Hero’s Downfall Report

26 – Reverence with the Sword (1)

“…How about looking through the examples? Doesn’t the relationship between the state and the military seem a bit different? No? Well, that’s disappointing.

Now, let’s summarize. The state needs a strong military to fend off external enemies. However, as the military strength grows, so does the risk of rebellion.

Therefore, how to control the military and how much to maintain it are issues that rulers must naturally consider.

Especially for a country like the Empire, which adopts a ‘professional soldier’ system, namely the ‘standing army’ regime.

Even if there is no risk of rebellion, there are still issues with the regular army system. Soldiers are occasionally involved in construction, but they don’t produce as much as agriculture or commerce. Soldiers need regular training, unlike farmers and merchants.

So, recruiting many soldiers means reducing the region’s production and slowing down the region’s development.

You need to understand how frightening it is to reduce production with those few words. Just because this year’s wheat harvest was good doesn’t guarantee a good harvest next year.”

However, when a sudden cold wave hit and the food ran out next year, everything was already too late.

It is important to remember that production has both short-term and long-term effects. Especially in agriculture and animal husbandry, it is essential to remember that it is a matter of survival.

Now, are there any military systems other than the problematic regular army system? Of course, there are. There were even countries without a formal army.

Wait. Just a moment. We need to touch upon this point. When we say “there is no formal army,” it means “there is no distinction between soldiers and non-soldiers.”

A person who herded sheep yesterday might suddenly become a soldier tonight, and then return to being a shepherd the next morning. You might wonder, “What kind of country is that?”

In fact, before the political system developed, every country was like that. Even when people barely established cities and lived, it was considered natural to “plunder” neighboring communities when food ran out.

However, in this lecture, we will mainly examine the irregular military system operated by the followers in the northern and western regions, particularly focusing on the militia who engage in their livelihoods and only assume the status of a soldier when a special situation arises.

Militia. Doesn’t it seem acceptable? Since they do their usual work, there is no risk of rebellion. Only when the country is in crisis do they transform into an army, reducing the risk of losing the country.

Question: Why does the empire use irregular forces instead of regular forces? Furthermore, why does the empire gather reserve forces, including the local garrison, preemptive forces, and even the militia up to the baron? Go ahead, feel free to answer. Even a brief response will earn you extra credit.

(…) It seems like everyone has been paying attention in class. I can’t boast as much as I’d like to. Nevertheless, I am pleased. I can at least teach you one thing.

The country of the followers consists mostly of deserts and plains. The land is excessively vast, so people do not gather but live scattered.

As a result, the military of the followers is predominantly composed of cavalry. Moreover, their focus is on plunder rather than occupation and residence. Their strategy is to quickly attack, undermine the combat spirit of the defending army, seize resources, and then swiftly withdraw.

The problem is that this “cavalry” is not an organization operated by the state

So let’s move on to the main topic of today’s class, which is the Blood Knights Order.

The Blood Knights Order pledges loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor. They don’t have the authority to choose the Emperor like the pre-imperial period, nor the right to become the Emperor, but on the contrary, they respect whoever becomes the Emperor.

It’s a bit strange when you think about it, isn’t it? There is already the Imperial Army, so why is there a separate order called the Knights Order? And they are neither mercenaries nor nobles. They are just knights, warriors. But they are not part of the Imperial Army either.

But the Imperial Army does not fight against the Blood Knights Order. Why is that? How did this military group called the Blood Knights Order come to be accepted?

To understand this, we need to look at how the Blood Tribe, which was close to being a barbaric tribe, became a “knights order” and was recognized as a “nation.”

The Blood Tribe was originally a group of bandits who operated mainly in the western mountainous areas. They were famous for their fierce and aggressive warriors.

They didn’t even acknowledge the invasion of the Western Heretics or the early Empire. Their logic was that they lived and fought on this land, so they wouldn’t listen to anyone and would die fighting.

