Chapter 14: Preparing for the Future

POV Smith

I grinned in satisfaction as I looked at the troops assembled on the parade ground. It had certainly been a hassle to train these lazy ingrates up to scratch but I'd managed it.

They'd made a lot of progress in the past months as I'd trained the regiment and reorganized it for the future. It was only a shame the budget couldn't match my dreams at the moment.

The regiment had been about six hundred strong before I'd arrived. Now it had almost eleven hundred under arms and about two hundred more as support personnel. Now, as a member of one of the greatest militaries on Earth, that meant I organized it to be much more similar to how it operated. Granted I still had to keep in mind the time period I was in. So no tanks and jets… yet.

But I was currently looking at the 1st battalion, 86th regiment. Almost nine hundred souls standing before me. I looked to the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Samanta Ponatoski. I was happy she'd accepted my request to join the 86th. It had smoothed over a lot of inconvenient issues.

"Sir, the battalion is formed." She saluted crisply.

I returned the salute. "Perform equipment inspections Colonel, I will be spot checking three soldiers."

"Yes sir." She nodded and turned back to the battalion, passing the necessary orders along to follow my orders.

With the rank and file now being inspected I walked down one of the ranks and stopped in front of a soldier, a private. Her boots were polished to a near offensive shine, as was her cuirass. I took her pike and inspected it before passing it back with a nod. I picked another rank and stopped before a corporal.

"Corporal, would you care to explain the poor serviceability of your uniform?" I asked pointedly.

"I have no excuse sir." She replied while staring straight ahead.

I looked at her Sargent. "See that it gets fixed." With that I headed to the last rank and inspected the privates at the end. Shockingly he had everything it order. Most of the time his female compatriots would do something to make sure he was fucked up, but today he was perfect.

I returned to the front of the formation. "Battalion!"

"Company!" The First Sergeants echoed.

"Attention!"

The battalion snapped to attention. I smiled for a moment, a bit giddy due to what would be happening over the next couple days.

"Alright, you've all trained hard. You'll have the day off!" The soldiers cheered and the officers looked around with relieved looks.

"Now I didn't say to go drink and hit up the brothels!" I said as they quieted down. "But in the next couple days we'll be assisting Earless Barford with a minor issue."

I looked about with a sigh. Some things don't really change do they? "Captains and above see me after this, Battalion! Commanders take charge!"

With the rank and file now running back to the barracks to put away their gear and fetch their coin purses I could now talk with the company and battalion commander.

"All right, I'll make it brief so you can relax as well. The whole battalion will be going, we'll be leaving the second battalion behind. Make sure enough food is brought, at least four days worth. Afterwards we should be resupplied by the Earless's forces. We're not some undignified savages and behavior unfitting of a soldier will not be tolerated, understood?"

The corus of 'yes sir' left me satisfied. "We'll march after morning formation, have everything ready by then."

"Sir, are the rumors of undead true?" One of the captains asked.

I pursued my lips. "I haven't been able to confirm the validity of those rumors myself, but it is something I am concerned about. "It is something I personally doubt, but in all likelihood is very much likely to be the case."

"Shall we try to hire a few adventures with relevant experience sir?" Ponatoski asked.

"I've already looked into the matter, there aren't any in the barony, perhaps we'll find a few along the way… but that's the situation." I replied.

I wrapped the meeting up and dismissed the commanders to their duties for the day. I headed back to the manor my brother used. I had a room in the guest wing I was using, trying to pay for my own seemed stupid when I could leech of David's generosity.

"Ah, good afternoon Smith. I was hoping I could get your assistance on a few matters?" Isz greeted me as I walked in the door. Cunning woman, laying a trap like this. I'd get no rest till I at least offered a pittance of assistance.

"What's up?" I asked while kicking my boots to the corner of the floyer.

"There's this small matter I would like your guidance on. Might we discuss it in the lounge?" With a weary sigh I followed her into the lounge and plopped on the sofa while she took the other across from me.

"It's a problem of money." Isz said with a strained smile. I made a thoughtful expression as I tried to recall what the finances looked like, before remembering I was only privy to the regiment's expenses.

"Isz, shouldn't you discuss this matter with my brother?" I replied after a moment.

"We'll I thought so as well, but he wrote back that he trusted my judgment on the matter." She replied sourly. "I don't even know what an investment is…" she grumbled.

"Fine then, what's the finances look like?" I asked.

"Quite well, last month we made a surplus of seventy thousand silver." She replied.

I gaped for a moment. That was more than twice what was spent on the regiment over the last two months. I pondered for a moment what I could do with those funds if I could get them. No, David probably would rather it be spent on his people.

"Invest it in a few social programs, like schools for children, hospitals and clinics to help the sick and injured, or even just road improvements."

"What good does teaching the peasantry have?" She asked as if it was a stupid idea.

"Smarter people tend to fill jobs that make more money, and under the David's tax system that's more taxable income. It's also beneficial for the regiment if every soldier can read before they join, if the officer falls they can still carry out the mission dictated by their written orders." I said after thinking on it a bit.

"There's really no downside to it economically speaking, and if it truly bothers you, add a few propaganda classes that espouse the style of society you want to create, granted I think you'd have to get my brother's approval for that…"

She nodded. "I'll think upon the idea more. This has been a most enlightening discussion, thank you Smith." She nodded as she left quickly, leaving her bag on the sofa.

I sighed. I should have tried to convince her that the regiment needed it? But it really doesn't right now. Recruitment numbers are down, there's already contracts for spare equipment. New facilities are already being built. I chuckled a bit, it's amazing how far I'm able to stretch twenty thousand silver