Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Eighteen - The Complexity of Man

Wilbur

L'Manberg's military force consists of three parts with their own responsibilities and missions.

The largest part of the military is the army. They are the foot soldiers and generals that unite to protect L'Manberg from internal threats during times of peace, and external threats during times of war. There is at least one major fort in every subarea of L'Manberg, and the soldiers patrol every corner of the nation. When people enlist into L'Manberg's military, they are usually put into the army in various positions. The army is further divided by locations and job requirements, but it was collectively known as the Van Army.

The Royal Guard is another part of the military. A group of highly trained and extremely loyal soldiers work together to protect the royal palace and the royals themselves. The Royal Guard does not answer to anyone other than the royals, and their king or queen holds the final say in every decision they make. The head of the Royal Guard (currently Captain Sparklez) is the third most powerful person in the country (after the reigning monarch and the crown prince or princess). The captain is responsible for organizing security for every palace owned by the royal family, and making sure things run smoothly when the royals decide to venture outside of the palaces.

The last part of the military is the International Soldiers. In a few of L'Manberg's treaties, they agreed to send a certain number of soldiers to that nation to assist in military training and protecting civilians from internal threats. The International Soldiers are loyal to the L'Manberg and the treaties they work under. In times of war, the International Soldiers are not allowed to participate. Should L'Manberg find themselves in a time of war, the International Soldiers are recalled to assist in the conflict. They will be sent back out after the war is over.

The three parts of the military answer to the monarch of the L'Manberg, and they do not interfere with each other's work. No branch is more important than the other because all three branches make sure that L'Manberg runs smoothly. It is a system that has been around for ages, since the original creation of L'Manberg with Wilhelm and Theseus.

Wilbur stares down at his map of the world, his fingers hovering over each caricature meant to represent something much larger. The army and the Royal guard were currently fighting in the war, following Wilbur's commands. A handful of royal guardsmen had stayed behind to protect Wilbur specifically, but he had sent most of them to the frontlines to assist in the war effort. Captain Sparklez had disagreed with this decision for no monarch had ever sacrificed their Royal Guard for the sake of a war, but Wilbur insisted. Each member of the Royal Guard was worth at least ten foot soldiers. Captain Sparklez was the smartest tactician and strongest warrior to ever assume the mantle of general over the army. If Wilbur wanted to end this war with as little casualties as possible, it was necessary that he took actions his predecessors would disapprove of.

There was another reason this decision was made. The International Soldiers may have returned to their homeland, but most were siding with Manberg instead of Pogtopia. Wilbur could not pretend he did not know why. The International Soldiers, by the very nature of their position, did not spend the majority of their life in their home. They were soldiers who were forced to live in forgein locations, most of the time with hostile prejudice against them. The younger soldiers could make a life for themselves in distant lands, learning how to love their new homes and maybe start a family. The older soldiers, however, had families in L'Manberg that they were forced to be away from. They could not visit their families, and it was difficult to send and receive news from their homes. If an International Soldier died, it could be years before their family received a notice, and they hardly ever had a body to bury. It was the same the other way around. The International Soldiers had no way of knowing news from L'Manburg. They did not know if they had new children or siblings, or if someone dear to them had married or died. Schlatt made the promise that when he became king, the International Guard would be permanently abolished. All the soldiers would be recalled and sent home. Was that beautiful promise of home to wayward souls not something worth fighting for?