Chapter 264
Chapter 264
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 264
Chapter Title: Griffino Naval Battle (2)
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Griffino Castle, grand conference room.
After capturing Griffino Castle along with the cities and villages of the western coastal region, we Reich Empire officers—myself included—had to tackle administrative duties that seemed to test the very limits of human endurance.
Managing our own subordinate units was no easy task to begin with, but now we all had the added responsibility of overseeing security, administration, and logistics in the occupied territories.
The absolute worst part was that damn Warsaw Grand Duke bastard had fled with the food supplies, leaving us to manage rations for two million civilians...
Not just the officers—even the generals buried under paperwork were visibly worn down, with some showing clear signs of deteriorating health.
"Brigadier General Koch, are you all right? You've got a nosebleed. Here, wipe it off quick. What kind of state is that for an officer with stars on his shoulder?"
"...Major General Stern, I feel like I'm dying. Haven't slept in three days, and only three hours total in the past week. My eyes are going crossed."
"Pull yourself together. Think back to graduation exams at the Staff College and hang in there. Hold out just through this meeting, and I'll report directly to the Commander to get you six hours of sleep."
Deep down, I wanted nothing more than to help these two with their workload and lighten everyone's burden.
But readjusting the duties already shouldered by the generals and everyone else was practically impossible.
In truth, even in this extreme situation, I had enough leeway to secure some sleep, so I could spare a bit to help out.
However, if I helped one person even once, all these generals and officers on the brink would come knocking endlessly.
And if I collapsed from overwork or started making poor judgments, the two million citizens of the western coast and the entire Reich Empire army could face annihilation. I couldn't let that happen.
Still, those two over there were in such bad shape they'd drop dead from overwork if they didn't rest soon.
"Brigadier General Koch, Major General Stern—after this meeting, just crash. I'll clear half a day for you and everyone else. No drinking; rest up. Don't forget what they taught us at the Staff College. Staff officers and generals shouldn't work themselves to ruin unless it's the absolute end of the line."
At my warm encouragement, the two generals—both at least twenty years my senior—got teary-eyed on the spot.
After cheering them on, I walked to the head seat at the far end of the room, took my place, and clapped to draw everyone's attention.
"I know full well that everyone here is exhausted to the point of death. But if you all break down now, not only will our 100,000-strong army starve, but so will those two million pitiful civilians. You have to endure as officers and knights. And you must hold strong without bringing shame to the revered founders of your houses, or the sons and grandsons who look up to you back home."
Invoking family was a motivational tactic as old as time, from antiquity to the modern era.
Yet the generals, brimming with pride in their stars and a sense of duty to the nation, perked up at my words, their flickering flames reignited.
I liked how the Reich Empire judged people by ability, giving even a commoner orphan like me a shot at four stars.
It was a sight to behold, these officers taking immense pride in their roles and pushing beyond limits, just like the glory days of the Prussian Empire.
"Now, let's begin the operations meeting to prepare for the final battle of the Warsaw Archduchy War. Expeditionary Force operations officer, bring in the large map board."
The operations officer promptly wheeled in a massive board with a map big enough for all the generals to see.
The map color-coded the western coastal region and Warsaw Archduchy's shoreline topography, the supply routes from the Reich Empire to Griffino Castle, and my projected paths for a Warsaw naval assault.
The generals alternated glances between the map and me, unable to hide their shocked murmurs.
"I heard that when Your Excellency Moritz was Minister of War, General Jaeger drew up the entire Franco expedition plan single-handedly in a month..."
"Oh, that legendary tale Field Marshal Venner always brings up when ripping into the General Staff for being slow?"
"...The General's handling three men's worth of admin right now, and he still whipped this up? Is this how he made general at thirty?"
I ignored the attention and began pointing at the map with my baton.
"First, let's clarify the victory conditions for this war from our current standpoint: securing command of the sea—the safe passage across specific waters—linking the western coast to the Reich Empire for maritime resupply. Obviously, losing command of the sea would render all our battles for nothing."
Just before I conquered Griffino Castle and the surrounding coast, I'd told the generals:
'Once we take the western coast connected to the Empire, we can resupply by sea—and by land too.'
True to that, we were now supplied by both sea and land, so it seemed like losing one wouldn't be fatal.
But if even one route got cut, our army might scrape by somehow—yet the food supply for two million civilians on the western coast would suffer massively. No, we flat-out couldn't supply the civilians at all.
Starving citizens cut off from supplies would riot before long, leaving our army no choice but to retreat with nowhere to stand.
"With that in mind, after days of review, I—General Peter Jaeger—conclude that the Warsaw Grand Duke will almost certainly deploy his navy to blockade the ports of Griffino Castle and the western coast. He knows that if he succeeds, we'll have no choice but to withdraw without a fight."
One general spoke up bitterly at that.
"Right now, aren't we using every warship for transporting food to feed over two million civilians? And it won't be two weeks before our available warships return. From what you've said, General, it sounds like we're already cornered with no escape, at the enemy's mercy."
It was true we had no warships available now, but when I heard there was zero food upon arriving here,
I'd sent a request—just in case—for reinforcements from the warships at the newly captured port under the Osby Plains, complete with rowers.
Not that I'd predicted this exactly; it was to speed up transporting rations for two million by requesting more ships.
And with them due the day after tomorrow, we'd barely scraped a lifeline.
"To supplement transporting food for two million civilians, I've secured His Majesty's approval to bring forty warships from the Northern Army. So we won't be helpless in the fight for command of the sea."
The generals, who'd been despairing moments ago over winning battles only to face strategic defeat, lit up with renewed hope.
"...Long live General Jaeger!"
"Forty ships is no small number—we can hold them off!"
"It's doable! Totally worth a shot!"
...The problem was, unless the enemy commander was an idiot, Warsaw would throw their entire navy at this war.
Meaning we'd be hopelessly outnumbered...
As a somewhat positive mood took hold, the door suddenly burst open—without even permission to enter.
Our eyes—all mine and the generals'—snapped to the door, and a panting messenger rushed in.
"General Jaeger, big—huge news! According to the carrier pigeon from the intel agent infiltrated in the Warsaw Archduchy... the Grand Duke's promoting a Lieutenant General Timo to overall command and gearing up for war."
"And what next?"
"They're pulling every naval vessel from the central and eastern coastal cities—over 120 warships assembled!"
The generals all looked like the world had ended, but as commander, I held firm, steeling myself to find a way through.
And that's when it hit me: the tactics and weapons to break this situation.
"Continue the operations meeting as planned. We'll rally every officer, soldier, and even civilian to build siege ballistae for mounting on ships! No matter what it takes, crank out as many as possible within the month!"