243 – Vikings of the Empire (4)
Plunder is an operation that can be either medicine or poison depending on how you use it.
The first case of poison is when the plundering party fails to properly control the soldiers.
When something like this happens, the soldiers under his command become so blinded by greed that they do not listen even when the commander orders them to stop plundering and return, and continue to focus on plundering.
There will be a gap between them, so if the enemy exploits that weakness, in the worst case, the army may be destroyed.
In fact, even though the enemy was almost completely driven back after a fierce battle, there were many cases where our soldiers were annihilated in counterattacks while being distracted by the thought of stealing the supplies that the enemy had left behind.
On the other hand, in the case of medicine, the plunder is carried out well under the control of the commander and the person eats and runs in moderation.
If you do this, you will not only boost the morale of your troops and replenish the necessary supplies, but you will also be able to completely crush the enemy’s will and ability to fight…
As the leader, what I choose is ‘looting that becomes medicine.’
“Captain, we will land in 5 minutes!”
As soon as I heard those words, the eyes of the soldiers, including me, all turned to the small port on the coast right in front of us.
It would normally have been a crowded port, but now they knew we were invading and all the citizens had evacuated, so there was no sign of anyone, so it felt like I was watching a medieval movie set.
However, just a few hours ago, this place would have been busy with people doing business and fishing.
I see that traces of the uproar remain intact.
The residents of this village must have hastily prepared to evacuate, and as a result, they must have taken only the bare minimum of supplies and valuables and entered the castle seen over there.
I wonder if the northern soldiers were thinking the same thing as me, as they chatted in excited voices that made you feel like their eyes were rolling at the thought of plundering a tasty prey in front of them.
“They say our ancestors used to rob other countries on ships…”
“hahahaha, that’s right. “My late grandfather used to boast that when he was young, he would ride in his boat, take his horse, rob it, and come back.”
“By serving Kakan, we get to use our traditions in such a rewarding way.”
Being overly motivated is a good thing, but once you become addicted to looting, it is difficult to get rid of, like drugs or gambling…
It would be good to at least give one last warning before landing.
“All attention!”
At those words, the 100 soldiers on my ship all looked at me.
“Soon we will land in the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and carry out a plunder operation. Once again, this is not simply plunder for your enjoyment, but a clear operation. In other words, if you do not follow my control as commander, you will be severely judged according to military law. Do you understand?!”
Simple looting is a rotten pastime that involves harassing young women and even killing enemy civilians before the enemy pursues them. It is not only a crime, but it also has the characteristics of a crime.
When the word ‘operation’ is added to looting, it becomes part of a systematic plan to achieve a strategic goal.
And the guys here have been training as part of the Imperial Army for several months, so they’ve definitely learned how to tell the difference.
“I emphasize again, please keep in mind that if you do not follow my command and the lawful instructions of your superiors during this operation, the blame may not only affect you, but also your wife, children, and family.”
When I warned them like this, the faces of the northern soldiers changed from their smiling expressions to serious expressions.
“Then, finally, I will guide you through the things you must follow during this operation. First, follow the instructions of your commander and superior. Second, do not embezzle the looted wealth, even if it is only worth 1 copper. Just make sure to strictly follow these two things. The reason is that I and your commander are agents of Kakan’s orders, and all the plunder is Kakan’s and he will distribute it to you fairly. Warriors of the North, are you dissatisfied?!”
If we, Emperor Michael, would distribute to the northerners a portion of the price of the ships they captured, as well as the price of the various valuables that these guys have looted.
And by now, other ships would have warned their soldiers with the same message I cautioned them against.
“Nothing, sir!”
“We will give all the loot to the Khan first, and then we will gratefully receive our share!”
“Kakan is great, and we will fight as his sword!”
When the northerners shouted, the watchmen on each ship shouted loudly.
“Prepare for landing! We’ll be on the shore soon!”
“I wish you good luck! “Everyone, please come back safely!”
“Long live the great Reich Empire! Long live the Warsaw raid!”
After the words of encouragement were over, the ship was brought to a place where it could land and a plank was lowered on the deck so that horses and men could get off.
The soldiers landed on land, handling their horses carefully.
As soon as we finished landing, the battleships that were scheduled to follow and support us as originally planned were at risk of being attacked by the enemy navy.
