It took Paul nearly a week to familiarize himself with the daily responsibilities and lifestyle of a lord. During this time, fragments of his previous memories began to resurface, painting a clearer picture of his new reality.
His territory lay within the Kingdom of Aldo, the westernmost nation in the known world. To the east, a tapestry of human kingdoms thrived, with the Eshadian Empire standing as the most formidable. Rugged mountains were home to numerous dwarf clans, while the vast prairies to the north were scattered with orc tribes. Dense rainforests teemed with elves known for their ethereal beauty and elegance.
What troubled Paul was the ominous presence of a powerful religious organization—the Church. It had been known by various names throughout history, but was now simply called the Church. Its influence spread across nearly all human nations, and its followers even included several non-human races. The priest who had awakened him was a member of this faith. Although his current memories offered little insight into the Church's dark history, he sensed that fervent believers were relatively scarce among humans. His experiences with a few of them had left him apprehensive. The land governed directly by the Holy See was barely larger than a principality, yet its influence could sway the political landscape like the wind.
"Isn't this an overused trope?" he thought to himself, exasperated by the familiar elements of his new world.
Adding to the strangeness of his situation was the possibility of magic. Although most citizens, including nobles, had never encountered a mage in their lives and often dismissed magic as mere superstition, Paul's butler, Philip, insisted he had been saved by one during a childhood encounter with robbers. Philip described how the mage had gestured with his left hand while muttering incantations, unleashing a fireball from his staff that quickly incapacitated the attacker.
With fantastical creatures like dwarves, elves, and orcs existing in this realm, the notion of magic seemed plausible. However, Paul was inclined to believe that what Philip had witnessed was more akin to a well-executed trick.
On the first weekend following his awakening, Paul eagerly anticipated the long-awaited military parade.
As he had requested, soldiers formed up in three distinct lines, marching past the small square under the watchful eyes of the knights.
"Are these my soldiers?" Paul asked, his voice barely masking his disbelief.
The soldiers, clad in mismatched attire, bore only one commonality: a simple piece of cloth armor adorned with the Graymans family crest. Initially, the formation appeared somewhat organized, but as they began to march, the ranks quickly disintegrated into chaos. By the time they reached Paul, it was a chaotic mess, and there was no semblance of order whatsoever.
"Gentlemen, we must raise our standards for the quality of our army!" Paul declared, summoning the knights to address the situation.
The knights exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to respond. Finally, Bryce stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Uh, Earl, the situation is a bit complicated. Our region is remote, and the absence of threats from neighboring nobles has led to a relaxed attitude towards armaments. To be honest, I didn't expect pirates to venture this far inland."
"A harsh lesson, indeed!" Paul lamented, gazing skyward as if seeking answers. "The last failure was a costly reminder!"
The knights shifted uncomfortably, haunted by the memory of the old earl's death, which still cast a shadow over their hearts.
"So, I have decided that the next recruits will be personally supervised and trained by me," Paul announced, seizing the moment.
"Yes, Lord Earl!" While the knights harbored doubts about Paul's military expertise, the embarrassing display at the parade left them no room to voice their concerns.
Another week passed, and a new conscription effort yielded 315 recruits. Paul resolved to reorganize the army according to a structure reminiscent of Earth's military systems, presenting his reorganization plan to the knights.
The army would be divided into five tiers: regiment, battalion, company, platoon, and squad, with each squad generally comprising ten soldiers. Each level would have designated leaders, with a regiment overseeing three battalions, a battalion supervising three companies, and so forth.
He also adopted a military rank system mirroring his previous life: two levels of soldiers (Private), one level of non-commissioned officers (Corporal, Sergeant), and three levels of lieutenants (Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain), culminating in three ranks of senior officers (Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel). He established a clear hierarchy regarding command succession in the event of injury or death, ensuring that leadership would transition smoothly in times of crisis.
The knights were left bewildered by the intricate titles and ranks. Some suggested simplifying the system to four basic levels: private, non-commissioned officer, lieutenant, and field officer, but Paul dismissed the idea. "Even though our army is small, we must lay the groundwork for future expansion," he insisted. "It will be easier to mobilize when the time comes."
"What short-sightedness!" Paul thought to himself, stifling the urge to elaborate on even higher ranks like division, army, or marshal.
He hesitated to propose a larger organization due to the modest size of his current forces. A full regiment would require over a thousand troops, a considerable force for a remote earldom. If word spread of his ambitions to raise an army of tens of thousands, it could attract unwanted attention, especially from those who might perceive it as a threat to their power.
As for the suggestion to assign each company a cooking unit, the knights were initially skeptical. However, when Paul passionately explained its significance for maintaining combat readiness, they reluctantly acquiesced to his enthusiasm.
Ultimately, Paul proposed to regularize the army, offering compensation to the soldiers' families for their service, a move met with general approval among the knights.
Philip, however, was dismayed by the prospect of increased expenses. The cost of recruiting soldiers was already substantial, and now Paul was insisting on uniforms for each soldier—two sets each, no less. Despite Philip's protests, Paul remained steadfast, emphasizing the importance of a uniform for fostering unity and discipline.
This restructuring, frequently cited by historians and military strategists in later years, marked a departure from the archaic method of organizing armies into simple units. Paul's innovative concepts of organization—company, battalion, and regiment—along with the military rank system he implemented, laid the foundation for a cohesive military structure. Notably, this system ensured that command would not crumble upon the death of a leader, allowing for continuity and sustainability in combat effectiveness.
Military historians would later herald this moment as the dawn of modernization in the army, recognizing the profound impact of Paul's reforms on the future of military organization.