บท 236: Life at the Military Camp

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Considering Earl Parker's urgent request, Paul returned to Alden Town on the same day. He immediately summoned high-ranking military officials such as Schroeder and Bryce to discuss sending reinforcements to Biddeburg.

Chief of Staff Schroeder strongly supported sending reinforcements. Pointing on a map of Northwestern Bay, he explained the significance of deploying troops.

"Earl Parker's letter is correct. Biddeburg is located between the territories of Earl Melken and Viscount Johnston. From here to the coastal areas, it's only a day and a night's journey. If the Kent family uses this as a springboard to occupy this small area, it will completely isolate the three counties of Alden, Byerldine, and Rankar from the kingdom's heartland—at least in terms of overland routes. This is unacceptable for us in the current situation."

Paul stared intently at the map, where Biddeburg stood like a nail at the border of Melken and Johnston. Schroeder was right; leaving this place in Kent's hands was too dangerous. Alden had just launched four merchant ships into the sea, and maritime transportation could not fully replace overland transport yet. If the land routes were cut off, it would be a significant blow to Alden's trade activities.

He presented his plan, "I intend to send the 1st Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Battalion, and a cannon platoon to support, with the Transport Platoon responsible for logistical support. The 2nd Infantry Battalion will remain in Alden to handle unforeseen situations. Any objections?"

Bryce asked, "Is leaving only one infantry battalion too few?"

Schroeder dispelled his doubts, "The navy can dispatch a company-sized force of sailors ashore to assist in defense. Naval artillery can also be dismantled and deployed on land, and we can mobilize militia from various regions."

"How many militia are combat-ready now?"

Schroeder replied, "Before the Day of Descent, the staff surveyed militias across the regions. We can assemble a temporary force of 2,000 people, with organizational capability no less than regular soldiers used against pirates last year."

...

As dawn broke, the loud wake-up call echoed throughout the military camp. Private Jos woke up to Sergeant Markalov's thunderous shouts.

"Get up, you lazy pigs!"

One by one, the sergeant lifted their blankets, pulling the recruits out of bed.

"This isn't your home! We have strict rules for schedules here. Remember, you are now proud soldiers of Alden!"

Last year, the 3rd Infantry Battalion was formally established. To quickly form combat effectiveness, the staff transferred a batch of officers and veterans from the original two battalions to reinforce the 3rd Battalion. The vacancies in the 1st and 2nd Battalions were filled by recruiting trained militiamen from various regions.

Sergeant Markalov, who had been stationed in Kas Village to train militias, was reassigned to the 1st Infantry Battalion. Ten young men from Kas Village returned with him, including Jos.

The recruited militiamen were dispersed and placed in various platoons. Jos was particularly annoyed to find out that Sergeant Markalov, whom he feared greatly, was now his platoon sergeant.

He vividly remembered Sergeant Markalov's expression during their first assembly.

"It's you again!"

"Alright! I'll keep my eye on you!"

Sergeant Markalov's eyes gleamed like bronze bells, revealing the aforementioned information.

Jos silently prayed that he would safely navigate his military career.

After quickly tidying his clothes, Jos followed his platoon to the parade ground for assembly, half an hour of morning jogging, and half an hour of standing in military posture before breakfast.

Each unit ran around the military camp in orderly steps, accompanied by the whistle of their respective commanders.

Each squadron had its own morale-boosting slogans. During the run, various peculiar chants echoed throughout the camp, one louder than the other, each aiming to outdo the others in momentum.

For someone like Jos, who had a background in militia training—especially under the devilish instructor Sergeant Markalov—running continuously for half an hour posed no major problem. After half an hour, he was only slightly out of breath.

However, some new recruits with poorer physical foundations ran with flushed faces and heavy breathing. Fortunately, these recruits had been training in the camp for some time, and none fell behind.

Jos remembered how during the first morning run, some collapsed while running. Some others, panting heavily, wanted to stop or sneak back to the barracks, only to be whipped by officers and punished with no breakfast and continued standing after military posture.

"What are we having for breakfast today?"

After the morning run, Jos stood motionless, slowly regaining his breath, thinking about what breakfast would be like.

Standing in military posture for half an hour allowed him to rest a bit and daydream.

The soldiers stood in neat formations on the parade ground, each squadron in its designated area. From the high platform, the scene on the parade ground was spectacular, with soldiers forming straight lines horizontally and vertically.

Daily military posture training filled the supervising officers with pride. They firmly believed that in this era, no other army could do better than the army before them—at least in terms of formations.

From stopping the morning run to entering the parade ground, reforming formations, and forming squares, the whole process took less than half an hour, which was almost impossible for other armies.

In the early days of establishing this standing army, the lord emphasized formation training vigorously. They were somewhat puzzled—of course, no one thought such training was unimportant. A strict formation was the necessary foundation for a high-quality army, a truth since ancient times. They just thought the Earl might have overemphasized it a bit. Wouldn't it be better to allocate more time to personal combat training?

However, when faced with pirates rushing like a tide or the thunderous surprise attack of the Byerldine Knights from behind, strict formation training proved invaluable. Although many soldiers inevitably showed signs of panic or tension, strict discipline prevented them from moving without orders. Long-term obedience training made their bodies act subconsciously upon receiving orders.

Strict discipline and hard training alone were not enough; soldiers also needed adequate material support.

After standing motionless for half an hour, a dizzy Jos followed his squadron to the cafeteria to queue for meals.

"Black bread, stewed beef with potatoes, boiled eggs, beetroot porridge... Enjoy your meal, rookies. Next!"

The cooks swiftly placed today's breakfast on trays. The aroma wafting from the food opened Jos's appetite, instantly dispelling the fatigue from the morning training.

Apart from timely payment, the rich three meals a day were also an important reason why many young people joined the army. Without sufficient nutrition, soldiers couldn't keep up with such high-intensity training.

Although Alden's military rations couldn't compare to wealthy households, they were certainly above the average civilian families in Angle Bay. For soldiers like Jos, who hailed from rural areas, it was a luxurious feast they had never experienced before.

(End of the Chapter)