Erika took a bath and came down for dinner. Various rich and luxurious foods befitting of a duke was served in the table. Erika was tired and hungry. She or perhaps any of her troops had nothing to do with food the whole day. But they went through an intense fighting. Bauer had already left to have her dinner. Now in the middle of the large dining hall in the long rectangular table Erika and her mother sat face to face. Erika was feeling guilty and didn't look her mother in the eye at all. The room was silent. Erika and her mother both quietly ate their food. But mother noticed that Erika was eating faster than usual. She looked at her daughter and could see that she was tired. Though the bath had freshened her up, the tiredness of a whole day of fighting and marching has not went away. She asked, "What's the matter Erika, was the day tiring?" "Yes, mother we roamed through the forest whole day." Erika replied after eating the food in her mouth. Her gaze was still downwards. "You know, I wouldn't have stopped you from going out to have some adventure." "I, I am very sorry mother," Erika apologised. "I forgot to tell you in the excitement." She added. "You know I was worried about you." Mother said after finishing her eating. "We are a very powerful Ducal family and many people are conspiring to hurt us. You must understand your position." It was not a scolding. Erika could feel that her mother was seriously worried about her. "Please forgive me mother, but once I'm done with what I am doing, no one will dare to touch us." She thought in her mind but couldn't say it out loud. "Anyways as punishment you will not cross the premises of this palace for the entire month. Take this time to reflect on your actions." Mother told her putting both of her hands on the table. Erika didn't argue. "I will be able to do things from inside the palace." She thought. Mother stood up. I am done eating and will go to bed now. You go too after you are done eating. Erika was hungry. She ate some more and then went to her room. Emil and Bauer were both tired as well and went to their respective rooms. Erika fell down in her bed and let the feathery soft mattress sink her in.
The next morning she woke up a little late than usual and then rushed to the bathroom. Neither her mother nor Bauer has interrupted her sleep. After brushing her teeth, washing her face and changing her clothes, she rushed to the dining hall. There she saw that her portion of breakfast was covered in the table. Her mother has already eaten and left. She sat down and ate her breakfast. After breakfast, she rushed to her training temporary training ground in the palace backyard. Once she arrived Emil and Bauer greeted her. The soldiers were on rest today and didn't come to train. The two carts were also kept there and the 6 craftsmen were working on their daily task. "Emil bring a spring balance. We must weight and see just how much booty we found." "That won't be necessary milady. We have already counted it." Emil replied. Erika was excited and couldn't sit still. She shook a little while asking, "So how much is it?" she looked at Emil. Her eyes gleaming with joy and curiosity. Emil and Bauer both looked at Erika and couldn't help laughing. "Ha ha ha, milady now we can move forward with your army plan." Emil stopped. "We have enough money to hire 500 soldiers milady." Bauer added. "Really?" Erika couldn't help asking. It was more than she could have hoped for. "I only thought we would be able to get enough to hire maybe 10 or so troops." She said. "But it seems now I can make a full battalion of troops." She stopped after saying this for a moment. She thought about what she just said a bit more. "No, just hire 110 men." She said to Emil. "We don't have enough manpower to train 500 soldiers nor do we have enough weapons to arm them." Emil looked at her. "It seems you have given it deep thoughts milady." "Yes I have." Erika replied. The mood got serious. "How about hiring some more craftsmen as well milady?" Bauer spoke. "Sooner or later your Wehr... whatever you call it will rise in numbers and only 6 craftsmen won't be able to provide enough arms and ammunition for so many troops." Erika looked at Bauer for a while. Emil shook his head in agreement. "She is right milady." He said. She thought about it for a second. "They are right. I will have to make sure to provide enough arms and ammunition for the soldier or else my Wehrmacht will be dead on the track." After thinking for a while, she looked at Emil and said, "Alright tomorrow you will take the troops in the town and recruit 110 men for the army and 13 more craftsmen." She stopped for a second before replying, "I will now turn my Wehrmacht from a squad of 13 to a full company of 120." This was the typical strength of a Wehrmacht infantry company mid to late war. She went with this number. "Oh, please make sure to do a background check on the recruits and make sure they were born in the territory and are living in Raubenbraum territory for the past 10 years. Also I will have to rearrange the teams with some additional weapons. So I will stay with the craftsmen from now on." Erika thought about the problems she faced during her mission in the dark forest. "What we lack now is weapon that can keep firing rapidly for longer duration without stopping." She said to them. "Also I want to have an indirect fire support weapon." "Milady, what is an indirect fire support weapon?" Bauer asked. She was curious about what Erika would come up with next. "You will see when its done." Erika said. She stood up from her spot looked at them both with a contempt. "You are free for today." She said. "What will you do milady?" Asked Bauer. "I will take this time to teach the craftsmen about some new weapons." She said. "Ah, yes Bauer have you made preparation to wash the uniforms from yesterday?" She asked suddenly. "Yes, milady. I have given them to the maids for washing." Bauer said. "Please keep them out of my mother's sights." Erika said and then left. "Well recruiting 123 men will be quite something. I will start from today." Emil left for the town.
Erika went to the shed of the craftsmen. They were now able to make Panzerfausts, MP40s and Gewehr 43s as well. In six months they have come forward a lot. Erika went straight to the senior craftsman Heinke "Good morning milady. How can I help you today?" Heinke bowed and asked. He was busy making the 7.92 mm Mauser cartridge. "I want you to make a gun that will be heavier but will be able to fire more and powerful bullets than the MP40. Also instead of firing 9x19mm parabellum it will fire the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge." "As you wish milady." Said Heinke. He further inquired if the new weapon had any specific requirements. "Not anything serious no. The basic will be the same as the MP40 but the barrel will have to be longer and changeable. Let me show you." She went to a small table took a paper and quill and drew the MG 42. She also showed how the barrell can be easily changed. This was the first thing she felt lacking in her force. A machine-gun. "Make sure to keep the loading chamber open. I want it to be belt-fed weapon." Erika added. Heinke immediately went to work while Erika supervised. Emil meanwhile started to recruit the troops and craftsmen.