Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 877

877. Generational Shift (8)

Colleoni couldn’t mask his doubt at Yoo Eung-bu’s question, and Lorenzo de’ Medici wore a similar expression.

Giovanni and the mercenaries accompanying him seemed to grasp the implication of Yoo Eung-bu’s question.

Yoo Eung-bu, noticing the varied reactions, turned to Giovanni and asked,

“Have Lorenzo de’ Medici and that mercenary unit never witnessed or participated in the Suez War?”

Giovanni immediately responded to Yoo Eung-bu’s question.

“Lorenzo was too young when the war started…”

“Then what about the mercenary unit?”

“They were the primary defense force for Florence, so they couldn’t be deployed.”

“Is it the same for other cities?”

“Generally, yes.”

“Huh!”

Yoo Eung-bu was taken aback, thinking to himself,

‘They’re just frogs in a well [people with a limited perspective]!’

However, this situation was also partly due to the unique characteristics of the Italian city-states.

As cities that thrived on commerce, they were reluctant to engage in prolonged siege warfare.

Consequently, most battles between the cities occurred on the plains outside their walls, with cavalry clashes often determining the outcome.

In this context, the core of each city-state’s military was a mercenary unit composed of cavalry, which couldn’t be spared for a distant campaign like Suez.

As a result, the Italian city-states excelled in commerce but lagged significantly in military development.

* * *

Yoo Eung-bu regained his composure and continued his inquiries.

“Do you possess cannons or long rifles?”

“Of course!”

Colleoni proudly showcased the cannons his unit possessed. Yoo Eung-bu nodded after inspecting them.

“These are suitable cannons for cavalry operations. Do you have any larger ones?”

“These are the largest cannons we have.”

“…Then how many do you have in total?”

“These five are all we have.”

“Only that many?”

Colleoni bristled at Yoo Eung-bu’s remark.

“Only that many! No mercenary unit in Italy has more cannons than us!”

Yoo Eung-bu stared at Colleoni, who was becoming increasingly agitated, and then asked another question.

“How many long rifles do you have?”

“We have 40 riflemen, and with spares, we have 60 rifles.”

“…Do the cavalry also carry rifles?”

“Of course! These days, it’s standard for cavalry to carry at least two pistols.”

“Let’s see the riflemen’s long rifles and the cavalry’s pistols.”

“Yes!”

After a short while, Yoo Eung-bu turned to Giovanni after examining the long rifles and pistols the mercenaries had presented.

“Didn’t you purchase a significant number of Eul-sik long rifles and pistols from the Empire [referring to a fictional empire or nation]?”

Giovanni replied to Yoo Eung-bu’s question with a troubled expression and tone.

“Most of them were assigned to the Suez garrison. The few pistols given to the guards are all that made it to Italy.”

“Haa~.”

Yoo Eung-bu sighed at Giovanni’s words.

The long rifles and pistols that Colleoni’s mercenaries were proudly displaying were flintlock rifles and pistols [an older, less efficient type of firearm].

Sensing Yoo Eung-bu’s disappointment, Giovanni quickly explained the situation.

“Considering the stakes in Suez, we couldn’t afford to fall behind in armaments. And, since the armaments of Italian mercenaries are generally similar… some even consider our mercenary unit, with its cannons, to be excessively equipped.”

“Hoo~.”

Yoo Eung-bu responded with a sigh, and Giovanni continued immediately.

“Knowing this issue, I requested to produce the Empire’s firearms directly.”

“I see… I think I understand what needs to be done now. Let’s return.”

* * *

Yoo Eung-bu, having inspected the mercenary unit that constituted the core, or rather, the entirety of the Florentine army, began to formulate a plan for creating a Florentine standing army [a permanent, professional army].

The instructor, who had accompanied Yoo Eung-bu during the inspection of the mercenary unit, also participated in the planning, and the blueprint for the newly formed Florentine army quickly took shape.

“Considering the number of troops that Florence can support, the main force will be infantry, and their primary weapon will be Hwachas [Korean rocket artillery]. Cannons will be used as strategic weapons.”

Lorenzo and Giovanni nodded in agreement as they listened to Yoo Eung-bu’s explanation. However, Colleoni, who was also present at the meeting, questioned Yoo Eung-bu with a dissatisfied expression.

“Shouldn’t our cavalry remain the main force of the army, regardless?”

“The cavalry will serve as a supporting force. Their primary tasks will be reconnaissance, communication, exploiting breakthroughs, and disrupting the enemy’s supply lines.”

“I cannot accept that!”

Yoo Eung-bu calmly responded to Colleoni’s protest.

“Do you recall the question I asked you earlier? The question of ‘Can you maintain that stance even in the face of cannons, Hwachas, and long rifles?'”

“Of course, I can! I’ve only heard rumors about Hwachas, but we possess cannons and long rifles, so I understand their strengths and weaknesses! Their power is significant, but they take a considerable time to reload! And they are also expensive, so even in units with over a thousand soldiers, the number of riflemen is limited to a few dozen at most! If you can withstand the initial volley, the riflemen will become easy targets for our cavalry!”

Yoo Eung-bu nodded at Colleoni’s argument.

“If we were discussing warfare as it has been until now, you would be correct. However, in the wars of the future, you are mistaken.”

“The wars of the future? What nonsense are you spouting!”

Colleoni exclaimed, but Yoo Eung-bu ignored him and addressed the instructors behind him.

“The Hwachas have arrived, correct?”

“Yes, they have.”

