Chapter 302: Forming a New Infantry Battalion

Spring, April, in the town of Gien at night, a young man carrying a piece of pork and holding a bottle of wine, knocks on a wooden door: "Mom, I'm back."

"Raymond, you're back?" The elderly mother, dressed in animal skin clothes, opens the door.

This is a huge wooden building, divided into many small rooms. Runaway slaves are arranged to live in this large house. When they have nowhere to live, they can stay in this huge wooden building and pay a small amount of rent to the Earl.

The runaway slaves do not consider this place their home. They hope to build a house in the village or even buy a house in the town.

"Mom, I'm back." The chill of spring night enters the room, and Raymond appears tired but spirited: "I'm exhausted."

"Brother~ Brother~" Thomas, the younger brother, runs out of the room. The boy is still thin, but his complexion has improved a lot. He drools at the sight of the pork Raymond is holding.

"Oh, Raymond! Why did you buy so much meat?" The elderly mother immediately complains: "We just got settled here, you only earn ten copper coins a day, wouldn't it be better to save up?"

Raymond walks into the room with a smile, where the wooden floor is very clean and a fire burns in the middle, maintaining a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

"It's not much, a pound of pork costs about forty copper coins, Mom." Raymond hands the pork to his mother, saying cheerfully: "I've been working here for over a month now, I think we should have some meat."

"Oh my, if your father knew you were spending money like this, he would hang you up and beat you!" The elderly mother says anxiously, seemingly terrified by her son buying a pound of pork.

Soon, the aroma of pork stew fills the room. The elderly mother cuts the pork into small pieces, adds some salt, and puts it into the stew that was already cooking. The smell of pork wafts through the room, costing Raymond four days' wages, but for a serf, it's already a miracle.

And this event is not unusual in the territory of the Earl of Glamorgan. After five years of development, serfs can occasionally eat meat now, and the tables of freemen have become more abundant.

"The cheapest meat in the market is rabbit and some poultry, the cheapest is only twenty copper coins per pound." Raymond puts down his tools and sits on a wooden chair in the house.

Raymond was recruited into the Dwarven Carpenter's Workshop within the yamen to work, working ten hours a day, with a daily wage of twelve copper coins, paid weekly, except for Sundays, resting one or two days every ten days, or choosing not to rest.

Raymond chooses not to rest, or rather, he doesn't know what to do if he rests.

Rabbit and poultry meats are not unfamiliar to serfs because these creatures pose a great threat to crops, and the lord allows serfs to catch and eat these meats.

The elderly mother has taken on some sewing work in the city, earning thirty to forty copper coins a week, improving the family's life significantly, filling them with hope. Raymond earnestly thinks about earning more money to build a house and escape their current dependent status.

Quietly, the family shares black bread and pork stew, enjoying a harmonious meal. Thomas drools: "Mom, I want meat~"

"Okay, okay~" The elderly mother lovingly serves a bowl of meat stew for Thomas, picking out a large piece of fat meat and placing it in his bowl.

The poor love fatty meat.

The child chews the greasy pork slowly, his eyes squinting happily. Raymond, eating the meat stew and bread soaked in it, tastes a mug of barley beer. This beer was brought from a small tavern in the town, costing just a few copper coins.

The Empire is best at brewing dark beer and various malt beers, widely consumed by the people of the Old World. Except for the wine from the Avi Province, other wines are often sour and astringent, hard to swallow.

"This wine must be brewed by the Imperials."

—A Bretonnian joke, implying the wine is nauseating and hard to swallow.

Bretonnia excels at brewing various wines, especially those from Winfort and Bordelaux, indispensable on the tables of the nobility. Their brewed beer and ale, however, are bitter, spicy, and sour-smelling.

"Now I know this must be Bretonnian barley beer."

—An Imperial joke, indicating the beer is too awful to drink.

The barley beer is frothy, the cheapest drink, always with a strong scent of sawdust and barley residue, accessible to serfs. Many serfs' greatest pleasure is to drink a mug of barley beer in a tavern after

 working for the lord. Watching Raymond frown as he drinks the barley beer, the elderly mother sighs: "Raymond, I feel like I'm dreaming, I hope this dream never ends."

"Mom." Drinking the broth, Raymond's eyes tear up, he softly says: "The Earl is different from other lords, he understands the hardships of serfs, we'll have better days, choosing to become runaway slaves was the right decision. Today the sergeants were giving orders, they said the Earl has negotiated with His Majesty the King, as long as we work hard, we can really stay here!"

"That's wonderful!" The elderly mother can't help but wipe away tears: "If your father were alive, he would be so happy."

"Mother..." Raymond sets down his bowl and wipes his tears forcefully: "Mother, I participated in the new soldier training today. His Excellency the Earl said he wants to recruit a four hundred-person halberd battalion, open to all citizens of the territory. I want to try too. Master Delong, the Dwarven craftsman, said this army will be equipped with full Dwarven breastplates and halberds. It's said that they eat meat three times a day!"

"Ah?! Is there such a good thing?" The elderly mother is clearly startled: "Then you would become a soldier of the Earl?"

"Not yet, first everyone rotates through training, the knights and sergeants will select suitable individuals from among us... Mom, I'm already late to become a carpenter at my age, I'm nearly eighteen now, it will be hard to advance in the future. I... I want to send Thomas to apprentice with the Dwarven master, I want to join the army!" Raymond hesitates, sharing his plans with his mother.

