EP.74
The number one unit that young noble second lieutenants who graduated from the Academy least want to join is the Northern Army. Its history spans several decades.
That’s because, unlike other units deployed in the provinces, the Northern Army frequently engages in small-scale battles that are not helpful in accumulating achievements.
Because it is a place like that, there is no way that a lieutenant or a second lieutenant with limited time can afford to train the newly appointed second lieutenant.
Therefore, in order to survive in the Northern Army, second lieutenants must learn not from senior officers, but from officers below them in rank, such as deputy platoon commanders, who have been worn out in real combat, as if they were back in their student days.
For reference, if you don’t let go of your pride and learn properly, you will end up in the middle of the battalion within a few months, so in a sense, it is a place where things are going backwards.
In other units, it is common sense for an officer to learn from an officer, and if a newly appointed platoon leader goes beyond the level of simply listening to and referring to soldier management from the deputy platoon leader and asks to learn from him, he is called a person without knowledge.
It is a very difficult place where frequent battles with barbarians and various unexpected incidents occur on a daily basis, so when officers from the central region or other regions who do not know much about the situation in the north come here, they often openly dislike it.
If an officer or commander, without knowing anything about the situation in the northern region, uses his rank insignia to lead the way, dozens or even hundreds of soldiers could die in return…
So, officers deployed to the northern region risk their lives and enemies in order to be recognized by their subordinates. There is a real saying that you should start by proving your abilities with the determination to fight.
But even in these situations, there are always exceptions.
“Vice-Commander of the Loyal 24th Regiment! This is Lieutenant Colonel Max von Frenhill! “It is an honor to serve the colonel, who is called a hero of the Rhineland and Czechia!”
This is when the new commander dispatched from the center proved with his experience and abilities that he was extremely capable.
This is because if an incompetent or ordinary person leads the unit, there will be more dead bodies in the unit, but if a competent commander takes command, the possibility of being killed goes down significantly.
By making achievements in numerous battles, officers will have the opportunity to advance to a more comfortable position in the center.
This is because non-commissioned officers are given the opportunity to go to an officer academy and improve their lives, and soldiers are given a lump sum of money to buy land for farming after being discharged from the military or are given the opportunity to be discharged quickly.
As if to prove it, the deputy regiment commander’s gaze was not fixed on my face, but on the silver knight’s sword medal attached to the left chest of my uniform.
“It was my first day in office, so I wanted to have a dinner at my own expense, but the corps commander gave me an order to subdue the Thöneur tribe. So, please understand that we have to start with a strategy meeting right away.”
“no! “It is an honor to be able to serve under that famous colonel.”
Seeing a noble man in his late 40s looking at me with eyes filled with awe and respect, I felt a bit burdened.
I can’t help it because this middle-aged man’s particle is like a rope that came down from the sky.
The fact that he is in his late 40s means that he will soon reach the retirement age of lieutenant colonel and will have to retire.
If the country holds on tightly to the ropes, it will be able to make a big contribution, and if that happens, it will be full of dreams that it will be possible to go beyond the rank of colonel and aim for the stars.
“Then let me first receive a report on the status of the regiment’s troops.”
After saying that, Vice Regiment Commander Max reported with a high military spirit.
“Our Northern 24th Regiment consists of 4 infantry battalions, 1 wizard battalion, 50 people, and 1 knight battalion with 50 people. Based on the full formation, there are 148 vacancies.”
Considering that it is a northern unit with about 148 vacancies, the situation is better than expected.
Moreover, it is a great fortune that the wizard and knight troops, which are essential for dealing with those who live half-farmer and half-nine, are fully organized.
“Right. The regiment commander was very satisfied as the unit seemed to be in good condition. Can we look forward to it in the future?”
“We will do our best to meet your expectations.”
“Then, an hour later, we will have all commanders above the company commander assembled and begin a strategy meeting to carry out the corps commander’s orders.”
**
When I entered the conference room at the time instructed by the deputy regiment commander, the officers all looked at me with respect and saluted me.
In their eyes and posture, there was no feeling of disdain or suspicion toward the young commander.
