Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Path to a Rich and Strong State (2)
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By mobilizing soldiers who had been mercenaries from all directions for conscription, I managed to assemble about 2,000 serfs into a standing army.
Our barony's population is around 100,000 excluding slaves, so if you add in the soldiers and knights I'm employing for maintaining public order, defending the territory, and so on...
Roughly 3% of the population are soldiers. That's more than what most countries can sustain.
Of course, since I'm churning out food and money like they're being photocopied with sugar beets and four-field rotation, I can handle this much without issue.
Especially for food—up until this year, we've been consuming and selling it internally however we liked, but now we have so much surplus that we just need to offload it all to Hamburg.
Give them decent meals and pay, get the soldiers circulating the domestic economy, and then develop the village at the base of Kroitel Castle into a full-fledged city.
As I handled paperwork in my office and sketched out various plans, Baldt burst through the door with a bang.
"Your Excellency, I've assembled all the soldiers in the training grounds outside the castle."
"Baldt, be a bit quieter. Act in a manner befitting your position. What would Helmut say if he saw you?"
Baldt's expression turned grave as he recalled Helmut nagging him.
"Please don't tell him. He'd grab me and go on about how a knight with a title living like this would worry Young Master Siel to no end..."
"I'll consider it. Let's go."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ When I arrived at the training grounds outside the castle, there was an enormous pile of weapons and armor stacked up, with ranks of trainees lined up in front of it.
"Hey, look at those weapons."
"...We get all that once we're trained up as soldiers?"
"Idiot, it means we leave them in the army and use them. Can't you get that through your thick skull?"
"It could be confusing. Zack, why are you talking so much?"
The trainees fell silent as Helmut, the training camp commander I'd put in charge of supervising the soldier training, and Vice, his deputy, stepped forward.
Vice stood behind Helmut, who grinned wickedly and spoke.
"Welcome to your first step toward becoming soldiers! I am Helmut, commander of this training camp and knight to Baron Kroitel. From today, it falls to me personally to turn you lot—who can't even march in step—into proper soldiers who can walk in formation and thrust spears! I've shouldered this heavy burden!"
The serfs who had enlisted as soldiers chuckled and murmured at his words.
"No way... even if they're bad, they can't be so hopeless they can't march?"
"Even if I'm half-blind, I know to stick out my left foot on 'left' and right on 'right'... heh."
"No one's that stupid, right?"
Helmut let the chatter go on for a moment before slamming his halberd into the ground.
The resounding thud silenced the serfs.
Confirming it, Helmut smiled and continued.
"I get why you think that. Back when I was a recruit, I had no idea why marching in step was so hard either! Alright, if you can march in formation on your first try during the drill instructors' basic training, I'll exempt you from training for a week by my authority as commander! And I stake my honor on guaranteeing meat every day."
The serfs' faces lit up at that, while the mercenary veterans who had experienced drill training at least once pitied the new recruits with sympathetic looks.
"Now, we'll form 'platoons' to train together. And we'll set up your campsites! It's summer, so sleeping outside for a few months won't kill you! Execute!"
Even though it was only the first day, watching Helmut, I could tell he'd train the soldiers well.
It was reassuring to see the serfs, who hadn't even received basic military training yet, hesitantly following his orders and moving properly.
Sticking around longer in this situation would just make me an armchair expert yelling useless advice like 'pass the buck, dodge the cabbage.'
"Baldt, let's head back. Now I need to get the nobles on board too. I've shut their mouths with money so far, but it's not enough yet."
"Yes, Young Master."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After observing the training, I moved to the meeting room inside the baron's residence.
Opening the door revealed a room structured with the lord's chair at the center and knights who effectively controlled the territory seated along the corridors to left and right.
The territory's nobles who could attend this meeting had already gathered before I arrived, and to openly show their dissatisfaction with my sudden expansion of the soldiers, they didn't stand when I entered.
They couldn't voice outright complaints because I hadn't touched a single coin of their taxes or income.
Besides, with these completely unfamiliar systems I'd introduced, they had no idea how to counterargue.
I ignored their silent protest, sat in my chair with a nonchalant expression, and spoke.
"Thanks for coming. Let's start the meeting. Knight Jack Frost, if you have something to say, go ahead."
The white-haired old knight Jack Frost bowed to me and continued.
"First, thank you for allowing me to speak at the first meeting of the Kroitel Barony. I have many questions about other policies, but why on earth... have you introduced ranks among soldiers like NCOs, lieutenant, captain, and so on?"
"Because it's more efficient. Let me explain why we're creating ranks among soldiers and NCO positions like sergeant, staff sergeant, and master sergeant."
"Very well."
A moment later, I pointed to the youngest knight in the corner, Sylph Hillenal.
