On the grand training grounds of the Lakeheart Town barracks, four infantry battalions stood in neat formation.
Unlike their usual drills, in addition to their firearms, the soldiers all carried packs and rolled blankets, their knapsacks stuffed full.
Chief of Staff Schroeder stood on a high platform, addressing the soldiers.
“Lord Grayman has repeatedly taught us that more sweat in peacetime means less blood in wartime. For those veterans with combat experience, you should have a deep appreciation for just how practical the combat and support skills, which we have trained on repeatedly, truly are on the battlefield.”
“For this reason, our Alda army has always placed great importance on daily training. However, training confined to the barracks is not enough, so field exercises are a crucial part of our training plan.”
“In this field exercise, you will set out from Lakeheart Town and successively traverse the three territories of Alda, Baylding, and Emden. Along the way, you will encounter plains, swamps, forests, hills, and other terrains. These are all excellent places for you to hone your skills.”
“According to the plan, this training will cover many subjects, including field marching, wilderness survival, camping, and live-fire shooting. You must cherish every opportunity to better yourselves.”
“Officers and soldiers at all levels must consciously uphold the image of our army. When passing through towns and villages, pay special attention to discipline. Do not harass the populace, speak politely, and if you need to buy something, you must pay the original price. Molesting women from good families is forbidden. Instructors and military police at all levels must pay strict attention to the points above, carry out supervision, and strictly punish those who violate discipline. The results of any punishment must be reported to the entire army.”
Chief of Staff Schroeder rambled on the platform for a long time, while the men below had various thoughts.
Most of the veterans were complaining internally, knowing that field exercises were very arduous.
The new recruits, however, were exceptionally excited. The garrison in Lakeheart Town was not allowed to leave the barracks on normal days. If they wanted to go out and have some fun, they could only request leave or wait for their weekend rotation, and even then, they could not leave the vicinity of Lakeheart Town. So, they saw this field exercise as an outing.
After Schroeder finished his speech, he ordered the army to move out.
Under the orderly command of the officers, the square formations transformed into long columns, marching out of Lakeheart Town. The transport company, responsible for the wagons and large items, was already waiting for the main force in the outskirts.
Burgan, the head of the training section, watched as the troops disappeared at the end of the street. He stared blankly in the direction the troops had gone for a while. By the time he came to his senses, he found that his right hand was trembling slightly.
Excitement? Nervousness? Or perhaps both.
He adjusted his clothes and hat and told himself silently to proceed according to the original plan. You can do this!
A figure quietly approached him. Burgan heard the footsteps but made no move.
“Young master? What should we do next?”
It was the servant his family had arranged to take care of him in Lakeheart Town, fiercely loyal.
“Go tell Ordennel that everything is going smoothly. If there are no further incidents, I will contact him again tomorrow night.”
The militia would only be fully assembled this afternoon. He still needed a day to organize them. If nothing went wrong, the day after tomorrow would be the day they officially made their move. By then, the troops departing from Lakeheart Town would have been on the road for two days. According to the plan for this exercise…a plan he, as the head of the training section, had helped create…the first two days were forced march training. They would be a considerable distance from Lakeheart Town.
“Ah! Lads, we’ve finally made it to Lakeheart Town!”
Zane led the one hundred and twenty militiamen from his town to the outskirts of Lakeheart Town. Looking ahead, they could already see a dense cluster of buildings.
“Let’s… let’s rest a bit!”
McKee, his tongue hanging out, panted heavily and plopped down on a large rock by the roadside. He was the fattest in the whole unit, and this journey had truly exhausted him.
With someone taking the lead, the others in the unit followed suit, sitting down by the road to rest.
Seeing his comrades in such a state, Zane, the militia captain, frowned tightly.
“Lads, you can’t be once we get to Lakeheart Town. What will the lords from the Administration Council think if they see you ?”
“Huh?” McKee raised his head and looked at Zane.
“What can they do? Will we get whipped?”
“Whipped? I’m telling you, a whipping is just a scratch.”
Zane raised his voice, loudly frightening the militiamen.
“I’ve heard that in Lakeheart Town, if a soldier violates an order, being hanged on the gallows is a light punishment. You could even be executed by cannon!” Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
“Ex… executed by cannon?”
It was the first time the militiamen had heard this term. “Zane, what’s execution by cannon?”
Zane held his head high. “Execution by cannon is when they use a cannon to execute a prisoner. Cannons! Do you know what cannons are?”
“We know!” Seto, the shortest in the unit, shouted. “I heard the head of the conscription station talk about it. He said it’s a weapon Lord Grayman made with Thor’s hammer.”
The others chimed in with their responses.
“The power of those cannons is incredible!” Zane’s eyes widened, conveying a terrifying meaning. “Execution by cannon is when they tie a person to the front of the cannon’s muzzle, and then…BOOM!”
He dramatically spread his arms wide, making an explosion gesture.
“The person is gone! Or rather… the person is in pieces!”
“Eeeek…!” Hearing their captain say this, everyone showed expressions of fear and terror, especially the fat McKee, whose flesh trembled like a sieve. Such an execution didn’t even leave a whole corpse, and just for violating an order?
It was too frightening!
“So, lads!” Zane very seriously admonished his militia comrades, “When we get to Lakeheart Town, you must be absolutely obedient. You can’t be as undisciplined as we are back in our town and village.”
“Obedient means that once an order is given, you must act immediately. No dawdling.”
“Prohibited means that as soon as there is a prohibition, you must stop immediately. If you’re told not to do something, you absolutely must not do it.”
“Do you all understand?”
The militiamen nodded their heads like chickens pecking at rice. “We understand, we understand! We’ll all listen to you, Captain.”
Zane was very satisfied with his subordinates’ performance, but he also felt a little helpless. These fellows really didn’t know the severity of things unless you scared them.
This militia training was not like the old days, where everyone would just stand in formation on the threshing ground, practice a few synchronized steps, and wave their swords and spears, and that would be the end of it.
He had heard… he had heard that in Lakeheart Town, they were going to teach the militia how to handle firearms.
At this thought, Zane’s heart thrilled with excitement.