Chapter 30: Appointment Through Combat

Spring had arrived, yet the air still carried a lingering chill.

Half a month after stationing in Tyniec, the patrol recruits faced their training assessment. In the open space of the barracks square, a row of soldiers stood in formation, clad in black tabards and cloaks, clutching round wooden shields in their left hands and short spears in their right. Aldo and his two companions stood behind the soldiers they had trained, while Ron stood beside his own.

The square was surrounded by Tyniec’s city guards and idle townsfolk who had come to watch.

"They certainly have an air of authority about them," a spectator remarked.

A man in the crowd, looking like an officer with his arms crossed, said sourly, "They’re drilled like beasts every single day; it would be a wonder if they couldn't stand properly." Though he disliked these men who trained like animals, he had to admit that the moment they stood there, they possessed a palpable momentum—unlike his own city guards, who stood in a crooked, disheveled mess.

Ignoring the distant crowd, Yate stared at his soldiers and announced loudly, "You have trained for half a month, and today I want to see the results. The competition consists of three parts: the first is the shield-and-spear line formation, the second is the three-man combat formation, and the third is individual combat skill. The first two parts will be contested between the three squads, while the third will be a one-on-one duel. The winners of the first two parts will be rewarded with half a barrel of beer, and the winner of the third will receive five pfennigs in copper coins."

"We begin with the first part: shield-and-spear line formation."

"Listen to my command—form up!"

"Roar!"

With a unified shout, the men held their shields to their chests, leveled their short spears, eyes fixed forward, left legs bent, right legs pushed back half a step, their bodies leaning slightly forward.

Yate scanned them from left to right. Their movements were largely uniform; the first squad trained by Aldo was the most precise, while the young soldier trained by Ron appeared flustered, his hands and feet trembling slightly.

"Defend against arrows!" Yate shouted the second command.

"Roar! Roar!"

The three combat squads contracted. With the center man of the line standing firm, the men on the left and right retreated to his front and back—one crouching with a shield to protect their legs, the other raising a shield diagonally to protect their heads. Ron’s formation was missing the leg-protecting round shield.

Yate stepped forward to inspect the defensive formations one by one. While they had executed the basic movements, some had gaps between their shields that were too wide, and others were not in a straight line, leaving their bodies exposed.

"Form up!"

"Roar!" The three men broke their defensive posture and returned to the line, shields raised and spears leveled.

"Advance!"

"Roar! Roar! Roar!" Keeping their posture, they shouted three times and took three steps forward.

Ron, on the far right, caught a glimpse of Jason lagging behind due to his small steps and cursed him a thousand times in his heart.

"Attack!"

"Roar, roar, roar!" Maintaining their stance, the men thrust their leveled spears forward three times.

"Break formation!"

"Roar!" The men stood up and lowered their shields, holding their spears vertically against their chests.

Yate walked over to Aldo and the others. "The first assessment is over. The first and second squads were quite uniform, but the first squad’s formation was tighter. The first squad wins the first assessment."

Yate ordered all soldiers to return to their positions.

"Next, the second part: three-man combat formation."

"The first and third squads will face off, and the second squad will face the guard squad. The winners will then face each other. Being struck on the primary attacker counts as a loss. I will join the guard squad." Yate took a round wooden shield and a long staff from Aldo and stood to Ron’s right as a support.

Aldo’s first squad and Kazak’s third squad began their match. The short spears were replaced with long staffs tipped with white chalk.

Tuba, a large man, was the lead attacker for the first squad. He held his shield in front, his long staff pointing at the opposing formation, his eyes locked on the enemy lead. Two support soldiers stood by his side, shields protecting their flanks.

Upon Aldo’s command to attack, Tuba charged. The two formations collided and stalled. Sensing his side being pushed back, Tuba shoved forward with all his might. The opponent retreated half a step, revealing a gap, and Tuba seized the moment to thrust his staff through.

On the other side, the guard squad Yate had joined was also competing. Yate had been busy socializing with Tyniec’s elite—the captain of the guard, the warehouse steward, the grain officer, and others—to secure tools, seeds, and weapons for the wooden fort and the patrol, all while supervising Aldo’s training. Consequently, he had only joined the guard squad’s training sporadically, resulting in a lack of synergy.

Even though the opposing soldiers were mindful of Yate’s status, they were raw recruits themselves and could not perfectly gauge how to "lose" without making it look obvious. The uncoordinated guard squad suffered, and before long, Jason was struck by the opponent's lead attacker and eliminated.

