King of Mercenaries - Chapter 76: Recruiting A Legend

George Frundsberg was currently based in Swabia, and along with his knighted father, were members of the heavy cavalry of the Swabian League Army. The difference was, his father was officially knighted, and was acting as a squad leader. He on the other hand, because he was just a squire, he was just the average heavy cavalry member.

When the Italian war erupted, the army George Frundsberg was in had the responsibility to defend against the Hungarians, so they did not head towards Italy. That’s why George Frundsberg did not obtain the opportunity to join the battle.

Originally, George Frundsberg wasn’t that ambitious of a person. His greatest ambition was just to become an officially knighted Knight.

But Marin’s emergence from nowhere had strongly shook George Frundsberg. They were both squires, but Marin was even younger. However, with his stack of war contributions, the 17 year old Marin had basically shot up the ladder from a squire to a landed Baron.

This made George Frundsberg feel extremely dejected, he was already 22 years old (his age in 1495), but he actually couldn’t compare to a 17 year old young man…

However, he wasn’t an arrogant person. George Frundsberg also knew it very clearly, he could be considered a qualified member of the heavy cavalry now, so his ability to charge into battle was without a question. However, if we’re talking about his commanding skills, he really was studying blind here. Even his father was just an insignificant heavy cavalry squad leader, he didn’t have any experience commanding an army in a great number. As for those higher-ranked commanders, all of them were high and mighty nobles, so they wouldn’t even waste time to give pointers to a young squire such as he.

Coincidentally, he had a fellow squire from the same hometown who had joined the Italian war, as well as having met Marin. Based on what his fellow squire said, the newly promoted Baron Marin was a young man with an extremely nice temper.

As such, George Frundsberg had the idea to visit Marin…

Oriignally, in the year 1496, Austria was supposed to be in conflict with Hungary. However, because of Marin’s apearance, it had caused the name of Maximillian the First to travel far and wide, which deterred the Hungarians. That’s why the Hungarians did not move recklessly. As for Maximillian the First, because of financial matters (mainly because the ransom money were not received yet), he had no money to fight with Hungary.

That’s why the year 1496 became rather peaceful. While George Frundsberg realized that there wouldn’t be any upcoming battles for the time being, he requested his father to grant him leave, and made the decision to travel to Texel and make Marin a visit. If he had the chance, he really wanted to ask for advice.

Old Frundsberg naturally wished for his own son to be a promising man, and his son was currently going ot visit the most promising young man in the entire Empire, in order to become more promising himself, so why would he object? As such, Old Frundsberg obtained leave for his son without a hitch, and allowed his son to do what he needed…

With perturbed emotions, George Frundsberg and two horses made way towards Texel’s Den Burg from Swabia. and requested to meet Marin.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, the social hierarchy was extremely strict, it was basically impossible for commoners to visit nobles without a reason. Only squires who were nobles-to-be had the requirement to request an audience with a Baron like Marin. Besides, whether or not to see him was up to Marin’s mood. Unless it was a visit from an official knight, who was also a noble, would Marin have to treat him with courtesy. For a squire like Frundsberg, whether or not he could meet Marin was still up to fate.

As for Marin, because he had previously failed to recruit all those knight-errants, he originally intended to not meet anyone. However, after hearing the name, he immediately sprung to his feet and decided to meet him immediately, and with the best of treatment…

When Marin personally walked out of the castle gates, and enthusiastically invited George Frundsberg inside, George Frundsberg was incredibly dumfounded — what’s going on? This person is a Baron, so why was he this passionate towards an insignificant baron like me? Under usual circumstances, a Baron like Marin onoly needed to wait inside the castle for Frundsberg to enter his audience, and there was absolutely no need to go out himself…

Of course he didn’t know that Marin had his eyes set on him. Before he walked out, Marin had already decided, since Frundsberg was going to become the Emperor’s first-in-command, why not recruit him beforehand. After all, he was considered a member of the Emperor’s faction, so it was more than likely that he would continue to fight wars for the Emperor. In that case, what if Frundsberg recruited this “Legendary General” over, and fight wars for the Emperor under his name. In that case, he himself didn’t need to personally risk his life to fight for the Emperor. While Frundsberg leading the army to fight for the Emperor, it wouldn’t affect him getting his name out, it would also help accrue contributions for Marin.

To be more precise, Frundsberg would be leading his army to fight wars for the Emperor, and as the direct superior of Frundsberg, the credit would definitely not escape him. Just like last time when Marin made a huge contribution, even Count Alfred received a large reward (rumor has it that he was given a land, while Count Alfred previously was an unlanded Count Palatine). But at the same time, if Frundsberg had made a great contribution, based on the Emperor’s personality of admiring talents, he would not give up roping him in. High positions and generous salary would definitely not be lacking for Frundsberg.

