Chapter 84

In Korea, there are no people who enlist in the military for social mobility, but in the medieval era, or in some countries until the mid-20th century, the military served as a stage for life-changing opportunities.

During the Thirty Years’ War, it was common for soldiers from Sweden or other countries to achieve promotions to positions like second lieutenant or lieutenant through their contributions in battles, and thereby become real nobles.

Of course, lands were not granted to them.

Anyway, in our military, there are already examples like the second lieutenant Mark, who is a son of a serf with noble status, and Captain Frost, who is a knight with a territory granted to a bastard.

Perhaps because of this, even though our territory recruited a large number of soldiers at once, the competition ratio reached 1:5.

Today, I stood on the podium at the training center set up near Blueport to encourage the soldiers as they began their training.

Next to me stood Colonel Beerman, a knight who had long served our family, and just below the podium were the battalion commander, company commander, squad leaders, and various staff members.

A bit farther from the podium, instructors and non-commissioned officers, who would take on the roles of instructors, were leading their assigned recruits.

During the barony era, there were only about 5,000 soldiers, including commanders and experienced troops, but now there are as many as 4,000 recruits training at the Blueport training center… I was deeply moved.

With such feelings, I looked at them and shouted loudly.

“Recruits who have overcome fierce competition to become honorable soldiers of Croilet! I am proud of you!”

Then, I took a deep breath and said.

“However, you recruits are still mere chicks who have just taken the first step to become soldiers! You do not yet have the strength, courage, or skills to face armored knights of the enemy like soldiers who fought in Stuttgart. Therefore, you are currently worth less than armored scarecrows.”

Unlike armored scarecrows, untrained recruits can carry supply wagons, perform guard duties, or do various menial tasks, so they can be said to have some value.

However, untrained soldiers are simply a drain on food and money.

If we were to face gruesome battles like in Stuttgart, nine times out of ten, they would throw down their spears and armor and surrender, and even if they fought without surrendering, they could disrupt the harmony of their unit and lead many soldiers to their deaths.

“And my military does not need trash that is worse than scarecrows! So, if you want to break free from the destiny of your humble status like Lieutenant Mark or Captain Frost, then work harder than others and become strong soldiers. If you do so, I, as your lord and commander, will surely reward you beyond what you have imagined. That is all.”

After delivering those words, I stepped down from the podium and hurriedly headed towards my next appointment.

As I walked, I began to hear Colonel Beerman, now the training center director, shouting his harsh words behind me.

“Though His Excellency said he hopes for you, the main office does not expect even a speck of dust from you! However, as the knight of His Excellency and training center director, I will make you toil so hard that you will feel like dying to meet those lofty expectations. In doing so, I will turn you into better soldiers than scarecrows!!! Anyone with complaints should leave immediately!!!”

I had commanded him to use such a tone to instill absolute obedience to superiors, even through fear…

But I never thought that Beerman, the head of a prestigious knight family who had served me for several generations, would use such harsh words.

A moment later, the soldiers answered loudly in response to his words.

“None!!”

Seeing that, I responded with a voice mixed with a chuckle.

“Is it the position that makes the person?”

**

Bang, bang bang, bang bang bang!!

“You fools who are less than the straw inside a scarecrow!! Can you not even respond to the reveille after that little training? Get up immediately, change your clothes, and come out to the parade ground!”

With those words, I opened my eyes and began to tidy up my things as quickly as possible.

The other soldiers also moved their hands swiftly, to the point where they were hardly visible.

“You fools! Will you move at this speed even when going to war? At this rate, when we participate in a battle like in Stuttgart, you’ll be there sleeping, holding a spear while the enemy knights charge with their maces!”

At that moment, the drill sergeant wearing the corporal rank kicked my colleague next to me hard on the side.

“You.”

“Max!!”

As soon as Max responded, the drill sergeant became even angrier and said.

“Did your parents not teach you to listen when someone is speaking? Did the main office not kindly teach you recruits yesterday? You have lost your sense. Recruit Max, get down!!!”

Hearing that, Max, who was beside me, stretched his arms forward and laid down.

Still, showing his dissatisfaction, the drill sergeant shouted loudly into Max’s ear.

“You fool!! Did you not hear that you are to echo your superior’s orders just a few hours before you fell asleep? Seeing that you’ve already forgotten, I suppose we’ll have to discharge you immediately. Your parents might be a little sad when you return, but I cannot discipline a fool who cannot do even this much! Recruit Max! Pack your things and leave immediately!!!”

For us, who had worked tirelessly to surpass four other competitors to obtain a chance for upward mobility and a better life, being discharged midway felt like a death sentence.

Perhaps because of that, Max, lying face down, began to plead with tears streaming down his face.

“Please spare me, Sergeant. If I cannot become a soldier, my parents will not be able to hold their heads up in the village.”

Hearing this, the drill sergeant, who had been speaking sharply just a moment ago, suddenly replied in a soft but firm voice.

“However, judging by your current behavior, you do not seem to be able to adapt properly. And the cost of your return will be fully covered by His Excellency, so you need not worry. Discharge.”

“Sergeant, please give me just one more chance. If I am lacking compared to others, I will run twice or three times as hard. So please… grant me one more opportunity…”

As he spoke, Max began to sob desperately, as if his parents had died.

Seeing him cry like that didn’t feel like someone else’s issue, and I felt uncomfortable as well.

The drill sergeant responded angrily again.

