Anyone who has been through military training is probably familiar with singing drills.
When it comes to building a cohesive army, there is no better model than the people's army.
Though Kent wasn't entirely sure what effect singing drills would bring, he was confident in one thing: something familiar from his past, he could simply imitate. Whether it would work or not could only be determined after a while.
So, he decided to organize a singing competition.
But just a singing competition seemed a bit lacking.
He quickly gathered his core guards who had been with him for years, as well as the gray-bearded men who had become the backbone of the territory over the past six months, and after several days of preparation, they decided to host the First Annual All-Territory Competition at the Hunter's Spear Territory.
The competition would involve all kinds of skills that could be competed in.
Gladiatorial combat was a must, but the battles in the Hunter's Spear Territory would be completely different from the bloody gladiatorial contests the former slaves had participated in.
Singing would also be an essential part of the competition, even as the grand finale.
Other competition categories would require some brainstorming.
In the spirit of inclusiveness and fairness, people began shouting out all kinds of odd competition ideas.
For instance: a contest to see who could eat the most, a bone-chewing contest to test who had the toughest teeth, a stone-lifting contest to see who was strongest, a snoring contest, and even tree-climbing, hole-digging, brick-burning, wall-building, and bear-fighting.
Watching everyone bicker over which competitions to include, Kent couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. It was reminiscent of his time running a business, when the core team would gather together for brainstorming sessions.
Running a territory wasn't all that different from running a company. Both were started from scratch, gradually attracting more people. Whether as a lord or a business owner, there were many things to handle at the beginning: how to make money, how to grow, how to make sure people's lives improved, how to defend against competitors' attacks, how to defeat the enemy, and how to expand.
It required both lofty goals and steady, down-to-earth progress, and above all, it was crucial to build a strong, capable team.
In just half a year, the growth of Hunter's Spear Territory had been rapid.
This was all thanks to the people's complete trust in Kent.
The original inhabitants of the valley respected and trusted Kent from the start for leading them to resist the Tiger Tribe. The slaves who joined later came to trust him as well, drawn by the call for freedom and the shocking power of the magical armor. As for the guard team, their loyalty needed no explanation.
And as for the Cave Tribe...
They had already become Kent's followers.
Humans, Giants, Cave People, Half-Orcs, Barbarians, and even the newly joined members of the Forest Alliance—no one had ever imagined that different races could coexist and thrive together in the same territory, where they could exchange their labor for warm homes and delicious meals. It was something they never thought possible, yet it had come true.
Perhaps that was why more and more loyal followers were gathering around Kent, forming a backbone of support.
Soon, the First Annual All-Territory Competition officially began.
The opening event was a bear fight.
To be precise, it was a hunting performance where children played the lead roles.
The event mirrored a traditional activity from the hunting season.
In the morning, a dense white mist enveloped the large open field at the foot of the Hunter's Spear tribe's mountain.
A dozen excited children, the oldest being no more than twelve or thirteen, and the youngest about seven or eight, stood scattered across the hard field. They wore various light armor and held different weapons. A few even carried wooden shields.
Normally, bear fighting would begin on the first waxing moon of summer, marking the start of the hunting season when the young animals were able to run freely, making them perfect for children to practice their hunting skills. Adult herbivores, however, weren't fat enough for hunting until autumn or winter, when hunters were busiest.
For the children of the territory, the hunting season was an opportunity to prove their talent and bravery. During this event, whoever could capture the wolf's fang would be considered a future warrior.
The hunting performance was a big deal. Despite the original inhabitants of the Hunter's Spear Valley now numbering only about a hundred, down from the several hundred of decades past, the ceremonial significance remained unchanged. On this day, a forest giant bear would be released, and the children under the age of fifteen could join the hunting team.
The forest giant bear was not the same kind of magical beast as the ones attacking the valley from the Tiger Tribe. It was smaller and less dangerous, though still a formidable opponent for the children.
To ensure the children's safety and enhance the spectacle, some of the bear's teeth were pulled, and its claws were dulled. Yet, even so, the bear still posed a significant threat.
As the bear was about to be released, the mist caused the children's excitement to turn into anxiety. They didn't know where the bear would appear or whether it was as dangerous as the legends said. The fear of the unknown quickly spread through their ranks, and soon, some of the children began to cry softly.
At the front of the scattered line, Udo, dressed in new deer leather armor, sniffed disdainfully at the sounds of crying. She gripped her black ironwood longbow, her ears alert, for in this moment, her hearing was far more useful than her eyes.
Last night, she had spent hours making herself a new deer leather quiver, all in preparation for today's hunting performance, hoping to earn the wolf's fang. The old bear-skin quiver was just too ugly. The new deer leather quiver had beautiful patterns and matched her clothes perfectly.
As the leader of the young guard team, she knew this was her chance to shine, to catch Kent's eye.
"Udo, move to the back," came the voice of Skinny Stick behind her.
"What for?" Udo turned around to look at Skinny Stick, who was holding nothing but a dagger.
"You're too much like a deer. If the bear shows up, it'll chase after you. It's too dangerous," Skinny Stick said, causing several of the others to chuckle.
Realizing he was teasing her, Udo glared at him. "You'll see who'll be laughing last!"
"You don't like to laugh, so I'll definitely laugh last," Fatty Bull added, one hand holding an ironwood stick and the other holding dried meat, grinning broadly.
Udo stomped her foot angrily. "You three, want to bet?"
"Bet? I'm game for anything," Skinny Stick said.
"Okay, if anyone else gets the necklace instead of me, they win. But if I get the wolf's fang, I win. Losers owe ten arrows each," Udo said confidently.
"Deal, I swear on the gods," Skinny Stick replied without hesitation.
"What if someone else wins the necklace?" Fatty Bull asked.
Udo ignored him, her eyes narrowing with determination. No one else could win but her. She had done all the homework, preparing to keep her distance from the bear and aim for its eyes. As long as she blinded it, victory was assured!
In her mind, the wolf's fang was already within her grasp.
The performance took place in the Free Legion's training grounds, a vast space of several thousand square meters, similar to a standard sports field.
At the sound of a horn, the hunting performance began. Cheers erupted from the crowd—shouts from the Barbarians, roars from the Half-Orcs, and the chattering of the Cave Tribe. To any outsiders, it would sound like a multi-tribal skirmish.
A heavy breathing sound came from the mist, causing the children to grow tense. They gripped their weapons tightly, anxiously waiting for the bear to appear. But at that moment, Udo was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, the ground shook as a massive paw slammed into the earth. A towering figure emerged from the mist—an ironwood-bound giant bear, its breath heavy, its teeth grinding against the foreign object in its mouth. It was enraged by its dull claws, the weapon that had been removed.
With a low, rumbling roar, the bear thrashed its head, and its eyes landed on the small figures before it.
"Go!" one child shouted, and the competition was on.