When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 763: Simple Norn
When Jeanne walked into the conference room, officers of all ranks were sitting at the long table, listening attentively to Horn's explanation of the situation.

Patting her chest, Jeanna secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Jeanna tiptoed to the table and just as she turned around to pull out a chair, she heard a whistle behind her.

Jeanne turned her head suddenly, but saw two rows of determined faces and couldn't tell who was blowing the whistle.

Rudy Lowe and Coleman are two big mouths!
Feeling her ears turning red, Jeanna glared at them fiercely and sat down beside the main seat.

"Ah, well, now that Jeanna is here, we can get down to business." Horn quickly brought the subject back to the point.

Although it was an emergency meeting, Horn had sent someone to notify them in the afternoon, so they were well prepared.

One issue after another was put on the table and finalized one by one by the officers and staff monks of these regiments.

How many soldiers should be recruited this time? How many local civilians should be mobilized? How many orders for guns and cannons should be placed in Huilu Town? How many carriages, horses, donkeys and mules should be mobilized?

The frontline officers and the central staff monks were communicating rapidly, clerks were coming in and out, and the paper rolls, maps and ink bottles on the table were piling up more and more.

"Your Majesty," Jeanna suddenly spoke up, "Regarding the manpower issue we discussed earlier, there is someone who may have a solution."

Horn, who was holding the household registration book and had a headache, raised his head and asked, "Who?"

"When I just left, a teacher from the Saint-Tange Military Academy gave us a suggestion that I think is reliable." Jeanne always speaks directly, "It's just that his identity is quite special."

"Is he of a special status? Let him in first. As long as he can come up with good ideas, his status doesn't matter."

A minute later, a middle-aged man with an untidy beard walked in.

Looking at the man walking in, Horn felt that he looked familiar, but he didn't know where he had seen him.

Fortunately, the privy monk beside him reminded him: "This is the leader of the Eagle Group, Griffin."

Horn suddenly realized that these were the two mercenary groups that had fought a meat-mincing battle with them in Cheese Bay.

The two empires' top mercenary groups were split up after the war, and most of the soldiers were incorporated into new armies in various places or were called instructors.

Among the leaders of the two mercenary groups, Gildado was originally appreciated by Meliati and became a military adviser.

However, due to his involvement in the previous noble spy case, he was exiled to the Eastern County of Black Snake Bay.

Griffin and other mid-level officers, such as the phalanx commander, were assigned to the St. Tangier Military Academy to teach officers.

Earlier, Victor and his men complained about how they had a defeated general to teach them a lesson.

But the fact is, as a large mercenary group with decades of history, the Eagle Group has fought in various countries for many years and has rich experience and combat history.

Although their military theories are not systematic and sophisticated, they are quite good at commanding middle and lower-level officers and basic theories.

This is also what Horn's young army lacks the most.

"Mr. Griffin, it's been a long time." Horn walked up to him and shook hands.

Griffin had a complicated expression: "Greetings to you, Your Majesty."

"Jeanne said, you have something profound to say?" Le Fay asked sarcastically.

"It's not a high theory." Griffin said, "When I heard about the Archduke's defeat and Naidbach's defeat, I knew you would be worried about manpower.

It seems to me that with your power of control, it would be more than enough to recruit another twenty or thirty thousand men, but I am still moved by your kindness.

Let me make a small suggestion. Have you ever considered using foreign mercenaries to fill the manpower gap?"

"The quality of the mercenaries is too low." Before Horn could say anything, an officer below retorted, "At that time, my infantry regiment of 500 people swept away your phalanx of 2500 people!"

"That's impressive." Griffin didn't look at the officer who was speaking, "But what I want to say is that after hiring the mercenaries, they should be split up and retrained."

Horn blinked and said, "Go on."

“You see, mercenaries have all received basic marching drill and weapons training.

As long as we eliminate the lazy soldiers and retrain the rest, we will have a combat capability that meets your minimum requirements in one or two months."

Horn responded.

