Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 346

Chapter 346: Dealing with the issue Chapter 346: Dealing with the issue Alpheo leaned back in his chair, his gaze heavy as it swept over the faces of his closest friends “Now, I hate to be the party pooper,” he began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of what was to come.

“But it’s time we address the elephant in the room.

By this time next year, we’re set to lose nearly half of our army.” The room, already subdued, turned eerily silent.

All eyes were on him.

Alpheo straightened, his hands clasped together as he explained further.

“When I took the throne,” he said, “You will recall that I made a promise.

A promise to our men.

They were to serve for two years, and in return, they would receive land-land to call their own, to work and pass on to their children.

For the new recruits, the terms were longer-twenty-five years, they are still a long way from that .

But for those who have stood with us from the beginning, their time is almost up.” Alpheo’s gaze grew distant.

The enormity of what had transpired since their escape pressed on him like a physical burden.

Once, there had been six hundred of them-slaves who had cast aside their chains and dared to dream of freedom, who had followed in the man they believed.

They had marched together, fought together, and endured unimaginable hardships.

Now, only three hundred and seventy remained.

The thought was daunting, almost paralyzing.

Nearly half of the men who had stood beside him in their desperate flight to freedom were gone.

One in every two men who had gambled everything on this cause was now dead.

It would be a lie to say that Alpheo did not care about them, many time he had meals with them, and whenever he marched through the camp of his army, he would meet them sometime and exchange words with them.

He thought of the faces, some that he did not remember .

Each one had fought for something better, for a life beyond servitude.

It wasn’t just numbers or soldiers lost; it was comrades, brothers-in-arms, whose absence weighed heavily on the survivors.

“One year,” he continued, his tone somber, “is all we have left with some of our most seasoned fighters.

Come December of next year, for every ten men we have in the ranks, four will retire with the land they were promised.” Alpheo’s words hung in the air like a dense fog.

He glanced at each face in turn, gauging their reactions.

It wasn’t just the loss of brothers that concerned him, as the statemen in him had to look past it , it was the loss of veterans, men who had forged the backbone of his forces.

Their absence would create a void not just in numbers but in experience and morale.

Alpheo leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the table, his expression firm.

“Before anyone gets any bright ideas about proposing an extension,” he began, his tone brooking no argument, “let me make myself clear.

I’m not going back on my word, and I’m not moving the deadline.

They deserve their peace-every single one of them.And it would do no good for the crown’s reputation not to take hold of a promise” The room was silent, the weight of his conviction filling the space.

Alpheo continued, his voice steady.

“They’ve given everything-risked everything-for this.

Come December, those who’ve served their two years will get their land.

Good land.

And they’ll settle down, just as I promised.” The others exchanged glances, nodding in agreement.

No one dared to contest the decision.

Asag was the first to speak, his voice low but resolute.

“You’re right.

They’ve earned it.” Jarza followed with a solemn nod.

“They’ve fought hard.

They deserve more than just survival-they deserve a life worth living.” Even Egil, ever the jokester, raised his cup in silent acknowledgment.  Alpheo leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the room as he began to speak.

“Let’s face it,” he said, his tone pragmatic.

“Most of those eligible for retirement will take it.

And why wouldn’t they?

They’ve earned their peace, and there’s nothing we can do about it.Anyone would like to become landowner after all ” He paused, his expression momentarily shadowed.

“It’s a big loss.

A damn big loss.

But that’s the reality we’re dealing with.” Straightening, Alpheo let his gaze settle on each of them in turn.

“But what really matters,” he said, his voice taking on a sharper edge, “are the officers.

The men who’ve been through it all, who’ve survived not just battle but the hellish first year of rule we endured.

They’re the ones with the experience, the skills, and the trust of their men.

Far more valuable than any green knight or pampered nobleman, they already know our tactics, and are fucking amazing at inspiring the men they lead.” He tapped the table for emphasis, his expression resolute.

“We need them.

They’re the brain of our forces, the ones who’ve proven they can lead under fire and in chaos.

If we let them all go, we’re starting from scratch with leadership.If we have them we can form up enough recruits to have the same level of skill of before, with the only minus being their lack of experience.

That’s not an option, we need them.” He leaned forward, his eyes intent.

“So, the question is, how do we keep them?

Or, failing that, how do we poach them back once they’ve had their taste of peace?

I’m open to ideas.” The room was silent for a moment, the weight of his words settling in.

Jarza leaned forward, his sharp features illuminated by the flickering light of the room.

“In total, we have 120 captains under our banner.

Eighty of them are Decurions, and the remaining forty are Sub-centurii,” he began, his voice steady and calculated.

