Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Hero of the Nation (2)
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His Imperial Majesty finished the awarding of merits and personally offered words of blessing to each officer of battalion commander rank and above in our division.
The officers and soldiers of the division who were seated drank at least two liters of wine apiece, insisting that leaving even a single drop from the gracious banquet hosted by His Majesty would be disloyal.
As the banquet's star, I was held down by my subordinates and forced to drink until I lost my senses.
"You damn boozehounds. Even if it's the finest imperial vintage that you could never dream of tasting, this is way too much. Damn it, this is my first time going home to see my son. If I show up reeking like a drunkard, Laura's going to rip me a new one."
"The missus will understand, sir."
"I hope so. I really do."
There were unavoidable circumstances that led to this, so I had plenty of excuses.
It was a banquet hosted personally by His Imperial Majesty, and the soldiers of the 7th Division—who had fought heroically alongside me through hellish battles—were the ones pouring the drinks.
Besides, plenty of other generals weren't heading straight home after the war; they gathered their men first to grope some women's breasts.
Our division knew I wasn't into that sort of thing, so now-Baron Werner would have to empty his own pockets to treat them.
In any case, the banquet ended, and I boarded the prepared carriage to finally return to the home I'd longed for.
Indescribable emotions welled up inside me.
That I'd survived to come back alive... and that I could now hold my beloved Laura and the son she'd borne.
After stepping down from the carriage, I leaned slightly on Charlotte for support as I walked, and there at the mansion's entrance...
Laura and Marquis Venner stood waiting. The moment she saw me, she ran over and threw her arms around me.
"I've missed you so much. I was so worried I'd never see you again, Major General. The thought that I might have to live without you kept me from sleeping properly or even swallowing my food. I never want to live through a nightmare like that again. This time, I've realized I can't live without you. I love you."
During the battle on Lichten Hill, we'd always been in peril—wondering when our stamina would give out and we'd collapse from exhaustion, or when enemy soldiers would cut us down.
That's why I'd even planned to secretly send Charlotte and a handful of soldiers into retreat if the worst happened.
Fortunately, the Duke of Switchland was an utter fool, and the 7th Division's soldiers fought like demons, allowing me to return alive like this.
"It was the valiant efforts of every soldier in the 7th Division and Deus's grace that let me return safely. You must have strained yourself giving birth to our baby—how's your health?"
"I'm fine. Father sent a wet nurse and took such meticulous care of me."
"Good. As long as you're okay, Laura..."
As I said that, I turned to thank the marquis.
My father-in-law shook his head as if to say no need, and when I looked back at Laura, she should have put on a little weight after childbirth, but...
Instead, she looked even thinner than before.
"I'm sorry for worrying you. Did my safety eat away at you until your body wasted like this? Seeing you so worn out makes me feel even worse. I messed up. I'll do better from now on."
"You're back safe and sound—that's enough. And look, Kerzhit—no, Anya Major—and Charlotte came with you. I'll go thank them for taking such good care of you."
"If possible, I'd love to have a meal with you, Anya, and Charlotte."
At that, Laura beamed and nodded.
"Father-in-law—no, Commander Venner. I've returned safely. Thank you for looking after my wife while I was away."
Of course, a high-ranking Imperial Army commander had to deal with mountains of paperwork every day—from waist-high to shoulder-high stacks.
So it must have been a huge burden to tend to his own household, let alone worry about Laura after she married into ours.
"Laura is your wife, yes, but above all, she's my one and only daughter. Taking care of her while you were at the front is only natural. Your thanks feel awkward."
"Even so, with all your duties, it must have been tough."
Hearing that, my father-in-law gave a meaningful smile before replying.
"Well, it was. From the moment we in the staff heard that His Highness the Crown Prince had been captured or was in mortal danger in Switchland, we couldn't sleep for a week. If the enemy pushed into the Empire proper, we had to devise countermeasures for how much territory we'd lose and how to defend it."
"You must have suffered greatly."
"Compared to the 7th Division, it was a drop in the bucket. Especially you! And as you probably know, there's been a massive shake-up among the staff generals. No exaggeration—ten staff headquarters generals are retiring next month alone."
There were forty generals attached to staff headquarters in total.
Meaning a quarter of them were being discharged due to direct or indirect responsibility.
"Frankly, aside from the intelligence bureau, no one committed any particular fault."
