I'm not a lord

Chapter 215 The Roar of War Machines

On the evening of the banquet, Lynn announced that the newly awarded medals would be presented the next day, followed by a grand awarding ceremony.

The news quickly spread throughout the army, and most soldiers were speculating and discussing the possible recipients of the medal.

The cavalry under Hugo, the second son, was the most active.

The cavalrymen all believed that their troops were the greatest contributors to the Battle of Sanhe City, and that most of the medals should rightfully be awarded to them.

After all, it was they who defeated Count Blackwood's three hundred cavalrymen and even killed the Count himself, thus obtaining the biggest and most delicious prize in the war.

However, they heard that there were fewer than one hundred medals, but as many as one hundred and fifty cavalrymen participated in that war.

There aren't enough to go around!

That night, the cavalrymen got quite drunk, and naturally, they started arguing about who should receive the medal.

However, a small number of cavalrymen did not participate in the dispute, and some even watched their comrades, who were blushing with embarrassment, chatting and laughing.

Simply because they are the well-deserved recipients of the medal.

In that earth-shattering cavalry charge, they formed the first rank of the cavalry formation, withstood the fierce charge personally led by Earl Blackwood, and ultimately killed Earl Blackwood in battle.

They are the strongest and bravest warriors, the elite of the elite, and they deserve that medal that symbolizes glory.

This included the 22-year-old cavalryman Leshek.

Leshchek was a native of the Shallows Territory and came from a family of knights.

However, he should now be considered a resident of Qiantan County.

When he was twenty, two years ago, Leszek's father died in a drunken brawl.

He inherited all of his father's property by swearing allegiance to the female regent Flora.

These properties included two warhorses, two longswords, three sets of full chainmail, and a small estate housing ninety-five serf households.

In addition to these visible assets, he also inherited his father's entire crew of knights, including five squires of varying skill levels.

With the help of the female regent Flora, Lesshek married a young wife, a beautiful girl who also came from a knightly family, in the same year he inherited the manor.

His married life was very happy. Not long after their marriage, his wife became pregnant and gave birth to a big, healthy boy the following year.

Leshke himself was highly valued by the female regent because of his martial prowess and loyalty, and was responsible for guarding the southern border of the territory.

However, this period of good fortune was short-lived. A new baron arrived in the White Bear Territory north of the Shallow Beach Territory, and soon the White River Basin was thrown into turmoil.

Last October, Baron Lynn of White Bear Territory launched a two-pronged attack on Shallow Beach Territory.

Thick black smoke immediately rose above the castle in the shallow waters.

As arranged by the female regent Flora, after seeing the black smoke, Leszek led his entourage south to Green Lake Territory as quickly as possible to seek help from Bogdan, the then Baron of Green Lake Territory.

Before he could even request reinforcements from Green Lake Territory, the castle and several knight manors in Shallow Beach Territory were successively captured.

The regent Flora, the young baron, and the baron's guardian Henrik all perished in the war.

Miss Jacoba, the daughter of the former baron, parachuted into Shallow Beach Territory and, together with Baron Lynn of White Bear Territory, completely occupied the territory.

At the urging of his fellow countryman, the knight Bois, Leszek finally chose to pledge allegiance to Miss Jacques.

Because of the 'secret wedding' between Agna and Lynn (at least on the surface), Leshek indirectly became Lynn's subordinate.

He still had no choice; he and his five servants' wives and children were all in Lynn's hands. He either had to submit or become a lonely figure.

This looks like a multiple-choice question, but it's actually a single-choice question.

The day after his surrender, Leshchek's family estate was confiscated, along with his five squires. In his place, he was given a new cavalry status and a stable, well-paid salary.

He was indeed dissatisfied, but he still had no choice.

Lord Lynn not only controlled his family, but also wielded absolute power, leaving Lynn with no choice but to obey him like a goat.

But gradually, he discovered that this job was better than he had imagined.

Although the job and salary of this cavalryman are not hereditary, the income is no less than before, and it saves the trouble of managing the manor.

Those serfs were all lazybones who loved to eat and do nothing. If no one was whipping them from behind, they would immediately quit and slack off.

To manage these lazybones, Leshek and his servants had to devote a great deal of energy and time to farming during the busy season.

This will inevitably take up the time he spends honing his physique and martial arts skills.

Now that the lord has sent officials to supervise these lazybones, he only needs to collect his wages and focus on training.

After more than half a year of training, Leshek found that his horsemanship and combat skills had made great strides, and he could even rank among the top in the cavalry unit full of experts.

