Chapter 407 - 155: Marching to War
Chapter 407: Chapter 155: Marching to War
The Royal Capital wasn’t the front line, where the tides of battle could turn in an instant.
No one discussed the specifics of battle strategy.
Once the troop allocations were settled, the meeting truly became a banquet. Everyone chatted and laughed, showing no signs of the great war looming on the horizon.
Notably, both Marquis Oscillate and Prince Noah chose to head to the central front, and the Edward family’s Guard Knight Order would be going as well.
Marquis Oscillate had revealed this to Robson, supposedly by accident.
Of course, only the Marquis himself knew if it was truly an accident or a deliberate leak.
After all, this was a significant political signal. At this critical juncture, what else could two of the kingdom’s most powerful figures be doing on the central front?
It could only be to seize military authority from Marshal Grantham. The Marquis’s moves were slow and deliberate, a meticulous plan unfolding. Only now, with the arrival of the Human Alliance Army, was he making his move.
Robson even suspected that Marquis Oscillate was likely playing a supporting role, helping Prince Noah build prestige within the army. ’By telling me this,’ he thought, ’the Marquis probably wants me to prepare for what’s coming.’
The only thing that puzzled Robson was Marquis George’s recent good temper. It was as if he were a different person. His political demeanor had completely shifted, and he now shadowed Louis III all day. ’What is he plotting?’ Robson wondered.
After the banquet, everyone naturally went their separate ways.
Before long, Louis III’s mobilization order arrived at Fengman Manor. All armies were to assemble at the training grounds for an oath-taking ceremony, after which they could march.
.....
"Lord."
Seeing Robson arrive, Ais, who was drilling the new troops, immediately put down what he was doing and hurried to the gate to greet him.
Robson nodded.
"How is the training of the new army going?" Robson asked.
Robson placed great importance on this new army. Between the men gifted by the Marquis and those later provided by the kingdom, their numbers totaled over five thousand.
With no interference from other factions, these men were entirely Robson’s private army. It could be said they now constituted the majority of his forces.
"We’re already seeing results," Ais said. "But I believe that if you want to send them into battle, it would be best to drill them for a while longer."
Ais had likely been with the First Regiment for too long. In his eyes, Tier Four was a recruit, Tier Five was passable, Tier Six was a veteran, and anything below Extraordinary was hardly elite.
It was worth noting that on Robson’s status panel, with the buffs he and Ais provided, one hundred percent of these soldiers had reached Tier Two, with twenty percent even hitting Tier Three.
On any battlefield, this would be considered a main force.
Still, it was a good thing to have a subordinate with such high standards.
"Let’s go in and have a look first," Robson said.
....
Accompanied by Ais, Robson stepped into the training ground. Hearing that Robson had arrived, Knight Noon immediately came forward.
"General Robson! Your methods are simply miraculous!
"To think you could whip these farmers into shape in just a few short days," Knight Noon said, fawning.
After his recent experiences, Knight Noon was finally beginning to understand what true soldiers looked like.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Seeing Viscount Noon’s excited expression, Robson didn’t have the heart to burst the young noble’s bubble.
"Let’s see them drill. I want to see the results," Robson said.
Even though they were all Tier Two Soldiers, Robson still needed to see their quality for himself.
The oath-taking ceremony was about to begin. With his First Regiment not by his side, Robson could only bring this new army.
All the great figures of the Royal Capital would be in attendance.
Robson was in the spotlight now; everything he did was magnified. If this army couldn’t make a good showing, he would rather not bring them at all than have people gossip behind his back.
"As you command."
Ais accepted the order and headed out.
The non-commissioned officers for this five-thousand-man army had already been selected according to Robson’s methods.
Robson had handled the appointments personally.
Though he trusted Ais, it was best not to delegate the authority over military promotions, rewards, and punishments.
’No need to test a person’s character if you don’t have to.’
Before long, news of Robson’s inspection spread throughout the training grounds.
The entire training ground stirred with excitement.
After weeks of training, every soldier, from the highest to the lowest rank, understood their situation. They also knew who the real boss was here.
With Robson here to inspect them, every last man was fired up.
As for what they could demonstrate, there wasn’t much. Robson didn’t need these men, who had never seen battle, to put on a show of bloodlust for him.
All they had to do was march in formation and perform their drills perfectly. As long as they didn’t make Lord Robson lose face in front of his peers, that was enough.
"ONE, TWO, THREE..."
Before long, the entire army was shouting chants as they converged from all directions.
Hiss...
At the sight, Robson’s eyes lit up. ’Never mind anything else,’ he thought. ’This presence alone is enough.’
He wasn’t sure if it was because of their unit type, but these men had more presence than the Frankish recruits he had trained in the past.
The Franks had a natural bloodlust that brought to mind the cruelty of war.
This group of Algerians, however, projected a sense of honor and elite discipline.
Once the army had fully assembled, Ais trotted to Robson’s side, awaiting his assessment.
"Not bad," Robson said. "Tell everyone to rest for now. Assemble at six o’clock tomorrow morning. I’ll be here."
"Yes, Lord," Ais said.
.....
In late May, a solemn atmosphere filled the Frankish Royal Capital.
Robson and Valentino were up at the crack of dawn.
The Royal Capital’s North City Gate was open all day.
Every citizen knew that today, from the North City Gate, the first wave of reinforcements from the Human Alliance would depart for the northern front.
Normally, one shouldn’t make a spectacle that boosts an ally’s prestige, but the situation in the Frank Kingdom was unique. After long-term oppression by the Beastman Empire, the people strongly identified as human, and the presence of the Human Alliance Army served to inspire their morale.
Any experienced Frank knew that the arrival of reinforcements signaled the beginning of a counteroffensive.
The walls of the North City Gate were now packed with onlookers.
"Algeria! That’s their lion banner! When will our kingdom have an army like that?"
"What do you mean, ’when’? I think General Robson, who’s been making a name for himself, is pretty amazing. He’s a true warrior who fought his way down from the north!"
"General Robson’s army!"
Suddenly, a wave of excitement passed through the citizens on the walls.
In the distance, a forest of banners appeared—phoenixes on a red field bordered with gold.
The soldiers were chanting, their voices carrying clearly to the citizens hundreds of meters away.
Few armies in this age were trained for bearing and ceremony like Robson’s.
Regardless, an army that marched in perfect step did not look like an easy foe.
Atop the wall, Louis III and the assembled Frankish Nobles all wore expressions of pride.
After all, they were the leaders of the Frank Kingdom.
No matter how impressive a foreign army was, it belonged to someone else.
Only their own army could truly display the kingdom’s might.
"Your Majesty, would you care to say a few words?" the envoy from the Algeria Kingdom asked.
Louis III looked around and shook his head.
"My Frank Kingdom has powerful allies without and capable generals within.
"What more do I need to say?
"Let our brave warriors depart in peace. Archbishop, go and make the arrangements. Announce to the entire city that we will hold a city-wide mass tonight," said Louis III.