GATE
Medieval Mercenaries in Another World
Chapter 3: Thus It Is Willed There, Where What Is Willed Can Be Done
To our most holy father,
The people of Prague, its warriors, and its scholars, have agreed to the task you have given them as we all perfectly understand that without knowledge, one can not act, and thus we have begun to take the necessary preparations.
Soldiers have been conscripted, companies of different abilities and backgrounds, who will all be under the leadership of a Sir Yurochka Kaiser. A man that even with his low status as a lesser knight is greatly respected after his actions during the Hussite conflict and his quick reaction towards the invaders from the gate. While only a Captain of a small party of mercenaries, I believe he holds the necessary experience and ability for the situation we have found ourselves in.
As I write you this letter he alongside his loyal men and the soldiers, representatives of the clergy, and scholarly investigators have already begun to move towards the gate. Even now still, the very back of the supply train that follows them can still be seen moving into the cursed entryway…
The hall of the gate, if a hall it could be called, had been a void of nothingness. Or could it be a void if there was a floor or nothing if its shadows somehow glowed as bright stars?
Perhaps if stars could glow even if black, yet it could not be so.
The sight had been maddening. While the horses had ignored it their riders, the passengers on the carts, and those that followed by foot had found themselves carrying fright. Crosses were drawn, prayers and quotations from the bible and the psalms had been stated and every single person that was part of this 'train' of horse and men asked for forgiveness and protection from the mother of Christ and all his followers and saints.
And then there had been a light at the end of the tunnel. True light. And finally, under the cover of a proper night sky, was the world on the other side of the gate.
As men, and even women for they too had tasks in this mission, had prepared for what they had been asked to do many had brought up questions that they felt had to be answered.
How could there be another world? If not hell, what could it possibly be? While the priests and monks and bishop had discussed the topic they had yet decided on a proper answer and thus the questions had been turned towards the alchemist.
Xalvador had cleared his throat and brought up the theories and beliefs of figures such as Thomas Bradwardine and others. The concept was simple. Could god not make other worlds? Of course, he could, for god was ever mighty and could do anything. If so, if God could create other worlds, why would he not?
A simplified description of a very old and complicated debate but one that even many of the clergy had come to accept.
And a world they had arrived to, one very similar to their own. Expectedly their first action in this new reality, this new land, was warfare.
A camp of grotesque man-beasts had been present and lead to a battle between them and the soldiers of Christ. Between locals of this realm and the mercs fighting in the name of their god.
Formations, proper armor, and weapons alongside still new technologies such as the black powder weaponry proved superiority towards the animalistic barbarians. However, even with victory clearly in sight losses were still a fact once the battle was over. Some had died, some were hurt and others would die soon. If not from blood loss then most definitely from their wounds festering.
Xalvador had worked as best as he could alongside the medically experienced among the recruited staff and clergy, yet not all lives had been saved.
Then the very back of the supply train had arrived. With the proper resources finally available the rest of the night was spent creating a camp and make-shift fortifications.
A base, however simple and quickly made, was finally in place after only a few days. Perhaps in the future, the wood could be plastered or given a stone foundation but for now, it would hold.
But as a base it would work, allowing Yurochka and the men he now commanded to prepare and plan. To slowly understand the lands that they now stood in, this Alnus Hill, and its surrounding evils. A table was prepared, one with a map, and there he met with the representatives of the many units and companies.
Joachim Müller, lieutenant and loyal mercenary of Captain Kaiser's Golden Cross Company. Kolya was present by the side and both wore the armor known as brigandine. Construction of multiple, smaller, and overlapping plates that were covered with a protective and decorative textile. Just like their flag, which adorned a golden cross over a red background, their brigandines were dyed crimson.
Kaiser observed his lieutenant with a smile of appreciation and respect, for he was a capable man of a long line of mercenaries that had always fought for the good of Prague and all of Bohemia. Kolya's presence was expected and necessary yet Kaiser gave him not much more than a glance.
Then next was the chief engineer Konrad Wagner, who represented a guild of skilled workmen and builders. He was an older man, around thirty or forty, and it was his workers who had been behind the quick fortifications that had been put together upon the hill.
