Hansel Returns

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Hansel spent a week in the capital, gathering a total of 37 people interested in venturing northwest, including his good friend Bernard Francis. Among these 37 were 17 minor nobles, including Bernard, and 20 commoners, with professions ranging from scribe, engineer, to former junior officials of the kingdom.

After deciding on the day of their return journey, Hansel bid farewell to his family. His mother, Miranda, was deeply sorrowful; initially, she had hoped her son would stay after returning, only to learn he was heading to the legendary wilderness. She held her son tight, tears flowing as she complained about the officials who had assigned him this duty. Earl Abbott patted his younger son's shoulder, encouraging him to do well, "Since you've chosen this path, don't give up easily."

"Take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself. We all hope for your safety," his older brother Harrison said.

Harrison had mixed feelings about Hansel. On one hand, their father's respect encouraged him to be kind to this brother not born of the same mother. On the other hand, the so-called "lowly" blood of his brother inevitably had some negative impact on his upbringing.

Nevertheless, Harrison admired Hansel's hardworking attitude and felt regretful that his brother was constrained by his lineage.

Only their sister, Julie, was excited. Hansel had recently captivated her with tales of the northwest, like pirate treasures. "Brother, please take me with you!" she pleaded, clinging to his sleeve. When her brother firmly refused, she quickly turned from excitement to melancholy, ignoring Hansel thereafter.

"In a few years, when the Northwest Bay becomes prosperous and little Julie grows up, I'll take you with me!" Hansel reassured, patting his sister's head, which finally brought a smile to her face.

A day later, they gathered at the north gate of the capital, embarking on the road northward and the turning point of their lives.

...

After finalizing the decision to go to war against Byerldine, Paul moved the Second Infantry Battalion stationed at Frand Port to Alden Town, assembling the entire army for training and exercises.

At this point, the Aldan Army consisted of:

Two infantry battalions, each with three spearman companies and one mortar (tiger crouch cannon) platoon. An independent musketeer company. An independent artillery company equipped with two 6-pound cannons and six 4-pound cannons. An independent transport company under logistical command.

The total military personnel numbered 1355, a considerable force in the northwest region. Thanks to the substantial profits from captured pirate wealth and profits from paper-making and porcelain, Paul managed to sustain such a well-fed and well-equipped standing army.

However, the Grand Steward, Old Ford, reminded him from time to time: "If the sales of paper and porcelain cannot continue to expand, or if there is no new source of wealth, once the money captured from pirates is exhausted, this army will either have to rely on the northwest wind or disband directly and return home."

Paul worried every day, unsure of how Quiller was faring in the south and whether porcelain could be sold there.

Upon receiving intelligence that Byerldine had a considerable number of knights, Paul instructed the staff to conduct drills for the Hollow Square formation.

A complete Alden version of the Hollow Square formation looked like this: a quadrangular formation composed of several layers of soldiers. The outer layers consisted of spearmen, kneeling with their spears planted in the ground, tips outward, forming an impenetrable hedgehog formation. Inside were one to two layers of musketeers, responsible for long-distance shooting against charging cavalry. The remaining musketeers did not shoot; instead, they were positioned in the center of the formation to supply ammunition to the outer musketeers, ensuring rapid and sustained firepower. If circumstances allowed, mortars were deployed in the center of the formation to provide indirect fire support.

In essence, it was a "human fortress," with the outer spearmen forming a thick wall and the inner musketeers acting like machine gunners, though the firepower intensity varied greatly.

Although it sounded simple, it was quite troublesome to train soldiers to quickly and proficiently form an effective Hollow Square. Despite numerous rehearsals, during exercises, when given the command to form the formation without prior notice, most soldiers panicked and didn't know where they should stand, which greatly tested the organizing ability of junior officers.

Moreover, it also tested the judgment of officers, such as determining the size of the formation based on the enemy's numbers and charging formations, whether to form a large square or several smaller squares, how many layers of spearmen and musketeers to include in each square, and how to quickly repair breaches in the formation once it was broken.

After repeated rehearsals, the time to assemble a battalion-sized formation was finally reduced to about 5 minutes.

...

On that day, Paul was supervising the soldiers' training when someone came to inform him: Baron Hansel Abbott, the Royal Commissioner, had returned.

He quickly returned to the Lord's Mansion, where Baron Abbott was already waiting for him in the hall. They greeted each other warmly and embraced, solidifying their status as political allies.

After exchanging pleasantries, Hansel reported to Paul about his progress in recruiting people in the capital. Paul was delighted to hear that over thirty people had arrived in Alden Town.

Although the number was small at the beginning, Paul believed that under his favorable policies, more and more talents would come to join them.

Previously, he and Hansel had agreed to establish an office in the capital and dispatch former residents who had lived in the Northwest Bay for some time to be stationed there, continuously recruiting manpower.

A batch of buildings had already been constructed in Alden Town to accommodate the newcomers planned to be recruited, and now they could finally be put to use.

Paul asked with a slight concern, "How do your friends feel after arriving here?" He worried that if they found the Northwest Bay too remote, they might just return, making their trip pointless.

Hansel shrugged, "It's hard to say. Although it's not as bustling as the south, thanks to the exaggerated descriptions of the Northwest Bay by Crystal Glare, they actually find it far surpasses their previous expectations when they see the real scenery here."

"I see..." Paul chuckled wryly.

He then instructed Hansel, "Go see Steward Philip and reimburse the expenses incurred on the way. Tonight, we'll host a banquet to welcome the people you've brought, as they've come a long way. As for their arrangements, Grand Steward Ford will handle that; we've discussed all aspects of personnel needs."

Hansel bowed to Paul, "I'll thank you on their behalf, sir."

Then, he suddenly asked, "There's something I'd like to ask you. I felt a somewhat tense atmosphere as we entered Alden territory, and I saw militia training in villages along the way. Have the pirates launched another attack?"

(End of the Chapter)