“However, let me be upfront about the difficulties: right now, manpower is tight, so the Fifth Column can only be formed with three thousand men for the time being. And I can only give you two thousand new recruits, five hundred demobilized soldiers, and for the remaining five hundred, you’ll have to select them from the slave camp.” Clark was not surprised to see his reaction; if he himself had experienced this, he probably wouldn’t have handled it any better than Henry Sutton.

“Yes, I... this subordinate obeys.” Seeing Brian Cooper shake his head at him slightly, he immediately caught on and quickly corrected himself.

“Hmm, in your opinion, how long will it take for the Fifth Column to become combat-ready?” Clark continued to ask.

Henry Sutton frowned; this was not an easy question to answer. The standards for combat readiness vary greatly—elite troops and local forces both have combat capability, but they are by no means on the same level. And for a group made up of new recruits, some demobilized soldiers, and slave soldiers, forming combat effectiveness is even more difficult. With ordinary training, it would take at least half a year or even longer. But since Chief Clark asked this on the spot, it was clearly a test; if he couldn’t meet the standard in his mind, this acting column commander position might remain “acting” indefinitely.

“Three months is enough.” Henry Sutton pondered for a moment before finally making his decision.

“Good, young man, your courage is commendable. I’ll give you three months. If by then you can lead a team as tough as steel, I’ll officially recommend you for the position of deputy general. But if your team is easily defeated, then you’ll be demoted to a centurion.” Clark clasped his hands behind his back, making the decision final.

“Yes, Commander. I have one more request.”

Clark thought to himself that the real show was about to begin. To be confident in forming combat effectiveness in such a short time, he must have a unique training method. He was curious to see what conditions he would propose, so he asked amicably, “What’s your request? Speak freely.”

“I request that all the troops be replaced with slave soldiers, and that during my training period, no one is allowed to interfere.”

“What? All replaced with slave soldiers? Are you sure?” This time, Clark was truly astonished. If he wanted to keep his training methods secret and efficient, the second request about no interference made sense, but the first request—to use only slave soldiers—was simply insane.

The army’s reserve manpower generally falls into three categories. The most sought-after are the demobilized soldiers: they were wounded in previous battles, but not fatally or permanently disabled, and after recovery, they return to the battlefield. These soldiers need no training and can immediately integrate into most units.

Next are the new recruits, who have only spent a few months in boot camp and have never seen battle; their combat effectiveness is far inferior to that of demobilized soldiers.

The last category is the slave soldiers, who have no personal freedom. Slave soldiers come from many sources—most are captured enemy soldiers from various places, and some are death row convicts from within the empire. Entering the slave camp is like having one foot in the grave. On the battlefield, slave soldiers are basically cannon fodder, so their morale is the lowest of all troop types, and there are almost daily escape attempts.

Other commanders always ask for demobilized soldiers first, then new recruits, and slave soldiers are basically ignored. Today, Henry Sutton did the opposite—he didn’t want any demobilized soldiers or new recruits, only slave soldiers. Naturally, this shocked the battle-hardened Clark. He even wondered if Henry Sutton’s training methods were so harsh that they could easily cause casualties, so he chose those slave soldiers whom no one cared about.

“Very well, everything will be as you wish. But in three months, I want to see results.”

“Please rest assured, Commander. I will not let you down.”

After Henry Sutton and Brian Cooper left, a man emerged from the back hall—it was the advisor Mark Bennett who had led the way earlier. The fact that he could move freely between the front and back halls showed that his status was anything but ordinary.

“Uncle, isn’t it a bit rash to appoint him as column commander just like that?” Mark Bennett stepped forward, saluted, and spoke.

“In your opinion, how strong is my Skyhawk Legion?” Clark didn’t answer directly, but asked instead.

“The Skyhawk Legion is one of the empire’s five great legions, with a hundred thousand armored soldiers and a glorious record. It’s truly a first-class force in the world.” Mark Bennett replied with pride—indeed, such a powerful army is rare in the world.

“You’ve also seen the confessions of the captured soldiers. So, how do you think the Skyhawk Legion’s combat strength compares to that of Henry Sutton’s subordinates?”

This time, Mark Bennett didn’t answer immediately. After a long pause, he said reluctantly, “If they haven’t exaggerated, I’m afraid we’re slightly inferior.”

Clark shook his head. “It’s more than just slightly inferior. If those captives weren’t boasting, the difference is like night and day. I really want to see if such powerful troops truly exist in this world. Today I appointed him acting column commander—if he’s truly capable, he’ll give it his all to earn the official title and won’t dare hold back. In three months, we’ll see the results for ourselves.”

“I see. Uncle, you are wise.” Mark Bennett continued, “Then should we send a few people to pose as slaves and infiltrate his ranks to uncover the secret?”