Chapter 307 - Corps Planning (Patreon)

Reivyn sat at his desk, reviewing the documents before him. His mind was a bit elsewhere, though, as he went about his task. Most of the documents were just records. He didn’t want to be blindsided by anything that might have seemed like a small issue at first but somehow snowballed into something serious. With his Clarity, he was able to speed through the records with barely half a mind to them.

The paperwork that really took his time and was annoying were his own reports he had to generate for the regular army. Just reviewing records and reports could hardly be considered “doing paperwork,” in his opinion. It was just being responsible and informed.

The real issue he was going over in his head were ways he could improve the effectiveness of the Mercenary Corps. In his opinion, they were at the peak of what they could do with their current organization.

What elements are we missing that could change the battlefield? Reivyn pondered. The biggest issue is the lack of combined arms, but I’m already working on fixing that with the Magic Academy students. Most of the powerful Caster Adventurers were attendees of one or more of the Magic Academies, but a lot of graduates don’t tend toward the combat side of Magic.

There are limited numbers of Academy students interested, and self-taught Caster Adventurers are just not as good. A long term solution would be to sponsor and train combat Casters ourselves. We don’t really have the infrastructure for that, yet, but it’s definitely a direction I would like to pursue eventually. We also won’t have to teach other aspects of Magic that are mandatory in the Academies, just the combat aspects and whatever supplemental knowledge that enhances combat.

The short term solution would be to send out missives to all the Magic Academies in the lower Tier Regions under the Wispan Empire.

With that thought, Reivyn paused his reviewing of the reports to call out to the Staff NCO outside of his office.

“Staff Sergeant, come in here for a moment,” Reivyn called out, projecting his voice without raising it. The Staff Sergeant quickly entered the office and came to attention in front of Reivyn’s desk. “Do you know if we’ve sent any communications to the lower Region Magic Academies for volunteers or recruits?”

The Staff Sergeant paused for a moment as he mentally went through the catalog of reports he could remember.

“No, sir, we have not,” he denied.

“What about the local Magic Academy? Have they sent any communications?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“Send someone over to find out, and if they haven’t, set up a meeting for me to collaborate with them on bringing more students and graduates up here that might be interested. Oh, and send a message to General Kayzor that I’ll be coming over to meet with him in about half an hour.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Staff Sergeant returned to his desk to get the order taken care of, and Reivyn continued his ponderings while flipping through the reports.

It will take some time for any of them to travel up here, and that brings up another point: Fast Transport. We need a way to more quickly and efficiently move troops to and from points of conflict. Marching is a good Skill that can harness the troops’ Physical Stats, but we can improve that. Plus if they don’t have to March everywhere, they’ll be fresher and have more Stamina to engage in combat right away. Maybe I can ask Kailey and Riley to think of ways to enchant wagons to improve their durability, stability, and speed.

That leads to the next issue: Cavalry. I’ve seen Adventurers with their own personal mounts from tamed beasts, and I clearly remember a cavalry unit when I was in Magron, but there doesn’t seem to be one here in Wispan. Is that because higher Tier Classers are just better off unmounted? That doesn’t seem right, as long as we can find equivalent Tier mounts. I’ve already decided to meet with Kayzor, so I’ll ask him. Light and Heavy Cavalry could really open up strategies and tactics on the battlefield.

So Mages could be considered artillery and long-range weapons, cavalry are fast movers, the troops themselves train in javelin throwing, so they’re close-range and melee. We need medium ranged combatants, too. A unit of archers directly behind the melee troops, closer than the Mages.

Air superiority is not really a thing, but considering Cultivators can “fly,” and I’m sure higher-Tier Classers can, too, it might be a thing one day. As long as we continue growing our Tiers and Levels, we’re guaranteed to open a new front in the skies, but that’s a problem for the future. It’s not really an issue one way or another right now.

We don’t really need naval or amphibious abilities, but I have taken the time to figure out how it would work. I might need to take the Corps out to some rivers and lakes to practice just so they have the skills and Skills to do so. I’ll re-evaluate based on what kind of terrain we’re stuck with for our next deployment. There’s not really time to implement such a task right now. I can make note of it for the units that stay in garrison to look into it, though.

Reivyn had already received word that Gennet and Garet were in negotiations with the next empire seeking assistance. He believed they would reach an agreement any day now, and they would be moving out with the next company in line soon. This was also one of the main reasons he was going through all the records to keep abreast of all the little issues.

Reivyn planned on going on the next deployment, but this time he wouldn’t be commanding them. He would leave it to the Captain and other officers. He would still be in charge, of course, but they would be running the show for the most part.

No, he was going to lead an elite force this time. Unless he needed to step in to take charge, he was going to take the opportunity to combine being effective on the battlefield with personal growth. Sure, he still benefited from being the leader of a combat unit, but not in the way he was currently wanting to improve.

