Chapter 130

After giving orders to each noble to manage their respective troops and sending them off, I moved to the secret room located in the basement of the house with Captain Frost.

As I opened the door, there was only a very plain desk and a few chairs inside.

Since it was Frost’s first time seeing a room like this, he looked around the place and spoke.

“Is this where various secret treaties or Your Excellency’s covert plans are… executed?”

“That’s right. Now, let’s sit down.”

After I took a seat first, Frost sat down opposite me.

Then, I cleared my throat and looked at Frost before saying,

“To be honest, you performed far better than I imagined. I could never have guessed that you would achieve such adept shooting just two months after learning about firearms and how to operate them.”

“That’s not true. Firearms are different from swords or spears… Once you familiarize yourself with about thirty operations, they can be used quickly. You meticulously documented the methods, didn’t you? That made it very convenient to train.”

While Frost said that… in reality, the marksmanship I introduced requires at least half a year of training for new recruits before they can effectively use it.

This is because, according to medieval mercenary training methods, mastering those thirty shooting movements could take only about two to three weeks, but…

The crossfire, known in English as counter march, requires soldiers to load bullets according to those thirty shooting actions and to be trained to cross their lines without colliding under very limited visibility.

“There are many fools in this world who can’t do anything properly even when everything is explained. But didn’t you manage to have your soldiers fully familiarized with the techniques I taught within just two months? And you’ve already selected soldiers to shoot from the barracks stationed in the former Helzman Count’s territories like Blueport and Croilet. What is their training status and headcount?”

“I selected about 1,000 and organized them as gunners. They’re not as good as the soldiers under my command… but at least they can aim their guns and shoot at the enemy when given the order.”

Before the advent of rifles with rifled barrels, firearms operated collectively would only have an accuracy rate of 10-20%.

Because even if the movements are trained, there’s no reason or time to leisurely snipe when long-range weapons are being fired during war.

Hence, during the Seven Years’ War, a certain potato king only instructed soldiers to gather in groups to load and shoot faster, without demanding accuracy.

Considering that background, if what Captain Frost said is true, I have already secured over a thousand matchlock riflemen who can be utilized on the battlefield.

Thinking of that made me smile.

“Very good. Then I will tell you how to maneuver the soldiers. Train them according to this.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Then I showed Frost the plan I had and said. (The plan’s formation is illustrated in the document.)

“First, when the enemy infantry gets somewhat closer in this encounter, the gunners you command will move to the front of the pikemen. Then, when they enter the gun’s range, they will fire simultaneously and repeat the rotation.”

“Surely, the gun has a shorter range compared to a crossbow, and since it doesn’t bend like a bow… it would be better to shoot right in front of the enemy like this… However, we can’t engage in hand-to-hand combat with firearms.”

At those words, I chuckled lightly and said,

“Don’t I know that? Once the enemy approaches within about thirty meters, after the last volley, quickly slip through the gaps of the pike formations to hide behind our infantry. That way, we can inflict maximum damage with the gun before safely retreating.”

“But it will take considerable time for the soldiers arranged in six rows to hide behind the pike formation.”

Certainly, it would take quite some time for over a thousand soldiers to move behind the infantry, but…

It would be impossible for those who experience the shock of a new weapon like that to chase us at speed.

Our knights were already alarmed when the plate armor was penetrated without any attacks, and if they feel the might of that force…

Even a unit composed entirely of heroic figures would take considerable time to regain their composure from that confusion.

When a thunderous explosion of gunpowder is heard, the fear of armor that doesn’t get pierced unless struck by a lance being penetrated… cannot be overcome in just a few minutes.

“Right at that moment, your soldiers will also be frightened by the sound each time they fire their weapons for the first time. Let alone those who get hit directly won’t recover their senses so quickly.”

At those words, Frost nodded in understanding and replied.

“As Your Excellency said, no matter how powerful the enemy’s forces are… they cannot overcome the fear firearms instill in just a few minutes. Our soldiers also took a long time to get used to the sound of gunpowder.”

“That amount of time should be sufficient to pull the troops back.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Your Excellency, however, I would like to ask one thing.”

“Go ahead.”

“Who will be the overall commander of the gunners? Are you perhaps considering Colonel Samuel?”

Normally, one of the colonels would be selected as the commander, as Frost suggested, but among the commanders of our territory, only Frost understands firearms properly.

Therefore, entrusting the command of the gunners to anyone other than Frost would prevent them from displaying their abilities.

