Our Family Has Fallen-Chapter 520 - 326: Backbone Training_1
"Fuck! A monster is still a monster, even when it starts acting like a human," Dismas, never one for clean language, finally couldn’t resist ridiculing the scene. After all, in his eyes, Pigmen were monsters, yet here was one trying to eat at a table like a person.
"Hahaha! That crippled Pigman probably has to sit at the kids’ table," Lance estimated the height of the table and took in their surroundings before making a joke. His quip greatly eased the tense atmosphere; after all, they hadn’t been short on stress during their journey.
"This is actually a good spot; at least the Pigmen know better than to shit and piss where they eat." Lance was quite happy with this place. The ground was littered with some bones but nothing else. The mud on the ground was dry and hard to the touch.
"Boss, this place isn’t exactly quiet." But since this was where the Pigmen ate, it was likely they would run into trouble resting here. Boudica understood this simple logic.
"Don’t worry about resting, I’ll take the first watch," Lance said, unfazed by the idea of enemies; to him, they were just targets to be cut down. He had no intention of sitting in filth.
"I’ll take the latter half of the night," Tadiff offered, feeling it was somewhat against his professional ethics to let his employer stand watch, as it made him seem incompetent.
"No," Lance shook his head in refusal. "There is no ’latter half of the night’ here. You all rest well. We’ll need to get moving soon enough. We’re still skirting the outskirts and can’t afford to waste time."
Tadiff realized Lance wasn’t joking but truly meant it. The others fell silent, unsure of how to react beneath their helmets.
Dismas was used to following the Lord’s command. As for Boudica, she couldn’t wait to rest. Her wounds might heal, but the lost blood would take time to replenish.
"We’ve just got two entrances to cover. I’ll just need to set up some bell alarms." Dismas didn’t waste words and got to work, rigging the pathways with bells that would surely alert them to any approaching enemy.
By now, everyone was more accustomed to the surroundings that had shocked them upon first entering. Wearied to death and no longer concerned about the filth on the ground, they casually cleaned up a spot and sat down with a long exhalation.
Lance, unhurried, pulled out some dry rations. Truth be told, no one had the energy to bother with cooking a hot meal, nor did they have much of an appetite. After scarfing down some bread and dried meat, everyone rested hastily. Only Lance remained under the light of the torch, lost in thought.
Taking in so many war refugees has bolstered our numbers, and with the incentives I’m offering, there’s no lack of people wanting to enlist. Once these new recruits are trained and assimilated, I’ll finally be able to push further with my military reforms. An army should never be static. My previous lack of specialization was simply due to manpower shortage. Even if I had separated them into different branches, it would probably have led to undermanned units incapable of functioning as intended. So, I’ve taken direct command of all of them, using combat to season them and create a group accustomed to bloodshed. From among them, I’ll select talented individuals. Military achievements will propel their promotion to mid-level officers, forming the backbone. Only this way can the new recruits be integrated quickly enough. Although their combat effectiveness will likely drop initially, a few battles and the sight of blood should be enough. A small place has its advantages; pushing my reforms here faces no opposition. Artillerymen, oh Artillerymen, when will I ever be able to field my own Artillerymen...
「...」
Inside Hamlet, Lance’s departure had not caused much of an impact, as ordinary people barely had any contact with such matters. After so much development and with rules established, Hamlet had a framework in place and was functioning smoothly without any issue.
"Mother, I’m going to the training camp for a lesson," Joan said after supper, excusing herself.
Mrs. Rosa looked sternly at her daughter. Her severe expression was pressure-inducing, but in the end, she just nodded and reminded her, "Remember to study hard and not let My Lord down."
"Yes, Mother."
For her time, her attitude towards her daughter was quite progressive. Frankly, she had been very strict and conservative with Joan before, not allowing her the hardship of training or public exposure, nor permitting her to be out after dark. But now My Lord had noticed Joan’s diligence and arranged these lessons. Although she was reluctant about her daughter gravitating towards military affairs, she had to agree. Her support for her daughter was, in fact, more about supporting My Lord.
Joan, without such concerns, slung a bag filled with books over her shoulder and hurried off to the training camp.
Lance valued his soldiers and treated them well; military regulations, however, were strict. Unless it was their rest time, their schedules were always full. During the day, they were either on missions or training. Evenings were not for rest but for attending classes.
Basic literacy classes were held daily. The Lord required soldiers to learn a certain number of words within a set period. Periodic assessments were carried out; high scorers received rewards, while those who failed faced additional training. Graduation from the basic class required mastering three hundred essential words—understanding them, pronouncing them, and writing them. Due to the new conscription, the classrooms were filled with newcomers. Most of them cherished this rare opportunity, as excelling didn’t just provide meat, eggs, and milk, but also money.