The western mountainous areas are high mountainous areas with dense forests. Some of you may have heard of the famous forest, the Toytoburg Forest. It is known for the Barus Incident, where three legions of the Imperial Commander Publius Barus were annihilated under the command of the Blood Tribe’s “Growling Fang” Sigurd.

Eventually, the Empire recognized their autonomy. However, they were strictly forbidden from plundering, and instead, they were periodically provided with food and medicine. It was a humiliating act, but it turned out to have unexpected results. After that, the world experienced a three-year famine.

While most of the small nobles were dying, the Blood Tribe survived. It is said that Chief Sigurd tied himself with a rope and came to the capital, swearing loyalty to the Emperor.

It may have been a mockery to swear loyalty in words, but anyway, the Blood Tribe really remained loyal to the Empire. They sent some offerings and occasionally went to the front lines to fight when the Emperor requested.

In ancient documents, there is an expression “beasts of white blood,” which means “they are not human.”

“They descended from the western mountainous areas covered in eternal snow. Although they took the form of humans, they are not human. Humans have red blood, but they have white blood.”

Surely, you wouldn’t think that the Blood Tribe actually had white blood, right? White blood is a metaphor for the eternal snow in the western mountains. The tradition of the disaster that the mountain collapses when the snow melts has been passed down for generations, and they call it “white blood.”

Anyway, the term “white blood” meant that they were uncivilized creatures, not like humans. But the Blood Tribe liked that title. It was a praise that their bravery was no different from that of transcendent beings.

As the reputation of the Blood Tribe spread, there were people who became curious about their culture and customs.

Regardless of the reason, anyone who called themselves a “warrior” was accepted as a member of the Blood Tribe, but if they ran away from the battlefield or a duel, they would be immediately expelled.

In the event that the successor is not named when the chief dies, there is a system where those who want to become the chief compete among themselves to select the chief.

But at that time, the Blood Tribe was just a tribe. When the Empire entered the expansion period and the era of conquest wars, Emperor Constantinus of the Empire appointed them as the “Knights Order.” This was a signal that they would officially accept them as part of the Empire and the reason why the Blood Tribe was called the “tamed beasts.”

So the Blood Tribe became the Blood Knights Order, but the customs remained the same. If someone claimed, “I know how to fight,” they were accepted as a member of the Knights Order.

As a result, the number of hopefuls wanting to join the Imperial Blood Knights exceeded that of the Imperial Army volunteers. The Imperial Army boasted a well-organized military structure, resembling a colossal pyramid, making promotions increasingly challenging as one advanced. On the other hand, the Blood Knights only required superior combat skills for promotion.

Certainly, the label of “ignorant savages skilled only in combat” never completely detached from the Blood Knights. However, they were wise individuals who, despite their limited knowledge, held honor in high regard.

Failure to adhere to the rules here didn’t result in a beating with a club, as in civilized nations, but rather a swift beheading, leaving no exceptions.

Amidst this, a holy war erupted.

Officially four times, unofficially five. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Crusades against the heretics in the northern and western regions.

Originally intended to target heretics, the Blood Knights, lured by money from the Eastern Coalition, turned mercenaries and pillaged the Imperial territories, leading to the deprivation of the title “Crusade” for their 4th campaign—a “cursed army.”

And then came the 5th Crusade against the Demon King.

The Blood Knights fought as the vanguard of the Crusades. Even in the desert, their combat prowess was undeniable, competing fiercely with the Pope’s Knights.

Ultimately, they returned with immense wealth.

However, complications arose from this point onward. The Blood Knights were, after all, under the jurisdiction of the Empire. If the Pope’s Knights took the heretics’ property, regardless of the circumstances, it became the Church’s possession.

Yet, due to the substantial spoils acquired by the Blood Knights, the Pope found himself in a situation where, having initiated the Crusade, he had to yield significant profits to the Imperial Emperor.

Pope Innocentius argued that this was a byproduct of the “sacred war” and should be “dedicated” to the Church, while the Empire justified it as the “reward for the faith and dedication of the Blood Knights.”