“Then I will grant you a last chance. It may be a waste to give a fool like you another opportunity, but the great Count has commanded me to turn even those less than trash into people. And what are you all doing? Move quickly!! Stop your hands and what on earth are you doing? Is this a place for children to play?”

With that, we began to quickly tidy up without having the luxury of feeling relieved that Max, who shared the same barracks, was safe.

At the same time, we felt it.

To survive in the training center, we had to make an effort to fulfill the orders we received thoroughly and perfectly.

**

Our squad quickly sprinted to the designated assembly point under the guidance of the drill sergeant, and when we arrived, an instructor wearing the rank of lieutenant began to speak loudly.

“Today, we will conduct formation training. Formation training is when hundreds of soldiers walk in perfect unison without any deviation, performing uniform movements. It is not easy training, but if you do not want to fall behind, do your best. The drill sergeant will come out to demonstrate, so focus.”

As five drill sergeants came out, the instructor shouted loudly.

“Twenty steps forward, turn around, take another twenty steps back, and then turn left!!”

The next moment, the drill sergeants began to walk in exactly the same height, with the same movements, and at the same speed.

The way they moved in such identical postures made them appear as if five men were one person.

Then the instructor smiled and said.

“I will teach you only the walking movement very thoroughly today. If you can move your limbs perfectly to match the commands for exactly 20 counts without ever making a mistake, then today’s training will end. The remaining time will be guaranteed for rest.”

After saying that, the drill sergeants caught us and began to teach us the movements.

The attention stance with both arms by the knees, how to move arms and legs while walking in various directions, how to change directions, and so on.

Following the drill sergeant’s movements, it only took two or three times for us to get the hang of it, so it shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

Then the drill sergeant wearing the rank of sergeant gave us a meaningful smile and commanded.

“Everyone, stand in five rows. And move forward!”

At those words, my squad and the others quickly dashed to our positions as fast as possible.

And we moved forward, swinging our arms and legs as we had learned.

Though it was a somewhat difficult task since it was something we hadn’t done regularly, it wasn’t too hard to walk by just swinging our arms and legs at the designated angles.

If we just keep this up, wouldn’t today’s training finish by morning?

Thinking this as I took my steps, the drill sergeant shouted loudly.

“Everyone, turn left!”

I turned my waist and feet to the left and moved forward.

But soon, one recruit next to me fell out of formation.

The drill sergeant saw this, grinned wickedly, and said.

“Can you not even walk like this? Are you still a soldier of Croilet! Everyone, go back to the beginning and move forward!”

This time, while changing direction going forward, more than 10 out of 100 had their feet tangled and couldn’t move forward in time.

“Those 10 with tangled feet, head down and get down! The rest, turn right!”

It was a simple motion, but seeing the continuous failures made me start to feel fear.

If someone keeps failing like this, it felt like the training we were currently doing would never end.

“Everyone, turn around! After turning around, turn left!”

At those words, I quickly turned around and then to the left.

This time, because 20 people had tangled feet, we were called by the grinning instructor and made to receive punishment.

So my fellow soldiers and I endured formation training without taking a breath until lunchtime that day.

As a result, the hands and feet of all 100 people gradually began to synchronize, but the drill sergeants and instructors seemed to think that wasn’t enough and continued to shout loudly from the side.

“Recruit Jeff! Spread your legs more when walking!!!”

Then, one soldier brought a huge cart filled with water, strange brick-like bread, and salted herring.

The instructor and drill sergeants handed each of us a wide bowl, a pair of tongs, firewood to light a fire, green paper, dry noodles, herring, and brick-like bread.

We then followed the instructions to form groups of five, light a fire, and placed our helmets on top of it, then put water, noodles, and green paper into it to boil.

After boiling for a few minutes, a savory smell began to waft all around.

As we finished preparing our meal, our supervising drill sergeant said.

“Crackers should be broken up with the mace and the noodles and other things should be picked up with the tongs.”

As soon as those words were finished, I, painfully hungry, roughly crushed the cracker with the mace and put it into my mouth to chew.

It was as hard as a rock.

The other soldiers seemed to be doing similar things, and some were holding their mouths in pain.

“It feels like I’m chewing on rocks…”

“Isn’t this something that could be used as a weapon?”

“Mom…”

On the other hand, the drill sergeants first crushed the crackers with the mace, then removed the noodles from inside their helmets and ate them and dunked the broken crackers into the soup.

Though it looked a bit unappealing, the drill sergeants seemed to enjoy their food.

“Mmm, this is the taste. Eating crackers soaked in seaweed soup is quite decent, you know?”

“That’s right. Sergeant Salt, if you get a craving for salt while eating the crackers, you should add some of the salted herring…”

“Tsk tsk, you know if you just throw the herring into the soup and boil it together, it’ll taste like a delicious fish soup… and if you eat the crackers soaked in that broth, it’s fantastic.”

“Sergeant, isn’t it a bit unappetizing to eat like that?”

“Are you going to fuss about that and not eat?”

As they slurped and chewed, they finished their meals in no time.

Then I naturally ate the noodles like the other drill sergeants and then took the broken crackers left in my helmet and ate them in the broth.

It was indeed delicious, as the rich flavors of the broth blended with the savory crackers.

To put it simply, it felt like dipping bread into the fish soup I used to eat as a child.

So I quickly finished the delicious broth mixed with the crushed crackers and herring.

Just as we were about to finish our meal, the instructor shouted loudly.

“Quickly tidy up, put on your helmets, and return to training!!”

Hearing that, only one thought remained in my mind.

How on earth am I going to survive the rest of my military service…

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