Reivyn finished reading through the reports, and then he made several notes on what he wanted the Mercenary Corps to work on in his absence. He would have a meeting with all of the officers later.

He waved to the Staff NCO as he exited his office and made his way over to Kayzor’s unit. Kayzor sometimes dropped in to their headquarters, but he still had his own main unit to take care of. Reivyn couldn’t expect him to always be around, especially considering he was technically Reivyn’s superior. While he wasn’t above Reivyn in the chain of command, he was laterally in a higher position.

It didn’t take long for Reivyn to arrive at his future brother-in-law’s office. The headquarters building was built in the same layout, but the staff members seemed much busier than his own. He briefly pondered the reason why as he made his way up to Kayzor’s office.

He nodded to the NCO as he walked around his desk to knock on Kayzor’s door.

“Come in,” he heard from inside.

Reivyn walked in and found Kayzor half laying on the floor, his legs propped up on a couch, tossing a ball up and down into the air.

Ahh, that’s why the staff are busier, Reivyn snorted in amusement. If it doesn’t have something to do with sparring or fighting, Kayzor always finds a way for someone else to take care of it.

He actually didn’t begrudge his friend his attitude. His unit wasn’t any less off because of it for the most part, and they weren’t expected to be deploying anywhere any time soon. It was a different environment, and Kayzor still ran a tight ship, all things considered. It wasn’t like the work wasn’t getting done at all.

“Ahh, Reivyn,” Kayzor’s eyes lit up as Reivyn entered the room and closed the door behind himself. The ball was quickly forgotten and ended up bouncing off of Kayzor’s head as he fluidly maneuvered himself into a sitting position on the couch from where he had been sprawled out. “What can I do for you, ‘ole buddy, ‘ole pal? Is it time for some more sparring matches?”

“Maybe later,” Reivyn chuckled as he pulled one of the chairs around to face the couch and plopped down in it. “I’m here on official business, first. We can see about beating each other up after.”

“Sure, sure, all the more reason for me to quickly help you out with whatever you need. What is it you need, exactly?”

“Cavalry,” Reivyn simply said, watching Kayzor’s face for his reaction.

Kayzor frowned.

“You need cavalry?” He asked.

“Mhm,” Reivyn nodded. “More specifically, why isn’t there any cavalry in the Imperial Army, and how would I go about setting up my own? I’ve seen cavalry units in lower Tier Regions, but there haven’t been any in any of the Regions I’ve visited since arriving in Drallo.”

“Oh, that’s actually quite simple, really,” Kayor replied. “In Tier 1 Regions, the Levels of the people, monsters, and beasts means that cavalry is a much higher force multiplier than in the higher Tier Regions. Could we benefit from having a dedicated cavalry unit? Of course. Is it worth it? Not really.

“Like you know, we’re focused on culling beast tides and monster hordes. Those kinds of enemies don’t exactly plan their attacks. We have no need to out-maneuver them on the battlefield. There they are, there they’re going to be.” Kayzor shrugged. “Plus, horses are much more vulnerable to monsters and beasts in the higher Tier Regions. They get targeted and killed much too easily.

“The cost-benefit doesn’t make sense.”

Reivyn thought about it for a moment before nodding along.

“That makes sense,” he admitted. “However, things are different now. We can’t expect that we’ll never be invaded by other humans, and then it would be too late to try and train up an effective cavalry unit. We should really start now, before we need it and don’t have it.”

“Your idea has merit,” Kayzor said, stroking his chin. “Equine sports are still popular among the nobility, and there’s ample economic structures around the trade of horses. I’m sure we could come to an agreement with the higher end merchants and organizations that specialize in the field. I’ll have one of my guys draft a report and send it to my father as well as up the chain of command. Being a prince has its uses,” Kayzor winked.

“Excellent,” Reivyn chuckled. “I have the Horsemanship and Ride Skills. I’ll have to find out who else in the Mercenary Corps has them. You should query your own people, too. My two Skills are only 24 and 25, respectively, so I wouldn’t be much of a trainer, even with my teaching Skills.

“You said equine sports were popular among the nobles? What about yourself?”

“I’ve always remained grounded on my own two feet,” Kayzor denied. “I have the Skills, of course, as is practically required of all nobility these days, but they’re about as high as yours. I’ll contact my buddies and some of the other nobles serving in the army to find some appropriate trainers. We could always go with the civilian trainers, you know.”

“That would work for the basic Skills,” Reivyn said, “but not for everything we’re going to need. Fighting on horseback and doing stunts are two completely different things. We can leverage them to increase the rate our troops gain the Skills, but we’re going to need military-minded people to really turn it into an effective combat role.”

“Yes, I see that. Well, I’ll find those who have the Skills who are currently serving and turn them towards designing training regimens and tactics while we simultaneously hire the civilians to help everyone unlock the Skills.”

“That sounds like a plan.”

