Chapter 135: Peter Yaeger’s Holiday (1)
In an empire ruled by the Emperor, a general or commander working to gain the trust of their subordinates was like a double-edged sword.
This was because, while directly caring for and assisting subordinates increased loyalty and morale among soldiers and officers, thus boosting combat effectiveness, it could also arouse suspicion in the Emperor, as if such actions were preparations for rebellion.
Thus, I substituted such direct encouragement with positive performance reviews and recommendation letters for my subordinates.
Lieutenant General Yaeger, this is the house of Sub-Lieutenant Hans Loren.
Upon hearing Charlottes words, I stopped my wandering thoughts and knocked on the door of the small brick house.
Is this the house of Lieutenant Hans Loren?
A woman, who seemed to be about twenty years old, opened the door and said,
Yes, I am the wife of Lieutenant Loren. What brings you here?
She looked surprised upon seeing my face, rank insignia, and the decorations and medals on my uniform, which only a general could wear.
I am Lieutenant General Peter Yeager, the brigade commander of the 12th Brigade. Are you the wife of Sub-Lieutenant Loren?
Yes, I am. But may I ask why you are here?
I have come to visit the brave Lieutenant who fought valiantly in the Hattin Forest battle.
Upon hearing this, Lorens wife hurriedly went in and called for Sub-Lieutenant Loren, who was using crutches.
The Lieutenant, who was about four years younger than me, looked at me with a tense yet moved expression and tried to salute after putting down his crutches, but
Theres no need for a salute. I appreciate your intention, but if you get hurt trying to stand without crutches, its a loss for the empire, isnt it? How are you feeling?
Thanks to your concern, I have improved a lot. I think I can return to the army next year.
Thats good to hear. I was genuinely distressed to hear you were injured. Its really pleasing to hear youll be able to return to the army next year.
The Lieutenant wore a look that seemed to hold both gratitude and disappointment.
He was probably worried about the delay in his promotion to lieutenant due to his injury and his mothers medical expenses.
Because the reward he received this time was about the equivalent of a Sub-Lieutenants annual salary.
Dont worry too much, and focus on resting and recovering. I actually came here to tell you that the Crown Prince has agreed to give you a small consolation prize and that your promotion to captain next year has been confirmed. Just focus on getting better quickly as your way of repaying him.
To be precise, I informed the Crown Prince in advance by letter that the Emperor had instructed me to take care of the soldiers to avoid unnecessary suspicion from him.
So, while conveying that I had made a schedule to visit and encourage the soldiers during my official leave, I suggested that it would be good to create an image showing the Crown Princes special concern for the wounded. This proposal was approved, and thats why I was saying this.
The Crown Prince already knew that the Emperor had ordered me to establish my position in the army, so even if I had acted without separate permission, he wouldnt have been too suspicious.
I directly asked for permission while offering to enhance the Crown Princes reputation, and he was very pleased and promised his support.
This is a consolation prize made up of both the Crown Princes money and mine. This should be enough for you to live comfortably until next year. Id like to stay for a cup of tea, but I need to visit other officers, too, so Ill be on my way.
After about ten minutes of visiting Lieutenant Loren, Charlotte and I left.
Lieutenant General, next, its time to visit Lieutenant Hurtmans home.
When I heard that, my heart felt heavy and unpleasant.
That was because Lieutenant Hurtman was the guy who led his platoon in Hattin Forest and fought valiantly until he was killed in action.
Lets go quickly. Tell the carriage drivers to hurry.
Thus, as a superior officer, I went to Lieutenant Hurtmans family to convey how wise and brave he had been, but unfortunately, his death in action was considered a great loss to the army.
Thus, today, even though we had distinguished ourselves in this battle, we visited the homes of about ten officers and soldiers who had met unfortunate fates.
Although Charlotte and I traveled comfortably by carriage, meeting with the wounded or the families of those who had died was mentally exhausting.
Is there nowhere else to visit today?
Yes, thats everything. Youve worked hard, Lieutenant General.
Visiting to offer condolences is really much harder than I thought. Personally, it feels more mentally exhausting than going to battle.
At that, Charlotte slightly smiled and nodded in agreement.
But as we were traveling, it occurred to me to ask, how is your family doing?
Usually, this question would prompt a light-hearted response about ones family.
But Charlotte hesitated, indicating something was not right.
After thinking a bit more, I realized I had never made any inappropriate remarks or demands on Charlotte, even though being a personal maid often meant coming from a serf family chosen for their looks and doing it for their familys sake.
Considering she was educated enough to help with writing and basic administrative tasks, her family must have faced a situation dire enough to risk falling into ruin.
Im sorry. I shouldnt have
Upon hearing this, Charlotte forced a smile, indicating it was okay, and replied.
Its alright. Indeed, a few years ago, my fathers trading business failed, and our circumstances declined significantly, but
After that, she slowly began to talk about her familys situation.
In summary, Charlottes father, Karl, was a merchant who expanded from a small town to a large city and eventually to the capital. However, on a business trip, he was attacked by bandits, losing everything, including his life.
As a result, Charlottes family incurred a debt of about 40 gold, and she almost got sold off due to this situation.
Due to her beauty, Charlotte became a personal maid serving generals, thus avoiding being solda tragic turn of events.
But now, Im able to send 1 gold home each month, paying off the interest and principal, and with the severance pay added, things should work out.
While personal maids typically earn about 6 silver a month, Charlottes additional administrative duties earned her an extra 6 silver from me, totaling 1.2 gold a month, more than the usual salary of most lieutenants or captains.
Realizing she didnt even take her days off to visit home and was always by my side, I felt I should have noticed her situation earlier.
Thats why Im always grateful to you, Lieutenant General. I was prepared for the possibility that the person I serve might take liberties when I was trained as a personal maid. But youve always treated me with respect and kindness, for which Im truly grateful.
Listening to Charlottes story, I was reminded of my own experiences struggling as an orphan in the orphanage after my first reincarnation.
Now, those times seem like a bitter joke, something I can laugh off in front of Lieutenant Colonel Anya.
But back then, I had to live desperately, often cold and hungry.
However, I felt sympathy, realizing that her current situation, even though she was helping me wholeheartedly, was more severe than what I experienced back then.
Moreover, Charlotte, at least for the next few years, would likely be the person who spends the most time with me, second only to Laura.
Thank you for saying that. However, since we still have some time, lets stop by your house before heading back.
By visiting her house and fully paying off her debt, I could secure Charlottes loyalty, and her voluntary loyalty would be of great help to me in many ways.
Who knows? For instance, if the royal family secretly ordered her to monitor my suspicious actions, she might give me a hint that would help me escape without major damage.
Even if that werent the case, as an administrative assistant, Charlotte was already a great help.
So, I opened the carriage window and said to Charlotte.
Tell the coachman where your house is. Since weve set out, lets hurry and get it done.
The scene I saw upon arriving at her house was quite shocking.
Weve come to collect the money! Open the door!!
As Charlotte described, even in this era, where debt collectors were known to exploit high interest rates and engage in thuggery, they usually wouldnt harass someone who had been consistently paying their interest.
What exactly was going on here?
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by (f)reew𝒆b(n)ovel.com