Art shut himself in the isolated Wood Fort and thought for an entire afternoon, but he still couldn't clear the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
He simply stopped pondering, walked out of the small courtyard, and called Camille, who was helping Emma wash cooking utensils, to go to the training ground and find Angus and Odo, two army deputy officers.
A moment later, Odo and Angus arrived at the isolated Wood Fort.
Art was sketching on a dried birch bark with a sharpened charcoal stick.
"You're here? Have a seat, I'll be a moment."
Art continued with his work.
The two sat on either side.
After a long while, Odo couldn't sit still and asked softly, "Sir, did you call us here for something?"
Art cupped the birch bark in his hands, blew off the charcoal dust, and said to the two sitting at the table, "Now that everyone in our valley has arrived, I plan to hold a discussion in the Wood Fort tomorrow to talk about the future development of the entire valley.
While there's still some time, I'd like to talk to you two."
Odo and Angus were deeply moved.
As deputy officers of the army and Art's capable assistants, the fact that Art consulted them on matters of great development showed that they had become one of the core figures of the entire territory.
"Of course, I called you here mainly to discuss army matters.
In these chaotic times, the steel sword in hand is the capital for survival.
For the entire valley, a strong army is the foundation of development.
This time, I was enfeoffed as a Knight, and this valley will gradually attract external attention.
It's no longer possible to hide and quietly grow strong.
Moreover, we are currently facing bandits and rogues within our borders and enemy armies from outside.
Our current opponents are from the Dean Family, and future opponents might even come from within the valley.
Whether it's within or outside our borders, or now or in the future, the only way for us to deal with these crises is to constantly make ourselves stronger.
You don't need to worry about how to produce grain and earn money; you just need to think about how to make our Soldiers more courageous and skilled in battle, and how to make our army more invincible."
"When we evacuated Talburg, I gave you a task: to consider issues such as the standing number of troops after the war, Soldier organization, weapon configuration, military pay and treatment, and Soldier training.
So much time has passed now, and I imagine you've already discussed this with the officers and Soldiers below.
Now, I'd like to hear the results of your discussions first."
With that, Art put down the birch bark and quietly looked at the two army Commanders beside him.
Odo hesitated to speak.
Art noticed his movement and said, "Odo, you were the first to follow me, and now you are a deputy officer in the army.
You go first, starting with the standing number of troops."
Odo pondered for a moment and said, "Sir, these past few days, while training, we've been discussing the issues you assigned with everyone.
Overall, the officers and backbone Soldiers' ideas are consistent: we must continue to train a strong army.
However, there have been disagreements on specific issues, and my views on this differ from the Sergeant's."
Art turned and looked at Angus, who nodded slightly.
"It's alright, having different ideas is a good thing; it allows for comprehensive consideration.
Odo, why don't you share your thoughts first?" Art said.
"My idea is that we must continue to expand the number of regular Soldiers.
Within this year, it would be best if we could expand the regular Soldiers to over sixty, based on veterans who have participated in battles.
Cavalry is difficult to train, but at least it should be expanded to ten riders.
We fought in Talburg for half a year, with our lives hanging by a thread and our robes stained with blood, yet when we returned to Besançon, those Court nobles didn't even consider your achievements.
After a bloody battle, you almost didn't even get a fief.
The Knight's territory finally given to you was also what those high and mighty nobles considered a barren land, not to mention our merchant caravan being bullied everywhere.
The root of all this is that they believe you are a small figure who can be easily manipulated, and this fertile valley will certainly be discovered by others in the future.
At that time, we will face more hungry wolves coveting us, so my idea is to continuously strengthen the army, making those who eye us with hostility fear the sharp swords in our hands and the fangs in our mouths," Odo said excitedly.
Art pondered for a while and asked, "Odo, you have always managed the army's weapons, armor, money, and supplies.
You should know the enormous daily expenditure of money, grain, and supplies for our army."
Odo nodded and said, "Yes, Sir, I understand.
