The young soldier with a severed hand also lined up; just as he was about to reach into the box, Roman suddenly slipped a slip of paper into his palm and winked at him lightly.

The soldier felt his heart leap, glancing around quietly, realizing no one had noticed the scene.

His mouth was dry as he clutched the slip of paper and handed it to Jimmy.

"Soldier Tucker, Lola, your future wife’s name is Lola."

Tucker silently memorized the name, the name of the wife specially picked out for him by the Lord.

For over an hour the line continued, until every man had received the name of his future wife.

Roman sat smiling on his chair, then stood up and declared, "My good soldiers, my fine fellows, go bring your wives here, to me, so I may witness your weddings!"