Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Chapter 138
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Switchland Conquest Operation (1)
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And half a year later, an order came down for me—along with the generals and field-grade officers stationed in the capital or nearby—to report to the imperial palace.
The stated purpose of the summons was to personally review the expedition plan that His Highness the Crown Prince was leading for the first time.
Excluding events like the New Year's ceremony, we rarely had chances to meet, so the generals and field-grade officers were standing in the palace corridors, exchanging greetings and inquiring about each other's well-being.
"Ah, yes. I've just been assigned as the 2nd Battalion Commander of the 12th Regiment. I wanted to go north... but the competition's pretty fierce."
"I've been in the army for nearly thirty years, but I never dreamed I'd hear young folks competing to head up north."
"You know it too, Brigadier General Felt—it's all thanks to Major General Jaeger. He's pacified the north almost completely, but there are still unsubmitted barbarians stirring up trouble. Subduing them isn't too tough, and it's a great way to rack up military merits."
Come to think of it, the north used to be a place where opportunities for merits were plentiful, but you'd suffer hell facing two thousand enemies, hundreds of them damn horse archers.
It was a nightmare where officers who couldn't handle those horse archers suffered defeats, saw their careers shattered, and ended up with dishonorable discharges or forced retirements—one story after another.
But now, most of the barbarians had been enslaved, paying for their ancestors' sins through backbreaking labor in mines, land reclamation, road and building construction. Their numbers and cohesion as hostiles had plummeted dramatically.
Still, with a bit of exaggeration, you could mop up small-scale rebels once a month, so that major was right—it was a pretty good spot for building merits.
Lost in such idle thoughts, I was heading to the grand hall in the palace where the operation would be announced.
Suddenly, the relaxed atmosphere tensed up in an instant, and I heard salute snaps coming from behind me.
Figuring His Highness the Crown Prince must be arriving, I turned around to pay my respects.
"Ah, isn't this our Major General Jaeger? Seeing you makes me so glad."
"It's an honor, Your Highness."
"Don't be so stiff between us, haha. Keep it up, and I'll start feeling hurt."
In a place that wasn't one-on-one or limited to close aides, strict adherence to protocol like I was doing was always the safe bet.
The reason the Crown Prince acted so chummy in front of the other generals and field-grade officers was obvious without looking.
Yes, it was a bold declaration that when he ascended as emperor, he'd make me a cornerstone of the military someday.
"By the way, how's your wife doing? She's definitely four months along, right?"
As His Highness said, during my suspension and house arrest, I'd diligently skipped contraception spells during our nightly "exercises" with Laura—who was guaranteed on-time or early off-duty every day.
The result? About three months after my suspension ended, the doctor confirmed Laura's pregnancy.
That very day, we'd received all sorts of baby supplies and clothes as gifts from His Highness the Crown Prince. Meanwhile, Marquis Venner downed over two liters of beer, sobbing that he only had two regrets in life.
Those regrets? Becoming my mortal enemy... and living to see the grandchild Laura would bear.
"Thanks to your concern, she's doing well, Your Highness."
"When my own wife was pregnant, it was the same—pregnant women must always keep their lower bodies warm. Also, they often try to cut back on eating to avoid gaining weight, so make sure to stop that. Otherwise, their health suffers."
"I'll keep it in mind."
After exchanging a few words about family, the Crown Prince signaled for me to follow him, and we walked together.
I naturally fell into place slightly behind his right—the No. 2 spot in the group.
He then made a face like he'd just remembered something, pointing at the officers trailing behind us.
"These days, I hang out often with Major Max here—your big brother—and the other officers. They're all sharp ones who entered the Staff College last year. Well, they've been grinding away studying while reviewing the Switchland invasion op with me—worked themselves to the bone. Take a look at my face. Down to half, isn't it?"
True to his word, he looked sleep-deprived from overworking. His cheeks were hollowed out, dark circles deep...
