allendalepharm Chapter 60 The Lightning Squad in its early stages, and Risangro's concerns
Chapter 60 The Lightning Squad in its early stages, and Risangro's concerns
After reaching the finish line, Lisanro Luojiaer finally gave up.
He braced himself on his knees, sweat pouring down his forehead like streams, dripping onto the parched earth. He looked up at Tiberius beside him, equally soaked and pale, yet still stubbornly standing, his voice trembling with a hint of tears:
"Cough... Tiberius! Damn it... is this training regimen even reasonable? I... I'm exhausted! I feel like... my lungs are going to jump out of my throat!"
Lisanro wasn't entirely pampered. To prove he wasn't a weak scholar and to thoroughly humiliate his arch-rival Mario, he had indeed gritted his teeth and trained alongside the soldiers of the Blitzcrank during this period.
But there was one difference—in the evenings he would return to the luxurious private room that Tiberius had specially prepared, lie on a soft feather bed, drink wine on the rocks, and eat food carefully prepared by his private chef; instead of queuing up with the soldiers in the barracks to get brown rice and fish soup and sleeping on a large communal bed at night.
After resting for a while, Lisanro looked at the Lightning Legion soldiers relaxing their muscles and said hesitantly, "Ahem... Tiberius, I'm not questioning you. Your skills are indeed impressive! A group of slaves have been transformed into mercenaries under your training, but..." He pointed outside the camp, his tone tinged with doubt.
"I heard that Mario, that bastard, recruits some famous old mercenaries! The kind who've been in the arena, or are highly skilled swordsmen who can take on several at once! Shouldn't we... we spend some money and recruit a few to bolster our reputation? After all, look, they've already recruited..."
"Absolutely not, don't even think about it!" Tippi shouted coldly.
"Why?" Risang Luo asked curiously, but shrank back a little.
Ever since the public execution, he had always felt a murderous aura emanating from Tiberius.
"Young Master Lisanlo, I hope you will think about this carefully." Tiberius moved a chair over and analyzed the situation with Lisanlo.
"Those 'star mercenaries' you speak of may indeed be formidable in one-on-one combat. But they are often the most unruly, the most cunning, and the most adept at feigning compliance! Why should they obey the orders of a twelve-year-old boy like me? Just because I'm handsome? Or because of your surname, Prince Lisanro Rogal? Besides, these seasoned veterans bring with them a set of outdated 'rules' that only benefit their shirking and self-preservation, which will corrupt the military discipline and atmosphere I've painstakingly cultivated!"
Tiberius pointed to the Lightning Legion soldiers in the distance.
"Look at them! They might not be able to beat those veteran mercenaries in a one-on-one fight, but they know what obedience, cooperation, and trust in their comrades mean! I tell them to advance, and they don't ask why; I tell them to hold their ground, and even if they're afraid, they'll stay put! This rock-solid discipline and cohesion is something those seasoned veterans known for their individual bravery and combat skills can never provide!"
"Mario recruiting those 'stars'?" Tiberius smirked, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Let him do it! Besides, stars can be manufactured; who knows how many of his troops are genuine 'stars'!"
Would they, in the most dangerous and desperate moments of the battle, hold the line to the death for these "slave soldiers" they despised from the bottom of their hearts, even if it meant shedding their last drop of blood?
"Moreover, those so-called stars only flaunt their power when things are going well and fight when they're winning! Once things turn bad, their first thought will definitely be to save their own lives and their pitiful reputation! Recruiting them is like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of hot oil that I've painstakingly boiled and is about to solidify! The result will only be an explosion! They will become the most unstable factor in the legion, and they will wantonly destroy the discipline and sense of identity that I've barely managed to build up over three months with whips, hunger, and even bloodshed!"
"At least, putting everything else aside," Tiberius said, pointing to the slave soldiers, "we only need to pay once to buy these soldiers and then talk to those old veterans? Ha!" Tiberius sneered.
"They'd love for you and Mario to be fighting over them! Today they'll work for you for money, but tomorrow if Mario offers more, they'll betray you without hesitation and run to Mario's side! They can eat their way from one employer to another!"
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"Alright, Lisanro, now I need to report to you on the situation of the legion." In the evening, Tiberius, having taken a bath, held a cup of hot milk with honey and opened a parchment, looking rather weary.
The number of members in the Lightning Legion was gradually increasing because Lisanro gave him the greatest support he could: directly picking people from their family's estates and mines.
