Roy's lips curved into a smile, the kind of smile mixed with satisfaction and amusement, he gazed toward Bah Long, and Bah Long nodded slowly.
With that, Rak Mhan was appointed as the new Vice-minister of the Military Ministry.
Soon, the other former officers were introduced, and appointed as ministers or vice ministers, each responsible for their respective fields.
Roy stood up, and waved his hand, signaling the dismissal of the meeting.
But before everyone could exit the room, Roy walked toward Rak Mhan and gently patted his shoulder.
Rak Mhan turned around and saw Roy, smiling, wearing the expression of a man with both amusement and delight.
He performed a one-knee bow, offering a formal salute to his new superior.
Roy gestured him to stood up, and waved his hand lazily.
"Come with me, There something I need to show you." Roy said without looking back, and walked towards the back of the fortress.
Rak Mhan and Bah Long followed him to the outskirts of the village, there, a large column of armored men, along with figures lining up with thin, ragged clothes like misplaced civilians in a military formation.
There was no discipline, no formal formatiom, no uniformity, only a crooked line along with mismatched armor and patched clothes.
Rak Mhan let out a short sigh, his expression showed deep disappointment.
In front of the formation stood a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing white robes, and below was a rutsty, old armor.
Rak Mhan narrowed his eyes and looked closly at the armored men.
His eyes immediately widened, he gestured to reach for his sword, but before his hand could reach the hilt, a hand suddenly stopped him mid-draw.
Sor Sogon approached Roy and immediately bowed on one knee.
"Reporting to Lord Zudra," Sor Sogon said, his voice loud and firm, "I have recruited one thousand and four hundred men from the village, they are all able-bodied men, still in their prime,"
He paused mid sentence, his gaze traveled to Rak Mhan's hand still reaching for his sword.
Sor Sogon was deeply puzzled, still unaware of the situation.
Roy immediately stepped in, he gestured for Sor Sogon to stand and slightly tap Rak Mhan's shoulder.
"This is the new Vice-Minister of the Military Ministry," Roy said, his tone calm and steady, "He is a former Commander of the Western Kingdom, his name is Rak Mhan."
Sor Sogon studied the man with deep intensity, he looked downward, then upward, examining the man from head to toe.
He stretched out his hand, offering a formal greeting, but Rak Mhan ignored the man's reaching hand, his expression cold and unyielding.
"Why are there southern soldiers here?" Rak Mhan said with a cold voice, sharpening his eyes as he tightened his grip around his sword.
Sor Sogon immediately jumped back, also gesturing to draw his blade, but before the fight could fully broke out, Roy suddenly stepped between their stance and looked at Rak Mhan, wearing a dismissive smile on his face, he shook his head slightly as if telling him that this was all just a misunderstanding.
Rak Mhan lessened his grip on his sword, yet still maintaining the hostility of a man who could kill someone with a mere swish of his sword.
"They are not actually southern troops," Roy said, his tone carried faint trace of amusment, "This are just normal villagers, the armor they wore are merely spoils."
Rak Mhan studied Sor Sogon's attire, then to the men who wore the same armor, some of the armor have large holes in it, clearly pierced by spears and arrows, some even still has blood.
Seeing this, Rak Mhan let out a deep sigh and slowly let go of his sword, then he approached Sor Sogon and offer a formal greeting, also bowing deeply as a sign of apology.
He swept his gaze onto the masses, some wore thin armors while others were wearing mismatched clothes patched from within, he sucked in a deep breath, clearly did not know what to do.
Now, the Military Ministry has suddenly gained another Minister, a former general of the Western Kingdom, skilled in combat and tactics, but even if a good general was to lead the army of Roy's village, training and reshaping them into proper soldiers is...hard work, Rak Mhan felt his head as if struck by a train.
While the army of Roy's village quietly grew, the village was also silently expanding at an alarming rate, enough to be considered a small city.
---
During Bah Long's journey, people inside the mountains quietly poured in to the village, before the population was only about five hundred, then it grew into a thousand, now, the total number has exceeded twelve thousand people, all wearing mismatched clothes, all faces are drained of color, their eyes dull as hardship took over their life as they continue to strive forward just to survive.
With manpower constantly increasing, labor efficiency also dramatically grew, turning a construction site into a battlefield of hammers and chisels, shots rang out as stell clashed again steel, men were bathed with sweat and sunlight, their skins darkened as they exhausted their bodies to their limits.
Yet even though their bodies were soaked with sweat, they did not dare complain, because in exchange of their labor, they are payed with large slices of meat, massive pieces of vegetables and fruits.
Once, they were living in the mountains, constantly hunting for wild herbs, they rarely eaten meat, only catching animals when luck is on their side, but if it's not, they would be forced into hunting unknown vegetables, fruits and mushrooms, clearly not caring wether it's edible or not.
Now, they get to eat their fill like it's a constant feast, to them, this is luxury beyong measure.
But even though most of the refugees have become prosperous through labor, many skilled villagers have found themselves...out of place.
One particular individual was left standing on an open field, clenching a hammer that meant to strike molten metal rather than nails.