1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 212 Mountain Hunters

Eastern Roman Empire, North Macedonia Military District.

The rugged mountain road leads to a remote village located in the northwest of the North Macedonia Military District, close to Bulgaria and Serbia. Because it is too remote, with no trade routes, it has no economic and strategic value and has always been a "place that military strategists do not fight for."

The village is called Pushgoti and has more than 500 villagers, mainly Serbs, supplemented by Greeks and Bulgarians. The arable land is small, and the output of streams and lakes is extremely limited, not enough to feed all the villagers.

However, the village is surrounded by mountains and there are many wild animals around. During the slack farming season, the men would always form several hunting teams under the arrangement of the elders to go into the mountains to hunt. The prey they hunted could help them survive the cold winter, and the extra leather could be exchanged for some necessary daily necessities with the occasional traveling merchants.

During the Ottoman rule, the village was granted to a Bulgarian knight who had made great contributions. The knight had no desire to move to this wild land and only collected taxes once at the end of each year, taking as much as he could.

Later, the Bulgarian knight was killed in the Battle of Constantinople, and the Ottomans retreated to Asia Minor, and the village came under Bulgarian jurisdiction.

Since there was really no value in it, Mahmud Pasha had never managed the village effectively and still maintained a laissez-faire attitude.

Later, a traveling merchant brought the news from the outside world to the village of Pushgoti. The local elders heard that the two emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire were kind and generous, lenient in taxation and levies, and were also famous holy warriors. They immediately teamed up with several strong young men to kill the Bulgarian tax collector who came to collect taxes. They took the tax collector's head to the town at the foot of the mountain and threw it in front of the tribune.

From then on, the village of Pushgoti surrendered to the Eastern Roman Empire, and the elders, in accordance with ancient tradition, gave the precious furs from the mountains to Constantine XI.

Constantine XI was very happy and reciprocated the favor by building a nice wooden church for the village of Pushgoti with his own money.

Due to political needs, the dirt road leading to Pushgoti village was quickly repaired, making transportation more convenient and faster, and more traveling merchants came to the village.

However, this place is still too remote and there are no valuable commodities, so it is impossible for large caravans to stop here.

Torosi Notaras and several guards walked on the rugged mountain road. After many turns, the village of Pushgoti was already in sight.

As we got closer to the village, we saw more signs of human activities. On the hillside, a group of goats were grazing on the grass, and a sheepdog was standing on a mound, watching the movements in all directions with a fierce look.

Torosi's approach soon attracted the attention of the sheepdog, which started barking at the cavalry and disturbing the shepherd boy who was enjoying the cool under a tree.

The shepherd boy jumped up, picked up the wooden bow and hunting knife, and looked at the person who came over vigilantly.

"Who are you? I have never seen you before!"

The shepherd boy shouted in broken Greek.

"I am Torosi from the Notaras family, the commander of the First Hunter Regiment of the North Macedonia Military District. I am here to discuss important matters with the village elders!"

Torosi also responded loudly and showed the military district's appointment documents to the shepherd boy.

"I can't read!"

Torossi was helpless and pointed to the seal at the end of the document.

"The seal of the golden and red double-headed eagle is something that only the emperor dares to use. You must be familiar with it, right?"

The shepherd boy looked carefully, and after confirming that it was correct, he put down the wooden bow, but still held the hunting knife tightly, keeping a safe distance from Torosi.

"It's going to be dark soon, take us to the village."

Torossi smiled friendly.

The shepherd boy nodded and blew a whistle. The clever sheepdog rushed towards the flock like an arrow and gathered the sheep together.

"Boer goat, is this a gift from His Majesty Isaac?"

Torosi pointed at the fat goat with interest.

"The new breed that came here two years ago is much better than the previous goats. They can eat, grow, and give birth!"

The shepherd boy gradually let go of his grudge and waved his hand proudly.

"We are the first batch of villages in the entire North Macedonian Military Region to pilot the promotion of Boer goats. The villages at the foot of the mountain are all envious!"

"You guys wait here, I'll go get a few things."

The shepherd boy returned to the tree and pulled out two dead pheasants from the hole.

The pheasant's body was covered in blood, obviously it was prey caught by the shepherd boy while herding sheep.

