The day finally came for official training, something the brothers would have to undergo to achieve their dream of having a secure and free lifestyle. After waking up early in the wee hours of the morning, they were swiftly ushered out towards the training grounds just outside the city. The base itself was sparse in terms of buildings, with a handful of large red brick buildings built in the formation of a square. A small stone wall with four guard posts cut the training base off from the outside world.
Guarded by soldiers dressed in the purple frock coats of the Imperial Army, the iconic bear skin shakos with the emblem of the 1st Grenadier Regiment emblazoned upon the front, and each armed with the Robanian muskets, bayonets fixed. The largest of the brick buildings stood to the north, facing the training field. The building served as the central administration hub for the base, while another building connected via a covered walkway leading to a cafeteria where the soldiers would gather to eat their meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until they passed the four-week mark. Another row of brick buildings was found in the south facing the training field and admin building, this was where the commoner enlisted soldiers were housed.
“Alright, line up, you maggots!” a shout came from the training field, followed closely by the sound of a hundred pairs of boots rushing towards a singular spot.
A hundred men and women all stood in columns of three lines, each looking up and towards the man who ordered their assembly. Standing before the group was a man dressed in the same uniform as the guards who had worn them, with the only difference being the two chevrons crowned on his arms, marking him out to be a Lance Corporal, a rank higher than the standard Corporal. The man also wore a shako similar to a Sergeant but with a front-facing different unit emblem. No one knew what unit it was, nor was anyone brave enough to ask as they instead all stood at attention.
“About time! Any slower, and I’ve got you all cleaning the latrines for the next month!” The man barked, his eyes seemingly falling upon each recruit before him. “Now, before we start, I’d like first to introduce myself, as you’ll have the fortune of being taught how to be HUMAN by me! I am Lance Corporal William O’Hare, but to you bootlicks, I’ll be known simply as Drill Sergeant! While I may not hold the rank of a Sergeant, I hold the authority of one; do I make myself clear?!”
“Yes, Drill Sergeant!”
“That’s right! That’s what I like to hear. But you know what I don’t like? You sack of shits standing around with thumbs up your arses! Run!” the instructor barked, pointing to the field. “Run! Ten laps around the field, go!” The instructor yelled again, his voice easily carrying over the chorus of voices who responded in the positive.
Standing there, the man watched the hundred men and women dressed in loose white cotton clothing, each also wearing a white cap with a red cotton ball atop their heads. In a way, their training uniform was designed to make them swear, humiliate them, and have them grow comradery through humiliation. This training regime was intended to break down a recruit and build them up to have better teamwork, more confidence in their skills and abilities and not focus on what others thought of them based on their look. It was the single greatest way to break them down and build them up that the empire knew of.
They tried to weed out as much of the combat shock they could through live-fire exercises that would come after the first four weeks of marching drills and physical exercises. It was one of the reasons the Drill Instructors had so much pride in their work. As they often molded some of the finest individuals in the world through their efforts, and seeing everyone start the same helped foster a sense of understanding between the ranks and ensured the future officers didn’t abuse their authority beyond what was expected of them. The Empire had a bad past with such officers, so they sought to fix that problem by throwing everyone into the same starting position before branching them off later.
Léonce and Loup didn’t understand why they had to look so dorky, but they didn’t have much time to question the choice of clothing as they ran with the rest, though it was shockingly surprising to see how wide the gap was between the brothers and the other recruits. After four laps, the others were panting, coughing, and some even puking, prompting the brothers to look a little shocked by how out of shape everyone was. The field wasn’t that big, only 300 feet long and 120 wide. They both chalked it up to their history on the farm.
After the run, they were given several other group physical workouts, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and a brief start to marching. In between, the recruits would get a thirty-minute lunch, then, in the evening, a thirty-minute dinner. Once they were done with their dinner, they’d be rushed through the barracks, where they would be taught how to make their bed and manage their room. Every day, it would be like this. The first week was much the same as it was with any start, with many of the recruits struggling with the physical exercises and marching. The room maintenance didn’t take long for everyone to learn. After four days, people were on the same page, with those who weren’t quite getting it able to overcome the difficulty when the recruits who finished early rushed to help them complete their stuff before inspection. It was a common sight to see many beds out the windows during the first week. The recruits quickly learned that working together, no more beds or trunks were thrown out the windows.
