Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

46  Cavalry

Henry's plan to educate the commanders was a crucial step in his mission to rebuild and transform the kingdom of Stahl, creating a solid foundation for the future. He had no desire to witness another scene of unprepared leaders, such as the one in the battle against Codicia, which resulted in the loss of twenty cavalry and almost sixty infantries, due to their lack of knowledge and skills to set the right timing for advancing and retreating.

The kingdom required smart leaders who could supplement and defend all fronts of a battle, enough to let Henry focus on the important battles and on the development of the kingdom without being concerned about his back being swarmed by those crawling ants. Furthermore, following this wish, Henry also intensified his efforts in enlarging the base of his army, while also asking Luther to design a structure training course that would need to be done by all soldiers.

The training course designed by Luther was rigorous and comprehensive, covering all aspects of warfare, including horseback riding, archery, sword fighting, and formation tactics. After ending this training, the leader would have enough information about the soldier's capabilities and talents, enabling them to delegate positions. This way, Henry planned on developing a well-trained and disciplined army, capable of defending the kingdom against any threat.

To recruit new soldiers, Henry sent a warrior to each village of the kingdom, spreading the word that the king needed new blood under his commands. It was a success as the roads to the capital got filled by pilgrims seeking food and shelter from the dangers of the North, leaving Henry surprised.

Two months was enough time for Henry's army to grow from three thousand to almost ten thousand, while the news of more candidates flocking the roads kept reaching the capital, making Henry's plan to restructure everything to become even more urgent. He couldn't let the city to grow disorganized and unrestrained, since it could potentially breed a hidden power beyond his throne, much like the slums on Earth where criminal organizations became the rule itself.

Henry knew that it would be troublesome to manage all these soldiers and new residents in the capital, but there was nothing he could do to stop this exodus. He needed the soldiers to resist the two kingdoms in the south. The army only stopped growing six months later, when it reached the astonishing mark of fourteen thousand soldiers, almost five percent of all Stahl's population. Henry deemed this number sufficient to stop the enemy kingdoms, even if they joined hands, even more so with trained soldiers.

-x-

"Are they ready?" – Henry turned his head and asked Luther.

Henry and Luther stood on an open field, with their eyes fixed on hundreds of soldiers mounted on the ferocious Snowfire Horses. They were firing arrows at far-away dummies, their movements precise and coordinated, as if their minds were linked.

Henry had taken special care to ensure that his cavalry was well-trained and well-equipped, emptying every iron piece in his treasury. In this medieval world, mostly in the North, where magic was scarce and battles were fought with swords and bows, the cavalry was one of the most feared and deadly forces. Henry knew that a well-trained cavalry could dominate the battlefield, and he was determined to make his cavalry the best in the land.

In sum, he wanted to emulate Genghis Khan, a legendary conqueror on Earth, who managed to take in his hands 1/3 of all Asia, being recognized as the greatest conqueror of all time. However, his conquest was only possible due to his genius military strategies and to his powerful cavalry. Henry wanted to adapt this legendary conqueror's way to his own army.

Henry ordered the barbarians and hunters to scour the First Layer of the Frozen Forest for Snowfire Horses on the second month following Codicia's death. They were able to capture 1500 of these horses, enough to create a great force even in the North, even more so when all soldiers were in the First Warriors Stage and half of them had a Tribal Tattoo imprinted on them.

Henry managed to make a complete survey of his army. It counted with 5000 soldiers in the First Stage Warrior, 400 in the Second, 50 in the Third, 5 in the Fourth and two in the Fifth. Luther was the only one in the Sixth Stage, someone capable of facing ten enemies in Fifth Stages at the same time. The rest were all normal soldiers, who didn't manage to store any mana in their hearts despite receiving Stahl's Basic Manual, which allowed them to reach up to the Fourth Stage.

Luther nodded in response to Henry's question. "Yes, Your Majesty. They are ready. They have been trained rigorously for months and are now in top condition. The Snowfire Horses have also been all tamed and bonded with their partners."

The key to a successful cavalry was to create a bond between the rider and the horse, and to train them together as a single unit. That was why Henry had ordered the barbarians and hunters to only capture the best horses for his cavalry, while also assigning them to the most skilled riders.

Each rider had to spend months bonding with their horse, learning its personality, and training it to respond to their commands. They had to know every movement their horse was capable of, every reaction, every sign of fatigue or injury, and they had to be able to anticipate their horse's needs and emotions.

But Henry didn't stop there. He also trained his cavalry to fight as a team, using formations and tactics that allowed them to outmaneuver and overwhelm their enemies. They practiced charging in waves, feigning retreats to lure the enemy into ambushes, and attacking from unexpected angles. They also trained to coordinate their attacks with the rest of the army, using the cavalry's speed and mobility to exploit gaps in the enemy lines and disrupt their formations.

In sum, they were the perfect war machine and a big present for the two countries.

"Good" – Henry nodded in satisfaction, acknowledging that his investment had been worthwhile - "Unfortunately, we haven't yet been able to discover a way to stabilize the Torch Tree's seed yet. There have been so many explosions that I had to ask the Chief Researcher Luna to move her lab out."

Immediately, Henry's mind flashed back to the blonde-haired and crazy lady that had knocked on his door, holding a bag filled with improvised testing tubs and claiming that she was an alchemist and she would work for free if he provided enough materials. However, the event following his decision made him rethink his choice.

In just two days, Luna had blown up the facilities he had meticulously built for her. He could feel a shiver run down his spine at the memory of her wild eyes and maniacal grin as she watched the workshop being engulfed by fire. It was like putting a pyromaniac in charge of a fireworks factory. Henry wanted to dispose of her, but she managed to convince him otherwise, showing some partial success in stabilizing the seeds.

However, he had no choice but to relocate her lab somewhere else, lest she incinerate the other residents.

"Continue with the training." – Henry tapped Luther's shoulder with a smile on his lips – "'I know you must be exhausted but hang in there. Once we finish, I'll reward you with some stash I've been keeping."

The old man swallowed hard as he thought about that precious alcoholic honey.  - "Which year?" – He asked.

"93…" – Henry responded with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes – "If you can train them to your best, I might give you the whole jar."

It was a simple bribe, but enough to lift Luther's spirit, which had been down ever since their return from Mirante. In fact, it appeared when he got down from the walls with Codicia's lifeless body. He was aware of the old man's stubbornness and chose not to talk about it. However, he could still try to cheer him up.

"I am going to visit Luna." – Henry tapped the old man's shoulders again, but he didn't even respond him back.

"FUCK! ARE YOU BLIND?" – The old man screamed and dashed towards one of the soldiers, not even noticing that his king had left already. He was only focused on winning that delicious jar.