Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 793: Domain Council Meeting IV

CH793 Domain Council Meeting IV

***

With the civilian agenda settled, Alex turned his attention over to the military representatives seated around the table.

"Our discussion on the domain’s development has been productive," he began. "However, none of those plans can be realised—let alone sustained—without a military capable of defending them."

His gaze swept across the members of the War Council.

"We face threats from the Great Berserk Beast Forest to the north, ambitious imperial nobles to the south, and perhaps even dissidents within our own domain."

"Everything we have discussed today becomes meaningless if our defence forces cannot protect it."

He folded his hands on the table.

"With that in mind, what course of action has the War Council proposed, and how can the civil administration best support it?"

Instinctively, several people around the table looked towards Saul and Udara.

Given their high-standing within the domain, many expected one of them to answer. But, surprisingly, both remained silent.

Their relaxed expressions made it clear they had no intention of speaking.

One by one, the council’s attention turned instead towards Kavakan—the Commander of the Domain Army and, by extension, Chief of the Domain’s War Council.

Kavakan’s expression stiffened.

The weretiger still felt deeply uncomfortable about occupying the positions of Army Commander and head of the War Council.

Unfortunately for him, Alex had never given him the opportunity to refuse.

In Kavakan’s own eyes, he was the weakest member of the War Council.

Standing above more powerful individuals such as Saul, Udara and the former BattleBane captains made him feel thoroughly out of place.

Yet Alex had appointed him anyway—a very deliberate decision on his part.

The military structure Alex envisioned for the Frontier March differed fundamentally from the systems currently employed throughout Verdantis—and even those used in Pangea to the best of Alex’s knowledge.

Alex intended to build a truly professional armed force—one in which military rank was separate from personal cultivation.

Since transmigrating to this world, he had repeatedly observed that many senior military positions were awarded not because someone possessed the aptitude to command, but simply because they possessed the highest cultivation.

That was not inherently a flawed system.

A powerful commander could certainly inspire confidence on the battlefield.

However, it also carried a significant weakness.

It allowed individuals with exceptional personal strength—but little ability to lead—to occupy positions of strategic importance.

Alex wanted something different.

To him, a senior officer’s—a flag officer’s— foremost responsibility was to command.

Such a person needed to think tactically and strategically, coordinate thousands of soldiers, inspire confidence, maintain discipline and, when necessary, rally an army on the brink of defeat.

None of those qualities depended solely upon one’s cultivation.

Kavakan was living proof of that.

Despite his brutish appearance, the weretiger had a charisma that made him remarkably well liked throughout the army.

Under his leadership, the former Fortuna group joined with the BattleBane troops to merge into a single, cohesive fighting force with surprisingly little friction.

Even within the BattleBanes, Kavakan had somehow earned a reputation that rivalled the unit’s Combat Master captains, surpassed only by Saul—their founder & guild master—and Alex, their liege.

Those qualities made him the ideal person to break the long-standing military traditions of this world.

’It’s a shame he’s only willing to serve temporarily,’ Alex thought with a faint inward sigh.

According to their agreement, Kavakan accepted remaining a flag officer, however, he would only be taking up the positions of Army Commander and Chief of the War Council temporarily until Alex could recruit a more suitable officer for the position—perhaps after they eventually returned to Pangea.

Even so, while Kavakan disliked the responsibility, he was not the sort to be intimidated by merely sitting at a council table.

Pushing his discomfort aside, Kavakan addressed Alex.

"As instructed, Bos—I mean, my lord(?)..."

A few amused smiles appeared around the table before disappearing just as quickly.

"...the War Council has prepared a proposal to abolish the current peasant-garrison system employed throughout the domain."

"We intend to begin large-scale recruitment for a professional standing army."

"As part of this reform, the existing practice of rewarding soldiers with farmland for their families, while only requiring them to serve during times of need, will be discontinued."

"Instead, every soldier will serve as a full-time professional. They will receive regular salaries, along with the financial benefits that Your Lordship intends to introduce."

"With stable incomes, soldiers who wish to acquire farmland for their families will be able to do so themselves, without placing an additional burden on the domain."

The hulking weretiger paused briefly before moving on to the next topic.