“Was that all you wanted to talk about?” Kayor asked, his expression turning hopeful. Reivyn laughed.

“Pretty much. I have other people working on my other ideas, and there are other channels for acquiring other things I need. I was just really puzzled about the lack of cavalry units, but it seems we have everything covered up to a point.”

“Alright!” Kayzor clapped his hands together as he leaped to his feet. “Let’s get this show on the road, then.”

Reivyn continued to chuckle as he followed his friend’s cue. He put the chair back and quickly followed Kayzor out of the office. Kayzor made a beeline for the training grounds, Reivyn trailing behind.

They quickly equipped themselves with training gear and squared off against each other. Technically they could eschew the training gear. They were Skilled enough and familiar enough with each other that there wouldn’t be any accidents, but then they wouldn’t be able to actually strike the other with any significance. Getting hit hard in an opening was a good way to learn to  close that opening the next time, after all.

Reivyn had drastically increased his Skills since the last time they sparred. He didn’t know how well Kayzor kept up with his own training, but it couldn’t be anything comparable to the masters he had squared off against in the Outpost. Several of them had been considerably more Skilled even than Refix, and both he and his father had taken advantage of their willingness to spar with them to improve their own Skills.

Reivyn patiently watched Kayzor as he stood ready across from him. He glided forward and struck out at the other man with a casual strike, gauging the other man’s responses. They had a blistering fast exchange of blows. Reivyn quickly grasped Kayzor’s Skill Level - Probably getting close to around 90 -  and adjusted his own style to press his friend.

At first, Kayzor was able to keep up with the attacks and send his own reprisals Reivyn’s way, but Reivyn slowly ramped up the pressure. After a couple of minutes, Kayzor was no longer retaliating, only defending himself from Reivyn’s increasing  speed, accuracy, and unpredictableness. A few more minutes, and sweat began dripping down Kayzor’s face as he did everything he could to hold off the relentless barrage of attacks sent his way.

Eventually the dam broke, and Reivyn landed blow after blow across Kayzor’s body. The other man was completely unable to do anything about it, his weapon always off the mark to ward away Reivyn’s strikes. Reivyn wasn’t even leveraging his Transcendant Ability.

Kayzor hopped back and lowered his weapon, panting hard from the exertion. He wasn’t actually hurt or in any pain, but Reivyn could see a tightness to the man’s expression.

“Dang, what was that?” Kayzor asked, breathing deeply.

“It seems you haven’t been keeping up with your practice as much as you should,” Reivyn teased.

“Are you kidding? I practice as much as I can,” Kayzor gestured wildly around himself. “You’ve seen what it’s like around here. There aren’t any people I can really spar with on equal footing, and those that I can have their own schedules. You did something.” Kayzor crossed his arms and pouted.

Reivyn laughed.

“Yeah, I found a couple Adventurers in the Tier 5 Region who put me to shame,” he admitted. “They sparred with us while we were there, and our Skills saw some explosive growth. Don’t pout. I’m sure you have some elders in your family that can put you through your paces.”

“Yeah, when they’re here,” Kayzor rolled his eyes. “They’re off getting better in the Upper Regions themselves, most of the time. Man, I really need someone on my level to fight against.”

“Well, I’m willing to do for you what those others did for me,” Reivyn said. “If you’re willing, I’ll go hard on you to help you improve your Skill Levels until they’re closer to mine, then we can have better matches. I even have something to help you get over the Level 100 barrier when you get there.”

Kayzor’s eyes twinkled at the offer.

“Is it what I think it is?” He asked.

“Probably,” Reivyn nodded his head. “But you’ll have to work for it,” Reivyn smirked.

Kayzor returned his own lopsided smile.

“If there’s anything I’m willing to do, it’s fight and work on my Marital Skills. Let’s go!”

Kayzor didn’t wait for Reivyn to prepare and instantly launched himself once more into the fight. Reivyn tempered his Skill level back to where he was pressuring Kayzor but not overwhelming him, and he kept it there.

The two exchanged blows, occasionally stopping to rest every now and then, for the remainder of the day. Many of the Imperial Army soldiers came and went, observing the fight between the two. They drew quite the crowd, and Reivyn suspected literally everyone in the barracks spent some time watching them.

The level they were fighting was far and above what most of the regular soldiers were capable of. That wasn’t to say they were lacking. Reivyn and Kayzor were just that much further ahead.

With their huge Stamina pools, and neither of them exhausting themselves with calisthenics and physical training beforehand, the two kept up their pace for several hours. Reivyn could already see small improvements made in Kayzor’s abilities by the time they were done. The two clasped arms, a large grin on Kayzor’s face, as the working hours came to a close.

“Now for the cherry on top,” Reivyn said. “A relaxing bath and a hot meal with the family. I believe we’re all eating together, tonight.”

“Yup, I’ll see you there,” Kayzor confirmed.