Ch.293Epilogue – The Empty King (3)

If the land reform issue heated up the first three years of my reign after ascending to the throne, then military system reform became the biggest topic in the fifth year of my rule.

After successfully completing land reforms that began with regulations on maximum land ownership, which somewhat blocked the emergence of large landowners, and through this, fostered numerous independent farmers to improve the nation’s fiscal health, the next step was… naturally, the reorganization of the military based on these foundations.

It was a process to reform the structure of the duchy’s army, which still hadn’t moved far beyond the territorial army system, to enable more flexible and reliable mobilization methods.

Currently, the duchy’s army remains largely unchanged from the days when it was the territorial army of Baron Alzar, as I mentioned before.

The territorial army, which is closer to a “military” composed of professional soldiers called men-at-arms. The Alzar Knights, which serves as both a knight training facility and an elite cavalry. Add to this the private soldiers commanded by each vassal, plus the lord’s elite troops, the ducal guard.

Various military organizations are operating in their own makeshift ways, which is, in fact, an inefficient system in many respects.

For example, the cavalry of the territorial army and the cavalry of the knights’ order are both cavalry units, but the roles they actually fulfill are quite different, making for a very complicated situation.

While the territorial army’s cavalry is a military cavalry group, the knights’ order cavalry is classified separately as it’s closer to an auxiliary force supporting the knights.

This kind of problem is actually the least of our concerns, and the biggest issue right now is undoubtedly the complicated command structure of the army.

Except for the fact that Duke (formerly Baron) Alzar sits at the very top, each military group has different command systems and structures, which will clearly cause major problems in all directions in the future.

Moreover, now that tax revenue has increased and finances have improved thanks to the successful land reform project, reforming the military system before expanding its size is virtually essential.

Of course, such reforms typically face opposition from military forces, but our duchy’s army (territorial army) is actually quite well-controlled for a military group of this era, so there’s no worry about rebellion.

This means that while there might be individual protests or minor complaints, the structure of the army is designed to prevent these from developing into rebellion.

Well, even though we call it military system reform, it won’t actually take radical forms like disbanding the knights’ order.

The existing framework of three military groups—territorial army (duchy army), ducal guard, and knights’ order—will be maintained, but improvements will be made in the details.

More specifically, the size and standing of the duchy army, which has a relatively lower position compared to the other two military groups, will be increased and elevated.

For example, the actual military power of our duchy currently lies closer to the Alzar Knights’ Order.

While the territorial army, being merely a standing army due to the limitations of territory size, cannot be expanded to tens of thousands, the Alzar Knights’ Order, the strongest in the east, possesses overwhelming power with over 100 knights.

To put it bluntly, on the battlefield, one knight is typically considered equal to about 1,000 infantry, so if we’re talking about military power equivalent to 100,000 men, the focus naturally falls on the knights.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, military reform might lead to reorganizing around the knights’ order and dissolving the territorial army, but…

As long as it remains uncertain how long this trend will continue, there’s a need to develop the territorial army into a force capable of independent operations, separate from the knights’ order.

Even in the age of gunpowder, knights may still persist, but by then, humanity might also come to regard mid-level superhumans as just another military branch.

Anyway, the military reform based on this thinking focuses on three main areas:

Reorganization of the ducal guard structure, increasing the size and autonomy of the territorial army, and restructuring the knights’ order.

First, regarding the ducal guard… While it was previously an organization formed by appropriately selected soldiers and knights from each group, it will now be reorganized to focus solely on guard duty and capital defense.

While we’ll maintain the practice of recruiting excellent knights from the knights’ order into the guard, the soldier component will use a military organization and training method completely separate from the territorial army.

…Such as front-line infantry, small elite close-combat infantry armed with magical equipment, or even experimental or specialized branches like werewolf special forces.

On the other hand, the territorial army will maintain traditional, proven types of troops while increasing its size and slightly reorganizing its structure.

Currently, the territorial army consists of “units” that can conduct independent operations, with each unit composed of a single type of troop.

Infantry units are just infantry, cavalry units are just cavalry, and artillery units are just artillery.

But having concluded that this approach leads to somewhat rigid military operations, my solution is to simply copy the excellent army of our neighboring Holy Empire.

The hundred-man unit that succeeds the existing units, and the ten-man unit that forms a small piece of these hundred-man units. And the thousand-man unit that combines these hundred-man units for military operations.

Six infantry hundred-man units. Two cavalry hundred-man units. One artillery hundred-man unit. One combat support hundred-man unit (tentative name) including supply, reconnaissance, and commanders.

Using the thousand-man unit as the basic building block—the minimum unit capable of independent operations—and combining or dividing military components as needed should work reasonably well.

…Of course, there are prerequisites for such military reorganization, so this military reform naturally includes those aspects as well.

Large-scale recruitment matching our increased population and territory size. Since we’re vassals anyway, we could seek cooperation from the Holy Empire to obtain officer education materials from their “War College.”

Work on the military structure, from non-commissioned officers who form the backbone of the army to high-ranking officers who serve as commanders, as well as staff officers, must be prioritized.

Especially since operating an army without knights requires a very solid officer corps, learning from those who do it well is the most efficient way to develop a proper army in a short time.

And as for the prestigious Alzar Knights’ Order….

‘…Is there actually anything that needs changing here?’

How should I put it—it’s already running so well that any reform I might implement would only make it less efficient than it currently is.

The knights’ order is a special elite force consisting of about 100 knights and their squires who assist them. It has a status that doesn’t allow comparison with any military branch on Earth, but if forced to compare, it would be closest to an air force.

Each knight can engage in battle on equal terms with 1,000 soldiers on the battlefield. The squires respond to situations the knights cannot handle and also train under them as knight candidates.

And these “knight candidates” or squires are the crucial reason why the current knights’ order functions so well.

They are apprentices to the knight profession, servants, auxiliary forces, adjutants, and disciples all in one special position.

Unlike the inefficiency of apprenticeship education in other fields, this method actually proves efficient for squires.

The awakening of aura depends entirely on individual talent, and apart from educational methods supposedly passed down in certain noble families, it ultimately becomes a battle with oneself.

Most people can awaken their aura by diligently dedicating their time to self-discipline, but since this is very difficult, the number of aura awakeners remains somewhat controlled.

In short, what’s important is pushing oneself to the limit through repeated training and practical experience under a strict master until success is achieved. By this standard, the knights’ order’s method of training knights is certainly quite efficient.

Promising children are assigned as squires under individual knights, who then educate them in techniques and ensure they cannot be lazy as long as they don’t give up.

Especially since being at a knight’s side provides practical experience in an environment that is dangerous but somewhat safe, and with individual knights providing guidance, skill growth is extremely rapid.

There are even cases where individuals who had given up and were just serving as auxiliary forces eventually awakened their aura and became knights, so the knights’ order probably doesn’t need major changes for now.

…Of course, a somewhat more systematic educational approach should be introduced later.

Anyway, while military system reform was proceeding smoothly according to the established plan, another type of educational institution was also set to be established in the duchy….

Namely, a new branch of the magic tower. This would be the headquarters of the Witch School, with Gretel de Alzar, now one of the royal consorts, taking position as the first head of the school.