Chapter 14: Opportunity For Promotion (1)
The situation facing the Reich Empire’s army was dire, but our current situation wasn’t any better.
Although the enemy forces we were about to confront were slightly fewer than ours, our soldiers’ stamina was already greatly diminished.
Even I, a squad leader responsible for leading the soldiers, would like to take a break, head back to the barracks, get some sleep, and then come back.
However, I was hanging on while thinking of the reward I would receive if the strategy I’d proposed for this battle succeeded.
And the regular soldiers, who couldn’t expect significant rewards no matter how they fought, must be even more exhausted since they had less motivation to participate in the battle.
Recognizing this, our battalion commander took a step back, snatched the spear from a soldier, and shouted loudly,
“I know all of you are exhausted and tired. I’m immensely proud of every soldier for holding on until now!”
Ordinarily, in difficult times, encouraging words about how we could still push through would be expected.
But in a situation where everyone was this drained and fatigued, pushing them like this might make them feel like they are being cornered, causing them to want to give up.
“So, as your battalion commander, I will personally lead from the front. Just follow my lead, and as always, we can return alive. Let’s win this war and return to our hometowns where our families await us.”
Hearing the battalion commander mention families and taking the lead, the soldiers, as if realizing they couldn’t return home without victory here, seemed to regain a fiery spirit in their eyes.
Soon after, our battalion and the enemy began to slowly approach each other.
The battalion commander confidently led the soldiers, as if he were certain enemy arrows and magic would avoid him.
The soldiers, inspired by this sight, momentarily forgot their fatigue and began to slowly advance towards the enemy.
As the spear of the battalion commander, slightly ahead of the rest, made contact with that of a Francois Republican soldier, the battalion commander deftly pushed aside the enemy’s spear and pierced the enemy’s neck as swiftly as lightning.
Simultaneously, setting aside his spear, he began wielding a short sword, or rather a blade about 50cm in length, and started breaking through the enemy lines.
Seeing this, the deputy battalion commander also charged at the enemy in a similar fashion.
Ordinarily, one might ridicule high-ranking individuals like the battalion and deputy battalion commanders for taking such actions...
But in close combat against tightly packed spear soldiers, wielding a dagger that could freely swing in the narrow space inside the spear’s reach was the most effective tactic.
Thanks to this, I, being of the highest rank in the battalion apart from those two, implicitly took over the overall command...
“1st and 2nd row! Drop your spears and follow the commander with a one-handed weapon! It’s safer to get inside the enemy’s spear reach without giving them a chance to react! Also, crossbowmen from the Yaeger platoon, protect the commander!”
This was the best command to support those two in the current situation.
Simultaneously, I ordered the battalion’s cavalry to mobilize the 1st and 2nd squads to support the commander and signaled the regiment commander with our flag to quickly finish the battle and to stretch out laterally, attacking the enemy as if encircling them.
Soon after, our battalion had penetrated deep into the enemy lines.
Even I, acting as the battalion commander, reached the point where I had to engage directly in combat.
Then, I clearly heard the voice of an astonished enemy.
“These crazy bastards. They should’ve been exhausted trying to save their dying allies. Why are they fighting so well now?”
“That bastard of a battalion commander is at the forefront, killing everyone!”
However, other units of our division that participated in the battle suffered severe damage, just as I anticipated.
Out of about 8,000 soldiers in our division, 1,000 died, and 500 were seriously injured and being treated.
The leader of the 1st regiment was seriously injured, and the commanders of the 2nd and 12th regiments were killed. Moreover, around 30 officers of the rank of lieutenant and above were either killed or seriously injured, leading to changes in the leaders of those units.
Sadly, among them were our injured company commander and deputy commander.
According to rumors circulating within the unit, over half of the casualties were caused by the Black Lion Mercenary Group, which had only about 1,000 members. This showcased how strong they were.
Yet even in such circumstances, I was officially promoted to the rank of captain for defeating three units of the Francois Republic and saving a neighboring battalion from annihilation.
Now, as a proxy company commander, because the current company commander has sustained injuries, I am attending a meeting directly overseen by the division commander.
Nevertheless, being just a newly promoted captain, I couldn’t even sit at the long table used by the division commander. Instead, I stood at attention in a corner of the tent.
“Damn it, anyone, just give me your opinion! Acting Regiment Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Conwell! Don’t you have any thoughts?”
“Lieutenant Colonel Conwell, Acting Regiment Commander! I’m not sure, sir.”
“Did you just stuff your head in a can? Why the hell do you always not know?”
The division commander expressed his frustration at the lack of answers in the current battlefield situation as he urged his subordinates to come up with solutions.
He continued to loudly urge the other battalion commanders, as he did to Lieutenant Colonel Conwell, to come up with a suitable alternative in this situation. Yet, everyone just looked down, offering no answers.
It was inevitable, given that nearly 20% of the division’s forces had been obliterated in a single battle.
Coming up with a strategy to save the army in such a situation was extremely challenging, especially when the division commander was infuriated.
So, who could dare to speak when there was a chance of getting severely reprimanded for even the slightest misstep?
Seeing that no answers were forthcoming, the division commander, sensing the atmosphere, sighed deeply and relaxed his stern expression before asking again.
“Does no one here really have an opinion? Alright, then. Excluding reckless strategies like blind charges, I promise not to criticize any strategy that is suggested. Are there no opinions from any regiment, battalion commander, or staff officer?”
This time, even though the division commander asked more calmly, probably because of the previous battle’s defeat, no battalion commander or higher-ranking officer confidently proposed a solution.
The division commander then turned his gaze toward where the company commanders were, but the meaning of that gaze was all too clear.
It was obvious that a strategy formed by company commanders, with their limited experience, wouldn’t be better than one formed by higher-ranking veteran officers.
It seemed he planned to hear our basic strategies, praise them, and use them to lift the spirits of others...
Then, the division commander pointed at me with his baton, his face wearing a friendly expression.
“Ah, Lieutenant Peter Yaeger. No, now you’re a captain, right? So, what’s your opinion? What do you think is necessary to defeat those damned Francois Republicans?”
Usually, even if one only suggested an operation of average capability at the level of a senior-ranking officer here, they would be able to receive commendation from the division commander.
However, the sole reason I applied here wasn’t just for a promotion to the rank of captain.
Then I confidently chose a sentence that would surely pique the opponent’s interest and replied,
“I believe that attacking in an unpredictable way is the best strategy.”The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.
