Chapter 31: Forming a New Army

As a transmigrator from another world, Bruno clearly understood the principle: "An innocent man may be guilty if he possesses a treasure."

Since the profits from sugar and sea salt were enough to make his steward, Old Ford, overjoyed, it was only natural that other nobles would also be envious once word got out.

With that in mind, Bruno knew he had to have enough military strength to safeguard his interests and ensure his safety.

After all, the Norman Empire was a relatively decentralized state composed of countless noble territories. In a landscape where viscounts roamed freely and barons were as common as stray dogs, minor conflicts or even small-scale territorial wars between nobles were simply too trivial for the royal family or the Regency Council to bother intervening.

As for the so-called noble dignity and chivalric spirit of this world—frankly, Bruno never believed in such things. He only trusted in one truth: political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Looking at the bigger picture, Bruno's modern perspective allowed him to see the deep-rooted decay within this empire. In his eyes, the Norman Empire's current prosperity was merely the final afterglow before its inevitable decline.

As more and more commoners lost the land they depended on for survival, and as the oppression of serfs intensified, there would come a day when sparks of rebellion would ignite into an unstoppable wildfire across the continent.

Even if he focused solely on the present, the long-standing dispute between Idar and the northern Soren County over the ownership of the Grand Highlands had never been resolved. Every year, small-scale skirmishes broke out between their private armies.

Thus, Idar's military was the most critical pillar in ensuring Bruno's security.

The Norman Empire had no explicit restrictions on the number of troops a noble could maintain. After all, the resources of any given territory were limited, and it was extremely difficult for an average noble to sustain a large standing army.

At present, Idar's forces were divided into three main groups:

1. The Lord's Personal Guard, consisting of about 100 soldiers.

2. The Idar City Garrison, stationed in the northern part of Idar City to guard against potential threats from Soren County, numbering around 200 troops.

3. The Salt Works Guard, a newly formed unit with 50 soldiers.

In total, Idar's military forces amounted to roughly 350 troops on paper.

However, aside from the Personal Guard and the Salt Works Guard, the largest unit—the Idar City Garrison—was far from ideal. The main issue? Most of its soldiers were part-time.

It functioned somewhat like the Fubing system of the Tang Dynasty, where soldiers farmed during peacetime and fought during wartime. Of the 200 troops, only about 40–50 were on active duty at any given time, taking turns to stand guard.

With winter in full swing and the likelihood of armed conflict low, the number of troops currently on duty might be as low as 30 or 40 men.

Bruno was dissatisfied with this system. So he decided to use the winter season to carry out reforms and introduce a recruitment-based standing army, which would be more professional and combat-ready.

With this goal in mind, Bruno ordered Sam Layton, commander of the Personal Guard, to assemble all members of the Idar City Garrison. He then made his way to the military camp outside the city.

However...

Standing before the assembled troops, Bruno found it hard to associate them with the term military force.

To call them an army was a stretch; they looked more like a band of beggars.

The 200 soldiers had no standardized uniforms some wore tattered cotton coats, others short-sleeved rags, and, most absurdly, some were even barefoot. Barefoot. In the middle of winter.

As for their weapons… some carried spears, others hoes, a few had short swords, and most ridiculous of all one soldier was holding a black loaf of bread as if it were a weapon.

Bruno had to admit, black bread was tough and dense enough to be used as a blunt instrument. But going into battle armed with bread was just too much.

No, actually—calling it battle was giving them too much credit. Any conflict between Idar and Soren wasn't much more than a glorified village brawl. A chaotic melee where fighters rushed in without any strategy—whoever had the numbers or the better brute force won.

Bruno couldn't believe this was supposed to be his army. He realized that his expectations had been way too high.

Seeing the disappointment in Bruno's eyes, Sam Layton, who also served as commander of the City Garrison, tried to reassure him.

"Lord, they may not look like much, but when it comes to brawling, they can certainly hold their own."

Oh, no doubt.

Bruno could already picture 200 ragtag soldiers charging into battle, swinging loaves of bread like clubs.

That was a mental image too horrifying to contemplate.

Turning back to his Personal Guard, Bruno now saw them in a completely different light. Though their armor and attire weren't the best, at least they looked organized. Compared to the City Garrison, his Personal Guard suddenly appeared heroic and disciplined.

Truly, everything in life was relative.

"Honestly, Lord, you don't need to pay too much attention to these troops," Sam added. "If a real battle ever happens, it's the Personal Guard that will carry the fight."

Bruno narrowed his eyes and studied Sam for a moment before remaining silent.

Sam's perspective wasn't unusual—it reflected the mainstream military doctrine of this world.

The City Garrison was made up of commoners and mostly used as cannon fodder.

Meanwhile, the Personal Guard consisted entirely of knights—professional soldiers drawn from the lowest rank of nobility.

While the title knight wasn't particularly valuable in Idar (since Bruno's predecessor had recklessly handed them out), it was still a recognized noble status.

And Sam Layton—though a bit of a blockhead—was a real baron who even owned his own small fief.

However, Bruno firmly believed that true military power could only come from the people.

The commoners of the Norman Empire lived in extreme poverty and suffering. But because of that, it took only a few gold coins to turn a destitute peasant into the most loyal soldier.

If you could feed him and let him provide for his family, he would fight with everything he had.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Bruno cleared his throat and stepped onto the platform in the center of the military camp.

"Soldiers," he began in a firm voice. "I am your lord Bruno Stuart, Earl of Idar!"

Then, he turned his gaze toward one of the soldiers standing below.

"You are you a serf or a commoner?"

The soldier hesitated before answering nervously, "A c-commoner, Lord Bruno! Everyone here… we are all commoners!"

"Good. Because commoners are exactly who I need."

Bruno's voice rang out over the assembled men.

"It does not matter how you have fought or trained in the past. From today onward, the Idar City Garrison will cease to exist. In its place, I hereby establish—

The First Battalion of the Idar Standing Army!