Chapter 154: Tactical Victory & Strategic Defeat (1)'
Reich Empires 7th Division Command Tent.
So, that time, right? When those Swiss rats suddenly appeared from the dense forest on the right I thought we were all going to die!
Idiot, who did you think our Division Commander was? Lieutenant General Yaeger obviously knew everything. I, too, sensed that the Lieutenant General had prepared something.
Stop talking bullshit, Sergeant Mark. Do you think I didnt know? All of our squad members had been trembling, but you were the only one who had peed himself. I would have let it slide if you had kept your mouth shut.
Outside the command tent, a feast had been held for the junior officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, ranking captain and below, to celebrate the victory and relieve the fatigue of war.
I had ordered the release of all the alcohol we had for them to enjoy.
The officers of our division, ranking Lieutenant Colonel and above, had already understood the situation, so not one of them could smile despite the victory report in front of them.
Usually, in such a trap, the priority would have been to send back as many soldiers as possible safely to the empire.
A division commander would have primarily considered a unilateral retreat under the authority granted by military law.
Even so, in my case, I would have been acknowledged for the victory in the Jungfrau battle and the best decision of a unilateral retreat. I might even have been promoted or granted a fief.
I could have even received the Golden Laurel, the most honorable medal of the empire, to adorn my career.
Because in such a great defeat, a hero was needed to cover the sense of loss and despair. The choice to retreat the troops alone was absolutely not wrong.
But in the current case, a unilateral retreat meant leaving the Crown Prince behind, which changed everything.
Fellow officers, before I officially convey the situation and my thoughts, let me say this. I, Peter Yaeger, am now facing the worst crisis since the start of my military career. The situation is desperately grim. By principle, we should abandon all heavy equipment and return to the imperial mainland at this time. However, we cant retreat. You all know the reason too well.
At these words, all the officers, including Anya, had not responded.
They only clenched their teeth in frustration and struck the innocent desk hard, nodding their heads as their response.
Therefore, our Imperial Armys 7th Division would rest today and tomorrow, then move to Reichenstein Castle, where we agreed to join His Highness, the Crown Prince.
I had received immense favors from His Highness, the Crown Prince, but as the Supreme Commander, he had made a tremendous blunder.
It pained me that not only I but also all the officers here and the entire division must bear the consequences of that mistake and be driven into a dire situation.
If we chose to flee or show passive behavior to save them, the blame would extend to their families.
It was irrational and unjust, but that was the military law of the empire and the duty we must uphold as citizens of the empire.
Socrates had said even an unjust law was still a law and must be obeyed, but it felt disgusting to impose that on my subordinates, including myself.
After I had finished speaking, one officer asked,
Since Count Bern had betrayed us, it is highly likely that the other units, including His Highness the Crown Prince, have already been unexpectedly attacked. Then, the Crown Prince and other division commanders must have realized the situation had turned bad. While I dont know about the others, the Crown Prince must survive Perhaps His Highness had already escaped. In such a case, is there a need for the 7th Division to go to Reichenstein?
The question I had just asked was very logical and made sense.
Therefore, if this had been a country like the Francois Republic or Chekovia Duchy, where relatively large forces could be easily mobilized, it was likely, as suggested by the officer, that not only our 7th Division but also the other six divisions would have been subject to a similar strategy with unexpected large-scale attacks.
But Switzerland, being a mountainous country with a small population, had limited soldiers it could mobilize.
Their target, which they had been preparing for years, was to definitively kill or capture His Highness the Crown Prince, so it was advantageous for them to draw him as deep into the duchy as possible.
Until they had eliminated Lieutenant General Peter Yaeger, whom they saw as the most obstructive element to removing the Crown Prince, and lowered the morale of the imperial army to rock bottom, the Crown Prince and other divisions would not suffer significant harm.
The Swiss Duchy targeted our division to get to me, Peter Yaeger, the youngest general of the empire, and to demoralize and weaken the 50,000 imperial troops that came to conquer Switzerland. But what they really want is to capture the Crown Prince alive and demand substantial territories from the empire. Therefore, they would draw the Crown Prince and the other five divisions deep into the duchy to achieve their strategic objectives.
According to the original plan, the 7th Division should have been annihilated, and I should have been captured or killed here.
However, Lieutenant General Peter Yaeger, whom they should have dealt with first, was still alive and well, and the 7th Division had defeated Count Ticinos 9,000 soldiers with minor losses.
Now, it was time to make encouraging remarks to boost morale.
If we couldnt turn around the mood and raise morale here, the division would be in danger, and in the worst case, the entire expeditionary force, including the Crown Prince and me, could be annihilated.
Even if cornered, as long as morale was intact, there was a way to survive, but if morale was at rock bottom, one could lose even a winnable battle.
However, thanks to your efforts, Count Ticino, who should have annihilated us here according to their plan, ran away like a rat with its tail between its legs, leading his decimated unit. The 7th Division, including myself, is almost unharmed in terms of combat power. So, their strategy had already crumbled from the premise.
As I said this, the tense atmosphere that had been lingering until now was significantly relieved.
It feels a bit embarrassing to keep bragging about myself, but who am I, the one leading you? Let someone say it out loud.
Anya stood up and spoke proudly in response to my words.
The savior of the Raintlant Front. The hero who ended the Chekovia Front with instant judgment. Moreover, you had beheaded Khan, saved Anastasia Kerzhit and the northerners, and turned the crisis threatening the empires borders into an opportunity to expand the empires territory. Recognized for your ability, you are the Division Commander, leading a division before even turning 30a first in the empires history.
Embarrassing as it was, any one of the accomplishments mentioned here would have been enough for a typical academy graduate to be comfortably promoted to General.
Having a string of such significant achievements did seem like boasting of my near-genius abilities.
With this, I could have said to anyone that I deserved to be called a great general of the Reich Empire.
And an army led by a great general had always turned the impossible into the possible, regardless of the era and place.
Perhaps thats why? Hearing my achievements once more, the officers seemed to regain courage even in this desperate situation.
Hooray for the Division Commander! Since it has come to this, life is a one-time journey. Ill stake my life!
As a noble of the empire and as a man, I had always been prepared to lay down my life for the empire! Now, Ill show it in action.
Ill dedicate my life for the empire.
As the officers morale soared, I pondered what rewards I could definitively promise them upon success.
If I succeed in rescuing His Highness the Crown Prince from danger, wouldnt I be able to secure various bonuses, special promotions, and possibly even knighthood and land for all the officers here?
But even if I saved His Highness the Crown Prince, obtaining land and decorations might be feasible, but promotion would be difficult.
Because I was one of the high-ranking members of this expeditionary force, I would have to bear responsibility if the expedition failed.
A Colonel commands about 8,000 soldiers, but a Lieutenant General takes command of a corps of 20-30 thousand or becomes the deputy commander of a large army exceeding 50 thousand, significantly increasing their influence.
But I was just 26 years old. Promotion wouldnt be easy.
Having sorted out my thoughts, I slammed my hand down on the desk and said,
Alright. Then I swear before you all. If we successfully rescue His Highness the Crown Prince and return, I will personally petition His Majesty the Emperor to grant all of you promotions, Knights Cross of the Sword decorations, titles, and even land. As a Lieutenant General, I have the privilege of a private audience, so if I insist, His Majesty the Emperor might just agree. So from now until His Highness the Crown Prince safely escapes Switzerland entrust all your lives to me!
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