Just like weights and measures, the training system of the Holy League is standardized.

The commands are the same, the training is the same, and the command can be given in the same way by changing the officer, so why must we use people from Qianhe Valley?

Of course, the hard conditions must be met, and it is only necessary to remove the identity restrictions.

It is difficult to use it to fight a tough battle like Cheese Bay, but it is enough to fight a conventional battle.

Das asked, "You mean, let's go to other people's territories to recruit soldiers and use their manpower to help us fight?"

"Yes." "Then where can we recruit them?"

Many officers were uncomfortable hearing that outsiders were going to join.

"The most classic source of soldiers is the Norn mountain people on the east side of the Dragon Sleep Mountains. They are close, brave and have a good reputation."

“What about morale and wages?”

"Give them half the daily wage, including food and lodging, and they won't have any complaints in three years." Griffin said, as if no one knows the Norn better than me. "If we pay them enough, their morale may not be the same as yours, but it won't be too far behind."

"why?"

"The Norns are all very simple, and they all live for money and loyalty."

The senior officers all lowered their heads and started to communicate with each other, some agreed and some disagreed.

"We can give it a try." Horn finally made the decision, "Let's recruit 4000 people to test the waters first."

…………

After meeting all night, the generals left one after another and began to make preparations.

Horn and Jeanna decided to have breakfast and take three hours of sleep before heading to Rapid City.

After all, the mess of war bonds left by Meliati is still there.

Horn now has some ideas on how to alleviate the problem of war bonds.

The finances cannot afford to take money from the treasury in a short period of time.

Since neither domestic debt nor fiscal revenue can be spared, we have no choice but to rely on foreign debt.

Catherine had told him this. If the Holy Alliance sold them government bonds with workshops and land as collateral, the Kingdom of France would definitely buy them.

The Franks wanted the workshops and the land, but they did not claim them.

The Holy Alliance sold them national debt. Even if King Jiji occupied the Thousand River Valley in the future, they would have a very legitimate reason to invade, and would be able to gather a large number of new nobles and citizens in the country.

Because to them, land claims and titles are not important, what is important are markets and workshops.

Catherine is currently handling this matter.

Judging from Horn's current performance against the Franks, there is a high probability that they will take the bait.

"Your Majesty..."

Walking out of the Holy Visitation Hall, Horn had just stepped half a foot out of the door when he saw that nearly a hundred officers who had served as guards were still there.

In the morning light, the officers stood in a circle, waiting quietly outside the door.

These officers are basically promoted from the army's tenth captain level and after graduation they can be appointed as captains of fifty people in order.

In the past, many captains of fifty men had to go to the military academy for supplementary lessons.

Admission to military academies also requires examinations, which ensure that you have a basic understanding of reading, writing and arithmetic, and can read and understand normally.

Most of them have served in the army for two years and attended military remedial classes.

The first thing to do in a military academy is to learn the tactics and related knowledge of the corresponding arms, and the second is to make up for the cultural courses and related concepts.

These officers will be able to graduate in one or two years at the fastest, or two or three years at the slowest.

However, the St. Tangier Military Academy was established only two and a half years ago, and the highest-level students are only in the first semester of their sophomore year.

Now that I have heard that there is going to be a war, I am naturally nervous.

"Your Majesty, are the Leia people going to invade early?"

Horn hesitated, but answered truthfully: "Yes."

"Then what should we do? I've only been in school for half a year." A young officer from Black Snake Bay looked worried.

Horn looked around and said, "I know what you are thinking. Soon, you will end your studies early and enter the battlefield.

I know you are being forced into this, and I am being forced into this too. We are all being forced into this.

If you don’t know, read a book. If you don’t understand, ask people. Learn and accumulate experience at the same time. You are all people who have actually been to the battlefield. Are you afraid of this?
I might as well tell you that your teachers in military academies will also enter the army as staff advisors.

There is still more than half a year before the war begins, so you can just treat it as a practical class and final exam for the new semester."

(End of this chapter)