"You've definitely gotten a bit thinner."
"That's how hard we worked on the plan. Sure, I sketched the broad strokes based on Switchland intel, but the details were theirs. Once they hear this briefing, everyone will acknowledge me as a future emperor with real military chops."
"Then, could you give me a little hint about the plan you've devised?"
Hearing that, the Crown Prince shook his head with a grin.
"The briefing's about to start. Your brother trailing us will explain it in detail. Just wait a bit—spoilers take the fun out of it, don't they?"
Even back in Korea, movies were a letdown if someone spoiled them beforehand.
Who'd have thought I'd hear something similar from His Highness the Crown Prince?
"Then I'll wait with bated breath."
"Not enough. Hype yourself up big time."
"I trust in Your Highness alone."
With that, the Crown Prince strode ahead, towing the string of young officers, while I headed to my assigned seat in the grand hall.
The grand hall, usually reserved for major banquets.
Right now, it was lined with hundreds—no, over a thousand—formal chairs suited to ranks from major all the way up to field marshals.
I naturally took my seat among those set aside for major generals.
About thirty minutes later, a massive map-mounted bulletin board was set up in the center of the hall.
His Highness the Crown Prince and my brother took positions in front of it to begin the operation briefing.
"Now, I, Michael von Reich, shall commence the explanation of the war operation against the Switchland Principality that I have devised! Major Max!"
At that cue—clearly rehearsed dozens, hundreds of times—my brother responded with smooth, confident poise.
"Major Max von Venner! As per His Highness the Crown Prince's orders, I shall now present the war strategy against the Switchland Principality!"
I'm a couple years younger than my brother, but watching him somehow reminded me of my own days: fresh as a major, prepping the Bisocia occupation, briefing everyone in front of the assembly.
No matter my shorter service record, the speed of my rise—and the sheer weight of responsibility it brought—were on another level.
I couldn't say it to my brother or Laura, but in my eyes, he looked just like a chirping little chick.
"To start, the Reich Empire's expeditionary force will total 50,000 men organized into six divisions. Deployment slated for next March."
Murmurs rippled through the seats where I and the other generals sat.
"March next year makes sense, but only six divisions...?"
"It's the Crown Prince's first expedition—isn't this playing it way too risky?"
"Let's hear more. The Staff HQ guys are quiet, so it probably passed review without issues."
Honestly, I had my doubts too.
And rightly so—Switchland Principality might have barren land and low population, but it wasn't some pushover nation we could take with just six divisions.
What's more, it boasted the strongest infantry not just in the Empire, but across the entire Europa continent.
A mercenary state through and through, where virtually every soldier matched or exceeded the combat prowess of an Imperial Army infantry sergeant—a veritable paradise of monsters.
So why the hell had Staff HQ greenlit this plan?
Of course, with War Minister Otto Moritz holding the line there, he'd have shot down even the Crown Prince's plan if it was nonsense.
My brother pressed on with the briefing, bold as brass despite the generals' stares and side-eyes.
"Furthermore, the objective of this war is for Imperial forces to seize six cantons—including Bern, Basel, Baden, and Ticino—out of Switchland's twenty-three cantons (comparable to provinces in Korea)."
As those words landed, the other young Crown Prince faction majors at his side swiftly flipped the bulletin board's map.
And there... a rather shocking diagram unfolded.
"In principle, our 50,000-strong army should assault Switchland all at once. But this time, we'll follow the precedent from the Franco Republic—where we split our brigades for plunder—and divide into six independent units for separate engagements. Questions now, please."
One general voiced the question burning on all our minds.
"If it succeeds, it'll be a huge boon for Imperial hegemony. But Switchland is, bluntly put, a fiercer and stronger military state than even the nomads. How do you plan to split forces inside enemy territory to attack such a nation?"
His Highness the Crown Prince beamed, as if to say 'I saw that question coming.'
"I'll field that one myself."
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