Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Peter Jaeger's Day Off (1)
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In the Reich Empire, ruled by the Emperor, a general or commander from any unit trying to win the trust of his subordinates is walking a razor's edge.
This approach has its upsides: when a general personally checks on and helps his men, it boosts the loyalty of the soldiers and officers, raising the army's morale and combat effectiveness.
But from the Emperor's perspective, such actions can sometimes spark suspicions of plotting rebellion.
That's why, up until now, whenever I wanted to encourage my subordinates, I'd substitute it with strong performance evaluations and recommendation letters...
"Major General Jaeger, sir, this is Lieutenant Hans Loren's home."
Hearing Charlotte's words, I shook off my stray thoughts and knocked on the door of the modest brick house.
"Is this really Lieutenant Hans Loren's place?"
A woman who looked to be in her early twenties opened the door and said,
"Yes, I'm Lieutenant Loren's wife. But what brings you here..."
She took one look at my face, my rank insignia, and the uniform bedecked with decorations and medals reserved only for generals, and her expression turned to shock.
"I'm Major General Peter Jaeger of the 12th Brigade. You're Lieutenant Loren's wife, correct?"
"Yes, that's right. But may I ask what brings you here?"
"I've come to visit the brave lieutenant who fought so hard in the Battle of Hatten Forest."
At those words, Lieutenant Loren's wife hurried inside and fetched the lieutenant, who was leaning on crutches.
The lieutenant, who was about four years younger than me, looked incredibly tense yet deeply moved as he gazed at me. He set aside his crutches and tried to salute,
but I stopped him.
"No need for a salute. I appreciate the sentiment, but if an outstanding officer like you injures himself trying to stand at attention without his crutches, wouldn't that be a loss for the Empire? How's your condition?"
"Thanks to your concern, sir, I'm much better. I should be able to return to service next year."
"Good to hear. It's a relief. Personally, I was heartbroken when I heard you'd been wounded. Knowing you'll be back next year makes me very happy."
The lieutenant's face showed a mix of gratitude and disappointment.
He was probably upset about having to take a year off due to his injury, delaying his promotion to captain, and worried about his mother's hospital bills.
After all, the reward money he'd received was just about equivalent to a full year's pay for a lieutenant.
"Don't worry too much. Just rest up and recover. Truth be told, the reason I'm here is to pass along some modest consolation money on behalf of His Highness the Crown Prince and to inform you that your promotion to captain next year is now confirmed. All you need to do is get better quickly—that'll be repayment enough."
To be precise, I'd written to His Highness in advance, explaining that His Imperial Majesty the Emperor had instructed me to look after the troops, to avoid any unnecessary suspicions.
I mentioned that I'd scheduled visits to encourage the men during my leave, and suggested that since I was already making the rounds, it might be a good opportunity to build an image of His Highness as someone who especially cares for the wounded. He approved, so here I was.
For the record, His Highness already knew the Emperor had ordered me to solidify my position in the army, so he wouldn't have suspected anything even if I'd gone ahead without permission.
But by asking directly and promising to boost his reputation in the process, he was delighted and pledged his full support.
"This is consolation money combining funds from His Highness and myself. It should be enough to live comfortably through next year without any shortages. I'd love to stay for a cup of tea, but I have other officers to visit, so I'll take my leave."
With that, Charlotte and I spent about ten minutes there, wrapping up my visit to Lieutenant Loren.
"Sir, next up is Lieutenant Hartmann's residence."
Hearing that made my heart sink.
Lieutenant Hartmann was the man who'd led his platoon valiantly in Hatten Forest—only to fall in battle.
"Let's hurry. Tell the coachmen to pick up the pace."
And so, as his superior, I headed to Lieutenant Hartmann's home to convey how wise and brave he'd been in life, and how his death was a tragic loss to the military.
We spent the day visiting around ten homes of officers and soldiers who'd earned merits in the battle but suffered tragic fates.
Though Charlotte and I traveled comfortably by carriage, meeting the wounded and families of the fallen was mentally exhausting.
"No more visits today?"
"No, sir, that's all of them. You worked hard today."
"These condolence visits are far more draining than I expected. Personally, they tire me out mentally more than heading into battle."
Charlotte gave a slight smile and nodded in agreement.
"By the way, now that we've been out and about, it got me thinking—how's your family doing?"
Normally, someone would respond with a light, cheerful update about their family.
But for some reason, she hesitated, not answering right away.
Thinking it over, I'd never made any sexual advances or demands on Charlotte—not once.
Considering that exclusive maids were typically pretty girls from serf families sent to serve in hopes of benefiting their households...
I should have realized that someone educated enough to handle writing and basic admin work might have dire family circumstances that led to her position.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have pried."
She forced a smile and replied,
"It's fine. A few years ago, my father's merchant company did go bankrupt, and our fortunes took a sharp downturn..."
She then slowly explained her family's situation.
To sum it up: Charlotte's father, Karl, was a merchant from a small town expanding into larger cities. He'd finally established a base in the capital and set out on a trading expedition when bandits ambushed him. He lost everything—his cargo and his life.
The massive penalty fees piled up, leaving the family with about 40 gold in debt. Charlotte was nearly sold off to cover it,
but her beauty landed her the role of exclusive maid to generals, sparing her that fate. A tragic tale.
"Still, I'm sending home 1 gold every month now, covering interest and principal. Add in my severance when the time comes, and we'll manage somehow."
Exclusive maids typically earned around 6 silver a month, but since Charlotte handled brigade paperwork too, I personally gave her an extra 6 silver monthly.
That made her total 1.2 gold—honestly more than many lieutenants or captains earned.
No wonder she was always glued to my side. Even on rare days off back in Reichburg, she never went home or went out, always in her maid uniform. I should have seen it.
"That's why I'm always so grateful to you, sir. When I was training to become an exclusive maid, they warned us that our masters might make advances, so I was prepared for that. But you've always treated me with consistent respect and kindness. I truly appreciate it."
Listening to her story brought back memories of my early days after reincarnation—living as an orphan in the orphanage, scraping by like a dog.
Now I could laugh it off in front of Colonel Anya, calling those days a total shitshow.
But back then, it was brutal—freezing cold, starving, desperate survival.
Yet Charlotte's situation struck me as even more dire than mine had been. Sympathy welled up.
Besides, she'd be by my side for years to come—at least as long as Laura, second only to her in time spent together.
"I'm grateful you feel that way. But... since we still have time, instead of heading straight home, how about we make a quick stop at your place."
Paying off her family's debt in full would secure her unwavering loyalty, and her voluntary devotion would be a huge asset in many ways.
Who knows? Someday, the palace might order her to spy on my suspicious activities. A hint from her could let me slip away unscathed.
Even without that, as my admin assistant, she was invaluable.
So I opened the carriage window and told Charlotte,
"Direct the coachman to your home. Since we're out, let's get it done quickly."
The scene that greeted us when we arrived at her house was quite a shock.
"We're here for the money! Open the damn door!!"
Even if the debt collectors of this era gouged on interest and threw their weight around...
They wouldn't harass someone paying steadily, would they?
What the hell was going on?