Chapter 85

After inspecting the training facility, I summoned the sub-barons from each fief to assess the situation in the territories and convened a meeting.

The oldest among the sub-barons, Heintz, began to speak on their behalf.

“At Blueport training facility, we are training 4,000 infantry; at Nante training facility, there are 9,000 infantry and 2,500 man-at-arms; at Croilet training facility, 3,000 infantry; and at Helzman training facility, 5,000 infantry and 1,700 man-at-arms. The personnel drafted for training consists of 2,500 infantry and 200 knights.”

“How are the supplies being managed?”

“We are supplying weapons and armor through merchant guilds with considerable influence in each region, and for food, we are purchasing approximately 1.3 times the necessary amount from local farmlands, which is slightly more expensive than what we would get from larger guilds.”

“Then how is the training process for the soldiers planned?”

“For infantry recruits, the training will last five weeks, and for those who will become man-at-arms, it is organized for 16 weeks as per your instructions.”

“Provide a detailed report on the training process.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Upon hearing that, Baron Heintz stood up and handed me a scroll that clearly organized the training process while saying:

“First, the five-week training has been organized so that the soldiers entering as infantry and those joining as man-at-arms receive similar training. Although there is a significant difference in combat proficiency between infantry and man-at-arms, we believe it is essential for their absolute obedience to their superiors and to transform them into true soldiers.”

“I see. But before discussing the training process, could you inform me about the treatment and backgrounds of the soldiers who will be appointed as man-at-arms? This is something I must entrust to my father, as I am not exactly well-informed.”

Usually, I would get involved even in the smallest matters related to the military’s basic system.

So much so that when several officers of a certain rank had reached a consensus to settle the average amount of food distributed to each soldier, I reviewed every single document.

However, I had not intervened significantly in the training of man-at-arms, or more specifically, in training knights who lack fiefs.

The reason is that while I possessed the skills and experience required for combat as a knight and in processing various documents, I was still a novice when it came to training knights.

In such circumstances, if I were to take charge, it would only lead to a catastrophic situation. Hence, I simply provided my father and other nobles with very basic ideas.

Then I instructed them to draft the recruitment and training process for man-at-arms.

Heintz, thinking I had read all the documents, began to speak.

“First, regarding man-at-arms, we began recruiting from wandering knights who have been knighted but lack fiefs. At first, there was resistance to starting from the status of a commoner, which made enlistment slow, but gradually, more candidates came forward after hearing stories from Lieutenant Mark, Lieutenant Short, and Captain Frost, as well as Baron Walt.”

“I see.”

“However, most of those who volunteered were filled with pride and a desire to show off, lacking the necessary strength for a knight. While it may have been needed during their time as wandering knights to win tournaments or work as mercenaries, now such individuals are worse than useless.”

If we view the candidates for man-at-arms as job seekers, they possess all the necessary competencies for handling individual tasks, yet they lack character and cooperativeness, acting like lone wolves.

“Then they will disregard even the superiors who are commoners.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Especially, the sergeant instructors often face disdain because they are commoners. The training hasn’t begun yet, so there haven’t been any incidents of disrespecting the instructors during training, but just a few days ago during the enlistment test, Corporal Loren was slapped by candidate Galion Herheim.”

“What actions were taken?”

“I ordered Galion to immediately withdraw and completely banished him from the territory. He will no longer be able to set foot in Croilet.”

Issuing a banishment for assaulting a superior might seem like a lenient measure in some respects.

However, in this society where honor is paramount, being banished from the territory for causing trouble would be like a lifetime employment restriction in Korea.

Because, no matter how backward this era may be, such disgraceful rumors spread like wildfire.

Thus, that individual will no longer be able to live as a knight.

“You handled it wisely. However, if such instances continue to arise, the situation will quickly worsen, like a dam breaking. Is there a plan in place for what to do?”

“As you previously mentioned, verbal abuse towards superiors and disobedience to orders will be strongly punished as acts of disrespect toward the Count. However, there may occasionally be instances where a lower-ranked individual is right, so we have arranged for any minor disobedience to be handled by officers of at least captain rank. For cases that are somewhat more severe and may warrant capital punishment, a colonel will conduct a second review, and thereafter it will require the approval of a noble of baron rank or higher for execution.”

“I see. Well done. Do you have any other reports regarding the training of man-at-arms?”

“After completing the five weeks of training, they will spend an additional four weeks training in lance charging and mounted combat. In the remaining two weeks, they will learn extreme physical training, marching, and dismounted combat.”

