Another troop of soldiers marched behind the guardians. The most common type of soldiers amongst any nation: infantryn. Their main weapon was a single-handed sword or dagger and often used a decent-sized shield to aid their forward push. As the most basic fighting unit of a nations army, they were most usually the most common and nurous type.
The infantryn walked through the arches with little trouble, leading to the longbown regint. This was the soldiers Elric had the most interest in given his own skill at archery. They touted a longbow in their hands and a quiver full of arrows slung over their back. They also had a saber hung at their hip and a small shield over their quiver.
A strange troop followed the longbown, one Elric couldnt even begin to understand what their purpose in war was. They had a bow equipped like the longbown, but not a standard bow given to the soldiers before. The sword at their hips held a strange curvature and their armor was made primarily of leather with only two tal plating over the most critical parts of the body. All in all, they were a strange type of soldier Elric was curious about.
They were the last of the imperial army to enter the square, but not the last of the soldiers. Another battalion entered from another street, though their armor was not at all standard. Many soldiers had differing colors and crests from one another as they flooded the street.
The horns finally began to play a different note once this last group of soldiers entered the square. At once, the soldiers went into a relaxed posture to allow their armants to be inspected. Because their numbers were greater than any one of the groups earlier, their marching was not at all consistent with one another.
The marching of the soldiers died down once the last of the soldiers were fully in the square. A distinct tune could be heard from both the drums and horns now that every group of soldiers had passed through the arches and were awaiting inspection from Hecaris III.
Elric presud the soldiers of the last group had to be from the margraves. He noticed that sotis, a soldier would react slightly when they passed a certain noble. Even more noteworthy was the entirety of these soldiers were cavalryn. Their armor was light and indicative of them being light cavalry, but the way they carried themselves about on their horses made Elric feel these n were most likely trained to be heavy cavalry.
A reasonable answer ca to him relatively quick. From what Elric rembered of the Empires history, Karthian margraves had no choice but to levy their own troops to protect their territory. Having each individual noble conscript soldiers to protect their lands led to a larger head count for the Empire to use as a whole. But a thod of conscription like this had its fair share of problems, such as if the margraves were to revolt. To limit the militaristic strength of the nobles, the sixth emperor declared an imperial writ to impose restrictions upon a nobles personal army.
The biggest restriction a noble faced was the type of soldier they were allowed to have. Their soldiers had to be limited to a single type, aning a noble was prohibited from training both heavy cavalryn and armsn. At one point nobles were even unable to train heavy infantry.
Left without a choice in the matter, margraves in the border territories had to settle with specializing their forces in light cavalryn. To supplent their training, nobles would often train their soldiers as they would heavy cavalryn. It was because of this strange distinction between light and heavy cavalryn that Elric found the marching of the last group of soldiers to be unsettling.
Sothing amongst the light cavalryn caught Elrics eye as he watched them march. Being a noble, Hughesin also had his own private army taking part in this march and thus had his familys crest emblazoned on their shields and banners. The insignia, Elric realized, was extrely familiar to him. He was actually wearing the very sa object painted on the crestthe redbud flower brooch!
Elric realized his mistake then and there. He had unknowingly walked into another trap of Hughesins mother!
He stifled a groan. Now was not the ti to be thinking about the ramifications of that brooch. There was actually sothing else about Hughesins soldiers that caught his attention. Rather than a sword, Hughesins cavalryn all had a bow strapped to their left waist.
What was the reason for that? Elric couldnt even begin to understand the reason.
In war, cavalryn are often treated as fast-moving assault units. Military doctrine instructed them to swiftly strike at enemy formations and then withdraw before a counterattack could be mounted. Bown required a certain distance to be maintained for the most optimal effect; a situation inversely related to cavalryn.
So Elric had to ask again. What was the point of having a bowman and cavalrymantwo diatrically-opposed rolesas one? In what case could they potentially be useful?
When Hughesins troops marched past him, Elric saw the leader of his troops shoot him a quick glance. It was for a mont, but Elric felt sothing unusual in that stare. Hughesin mustve noticed it as well, for his person stiffened at the sa mont. No one else wouldve noticed Hughesins reaction, but since Elrics arm was currently stuck in his grasp, he saw it.
The square was empty now with every soldier now at rest in Hero Square to the right of the temple. The absence of soldiers in the square allowed a new crowd to gather there and in the streets, though this new group of people didnt belong to the military at all. They were the commoners and citizens of Waldsk with sothing of their own to contribute to todays festivities. At the center of the streets stood a new object, giant floats made with all sorts of colors and shapes to match the festive spirit. Every float was uniquely designed, masterfully crafted, and graciously spaced out to prevent any crashes. Along the streets, people of all walks of life gathered with ribbons, fresh flowers, and other items to cheer and laugh rrily alongside the floats. Soon, the floats were surrounded by so many flowers and beautiful colors that the streets around them felt more like a river of color for them to float down on rather than drive.
The hymn of the Karth Empire began to be played as the floats made their way down the streets toward the Triumphal Arches. The floats were able to cross underneath the arch, though the commoners had to go around the sides and werent subject to the sa inspection as the military n. Once across, the floats went past the temple to circle round back to the square to rejoin the other commoners.
Elric loved such festivities in the past, but he couldnt find the energy within himself to even pretend to be excited. If anything, this parade was a little too noisy for him now. Far too many people were being loud and making noises for his liking. Had he the freedom, Elric wouldve gone off by himself to seek isolation and quietness. But Hughesin was preventing him from taking such action.
The brooch he wore was making matters even worse. More and more people were beginning to understand the aning behind a woman with Duke Hughesins insignia on her. Suspicious eyes were burning holes in Elrics person as he stood there uneasily. He was beginning to doubt whether or not hed be able to escape from Hughesin intact. The duke and his mother didnt seem at all willing to let Fantasia go, at any rate.
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