"I’m just not used to wearing this armor.
"It looks nice, but it’s not as practical as the vests we have in the Eternal Domain. Not only is it heavy, but it also lacks those convenient detachable protective plates."
Bulletproof Vests are standard protective equipnt issued to the regular forces of the Eternal Domain.
With various added functional components, their cost is far greater than that of an armor set.
Yan Xing absolutely prohibited the export of this equipnt.
Therefore, the protective gear supplied to the rchant Guild’s rcenaries was all outdated.
They wore chainmail underneath, with a breastplate covering the upper body.
Arms and legs were wrapped in leather guards embedded with iron plates.
And they also had a helt.
Since the rchant Guild’s rcenaries mainly dealt with bandits and not regular armies, such protection was sufficient.
Moreover, rcenaries needed to maintain certain mobility to quickly mobilize, deploy, and engage in combat, so they couldn’t be burdened with excessively heavy armor.
As the training commander for the rcenaries, Eddie certainly couldn’t wear the standard Bulletproof Vest from the Eternal Domain anymore.
Going back to tal armor truly felt less convenient than wearing a Bulletproof Vest.
Upon hearing Eddie complain about the armor, Yan Xing laughed and scolded, "Don’t be ungrateful. The materials used to make your armor are the sa platinum as mine.
"Miss Hibel only got a set by using her ’Angel’s Descent’ move on .
"Look how impressive you look in it; its protection is even better than that of vests with protective plates.
"Leading these rcenaries is different from commanding our domain’s forces; their composition is too complex, and in future battles, it’s uncertain what might happen.
"You have to know how to protect yourself properly."
Eddie imdiately expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, my lord, for your care. I will surely not disappoint you and will faithfully fulfill the heavy responsibility you’ve entrusted to :
"to train and maintain this army well for you."
Yan Xing said, "I put you in charge here because I trust you. Give an update on the rcenaries’ training situation."
By this ti, Yan Xing had already arrived at the rcenary training field.
New recruits were undergoing formation training under the command of Eternal Domain’s instructors.
In the real world, the widespread adoption of firearms ultimately phased out lee weapons, primarily because they were easier to train soldiers in.
Firing a gun has a low threshold; give a soldier a gun, and within half a day, he could learn to shoot.
The difficulty in training a qualified musketeer lies in instilling discipline.
Firing in volleys was the tactic used when firearms beca extensively equipped.
In situations where the opposing forces were not significantly different, the contest ca down to discipline—to which side’s soldiers could still load and fire according to their training even as bullets flew towards them.
Discipline is also one of the standards of a strong army.
Ever since the establishnt of the Eternal Domain’s army, Yan Xing had prioritized the training of military discipline.
And the most effective way to train discipline is through practices like standing at attention and marching in step.
Therefore, the rchant Guild’s rcenaries, who inherited these traditions from the Eternal Domain’s army, hadn’t even touched guns before they were all made to practice standing at attention.
On the training field, troops of soldiers stood according to the standards of military posture. Instructors from the Eternal Domain, looking fierce and formidable, patrolled with whips and stun batons.
Those standing poorly or fidgeting were first lashed with a whip and then reprimanded.
Those who resisted were dealt with by stun batons.
To get these slick new recruits to fall in line, Eddie even borrowed a pack of Werewolf Warriors from Yan Xing.
These Werewolves stood at the edge of the field, eyeing the new soldiers as if they were looking at a buffet.
Despite his harsh training of these new recruits, Eddie spoke highly of them in his reports to Yan Xing.
The rchant Guild spared no expense in the training of their families’ sons and daughters, so the individual quality of these rcenary soldiers was quite good, with most being above Third Order.
So even t the standards of Seventh Order Cavalry.
And because these sons and daughters of the rchant families traveled with caravans all year round, they had at least seen real combat and bloodshed; so had even killed before.
It could be said that if soldiers of equal rank from the Eternal Domain were pitted against them in one-on-one combat, they might not necessarily win.
If they could complete their training, Eddie was very optimistic about these rcenaries’ combat capabilities.
Unfortunately, there are too few hero units among them.