In times of larger-scale conflicts, such as the attack or defense of a castle, he would provide siege engines and war machines necessary to reach victory.
By the side of Kaiser, himself stood the alchemist Xalvador, advisor, and scribe to the Captain, as well as a young monk named Albert who acted as the go-between for when Yurochka wished to inform or speak with the clergy.
While unspoken, it was clear he too acted as the clergy's own eyes and ears.
Then stood a knight, proud and of high status, named Kent. He commanded two mercenary units, one of cavalry and one of the spearmen for infantry.
Finally, there were the cannoneers. During the very first battle, when the monsters and warriors of the Empire invaded Prague from the gate, they had proven to be the most effective means of taking down both man and beast. Besides regular cannons, powerful and feared, they also carried gonnes. This new technology commonly referred to as firelances and hand-cannons were a weapon that placed the power of a cannon in the hands of a warrior. Black powder and metal balls had become something of a symbol of their superiority over the invaders… which incidentally had caused annoyance with Sir Kaiser and those in charge of the war efforts economy. First, they were hard and time-consuming to make, requiring specialists with decades of experience and patience that would not be necessary when making a sword or even a full set of plate armor. Placed upon a wooden pole or handle were to be a long slim tube that would fire the metal balls and it had to be made carefully, for if it was made out of anything lesser than iron it would be prone to exploding.
Third, and finally, the weapon was hard to aim. Not as simple as a crossbow or as possible as a longbow, for the most part, one simply held it up and hoped it would hit. This is what had led to the invention of the tactic known as volley fire. Essentially, a front row of handcannoners would all fire at once and then duck so the row behind them could fire all at once right after. The front row would then reload, prepare a new shot, and fire once more as the back row began to reload as well.
By itself, a hand cannon could easily miss. Through volley fire, at least a single hit was assured.
This is what had led to the cannoneers, for they already had the men capable of firing the weapon and the specialized smiths necessary to make them. They were still expensive to hire, incredibly so, but the fact still remained that they would be the mercenaries' greatest tool against this Saderan Empire. They had even promised a weapon that could fire a large explosive shot over an incredible amount of distance called a bombard or mortar. It all was too good to cast aside, these cannoneers would prove incredibly useful.
But… Sir Kaiser frowned at their representative. An experienced mercenary leader stood there, named Fredrick. Yurochka did not mind his presence at all, but rather the woman he had next to him.
Women did have a place in war. They would handle supplies, the wounded, cooking, and other tasks. Some could even be blacksmiths if they were widows to one. But what stood there, next to Fredrick, was no handmaiden or assistant. What stood there was a tall, proud statured woman of long red locks and an amused smirk on her face. She was wearing chainmail, long and thick, over her torso. It was clearly oversized, with how leather strips were tied around her limbs to keep it tight, yet it was one that had been made to the point that even her hands and feet were covered in feet. For the 15th century, this was an odd set of armor to wear. Maille still had its place but as a smaller protective garment worn under the plate, for the sake of protecting the plate armor's weaknesses.
What she wore was that of a soldier from the early 14th century, if not further back. The sight was strange to Kolya. Mocking even. He did not approve.
"Who stands beside you, Captain Fredrick?"
Fredrick glanced over his shoulder, the woman shrugging at him in response.
"This? This is Laureline. She's one of my cannoneers."
"A woman," Kaiser stated.
"Yes my lord? I understand the sight is unusual, but she is capable."
A woman in armor. A woman with her hair uncovered no less. As a good Christian Yurochka Kaiser was very well aware of the fact that women of all kinds were to cover their hair. Even the Saracens of the East did this, heathens as they may be.
Admittedly female warriors had been heard of. Whether a woman in the disguise of a man joining a mercenary guild or partaking in a tourney she had not to been invited to, stories of female warriors existed. Norman kings riding into battle with their Queen by their side, pagan valkyries, or even a God-chosen protector of the French crown had all been spread through the tales of bards and gossip.
But they were an exception, always an exception, and never the rule. Kaiser had never seen a female warrior until now and was quick to dislike it.
But, he thought with a sigh, these are desperate times. He'd allow her presence for now, as much as he did not approve of it.
What was important was that everyone gathered for news had come in from their scouts that they were being approached. Not by mere beast-men this time but by a proper army.