In the army's collective skills competition, he stood out again and was promoted to a ten-man squad leader. He was also assigned a brand-new, shiny plate armor jacket.

When he touched the plate armor with his own hands, Leshchek trembled with excitement.

For a true warrior, the importance of weapons and armor is no less than the honor and responsibility on his shoulders.

Sharp and durable weapons help them kill enemies, while fine and sturdy armor allows them to fight without any worries.

Leshek was certainly a connoisseur; he knew all too well what a frenzied bidding war would ensue if this plate armor were to fall into the market of Three Rivers City.

But this plate armor, which looks quite valuable, is completely free.

The lord didn't take a single silver shield from him; he simply and generously distributed the plate armor to him for free.

Besides the plate armor, his warhorse was also completely free.

When the lord inspected the army, he stood on the reviewing stand and personally promised the cavalry: "Fight to the fullest for the land, for honor, for me, and for yourselves!"
"Don't worry about the loss of weapons, equipment, or mounts, and don't worry about your families. I will take care of everything for you. All you need to do is fight, fight, and fight some more!"

Leszek remembers clearly that the response from the audience to the master was an extremely fanatical sonic boom of 'Loyalty!'

Even he himself became part of the fanaticism.

For a fleeting moment, he felt that he was perfectly capable of dying for his lord, without any hesitation.

It can be said that, apart from losing the manor that could be passed down, the lord solved all his pain points.

The only thing that slightly annoyed Leszek was his new superior—Hugh, who was the captain of the cavalry unit.

It is said that Hugo was an old subordinate of the lord from the beginning, and it was through this relationship that he easily became the captain.

During daily training, Hughes was so strict with the cavalry that it was almost obsessive.

He actually demanded that hundreds of cavalrymen be able to form a neat and orderly formation during a high-speed charge?

In Leszek's mind, this was something that could not be done.

When cavalry charge, they will naturally present a relatively dispersed formation due to differences in the quality of the cavalrymen and their horses.

At least in the past, in the shallow waters, knights never gathered together to practice formations.

But Hugh didn't care about any of that. Any cavalryman who refused to train according to his requirements would have their wages deducted or be confined.

After several reorganizations, all the cavalrymen had no choice but to obediently train according to Hugo's instructions.

Leshke was also penalized with a pay cut for not taking training seriously.

There were quite a few cavalrymen like him.

A few arrogant individuals even threw their gloves at Hugo's face after leaving the solitary confinement room, demanding a duel!

But every duel ended in a complete victory for Hugo.

Even the strongest and bravest cavalrymen could not defeat the seemingly tall, thin, and weak captain on horseback. After several duels, the cavalrymen were temporarily convinced of his superiority.

Under Hugo's tyranny, they could only obediently accept the monotonous training day after day, and could only go home to visit their families for three days each month.

Leshek was not entirely convinced, and he still believed that this kind of training was not very effective.

In the chaos of the battlefield, they could not maintain a tight formation.

But the cavalry battle in the western suburbs of Sanhe City completely changed the perception of the 'Leshek's'.

They were prepared to die, facing an enemy cavalry force nearly twice their size with only 150 riders.

The outcome of the war exceeded everyone's expectations, including the enemy forces and the Leshek's men.

They managed to completely rout an enemy force twice their size with minimal losses, and even killed a genuine noble count!

Leshke was not present when Count Blackwood was killed.

Because the one who took the first shot from the Count was none other than Leszek.

Thanks to the superior defense of his plate armor and his well-honed physique, he withstood the bullet, but at the cost of a large bruise on his chest, requiring a month of rest before he could mount his horse again.

But this did not stop Leszek from drinking heavily at the banquet.

Even if a black bear rips out a man's guts, a man from the North can still drink three large glasses of ale and swallow ten hard-boiled eggs!

Now, the Leshek men are completely convinced of Captain Hugo's authority.

Brothers, formation drills really work!

Oh, and the plate armor issued to the master, that thing is even more terrifyingly powerful!
As Leshchek sat by the campfire, half-drunk, his second brother, Hugo, who had just attended a banquet in the tent, approached him.

Upon seeing Hugh, Leshchek instantly sobered up considerably. He struggled to his feet, instinctively clenching his right fist and pounding it against his chest: "Captain!"

Unexpectedly, Hugo reached out and grabbed his wrist even faster, and even smiled: "You are injured in the chest, there is no need to bow."

Leshke had never seen such a gentle side of Hugo before, and he was deeply moved. He sniffed and said, "Thank you, Captain!"

