Chapter 183
Reporting for Duty
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Fokby Hill Base, as its name suggested, was located on Fokby Hill . To Claude, however, it didn't look that large scale from the bottom of the hill .
After he disembarked from the carriage and waved Oask goodbye, he walked towards the outpost, which rather resembled a toll gate from his previous life . It was a run-down, wooden building and there was a pole that blocked the entrance, which would only be raised to let carriages in after they were checked .
There were three to four soldiers standing guard there . They stared at Claude and Oask's carriage the whole time . It wasn't a place where people casually came to, so there wasn't much to catch their eyes most of the time . It was rare for someone to actually come by carriage, so they were particularly attentive .
Claude approached a soldier whose shoulder badge was different from the other three and took out his conscription order . "Good day . I got conscripted and sent here . May I ask where I should report for duty?"
However the soldier whose rank was denoted by two red lines didn't take what Claude offered him . Instead, he turned to one of them on the side and yelled, "Shalinor, come over and see . If this conscription order is legit, take him up the hill and look for First Lieutenant Hockham .
"Apologies, Mister . I can't read," the soldier said after he finished giving his orders .
"Ahh . . . " Claude didn't think that there would still be illiterate people . "Apologies for my rudeness . I am Claude Ferd from Whitestag . "
"It's fine," the soldier said with a smile, "I only cared about having fun when I was a child and the sight of words makes me dizzy . I just couldn't learn them no matter what, so now I can't read . I'm Horelick Amsran . Just call me Hok . "
"It's my pleasure to meet you, Senior Officer Hok . It appears that we will be colleagues from now on . "
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At that moment, the soldier called Shalinor finished checking the conscription order and nodded to Claude . "Sergeant, he has come to join the officer training course . He is to report to us . "
"Then wait here for a moment . A transport carriage is on the way and you guys can ride it up the hill . It's less trouble that way . Come take a seat inside first . It's a little too cold out here . " Horelick's attitude seemed far more amicable after being told that Claude was there for an officer training course .
"Thank you . " Claude accepted the gesture and sat down on a bench by the wall of the wooden building and began chatting with the soldiers . He soon found that the Sergeant Horelick was also a candidate for the officer training course . Having served in Bluefeather for three and a half years, he was selected for the course because of his stellar performance .
"It seems that I'll be in your care, Senior Hok . You're an experienced soldier whereas I'm just a fresh recruit who doesn't know anything . I hope you can watch after me during the course lest I make careless mistakes . " Though Claude only said that as a pleasantry, Horelick shook his head .
"I can't help you, Claude," he said with a solemn look, "Actually, we are supposed to be trained separately . There's no chance we'd be together . "
"Why is that so?"
Horelick explained that Bluefeather's officer training course was supposed to select their candidates from veterans to promote them in preparation for the military expansion next year . They didn't expect that when news of the course broke, many of the top brass and their close associates wrote to the base to request a few spaces for the people they recommended to be able to skip a few ranks to become lowest-ranked officers in the army .
Under normal circumstances, a new recruit would first have to go through three months of training before they could officially join the ranks . Only after a year of good performance would they be promoted to corporal . Average recruits would only gain that rank after two years of service . Should one perform well after that, they would be promoted to sergeant in a year, twice as quick as average performers to attain that rank . The same applied for the promotion to staff sergeant .
In other words, it would take a high-performing peasant at least three years and a half to become a staff sergeant . Sergeants and corporals on the other hand were considered normal soldiers, not officers .
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Should one gain recognition of a superior after being promoted to staff sergeant, one could stand to be made into a master sergeant, which was among the lowest class of officers . Only from that moment onwards did a soldier truly leave mediocrity behind and become a warrant officer . But above that level was the rank of sergeant major, basically, reserves for the second lieutenant rank . As for second lieutenant and above, they were proper commissioned officers who could assume their title even after being discharged from the military .
In peacetime, the various corps of the army and other defense forces only retained a small number of fully-staffed units to cut military expenditure . But in times of war, the kingdom would go on a recruitment drive to fill up the corps' ranks . In that sense, the kingdom didn't lack senior officers . Instead, they needed more warrant officers and low-ranking ones as they were the ones who would train and march into the battlefield with the new recruits .
Bluefeather's officer training course caught the eye of many in a flash . Putting aside becoming a sergeant major, being able to make it to staff sergeant rank was akin to completely skipping the whole process of serving as a pawn for five years to become a warrant officer . Even though staff sergeants and sergeant majors had to lead troops to the battlefield as well and had high casualty rates, their ranks still ensured that they would stand a higher chance to survive than their lower-ranked pers . Other things aside, injured officers were prioritized over injured soldiers .
