Chapter 46: Armored Sergeants
Chapter 46: Armored Sergeants
Jerusalem. Constance Manor.
Ryan watched with utter boredom as Moder trained the new recruits. Assembling in formation, marching with staves, left and right turns, squatting and standing, square formation, round formation... A mess of shuffling footsteps kicked up dust throughout the once clean and tidy manor.
"Everyone, stand at attention where you are! No whispering, no unauthorized movements, until the church bell rings!" Moder shouted, his face stern.
With his full beard and an expression that was naturally imposing without anger, he was better suited than Ryan to be a drill instructor for new recruits.
He held a horsewhip in his hand, and if he noticed anyone making an unauthorized move, the whip would immediately descend.
Under the scorching sun, the new recruits, clad in full armor, were already drenched in sweat. If not for the higher wages offered by Constance Manor and a diet far superior to that of soldiers conscripted by the Kingdom of Jerusalem, these men would never have been able to endure such tedious training. In their view, this kind of training was useless, purely designed to torment them, and did nothing to improve their chances of survival on the battlefield. They thought hacking away at a target dummy with a wooden sword would be more useful.
A full quarter of an hour passed before the church bell finally rang. The new recruits immediately let out a sigh of relief, slumping down to squat or sit on the ground.
"Remove armor and rest!" Moder ordered. "Next, I will teach you how to maintain your armor and weapons. I think you should all be very clear about the value of the armor you wear. It’s more precious than you yourselves and is the fundamental means of preserving your lives on the battlefield!"
The new recruits’ expressions turned grim; they certainly knew how much a suit of armor was worth. Before they came to the Holy Land, when they were conscripted peasant soldiers or city militiamen, their lords would never have given them armor. That was a privilege reserved only for the lord’s personal guard. This was one of the reasons the new recruits could endure such training.
Ryan watched Moder explain these basic principles, sitting lazily in the shade of a tree. After a while, the explanation ended. The new recruits began another long process of standing.