Carrying weapons?
Logan blinked in disbelief, a mix of shock and amusement painting his face. For a fleeting moment, he half-expected Kro to announce plans for riding rockets into battle.
Kro, catching the surprised look, quickly elaborated, "The bed crossbow is cumbersome and a nightmare to transport. But, if we mount it on a kodo beast, it'll transform into a mobile artillery unit."
"So, the kodo becomes a walking arsenal?" Logan marveled, his initial shock morphing into intrigue.
"Exactly," Kro beamed, clearly proud of his novel strategy. "We've run trials. It works wonderfully. Kodo beasts are robust and sturdy, ideal steeds for carrying such hefty weaponry."
"Lord Quinn is already on it, retrofitting the crossbow to ensure a perfect mount. And Lord Bastos? He's crafting specialized armor for the kodo, shaped like beastly plate mail," Kro added.
The idea had struck him out of the blue. After a successful trial with the kodo, Kro was convinced of its potential, a game-changer on the battlefield.
Lots and Gawa, who were also present during the experiment, nodded in agreement, their faces reflecting the excitement of the discovery. The test's success had left them equally astonished.
With a kodo beast equipped with a crossbow, they had essentially birthed an unstoppable war machine.
"Well done!" Logan exclaimed, his imagination already running wild with the possibilities. Though he hadn't witnessed the test firsthand, the mental image of a towering kodo beast, four meters high and over eleven meters long including its tail, striding into battle with a massive crossbow was both thrilling and terrifying.
The mobility of such a weapon would far exceed the capabilities of any stationary setup, adding a layer of strategic advantage.
Kodo beasts, revered mounts of the Tauren tribe, had always been domesticated as sturdy pack animals. Yet, compared to other Beastmen cavalries, their lumbering pace had been a tactical bottleneck.
They required massive, coordinated charges to unleash their full potential. Additionally, despite their herbivorous tendencies, kodos could become dangerously unpredictable. Spooked by the smallest disturbances, a frightened kodo might bolt or even become aggressive, capable of swallowing a man whole.
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To prevent such mishaps, some traders would deliberately impair the beasts' hearing to dull their fright responses, a necessary but clunky solution that rendered them less agile.
Quilboar riders? A thousand wargs?
Kro, Lots, and Gawa exchanged looks of astonishment.
"Are you serious?" Kro couldn't contain his excitement.
With over five hundred wolf cavalry already in training, watching them had always brought a proud smile to Kro's face. The prospect of doubling their numbers to a thousand was exhilarating, envisioning a formidable force that would enhance their military might significantly.
Excitement rippled through Lots as he contemplated the scale of a thousand wolf cavalrymen. "Such a force would be unprecedented," he mused aloud, knowing well that even a tribe ten times their size seldom boasted such a formidable cavalry.
Gawa, snapping out of his initial shock, shifted his focus to another aspect of their military strategy. The wild boar cavalry wasn't just any unit; it was the pride of the wild boar people.
"Do you really think I'd joke at a time like this? I'll speak to Kodiak myself. We need to boost the wolf cavalry to a thousand," Logan declared with unwavering certainty.
He was acutely aware of the differences between infantry and cavalry. While Beastmen infantry could become battle-ready after two months of training, cavalry units required much longer to reach a competent level of combat readiness, sometimes up to half a year.
Currently, the tribe boasted over 500 wolf cavalrymen. They presented a formidable sight, yet against an equally trained elite force, they would likely suffer substantial losses.
"Now that we have the resources, we must prioritize building up our main forces. It's a simple truth that the longer we train our cavalry, the stronger they'll become," Logan asserted, his voice laced with the urgency of their mission.
He then turned his gaze to Gawa, understanding his vested interest. "And let's not forget to formally establish the boar cavalry," he added. "They're considered among the elite in Beastmen cavalry ranks."
Logan continued, outlining further plans to bolster their military capabilities. "I'll also check with Kodiak if the animal pens can supply meat, wyverns, thunderbirds, or other flying creatures for purchase. We're not exactly strapped for cash at the moment," he noted, half-jokingly.
At this, Crowe and Lots exchanged knowing glances and chuckled. They had long heard from Lord Begon about the chief's lucrative ventures in Canyon City, which were now bringing in thousands of gold coins monthly. The prosperity of their tribe was evident from the recent transformations they had witnessed.
When Logan mentioned their financial stability, he spoke the truth.
However, he had a more pressing concern, which dampened the initial excitement. "Regarding the expansion of our military forces, I must withhold my agreement for now," Logan finally revealed his main reason for visiting the military camp.
This announcement left Kro and Lots stunned. They had been the proponents of this expansion, arguing that with the tribe's population now exceeding 20,000, it was impractical to maintain a standing army of less than 3,000. Yet, here was Logan, urging caution and suggesting they might be moving too hastily into expansion, prompting a reevaluation of their ambitious plans.