We immediately left the coast and returned to where we were originally stationed.
“Then, from now on, we will spread out in units of 1 company, that is, 100 people! Each company is commanded by a designated commander, and the next assembly point is near Portby Castle, and must arrive by early evening three days later! “Hurry up!”
As soon as the order was given, everyone except the 100 people in my direct unit rushed out to fill their assigned portion.
Seeing them running away like lightning, I guess they were itching to plunder from the sea.
“We will thoroughly search this village from now on. Our company divided the unit into four platoons and thoroughly searched the village’s food storage, armory, meeting hall, and inspector’s residence. “Don’t take anything with you except valuables and confidential documents!”
After saying that, the platoon under my command began wandering around to find the mayor’s residence in this village.
As I expected, there was not even a sign of a person, let alone a human voice, in the village.
As if they were disappointed that there wasn’t a single person among the northerners, they complained as they searched the surrounding area.
“It is said that in the past, when our ancestors plundered, the citizens resisted…”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just make a lot of money with ease? “Sergeant, I’m getting scolded for talking nonsense.”
“Damn, it would have been nice if I had the taste of opening something.”
Plundering a village isn’t something you want to do for fun, like fishing or hunting, so I don’t know why they’re saying such nonsense.
But anyway, the road ahead is extremely long, and even if the military is an organization that prioritizes top-down cooperation, you can complain as much as you like as long as you don’t protest…
I ignored the complaining guys and entered the official residence in the center of the village.
I didn’t expect much because it was the official residence of a guy who worked as a district mayor below the mayor in Korean terms, but surprisingly, the inside was quite fancy.
There were luxurious carpets woven from sheep wool, lacquered furniture, stuffed animals, and even some works of art, although I don’t know who painted them.
He seems like a guy who has eaten a lot.
“Search the room. “There must be something worth making money from.”
The soldiers who heard the order began to search the residence, and one of them put his ear to the wall and began pounding the wall with his fists.
After going around the house like that, he stopped at one place and spoke.
“Captain, I think there is a secret door in here.”
“What is the basis?”
“Normally, when you knock on a wall, you hear a dull sound or no sound at all, but when you knock on this, the only sound you hear is a dull sound, right?”
When I knocked on the place the soldier mentioned, it sounded as if I was knocking on a wooden wall.
“It seems like I got it right. “Get out of the way, I’ll break it.”
Then I took out my mace and smashed the wall, and behind it a secret room appeared, just as we expected.
Even though it was a secret room, it was about the size of a large closet, and inside it were rings and accessories made of gold or silver.
Although the kernels were small and slightly opaque, there were several bags filled with gold coins as well as high-end jewelry containing sapphires and rubies.
If you calculate all of this, it will probably be 1,000 to 2,000 gold, and just looking at it, it looks like it has been saved up for at least 10 years.
Then, of course, there will be a record of the details and list of bribes exchanged so far…
“f*ck, good job! “You bastard Dvinkov, I thought you were a fool who didn’t even know the topic when you said you wanted to follow the captain on the topic of private.”
“Private Dvinkov, I’m sorry for calling you out of service. From now on, you will be the best in our unit.”
“Warsaw thieves, they have so much money…f*ck.”
The soldiers behind me seem to be more interested in wealth than the records of the bribes I am looking for.
I even succeeded in discovering a secret ledger written in Warsaw hidden in a corner where it was hard to see.
Personally, I was happier getting this bribe book than getting a small amount of money.
Because just by securing a few of these ledgers, you can feed His Majesty the Archduke of Warsaw more food than you can imagine.
“I plan to take all these ledgers and treasures and set fire to the entire village, including the official residence. “Burn it so carefully that even the cowards trapped within the castle walls can see it.”
According to that order, the northern soldiers were excited to play with fire for the first time in a while and set fire to the wooden houses around the meeting place.
I was very satisfied that it burned brighter than I expected.
And in this way, I and the 4,000 cavalrymen under my command burned down a hundred and dozens of villages around the city on the Warsaw coast and along the route.
I’m sure His Majesty the Grand Duke of Warsaw will really like it.
From noble mtl dot com
**
The throne room of the Reich Imperial Palace.
“Your Majesty, I brought you some gifts on my way back. “I hope you are satisfied.”