Chapter 7: New Recruit Training 1
Translator: Cinder Translations
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The day after the meeting with the knights, Paul organized the troops according to his new structure. With both new and old soldiers totaling over 600, they were divided into two under-strength infantry battalions.
After organizing the soldiers, he remembered a group of estate guards. Being somewhat compulsive, he decided to establish an organization for them as well, forming a separate unit—the Internal Guard.
Following the military police system from his previous life, the basic units remained squads and platoons, with higher levels structured as companies, battalions, and regiments, corresponding to squads, companies, and battalions respectively. To simplify matters, he implemented a rank system similar to that of the regular army. The estate guards numbered only 60, organized into two platoons.
As for the knights and their attendants, this posed a dilemma. After all, knights were already at the threshold of nobility, and from his observations, the gap between nobles and commoners in this world was quite significant. Mixing them into one system could potentially cause dissatisfaction among them. Yet, he hadn't firmly secured his position as lord under his seat, and keeping such a sizable force independent felt peculiar.
He sought Bryce's counsel first, expressing his thoughts and concerns. Unexpectedly, Bryce blushed and reassured him.
"Back when the Grayman family was exiled to the northwest coast by the king, it carried strong punitive implications. Previous vassals either faced collective punishment or switched allegiances."
"Now, the knights on the estate..."
"Um... how should I put it?" Bryce hesitated. "Forgive me if this sounds offensive, my lord, but your family was denied formal enfeoffment by the royal family at the time. Although our ancestors were granted knightly fiefs, our knightly status isn't recognized by the kingdom's officials or other nobles. People generally refer to us as 'wild knights'. Apart from knowing letters and martial skills, we're not much different from common folk. Most of us still work the fields ourselves."
Paul queried curiously, "What about Baron Ford...?"
"He inherited his title from distant relatives abroad. Before inheriting the title, he had served your family for a long time, and he's a 'nominal noble', meaning he has the title but not the estate."
"I see. Then it's up to you to integrate them into the army. You seem to have quite a reputation among them."
Bryce chuckled nervously, "Oh, not at all. I can only drink them all under the table at best. Rest assured, my lord, I won't let you down."
As Bryce had predicted, the knights and their attendants harbored no resistance. Most were appointed as officers in various units. Bryce and another knight named Claude were appointed as commanders of the First Infantry Battalion and Second Infantry Battalion respectively.
Next, a series of physical fitness tests followed to select sergeants for each squad. Initially planning to prioritize literacy as the major criteria, Paul discovered that nearly all several hundred recruits were illiterate, with only a few able to recognize and spell their own names. Helpless, he focused on physical fitness instead.
Due to the generally low literacy level of the troops, the appointed junior officers all had the term "acting" prefixed to their titles, and their ranks were temporary. Currently, all soldiers were corporals, and the acting squad leaders were temporary sergeants.
"Alright, considering the recent tense military situation, we mustn't delay any longer. Training begins immediately," the young count declared enthusiastically. Ignoring objections from the others, he insisted on conducting training in the woods outside town and announced they would camp there throughout the training period.
He took only the Second Infantry Battalion and the First Internal Guard Platoon with him, leaving the First Battalion in the heart of Lake Town to handle emergencies.
Once the location was selected, the new recruits began setting up camp under the guidance of the veterans. Paul summoned Knight Claude, now Major Claude, to discuss the training plan.
Handing Claude a parchment filled with elaborate details, he proudly said, "Take a look at this, Claude. Have you ever seen a more brilliant training plan?"
Claude quickly skimmed through it, sweating profusely. "My lord, this kind of training could be fatal."
"What? How is that possible? This is already a streamlined version with many subjects cut out."
"My lord, the intensity of this training is almost on par with what I endured as a knight's attendant."
"If you can endure it, why can't they?"
"Nourishment is crucial! My lord, though I wasn't well-off back then, I could still manage meat once a week. These soldiers, coming from common backgrounds, won't have such conditions. According to previous provisions, we can only ensure they don't go hungry. But once physical activity increases, it'll be hard for them without meat."
Paul slapped his forehead, "I didn't consider that. Alright, I'll write a letter immediately for Philip, instructing him to enhance our food supply, especially increasing meat provisions. Additionally, we'll organize hunting parties ourselves every day."
Claude chuckled, "Um... I have no objections, but Steward Philip is probably going to have a fit."
"My lord, besides physical training, there's also talk of standing at attention, marching in step, and other baffling terms that even I can't quite grasp from just the literal meaning. Could you explain further?"
"Discipline, Claude. Have you seen the embarrassing display during the parade? Our army must be disciplined, orderly in advance and retreat, always acting as a cohesive whole. This is what gives us strength, not a ragtag group of irregulars."
Claude wiped his brow, sweating, "The kingdom's regular army doesn't demand this level! Very well, what you say makes sense."
"It's late now. Let's skip the other subjects for today. Before dinner, let's start with standing at attention to whet their appetites! Hehehehe..."
Watching the busy soldiers, the young count rubbed his hands eagerly, emitting a sinister chuckle that sent shivers down Claude's spine.
(End of Chapter)
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