King of Mercenaries

Chapter 35: Proxy Square leader

Marlin is actually somewhat dissatisfied with this exercise. As for what is dissatisfied with it? Mainly the group of archers. In fact, the archer's killing is great. Even if there is no arrow head, the simple arrow body can hurt people within 50 meters. However, his gangsters and archers were scared by the emperor's prestige. During the exercise, they left their hands and did not dare to hurt the emperor's mercenaries. Therefore, when killing within 50 meters, everyone did not dare to pull the bowstring to the end, lest they "temporary workers" hurt those "official workers". Otherwise, when the other 100 people rushed to 10 meters before, there are absolutely no more than 40 people, and at most 20 people will be lucky. In this regard, Marin decided to collectively punish the archers afterwards. But the emperor suddenly called, he had to deal with the emperor first.

"Congratulations, knight Marin, your military talent make we stunned."

"Thank you for your compliment!" Marin began to think modestly, but suddenly remembered that this is Europe, not China, and does not need modesty. So he changed his mouth.

"You are indeed very talented, knight Marin, your defense line between the two trenches is really difficult to break. I want to ask is, if you command a complete square, the enemy will wrap around the flanks from the beginning, avoiding you. What do you do with the trenches and the pickets?" Earl Frederick asked seriously.

"Prince, if I command a complete square, if my square is alone against the enemy, I will dig all the trenches in all four directions, and no one can rush in. If my square is not Fighting the enemy alone, my flank, there will definitely be friendly protection, don't worry about that."

"This is also the case, this kind of defense, the enemy is really difficult to break through. But what if the enemy has artillery?"

"Your Majesty?" The count understands the emperor.

"Yes, how can the human body resist the shells? If my army is alone against the enemy, when the enemy fires, I will let everyone kneel and avoid the shelling. When the enemy infantry comes up, continue to fight. Because when the enemy artillery is fired, the enemy infantry will not charge, so as not to accidentally injure its own allies."

"If your phalanx is with the friendly army?"

"That would have to listen to the leader command. After all, the battlefield still has to watch the leader move." Marin looked at Count Frederick, knowing that he was afraid that he would not listen to the command, so he simply said that he loves to listen.

Sure enough, Count Frederick was very satisfied after listening to the nod.

"However, Marin Knight, your phalanx seems to have only defensive functions, no offensive function?" asked Emperor Maximilian I.

Maximilian I knew the military very well. He saw that he dug the trench and blocked both the enemy and himself. If you give up the trench, the defensive ability will be greatly reduced.

"Yes, Your Majesty, for now, this phalanx does not have any sharp offensive means. The specific method, I am thinking about it..." Marin said honestly.

"You are honest!" The emperor smiled.

"How can a lie be before the emperor?" Marin said seriously, and made the emperor's heart dark.

Western emperors and kings are not the same as the East. The Eastern rituals are strict, and the lowest-level aristocrats like Marin speak in the East and the emperor. They don't have the qualifications to stand up, and they can't even look directly at the emperor's face. Because the Eastern Emperor is in power and is in charge of the life and death of the world. In the West, the emperor and the king are only the biggest lords. Even because the tax law is not perfect, once the war is over, the emperor and the king even ask the lower aristocrats to raise taxes to help them through the difficulties. Therefore, in Europe, the emperor is not so high in front of the lower aristocrats. Of course, in the presence of serfs and civilians, the emperor and the king must be high. The existence of the aristocratic parliament made it impossible for the emperor to offend the aristocratic class. Otherwise, want to increase taxes to deal with the war? Everyone voted against you to stop you. Moreover, in the Middle Ages, most ordinary people were illiterate. The emperor wants to hire an official and must rely on the noble class with the highest literacy rate. In the East, although the literacy rate is not high, the emperor can choose to choose talents from the civilians who study. Therefore, the Eastern emperor can suppress the nobility as he pleases, and launch a noon dagger with a little resistance. The Western emperor must rely on the aristocratic class, otherwise the state can't do it.

