Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: The Banquet Table is Set (2)
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Peter Jaeger's exclusive barracks.
Normally, our 12th Brigade would have stayed in the Franco Republic, twiddling our thumbs until the relief troops arrived.
But His Imperial Majesty the Emperor had issued an imperial decree ordering us straight to the capital, so unlike the other units left behind in Franco...
We couldn't indulge in the wild post-victory revelry until the replacements showed up.
By all rights, the soldiers and officers—deprived of the perks granted to victorious units—should have been wearing sour faces.
"Sergeant, heh heh, is this for real?"
"This guy's still drunk from the booze the brigade commander handed out yesterday. Want me to slap some sense into him?"
"Can you blame him? It's like a dream that our 12th Brigade—on a light ration, sure—gets to attend His Imperial Majesty's consolation banquet."
From the privates up to me, the brigade commander, the sheer fact that we were all invited to a banquet hosted by His Imperial Majesty had our hearts swelling with pride.
On top of that, His Majesty had tacitly granted us permission to march into the city fully armed.
It wasn't a full triumph, but every man and woman in our brigade now had a lifelong boast to cherish right up to their dying breath.
And with the Emperor himself throwing a banquet to celebrate our brigade's soldiers, from the lowliest private all the way up to me, the rewards would be lavish—overflowing, even.
So even if their leave was delayed by a month or two, they grinned ear to ear.
"Brigadier General, sir! Brigadier General, sir."
I turned toward the voice calling me and saw Major Anya standing there.
"Ah, Major. What is it?"
When I asked, she approached with a mix of exhilaration and tension.
"Are we really allowed to lead the city march at the front? Sure, our White Wolf horsemen officially became Imperial citizens after surrendering from the north, but..."
Her caution was perfectly understandable.
She and her people had fled southward from Ludwig in the north, surrendered everything to the Empire, and in return gained knighthoods, lands, and her rank as major—authority to lead her tribesmen warriors and civilians.
I hadn't witnessed it myself, but it was obvious what kind of looks she and her northerners got from the Imperial Army and within the Empire.
Inside our brigade, right after she arrived, I'd declared that anyone caught discriminating against her or the northerners for their origins would face a court-martial.
No one dared give her or the northerners direct prejudice or dirty looks.
The Imperial Army had its share of officers and soldiers from all walks of life—minorities included—so outright idiots were rare anyway.
Still, there were reports of morons whose only life brag was being born Imperial nobles or citizens mocking or badmouthing the northern horsemen unit.
After nearly two years of that, it made sense she'd ask if they could really take point in a prominent city march.
Come to think of it, it reminded me of when I first made major and asked my father-in-law if a commoner like me should bow and scrape.
I'd been discriminated against as a commoner; she was scorned as a northerner.
For a capable subordinate wrestling with such doubts, the way to win true loyalty was to empathize, assure her she could do it, praise her—and prove it.
Show that even if others looked down on her, I wouldn't forget her merits and dedication.
This was the perfect chance to win over Major Anya and the northerners.
Do it right, and Anastasia Kerzhit and her White Wolf horsemen would lay down their lives for me on any battlefield.
"Major Anya, do you know something?"
"What is it, sir?"
"They call me the youngest brigadier general, a rule-breaker, a madman—but back in the day, I was a commoner orphan, discriminated against worse than you can imagine. In my fourth year at the Academy, a third-year noble underclassman mocked me about what peasants eat. That kind of thing happened all the time."
It had hurt back then—deeply.
Teachers never singled me out, but the pranks and bullying from other students were relentless.
Of course, after I made captain on the Rhineland Front, even the fourth-year seniors who'd tormented me as a freshman trembled and saluted at the sight of me.
"But now? No one dares mock me. The young scions of other noble houses envy or resent me instead."
The issue was that "young scions" stretched from their twenties to jealous fortysomethings who hadn't inherited titles.
"Know why?"
"Because you've racked up impossible victories and feats in countless wars, sir. And you dueled and slew our mortal enemy Ludwig on the battlefield."
"Exactly. That's the answer. I outdid the ones who laughed at me as a commander, and suddenly I was the one everyone admired. Funny story: back at the Academy, the sons of knightly, baronet, viscount, earl, and marquis houses wouldn't give me the time of day. Now they line up to make connections."
Right after I pinned on brigadier general, the eldest son of the Lichtenheim marquis house—wanting ties to the army's pillar, me—secretly invited me to take over the capital's hottest tavern for a private night out.
I dodged it by "volunteering" for overtime that night; didn't want to tangle with nobles more than necessary.
"I believe you and yours will rise so high you'll be the envy and jealousy of the Empire, just like I did. Proof? In Hatin Forest, your two hundred horsemen toyed with six hundred knights. Let me say it again: we won and survived that battle solely because of your horsemen."
This was sincere. Without them grabbing those six hundred knights by the ankles...
We'd have inflicted 30-40% casualties on the enemy—huge damage—but defense would've failed.
The whole expedition might've collapsed from there.
"Thank you for saying so, sir."
"No need. And this is just a copy of the report I sent to His Highness the Crown Prince and the War Ministry via courier, but... hold on a moment."
I summoned the admin officer and had him fetch the personnel evaluations for the horsemen unit.
He brought the papers soon after.
"It's already submitted to the Ministry, no classified info, so no harm in you glancing. Take a look."
"Yes, sir."
Anastasia read through page by page, whispering in awe at each name.
"Corporal Alexei, promoted to sergeant. Sergeant Vladimir, promoted to warrant officer or recommended for warrant school—your choice. Lieutenant Danil, promoted to captain with bonus pay..."
As she hit about the fourteenth horseman—just as I'd predicted, her voice thick with emotion threatening tears—I handed her the recommendation letter I'd set aside for her.
She read it in a voice on the verge of breaking.
"Major Anastasia Kerzhit. Without her, the Battle of Hatin Forest would surely have ended in defeat. In recognition of her merits, I request her promotion to lieutenant colonel. Moreover, her White Wolf tribe's horsemen serve as a prime example for fully integrating northerners into Imperial citizenship. Please reward them generously."
"I've heard even your northern warriors and serfs struggle with the narrow lands granted. Thought this might help, so I put in the request myself."
Word was, the Emperor's grants were too small for the numbers the northern tribes brought, and they didn't know Imperial farming—yields were low, leaving Anya's people poor.
More land must've been their deepest wish.
Sure enough, tears welled in her eyes.
"You've worked hard. You've given your all under me, so as your superior, I'll repay you as best I can."
"Thank you. Thank you, Brigadier General."
This was the moment. I resolved to say the words that would seal her loyalty.
"You've already done more than enough. Thanks to you, your northern warriors and people didn't starve in the north—they found hope here. You saw hope in me and the Empire and came to us; I see hope in you. As long as I'm in the army, I swear to aid the White Wolf tribe and all northerners to the utmost."