"Well, a general's position is like a fly on thin ice anyway. My classmate, Major General Pallen, had a fierce marital spat that escalated into a house feud, leading to impeachment by the Third Prince's faction. His personnel evaluation tanked, and he was forced out."
"The entire general corps is so elite that even a tiny blemish demands major accountability."
As he said, Imperial Army generals were rarely incompetent; their abilities were uniformly top-tier.
So promoting almost anyone wouldn't disrupt the organization, making this possible.
And there was a faint smile on my father-in-law's face as he spoke.
"And this hasn't been announced yet, but next year, Minister of War Otto will retire at the mandatory age, and Field Marshal Adelheit will step down due to indirect responsibility."
"The Imperial Army's top brass is getting completely overturned."
"Too early to be surprised. I'm the successor to Field Marshal Adelheit. And as your father-in-law, I can't forgive you for making my daughter cry. So you'll spend the next few years on central staff duty. Make time to treat Laura right. What are you waiting for? Go see your grandson Friedrich."
With that, my father-in-law slapped my back with a resounding smack.
"He's in the room right next to your bedroom. Hurry up and go. Now that you're a father, hold the boy and call his name."
...Come to think of it, now wasn't the time for politics or the Empire's future.
I dumped my uselessly heavy greatcoat and cloak on Charlotte and dashed to the room next to my bedroom.
This was probably the fastest I'd ever run in my life, and it wouldn't take a full minute to get there, but...
Even that felt agonizingly long.
"Count?"
The nursemaid tending the baby gasped in surprise at my sudden appearance, but...
"I want to hold him myself—how do I do it?"
"Please wash your hands and face first, and brush your teeth. Then you can hold the baby."
"Ah, right. I forgot. Thanks for the lesson."
I glanced at the baby's face in the nursemaid's arms, then went off to wash up.
"Support the bottom firmly with your left hand and brace the waist with your left arm. Cup the head with your right hand, and lift gently."
"Got it."
I took a deep breath, then carefully lifted Friedrich as instructed.
Red eyes like Laura's, black hair like mine, a pert nose, big round eyes, fluffy white-soft skin, cheeks rosy as a peach.
"Yes, Friedrich. Thank you for coming into this world."
Looking at him, I suddenly understood why even NCOs and officers endlessly bragged about their kids.
He was so cute and lovable just to look at, and he recognized his dad at first sight, reaching out wildly and smacking his lips. Not because he's mine—objectively, isn't this kid a genius?
So I figured if he grew up to follow the military path, he'd surely become a better commander than me.
"Yes, yes. Just grow up healthy like this. You seem like you'll be a finer man than your dad. Wonder who he takes after to be so handsome."
Thus, under the nursemaid's constant worried gaze—lest I drop him—I savored this happy time.
Before long, Laura entered the room with Commander Venner, Charlotte, and Anya.
"Charlotte, Anya—no, Colonel Kerzhit. Would you like to hold Friedrich?"
"Just call me Anya, Countess."
"Yes, Colonel Anya. Come, hold him. Isn't he adorable?"
"May I? If you'll allow it... We just washed up."
Laura naturally took Friedrich from me and offered him to Anya and Charlotte.
The two wore expressions blending admiration, envy, and gratitude as they accepted him, cradling him like a fragile treasure.
By letting those two hold the baby herself, Laura was signaling she wanted to maintain a family-like closeness going forward.
As long as House Jaeger endured, we'd keep that intimate bond with them.
Seeing the three women who aided me get along so well made me feel great.
So I honestly shared my feelings with my father-in-law beside me.
"Those two used to eye each other warily and keep their distance from Laura. But after they saved me and my son was born, they've gotten so friendly. Don't you see it that way too, Father-in-law?"
"Well, if Laura thinks it's good, then it is."
...In officer or noble families, handing over a newborn typically symbolized an alliance—not a bad thing.
"By the way, our grandson takes after you and Laura equally—perfectly balanced. Cute as a little black bunny, isn't he?"
"Yes, Father-in-law. But even more amazing, he recognized me as his dad right away and reached out. Makes me think he's a genius. He'll definitely surpass me as a great commander someday."
My father-in-law, who seemed to have a perpetual headache, rubbed his forehead with his palm before replying.
"You really believe that?"
"Of course. Our boy won't face the dangers I did and will shine brilliantly."
"Sigh, fine. If you say so, it must be true. Then House Jaeger—and our marquisate—will have a rock-solid future. Heck, we might even get promoted to duchy thanks to you two."