“Then let’s give these gentlemen a taste of their capabilities.”

Yoo Eung-bu, having issued this meaningful order, turned his attention to Lorenzo and Colleoni.

“You’ve never witnessed a Hwacha in action, have you? I will demonstrate what a Hwacha is capable of.”

In the ensuing demonstration, the Hwacha proved that its fearsome reputation from Suez was well-deserved.

Yoo Eung-bu, standing before the armor riddled with bullet holes, addressed Colleoni and Lorenzo, who had followed him.

“Just withstand the initial volley? I believe that volley would be the final one, wouldn’t you agree?”

“….”

Colleoni fell silent as he gazed at the perforated plate armor, while Lorenzo’s eyes began to sparkle with excitement.

‘Hwachas! If I possessed such powerful Hwachas, my dream would become a reality!’

Yoo Eung-bu continued, seemingly oblivious to Lorenzo’s thoughts.

“As you can see, Hwachas are large and heavy. And their ammunition consumption is substantial. Therefore, the infantry will maneuver around the Hwachas for protection. And the cavalry will be responsible for reconnaissance to anticipate enemy movements and for exploiting breakthroughs by pursuing the fleeing enemy.”

“…I understand.”

Yoo Eung-bu, seeing Colleoni’s acceptance, turned to Lorenzo.

“What does Medici think of the military buildup plan devised by our Empire’s instructors?”

Lorenzo nodded vigorously, nearly snapping his neck.

“Excellent! Truly excellent! As the ruler of Florence, I will wholeheartedly embrace the proposals of your country and your instructors!”

“Then let’s begin implementing the plan based on this framework.”

Thus, the Florentine army’s military buildup operation commenced in earnest.

However, the Florentine army’s military buildup encountered some initial obstacles.

* * *

The first obstacle was the desertion of mercenaries.

“Take on odd jobs? Is there such dishonor?”

Many who couldn’t bear the thought of being relegated from the main force to a supporting role left the Florentine mercenary unit to seek employment elsewhere.

And others left for different reasons.

“Did you witness the demonstration of that thing called a Hwacha? It’s a completely demonic weapon!”

“There’s no guarantee that only Florence will possess them! Charging towards the enemy’s Hwachas? That’s a death wish! I’m leaving!”

Many who had witnessed the Hwacha’s power firsthand also deserted the mercenary unit.

“Is that so? I understand. I hope you can uphold that honor elsewhere.”

Those who left for the first reason received relatively positive farewells.

However, those who left for the second reason did not.

“Damn it~! Cowards!”

“Cut off what’s dangling between your legs!”

“Cowards with no pride!”

“Mercenaries are those who live with death as a constant companion! Don’t go around claiming to be mercenaries!”

They were subjected to ridicule, jeers, and curses as they departed, accused of lacking the pride of true mercenaries.

“I’m sorry.”

Colleoni couldn’t hide his embarrassment as he reported the large number of deserters. And Lorenzo, upon receiving the report, wore a similar expression and said to Yoo Eung-bu.

“I sincerely apologize for this.”

Yoo Eung-bu replied with a nonchalant expression.

“It’s alright, Medici. It’s actually beneficial that we’ve weeded them out.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Yoo Eung-bu, who viewed it as a positive development, didn’t forget to offer an incentive.

“However, it’s also true that morale has suffered. We need to boost the remaining soldiers’ spirits.”

“Shall we increase their pay?”

“That would be helpful, but…”

Yoo Eung-bu proposed providing a unified uniform and armor. During this period, mercenaries typically purchased their own armor, resulting in a mismatched appearance.

“That’s a good idea.”

Lorenzo accepted Yoo Eung-bu’s proposal. Consequently, black tunics and black plate armor were distributed to the remaining mercenaries.

This marked the beginning of the renowned ‘Black Corps’ [a fictional or historical military unit].

* * *

The second obstacle was conscription [mandatory military service].

Thanks to the bribes Lorenzo had distributed to the Vatican, the instructors were able to obtain a reasonably accurate estimate of the population residing in Florence and its territories.

Furthermore, by analyzing the Medici family’s usury ledger [records of loans and interest], the instructors could calculate the potential size of the army based on the available manpower.

-Appropriate standing army size: 20,000, with 3,000 in the navy and the remainder in the army.

-If all available manpower is conscripted, a force of up to 80,000 is possible.

“80,000? Is that figure truly achievable?”

The instructors immediately responded to the Florentine officials’ questions.

“It’s possible if all men of age who are capable of fighting are gathered. Ah! Slaves were excluded.”

“Does gathering everyone mean including everyone from farmers to merchants to artisans?”

“Yes. Therefore, this figure represents a worst-case scenario.”

“Then 20,000… Isn’t that too many? No, that’s far too many!”

The instructors wore expressions of bewilderment at the Florentine officials’ reaction.

“Pardon?”

The Florentine officials explained the reason for their reaction to the Imperial Army instructors.

“Even France can only mobilize approximately 30,000 soldiers at a time at best! Even France! But 20,000? Do you believe that’s feasible?”

“The figure was derived because it is feasible.”

“Impossible! Impossible! 10,000 is the maximum!”

“10,000 is too small…”

“It’s a standing army, correct? A standing army! We must consider our finances!”

“That’s right! Why else would we have used mercenaries?”

“….”

This obstacle stemmed from differing perspectives on the army and military service.

“If a country manages its finances effectively, 20,000 wouldn’t be excessive…”

“I reiterate, 10,000 is feasible! A standing army of 20,000 is preposterous!”