In the original timeline, because Frundsberg had performed extremely well in the Swabian war, he was noticed by Maximillian the First. When Frundsberg participated in the Swabian war, he was just a squire, and only an official at the level of a squad leader. But after gaining the favor of Maximillian the First, he was first given the noble title of a Knight in the year 1504, then he was also given the territory of Mindelheim — as for what title was unknown, as after Frundsberg’s grandson died, their family was heirless. However, with the noble title of King of Mindelheim passed on to modern times. With pure assumption, his peerage should be no lower than a Count…

Which also means, Marin, this guy already had the evil plan for this “Legendary General” Frundsberg, to start working for the Emperor in his own name… Based on this plan, whenever Frundsberg obtained vicotries, he would have to split it with Marin, because Marin was his direct superior…

Currently, Frundsberg still had a dumbfounded look on his face, although he was several years older than Marin on the surface,  but mentally — sigh, let’s not talk about that…

Marin had only used one-tenth of Uncle Benshan’s skills, and managed to fool young Frundsberg so hard that he couldn’t figure out his directions…

“Hey George, is it fine for me to call you that?” Marin passionately led Frundsberg by the arm into his seat. People of the Middle Ages aren’t homosexual, homosexuality only arised after people migrated to the new continent and there were a lack of women. That’s why, even if Marin acted so passionately, it wouldn’t terrify the young lad…

“Of course of course, Lord Baron being able to call this insignificant one would be my greatest honor!”

“Hehe, since the moment I saw you, I knew you were special. Not knowing why, I have the feeling that you would become an amazing general in the future…” Marin started using his silver tongue.

“No… no… Lord Baron is too kind…” Young Frundsberg was starting to become embarassed. Especially being complimented to the face by his idol. Like a certain fanatic in modern times, after meeting Andy Lau and was complimented by him “you would be more popular than me”…

“No no no, I’m honestly thinking highly of you.” “I…”

“It’s like this, George, I’ve recently been thinking of a new, but stronger infantry phalanx…”

“Stronger than the phalanx you used in Italy to defeat the King of France?” Frundsberg spoke with a worshipping expression.

Frundsberg knew about Marin’s phalanx, it was a spear array with 100 archers, that’s what his fellow hometowner told him.

“Much stronger than that one, that previous phalanx was specifically used to defeat the Swiss spearmen, and could only be on the defense against knights, not being able to attack (the plate armor of knights were really hard to pierce with spears)…” In reality, what Marin was thinking of was the Tercio, the Spanish used arquebuses, so those could naturally pierce through plated-armor knights.

“That impressive?” Frundsberg’s eyes shone.

“Of course, the only reason I managed to have such an overwhelming victory against the French knights was because it was an ambush. But once this phalanx is formed, we can face the French army head-on and beat them so hard they go home crying for their parents…”

“That’s amazing…” The current Frundsberg was nowhere near the wise and courageous Leader of Mercenaries in the future.

This guy was clearly a young fanatic…

“I’m not just boasting, the moment we grasp this phalanx, our Empire could overpower France without a problem…”

Marin really wasn’t boasting, not long after the appearance of the Tercio, it was coincidentally the rule of Charles V, with the finance of Spain and the brave mercenaries of the Holy Roman Empire and the Tercio, they really steamrolled over the French. If it wasn’t because of the war against Deutsche Germany religions and peasant uprisings, which had over exhausted the strength of the Holy Roman Empire, the French would probably suffer a more intense beating.

“Overpowering the French…” Frundsberg couldn’t hlpe but imagine that in his mind, then he realized that was quite the difficult thing to do.

“Yes, overpower the French! I currently need talented people to train my troops, and need people to act as my adjutants, at the same time, we could research these amazing phalanxes together. George, are you willing to join my army to aid me?”

“Join Lord’s army?” Frundsberg was stunned, my idol is recruiting me? What should I do? “That’s right, I intend to form a new phalanx, I have a feeling that you’d be quite suitable to be the Platoon commander…”

“Platoon commander…” That was a role only Barons and official Knights were qualified to take, my idol really thinks highly of me.

“That’s right!”

“But… but I still have to return to Swabia to finish my service…” Frundsberg remembered that he was still in service.

“What service? Aren’t you just an average heavy cavalry member?” “Yeah…”

“Then what’s keeping you there? Come join me, I’ll let you act as an officer!” “But I can’t leave the army so easily…”

“It’s alright, I’ll write a letter for you, telling your former lord that I am taking you in as my apprentice, and you would be staying here!”

“Would that work?” Actually, what Frundsberg wanted to say was, if I joined you, would I really be able to obtain the title of an official knight?

Because, if he and his father continued working with their former Lord, it was a matter of time he’ll receive the official title of knight.

Marin could more or less guess Frundsberg’s thoughts, he was really clear that Frundsberg’s former lord doesn’t favor him, and this lad barely managed to obtain the title of knight after meeting Maximillian the First.

“Definitely! You help me train the new phalanx. By the time his Majesty starts the next war, I will definitely lead the troops to serve his Majesty. If you help me train the soldiers, you’ll definitely be the Platoon commander when the time comes. So that you would have more opportunities to show yourself in front of his Majesty. But if you return and keep being a heavy cavalry member or whatever, with so many other cavalry units, do you have a lot of opportunities to present yourself? If you follow me and command the phalanx, when you accrue some contributions, you won’t have to fear the lack of opportunities to become knighted, or even… a Baron?”

Marin tempted.

“That…” Frundsberg pondered, that was true. In front of Maximillian the First, a platoon commander or a heavy cavalry member, which one would receive Maximillian the First’s favor?

There really wasn’t a choice.

In the end, Frundsberg decided:

“I am willing to serve milord, as for my previous army…”

“Leave that to me! I’ll handle whatever is needed with your lord. Oh right, you must also write a letter home, pen it for your father and ask him not to worry.”

“Yes, milord!” Frundsberg’s character changed really quickly, and swore his service really quickly.

As such, the man people called “Father of Mercenaries”, had been fooled onto Marin’s pirate ship without any doubt…