Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: Deceiving the Enemy in War is the Right Thing to Do (4)
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“Are you talking about making us double agents? But we've already lost our honor, and we're no longer officers or nobles. No nation would trust people like us or see any value in us.”
As expected of the talents His Highness the Crown Prince had personally selected to keep close—even cornered like this, they knew exactly how to speak about their own predicament.
“That might be true in ordinary circumstances. But what if you took an appropriate gift when you defect? Wouldn't that make them see you in a different light?”
I grabbed some random documents from the stack on my desk and handed one to each of the five majors.
“......Isn't this Reich Empire Army Level 2 classified intel? It details the Eastern Legion's unit deployments and troop numbers!”
“This is the Reich Empire Army's recruit training procedures and basic officer tactical doctrine. No matter who you're handing it to, isn't this too dangerous?”
“Uh... this is the training schedule, content, and detailed records.”
I'd selected these specifically to hand over to the Austrika bastards—to make them trust these guys completely.
Besides, before marching off to fight the Austrika army, I planned to use every ounce of my authority, and if needed, enlist the help of my father-in-law the Marshal to rewrite military doctrine from top to bottom.
I'd modernize it fully, if not all the way to contemporary standards.
Handing over that intel wouldn't actually help the Austrika bastards much.
On the contrary, they'd treasure it like gold, coddle it, and end up wasting their time.
And because they'd devise strategies against the Reich Empire in bizarre directions based on it, they'd pay a brutal price in actual combat.
That's why I was confident it wouldn't hurt us in the long run.
“I think gifts like these are more than enough to fool the Austrika lot. What do you say?”
The majors in front of me nodded vigorously.
“No idiot country would turn away defectors carrying dozens of Level 2 military secrets.”
“They might suspect us at first, but once they verify each piece using their own spies, they'll see every bit of intel in these documents is real. At that point, they'll have no choice but to trust us.”
“The weight of His Highness the Crown Prince's expectations and trust in us is right here in this intel, isn't it? No matter what mission you entrust us with, we'll stake our lives on it.”
You do have to succeed, but the risk to the Empire isn't actually that great.
Because the current combat doctrines have so many inefficiencies, and I'm planning to overhaul everything based on the methods I used with the Jaeger Battalion back then.
The entire combat system will change completely anyway, rendering that intel obsolete soon enough.
But if I told them that, it'd sap their motivation, so best not to.
“Then let's get into the real plan. Just follow these instructions to the letter.”
“Yes, sir. Your orders, please.”
“Wrap up your affairs quickly. No later than three days from now, you'll defect to the Austrika Grand Duchy carrying this intel. Then enlist as officers there.”
Having lost all honor and been dishonorably discharged, the humiliations and degradations these majors had endured must have been beyond words.
If I were divorced from Laura and forbidden from even seeing my son Friedrich, let alone raising him, I'd probably lose my mind right then and there.
And in the Reich Empire Army, they weren't treated like officers anywhere—treated like convicts.
Not even able to start over as serfs.
In a way, execution might have been more humane.
So it wouldn't seem all that strange for them to take this second-best option: defect to a potential enemy state like the Austrika Grand Duchy with Level 2 secrets, hoping for a fresh start.
That's what I'd think if I were an Austrika general.
'These mad bastards have every reason to surrender. So once we confirm the intel they brought matches reality, no need for further suspicion.'
But as the saying goes, to deceive the enemy, you must deceive your allies—and even yourself. Just handing over secrets and getting them verified for trust wasn't enough yet.
“They'll probably suspect you at first and throw you in prison. Might even threaten torture. But the intel I gave you is all genuine military secrets. Once they check it out their way, they'll drop all doubts soon enough. Then the next step is certain: commissioning.”
Honestly, it'd be idiotic not to commission them at that point.
How useful would they be?
'We're the greatest nation, giving even dishonorably discharged idiots a new chance if they bring valuable intel!'
They could advertise it like that, and use these guys to lure in tons more traitors from the Empire.
“So what do we do after enlisting? Just lay low enough not to raise suspicion? Or...”
The young master said that half-measures are worse than none at all.
So even if it's betrayal by backstabbing, doing it halfway will get you caught for sure.