It was time for another battle. It was time for warfare.
A force of 10.000 warriors had moved towards Fort Alnus. They were primarily cavalry, though supported by heavy infantry and a few units of man-beasts.
Their armor was the most recognizable to proper plate armor that the mercenaries of Christendom had seen from this continent Falmart so far, with its leader in the front even wearing a helmet reminiscent of the Ottoman Turks who had been recently expanding into Europe from Asia. These warriors even appeared to have some sort of fabric under their cuirasses and while it was nothing padded to add further protection it was better than the Imperial forces' tendency to wear armor over a bare chest.
The cannoneers of Fort Alnus had properly prepared their bombards and mortars to attack this army from afar when they still had the advantage of distance on their side. The impact of the large metal balls and the explosion that followed was enough to create enough chaos and confusion to give those armed with firelances to ambush from the sides, having been patiently waiting in ditches and trenches dug days ago.
Fire and steel shot out from these weapons of war, some lit using a match and others using an experimental triggering mechanism called a serpent's lever, and they all proved effective.
Armor and shields proved useless to this. The invading force attempted to regroup and focus on the firelance units only to be crashed into by a mixture of Joachim's infantry and Kent's spearmen. The infantry used formation and movement to tackle the heavy infantry of the Falmart forces while the spearmen focused on attacking the horsemen and even pull them off their steeds as some carried not mere spears but polearms of different shapes.
Then the cannoneers removed themselves from the front lines and gave way for Kent's heavy cavalry. Their lances, swords, and hammers proved a perfect opponent against the Falmartians.
Battle continued for a long while but it was clear the mercenaries would be victorious. Most of Joachim's infantry had brought blunt weapons with them, so as to cause maximum damage upon the plate armor of their enemies. The fact that this armor was apparently made by some sort of silver meant that it was easily warped by the blows of their hammers and maces, breaking ribs and other bones along the way.
Once this army had been destroyed, though not entirely as most had been captured in hopes to be sold for ransom, the mercenaries prepared for the next.
As the day ended a night raid began, with another force of heavy cavalry and heavy infantry. This battle was more bloody for even while the mercenaries under Kaiser's command were prepared darkness would still be an obstacle.
Thus they had tried to focus on bombarding the invading forces from within the fort, with firelance carriers and a few archers backing them up. It had become a siege, something the enemy had not prepared for.
The first battle with these attackers had been enough time for Konrad and his fellow engineers to prepare some basic but capable siege weapons. Catapults of different kinds like the stone chucking mangonel or the bolt slinging ballista. These all proved powerful and perhaps even foreign enough to eventually force the enemy to make the most logical decision.
Retreat.
"Honestly I barely understand it, Captain," Joachim told Yurochka Kaiser as he held up the strange Romanesque rectangle shield that the Falmart infantry had carried.
"It's… entirely made out of steel. A full steel shield, it boggles the mind."
Kaiser chuckled at that, taking a few steps closer on this now-abandoned battlefield to give the shield a proper look.
"Indeed. So much work and resources wasted on such an unnecessarily heavy shield. Just as you I do not understand why they don't make them as we do. Wooden, with leather coverage."
"It is steel, isn't it?" He asked while turning his head back towards Xalvador. "Though I thought you said they were made out of silver."
Xalvador scoffed, taking his place next to the lesser knight. "Yes, it is steel. And no, I said not that the shields would be made out of silver. Only their armor."
The alchemist placed a hand upon the strange shield Joachim held before him. "It seems that for their shields, and all their weapons, they prefer steel."
"Then why not steel armor as well?" Joachim asked, clearly making a face of confusion.
"I can't say for sure yet…" Xalvador stepped back, considering it for a moment. "Perhaps they have a limited amount of iron to make steel, but a large quantity of excess silver. Thus they prioritize steel for weapons and shields but not for their armor. Again, it doesn't make complete sense to us… but we are strange visitors in a strange world."
"Large quantities of silver, ey?" Joachim grinned. "Then I say we take what cuirasses we can from the corpses and captives and return it home for a profit."
Xalvador glanced at Captain Kaiser who was just about to open his mouth and agree but quickly interrupted him.
