Chapter 1103 - 167: Army Expansion Scale and Technology Tree · Combat Priest_2

Chapter 1103: Chapter 167: Army Expansion Scale and Technology Tree · Combat Priest_2

Among them, there are about 200 elite-level high-tier directly affiliated attendants.

Finally, the Hesse Territory also has a large-scale provincial army. After Marshal Oerstein restructured and expanded the troops, he personally reported to Su Li.

The provincial army, as the basic defense force and main field combat strength of Hesse Territory, has now expanded to a full two thousand men. This force is not composed of noble knights; its main body consists of recruited territorial residents, serving free people, and armed attendants eager for promotion.

Marshal Oerstein is well aware of this army’s positioning and value, and he reported comprehensively and pragmatically: "My Lord, the provincial army has been reorganized into a standard corps, with all personnel filled. It includes 6 long halberd squadrons, 3 crossbow squadrons, 2 walking knight squadrons, 4 impact knight squadrons, 2 squads of dwarf warriors, and 1 squad of thundering musketeers. The remainder consists of the dwarven artillery unit; after reorganization and repair, we now have 14 cannons and 3 grain cart fortifications."

"Thanks to our robust armory and numerous dwarf masters of forging, heavy plate armor and fine weapons are currently in ample supply. The provincial army’s equipment level has surpassed the standard of the Imperial Province Legion, sufficient to execute tasks such as clearing bandits, patrolling borders, maintaining public order, and serving as the backbone line in major battles. Regarding morale, due to rigorous training and clear promotion paths (with entry into the high-tier directly affiliated attendant sequence), it is currently well maintained."

"The main issue now is that, due to previous severe battle losses and the influx of many new recruits, accumulating combat experience still requires time."

"However, there are positive aspects, owed to our academy’s restructuring. Basically, each squadron has now included combat priests, banner bearers, lower-ranking officers, and medical officers. The knight squadrons have even augmented with improved warhorses."

Hmm?

Upon hearing Oerstein’s report, Su Li was intrigued. With the addition of new recruits, accumulating combat experience is quite normal, and there’s nothing much to add. With so many battled-hardened veterans in the army, all that’s needed is rigorous training.

However, he was greatly interested in the restructuring of the corps and the research of Hesse’s noble military academy.

He immediately said, "I recall the academy previously researched provincial banner bearers, rationed infantry armor, improved heavy weapons, and warhorse breeding, right? In the past six months, what additional research outcomes have they achieved?"

Oerstein answered in detail, "The achievements are plentiful, including improved cavalry armor, providing our cavalry with thicker plate armor, and covering mounts with thicker horse armor. In the next outbreak, our knights’ survival rate will significantly increase to enable their subsequent charges. Additionally, in our territory, the dwarves crafted a large number of fine-level horse armor referencing the Fiery Sun Horse Armor. Though it lacks the perfect-level armor’s strong flame burning effect and charge bonus, it provides substantial defense."

"There’s also endurance training, where they’ve developed equipment and gear for our troops to carry full sets of equipment year-round, significantly increasing endurance, thereby preparing for actual combat. This enables all knight units (impact knights) to markedly reduce fatigue rates."

"The other two outcomes are a close collaboration between the academy and the church. The academy recruited and trained a group of priests from the Sun Goddess Church with a deep understanding of war art, strong faith, and foundational divine magic and inspiring abilities. As you know, the Sun Goddess’s priests are skilled in martial arts and physically robust knights. They offer soldiers multiple encouragements in morale, faith, and life, lead by example in battles, boosting morale, and wielding warhammers to crush the fiercest enemies."

Su Li couldn’t help but smile. Isn’t this akin to national church priests and commissioners for national defense?

Of course, despite his smile, combat priests are quite common in this world.

For instance, the Emperor of the Empire’s First Halberd Wielder, Hogger Kast, witnessed such scenes in the second battle at Black Volcano Pass: "We were surrounded, with green skins all around. They knew we were finished. Then the priest raised his hammer and loudly prayed to the sky. As these words echoed over the silent battlefield, lightning struck. I swear to Regma, none of us were hurt. But the green skins were all finished."

This is a combat priest, defending the imperial faith.

Although all priests are required to carry weapons to defend their divine halls and faith, and most are at least proficient in combat, only a few fight alongside their warrior followers and the imperial army. These combat priests have threefold duties: serving loyal members within the army, providing spiritual and tactical advice to the military leadership, and striking against disloyal heretics on the battlefield. When battle comes to a divine hall, combat priests of a sect will defend it and rally other church members to repel attackers. Combat priests usually belong to orders like the Silver Hammer Order of the Redema Church. Most combat priests come from sects of Regma, Yurik, Violet, Tal, and Mole, though other sects also have symbolic combat priests defending their faith.

Each sect’s combat priests have differing images and temperaments.

Yurik’s combat priests are—snow wolf devotees, also known as wolf priests or Yurik warriors. Yurik is the wolf god, the god of war and winter. In some northern provinces, even farmers and nobles venerate him more than Regma. Those entering his priesthood are fierce and resilient, embodying the primal nature of their gods. These priests become cold warriors through their own skills, able to convey Yurik’s cold howl to their comrades, inspiring their brave and savage nature.