"Knight Hillenal, do you know the pay difference between a soldier who's worked one year and one who's worked ten?"
Hilenal scratched his head.
"I believe it's almost the same. But the ten-year veteran gets a platoon leader position, so that's the difference..."
"Exactly. But the pay gap is just one or two silver coins a month. Yet their skills and value are incomparable. That's why the veterans lack motivation. They shirk responsibility... It's a massive loss."
Upon hearing that, the other nobles, having dealt with such soldiers themselves, grew serious and pondered.
Soon, they began nodding in agreement.
Just like in the Korean military, metaphorically expressing how a 'time-served sergeant' and a 'private' get the same pay, so the sergeant dumps work on the private—it was effective.
"So, we're giving them 'ranks' to instill responsibility and rewarding them accordingly. They won't be treated as nobles like knights, but shouldn't long-serving soldiers who've fought on the same battlefields as you be above some mere freeman? Of course, we'll work them even harder for that treatment."
"That makes sense."
"It has plenty of merit to try. You're covering all the pay anyway, Your Excellency."
"Exactly. Knight Nit, if it'll help, let's introduce it to our soldiers too. We only have a few dozen at most."
My proposal to introduce ranks among soldiers passed easily.
"Then, Your Excellency, why ranks like lieutenant, captain? And putting our bastards in them... We'll chalk that up to youthful impulsiveness. You've given us so much already; thanks to you, no serfs starve in our lands, making things much easier."
"Yes, thanks to Your Excellency's grace, praise for you and Lord Bierhil never ceases in our lands. My vassals can all eat their fill because of it. Thank you."
With that, every noble in the meeting room bowed their heads in gratitude toward me.
Soon after, Jack, the most influential among them, spoke gravely.
"But why put veteran mercenaries, our thirty-man commanders, and our bastards on the same level? Even as bastards, they're our sons! Half-nobles though they may be, they should still outrank commoners!"
All the nobles nodded in silent agreement.
I hadn't expected such strong opposition; it threw me off a bit.
But I composed myself, smiled, and replied to Jack.
"Jack—no, Knight Frost."
"Yes, Your Excellency..."
"Let me ask seriously: what do your bastards do? With such a distinguished father, what have you done for your half-children?"
Jack Frost fell silent.
And rightly so—even as the most prominent noble here, he couldn't make all his bastards into proper 'knights.'
Scholarship is noble work too, and cheaper than knighthood, but university education costs six gold coins a year including city living expenses.
That's nearly two serfs' annual living costs; four years makes twenty-four gold.
Even then, only 10-20% graduate.
At best, give them a small plot to live as freemen or let them idle at home...
Hardly noble pursuits.
"I'll tell you: they can't do noble work. So I thought, born to knightly houses, they must want 'noble' duties. Young and prideful, but if they swallow it, couldn't they lead infantry?"
"Th-then."
I stood, looking down at the nobles.
"That's why I'd have them lead thirty-man 'lieutenant' platoons, growing and commanding soldiers. True, nobles should charge enemy lines on horseback in armor... but isn't commanding soldiers to win wars equally vital? They can't do the former, but cooperate with my policies, and I'll enable the latter. And it shouldn't hurt you if they lead your soldiers..."
The nobles nodded approvingly.
They seemed to think that if their bastards led as lieutenants, in a crisis, they'd side with their nurturing father.
Most nobles would 'naturally' choose that...
But in reality, the one saving them from the gutter would be me, more precious than their father.
If I'm deceiving, might as well go big. I continued.
"Promote from lieutenant to first lieutenant, then captain leading hundreds. Excel further, and I'll grant 'knighthoods' for merits."
My bombshell left the nobles speechless.
"I'll cover all costs for their knightly upkeep and pay. Excel more, and they might get lands like you. Wouldn't that give you a trusted vassal instead of a troublesome bastard without lifting a finger? Still opposed?"
Solving their bastard employment headache and gaining influence through their success—smiles bloomed on the nobles' faces.
Soon, they knelt on one knee and cried out.
"Forgive our doubts, Your Excellency. We pledge greater loyalty."
Seeing their ulterior motives, I smiled brightly.
"Forgiven. No, I didn't explain properly—my fault too. Fine, since we're at it, more goodwill. Don't all your taxes pile up as grain in warehouses?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
I approached Jack, still kneeling.
"I'll buy all that grain from the warehouses. At 1.2 times what the city merchants pay now—share the greater wealth. Meeting adjourned."
The nobles rushed out, faces flushed, unable to hide their grins.
Rightly so—I'd solved their household headaches and boosted income.
But do they realize?
In a few years, nobles with half-hearted loyalty will weep and regret today's decision.
There's a trap hidden in this offer.
Now, time to turn this into even bigger business.