The Demon Mountain rode on horseback, training his cavalry in offense and defense.
They are practicing long-range shooting.
It's not about throwing gun targets, it's about throwing at each other.
He was shooting while simultaneously defending.
Long-range javelin throwing is the most effective first wave of attack when launching a battle charge.
However, none of the seven kingdoms specifically trained their soldiers to be proficient in this skill.
The Mountain was the first to train all his cavalry in this way.
Those who possessed accurate long-range javelin throwing skills were usually wealthy knights or noble generals.
Generally speaking, only knights with property and noble generals had the foundation for such training.
First, they don't have to worry about food and clothing; second, they don't have to worry about not having warhorses or a lot of training with javelins.
The spearheads of the training javelins are specially designed so that they will shatter under strong impact, preventing fatal injuries to the trainees.
The first step in training javelin throwers is not to use fellow soldiers as opponents.
Just like Julie training her archery skills in the training ground, the first target for javelin throwing practice was an inanimate object, a target that wouldn't move.
Once a stationary target can be hit 100% of the time while mounted on horseback, the second step involves throwing at moving targets. After achieving a 100% hit rate on the second step of moving target throwing training, the third step involves person-to-person combat throwing training.
Only real human-to-human confrontations best reflect the true battlefield environment.
Such live javelin practice—charging on horseback, outflanking, pursuing, and throwing javelins at the enemy at appropriate distances—was something that only a small number of noble generals and propertied knights had the opportunity to do. More than 90% of centurions, knights, and soldiers did not have this professional training in systematic javelin throwing.
This kind of training will destroy a large number of training javelins.
The weapons manufacturing officials had to produce a large number of training javelins to meet this need.
Any great pitcher is the result of extensive training and practice with his javelin.
Without capital, time, space, strict requirements, and ruthless instructors, it's difficult to master this javelin-throwing technique that demands absolute arm strength. Moreover, the Mountain requires every soldier to reach the level of a master thrower.
However, the Duke had no doubt about the Mountain's training standards, because those who didn't meet the requirements were usually not eliminated, but rather trained to death by the Mountain. When the Mountain was training the Duke's family's Royal Guard cavalry, every soldier who didn't meet the standards faced the threat of death.
The Duke believed that everyone among the cavalrymen personally trained by the Mountain knew of his brutality and ruthlessness. Anyone who dared not train to the point of death would not be rewarded with a golden dragon, but would face cruel torture until their demise.
Lord Tywin Lannister, mounted on horseback with his Royal Guard, watched the Mountain and his Clegane cavalry practice javelin throwing, his face expressionless.
The Mountain's talent in military training, like his personal martial prowess, was considered unmatched by the Duke. Although Instructor Benlont Bron opposed the Mountain's cruelty, the Duke and the Instructor had to admit that the soldiers trained by the Mountain were all ruthless and terrifying. To put it more politely, they were all absolute warriors.
Those who are afraid of death will not die on the battlefield; they will die first on the training grounds of Demon Mountain. When these soldiers who have survived the training of Demon Mountain go to the battlefield, it will be their enemies who die.
With the whistle of the Demon Mountain, every javelin thrown by the attacking side hit its mark. Although the 'enemy' tried to dodge and move quickly, they were completely unable to avoid the lightning-fast javelin projectiles that came hurtling towards them.
When it becomes impossible to avoid this precise javelin, the defending side's round shield comes into play.
The javelins struck the round shields, sending splinters of wood flying. After a whistle signaling the start of the attack, a series of thuds followed, creating a formidable display of force.
This level of precision, once on the battlefield, will catch the enemy off guard right from the start.
Among the seven kingdoms, there were no large numbers of organized soldiers and generals who had undergone such offensive and defensive training with javelins.
Lord Tywin's Royal Guards didn't have them, nor did his city garrison.
The force of a javelin throw can far exceed that of an arrow; the weight of the javelin itself amplifies the impact. Once the javelin's head is replaced with the finest iron head, its ability to pierce a shield is readily apparent.
Longbows and hard arrows can pierce shields, and the arrowheads attach the arm, which is pierced through the shield's buckle, to the shield.
The only thing that Duke Tywin Lannister found lacking was that the Mountain's cavalry was too few.
If such a team had five hundred men, it could form a vanguard legion and break through the battle formation at the fastest speed!
The Mountain's plan was to train only one hundred such cavalrymen, plus fifty reserve cavalrymen.
Duke Tywin Lannister now understood why the Mountain had given each of these soldiers a golden dragon's worth of pay—three times the pay of a regular cavalryman. But the training they underwent was unlike anything other legions had ever done!
This golden dragon is not as easy to obtain as people think. These soldiers are all highly skilled, and their training time hasn't been very long. What does that tell us?
Many soldiers secretly trained late at night to meet the Demon Mountain's requirement of 100%.
The training intensity is unprecedented!
Tywin knew this because many of the family soldiers in his Royal Guard had gone through the same experience. Those who didn't meet the standards would voluntarily train during any time that should have been for rest, except for mealtimes. Some would even secretly get up at night to practice basic movements in the drill ground; a simple longsword thrust was practiced thousands of times by all the soldiers.