Just like when the vice-regimental commander first saw me, he could only show respect for the hero who had been promoted to colonel and baron at the age of 23.
This may have been influenced by envy toward competent commanders, desire for survival, desire to become successful, and unnecessary feelings of inferiority and pride that naturally disappeared while traveling in the north.
Since you have such high expectations, if you make even one mistake, your current respect will quickly turn into disappointment.
I have to show myself better than expected.
“This is Colonel Peter Yeager, who was appointed as the commander of the 24th Regiment as of today. Since the situation is so urgent, I will postpone detailed introductions and greetings until later. There is no need to worry as the general unit situation has already been reported to the deputy regiment commander. From now on, I will give instructions on the operation to suppress the Töner tribe.”
After saying that, I pointed the baton at the map that someone had previously drawn around the Töner tribe and the 24th Regiment’s garrison.
“The Töner tribe completely burned and plundered Flensburg Castle and 10 surrounding villages. As a result, 1,200 people of the empire were captured, and 2,000 people became refugees who lost their place to live and farmland. In addition, their fields were devastated and all their livestock were plundered, causing tremendous damage.”
Since they are anti-farmers and anti-natives, it is highly likely that they captured men and women and used them as farming slaves or sold them to places like the Francois Republic.
Or, like those who have lost their concepts and morals, they killed men and raped women and turned them into playthings… They are worse than real animals.
“So the corps commander gave orders to thoroughly exterminate all those damn bastards. “We will not use the tactics that other units have used in the past when dealing with guys like Brunik.”
As he said that, the officers around him began to murmur.
“It is said that in the battle of Czechia, the enemy’s supplies were blown away using tactics that others had not thought of… Do you plan to use such tactics here as well?”
“But so far, it’s worked out pretty well. “If you fight one-on-one with their army, the imperial army will have the upper hand in an infantry battle, even if it is not a cavalry battle.”
“However, the tactics used so far by the Northern Army have been used well for decades. “I’m a little worried that you started using new tactics as soon as you arrived.”
Usually, in times like this, most commanders tell you to stop chatting and focus on what the commander says.
I deliberately gave them time to exchange their opinions.
This is because what they are saying now reflects the atmosphere and methods in which the Northern Army has fought so far.
If I were to guess from the respect in his eyes that he showed me when he first saw me, I would say that the conclusion would be to listen first and then judge.
As expected, after waiting for about 5 minutes, the officers all fell silent and looked at me.
“The reason is that things have changed a lot from before. Until just five years ago, when they plundered and returned, it was enough for the Empire to find their army and destroy it. Because if we just destroy the armies of the tribes that were hostile to us. “The tribes that obeyed or were friendly to us mobilized their troops and plundered and destroyed all their villages, setting a good example.”
According to research conducted by the Military Staff College, although they were in the same anti-farmer and anti-neighborhood relationship, they followed the law of the might of the fittest and grew their power by eating up the weakness of the neighboring tribe.
The other tribes who saw this thought this.
‘That mean thing. Seeing him grow his power by eating away all the weak tribes around him, isn’t he making a fuss to become Khan? It won’t work. Let’s call the other tribes together and kill that bastard.’
So, the empire ran well by keeping each other in check as long as they took measures such as beating them up and taming them a little bit.
“But now that damn Ludvik has taken control of the nomads who settled on the peninsula, so even if we annihilate the army of the Töner tribe. Other nomadic tribes do not prey on the villages where those who return from defeat live. So, they will more actively try to plunder us in order to support their families as farming has become difficult due to the decrease in men. Therefore, the strategy of luring their army to fight like before is nothing more than a temporary measure and is not a solution.”
This is similar to the structure in Korea where ex-convicts who have committed crimes and are subject to employment restrictions due to hardship in their lives turn to murder and theft to survive.
When I explained it that way, the officers realized something they had not thought of before and nodded as if they really believed what I was saying.
“So the strategy I will use is completely different from previous tactics. “It is a war of annihilation, where even if they are lured in, they advance with minimal defense and completely eliminate the villages where they live, one by one.”
See next episode
