Chapter 48: The Hammer & Anvil (1)
“Why do you think so?”
“When analyzing the circumstances surrounding Chekovia, there’s no possibility of them having a truce with the Grand Duchy of Luxenia.”
“Go on.”
I pointed to the area around the Chekovia Kingdom and continued.
“If we compare the number of soldiers that can be mobilized by both the Chekovia Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Luxenia, they have fewer troops. Thus, in a one-on-one confrontation, Chekovia, having more power, would likely propose a peace treaty with Luxenia without any additional demands.”This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.
Even if a bully or thug were uneducated and violent, as long as they weren’t foolish, they wouldn’t pick on someone weaker. They wouldn’t recklessly attack a muscular man who seemed capable of retaliating.
This was more of an instinct than a rational choice. Even drunkards picking fights would sober up and apologize before running away when faced with someone bigger and stronger.
And the conflicts and wars between countries work similarly. You would attack the weak and reason with the strong.
Currently, Luxenia was in no position but to be subservient to Chekovia.
“If they were to leave without any attacks, it’s like saying, ‘Don’t stop now. Rob my house and wallet some more!’ Thus, they wouldn’t propose a ceasefire.”
“However, currently, we, the Reich Empire, are at war with Chekovia, and a significant portion of Chekovia’s forces are allocated to this front. So, now Luxenia has some chance of winning, but they won’t agree to a truce under these circumstances.”
“It seems plausible diplomatically, but it will be hard to persuade the Brigade Commander with this alone.”
“Even if a peace treaty is signed with Luxenia and over 20,000 reinforcements are coming, it’s not like Chekovia is going to lose to our Imperial army, right?”
Our battalion had made significant achievements, thanks to good formation and training, but in a battle involving tens of thousands, it wasn’t enough.
“So, if I were the commander of Chekovia, I would launch more aggressive attacks to conclude the war before the arrival of 20,000 reinforcements. If the war is concluded before the reinforcements arrive, their achievements will be recognized. And now, they aren’t showing any signs of aggressive attacks. Instead, they are slowly pressuring us with their numerical superiority.”
If the lower-ranking officers and soldiers on the battlefield heard this, they would be dissatisfied. The Chekovian army wasn’t going to attack us today.
Fighting the enemy head-on wasn’t a bad idea, but the charm of battle lies in combining the roles of the anvil and hammer.
We were going to create a semi-encirclement on the enemy by simultaneously using the anvil and hammer to exterminate them.
“This also aligns with the orders from His Highness. So, it’d make a good story to announce after our victory that all this was planned by His Highness.”
I wanted to be the top contributor this time, but as a member of the Empire ruled by the Emperor.
Being a member of the Crown Prince’s faction, one must not stand out more than the Crown Prince.
If not, one would face all kinds of restrictions and persecution.
And the Crown Prince was the kind to generously reward if he knew I yielded for him to gain merit, so it was best to give as much as possible in situations like this.
Hearing this, the Colonel smirked and said,
“Thanks to recommending you, I naturally entered the faction of His Highness the Crown Prince, and as a result, my personnel evaluation was positively reflected, allowing me to be promoted to Colonel. So, to gain a star under His Highness, I should listen to you.”
“You’ll soon be promoted to general. Please look after me then.”
“Then, I’ll modify the superior strategy you mentioned and recommend it to the Brigade Commander. It’d be good if we both could get promoted by the end of this war.”
When we were about to finish our serious conversation...
“By the way, Count Benner’s only daughter serves as my lieutenant, and she led a platoon under my command and killed a major in today’s battle. Can you reflect this in the personnel evaluation?”
“If she’s completed the minimum service period, the Brigade Commander will directly issue a promotion order in a few days. It’s the daughter of the Deputy Commander, after all.”
And a week later, the 9th Division of the Reich Empire, to which I belonged, part of the Chekovia Expeditionary Force, moved near Mount Kaines.
My lieutenant, Lieutenant Laura, managed to get promoted to Captain a bit earlier than others by the Brigade Commander’s authority.