During the expedition, the army's military pay alone exceeded seven hundred fenny per week, and the consumption of grain and supplies was even more astonishing.
However, our existing weapons, armor, and supplies are quite abundant due to the significant spoils of war acquired during the half-year garrison in Talburg.
If we slightly streamline the Soldiers' weapon provisions: regular Soldiers are only issued cloaks, capes, or padded armor, with weapons primarily being iron spears, short swords, wooden shields, and hand axes; Combat Squad Leaders are equipped with leather armor, iron spears, long swords, leather-covered wooden shields, and half-helmets; officers above squad leaders are equipped with chainmail or iron armor with nose guards, and weapons include iron spears, long swords, battle axes, and iron-rimmed round shields; cavalry are equipped slightly better, and I am still considering the training of archers.
The weapons and armor in the Wood Fort armory can fully equip over sixty regular Soldiers.
As for subsequent consumption, we have merchant caravans conducting trade to earn money and purchase military equipment, and internally, we have many craftsmen forging weapons and armor.
Additionally, if the valley's land is not subject to taxation, we can retain surplus grain to support the army's food consumption.
Moreover, according to your arrangements, we will continue to clear out bandits and rogues within our territory, and there will be many more spoils of war."
"As for the Soldier organization, we can continue to use the current organizational structure and increase the number of squads.
The military pay and treatment for regular Soldiers can also be slightly lower.
Additionally, I think it's necessary for us to establish a specialized Quartermaster Corps with Quartermaster Soldiers and medical Soldiers."
Art listened intently, occasionally jotting down a few keywords on the birch bark with a charcoal stick.
Odo said a lot, but his core idea was to continue expanding the army, constantly increasing Art's influence in Burgundy County with a large army.
"Sergeant, Odo has said so much, and I think he makes a lot of sense.
I'd like to hear what your differing opinions are."
At such a critical moment concerning future development, Angus displayed the composure of a warrior who had experienced battlefield slaughter.
He abandoned his usual unruliness, sat up straight, and said to Art with a serious expression, "Sir, my thoughts differ somewhat from Odo's.
I believe that the army's development should not blindly pursue numerical expansion, but rather focus on improving the army's combat effectiveness, which includes the equipping of army weapons and armor and the cultivation of individual combat skills of Soldiers."
Art put down the charcoal stick in his hand and stared at Angus, saying, "Sergeant, are you suggesting we develop elite Soldiers?"
"Yes, Sir.
The first time I saw you in Besançon, you had thirty Soldiers.
These Soldiers followed you through bandit suppression battles on the southern border, and their morale was quite high, but many of them were just ordinary farmers and displaced people a year and a half ago.
Despite continuous daily training, their combat effectiveness was only slightly stronger than ordinary peasant Soldiers, perhaps similar to regular Soldiers, but definitely not elite warriors.
The battles we experienced during our half-year garrison in Talburg were almost all won by 'schemes.'
In future battles, we cannot always rely on this method to win, and facing a direct confrontation, given our army's current combat effectiveness, the casualties would certainly be very high."
Angus paused, then continued, "Previously, because we could face a large-scale attack on Talburg from Swabia at any time, it was reasonable for our forces to expand, but this also led to uneven combat effectiveness among our army's Soldiers.
During this period of training, I discovered this serious problem.
The group of Soldiers who first followed you on the expedition performed significantly better in training than those who joined the army later, so training always failed to achieve the desired effect.
My opinion is that we can appropriately dismiss a group of ordinary Soldiers who are not suitable for training as elite Soldiers to become Patrol Team Soldiers or Fort Guard peasant Soldiers, or even assign them land to become farmers.
The main force of the regular Soldiers should ideally be controlled at around thirty to forty men, and they can be trained in three tiers: light infantry, heavy infantry, and light cavalry.
Additionally, the number of light cavalry should ideally revert to the original five or six riders.
Being able to ride a horse on a march and being able to fight on horseback are completely different matters.