"You beat all these?"

The shepherd boy showed an honest smile on his face and nodded proudly.

"I was lucky today. Although several of my traps failed, I encountered two pheasants courting each other. I can have a good meal when I get home."

"If you are really a guest from Skopje, the elders will surely host a banquet for you, and you might even be able to taste the pheasants I caught."

"How many hunters as good as you are there in the village?"

Torossi asked.

"Me? There are many people who are stronger than me. Some people dare to fight wild boars. I don't have the ability to do so."

"Sir, the mountain folks may not know much else, but the skills passed down by our ancestors are not rusty."

Torosi and the guards looked at each other and were also very happy.

"See, I told you that we were in the right place, but you just didn't believe me."

The guards also complimented him with a smile.

The shepherd boy collected the prey, the sheepdog drove the sheep, and everyone set out on the journey back to the village together.

"Sir, you just said that your name is Torosi?"

The shepherd boy tilted his head curiously.

"What, you know me?"

"In the Thracian War a few days ago, as the commander of the militia, he led thousands of militiamen to force a crossing of the Arda River and burned down three large Bulgarian granaries in one fell swoop, causing the enemy to be thrown into disarray and forced to withdraw."

The shepherd boy thought he understood and raised his head proudly.

"After the war, Emperor Isaac commended your achievements, made you a baron, and granted you a castle outside Tripoli and an attached manor."

"Oh? You know me so well?"

Torosi laughed.

"Every month, a postman would deliver official documents, and the village priest would explain them to us. The contents included news, policies, commodities, anecdotes, etc."

"However, the old priest said when he was drunk that these were all political tasks used by the emperor to control the people, and he didn't like to do these things."

"What about you? What do the villagers think?"

Torosi asked curiously.

"It's free anyway, and there's no harm in listening."

The shepherd boy scratched his head.

"By learning more about the situation outside, we can also find out the latest prices and purchasing policies of furs, bacon and herbs, so as to avoid being cheated by unscrupulous merchants."

"Some time ago, several uncles in the village heard about the recruitment, and after finishing their own farm work, they went down the mountain to work as helpers for others. The wages they received were enough to buy a few more clothes for their wives and children."

"The men of Pushgoti are strong! They are not afraid of hardship!"

"Have you ever thought about learning to read and write, doing easier work, and getting better pay?"

Torosi saw that the shepherd boy was cute and patted him on the shoulder.

"The village priest does teach reading and writing, but no one has the time or money. Only a few children from rich families can afford to go to school."

The shepherd boy shrugged, not really envious.

"I herd sheep and hunt during the day, and tan leather at night. My family can't do without me, so how can I have time to study?"

Torossi nodded silently.

"Well, now there is a chance for you to change your fate, but the risk is no less than fighting a wild boar. Are you willing to try it?"

"How to change your destiny?"

"You'll find out later."

Torosi lightly squeezed the horse's belly to speed up the team. The team moved forward at a constant speed and soon arrived at the Pushgoti village built on the mountain.

There were militia guarding the entrance of the village. After we made our purpose known, the villagers immediately became active, some slaughtering chickens, some cooking soup. The old priest from Constantinople was extremely happy to hear that his fellow villagers had arrived, and he brought over the fine wine that he had collected for many years.

The dining table was quickly set up. At the long square table, the village elder sat at the head. Torosi and the priest sat on the left and right of the elder. Torosi's guards and other important people in the village also sat down in turn.

In recognition of the distinguished guests' arrival, the priest allowed the villagers to have a day of joy and abolished the curfew. The game meat was sizzling on the campfire, and men, women, and children sang and danced around the fire.

"My Lord, what is the purpose of your visit?"

Half drunk, the elder stopped chatting and looked at Torosi who was gnawing on chicken wings.

Torosi swallowed the food in two or three mouthfuls, drank the wine in the glass, and sighed with contentment.

"At the beginning of this year, Bulgarian Bey Mahmoud besieged Kardzhali to no avail, and he did not have the strength to challenge Adrianople and Constantinople. When a domestic rebellion occurred, he withdrew his troops and returned."

"Mahmud was a commander with relatively high moral standards. He did not want to go too far, so he issued some decrees in the occupied areas of Thrace, prohibiting soldiers from harassing civilians who had surrendered."

