130 – Battle of Waine Plains (3)

After I ordered all the nobles to manage their own units and sent them back, I moved with Major Frost to the secret room in the basement of the house.

When I opened the door, there was only a desk and a few chairs with a very bland design.

Frost said, looking around the room for the first time.

“Here, various secret treaties and His Excellency’s secret plans… Has it been enforced?”

“That’s right. Then please sit down.”

And when I sat down first, Frost sat across from me.

Then I looked at Frost, cleared my throat once, and said:

“To be honest, you did a lot better than I could have imagined. I never thought that after two months of learning about guns and how to operate them, such disciplined shooting would be possible.”

“No, a gun is different from a sword or a spear… It’s an object that can be used right away if you learn about 30 movements, and didn’t His Excellency record the operation method very meticulously? That made it so easy to teach.”

Frost said so… In fact, the marksmanship I introduced is a tactic that requires at least half a year of training for new recruits before they can be used.

Because, according to the mercenary training method of the Middle Ages, 30 kinds of shooting movements can be learned to some extent in just 2-3 weeks…

In crossfire, called counter marching in English, soldiers load ammunition in accordance with up to 30 different shooting movements and then fire, and six rows of soldiers are trained to the extent that they can cross the line without colliding in situations where visibility is extremely limited. because i need this

“There are a lot of idiots in this world who can’t do it right even if you tell them everything. But, didn’t you make all the soldiers under your command familiar with what I told you in just two months? And I told you to take the soldiers under your command and select soldiers who can shoot at the barracks installed in the former Countess of Helsman, Blue Fort, and Kreutel. What is their training status and number of people?”

“We selected about 1,000 people and organized them into musketeers. It’s inferior to the members of my unit, but… At least when the firing order is given, it is possible to point the gun at the enemy and shoot accordingly.”

Until rifles with steel lines were introduced, guns only had a 10-20% accuracy rate when operated in groups.

This is because even if you train your movements through training, there is no time or reason to leisurely snip in the yard where long-range weapons are flying from the war.

So, during the Seven Years’ War, King Mogama only told the soldiers to unite as a group to load faster and shoot faster, but did not demand accuracy from them.

Based on that background, if what Major Frost said is true, then I already have more than a thousand arquebusiers available on the battlefield.

Thinking so brought a smile to my lips.

“Very good. Then I will teach you how to operate your soldiers. Train the soldiers according to this.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Then I showed Frost the plans I had and said, (The picture of the formation recorded in the plan is included as an illustration.)

“First of all, when the enemy infantry comes close to a certain extent in this turn, the musketeers under your command go in front of the spearmen. Then, when they come within range of the guns, fire them all in unison and repeat the alternation.”

“Certainly, a gun has a shorter range than a crossbow, but it can’t be curved like a bow… It’s better to shoot right in front of the enemy like this… However, you cannot engage in hand-to-hand combat with a gun.”

At that, I smiled slightly and then said.

“Don’t I know that? When the enemy moves in about 30 meters like that, fire a final volley, and then quickly enter through the gaps in the spearmen’s square and hide behind our infantry. That way, after you’ve done maximum damage with your guns, you’ll be able to safely retreat.”

“However, it will take a considerable amount of time for the soldiers lined up in six rows to hide behind the spearmen.”

Certainly, it would take no small amount of time for over a thousand soldiers to move behind the infantry behind them…

It is impossible for those who have first experienced the impact of a new weapon, the gun, to pursue us at such a high speed.

Even our knights were taken aback and surprised that their plate armor was pierced in a situation where they were not attacked, but if they felt the powerful attack…

Even if it’s a unit made up of only warriors who fought back, it will take quite a bit of time to clear up the confusion.

When you hear the sound of gunpowder exploding as loud as thunder, the fear of being pierced through armor that cannot be pierced unless the knights drive it with a lance… Because it is impossible to overcome in just a few minutes.

“Right now, when your soldiers first receive a gun, they will be frightened by the sound it makes every time they fire it. There is no way that those who hit it directly will come to their senses in an instant.”

Frost also nodded and said, as if he understood.

“As His Excellency said, no matter how strong the enemy forces are… You can’t overcome the fear of guns in just a few minutes. Our soldiers also took a long time to get used to the sound of gunpowder.”

“That amount of time should be enough to pull the soldiers back.”

“Yes that’s right. Your Excellency, by the way, there is something I would like to ask you.”

“Tell me.”

“Who is the commander-in-chief of the gunmen? Are you thinking of Colonel Samuel?”