Our Soldiers can ride horses for show, but if it were a true cavalry confrontation, they would probably fall off their warhorses after just one charge."
Art picked up the charcoal stick and wrote down Angus's words.
Angus, encouraged, raised his voice and said, "As for the equipment of elite Soldiers with weapons and armor, a few days ago I went to the armory and inventoried it.
Given our current armament situation, light infantry can wear padded armor under a single layer of leather armor, a semi-circular iron helmet, and weapons such as short spears, battle axes, war hammers, short swords, and round shields.
Those light infantry who can barely use bows and crossbows can be trained as archers/crossbowmen.
Heavy infantry can be equipped with chainmail coifs, gorgets, nose-guard iron helmets, and wear padded arming doublets with half-length chainmail or iron-studded leather armor.
Their weapons would be short spears, broadswords, battle axes, leaf hammers, and an iron-rimmed, leather-covered round shield.
Light cavalry would be equipped with a warhorse, chainmail coif, gorget, nose-guard iron helmet, padded arming doublet under long-sleeved chainmail or mail armor, and weapons such as lances, riding bows, broadswords, short-handled battle axes, daggers, and morning stars, along with a kite shield.
Of course, the types of weapons and armor in the armory are numerous and complex.
If we want to standardize equipment, we will need to modify various weapons and armor.
Our craftsmen are not very skilled at forging weapons and armor, but they are capable of repairing and modifying them.
Additionally, the money and military pay saved by dismissing Soldiers can be used to increase the pay of elite Soldiers."
"Sir, forty such rigorously selected elite Soldiers, equipped with excellent weapons and armor, after at least half a year of rigorous training, would be enough to deal with a hundred or so peasant Soldiers and bandits.
If there were also a group of officers who had a basic understanding of tactics and strategies to command them, I believe that no one in Tinietz County would dare to easily provoke us anymore."
"Furthermore, I have another idea.
If you truly intend to train elite Soldiers, in order to continue expanding the army when the time is ripe in the future, we can consider the issue of training conscripted peasant Soldiers in the territory.
Currently, besides our regular Soldiers, we also have three militia forces: the Patrol Team, which will soon be established independently, the Valley Fort Guard, and the Border Outpost guards.
The Outpost guards will collect a large amount of transit trade tax in the future and are very important.
We need to strengthen the Outpost guards in the future, but the specialized Patrol Team can be streamlined.
A small outpost can be set up at the Giant Stone Pile with two or three disabled Soldiers retired from the regular army and a few fast horses.
If there's a bandit situation, a fast horse can return to the valley to report, and the regular Soldiers can charge out.
As for the Fort Guard, I think it can be seriously considered.
The original intention of the Fort Guard was to maintain daily order in the territory and serve as a defensive force for the territory when the army was away.
However, in the future, we can appropriately increase the responsibilities of the Fort Guard, having them responsible for the training of able-bodied Fort residents during agricultural slack seasons.
These basic-trained Fort residents can be quickly assembled and trained as a source of replenishment for regular army losses..."
After all, as a Sergeant who had been influenced by the Holy Order, Angus's depth of understanding of the army was beyond Odo's reach.
Many things Angus proposed had not even been considered by Art.
"Sergeant, Odo, it is my greatest fortune to have wise warriors like you as my left and right hands.
I highly approve of both of your viewpoints.
I will organize your views in a moment and think about them myself.
You two go down today and discuss more with the officers and Soldiers.
Tomorrow, when I hold the discussion, you can present your views for everyone to discuss.
Additionally, after you go down, present to me those officers and Soldiers who have performed exceptionally well.
We will need more backbone Soldiers and officers for future army expansion."
"You two may leave.
Call Cooper and Sartre here in a moment." Art stood up and took a sip from the wine glass on the table.
Odo and Angus straightened their armor and left the Wood Fort.
A moment later, Cooper and Sartre walked into the isolated Wood Fort...