"However, the Bulgarian nobles under Mahmoud didn't care about the kinship at all and looted almost everything in Burgas and its surrounding towns, which made Mahmoud so angry that he started to curse." "But it was precisely because of this that Mahmoud could no longer gain a foothold in Thrace, and he evacuated Burgas and returned to Bulgaria not long ago."

Torossi stared at the flickering candle in a trance.

"Your Majesty believes that it is time to teach the Bulgarians a lesson."

"If we don't defeat them, I'm afraid these barbarians won't surrender easily."

Torosi sneered.

"Currently, Emperor Isaac has arrived in Constantinople and is training his army, storing food and fodder, and preparing for the offensive next year."

"Several military districts on the front line have received orders to assist in the attack. After resting for half a year, we will officially send troops to Bulgaria in the late spring of 1464."

"During this half year, necessary diplomacy between the two sides will continue, and border clashes are certainly inevitable."

"You mean... conscription?"

The elder put down his plate, his expression clearly unhappy.

"It's not conscription, it's recruitment."

Torossi shook his head.

"In the past five years, thanks to your Majesty's proper policies, the population of the Balkan Peninsula has increased dramatically, more and more farmland has been reclaimed, and the taxes collected have also been considerable."

"In order to cope with the increasingly severe diplomatic situation, His Majesty is preparing to expand the military and prepare for war."

"So that's it."

The elder breathed a sigh of relief.

Conscription is different from recruiting soldiers. The former is an emergency measure taken by the monarch during wartime, which involves dragging a large number of civilians onto the battlefield to be responsible for military supplies and miscellaneous tasks during the march and to serve as cannon fodder during combat.

If you recruit soldiers, it is equivalent to getting a stable job. You will receive a salary while you are alive, and you will be arranged a job after you retire due to injury or old age. You will also receive compensation if you die on the battlefield.

Soldiers in the Eastern Roman Empire have always been treated very well. That is why whenever there are vacancies for the regular army, they are immediately snapped up. Ordinary men would not be able to pass the selection of the recruitment office if they do not have a strong body.

The gap in troop numbers brought about by selecting the best from the best may directly determine the victory or defeat of a battle and even affect the direction of the war.

"Which legion is recruiting? Is it the Eighth Guards Legion stationed in Skopje?"

A sturdy man from Pushkoti village asked with a look of longing on his face.

"I tried when the Eighth Legion was recruiting soldiers last time, but unfortunately, I was rejected because my riding skills were too poor."

The big man touched his nose regretfully.

"No, the Central Government is directly responsible for recruiting soldiers for the Guards Corps. Our military district cannot intervene. If they recruit soldiers, it will not be my turn."

Torossi was a little embarrassed.

"Moreover, after the establishment of the 12th Guards Corps, His Majesty has clearly stated that the number of corps will no longer be increased. It will only be more difficult to join the Guards system in the future."

"That's the border guard?"

The big man was a little disappointed.

Although the treatment of the border guards is not bad, it is still much worse than that of the central army. The military district will indeed distribute land to the soldiers, but the ownership of the land is still in the hands of the military district. After retiring, the soldiers either receive a sum of money and leave, or spend money to redeem the land.

"Yes, due to the expansion of the defense zone, the emperor allowed the three major military districts in the north to expand their border guards. The Kerzhali Military District and the Albanian Military District each received a quota for a border defense regiment, and our North Macedonia Military District received two."

"What are the specific requirements? If it is still a cavalry regiment or a heavy armored corps, our villagers may not be able to do it."

The elder pondered for a moment and asked slowly.

"According to the Emperor's order, the border defense regiments formed by the Albanian Military District and the North Macedonian Military District this time are all mountain hunter regiments."

"Mountain Hunters?"

Several villagers looked at each other in confusion, having never heard of this term.

"The Mountain Hunting Corps is a corps that specializes in mountain warfare. It mainly recruits hunters from the mountains. Soldiers need to be proficient in bows and arrows, adapt to survival in the mountains, know how to use special terrain, and know how to set traps."

"This type of corps is not responsible for frontal combat. It is responsible for reconnaissance, guerrilla warfare, delay and infiltration. Its main weapons are hunting bows, hunting knives and light crossbows. It is equipped with leather armor, not heavy armor."