Putting an end to the futile debate was Alexios I. The greatest and most handsome Emperor. Not that I’m saying it just because he’s my father.

Anyway, Alexios I ordered the Blood Knights to “safeguard the relics” in the foundation of their stronghold in the western mountainous region. He handed over the entire territory to the Blood Knights, stating that “since there are relics, knights are naturally needed to protect them.” He even allowed the sale of relics for a “fair value,” meaning accepting money for them.

As a result, the Blood Knights became a formidable nation, the Blood Knightdom. Even now, many young individuals, especially those eager to prove themselves in combat, admire this nation but prefer not to start from the bottom of the Imperial Army.

The Blood Knightdom attracts numerous talents. Just saying you’re a Blood Knight guarantees success. Covertly working as an instructor somewhere, even secretly hiring heretics by paying a hefty sum—all of this happens.

However, the knights of the Knightdom remain indifferent. They know that there is more money here than what others offer, and being aware of how skilled they are in martial arts, they understand that leaving the Knightdom would lead to their decline.

So, they gather, learn, and master martial arts from around the world. Ironically, the Knightdom is in a situation where they spend lavishly to bring foreign combat specialists.

Both men and women are accepted for enrollment, and they still use the term “Gore” for titles. In that regard, they refuse to accept the Imperial standard language.

Once upon a time, in the Imperial Treasury, there was a time when the Blood Knights’ nation, the only one using its own language, was forced to use the Imperial Standard language, claiming that using their unique language undermined the aesthetics of unity. This was enforced because the use of their language in official documents was deemed unpleasant.

The Blood Knights’ nation accepted it to some extent, but they did not give up their titles.

The most problematic title was the term for a woman who received formal knightly appointment, which was Skaldm, meaning ‘Maiden of the Shield’ in the Imperial Standard language.

So, according to the Imperial Standard, a man who received formal knightly appointment should be called ‘Squire of the Shield,’ but the Blood Knights found that to be linguistically awkward, which was the main point of their protest.

For warriors, language is crucial. Titles signify dignity, fear, and even terror. Emperor. Pope. Demon King. They don’t sound simple. The Blood Knights were no exception.

Maintaining their official titles means preserving the freedom of the Blood Knights, who, even in their savagery and bravery, do not bow their heads except to their chosen lord.

They do not cling to family ties but embrace the meaning of Blood Kinship, which is solely the connection of spilled blood on the battlefield. It symbolizes the moment when the perennial snow in the western mountainous region melts as white as blood.

The titles given to the twelve most outstanding warriors are also in their own language. Generally, these twelve, without a successor, receive the right to participate in a tournament to select the next commander if the Blood Knight Commander dies. Male warriors are called Berserker, and female warriors are called Valkyrie.

If someone gets into an argument, introducing themselves as a Berserker or Valkyrie might make you think, ‘Is it necessary to fight?’ Considering it’s a dispute with one of the twelve most exceptional fighters in the world, it’s understandable.

Oh. So, what did the Treasury do? They hired separate employees to translate documents from the Blood Knights’ nation into the Imperial Standard.

So, on Treasury documents, you’ll find long titles like ‘Squire of the Shield’ and ‘Maiden of the Shield,’ ‘A man wearing a bear’s skin inside out,’ and ‘A woman with wings, who on the final day, fights alongside the gods.’ Keep this in mind if you hope to join the Treasury.

Now, that concludes today’s class! Don’t forget your assignments, and if you’re short of ink, pen, or paper, I’ll leave some extra in front of my lab for you to take. If any student wants to use my library, leave a note anytime, and I’ll let you know the available times.

– Imperial Capital Academy, Professor Anna Commodus’s excerpt from ‘Introduction to Imperial History’ class 4, ‘Relations between State and Military.’

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“So. When will you spar with me?”

With swollen eyes, Lily smiled at Cain.