The making of the witch mask is actually not difficult.
According to Jilo, the witch mask is essentially made by sewing superstitious substances like activated carbon, sulfur, bat guano, and frog legs into linen.
In Horn’s view, the main component is probably just activated carbon, with the principle being to use it to absorb the harmful substances in holy water that affect witches.
Thus, on September 20, 1444, in the Imperial Calendar, Horn officially appointed Demon Hunter Jilo Don Kamado as the Director of the Corner Tower Manufacturing Bureau.
The Corner Creation Bureau is considered a tremendous super department in the Gulag Papal State.
The bureau comprises five divisions: Sewing Division, Filling Division, Transport Division, Testing Division, and Design Division.
Touched by His Holiness the Pope’s trust, Director Jilo, to show his determination, took office shackled, serving as the division head of all five divisions simultaneously.
Currently, the bureau’s structure is one person per division, totaling one person for the entire bureau, with the office located in the abandoned corner tower.
After arranging Jilo’s affairs, Horn felt dizzy; today had been too busy.
Last night he was fighting life and death with Tommy, this morning he inspected the warehouse, received Grampwen’s message, and urgently convened a court meeting.
In the afternoon, he announced a special competitive event to the villagers, quelled a witch tantrum, pulled Jeanne to smelt iron, and communicated with Jilo.
Everything happened at once, leaving him no choice but to hurry. In five days, or seven at the slowest, he would have to bring these layabouts to real combat with the Church.
Although Horn was anxious, rushing now would only lead to errors.
Dragging his exhausted body, Horn explained the specifics to Busak and Jeska, finished a hurried dinner, and fell asleep.
Naturally, he couldn’t afford to lie in bed; the next morning, while eating breakfast, he also had to listen to Jeska report on the marching training.
Receiving a two-page new recruit training protocol from Jeska, Horn, while scooping soup with a spoon, carefully browsed through it.
The first page was fine; according to Horn’s request, these recruits named the new army "Black Hat Army."
Horn’s preordered uniform for them was a black hooded cloak.
The reason for choosing black was because this color of fabric was most abundant in the Church’s warehouse.
The Black Hat Army’s banner was quite simple. Due to limited materials provided by Horn, they directly stitched black and red fabric together as the military flag.
However, flipping to the second page, Horn’s eyes suddenly widened, and he sat up straight.
Putting down the spoon and picking up that page of protocol, Horn unbelievingly asked, pointing at a segment of text: "What is this?"
Clearly stated on the protocol:
The Black Hat Army has 2 Imperial Decree Masters, each commanding 6 Imperial Decree Brigades, each brigade commanding 10 Imperial Decree Companies, each company commanding one soldier.
The lowest rank in the Black Hat Army is Company Commander.
At seeing this protocol, Horn almost blacked out.
The Leia Kingdom only has 42 Imperial Decree Companies, while your Black Hat Army has 120, making you more powerful than the Leia Kingdom.
This truly gave Horn a minor Gulag Papal State shock.
"What is going on here?"
Jeska smirked, explaining: "Initially, when electing squad leaders, there was discontent, as you know, squad leaders receive more credit.
They thought, ’You are the same priest; I am the same priest. Why are you the squad leader while I’m a soldier?’
Then one group all nominated themselves as squad leaders, and others followed suit, nominating themselves.
Then someone thought if squad leaders get credit, higher ranks should get even more; thus, it escalated step by step to this."
"How did they know about these military formations?"
"This traces back to Raphael, second division’s leader of the Black Hat Army," Jeska explained with a bitter smile, "Raphael is an Armed Farmer, descended from nobility, rumored to be related to Duke Kush Danai.
They passed down nothing but a book introducing the organization of the old El Empire’s army, so now everyone knows."
Do you even know what you’re doing?
Horn read that section multiple times before daring to believe it.
This hasn’t even started yet. With a total of 120 people, how did you appoint two division commanders, twelve brigade commanders, and one hundred and twenty company commanders?
Where on earth did they get such inspiration?
Horn was silent for a while before putting down the protocol: "Since it has already happened, let’s proceed as it is."
"As you command, Your Highness."
After breakfast, Horn changed into a new outfit, called Grampwen, and prepared to check the new army’s training.
Yet arriving at the church’s entrance, even before approaching, he heard a noisy dispute.
At the door, two young Pope Guards were shoving at each other with spears while two Child Soldiers stood red-faced, blocking them from entering.
"It’s unfair," a young Pope’s Guard shouted while gripping the spear shaft, "This new army only came later, coming to His Holiness begging, while we supported His Holiness from the start."
"We also want to form a corps, Jeska, you outsider, give back my corps!"
"Let me in; I must see the Holy Seat! I’ve made merits for the Papal State, I’ve bled for the Papal State!"
At the church’s entrance, two Child Soldiers raised spears, blocking two young Pope’s Guards from entering.
However, being only eleven or twelve, they were no match for the young guards, who were about to push through.
"You also wish to form a corps?" Horn widened his eyes.
Seeing Horn approach, the two guards immediately released their hold and respectfully saluted Horn.
"Your Holiness, it’s not that we’re noisy, but those Black Hat Army members came later, and now anyone can be a company commander, able to order us."
"Yes, Your Holiness, we are not content."
Taking a deep breath, Horn rubbed his face vigorously and sighed, "Alright, in that case, the Pope’s Guard will now become the Imperial Guard, with the military structure based on the Black Hat Army..."
The two young guards departed rejoicing, and before Horn could catch his breath, Duvalon poked his head out from the side:
"Papa, this Corps Leader role, I can actually take it on."
Since René became head of the Cheka, Duvalon had become the spokesman for the Child Soldiers.
As their leader, naturally, he had to speak on behalf of his Child Soldiers siblings.
"You also want to form a corps?"
"Yes, after all, we are your godchildren, closer than the Pope Guards, so why can’t we form a corps?"
Looking at Duvalon before him and then at the departing young guards, Horn was completely throwing the towel.
"Alright, since that’s the case, all change, change everything to your liking!"
Thus, in the historical army reform of the Gulag Papal State, Horn acquired four major corps in a single day.
The First Corps, Imperial Guard, consists of 55 Imperial Decree Companies, commanded by Horn himself, comprising 55 people.
The Second Corps, Black Hat Army, consists of 120 Imperial Decree Companies, led by Jeska, with Buniyan as First Division Commander and Raphael as Second Division Commander, comprising 120 people.
The Third Corps, Child Soldiers, consists of 35 Imperial Decree Companies, commanded by Duvalon, comprising 35 people.
The Fourth Corps, Holy Grail Knight Order, consists of 2 Imperial Decree Companies, commanded by Jeanne, comprising 2 people.
The Gulag Monastery underwent transformation to house 212 Imperial Decree Companies, shocking Leia Kingdom with forces five times stronger than their own.
This military reform was unprecedented, turning a ragtag group into a synthesized force.
With every 300 people forming one person, each soldier was both a platoon leader and a hundred-armored knight, a hundred melee knights, and even hundreds of archers.
One person equalled one company. Could their combat power be any smaller?
Finally, with the reorganization, the four great corps began training and preparations for war.