The decurions were effectively leaders of ten men, while the sub-centurii commanded fifty.

Five sub-centurii formed a corps, and the army was divided into three infantry corps: two composed of standard footmen, and the third of halberdiers led by Asag.

There was also a detachment of 150 archers, but they weren’t counted as part of the formal corps structure.

In practice, however, the second corps was often referred to as the first.

Both were under Jarza’s leadership, a consolidation that had started as a temporary arrangement.

Initially, Alpheo had planned to appoint a new leader for the second corps, but Jarza had proven himself a formidable commander.

His ability to lead from the front and his knack for taking on the most dangerous assignments had earned Alpheo’s trust-and the role had quietly become permanent.

Alpheo, ever pragmatic, had little issue delegating the riskiest positions to someone as competent as Jarza.

Plus much to his glee, such structure had created a sort of rivalry between corpse, something that Alpheo adorated to see as he knew just how uplifting some rivalry between unit was, as after all a thing that a leader should always reward is over-agressivness, the roman being the perfect example of it, as they were true go-getters .  Jarza tapped a finger on the edge of the table, his expression thoughtful.

“The Sub-centurii,” he began, “are the ones we should focus on.

They have the experience and they lead larger units-, they are the one that drill them for formation and lead them forward.

If we want to keep them from walking away when their term is up, we’ll need to give them something substantial.” He glanced around the table before continuing.

“Perhaps a knighthood?

It doesn’t have to come with land-just the prestige of the title.

Pair that with an increase in pay, and it might just be enough to keep them in our ranks.” Alpheo leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he considered the proposal.

A small smirk played at his lips.

“I had already been thinking along similar lines,” he said, his tone carrying a trace of amusement.

“A knighthood would work as an excellent lure.

It costs us little but gives them something to aspire to.

And a pay raise-well, that’s always a good sweetener.

But I’d go one step further.” Jarza raised an eyebrow, intrigued.  “What if,” Alpheo continued, “by the end of their extended service, we offered them something even greater?

A small village as a fief, perhaps, after some more years of service.

After our recent wars, the crown lands have nearly increased of more than one third , thanks to our work.

We could afford to grant a few villages here and there without issue.” He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room to gauge their reactions.

“The prospect of becoming landed noblemen, even on a modest scale, would be more than enough to keep them loyal.

And frankly, it’s better to reward competence with land than to leave it sitting idle.

Plus the nobles will keep their mouth shut , as after all those that are being rewarded are veterans officers of the most disciplined force they ever laid eyes on, and if that isn’t worth a knighthood than what is?” With a general clap of end, the military reform made on that drinking table resolved the firest of problem, yet not all of them.

Clio sudddendly cleared his throat, breaking the brief silence as he leaned forward slightly.

“The next issue,” he began, his voice calm “would with the decurions.” Alpheo nodded thoughtfully, shifting his gaze toward him.

“Yes, the decurions.

Their blow won’t be as hard felt as with the Sub-centurii, but they’re still important,” he acknowledged, tapping his fingers against the table.

“They’re the ones who hold the line on the ground, ensuring the smaller groups stay in formation and follow through with orders.

They can’t be neglected, for sure.” He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing, his tone deliberate.

“For the decurions, we can’t offer them the same incentives as the Sub-centurii, but we can still sweeten the deal.” Alpheo leaned back, folding his arms as he began to outline his plan.

“A quarter increase in pay should be enough to keep them satisfied in the short term.

It’s not extravagant, but it’s fair.

Along with that, we’ll give them double the land after five years of service, plus they’ll also receive a monetary reward.

That should be enough to keep some of them from walking away.” He gave a small, almost sly smile.

“But still I think that the part that will appeal to them the most will be the rewards we will give to the sub-centurii, as they know very well that they have a good chance of rising up .

After all for every five decurions, one will be promoted to sub-centurii.

That means there’s a real chance for them to step up into a role where they can lead fifty men.

And with that comes the possibility of becoming a landed knight.

The allure of power, land, and title… I believe that’s what will tempt them the most.

Ambition is after all a demanding bitch.” Alpheo looked around at the others, his eyes sharp.

“I believe some of them will take the offer for that possibility .

It’s a strong motivator for men who are ambitious and hungry for more than just the basics.

This is their chance to break into the higher echelons of our society.” Clio gave a slow nod, clearly agreeing with the plan.

“That sounds reasonable.

Some of them will definitely take that chance.I mean was I in their place, I would” Alpheo gave a satisfied nod, feeling the weight of his decisions settle into place.

“I think we’ve got a good plan here.Tomorrow morning I will sign the correspondant document and announce it to the army.Afterward we will see the result of it”