With only Yate and Ron remaining, their formation became more agile. Although Yate mostly defended to keep the match fair, Ron, frustrated, used their smaller numbers to his advantage. He avoided the enemy leader, circled to the side, and repeatedly jabbed at the support soldier's legs. The enemy formation faltered, and Ron lunged at their leader’s shield, but in his intense focus, he failed to notice a staff coming from his left...

...

In the first round, the third squad was quickly defeated when the first squad’s leader found an opening. After losing their left support, the guard squad fought bravely but fell when Ron neglected his left flank.

In the second round, the first and second squads were evenly matched. However, as fatigue set in, the second squad’s formation loosened. Tuba’s first squad, having gritted their teeth and stayed together, spotted the opening and charged, shattering the second squad’s formation.

Seeing the fallen men of the second squad being helped up, Yate announced, "The first squad wins the three-man combat formation."

In the final individual combat skill test, the favorite, Tuba, did not win. The top spot went to Simon Kunz, a lean man from the third squad. Yate was not surprised; Simon had been a professional bounty hunter in the south of Provence who had been on the run after killing a lord’s second son, surviving by working for caravans and guilds.

That evening, Aldo bought half a sheep and hired a cook to boil a giant pot of mutton soup over a bonfire. Yate fulfilled his promise, providing a thirty-pound barrel of mild beer for the first squad, and personally handed the five copper pfennigs to Simon.

Under Aldo’s instruction, the first squad shared the beer with the rest of the patrol. Every man held a piece of meat in one hand and a bowl of beer in the other, enjoying the rare indulgence after their grueling training.

The feast lasted until midnight. Once everyone was full, Yate gathered them by the fire. Standing tall, he announced, "Gentlemen, it is God’s will that brought us together. You have become my soldiers, and you shall be my brothers. After half a month of hard training, you have mastered the basics of a professional soldier. Our time in Tyniec is up; tomorrow, we march south to suppress bandits and keep the peace."

"I am now officially confirming our structure, appointing officers, and setting pay."

"Until we recruit more men, the patrol is divided into three tiers: combat squads, platoons, and the company. A combat squad consists of three men, led by the lead attacker. Two combat squads make a platoon, led by a platoon leader who also serves as the first squad's lead. Two platoons make a company, which I will command."

The structure was as Yate had planned.

"The first recruit squad is now the second combat squad, led by Tuba. The second recruit squad is the fourth combat squad, led by Simon. Bass and Kazak will form the first and third combat squads from the remaining men. Jason is assigned to Bass’s squad."

Yate paused to let the information sink in.

"The first and second combat squads form the first platoon; Bass is the platoon leader. The third and fourth combat squads form the second platoon; Kazak is the platoon leader."

"Ron will serve as my personal guard and scout, receiving a platoon leader's pay."

The crowd went silent. Bass and Kazak glanced at Aldo. It was strange that the most capable man, Aldo, was not a platoon leader, but Aldo remained unmoved.

The answer soon followed.

Yate’s voice deepened. "Aldo Fernand has shown the greatest aptitude since we marched south. I appoint him as the deputy commander of the patrol, responsible for training, managing pay and supplies, and enforcing discipline..."

"As for pay, ordinary soldiers receive ten pfennigs a week; squad leaders, twelve; platoon leaders, fifteen; and the deputy commander, eighteen."

Yate had secured a collection of surplus military boots, belts, and blankets from the city, along with short swords, broadswords, hand axes, maces, and arrows. He had also purchased a few rough-hewn arming swords, arming doublets, and leather armor. Every soldier was issued a black oak round shield, a six-and-a-half-foot spear, a black tabard, a leather belt, and a thirteen-inch dagger. Squad leaders received an additional eighteen-inch short sword or mace; platoon leaders received a three-foot broadsword or arming sword and an arming doublet. Aldo and Ron were given an extra layer of leather armor.

Each man also received a mess kit, leather boots, a waterskin, a leather pouch, and a whetstone. Each platoon was assigned a tent, and the company was equipped with a wagon, two mules, a horse, and a supply of grain and tools.

...

The next morning, after bidding farewell to Viscount Pierre, Yate led his patrol out of Tyniec’s south gate, marching toward the frontier.

Viscount Pierre stood on the ramparts, watching them go. He asked his guard captain, "Did he really divide them into a three-tier structure?"

"Yes, my lord," the captain replied. "I had someone listen in at their camp last night."

The Viscount pondered the structure, muttering to himself, "Yate, are you a religious guard, a forest hunter, or do you have some other hidden identity?..."