Our Family Has Fallen

”Boudica is part of the Honor Guard, while Amanda is my friend. Neither of them are within the army system.

Once they take action, they execute the toughest missions, which naturally means the highest risk, often getting injured. Facing death head-on is not an exaggeration.”

”I am not weaker than them!” Margaret confidently asserted her strength, ”I can also join the Honor Guard.”

Lance looked at her and speculated that her liking for hunting was, to some extent, a yearning for battle, somewhat similar to Boudica. This shows that bloodline truly has an impact in the Extraordinary World.

”Not just anyone can join my Honor Guard. They are all battle-hardened, each possessing extraordinary skills. More importantly...”

Lance looked at Margaret and asked her a question.

”Have you ever killed anyone?”

As expected, this question rendered Margaret speechless.

She had killed many hunting animals, but she had never truly killed a person. Even in situations where she took action, it was only to teach a lesson.

It can only be said that she single-handedly raised the moral standards of the Imperial Nobles.

”What are you most confident in?”

”My marksmanship, both long guns and short.” Margaret didn’t know why Lance suddenly asked this,

”If I just reject you like this, you definitely won’t be convinced. So I’ll have someone from the Honor Guard have a shooting match with you. If you lose, consider this over.”

”What if I win?” Margaret’s competitive nature flared, and she directly filled in what Lance hadn’t said.

”If you win, I’ll agree to it,” Lance unhesitatingly promised.

The Honor Guard has plenty of people skilled with guns, they can’t lose to you, can they?

Without further ado, Lance took Margaret directly to the training ground.

The training camp is now separately designated for training new recruits, while the active soldiers are pulled out to train in the new military camp opened in the suburban area outside the town.

These professional soldiers are fully committed, supported by Lance, and the biggest difference from the Serf Soldiers and militiamen is the more intensive training regimen.

Basically, except for sleeping, their day is filled with training and studying, interspersed with short periods of rest.

Such cost-intensive training turns ordinary people into a truly elite force in a short amount of time.

”The shooting range is over there.” Lance led Margaret through the area, with no intention of entering the military camp.

Margaret curiously watched the training of some soldiers.

She found them shouting while waving bayonets, engaging in combat, but the bayonets were sheathed, only causing pain if struck.

Some were thrusting at humanoid targets, specifically targeting weak points. If it were a person, getting hit would likely be fatal.

”Hamlet’s muskets are different from those elsewhere, why do they have an extra part?”

”Of course, with a small modification, a muskety isn’t just a firewood baton after running out of bullets; it becomes a stabbing spear, which is very practical in battle.”

Lance explained and, noticing Margaret’s expression, added with a smile.

”If you win, I’ll give you a new gun.”

”Really!” Margaret was suddenly interested. No gunner can resist the allure of a new gun.

Lance didn’t care at all, handing out empty promises effortlessly. As for fulfilling them, we’ll see once you win.

In Hamlet’s army, all the infantry have switched to muskets, some with bayonets, and some are still using the standard guns bought from Totnes.

Guns are about mystique, realistically speaking, it’s about the feel, which is why the saying ’Sharpshooters are made with bullets’ holds true.

Even though current flintlock guns aren’t so particular about this, Lance still schedules shooting drills for them to develop shooting instincts, or muscle memory, to avoid panic on the battlefield and forgetting how to reload.

After all, there’s no harm in a guaranteed minimum. If in the process a few sharpshooters emerge, it’s like hitting the jackpot in a gacha game with a gold card, exhilarating!

Especially with an operation planned, the training intensity has increased even more recently, attracting quite a few people at the shooting range.

”Hello, My Lord!”

Lance frequently appears in the army, so the soldiers aren’t fazed, beyond offering a simple greeting.

Usually, Lance doesn’t interrupt their training progress, but today he doesn’t mind giving Margaret a challenge, showing her what Hamlet’s strong soldiers are all about!

”Come, come! Go gather the top ten sharpshooters in the camp.”

Motivating soldiers’ training enthusiasm can’t be reliant on material rewards alone; more importantly, it’s about providing them with a platform to showcase their skills.

For this, Lance publicly lists the achievements of top performers in various areas. Initially, there were ten, then thirty, and now fifty, as the number of troops increases, more names are added to the list.

But this hasn’t diminished its value, as the competition is fierce in the lower rankings, and those listed possess exceptional skills.

Lance frequently organizes major competitions within the army, inter-battalion confrontations, and various contests to stimulate competition among them.

In an honor-driven army, if your battalion loses to another, it gets a bad reputation. They train hard, aiming to win next time around.

Under Lance’s summons, except for those on leave or deployed elsewhere, three out of the top ten sharpshooters in marksmanship have arrived.