Hugh released his wrist and patted his right shoulder, his expression turning serious again: "Don't drink too much. Tomorrow you have to go on stage to receive the Earl's medal. If something goes wrong, it won't just be you who loses face, it will be the face of our entire brigade."

"Yes, Captain!" Leshek threw the wooden bowl in his left hand to the ground, indicating that he would not drink again tonight.

At the same time, the cavalrymen who were drinking and singing around the campfire also noticed their captain, and they all stood up and saluted.

With this one war, Hugo has solidified his prestige in the military.

No cavalryman dared to question him anymore; everyone's face was filled with respect and awe.

From skepticism to submission, all it takes is one victory.

Hugh looked around at his men and said, "We've had enough to drink. Go back to sleep. We'll attend the medal-awarding ceremony tomorrow!"

"Yes, Captain!"

As the cavalry returned to their camp, the more than two thousand soldiers from the other three units also quickly returned to their respective tents.

This military camp, where discipline was paramount, quickly fell silent.

Late at night, another torrential downpour began.

The next morning, as the rain gradually stopped, Leszek was awakened by the whistle of the officer on duty.

He lifted the tent canvas, and a rush of cold air mixed with the scent of grass hit him—a unique smell of the North, washed clean by torrential rain.

"Everyone assemble, breakfast!" Hugo's voice echoed through the camp.

As planned, the entire army will assemble at the drill ground today to participate in the medal awarding ceremony.

Leshchek was so excited that he didn't feel like eating breakfast. He quickly drank a bowl of hot porridge and followed the main force to the training ground where the parade was held the day before.

The scene was buzzing with people.

Perhaps it was Leszek's imagination, but he felt that the number of people present was several times that of yesterday.

This is not an illusion.

To amplify the event's impact, Lynn deliberately spread news of the investiture ceremony throughout the western suburbs estate and Three Rivers City.

People like to join in the fun, especially since entertainment options are scarce these days.

When the news spread, people naturally brought their families to watch this unique award ceremony.

As time went by, Leshchek's heartbeat quickened with excitement and tension, the rush of blood making him slightly dizzy, and a heavy metallic sound inexplicably echoed in his ears.

He didn't even hear what the lord was saying on the stage.

It wasn't until it was time to go on stage to receive the award that he and a group of equally nervous and excited comrades slowly walked onto the stage.

Standing on the stage, looking at the thousands of eyes below, the naturally shy Leszek felt a wave of dizziness.

Although he was born a knight, served as a squad leader in the cavalry, and even led the charge in battle, he had never seen anything like this before!

At this moment, his heart rate even exceeded that when he was on the battlefield.

He couldn't remember what happened next.

All he remembered was the thunderous applause from the audience when the lord smiled and pinned the medal on him.

After the awarding ceremony, Leszek seemed to wake from a dream.

Only when he touched the heavy brass medal on his chest could he realize that it was all real.

In addition to this medal, he will receive a series of material and spiritual rewards.

This includes extra monthly medal subsidies, congratulatory visits from the local government of Shallow Beach County, and priority promotion opportunities.

In short, after a while, Leshek should be able to be promoted to cavalry company commander.

For Lynn, today's award ceremony was a great success.

Through the ceremony, he imbued the seemingly inexpensive brass medal with a wealth of honor and profound meaning.

It not only rewards the recipients and their families, but also inspires other soldiers who did not receive medals, and can even demonstrate the glory of serving in the military to onlookers, thus stimulating their enthusiasm for joining the army.

Lynn's plan was to recruit another thousand soldiers in the newly occupied territories, and once the ripples caused by this medal ceremony continued to spread, the subsequent recruitment should be completed without much difficulty.

In addition, this award ceremony can be seen as the official call to arms for the next war.

Lynn's war machine, which resembles a heavy truck, is now fully operational and urgently needs to find the next lucky one to act as a speed bump.

Just as the medal-awarding ceremony at the western suburban military camp was drawing to a close, the Duke of the Marshland in the distant eastern city of Tot was also inspecting his newly integrated army of ten thousand men.

These dukes of the Marshland have been holed up in the city of Tot.

Since Maurice in Amber Harbor dared not leave the city to pursue them, the Duke simply leisurely consolidated the army and held a lavish banquet for the generals to unify their morale.

The effect is naturally obvious.

After reductions and selections, the Duke's court cavalry expanded to a full four thousand men.

The troops of other nobles and mercenary groups have also been expanded.

After the retreat, he quickly prepared for the next war.

(End of this chapter)