This training is extremely brutal, and many soldiers would rather go to the battlefield than undergo such training.
As the Demon Mountain whistled, the cavalrymen's pursuit formation changed into a column. One after another, they ran past the area where training javelins were piled up. An officer threw out the javelins, and the cavalrymen caught two javelins one after another. The horses did not stop and they flowed past like a stream.
This kind of training consumes a lot of javelins. If a javelin hits a shield, the spearhead and the front part of the shaft shatter, rendering it unusable. The weight and length of the training javelin must be exactly the same as a real javelin. This develops an almost superhuman feel for the javelin and improves accuracy.
Each cavalryman carried a round shield on his back.
Round shields are easy to carry on the back and won't get in the way during a charge. Rectangular shields are more suitable for infantry defense than for cavalry charges.
Lord Tywin Lannister noticed that the Mountain's cavalrymen wore heavy armor on their right arms and shoulders. This was not good; while heavy armor offered the best protection, it also made it easier for the cavalrymen's right arms to become fatigued and unable to lift.
"Go and summon Sir Gregor!" Duke Tywin said softly.
Sir Kevan immediately spurred his horse forward to summon the Mountain.
The Mountain and Sir Kevan came before the Duke.
The Duke said, "Sir Gregor, all your soldiers are permitted to wear only light chainmail on their right shoulder and arm."
"Yes, Father," said the Mountain.
The Mountain understands Tywin Lannister, but Tywin Lannister no longer understands the Mountain. The Mountain knows Tywin will notice the improvement in Julie's design—the chainmail on her right shoulder replacing heavy armor. This wasn't the Mountain's original idea, but rather stemmed from his knowledge of Eastern Chinese history. It originated from the clothing and cavalry tactics adopted by King Wuling of Zhao during the Warring States period. This involved learning from the clothing of the nomadic peoples, changing wide-sleeved robes to narrow-sleeved, cross-collared garments, which transformed a weak state into a powerful one.
Mo Shan knew that many ethnic minorities in China wore cross-collar, left-fastening clothing, with the left shoulder and body fully covered, but the outer robe sleeves were not worn over the right shoulder. In slightly warmer weather, many men would even expose their right shoulder. Some historians have concluded that this stemmed from the fact that it allowed for easier wielding of weapons and control of horses and archery in actual ancient warfare, and over time, it became a distinctive style of ethnic clothing.
The Mountain put it to the test with Julie, and it worked!
Chinese culture is profound and extensive! From the humble chopsticks to the evolution of clothing, everything embodies the wisdom of the ancients and reflects a practical philosophy.
However, if The Mountain were to proactively introduce these weapon-wearing improvements to the Duke like Snow Salt did, it would appear as if he had achieved too much in a short period of time, which would arouse jealousy. Even if Duke Tywin wouldn't be wary, Duke Kevan would certainly be suspicious and speak ill of him.
A person who doesn't attract jealousy is mediocre, but one who shows off their talent too much will die quickly!
So the Mountain kept quiet, letting the Duke figure it out himself and then order its promotion, naturally downplaying its own 'extraordinary' status.
"Sir, your soldiers' round shields seem to have undergone some changes."
"Yes, Father. The oak shields we used before were covered with iron on the front or the edges. Our shields have an extra layer of iron on the back, at the arm lock, so that it can better withstand longbow arrows and prevent them from piercing the shield and injuring the arm."
Duke Tywin's heart stirred again. He had spent seven hundred gold dragons in less than two days in the witch's apothecary. Just as the witch had said, he would not only earn it back quickly, but his gains had already far exceeded the monetary value of a mere seven hundred gold dragons.
The Mountain inadvertently provided him with the great benefit of improving his shield weapon. However, the Mountain ultimately lacked a bit of wisdom and didn't realize that these improvements could be taken even further.
Like the scholars and knights around the Duke, he ultimately lacked the vision of great wisdom.
"Scholar, issue the order that all shields in the western region be reinforced with double-layered iron plates on both sides of the arm lock."
"Yes, sir!"
Why aren't all shields double-layered? Because of the weight!
The Duke remained expressionless, but he was in a very good mood.
The witch was his great prophet, a prophet-like figure; and the Mountain was undoubtedly his great lucky charm!
Sir Gregor!
"Yes, Father."
"Your shields should also have two layers on both sides at the arm lock, instead of just a single layer on the back. A single layer cannot effectively defend against longbow arrows."
"Yes, Father." The Mountain's tone carried a sense of sudden realization and appreciation.
"You taught the Ironborn a lesson at the port of Casterly Rock last time, and Sweet-Talking Raff also helped me train the Western Border noble generals in the 'Military Sentinel Command' method. I know your contributions. I'll reward you with the five ships of iron ore that the Ironborn brought over last time. You can send your own people to bring them over from Casterly Rock."
"Yes, Father."
"Furthermore, I order you to train five hundred Clegane cavalry and one hundred cavalry reserves. Each of them must be proficient in javelin, bow and arrow, lance, lance, and swordsmanship."