Postwar Summary

The following day, Karl summoned all the officials to the Lord's Hall to discuss matters concerning the post-war period.

Karl sat at the head of the long table, with people seated on both sides of the table in front of him.

On one side were the warriors led by the old knight Brendan. In addition to familiar faces such as Richter and Roland, there were also several new faces who looked slightly nervous but full of energy.

Miller, the platoon Platoon Leader of the First Platoon; Rick, the platoon Platoon Leader of the Second Platoon; and Otto, the Sergeant Major of the Musketeers.

It was clearly their first time entering this hall, which symbolized the highest power and honor in the territory. They sat upright, their hands neatly placed on their knees, their eyes showing both excitement and a hint of awe.

On the other side of the long table were the civil servants, headed by the clerk Morr, including the Grand Steward Edgar, the treasurer Hans, and several assistants in charge of logistics and registration.

Karl looked around at everyone and got straight to the point. "Gentlemen, the great war has just ended, the wounds have not yet healed, and the lessons are still fresh. The first thing we have gathered here today is to conduct a comprehensive review of the war."

His gaze first fell on the military officers. "Brendan, you will take the lead in organizing officers of all ranks, from the bottom up, to conduct a battle debriefing, starting with the Sergeant Major of each squad, summarizing the gains and losses of their squad in the battle."

"Tactical execution, causes of casualties, coordination errors, and individual acts of heroism must all be recorded truthfully. Then, each platoon leader will compile the summaries from each Platoon Leader and analyze the command and coordination issues at the platoon level."

"Finally, you will personally review all the summary reports, extract the universal lessons learned, tactical improvement suggestions, and urgent equipment and training issues, and submit a final report to me."

Brendan nodded solemnly. "Understood, sir. Only through reflection after a battle can we learn from our mistakes and strive for improvement. I will carefully review everything and ensure that no valuable experience is overlooked."

Karl nodded and added, "Summaries must be pragmatic. We must acknowledge successes, but also confront mistakes and shortcomings. We must ensure that every drop of blood is not shed in vain, and that every lesson becomes a cornerstone for future victories."

After finishing the summary, Karl changed the subject and raised a more practical and thorny issue. "Next, there are the matters of post-war rewards and compensation. Mr. Hans, have the compensation and resettlement plans for the families of the fallen soldiers been drafted?"

Hans quickly rose and handed over a parchment scroll. "Your Excellency, a preliminary draft has been prepared. The families of fallen soldiers will receive a one-time pension based on their rank and merits, as well as a tax reduction for the next three years."

"For those who are seriously injured and disabled, in addition to compensation, the territory will be responsible for their basic living needs and will arrange light work within their capabilities as appropriate. The plan is hereby submitted for your review, sir."

Karl took the proposal, reviewed it carefully, and nodded. "It's feasible in principle, but the compensation amount... can be increased by another 30%. The families of fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country deserve better protection to demonstrate the territory's benevolence and inspire future generations."

Hans bowed and accepted the order.

Then, Karl looked at Brendan and asked, "How's the battle merit tally going?"

Brendan looked troubled and stood up, replying, "My lord, this is quite difficult. This battle was extremely chaotic, with most of it being close-quarters combat. The various units were intertwined, making it difficult to clearly define the specific gains."

"Currently, we can only make a rough count based on the corpses found in the areas roughly responsible for by each unit during the post-battle cleanup, and corroborate this with eyewitness testimonies from some officers and soldiers. It would be difficult to pinpoint the exact number of kills for each soldier."

Upon hearing this, Karl nodded thoughtfully; he had anticipated this question.

The statistics on war achievements in this era, especially after large-scale battles, relied heavily on post-war recollections and rough estimates, resulting in significant errors and potential disputes.

"This incident exposes a flaw in our army's combat merit record system," Karl said slowly. "In the past, we had fewer people and the scale of battles was smaller, so we could manage. But as the army expands and the battles become more intense, we must have a clearer and more efficient system."

He proposed an improvement plan. "I have decided that from now on, the specialized auxiliary troop units will be completely disbanded and no longer used in a centralized manner, but will be distributed to various front-line combat squads and platoons."

"In addition to the traditional duties of cooking, maintaining equipment, and treating the wounded, their most important new task has been to promptly and accurately collect, identify, and record the enemy heads killed by their unit during or immediately after combat."

He looked around at everyone and explained, "I know that some people may think that focusing on heads is too barbaric or utilitarian, but throughout history, judging merit by heads, although it has its drawbacks, remains one of the most direct and hardest-to-falsify core standards for measuring the merits of a group and an individual in battle."

"The more enemy heads a unit takes, the more enemy troops it has killed, and the greater its combat achievements will be. This responsibility should be clearly delegated to each squad and platoon, with auxiliary soldiers taking full charge, to minimize confusion and misrecording."

But he immediately changed his tone, emphasizing. "However, this is by no means the only standard! It must not be allowed to lead soldiers to miss opportunities, disrupt formations, or even kill each other on the battlefield in their pursuit of heads! Therefore, it must be clear that while heads are an important criterion for evaluating combat merits, they are by no means the only one!"

His voice turned serious. "Outstanding performances on the battlefield take many forms, such as being the first to scale a city wall, charging into enemy lines, capturing the flag, beheading an enemy general, accurately reporting enemy positions, maintaining or restoring formation in times of crisis, and bravely rescuing comrades, etc..."

"All these actions, once verified, will be recorded as meritorious, or even more so! When awarding prizes, it is essential to comprehensively consider both the number of heads taken and these outstanding performances. The general principle is to value heads, but not solely rely on heads; everything should be based on whether it contributes to the victory of the battle!"

"As for the method of rewarding," Karl continued, elaborating on his philosophy, "Prioritize rewarding the collective, and then distribute the rewards to individuals."

"For example, if a platoon kills the most enemy soldiers, the entire platoon will receive an extra commendation. If a particular squad performs exceptionally well, that squad will receive an additional commendation. Finally, the individual with the most outstanding combat achievements will be rewarded."

"We must make every soldier in our army understand that collective victory is true victory, and individual merit is earned through collective merit! This is rooted in our daily training. We emphasize formation, coordination, and discipline, not individual recklessness!"

This clear and insightful explanation drew nods of approval from the officers present, especially veterans like Brendan, whose eyes revealed deep agreement.

They knew that an army with cohesion and a strong sense of collective honor was far more powerful than an army that only knew how to compete for personal glory.

"The specific rules for evaluating combat merits and the standards for rewards shall be drafted by Mr. Morr in conjunction with Mr. Edgar, Sir Brendan, and Mr. Hans, ensuring fairness, clarity, and operability," Karl concluded.

"Yes, sir!" the three replied in unison.

Finally, Karl turned his gaze to Old Morrell: "Mr. Morr, how are the preparations for the burials of the fallen soldiers going?"

Old Morrell rose, his expression solemn. "My lord, the mass grave has been dug on the sunny slope chosen at the foot of the mountain, and the coffins are ready. The funeral for all the fallen soldiers will be held tomorrow morning. Except for those on necessary sentry posts and the seriously wounded, all soldiers and civilians in the territory will attend to send the warriors off on their final journey."

Karl remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood up, and everyone else followed suit.

His gaze swept over every official and officer present, his voice calm yet powerful. "Very well, then tomorrow, we will all go to send off our heroes. Today's meeting is adjourned. Gentlemen, each of you, perform your duties and get to work!"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd responded in unison, their expressions solemn and resolute. They then left the hall in an orderly fashion, each going about their own business.