As there were too many people who got in to the course due to special relationships, Bluefeather had to split the course into two sections: one for high-performing soldiers who climbed through the ranks and would be directly promoted to sergeant major after finishing the course, and another for those who entered the army based on connections . Their course would be far harsher and longer than the former's . In consideration of their complete lack of military experience, they would have to first join a three-month recruit training course before they started their officer training course .
Claude finally understood the extent of his treatment . According to Horelick, he would have to spend three grueling months as a new recruit before joining another three-month officer course . The following half year would be a tough one indeed .
After sitting around for a little longer, a long line of carriages arrived . They were there to send food to the base . Claude and Shalinor climbed onto one and rode up the hill after bidding goodbye to Horelick and the other two soldiers .
Fokby Hill wasn't conventionally tall . It was estimated to only be around sixty meters in height . But the roads uphill were long and curvy . Shalindor said that the base on the hill was actually only a logistics base . The main army camp wasn't there, but located at the west of Gourneygada instead . There were 30 thousand people there and around four thousand tents . It looked like a majestic, endless sea .
The carriages continued along the path for about half an hour and finally reached the base . It was quite slow to go uphill, but Claude believed it wouldn't take more than ten minutes to go back down . The carriage did have to haul all those sacks of flour after all, and the horses pulling it were getting rather old . While their steps were still firm, they were rather slow . The carriages also had to maintain proper distance and not cross over the path of another in front .
Fokby Hill Base was indeed a logistics base like Shalinor had described . There were warehouses all over the place . Claude thought that the reason he was possibly because of the large training field they had there, which was easily five times the size of that of Whitestag Middle School . A row of grey-white tents had been erected there, likely to be used for the officer training course .
Shalinor took Claude to a log building . Claude saw the sign that read 'Training Department' painted in white on the outside . Shalinor stopped at the second shut door and knocked . Soon, a voice calling them to enter could be heard .
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Shalinor pushed the door open and stood ramrod straight . "Sir, I, Private Shalinor, was ordered by Sergeant Horelick to bring a new recruit here to report for duty . "
The building wasn't large, being at around 14 square meters . Within it were three office desks and behind one of them was a bearded second lieutenant who seemed to be writing something . He looked up at Shelinor . "Be at rest, soldier . First Lieutenant Hockham isn't in, but you may pass the conscription order to me and go on your way . "
"Yes, Sir . " Shalinor saluted, turned and winked at Claude before leaving without a word .
Claude stepped forward and greeted, "Good day, Second Lieutenant . I'm here to report for duty after receiving a conscription order . "
The bearded man gave Claude a look down and scratched his forehead . "Hand me your conscription order, passport, and identification documents . I'll run a check . "
"Yes, Mister . " Claude complied obediently .
The man gave the conscription order a cursory look and no longer paid it much heed . What he wanted to check properly was the passport and identification documents .
"Why did you stay at Whitewood for one day?" The second lieutenant carefully screened the details on Claude's passport .
"I had no choice . There was an escaped fugitive in Whitewood and the city was on lockdown for a day . I could do nothing but sleep in my lodging for the whole day," Claude replied .
"Ah, I see . . . " The second lieutenant didn't make any other comment . After ensuring that the stamps on the passport were in order, he put it aside and checked the other documents .
"Not bad, you graduated first in the physical course and got Viscount Felidos's recommendation . It's no wonder you were allowed to join the officer training course . Finally, a candidate worth his salt . You're far better than the others who try to use favors to weasel their way in . You're called Claude Ferd?"
The bearded second lieutenant seemed to be quite the candid fellow . His disdain for the people who gained entry through connections was plain for all to see . "Yes, Mister . That is my name . "
"Make sure to address me as sir or my title in the future, not mister," the man said, before he pulled on the rope bell on the back wall . He then opened a drawer to get a form out for Claude . "Fill this up . "
It was a form of consent for applying to be enlisted . It required details such as the name, sex, age, family address and other details about family members .
Soon, a knocking could be heard on the door . A corporal entered .
"Corporal Kro, take this . . . what are you called again?" The second lieutenant looked a the identification and continued, "Claude Ferd . Go through the new recruit procedure with him and take these identification documents with you . They have to be archived . Also, arrange for his accommodation . You can take him away after I stamp his form when he's done . "
"Understood, Second Lieutenant Chirp," said Kro .
When Claude finished, Chirp gave the form a look and stamped it down before handing it to Kro along with the identification documents .
"Follow Kro . Remember, Claude . From today onwards, you're a member of Bluefeather," Chirp said .