Thus, I had already been thinking of Frost as the practical commander of the gunners since I gave him orders for this operation.

And I opened my mouth to convey that fact to Frost.

“Actually, for this war, Colonel Samuel will be the overall commander of the gunners. However, unlike you, Samuel does not understand matchlocks well. Isn’t that right?”

In response to that, Frost remained silent and nodded.

“I will designate Colonel Samuel as a nominal commander and entrust all real authority to you. Can you handle that?”

He was someone who, due to being a bastard, was treated as a nuisance in his family before coming under my command, and was avoided by other noble ladies as a child of a concubine.

Handing over a regiment to someone like him would likely open the path for him to become a high-ranking knight, or perhaps even a noble, beyond just a simple knight.

“If you entrust it to me… I will reciprocate with the best results.”

I placed my hand on Frost’s shoulder and smiled.

“When you eventually own a larger territory than now, make sure to share some land with that Mark fellow. Isn’t that what happens in plays? The heroic tale of Bastard Knight Frost and the penniless Mark.”

“Indeed, as Your Excellency mentioned, I can no longer part ways with him. I will take good care of him.”

**

From then on, I spent a busy time preparing for war without a moment to spare, but even amidst that, I found time to spend with Ela and Irina.

Even before going off to war, handling so many tasks while spending time with them made me feel exhausted…

But I had no choice; if I didn’t dedicate this time, there was a possibility that, in the worst-case scenario, Irina and Ela would end up fighting each other over the rumors I had spread.

After completing preparations for war, the day before the departure ceremony, while I was checking the final documents in the office, a butler came in without knocking and said,

“Count Your Excellency! Lady Ela’s labor pains have shortened, and it seems her water has broken. It appears the child will be coming out shortly. What should we do?!”

Upon hearing that, my heart was filled with tension and fear, along with the joy of possibly being able to hold Ela’s child before heading out to battle.

And shortly after, knowledge about childbirth in this era came to my mind.

Midwives often didn’t wash their hands, of course, and due to using dirty clothes to wipe wounds, cases of women dying from sepsis were not uncommon.

Being aware of that in advance, I made arrangements for the most hygienic environment possible for childbirth, but…

In this era, many priests and others would come in without washing because they thought blessings and other rituals were sufficient, so measures needed to be taken to prevent those unwashed individuals from entering.

“According to my prior instructions, change all the bedding in the room where Ela is with freshly washed ones. Also, minimize the number of those assisting Ela with childbirth, and make sure that they wash their bodies and hands with diluted ash water before entering. If anyone fails to follow this, I will regard it as an intention to harm Ela, regardless of who they are! Additionally, if a situation arises where I must choose between the mother and the child, prioritize saving the mother!”

After hearing my commands, the butler immediately dashed out of the office to carry out the orders.

It had already been prepared enough that I should have been worried about Ela dying in this situation…

I spent one hour, no, what felt like an endless amount of anxious time.

During that time, I could hear Ela’s screams from childbirth and the urgent voices of the midwives reaching the office.

I wanted to go, but if I did, surely the priests would come flocking in for prayer, so I merely pretended to busy myself with work as I passed the time.

After a little while, a maid with blood stained on her white apron rushed in, seemingly having just returned from aiding the delivery.

“Count Your Excellency, Lady Ela has safely given birth to a daughter.”

With those words, my tension eased, and I collapsed onto the desk, perhaps due to the fatigue accumulated from preparing for war.

Then, filled with the joy of knowing that Ela had safely given birth, I laughed madly and said,

“To commemorate Ela’s childbirth, give the midwife ten gold coins, two gold coins each to those who assisted directly in Ela’s childbirth in this estate, and one gold coin to the remaining servants. I’ll wash up and come to see her in an hour, so prepare accordingly.”

Then I headed towards the room where Ela was lying.

The midwives were already quietly waiting by the door upon hearing that I would come, and Ela, looking exhausted, was breathing heavily and sleeping.

I gently caressed Ela’s cheek, then carefully held the child Ela had given birth to, swaddled, and said,

“I will return leading my subordinates before you turn one hundred days old. Therefore, this victory in the war… yes, I shall name you Victoria.”

After holding the child for about an hour, a voice came from beside me.

“Your Excellency, you must prepare for the departure ceremony soon.”

“I will go immediately.”

In this war, I will surely achieve victory by any means necessary.