Originally, as Frost said, one of the colonels would be selected and appointed as the commander, but among the commanders in our territory, Frost is the only commander who understands guns properly.

Therefore, entrusting the command of the musketeers to someone other than Frost would prevent them from displaying their abilities.

So, from the time I ordered this operation to Frost, I was thinking of Frost as the commander who would actually command the gunmen.

And I opened my mouth to tell Frost.

“Yes, it is Colonel Samuel who is in overall command of the gunmen in this war. However, unlike you, Samuel doesn’t have a good understanding of matchlocks. Isn’t it?”

To that, Frost replied with a nod without saying anything.

“I intend to set up Colonel Samuel as the nominal commander and entrust all real authority to you. Can I try?”

Because he was already an illegitimate son, until he came under my command, he was shunned by the family because he was a child of a concubine, and by other noble ladies.

Entrusting a regiment to such a guy is no longer a knight, but a high-ranking knight with numerous vassals, no… It would seem that it might open the way to the Baron.

“If you just leave it to me… I will repay you with the best results.”

I put my hand on Frost’s shoulder and smiled.

“In the future, if you own a larger territory than now, divide the territory with Mark first. Why isn’t it like that in the play too? A heroic tale of bastard knight Frost and penniless Mark.”

“Certainly, as His Excellency said, I am already inseparable from him. I will take you with me.”

**

From then on, I was busy preparing for war, and even during that time, I found time to spend with Ella and Irina.

Even before I left for the war, I felt like I was going to get tired from spending time with them because I was dealing with so many tasks…

Still, if I didn’t spend time like this, in the worst case, Irina and Ella could have fought, as I had rumored, so I couldn’t help it.

The day before the preparations for war were completed and the launch ceremony was to take place, I was checking the last paperwork in the office, when a butler came in without knocking and said,

“Your Excellency Count! Ella’s contraction cycle is shortened, and it seems that the amniotic fluid has burst. The baby will be born in a little while. What will you do?!”

When I heard those words, I felt both nervousness and fear in my heart, as well as the joy of being able to carry Ella’s child in my arms before heading out.

And after a while, the knowledge of childbirth in this era came into my head.

Not a few women died of septicemia because midwives did not wash their hands and wiped their wounds with dirty clothes.

I knew that in advance, and I dealt with it so that I could give birth in the most hygienic environment…

In this era, there are many cases where priests and other human beings come in without washing their hands before and after giving birth, so it is necessary to prevent such unwashed miscellaneous things from entering.

“As instructed beforehand, change all bedding in Ella’s room to freshly washed ones. Also, those who assist Ella in childbirth should be kept to a minimum, but let all enter after washing their bodies and hands with water diluted with lye. If this is not observed, even if someone comes, I will accept that there is an intention to harm Ella! Also, if a situation arises in which you have to choose between the child and the mother, save the mother first!”

The butler heard me and immediately ran out of the office door to give my order.

I’ve already prepared enough, but I never thought I’d have to worry about whether Ella would die…

That’s how I spent an hour, no, a long time that I can’t count how long, in the midst of nervousness.

In the meantime, Ella’s screams as she gave birth and the urgent sounds of the midwives could be heard all the way to the office.

I wanted to go too, but if I go, even the priests will come, saying they will pray to help with the birth… I just passed the time quietly pretending to do my business.

After a while, a maid with blood on her white apron rushed over and said, as if she had been helping give birth.

“Your Excellency Count, Ella gave birth to her daughter safely.”

With those words, the tension was relieved, and I fell face down on my desk, probably from the fatigue accumulated from preparing for war.

Then, I laughed maniacally, happy that Ella had safely given birth to a child, and said:

“To commemorate Ella’s birth, 10 gold coins are given to the midwife, 2 gold coins each to those who directly helped Ella’s birth in this mansion, and 1 gold coin to the rest of the servants. And I’ll wash my body and come back in an hour, so be prepared.”

And I headed to the room where Ella was lying.

The midwives had already heard that I was coming and were waiting quietly by the door, and Ella was sleeping, breathing heavily, probably exhausted.

After lightly stroking Ella’s cheek, I took Ella’s baby in her arms and held it carefully before speaking.

“Before you are 100 days old, I will lead my men and return. So, victory in this war… Yes, call me Victoria.”

Then, as I held the child for about an hour, I heard a voice next to me.

“Your Excellency, you must prepare for the launching ceremony soon.”

“I’ll be right there.”

In this war, I will definitely win by any means.