"Hmm~~~"

...

"I need to recruit a halberd infantry from among the serfs and freemen, initially planning three hundred to five hundred men. They train three days a week, leaving three days for themselves to farm or rest, worship on Sundays, and receive half pay on regular days and full pay during wars. They can eat meat once a week and receive a beer ration."

Meanwhile, in the meeting room of the Earl's castle, Ryan is discussing the establishment of the halberd battalion with his councilors and knights. They gather around a long table, discussing the new military unit.

"No more than three hundred fifty, my Earl," says the treasurer Gaspard urgently. This councilor responsible for finances quickly adds: "Any more, and we cannot support it financially."

"Then make it three hundred," Ryan nods: "Serf conscripts have proven of limited use, for knights it's just a matter of a charge, we need such an army."

The Grail Knight Amand nods, the Sword of Aquitaine shining at his waist, the Earl's banner bearer contemplating the pros and cons of Ryan's idea.

Since arriving in Ryan's territory, Amand's experiences have revitalized him, feeling a vitality long absent in the knightly kingdom.

This stagnant water has been revitalized by Ryan, the chaotic servants slaughtered in the forests, long-abandoned settlements reestablished, vast fields cultivated, serfs more motivated, and knights intoxicated with Ryan's achievements, imitating his every move.

"My Earl, training a three hundred-person halberd battalion is certainly feasible, but with this money, wouldn't it be better to recruit more knights?" Kingdom Knight Olivier says: "Knights are the essence of warfare."

"Indeed! Knights are the essence of warfare."

"My Earl, infantry can hardly solve the problem."

"Earl, we still have over thirty vacancies among the ranger knights in the territory!"

The attending knights speak up, preferring to establish and recruit more knightly forces compared to building a halberd infantry battalion.

"Knights are the most important combat force in war, but not everything, gentlemen," Ryan smiles: "When knights charge on the battlefield, we need an army to protect our artillery and crossbowmen, so my opinion, forming such a halberd army is essential." Ryan speaks calmly.

Indeed, whether in the Empire or Bretonnia, the final victory is determined by the knights' group charge, but cavalry is dynamic, requiring excellent infantry to withstand the enemy's charge, ensuring their ranged troops have enough space to output.

"Is the Earl implying... this is the Dwarves' request?" The knights seem to misunderstand something, Kingdom Knight Hex asks first.

This knight from Le-Angoulême, now thirty years old, has grown more composed, responsible for training many of the Earl's forces.

Hex supports the establishment of the halberd battalion in his heart.

As the Earl of Glamorgan, Ryan can create three baronial titles, but he has not created any yet, meaning he currently oversees all his territories himself.

Everyone is eager for these three baronial titles, including Hex, who believes his family's revival must start with regaining a title.

But

 he can't directly propose this, first, it's somewhat against the interests of the knightly class, and second, Ryan's attitude is crucial.

Barons are military nobles, to become a baron, lineage is secondary, the primary requirement is military prowess and exceptional bravery.

So, what problem could be bigger than Ryan in the territory? Even Ryan's brother Angoulême is still just a kingdom knight, what audacity do these kingdom knights have to propose themselves as barons?

Hex thinks for a moment, knowing he needs a point of entry.

That would be the Dwarves.

With Hex mentioning this, everyone reflects thoughtfully. The arrival and presence of the Dwarves have caused a noticeable change in the knights' equipment and weapons, with Dwarven fine plate armor and various excellent weapons produced quickly and well, loved by the knights for their high quality and low cost.

"If that's the case, we indeed need to send personnel to protect our Dwarven friends and their artillery." Lops, a knight from the Nord Kingdom, agrees with Ryan's proposal first: "I think it's feasible."

"I also think it's feasible." Hex nods, the kingdom knight agreeing: "I can train these soldiers, just lower the standards a bit from those of a retinue."

"Alright." Olivier, hearing that this unit is to protect the Dwarves, no longer insists.

Ryan is somewhat surprised by the knights' focus points, but since everyone agrees, his goal is achieved. The Earl turns to his steward, Carstenburg: "Then... implement it according to these conditions, the new military camp should be well-nourished and well-trained, our Dwarven friends will equip them with halberds or sword-shields, wearing iron breastplates and helmets."

"Understood, my Earl." Carstenburg bows, the tall steward nodding.

"As for training, I'll leave it to my brother and Hex," Ryan adds, turning to Angoulême and Hex.

Angoulême and Hex nod, training is definitely Hex's specialty, while Angoulême can provide guidance. In fact, the ranger knights' training has involved Angoulême recently.

The meeting continues, this is a semi-professional army, completely different from the previous infantry battalions, and the participants are still negotiating the specific arrangements. For the knights of Bretonnia, this is a first.

"By the way, my Earl, the fifty military horses you ordered have arrived, we can select some of the sergeants to become cavalry scouts," Carstenburg continues.

"Good." Ryan nods, about to say more, when the meeting room door is suddenly pushed open forcefully.

A ranger knight from Winfort, Lucien, rushes in from the door: "Earl, it's bad!"

"What happened?" Ryan lifts his head.

"In the north, something big has happened, the serfs previously suppressed in the Lyonnesse rebellion have gathered, they've killed the lord of Barrimont Castle, openly declaring independence! They've even declared, 'Whoever tills the land, gets the harvest!'"

"What?!"

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