Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"Don't think about saving everyone; that's a feat only a god can achieve," Bard said, clenching his fist and looking directly into Winters' eyes. "If we can save half of the people, we can rest easy in heaven, or in hell."

...

All refugees at the Qingfeng Town camp took oaths, and Bard ordered the documents to be posted on the camp's bulletin board.

The next day at dawn, [Qingfeng Camp] would set off for South Eight Town in Iron Peak County, and the other fifteen "camps" would also depart in sequence.

Bard planned to take all the refugees to Wolfton Town, Blackwater Town, Wugou Town, Niutigu Valley, and Shizhen.

These were the most desolate lands at the southwestern tip of Iron Peak County and farthest from the enemy.

He knew that the vast majority of refugees hadn't fully grasped what he had said, and he also lacked the time to explain things to them in detail. But that was alright; they would understand in time.

"Let's go!" Bard mounted his horse with a step and took the Saint Ados Emblem. "To the next camp."

...

Compared to the solemn and oppressive atmosphere of the refugee camps, the mood where Winters was seemed relatively relaxed.

The looming great war meant that Bard and Mason were handling the big and small affairs of the refugee camps.

Winters was completely focused on reorganizing the military forces.

Of primary importance was turning the captives from the Ronald Division into his own soldiers.

Initially, Montaigne's stationed officers had wanted to select able-bodied refugees for enlistment, but they soon realized there was no need to do so.

Because Major Ronald had already completed that task for them.

The troops under Ronald's command were composed of the strongest adult males from among the refugees.

Moreover, the officers from the former Revodan garrison had provided these "new recruits" with basic military training.

Recruiting, training—the commendable Major Ronald had taken care of it all, sparing Winters much trouble.

The four large squads that originally belonged to Ronald now had four different destinations.

Three centurion teams were led away by Bard, Andre, and Mason;

A small portion were currently on the "labor farm" in Wolf Town—those caught when Winters ambushed the sortie for food supplies.

Samukjin was in charge of overseeing them with the militia from various villages in Wolf Town, and as per Winters' arrangement, they were likely felling trees and building houses.

An additional small portion had deserted on the retreat route; back then, they were still Ronald's soldiers.

The rest were captured by Winters, totaling 1,178 men.

Winters firstly eliminated all soldiers of Revodan origin.

Afterward, he added a small number of strong men from the refugees.

Finally, he appointed his old subordinates as centurions and decurions in the new troops.

According to Winters' structure, the new troops were reorganized into one hundred arrows, 1,200 men in total.

If this were a standing army, such size could already employ phalanx tactics.

But Winters was short on muskets, so all the hundred arrows were spearmen.

In the previous Imperial military system, soldiers recruited from different territories, counties, and states were separately organized into regiments.

A "regiment" was not only a military unit but also a recruitment and administrative unit, which suited the current situation of Winters' forces well.

The provisional number that Winters gave to these 1,200 soldiers was [Iron Peak County Infantry Regiment], with ten provisional centurion teams under its command.

In addition, there were three centurion teams of "old troops" led by Bard, Andre, and Mason—structured outside of the infantry regiment.

Winters had originally planned to mix these battle-experienced soldiers into the new troops, but the counterattack from the New Reclamation Legion came too quickly for the new troops to develop combat effectiveness.

So rather than spread himself thin, it was better to form a tighter fist.

Thus, Winters refrained from making major changes to his three most reliable centurion teams for the time being, only drafting some of the veterans to serve as military officers in the Iron Peak County Infantry Regiment.

His troops now had flesh and bones, but the army was still lifeless, hardly even qualifying as an army.

They were nothing more than a group of refugees struggling for a scrap of bread.

This army lacked a soul.

Next, Winters had to ensure his soldiers truly became his "warriors."