Victor had already sent men back to the shore to notify Powell and the others, ordering them to transfer a group of serfs to the chosen site of the inland river dock to build the wharf, and telling Powell to come with the team to meet him.
Today's battle had not been intense; it could be called an armed march. There had been virtually no casualties, aside from a few people who had twisted their ankles while walking.
That evening, Victor ordered some of the captured sheep slaughtered to give the soldiers an extra meal. The army's mood was exceptionally cheerful, while Victor summoned several people to his tent for a discussion.
"The troops are still in excellent condition, and this battle went smoothly. We are still at war, so rewards and honors will have to wait until every remaining threat has been dealt with. However, as the commanding officers, you may tell everyone that this month's pay will be issued at three times the usual rate. Let them be happy first. The rewards to come will not disappoint them."
"Jack, you needn't worry either. Your knighting ceremony will be held at the same time." Victor had not forgotten his promise to Knight Jack.
"Everyone should have noticed some problems during this battle. I gathered you here primarily to compile the issues that arose in combat. We can discuss them together and prevent such situations from negatively affecting future battles."
Victor had wanted to hold post-battle review meetings like this for a long time, but they had not fought many battles before, and he had not been the overall commander. Now that he finally had both the title and authority, these military reforms could truly be put into practice.
The men looked at one another. It was their first time holding such a discussion, and none of them knew how to begin. Fortunately, Santos, the most steady and experienced among them, took the initiative. "Lord Victor, fellow colleagues, I was responsible for the infantry this time, and I discovered a problem: the infantry units are too large. We deployed a total of 350 men from the territory and 200 under Lord James, making 550 men altogether. Yet infantry squads are generally organized in units of one hundred, and when adjusting formations, the squad leader directly handles deployment. Managing one's own squad is manageable enough, but coordination between two squads becomes difficult, especially between different troop types. A single squad leader simply cannot command a hundred soldiers, particularly in our territorial forces, where formations are numerous and requirements are high. I propose adding another level of command below the squad. This commander would lead thirty to forty men, allowing formations to change more quickly. Our soldiers can meet those requirements."
"That is indeed a problem. However, I already intend to adjust the army's organization in the next stage of reforms. This will take time, and I will inform everyone of the organizational plan later. All right, one issue has already been raised. Everyone else, speak up as well." Victor encouraged the others to continue.
Knight Jack could no longer hold back. "My lord, fellow colleagues, I also noticed something. We used a large number of messengers in this battle, which did ensure that orders traveled smoothly up and down the chain of command. But it also wasted a great deal of manpower and horses. The duchy's standing legions have dedicated flag signal units. Could we establish one as well? It would reduce the number of messengers and improve efficiency."
"Well said. The territory's army will continue to grow in the future, so we truly need to consider such matters. I have studied flag signals. I will devise a relatively simple set of signals suited to the territory's army." In truth, Victor had never studied them, but how difficult could it be? With Number 1's Calculation Module serving as a workhorse, such things were practically his for the taking.
"Ron, do you have any suggestions?"
"We have too little Cavalry. The territory is too large, and we cannot meet its patrol requirements. Even if we bring over the two hundred light cavalry rented from Edelweiss Territory, it still will not be enough. I suggest selecting men directly from the barbarian cavalry we captured this time and forming an auxiliary force specifically responsible for patrolling the area around the territory."
Victor's interest was immediately piqued. Insufficient troops had always plagued him, but Golden Sunflower Territory had a limited population. If he kept expanding the army, recruitment would become a problem later on.
If they could directly draw from the barbarian captives, it could indeed solve a major problem.
"Uncle Ron, is this plan feasible? Would these barbarians harbor resentment because they fought against us? Could there be hidden dangers?"
"Victor, you only call me Uncle when you need something. Don't worry. Many northern nobles use barbarians as cavalry. Barbarians are unlike us. Tribes frequently wage war against one another; the victors annex the defeated tribes. One moment they are bitter enemies, and the next they are companions in the same tribe. They adapt easily to such changes in status. Quite a few of Count Colt's Iron Knights are barbarians. Still, I recommend waiting until we have finished wiping out the Green Grass Tribe before doing this. We can use their families as leverage, minimizing the risks as much as possible."
"That is an excellent suggestion, Uncle Ron. You will be responsible for this matter afterward. Also, find me a teacher of Barbarian language. Jack, James, and Santos, you will study Barbarian language with me. You will have barbarian warriors under your command in the future too, so you cannot afford not to understand it."
"Gods, I'm about to become a lord. Why do I still have to study?" James let out a miserable wail.
"What is there to complain about? I am already a baron, and I still have to learn. If you fail to learn it, you will suffer for it." Victor was not worried. With Number 1 around, learning a language was absurdly easy. If necessary, Number 1 could even serve as a simultaneous interpreter.
Victor looked at James, who was still shaking his head and swaying about, and sighed with a dark expression. This fellow probably would not come up with any useful suggestions.
So Victor directly declared the meeting over.
Over the next two days, Powell led Engineering Team One to the dock and began working with great enthusiasm. Victor divided the serfs into two groups: Engineering Team One and Engineering Team Two. Engineering Team Two remained on the coast to continue construction. At present, Victor planned to establish two settlements: Wood Fort Town and Sea Song Town by the shore.
For the time being, due to a lack of manpower, Victor could not consider widening Little West River. Materials could only be transported by raft. Fortunately, Little West River's current was gentle, and by tying several rafts together, they were unlikely to capsize.
Moreover, they now had more than 1,300 barbarian captives. Excluding the children who truly could not work, over a thousand could participate in labor. With their efforts and those of the auxiliary troops, construction of Wood Fort Town progressed rapidly.
Meanwhile, through Ron and Jack's efforts and according to the captives' testimony, they had already located the Green Grass Tribe's settlement. It matched the testimony exactly. Only two hundred soldiers remained behind; even including able-bodied men who might be capable of fighting, there were fewer than five hundred, and they lacked weapons and equipment.
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