The Regiment

Over the Carnford Plain, the air was cold and dry, and the white breath exhaled was instantly torn apart by the North Wind Stud Farm.

This vast wasteland, located between the castle and the Shantytown Area, has now been transformed into solid dirt roads and leveled drill grounds, becoming the stage for the new army's day and night training.

The expansion of the army was faster than many people had expected. Not long ago, Brendan reported that he had recruited only a little over nine hundred new soldiers. However, perhaps it was the direct shock brought about by the wedding of Karl and the Princess, as well as the arrival of the Duchess's large caravan, that gave people a sense of the powerful strength of the south. An invisible confidence and centripetal force quietly grew among the refugees.

In a short period of time, there was an enthusiastic response, and after strict screening, the number of soldiers has rapidly increased to 2,500.

This number perfectly matched Karl's vision of an Infantry Regiment.

The soldiers were recruited from the 30,000 displaced migrants who eventually gathered here.

Selection is not simply a matter of being able to carry a weapon; recruiting officers and veterans follow clear criteria.

The first priority is "courage," not empty bravery, but the ability to remain calm and composed in the face of pressure, and the composure that comes from having seen bloodshed.

Therefore, those who had served local Lord, participated in border skirmishes or bandit suppression operations, or even survived from defeated troops became the priority.

They may be undisciplined, but at least they have a vague understanding of the cruelty of war, the clash of weapons, and the significance of formations, which is much easier than teaching a pure farmer from scratch.

Secondly, there is "concern".

Contrary to the common belief that unattached bachelors are better soldiers, Karl's recruitment criteria favored those with families to support them.

Wife, children, elderly parents... these blood ties will transform into more concrete responsibilities and concerns in the military.

A soldier with a family is often more patient and obedient to orders than a lone soldier when faced with harsh training, difficult conditions, or even the fear of the battlefield.

While their personal escape might bring temporary relief, the ensuing military law punishment would inevitably affect their families, leading to the loss of territorial protection, expulsion, or even worse.

The continuation of the family became another invisible yet effective sword hanging over their heads, ensuring basic stability.

These 2,500 people were carefully selected from among the 30,000 refugees, using this double standard.

Two thousand five hundred men, a full-strength Infantry Regiment.

This scale is not arbitrary; it is large enough to be deployed on the battlefield in the form of an independent, resilient, and impactful "square formation." Whether it is an impregnable defensive wall or a slow advance in attack, it can create a considerable scale effect.

At the same time, it is not so bloated as to be difficult to command. An experienced commander and his staff team are sufficient to control the movement and changes of the entire formation relatively effectively through flags, horns, drumbeats, and commands issued in layers.

This eliminates the need for complex coordination of large groups, allowing focus on honing the strength and sharpness of the "anvil" or "hammer" itself.

However, Rome was not built in a day, and neither was an army that could be commanded with ease.

This newly formed regiment of soldiers still has a long way to go to become the precise, machine-like war unit that Karl envisioned.

Complex regimental joint operations, multi-service coordination, battlefield terrain utilization, emergency tactical changes... these advanced tactics are like a foreign language to them.

The current training is firmly rooted in the most basic level, almost harshly repeating single movements and team coordination.

The training ground was bustling yet orderly.

Shouts, the clanging of metal, the instructors' stern reprimands, and heavy footsteps and panting mingled together.

Personal martial arts skills are the starting point, but not the end point.

Training varies by branch of service, with clear and pragmatic objectives.

Before the array of spearmen stood rows of scarecrows covered in tattered leather armor.

The soldiers lined up and repeated the most monotonous yet deadliest action: thrusting.

It wasn't just random poking and prodding; there were specific instructions. The instructor, holding a wooden stick, precisely pointed to different locations marked with paint on the scarecrow: throat, chest, face, and armpits.

The chant of "Thrust! Retract! Thrust! Retract!" is repeated monotonously hundreds or thousands of times, until the arms are sore, numb, and trembling, until it becomes muscle memory.

What they need to hone is not fancy marksmanship, but the ability to mechanically and accurately insert spear tips into gaps or weak points in the enemy's armor even in the chaos of battle.

Swordsmen and Shieldbearers focus on transitioning between offense and defense, as well as throwing techniques.

They practiced using round shields to deflect blows from cloth-covered wooden sticks coming from different angles, moving their bodies flexibly to maintain their balance.

More importantly, it's a cheap means of long-range suppression: throwing javelins.

Each person is equipped with several lightweight short spears and practices repeatedly throwing them at a target area twenty or thirty paces away with the fastest speed and the most stable movements before charging or at the moment of contact with the enemy.

We don't need every single archer to be a master, but rather a volley that covers the entire enemy formation and disrupts their ranks.

After throwing the javelins, one must be able to discard the remaining javelins within a few breaths, raise one's shield and draw one's sword, and quickly move close to one's comrades to form a tight defensive line.

Individual practice alone is far from enough; teamwork is the next stage.

In units of about ten men, spearmen and Swordsmen and Shieldbearers were mixed together to practice basic formations: how to quickly deploy from a marching column into a line or square; how to deal with flank attacks; and how to move while maintaining formation.

There were also "friendly exchanges" between squads, where two squads used heavily armed training weapons to conduct simulated combat within a designated area.

The spearmen advanced in small spear formations, while the Swordsmen and Shieldbearers tried to create gaps with their shields or "kill" their opponents with their trained short swords.

Dust flew, shouts rang out, and people were constantly being "knocked down" and forced to quit, until one side was declared "total annihilation".

This confrontation ignited the soldiers' competitive spirit and made cooperation concrete.

The punishment for the losers often had a military flavor, such as washing the winners' accumulated leggings and socks that reeked of sweat.

This playful punishment not only added "fun" to the training but also subtly strengthened the sense of shared honor and shame within the team.

However, this kind of realistic training process cannot continue indefinitely, honing everyone into a "Soldier King" capable of taking on ten men single-handedly.

Time, resources, and imminent external threats all prevent it.

The core of his military philosophy is that discipline is more important than bravery, and formation is more important than individual skill.

A well-trained, disciplined, and disciplined group of soldiers who can maintain a tight formation on the battlefield, even if the individual soldiers are of mediocre skill, will far outperform a disorganized rabble that fights alone, is brave but undisciplined.