The Holy Roman Emperor was actually a hard-working emperor. It sounds like the emperor's name is relatively high, standing above the king. But in fact, the Holy Roman Emperor, like Zhou Tianzi of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, did not have the power. But better than Zhou Tianzi, the Holy Roman Emperor had at least his own relatively large direct territory like Austria. And Maximilian I, through marriage, took control of the Principality of Burgundy, which is no less than Austria. Therefore, the difference between the Holy Roman Emperor and Zhou Tianzi is that the emperor itself is also a powerful lord who can participate in hegemony. In fact, the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor is far worse than the French King. After all, France began with Charles VII, with a regular tax, making the King's money bag much stronger than the Emperor. Moreover, after several generations of kings' efforts, the French kings regained the privileges and strengthened it's centralization. If there wasn't a strong enemy like the United Kingdom in the north of France, and a strong country like Spain in the southwest, it is possible that France has the conditions to eat into the princes of the Holy Roman Empire. Later, in the 17th century, France also eroded the territory of the Holy Roman Empire, that is, Alsace and Lorraine. After the "Thirty Years War", the French took advantage of the weakness of the Empire, cutting away the rich Alsace, and Lorraine, the largest iron ore mine in Europe. It is precisely because of this that it has caused the grievances of Germany and France for hundreds of years.

Of course, Maximilian I is also the only Emperor in Europe in this era. As far as reputation is concerned, the emperor is obviously higher than the French king. In France, there is a traditional enemy in the north, the British island and in the south Spain, and I have not yet tossed it, and I am going to Italy. Therefore, although France's financial situation is very good, it is difficult to achieve what it is to be achieved by being gang up.

...

Maximilian I found himself admiring this little knight who was "loyal" to himself, but his heart was somewhat tangled. why? This has to mention some of the habits of Europeans in this era.

In medieval Europe - even in the 18th century, the officers in the army were generally aristocrats, and there was basically no possibility of civilians serving as officers. Of course, those "civilians" who are born in aristocratic families are excluded. Those nobles who were born in aristocratic families but could not inherit the title have a very special title in Germany - Edler (Junker in Prussia). Strictly speaking, Marin is an Edler.

By convention, the highest commander of the Imperial Army is generally the Duke or the title of the Earl. The commanders of the following regiments and phalanxes are generally barons (the empire has no viscount level, only the Netherland and Lombardy regions have the title of deputy count, which can be used as a viscount).

Maximilian I believes that Marin is capable of commanding a square. However, Marin's identity is too low, it is a young man who has just been promoted to the official knight. The knight, in the Imperial Army, generally serve as a company (about 250 people) and a team (usually about 25 people). What's more, Marlin is not a veteran knight, just a new knight. Moreover, Marin's team did perform well in the exercise, but the emperor did not dare to guarantee that Marin's mercenary group could guarantee such a sharpness in the real war. After all, the real war must face the test of death. Excellent performance in training and exercises, may be a mess after the actual war. Maximilian I can't lift Marin to the Baron, but he also needs to consider the feelings of other nobles. And appointing a knight as the leader of the party, it does break the tradition.

But the emperor thought twice and decided to give it a try. Because he is engaged in a mercenary system in the empire, it is against the tradition. Therefore, he does not mind to violate it once again. Of course, he can't do too much.

In the end, the emperor appointed Marin as the acting leader, responsible for a infantry phalanx of more than 1,000 people. As for the source of the soldiers, they are directly selected from the recruitment site.

The reason for adding a "Proxy Square Leader" in front is to avoid angering the veterans. If Marin's ability is strong enough to perform well in the next battle, the emperor will reward him, he can be promoted as a baron, and will be appointed as the official leader. However, if Marin's performance is not good, the emperor can completely remove the position of Marin's commander and reduce it to the company's captain. Of course, the premise is that Marin was still alive.