Yeah, if we're doing it, we should do better than Count Bern, who stabbed me and the Empire Army in the back.
“Until the signal comes, fight for Austrika's national interests with your life—even in battles between the Empire and Austrika Grand Duchy. Throw yourself into the front lines without mercy. When people ask your dream, say it's to become an Austrika general and lop off Peter Jaeger's head. That's how you'll earn a reputation as competent officers.”
Hearing that, all five majors looked utterly shocked.
“Let me say it again: if you meet other traitors who've betrayed the Empire for Austrika, curse His Imperial Majesty on the spot, insult His Highness the Crown Prince, and declare you want to annihilate the Empire Army. Then become Austrika's knight on that chessboard and fight to make it happen.”
“......But that would actually harm the Empire...”
Still talking nonsense because they don't know their place, but since it comes from loyalty to the Empire, I'll let it slide.
“If you accomplish even a tenth of a tenth of a tenth—or hell, even a hundredth—of what I'm doing, I'd worry. Don't. Lieutenant General Peter Jaeger is so damn competent he smashed a Franco division as a mere junior officer, then took a single battalion to behead the enemy commander-in-chief and deputy at their main HQ. In a real battlefield, even a colonel can screw up big enough to contribute to losing a war. But turning the tide with just your own unit? Impossible.”
With that, I took a deep breath and added some advice for them.
“Want to end up like me? No, want to escape that serf-like miserable fate? First, objectively assess your own abilities. If you realize you're inferior to your superiors, follow their orders without question or hesitation. No doubts allowed. Even if they tell you to jump into fire, you do it. Without that resolve and mindset, you can't rack up merits big enough to wash away your dishonor and return as Empire officers. Etch it into your bones.”
Even if they did return, their families would've passed succession to a lower heir, so they couldn't undo that. But wearing 'major' again would get them knightly noble treatment—way better than being treated worse than human now.
“One more thing: if you do as I say, Austrika HQ will recognize you as their officers. But don't get drunk on that moment of acceptance and forget your loyalty to the Empire.”
At that, the majors erupted in dissatisfaction at me for touching their loyalty to the Empire and shouted loudly.
“Calling us 'noble scum' who got dishonorably discharged is too harsh.”
“We'll never forget our loyalty to the Empire, even in death.”
“We'll live to avenge this humiliation...”
You'll have to prove that with actions.
When they're reinstated based on their double-agent merits, I can apologize or not then.
Besides, history's full of traitors who said the same before fooling everyone.
“You're not Deus. So in your current Empire status worse than serfs, if you get near-noble officer treatment in Austrika, you'll want to settle there. Once you get more recognition, temptation to stay forever will flood in. Promotions, assets piling up in Austrika—you'll think about ditching the Empire for good.”
Humans are like that in the end.
Once food, clothing, and shelter are met with basic stability, no matter your past status, you want to cling to the present like animals.
It's rare, but if I'd stayed in modern Korea, Laura—a beauty I couldn't even dream of as a marriage prospect—
Being loved by her, holding overwhelming status and power as a lieutenant general,
I don't even miss going back to Korea now, let alone crave the cola I couldn't get enough of back then.
“But don't forget: if I were an Austrika general—or emperor—I'd use you conveniently for a few years, then purge you once the secrets lose value. And that's inevitable. I'd love to encourage you with a meal, but no. Get out now. You won't have much baggage anyway, so go see His Highness the Crown Prince immediately and hit the road to Austrika within three days carrying the documents I gave you. Intelligence will watch you until the last second, so don't even think about running.”
With a wave of my hand, the five majors left, tears streaming down their faces like their fates were truly pitiable.
Now they'd meet His Highness, get heartwarming comfort and encouragement, and regain some confidence.
Then they'd defect and execute the plan flawlessly.
“Alright, to thoroughly overhaul military doctrine, I need to train a model division first...”
I started drafting a request to my father-in-law Marshal Venner and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.
“Ha, it's a huge relief His Majesty left Ah Rlang and the Northern Cavalry under my command. And I was hoping Laura, having borne Friedrich, would retire and focus on childcare for a while... but she insists on assisting me. How could I break that stubbornness? Nothing I can do about it.”