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The brothers were thankful they didn’t have to deal with much of that, as they were still housed at Hussar Square, the drill instructors never went there beyond grabbing the future officers and ensuring they weren’t lazing around.
Each of the officer cadets were expected to act as Platoon leaders, with two individuals acting as the leading and administrative figures for the platoon. The role would rotate every week, ensuring the future officers had a degree of familiarity regarding the management of a force of fighting men and women. Leonce and Loup weren’t selected until the third week of the training regime, as they went alphabetically. By the third week, however, the unit was able to march and move as one, and fewer of the recruits were having trouble performing the physical activities being demanded of them by the drill instructor.
However, the brothers were never able to truly fit in with the group as both the commoners and nobles were seemingly ostracizing them within their assigned platoon and company. The reason being the fact they were commoner officer cadets and housed in Hussar Square, which the brothers found out a little later was a privilege only afforded to those of high nobility.
Another lie told to them by Aelizabeth, though neither was particularly upset by that bit. Either way, the idea that the others were singling them out just made the two push themselves harder, and sought to help the other recruits wherever possible. Neither felt happy about the whole ordeal, but they weren’t about to break down and surrender because a few people were jealous. They knew the others would come around eventually; it was only a matter of time.
Loup, more so, was sure they’d come to see them in a better light as Léonce tended to be a charismatic individual, able to spark up a conversation with just about anyone. In contrast, he himself was able to utilise his experience and skills to motivate others to follow suit. The idea was simple; they just weren’t expecting it to take as long as it was. Three weeks had come and gone, and with it, no sign of improvement, even as they took on the role of Platoon Leaders. Still, they were determined to prove themselves and not let others be slowed or targeted during their time as platoon leaders.
During their week as leaders, Loup managed the exercises while Leonce managed the administrative tasks, ensuring they each were covered in regard to their weaknesses. No one spotted the weak point either, as both brothers would often ensure that it looked like the responsibilities were shared, even if they weren’t.
Still, Leonce did give some instruction to Loup on how to manage administrative duties, and Loup, in turn, gave his older brother time to lead during the training exercise duties. Their hard work paid off after a week's effort, managing to get through the most intensive part of their training regime. A handful of the commoner recruits had even started to open up a little to the brothers, seeing them more as helpful allies and potential friends as they continued with their helpful tactics, but the nobles kept most from interacting with them.
“Only a week left…” Loup grumbled as he and Léonce entered their dorm, casting down his silly-looking hat on a nearby chair, “One more bloody week of this abusive shit,” he growled.
Léonce took in a deep breath as he tried to calm himself, steadying himself and his mind from joining his brother in his rage. Leonce needed to keep calm if he wanted to ensure they didn’t do anything stupid. Usually, it was Loup’s job to keep the peace, but it seemed the roles were reversed in this case, with Loup looking ready to punch the next person who looked at him wrong.
“Relax Loup. It’ll be fine. Focus on getting through the next couple of days, and we’ll be golden,” Léonce said, trying to reassure his younger brother.
Loup visibly calmed, made more evident as he began to roll his shoulders, as though sliding the stress off with a shrug, “Yeah… Just one more week. Though, I’m not much looking forward to the next one either, Leo…”
Léonce frowned, “I know. But, just think of all the stuff we’ll get! Surely that’s worth a little bit of time, eh?”
Nodding in agreement, Loup made his way to his room, only pausing when he was in the threshold of the doorway, “Hopefully, Aelizabeth isn’t too keen on lying to us anymore once this whole ordeal is done.”
“I’m sure she won’t… although, she has so far proven to be fairly untrustworthy. Mmm… bah! Fuck it, it’ll be fine. For now, let’s focus on getting through this ordeal so we can get our stuff and get out before she decides to rope us into another crazy idea of hers!” Léonce said a cheeky grin spread across his face.
“Ah, you mean, before she manages to rope you into another one. Remember, I was against all this at first,” Loup retorted with a laugh as he entered his room, “Night Leo!”
“Night Loup,” Leonce replied with a chuckle.