The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 200: You Can’t Learn This

The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 200: You Can’t Learn This

The next day, in the western region of Blood Hill territory, Duveen gets a glimpse of Henwell's First Guard Corps. There's no elaborate drill or display; just one look, and Duveen realizes this army's elite nature far exceeds his expectations.
After a long silence, Duveen asks, "Do you have more like this?"
Henwell shakes his head, "Two more!"
Duveen gasps, "How on earth do you sustain three of these elite corps?"
Henwell gestures toward Peace Haven, "I know how to make money!"
Recalling the troops that performed for the delegation, Duveen asks, "The camp near your manor, is that your defensive force?"
Henwell laughs, "Nope! That's my training camp!"
Indeed, the troops from the previous drill were merely recruits, not the formal army. They've been training for several months, enough to put on a decent show. It's easy to fool the other delegates, but not someone like Duveen, a senior commander from the Iron Wall Legion.
Duveen, being a seasoned warrior, understands Henwell's capabilities. He knows that while the training camp soldiers appear elite, they don't quite match Henwell's reputation and record.
After a long pause, Duveen remarks, "You're always ahead of us! It seems sending me to learn from you was a wise decision! So, Henwell, we're about to face the Ika Kingdom again. How about you show me a thing or two?"
Henwell grins, "Hey! You're teasing me now! Actually, Iron Wall has its own spirit. Blindly copying my methods isn't beneficial. The Iron Wall Legion has its unique combat style. While exchanging ideas can be beneficial, overlearning might disrupt your rhythm. What's truly best is what suits you."
Duveen shrugs, "Well, I've got to learn something to take back, right?"
Henwell asks, "How many people did you bring over?"
Duveen thinks for a moment, "Around three hundred! I've got a few dozen with me, the rest are staying in the city."
Henwell already knows the exact number of people Duveen brought. If he couldn't figure that out, his intelligence network would be pointless. The battle-hardened warriors are hard to miss with their unmistakable aura.
However, Henwell chooses not to reveal this knowledge, as it might come off as trying to intimidate Duveen. After all, their relationship is currently on good terms.
The veterans of the Iron Wall Legion, upon learning of Henwell's identity, naturally feel a sense of kinship with Peace Haven. It's foreseeable that in the coming period, Peace Haven and the western Iron Wall will enjoy a honeymoon phase, with increased exchanges between them.
Henwell is careful to nurture this relationship. As long as the Iron Wall Legion harbors no ill intentions, Henwell is more than willing to support this ally.
Duveen and Henwell have a good relationship, and strategic cooperation will be necessary in their upcoming wars. There's no need to keep too many military secrets from each other.
While everyone knows Henwell has hidden elite forces, the exact number and strength remain uncertain. The Iron Wall Legion is the second group, after the Phoenix family, to have a clearer understanding of Henwell's formidable army.
Duveen gathers the Iron Wall contingent, which consists mostly of officers and some officer cadets—a highly elite tactical unit. From then on, Duveen, along with the Iron Wall contingent, closely follows the training of Henwell's recruits.
Over the next few days, Duveen gains significant insights. He marvels at the intensity of the recruits' training and is equally impressed by their meal quality.
When he learns about the recruits' pay, Duveen understands why Henwell previously advised against Iron Wall Legion blindly imitating his model.
Simply put, Henwell's army is expensive to maintain.
The recruits enjoy daily meals that include meat, and the food is plentiful and not just basic grains.
During the selection and training phase, each recruit earns ten silver coins a month. After the two-month selection and elimination process, less than half make it into the training camp. Once in the camp, soldiers receive a stipend of twenty silver coins monthly. After a year, this increases to thirty silver coins, which equates to half a gold coin per month.
The recruits undergo a year of basic training.
Following this, they're assigned specialized training based on their individual strengths, and only then are they selected by various units.
In Duveen's view, entering the training camp already qualifies them as Iron Wall Legion soldiers.
However, Henwell's standards differ; after over a year of training, only thirty percent make it into Henwell's main combat corps. Fifty percent are chosen by other units, and the remaining twenty percent are eliminated from the military ranks.
Duveen feels it's an outrageous waste.
The twenty percent of recruits who are eliminated are already elite by Iron Wall Legion standards. Yet, Henwell dismisses them.
What Duveen doesn't realize is that these recruits aren't simply sent home. They are absorbed into quasi-military forces like the Constabulary. Other governmental departments also select some of these eliminated recruits.
Many departments maintain small armed units to handle internal issues and protect their operations. The recruits, having undergone systematic training, exhibit discipline and order far beyond that of regular recruits.
Additionally, they spend two hours daily learning the common language and writing of the continent, along with basic educational materials.
These are the kind of members every department urgently needs!
Since Henwell's military and governmental reforms, several departments specifically compete to recruit these eliminated soldiers.
Even those eliminated during the initial selection phase of the training camp are in high demand, provided they aren't completely unsuitable. And if no department wants them, there are always factory managers ready to snap up the talent!
For those who, due to character or other reasons, aren't wanted by anyone, Peace Haven's trade caravans are eager to take them.
After all, a trained individual is generally more valuable than a farmer. Thus, Henwell's investment in training these recruits ultimately benefits Peace Haven entirely, with virtually no waste.
Duveen doesn't grasp Henwell's strategy of using military achievements to drive overall progress. He only sees Henwell as extravagantly spending money.
The soldiers selected for the main combat corps earn a monthly salary of one gold coin, with annual bonuses bringing their income to fifteen gold coins. Duveen can't fathom the ferocity of an army built with over a million gold coins. Maintaining such a corps costs Henwell over four hundred thousand gold coins annually.
It's practically an army of gold!

Chapter 200: You Can’t Learn This