It’s a reasonable training method, but it does not align with the changes of the times.

Because if my spear phalanx, which I developed like Duke Brussels, becomes widely adopted, the charge of knights will lose significant meaning.

Therefore, I opened my mouth to make slight adjustments to the training process.

“While that is a commendable thought, it seems unnecessary to spend extended periods teaching mounted combat to those who already possess the necessary mounted combat skills as knights. Thus, instruct them on formation training and how to collaborate with infantry instead.”

“Collaboration with infantry? Isn’t there a separate battlefield for infantry and a separate one for knights? Although you have stood on the battlefield alongside infantry as a baron, didn’t you command them solely as infantry at that time?”

In all previous battles, I had been able to do such things because the enemy foolishly didn’t know how to properly utilize their infantry.

Though I knew how to create a phalanx, if the formation was primarily composed of serfs, it would break at the slightest gap.

However, if a measure were taken like Duke Brussels does, training elite infantry to lead serfs…

“It was possible back then because that Schwabin fellow was a fool. But in the future, the enemy, being no fool, will surely create a spear phalanx. Then the war will change into one where infantry pushes back enemy infantry and knights strike at the infantry.”

Upon hearing that, the remaining sub-barons began to chatter loudly.

“That’s nonsense… Is it not the law of war for knights to fight knights and infantry to fight infantry?”

“Yet, at Stuttgart, the infantry defeated the knights. Thus, the infantry might become a force as powerful as knights, depending on how they are used.”

“An infantryman without honor or strength…”

“That Frost fellow has already risen from infantry lieutenant to captain. Moreover, those infantrymen are brave souls who defeated knights in honorable combat with just a spear. There’s no guarantee that such infantry won’t emerge from other territories either…”

Then I clapped my hands to gather their attention and said.

“Therefore, we must begin to study cooperative tactics between infantry and knights.”

Next, I proposed road construction methods to enhance commerce within the Count’s domain and various side jobs that serfs could undertake during the slack season.

We discussed for quite some time, and as we were wrapping up and about to leave, a soldier approached me and reported.

“Your Excellency, this is a report from Captain Gentry of the guard. Over the past week, there has been a sudden increase in missing persons and unidentified corpses, and upon investigation, it seems that a group of criminals suspected to have crossed over from the north has emerged. The number is greater than expected, making it difficult to respond with just the guard, so they have requested support.”

Upon hearing this, I responded almost instinctively before my mind could even process it.

“I will go tomorrow morning; instruct Captain Gentry to release the rats and gather information thoroughly.”

**

As day broke, I moved to the headquarters of the guard responsible for security in Blueport.

As soon as I entered the guard office, Captain Gentry rushed over, clad in armor.

“Captain Gentry, I present Count Croilet to you.”

“You’re doing a great job. So, what is the scale of the damage and the size of the criminal organization believed to have crossed from the north?”

“Five nobles have suffered property damages ranging from 10 to 30 gold coins, and one of the ten large warehouses operated by merchants has caught fire. Additionally, two merchants, four citizens, and ten serfs are missing.”

One large warehouse out of ten has been burned down… This will lead to the closure of a major merchant and several attached small and medium-sized merchants.

If that happens, hundreds of unemployed will emerge. What should we do with them?

Should I just take capable merchants as junior officials and let the unqualified ones fend for themselves?

Sigh, I don’t understand why I should be troubled by these criminals.

I suppressed my complicated feelings and sighed before speaking.

“For guilds that reported their taxes on time, we can provide adequate support to allow them to rebuild, but we must ensure that such problems don’t arise. To do that, information is essential.”

“Yes, according to the orders of Your Excellency, the associates hired at their own expense by officers of the rank of captain and above say that these criminals primarily linger in the corner of District 5 in Blueport. They also reportedly use many of the courtesans affiliated with District 5 and secretly sell a strong liquor called whiskey, which is a specialty from the north.”

“I see, continue.”

“Also, perhaps due to a shortage of manpower, they’ve started trying to recruit informants they’ve only been in contact with for a few days. This has made it easier to gather information. And while this isn’t definite…”

“Speak up.”

The guard captain before me held his breath and gradually opened his mouth.

“Members of the criminal organization sometimes say that Count Peterburg of the Northern Alliance is watching over them.”

….

Upon hearing that, my mind began to turn blank as if an eraser had passed through it.

How on earth am I supposed to handle this…