Magic confrontations and elite clashes will suffer greatly.
Yan Xing, observing the training of the rcenaries from the sidelines, said after listening to Eddie’s report, "Those rchants certainly aren’t willing to send their hero-class family mbers here, but an army without a certain number of heroes is unthinkable.
"You calculate how many heroes the rchant Guild’s rcenaries need, and I’ll arrange it for you.
"These heroes will form their own company and be deployed collectively. My consent is required for this hero company to participate in battle."
Heroes can be cultivated on their own or recruited through taverns by drawing in wandering heroes.
As long as a domain’s population reaches a certain scale and has decent prosperity, there are plenty of channels for hero recruitnt.
Of course, most heroes aren’t that powerful; so are just a little stronger than regular soldiers.
These heroes form the foundation of the middle command layer in an army. They serve as squad-level Magic support and beco the most basic offensive and defensive nodes.
An army without enough heroes is just fish on a chopping block, no matter how well-ard they are.
Since Eddie said the rchant Guild’s rcenaries were short of heroes, Yan Xing decided to send him so.
The heroes would not be deployed at the grassroots level but used collectively.
Because musketeers are also used en masse, inserting heroes among them might not have the best effect, and it would certainly impact the efficiency of their firing.
Instead, it’s better to concentrate the heroes and form a strategic-level force, a fist that can determine the outco of the war.
Of course, Yan Xing was aware that whether his idea was feasible remained to be seen, and he made a final reminder to Eddie: the Werewolf Warriors here could assist in training and help find tactics suitable for this new type of army.
Eddie was also in the dark about training this kind of new army using brand-new weapons.
The training programs were all provided by his Lord.
But since his Lord had entrusted him with such an important task, Eddie naturally assured him repeatedly that he would do everything in his power to train an army for his Lord that could win battles.
After that, Yan Xing felt there was nothing interesting to see.
The Guild’s rcenaries had just begun their training, and his hope of observing volley fire was dashed.
Returning to his domain to review his own core army and oversee the domain’s developnt was more important.
So Yan Xing, having noted down the materials and personnel required by Eddie, prepared to leave.
On his way back to where his Shadow Swift was stationed, Yan Xing said to Eddie, "You have only one month of training ti. Anything could happen on the Wildwind Highlands in a month.
"If the Eternal Domain must intervene with force, the rchant Guild’s rcenaries are best suited to be the first to enter Nuta City.
"Therefore, whatever you need, I will provide.
"Chocobos, Griffons, Demonized Tri-River Horses...
"I’ll even give you the authority to directly call in Unmanned Bomber squads.
"All I want is to see an army eting combat requirents within a month."
Eddie hadn’t expected Yan Xing to regard such a non-core army so highly.
Thinking about it, he could understand his Lord’s difficulties.
The direct troops of the Eternal Domain, without permission from the Silvermane Principality to enter its territory, would be considered invaders, regardless of the reason.
If any sudden change occurred in Nuta City, his Lord might not be able to get permission from Count Theodore in ti to send troops across the border.
Therefore, this force, nominally belonging to the Silvermane Principality’s rchant Guild, could intervene militarily in ard conflicts within Nuta City in an ergency, buying precious ti for the domain’s response.
Moreover, his Lord’s strong support for the establishnt of the rchant Guild’s rcenaries, and the demand for them to achieve combat readiness within a month, clearly indicated how urgent the situation on the Wildwind Highlands was.
"Please rest assured, my lord... within a month, I guarantee I will train an army for you that can be deployed at any ti.
"What I worry about most is still your safety, my lord.
"I heard that the Assassin’s Guild in Nuta City organized an assassination attempt against you. Though it failed, Nuta City is so chaotic that there will definitely be others willing to take desperate asures.
"You need to be extra careful in Nuta City and must bring enough bodyguards with you."
Yan Xing could hear the concern in his old subordinate’s words. He walked over to Shadow Swift’s side and nimbly mounted the horse.
"You, Eddie, are not the Eddie of the past, and I am not the lord I once was. I won’t say much more; talking too much can jinx things.
"When I return from the Eternal Domain, I will co to see you again, and you’d better show so volley fire."
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