"No. You cannot. Listen to me lord, for I say this with utmost seriousness. Bringing in a large quantity of a metal that is considered rare in our world would… well it would make it no longer rare. We would find ourselves in a world where silver no longer has the worth we previously gave it, just like the world we are currently in."
Xalvador frowned. His eyes remained on the alchemist for what felt like a very long minute.
Then he spoke.
"Is that why your kind will not share your art of transmutation?"
The man nodded. "That is precisely the reason." He held a hand out, biting his lip for a moment before he continued.
"I implore you to not do as man suggests. Whatever riches we come to find in this world must be used only in this world, or the economy of our own will change to one we shan't recognize."
Kaiser scratched the back of his head as the emotion of confusion and irritation began to swell inside him. Yet what he had been told, confusing as it was, did seem logical in a rather simple way.
"Fine. Fine whatever, I shall follow your guidance. Now report back to the rest of our forces. While those hurt will be cared for and new men will be sent for through the gate I want a reconnaissance force ready to move out from this hill."
"The captive from the invasion of Prague, the one you've made your informant?"
"You mean Jidai sir?"
"Right. He did say there was a village not too far from here did he not? Coda, was it?"
Xalvador glanced over the now empty battlefield. "Yes… We aren't to raid it are we?"
The Captain snorted. "No. I know you do not agree with me but don't take me for some warlord. We are to make peaceful contact, if peaceful contact they will agree to. We will learn of their nature and their level of loyalty to the Empire."
Xalvador closed his eyes, pausing for a moment. "...and I'm assuming we are bringing representatives of the clergy with us, such as Albert?"
"Of course, why would we not?" The knight said with a scoff. "These people are pagans. And even if they are virtuous ones they will be cursed with eternity in Limbo after their deaths. As good Christians, it is our duty-"
"This is not a Crusade, sir."
Kaiser glared at the alchemist, his so-called scribe and advisor. "No. But we have a duty-"
"I strongly advise to not arrive at this village for the purpose of converting them."
The knight growled. "And why not?"
"For you hired me to be your supernatural advisor, an alchemist that I am. And because Jidai has told me of these lands. Not only are they pagans of multiple gods, but they are also users of magic-"
"Magic has no presence, the Lord's power can not be challenged-"
Xalvador stomped his foot down to which Joachim dropped the shield and took out a sword, as if ready to strike him.
"I am not saying the lord can be challenged. On this, I swear in his name and in my continued faith." Xalvador said, his eyes closed once more.
These last few days he had learned that avoiding eye contact helped him greatly at achieving inner calm.
"But magic has a presence here. Or at least something these people understand as magic. If we are to arrive at their settlements, claiming their beliefs and powers to be of evil and ours to be of righteousness… then all we are doing is causing further enemies."
"Even… Even the Saracens, heathens as you may see them," He opened his eyes, finally staring back at Yurochka Kaiser. "Even they know that being forceful with one's faith is not the wrong way. I have been to the Ottoman Empire and they know how to make allies."
"They may be Muslims. They may not be Christians and you may very well believe hell awaits them. But for the sake of what is good, recognize that they allow Christians and the Hebrews alike to live and prosper in their land. This is why those people fight under their banners and respect them."
"...sheathe your sword, Joachim," Kaiser ordered, his lieutenant doing as told. "Very well Xalvador. What would you have me do then? If allies are what we want, what should I do?"
"I say you leave Albert here to do his holy work with those that know him. Let me travel with you for while I may not be a man of the cloth I am as Christian as anyone. I shall answer any questions the locals may have of our ways and our faith, rather than proudly state it at random. While I have nothing but love for the brothers and fathers of the Church, their sense of tact is… lacking. They are direct when we must be subtle."
Editor's Notes
Another battle which once, is not my strong suit...
I apologize if the battle in the first chapter and this one were too short and rushed through. Again while I can tell you what realistic tactics the characters use overall I am just not experienced enough to feel like I can write a proper exciting battle scene. I'll try to do better, sorry.
However, I am very excited to finally introduce the OCs that will act as the supporting cast for the main characters. These characters will have similar roles to Itami's squad but I will probably take my time with developing and exploring them. I hope that over time you will find them interesting.