"There are many mountains near North Macedonia, and the adjacent western Bulgaria and southern Serbia are also mountainous. They are not suitable for large-scale military operations, and the army cannot be deployed here at all."

"Therefore, the existence of the Mountain Hunter Corps just makes up for the Empire's shortcomings in this regard and will play an important role in the subsequent wars."

After Torosi finished his speech, the villagers frowned, trying to digest the information they had just received.

"You mean, after we join the army, we still do the same old work, but the prey has changed from beasts to enemies?"

"Exactly that!"

Torossi slammed the table.

"Not only that, each mountain hunting regiment will also have a sniper team, which will recruit sharpshooters to be responsible for sniping enemy officers in the mountains and paralyzing their command system."

"Due to the particularity of mountain warfare, the Mountain Hunter Corps can only recruit soldiers from the mountain villages. Your village is the first stop of my recruitment journey."

"If that's the case, there's absolutely no problem for the young men in our village."

The elder twirled his beard and nodded.

"I can't say anything else, but when it comes to hunting, the villages down the mountain can't compare to us. The Pushgotis have been using hunting bows since childhood. A good hunting bow can accompany us throughout our lives, even to the grave."

"Our village also has the largest number of sharpshooters. Some veteran hunters can even shoot down a goshawk, let alone the stupid Turks."

"As for life in the mountains, with all due respect, you grew up here and will adapt to life here."

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

Seeing that the elder had no intention of objecting, Torosi became much more interested.

"When I was the commander of the militia, I found that the militia in the farming areas were not as good as those in the animal husbandry areas, and the militia in the animal husbandry areas were not as good as those in the fishing and hunting areas."

"The mountain folks are simple and hard-working, unlike the urban folks who are cunning and profit-seeking."

"Especially the citizens of Constantinople, who were used to a prosperous life. They shouted louder than anyone else before going to the battlefield, but after going to the battlefield, they fled faster than rabbits."

"They all want to be businessmen and make money, and they are not qualified to go to the battlefield."

The elders and villagers were very pleased with these words. They all laughed heartily and were very happy.

Only the priest from Constantinople had an unpleasant expression on his face and snorted, but he didn't know how to refute, so he turned away with a stern face.

"Elder, does that mean you no longer object to us going out and exploring the world?"

A man looked at the elder's face.

"Ah, is it any use for me to object? All of you have your minds wandering to the sky."

The elder sighed.

"The Emperor has been kind to us. You are loyal to him and can earn money to support your family. Why should I object?"

“Mountain dwellers are born in the mountains, grow up in the mountains, and die in the mountains. This is a worthy death.”

"Don't worry. Mountain hunters don't have to fight sieges or wars of attrition, so their mortality rate isn't that high."

"Besides, the mountain hunters have just appeared, and the enemy has not yet developed a targeted countermeasure. Before this, only the Ottomans had a similar military organization."

Seeing that the elder was a little sad, Torosi comforted him.

"A mountain hunting corps with a full strength of 300 people, led by me personally. Your village can be assigned 40 people."

"When the time comes, I will bring them back home in glory."

"I hope so."

The elder nodded.

"It's getting late, sir, and you should get some rest. I will spread the news throughout the village and let the young men come to accept your selection."

The setting sun has completely sunk below the mountain, a full moon hangs in the sky, and the brilliant Milky Way stretches across the sky.

In Pushgoti village, the news of recruiting mountain hunters has spread like wildfire. Villagers gather in twos and threes, talking about tomorrow and imagining the future.

Ambitious hunters have already begun to polish their hunting bows, and the children are making a lot of noise and pestering their elders with questions.

When the sun rises tomorrow, the hunters will be selected by Torosi at the training ground and receive some necessary training from him to become a real mountain hunter.

The mountain hunters will leave the village carrying the expectations of their families, kill enemies and make meritorious deeds in the mountains. Some people will never return, leaving behind regrets.

However, more hunters will return to their hometowns with glory, change the fate of themselves and their families, caress the scars on their bodies in the afterglow of the sunset, and tell their children and grandchildren about the war with a smile.

Perhaps, when that day comes, they will still think of this distant night.

(End of this chapter)