EP.284
As the saying goes, when a person is too angry, he cannot say anything. Lieutenant General Manstein’s face was as red as a boiled octopus, but he could not say anything.
His eyes were full of death, threatening to kill me right now, and his hands were clenched so tightly that his fingernails were digging into them, and even a few drops of blood were falling.
One would think that a person who has never killed someone on the battlefield would be scared when they see Lieutenant General Manstein’s eyes and anger.
It’s not that I don’t understand why it’s like that.
In addition to being denied his entire life as a lieutenant general who dedicated decades in the imperial army and as the head of the Count Manstein family.
The humiliation of having his rank insignia ripped off will follow him until he dies, and the disgrace of Count Manstein’s family will extend to his children and grandchildren, making his future military life difficult.
In addition, it is strange that the generals and officers who were close to that nobleman were not angry at receiving a social penalty that could have stigmatized them.
However, I don’t feel guilty at all because it is indeed an appropriate punishment for a bastard who almost ruined the empire by talking bullshit.
“Anyway, is it okay to do that to a lieutenant general who has devoted himself to the empire for over 30 years? It would be better to issue a dishonorable discharge notice. “You’re going to rip off your rank insignia in front of everyone else?”
“After hearing what Captain Jaeger said, doesn’t it seem like he would do something like that? This was a problem that could be seen just by looking at the strategic map currently placed at the Chief of Staff Headquarters. If an empire is defeated just once, it loses everything. A person as high as a lieutenant general did not know this and tried to mass-produce countless rumors by spreading nonsense about it being an active expansion policy. “If the imperial army had followed that strategy, we would be doomed.”
“… If I hadn’t known that, I would have gone back right away and filed a petition to impeach Captain Yeager. “No matter how much you are the commander or your majesty, I would not subject you to such a dishonorable and shameful act without a proper reason.”
To a soldier, rank and honor are more important than one’s life.
That’s because people who have been educated like that since childhood and have lost their class and honor are looked down upon in society to a level comparable to that of a serious criminal.
And of course, that yoke also falls on family members.
Representative examples are the five majors, including Matthias, who brought His Majesty Michael, who was the Crown Prince at the time, to the brink of death during the Battle of the Duchy of Switzerland.
I heard that no matter where they went in the empire, they used to be ridiculed for drinking by poor people who did not even dare to look at them.
Some of the guys who did it too badly were caught by the imperial guards and suffered harsh punishments, but they said that it was not a crime to ridicule and insult those who had been stripped of their honor, and they only served one year in prison for ‘assault’ and got out.
If they had any honor, they would have been beheaded within a few weeks by the executioner’s sharp ax for insulting nobility.
Well, Lieutenant General Manstein was nothing more than ‘bullshit’, so he should be treated better than that, but I ended his social life… I
heard the staff officers whispering below, wondering if it was worth it for me to gather them all together and explain it to them. .
There are only opinions about whether it’s too much, and I’m glad that no one criticizes me and says I’m bad.
And near me, with applause, His Excellency the Minister of Military Affairs, who could be said to be the two-headed chariot leading the imperial army, and my father-in-law, who was in charge of the Marshal, stood up.
“I was anxious because the young people these days were so intoxicated with victory that they couldn’t even see what was in front of them, and were spouting bullshit that the imperial army would continue to win in the future. As expected, my son-in-law has completely shaken off such ridiculous war doctrines to the point that no one can agree with them. Besides, if I just summarize the strategies and situations I advocated a little, I could give a lecture at a university!”
“I often warned Count Manstein as Minister of Military Affairs, but he didn’t listen, so I was very worried. They only spout mental theories like, “The empire will not be defeated because the imperial army is strong,” and they don’t believe me even when I show them data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There was a need to weed them out like that, Captain Jaeger. Thank you so much.
Then the two looked back at those who were relatively young among the staff officers.
There was quite a bit of anger on his face, and when his young staff officer friends saw that, they became as stiff as dolhareubang.
“I’m begging you. From now on, don’t bring anything like the active expansion plan proposed by Manstein or the active enemy-making strategy. The guy who writes an operation plan based on that will be sent to the Nuremburg Defense Force and discharged without being promoted. “I swear as my enemy.”
“The Minister of Military Affairs is greatly disappointed with the staff officers attached to the Chief of Staff who supported this ridiculous operation. So, I hope that the Minister of Military Affairs will not be disappointed again. “If I’m disappointed next time, it’ll be difficult in many ways, so wouldn’t it be better to move forward on a positive note?”
If you work inside the Chief of Staff, you will see many people so high up that it is acceptable to give a somewhat cursory salute up to 2 stars.
However, even if we see high-ranking people so many times that we get tired of them, it is not because of the power they have.
Therefore, if you are picked on by the Minister of Military Affairs and the Marshal, from that day on, your life as a soldier will end without any disruption.
This is because although commissions and discharge orders from the military are under His Majesty’s jurisdiction, those two have the opportunity to recommend promotions, accumulate the necessary merits for promotion, and have the authority to change positions.
Those two people supported me, so even those who showed signs of sympathy when Lieutenant General Manstein expressed his opinion completely ignored the man in front of me.
Lieutenant General Manstein must have realized his situation when he saw that the reactions of those around him had become very cold, and he no longer showed any signs of anger on his face.
It’s just that I fell into such deep despair that anyone could see the words ‘My life is ruined’ written on my face.
Then, he spoke as if he was forcing himself to live with the will to live somehow.
Tears were falling down miserably on her face.
“Captain, considering the contributions I have made to the empire so far, please show me a little mercy. Please help me get discharged with at least the minimum courtesy. I haven’t committed any treason, have I? “Please do something!”
His eyes contained the desperation and sadness of a man clinging to his girlfriend who told him to break up with her.
However, in this world, there is no grave without excuses, and if you become a staff officer in the Imperial Army and commit a crime that could destroy the Empire by talking nonsense, you should just shut up and spend your whole life reflecting on yourself.
His Majesty will at least grant you a ‘pardon’ later, but the more you beg from me here and now, the more you throw away whatever little bit of honor you have left.
So, taking into account his dedication in the military so far, I decided to show him the bare minimum of mercy.
“No one other than a major or higher can be allowed into the Chief of Staff except for His Majesty! “Take Lieutenant General Manstein outside politely!”
At those words, two young majors grabbed Manstein and prepared to drag him away.
I spoke carefully into his ear as he was about to be dragged away.
“It is not a dishonorable discharge, so you will be provided with an officer’s pension and other special benefits after you are discharged. So, continue to reflect and reflect on yourself from now on, Count.”
I was sick of his face, which had become a lieutenant general, or even just Count Manstein, to the point where I thought it was blue instead of white.
I motioned to the majors and Manstein was dragged out.
As he was dragged away, he received no sympathy from those present, and my father-in-law came up next to me and asked in a worried voice.
“I know very well how you felt. However, it would be dangerous to kick out an active-duty lieutenant general like this, no matter how much His Majesty’s approval was received. “Are you prepared?”
I appreciate my father-in-law’s concern, but I just did what I had to do.
So there is no hesitation or fear, just keep moving forward.
“I just did what I had to do. And I will continue to do what needs to be done.”
“If you step down from your position because of this, I will never forgive you. So, protect yourself from the impeachment of the idiots in the Noble Assembly. “There are about three and a half years left in my term, and once my term is over, you will be the next one.”
“How do I beat other prominent people?”
At those words, my father-in-law must have thought there was no need to joke in this situation, so he shrugged his shoulders, ordered the place to be cleaned up, and left.
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