"First, there's the core of the legion: 180 spearmen, divided into three teams of 60 each. They're equipped with spears, flat-headed swords, or hand axes. I've uniformly issued them breastplates and helmets, with less protection for their lower bodies, because spearmen need to maintain mobility. Their discipline is the strongest of all the soldiers, because spearmen must maintain strict discipline at all times, or they'll be crushed by enemy spearmen or cavalry charges!"
"Then there's our long-range firepower: sixty crossbowmen plus the same number of loaders, making a total of one hundred and twenty. They were personally selected and trained by the crossbowman captain, Vito. The crossbowmen are also equipped with breastplates and helmets, focusing on precision shooting. The loaders are responsible for cocking the crossbows to ensure continuous firepower."
"Speaking of which, we must mention the shield bearers who work alongside the crossbowmen. There are sixty shield bearers in total: they are equipped with huge shields, flat-headed machetes, javelins, and spears. They are doing very well now, and the shield bearers and crossbowmen work together very well. One crossbowman, one loader, and one shield bearer can form a defensive offensive unit."
"And then there are our forty-odd light infantrymen: they also use flat-headed machetes and hand axes as secondary weapons, and carry a short spear as their primary weapon. A few of them have bows and crossbows. These men are mainly recruited free men, who are more agile and mobile. In addition, most of them were originally hunters or woodcutters, so they have sharp eyes and amazing physical strength. They are the core of maintaining the flank line, reconnaissance, and sniping important enemy figures."
"Finally, our eyes: twenty-five patrol cavalrymen, for whom I must thank your stables for the slaves they provided," Tiberius chuckled. "This force is mostly Dothraki slaves, armed with their preferred scimitars, lances, and bows; however, I don't recommend they engage in a frontal charge, given their relatively light armor, and mounted cavalry are quite valuable to me. Therefore, I believe the task of guarding and relaying messages is most suitable for them."
"Finally, there are our mobile fortresses and engineers, eighty 'Wheel Battalion' soldiers: they are responsible for operating dozens of specially made two-wheeled and four-wheeled wagons within the Lightning Regiment. The wheelbarrows are lightweight and can be used to push goods in peacetime; in wartime, spikes and spears can be attached to the front to create simple mobile obstacles. The four-wheeled wagons are used to transport supplies, and if necessary, all the vehicles can form a temporary defensive circle."
"In addition, the soldiers of the wagon battalion received extensive training in civil engineering and were equipped with hammers, shovels, pickaxes, daggers and flails. They were the corps' engineers and reserves."
"However, they are also the most exhausted soldiers in the legion," Tiberius said with a shrug. "They have to do the physically demanding work of digging and building fortifications every day!"
"Excellent!" Rissanro waved excitedly. "Well-organized, with clear division of labor! Tiberius, you haven't disappointed me! Now, I'm going to lead this army to give Mario a good thrashing!"
Tiberius thought to himself, "Haven't you realized I've sidelined you within the Lightning Bolts? Never mind, just don't tell him..."
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Jules watched as the spearmen silently and precisely changed formation to the beat of the drums, as the crossbowmen swiftly deployed their firing sequences under the cover of large shields, and as the wagon soldiers skillfully used their vehicles to construct a makeshift defensive line. The ease on his face gradually disappeared.
After the inspection, Jules walked over to Tiberius and glanced at the soldiers who, though tired, had resolute eyes.
"The idea of the Greatshield Crossbowmen is excellent," Jules affirmed first, acknowledging the tactical innovation. "They are highly complementary, capable of both offense and defense. This idea has already been introduced to the crossbowmen by Vito, and aside from the auxiliary soldiers responsible for supplies, almost no one has objected. As for your spearmen..." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of genuine admiration, "their discipline surpasses that of most mercenaries I've ever seen, even many regular troops from Westeros and Essos. How did you manage to get a group of slaves to this level in just three months?"
"Honesty and the whip, and the sweeteners, Uncle," Tiberius said with a shrug.
"They suffered so much before, they were cheated and humiliated too many times. Now I've given them a sweeter life than before, and I haven't broken my promise. I've given them a life of dignity: look at them on the estate, Uncle! Now they go back every week with their heads held high, carrying grain and clutching money. Except for their status as slaves, they are practically free property owners!"
Jules listened, gazing intently at his nephew, saying nothing more, only his lips twitching almost imperceptibly. He patted Tiberius on the shoulder, turned, and left the training ground.
"By the way, Uncle, when will you teach me swamp magic?" Tiberius asked eagerly. "I already know 1,500 words!"