For starters, I would like to add to Yurochka's observation concerning female fighters. Indeed, woman warriors while mentioned several times in both myths and history were in fact always the exception and not the rule. They still existed, however, small number as it may be, and I wanted to introduce a character like Laureline to represent that.
That and I've very much looked forward to introducing her team of cannoneers, as they are equipped with early firearms and gunpowder technology and I can't wait to explore that aspect further on. Their presence during the battle here as with the battle overall was rushed and something I will try to rectify later on.
Firelances and hand-cannons are weapons that often are ignored in fantasy and even medieval movies and television series. I understand that they were very primitive compared to later firearms but they were still impressive for the late middle ages.
Before I move on to the comments I'd like to mention that Laureline wearing crusader-esque armor is very much out of place but at least noted by the characters. She has a reason for wearing it but for the most part, it's because I think it's cool, haha.
Also, keep in mind that the battle lead to the attacking Falmartians retreat rather than having them all be slaughtered like the anime. This means that its nobles are very much alive and less damaged than their anime counterparts. If anything, that means they might return...
Two comments this time with the first one from user "Spatialyeti8":
"I love this so much and i can't wait for more."
Short and sweet! I highly appreciate your kind words and hope I shall be able to entertain you further on.
The next comment is from the user "last admiral", who has a bit more to say:
"Author, about the Empire's armour, dont use the anime. Really, anime is shit plus the studio is lazy, which is why Imperial army look like they wearing armour without anything beneath."
"i suggest you use the manga version, as the mangaka do better word than author himself. in worldbuilding and did his best to flesh out the Gate world itself."
Admiral, I apologize for not giving the manga my attention. I gravitated towards the anime as I preferred to see the story in motion but I now realize that I honestly should give the manga a proper chance. What you have described sounds very much like something I would enjoy and therefore I will try to give it the proper read it deserves.
However, I can't exactly change my source material from the anime to the manga, at least not now. I write these chapters in advance and only add the Editor's Notes before I upload them, so the story has already been planned to the point that switching source material would introduce complications and contradictions.
Also, the primary point of this story is to compare medieval realism with anime fantasy, aspects such as wearing nothing under armor shows up in way more anime than just GATE itself and I want to use this fanfic as a way to discuss these inaccuracies and also acknowledge and tackle them in a realistic way.
What would a real 15th-century soldier say if he came across easily pierced armor that was worn over naked skin alongside things like a steel shield?
I hope you don't mind that I continue to adapt my story after the anime, since I genuinely think I will have a fun time tackling its many issues. If anything, as a fan of the manga, I hope you can at least enjoy me shredding the anime from time to time.
That and if I do run out of anime material but want to keep the story going, I promise I will adapt the manga from that point forward.
Thank you for your comment!
Historical Inaccuracies of the Special Region
Really isn't much to talk about in this particular chapter besides nitpicking the more out-there armor designs, though I do have one thing to talk about.
All metal shields: While metal shields do have a limited presence in historical combat, shields were primarily made out of wood and covered in painted leather. Other materials that a shield could be made out of includes rattan, wicker, and leather.
So what metal shields existed? While the Greek Aspis is often depicted as an all bronze shield, it was in fact also a wooden shield covered in leather. However, at times if affordable, the shield would be covered in a thin layer of bronze. This could be for decoration as a sort of status symbol or could potentially strengthen the shield's defensive capabilities.
The most common "metal shield" would be the buckler, a small round shield not much larger than one's fist that could still provide a good amount of protection. Bucklers originated as small wooden shields with a metal boss (that is the round "buckle" in the middle) but became common to make in steel around the late middle ages.
Bucklers were rather popular to carry for self-defense reasons and used in duels but could also be a good sort of emergency shield for archers.
That leads us to the final sort of "metal shield" I have to talk about. The Rotella.
The Rotella is an Italian steel round shield that is strapped around the forearm like a Scottish Targe or rattan shield of the Middle East. Note that like the buckler this shield type gets away with its all-metal construction due to its smaller shape. That and it is strapped to the arm, whereas a buckler is held by its center-grip, makes it easier to carry.
Something like the Romanesque shields used in the Anime is... highly advised against. They would simply be too heavy to be of any practical use and would take a lot of time and resources that would be better spent at making more wooden shields.