Militia Training
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
On the parade ground of the Alden Town barracks, four infantry battalions stood in neat rows.
Unlike previous drills, in addition to their firearms, the soldiers were carrying backpacks and rolled-up blankets, their packs bulging with supplies.
Chief of Staff Schroder stood on the platform, addressing the soldiers.
"Lord Grayman often reminds us that sweating more during training means bleeding less in battle. Those who have combat experience should understand how practical the combat and support skills drilled repeatedly in training are when it comes to the battlefield."
"Because of this, our Alden army has always placed great importance on daily training. However, merely training in the barracks is not enough, which is why outdoor field training is an essential part of our training plan."
"This time, you will depart from Alden Town and pass through the three major territories of Alden, Byerldine, and Emden. Along the way, you will encounter plains, swamps, forests, hills, and other terrains—these are all excellent places for you to practice your skills."
"In this training, we will cover various subjects including marching in the wild, survival skills, camping, and live-fire shooting. You must cherish every opportunity to improve yourselves."
"Every officer and soldier must consciously maintain our army's image. While passing through towns and villages, pay special attention to discipline: do not harass civilians, speak politely, and if you need to buy something, pay the original price. Harassment of good people's women is strictly prohibited. Instructors and inspectors must pay close attention to these points, supervise carefully, and strictly punish those who violate the rules, with the results reported throughout the army."
"Lieutenant Colonel Bryce will serve as the overall commander for this field training, and everyone must obey his orders."
Chief of Staff Schroder rambled on for quite some time on the platform, while those below had their own thoughts.
Most of the veterans internally complained, knowing that outdoor field training could be quite exhausting.
In contrast, the newly enlisted soldiers were extremely excited; the garrison in Alden Town usually prohibited them from leaving the barracks, and they could only request leave or take weekends off, without even being allowed to leave the town's limits. Therefore, they viewed this field training as a fun outing.
After Chief Schroder finished his speech, he ordered the army to march.
Under the orderly command of the officers, the formation transformed into a long line and headed out of Alden Town, where carts for transporting larger supplies were already waiting for the main force in the suburbs.
Beluga, the director of the training department, watched as the troops disappeared down the street, staring blankly at the direction they had gone for a while. When he finally came to his senses, he noticed his right hand was trembling slightly.
Excitement? Nervousness? Or perhaps both.
He adjusted his clothes and hat, silently telling himself to proceed according to the original plan. You can do this!
A figure quietly approached him. Beluga heard footsteps but made no move.
"Sir? What should we do next?"
It was a servant assigned by his family to take care of him in Alden Town, utterly loyal.
"Go tell Audenel that everything is going smoothly. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, I will contact him again tomorrow night."
The militia would only be able to assemble by this afternoon; he needed another day to organize them. Assuming everything went smoothly, the day after tomorrow would be the day to take action. By then, the troops departing from Alden Town would have been on the road for two days. According to the training plan he had helped devise, the first two days would focus on forced marching, and they would have traveled quite a distance from Alden Town.
…
"Ah! Guys, we've finally arrived at Alden Town!"
Zane led his one hundred and twenty militiamen to the outskirts of Alden Town. Looking ahead, they could already see a dense cluster of buildings.
"Let's… take a break!"
Mackey panted heavily, sticking out his tongue, and plopped down on a large rock by the roadside. He was the heaviest among the group, and this journey had exhausted him.
Seeing his companions do the same, Zane, the militia captain, frowned tightly.
"Guys, we can't act like this once we reach Alden Town! What will the lords of the lord's mansion think if they see you like this?"
"Ah?" Mackey looked up at Zane.
"What's the worst that could happen? Will we get whipped?"
"Whipped? I'll tell you, being whipped is just a tickle."
Zane raised his voice, trying to scare the militia.
"I've heard that in Alden Town, if soldiers violate orders, hanging from the gallows and being hanged is considered mild; worse, they might even be executed by cannon fire!"
"Executed… by cannon fire?"
The militiamen heard this term for the first time. "Zane, what does that mean?"
Zane looked up high, "Executed by cannon fire means using a cannon to execute criminals. Cannons! Do you understand what cannons are?"
"We know!" shouted the shortest guy in the group, Seto, "I heard from the head of the conscription station that it's a weapon made from the Thunder God's hammer by Lord Grayman."
"I know too!"
"I've heard about it!"
Others chimed in, speaking over each other.
"The power of a cannon is incredible!" Zane widened his eyes, revealing a sense of horror. "Execution by cannon fire means tying a person to the cannon's mouth, and then—boom!"
He exaggeratedly spread his arms and mimicked an explosion.
"Gone! Or rather… shattered!"
"Ugh—!" Upon hearing their captain say this, everyone showed expressions of fear, especially the chubby Mackey, whose flesh shook like he was sifting grain. A punishment that left no corpse behind, just for violating orders? That was terrifying!
"So, guys!" Zane warned his militia comrades very seriously, "Once we reach Alden Town, we must follow orders absolutely; we can't be as slack as we are in the town and villages."
"Following orders means acting immediately when a command is given, without dragging your feet."
"Prohibitions mean stopping immediately upon any ban, and if something is prohibited, you must not do it at all."
"Does everyone understand?"
The militiamen nodded eagerly like chickens pecking at grain, "Got it! We'll all listen to you, Captain."
Zane was very pleased with their response but felt somewhat helpless; these guys really wouldn't understand seriousness unless they were scared.
This militia training was not like previous ones, where everyone just stood in formation in the granary, practiced marching a few times, and waved weapons around to finish.
Rumor had it… that in Alden Town, they would teach the militia how to operate firearms.
Just thinking about this made Zane's heart race.
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.