Chapter 402: Loyalität!

The passive skills I’ve picked up so far are Population-Growth 10%, Commerce-Trade 10%, Agriculture-Soil Fertility 10%, Industry-Production 10%, and Military-Strong Soldiers 10%. They apply to every territory the Streit family holds.

So far, however, their influence reached no further than Feuzen, and the System explained that it would only spread to the whole domain once I had fully moved into Rosenheim Castle.

In other words, hurry up and move.

Hilda, too, was far more excited about a grand lord’s castle than about the small manor.

So an advance party led by Daniel and Göring set out for Rosenheim to inspect the castle’s condition. Even in retirement, Göring took on a great deal of work, and I was deeply grateful for it.

On top of that, the retainers not only regarded him as the family elder but apparently consulted him often. Whenever they did, he answered wholeheartedly, without a hint of annoyance. That’s a seasoned elder for you.

I suspect it’s because I’m such a young lord.

Even Hilda remarked on how fortunate we were to have an elder like Göring around.

So if there’s a quiet house with a fine view in Rosenheim, I intend to grant it to him as a reward, along with a servant. And if no such house exists, I can always put carpenters to work and build one.

Anyway, I was planning to spend my remaining points on passive skills, and after mulling over what to pick, I settled on three to start with: Agriculture-Soil Fertility 20%, Commerce-Trade 20%, and Industry-Production 20%.

Since it’s winter and the land has entered its dormant season, I can look forward to this year’s harvest. With richer soil, shouldn’t crop yields rise as well? Of course, we already spread livestock manure as a matter of course.

Feuzen centers on animal husbandry, so livestock manure is plentiful. We used to trade it regularly to Rosenheim in exchange for produce, but now that Rosenheim is my domain, I plan to expand manure distribution across the whole territory.

Trade 20% affects exports and imports. Right next to Rosenheim sits the massive market of Breisburg. Ever since Baron Constance’s day, policies had been drawn up with that market in mind.

After the baron’s death, all of Rosenheim’s ventures ground to a halt, and since the royal family did no more than maintain the place, the territory naturally lost its vitality and declined rapidly. That is what drained Rosenheim’s population away into Breisburg.

That’s why, if you visit the slums or the poor districts, half the people you meet are from Rosenheim. Hans and Sabine, who used to live in the poor district, also came from a small village in the Hissen area of southern Rosenheim.

"Master, all preparations are complete. You may go out now."

"Is that so? Time to proudly present our gunners to the people of Feuzen."

"They may be small in number, but that splendid uniform really is something."

"They’re only a platoon for now, but if we expand across all of Rosenheim, we could raise as much as a battalion."

"If that new-style uniform came with the job, even I would sign up on the spot."

Hans still seems to covet the Henningsmantel (coat). As the name suggests, the garment was made by Erika, now Mrs. Hennings, so it was officially designated the Henningsmantel.

Attaching a commoner’s surname to a proud military uniform was unprecedented. Sure, it’s a knockoff of the British Empire’s redcoat, but Erika was the first to produce it, so what’s the harm in giving it her name?

Erich and Erika, though, seemed deeply moved.

Someday the surname Hennings might just become synonymous with the Henningsmantel.

Producing the uniforms took longer than expected and time was tight, but Production 20% played a decisive role. The production passive affects output, so the more the work gains momentum, the more comes off the line.

That’s why, contrary to expectations, the workshops exceeded the target, which reportedly startled the makers themselves. Upgrading these three passives to 20% cost a total of 30,000 points. I now have about 55,000 points left.

Upgrades beyond 20% cost 20,000 points each. Hmm, should I push two of them up to 30%? Or buy a different passive? After much deliberation, I decided to settle the matter after moving into Rosenheim.

A crowd rolled into the front yard of Feuzen like a gathering storm.

Counting not only the townsfolk but the Gale Knights and the duchy troops guarding the prisoners, the number approached five hundred. It was extraordinary for this many people to gather to watch a public execution.

"Hmm, the perfect stage for a showcase."

I muttered it without thinking, and Hilda, at my side, gave me a puzzled look.

Truthfully, I had wanted to keep Hilda away from an execution, but the women of this era are tough enough to sit through one without batting an eye, so I held my tongue. I just made sure she had earplugs.

"Ooh, is that the uniform everyone’s been talking about?"

"My goodness! Soldiers dressed as splendidly as nobles!"

When the ten gunners led by Oscar and Ted appeared, the crowd was captivated by the brilliant colors. The young maidens in particular seemed quite taken with the bachelor gunners.

Which is probably why the gunners’ chests swelled and their noses shot into the air. They even wore ceremonial epaulettes on their shoulders—plain yellow ones, though against the contrasting fabric they gleamed like gold.

Their crisp drill movements with arquebuses in hand were enough on their own to convince the crowd that the gunners were elite troops. Well, they had seen real combat at the Battle of Feuzen, so they’re certainly no pushovers.

At platoon strength, other units might scoff at them for now, but at battalion strength they would wield enough firepower to sweep most armies aside. Of course, pikemen and light infantry to support them would still be essential.

"My goodness! Our gunners look so magnificent."

"They’re only this many for now, but wouldn’t it be a sight if they filled this whole plain?"

"It would be spectacular. They truly are the unit that represents our family."

Hilda had been skeptical of my prediction that the gunners would become the symbol of the Streit family’s elite. Cavalry and infantry were still the main force, and gunners were regarded as no more than a specialty branch.

But with cannons entering warfare in earnest, perceptions of firearms were gradually shifting, so the day gunners rule the battlefield isn’t far off. And the Streit Gunners stand at the forefront.

"Unit, attention! Salute the lord!"

"Loyalität!"

Salutes like this had never been standardized—every unit did as it pleased—so I took the opportunity to introduce the calls and salutes I remembered from my old world for the sake of uniformity. I returned the salute of the gunners as they shouted "Loyalität."

On the day we first decided on the salute call, when Ted beamed and strongly insisted on ’Sieg Heil’ or ’Heil Streit,’ I nearly fainted. It was that infamous Nazi salute, after all.

Whatever else I might tolerate, using a Nazi salute filled me with instant revulsion. Those damned Nazis went and used up every cool slogan, which left me with slim pickings. So I decided to go with a term that isn’t commonly used.

Thus was born "Loyalität," and the first time my men heard it, their faces were pure question marks. Literally it meant something like loyalty, but it was apparently too unfamiliar to use as a salute.

The awkwardness has faded by now, and we’re putting it to good use.

To the crowd, the movements looked remarkably sharp, and the whole thing seemed to strike them as refreshingly novel. Exclamations burst out everywhere, and interest in the gunners exploded. The duchy soldiers in particular were riveted.