"After extensive consultations with the Interior Ministry, the War Council also believes that, for the foreseeable future, the total strength of the Domain’s armed forces should not exceed roughly one-tenth of the domain’s population."

"Hence, based on our current population of approximately thirty thousand citizens, we therefore propose an armed force of around three thousand combat personnel."

"Our present recommendation is a standing army of two thousand five hundred professional soldiers, supported by a five hundred-strong security force, both serving on a full-time basis."

Kavakan scratched the back of his head.

"This is as far as our discussions have progressed." He said wryly.

He expressed, "We encountered several uncertainties that prevented us from producing a more detailed plan. We believe those matters require Your Lordship’s guidance."

"And what are those uncertainties?" Alex asked.

"Primarily, equipment and training, my lord," Kavakan replied.

"You have previously hinted that you intend to establish an entirely different style of warfare within the domain."

"One that places greater emphasis on unconventional tactics, specialised weaponry and a unique training doctrine."

"Before we can proceed any further, we need a clearer understanding of your intentions."

Alex nodded in understanding.

He had indeed informed the War Council that the domain’s armed forces would eventually adopt new standard weapons beyond the repeating crossbows already in service.

He had even hinted that entirely new classes of artillery weapons would one day be added to the domain’s arsenal.

Equipment, however, was only one half of the equation.

The other was personnel.

According to the results of the recently completed census, there were surprisingly many people within the domain who possessed the talent necessary to become Combat Warriors.

The problem was that they lacked the means to cultivate.

Without suitable cultivation manuals, that potential would remain unrealised.

Ironically, this also explained why there were so few Combat Warriors throughout the Frontier March—and why the five Castin clans had been such an anomaly.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the five clans possessed a widely distributed, general-purpose cultivation manual that could be found throughout much of the Empire.

However, to Saul, who had trained using a high-grade inheritance, and to Alex, who had studied House Skywalker’s cultivation arts, the manual was mediocre at best.

It was adequate for producing ordinary Combat Warriors, but wholly unsuited to the kind of military Alex intended to build.

As a result, Alex had already decided that the domain would require a superior foundational cultivation manual.

Whether that meant acquiring one or creating one from scratch remained an open question.

Those unresolved plans had left the War Council reluctant to finalise the structure of the Domain’s future armed forces.

Without knowing what weapons their soldiers would carry—or how those soldiers would ultimately be trained—they could not confidently design the army Alex envisioned.

"Hmm..." Alex tapped a finger lightly against the table as he thought.

"It’s difficult for me to give you a definitive answer right now, considering everything currently on my plate."

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Saul," he said, turning towards the older man. "How difficult is it for a Combat Warrior to change cultivation methods after they’ve already begun training?"

"It can be done," Saul replied. "Generally speaking, the lower a person’s cultivation, the easier it is.

"The less deeply a cultivation method has become ingrained into the body, the simpler it is to transition to another."

"So changing a foundational cultivation method for the first or second ranks shouldn’t pose much difficulty?" Alex asked.

"It won’t at all," Saul confirmed.

Alex nodded before looking back towards Kavakan.

"In that case, here’s what we’ll do."

"The armed forces will begin training recruits using the Empire’s standard cultivation manual while we search for—or develop—a superior alternative."

He paused before continuing.

"We can even turn this into an opportunity."

"Although the Empire’s standard method isn’t particularly exceptional, it is stable and well-balanced."

"That means recruits who perform well with it should possess the aptitude to excel with more advanced cultivation methods later."

"So, use each recruit’s training progress as one of the criteria for evaluating their talent."

The members of the War Council nodded in agreement.

"As for equipment," Alex continued, "begin training everyone with the crossbows."

"The weapons I intend to introduce later may be more advanced, but many of the underlying skills will carry over."

"The experience won’t be wasted."

"Understood, my lord," Kavakan replied with a firm nod.

With the military’s major concerns settled, the council meeting effectively came to an end.

One of the senior administrative officials attending as an observer stood and read aloud the meeting’s resolutions.

After confirming that no one wished to amend or add anything further, Alex formally adjourned the first meeting of the Domain Council.

***