After the scuffle, hundreds of corpses were found in the clearing of the forest.

Some of them were impaled through the body with spears and died of exhaustion. Some had their arms or legs cut off by axes and died of blood loss. Others were headshot with blunt objects and died beyond recognition. A small number of them were killed by slitting their throats. Of course, there are not many people who can do this, most of them are experienced old hunters or high-level fighters like Rhodes.

People searched the dead beastmen for loot, rough and torn armor, weapons suitable for human use, metal ornaments, and more, but most had little to gain.

To make sure that every fallen Beastman was dead, the Norscans had to go up and mend the knife before searching for one, stabbing the Beastman in the chest to make sure it was actually dead, before they began to grope for their belongings.

However, the Beastmen are also poor ghosts, they are a race that does not produce their own weapons, and all their equipment and weapons rely on plunder. If you use it badly, you can grab it, however, you can't get a good weapon in every battle, and sometimes you will lose. Even if it is grabbed, it is often not enough to arm the entire army.

Therefore, most of the weapons in the hands of the beastmen are second-hand. None of them are brand new. More Beastmen fought by brute force, their fangs and claws being their weapons...... The Norscans under Rhodes wandered around the corpses for a long time, but they didn't find anything of value.

Moreover, the flesh of the beastmen is inedible, they belong to the mutated products contaminated by chaos, and no one knows what the consequences will be if they eat them, maybe they will become monsters like them, or they will vomit and poison and die......

If the only thing useful about these monsters is probably the strangely shaped horns on top of their heads. In the eyes of humans, it is worthless, but in the eyes of some creatures, they are...... For example, the greenskin...... These orc goblins often use horns, horns, and ivory as horns, and some believers with special beliefs will also use the horns of beastmen as musical instruments. In short, in human society it is waste, and in other races, it is not necessarily waste.

"Chop off the horns and burn the corpses. ”

Rhodes ordered his men to cut off the horns and bring them to the center of town for centralized display, while the bodies were burned on the spot.

As for where to pull behind the horns, Rod already had a plan in his mind. Although he is the lord of Blackhammer Castle, he has private dealings with smugglers, and these underground merchants can transport goods around the world, as long as there is sufficient interest.

A group of men braved the light rain to work in the forest clearing for a long time, cutting off nearly a hundred pairs of beastmen's horns, piling the corpses together, then lighting a fire and walking away. In the night, the bloody corpses burned in the forest, and the next morning, no one knew what had happened there, only charred bones and tattered copper and iron.

Back at the camp, Celta reported the casualties. A total of twenty-eight of his companions were killed in the battle, and twelve others were seriously wounded, that is, in a jungle encounter, Rhodes lost nearly a third of his troops.

Thinking back to the battle that had just passed, they didn't have many casualties at first, and before the Hedgehog Array was breached, their casualties were only in the single digits, while the casualties of the Beastmen had reached dozens.

"On the importance of teamwork. ”

Rod sighed silently in his heart.

When he returns, he must train these Norscans as soon as possible to combat as a team! Rhodes silently worked out the next plan in his heart.

There will be more and more Norskians joining his camp, Rhodes knows it, however, without effective management and a sense of teamwork, these Norscans will not be able to handle important tasks after all.

Three days later, they returned to Fort Blackhammer. Also returning to the city were the logging team. These Blackhammer Lumberjacks had worked hard for more than a month, bringing a large amount of wood to Blackhammer, and bundles of timber were hauled onto cargo ships and led by Roberts to sell the goods to the Empire's ports for gold.

Through maritime trade, Rhodes amassed a lot of wealth during this time, a shipload of furs, ores, and timber could be exchanged for hundreds of gold crowns and thousands of silver shillings, which was a year's income for ordinary nobles in the empire, and the Black Hammer Fort was completed in only two months. Compared to last winter, Rhodes has a lot more money on hand. Although compared with the Iron Ring City next door, there are still many gaps.

Rhodes returned to the city to the cheers of the people, and when they saw piles of beasts with horns on the square, they knew that their lord had won the battle again. As for the number of casualties, they don't know, and they don't have time to know, they only know that Blackhammer is safer than in previous years. Even, many civilians have begun to think about where to stay this winter.

"Your Excellency, you have returned, and everyone is worried about your safety. ”

At the gate of Blackhammer Castle, the butler Muros has been waiting for a long time. He had a few more gray hairs, and since Dennis was taken away, the old man had rarely smiled, and Rod couldn't help but feel a little sad when he looked at him growing old every day. Mulos had served Rhodes for three generations, and when he was a teenager, he began to assist Rhodes' grandfather, and later, in middle age, he assisted Rhodes' father, and later, in his old age, he assisted Rhodes.

Many times, Rhodes has come to see him as a member of the family, rather than a simple servant and housekeeper.

"I'm fine, I have a hundred warriors from the tundra under my command. The evil moon is not coming, and nothing can threaten me. ”

Rod smiled, put his hand on the old butler's shoulder, and patted it lightly twice, showing trust and closeness.

They climb up the spiral staircase. The light shines through the window holes, and you can see the way in the corridor without lighting a torch.

Through the hallway, they came to the familiar office. This is his home, with an office and a bedroom. Since Dennis was taken away, the top living quarters had been sealed, and Rhodes didn't want to step into his daughter's room again, lest he bring back the memories.

They sat down in their offices, a musty smell wafting through the air, and when summer arrived, the humidity permeated every corner of the castle. Even if the servants mop the floor and clean every day, they can't get rid of all the smells.

"This is the financial statements for the last two months, you see. ”

From behind the door, Muros took out a large ledger, trimmed with silver wire, and the cover was a thick cowhide, which was heavy in his hand. Rod likes the chunky feel, which gives him a sense of grounded padding.