Chapter 279
Chapter 279
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 279
Chapter Title: There is No Militarism in Our Empire (1)
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As I entered the audience chamber and paid my respects, His Majesty, seemingly too overjoyed to simply receive my greeting from his throne, strode briskly down toward me.
When dealing with other ministers, he sometimes wore a somewhat artificial smile, a stern expression, or a cold demeanor. But at this moment, His Majesty bore a relaxed and delighted smile, as if facing a longtime friend with whom he shared no pretenses.
Once he reached me, he helped me to my feet and asked in a warm voice brimming with joy.
"Marquis Jaeger—no, our very own Marquis Jaeger, isn't it? Did you rest well yesterday? How are Louise and Friedrich doing?"
"Thanks to Your Majesty's gracious consideration, I was able to meet my family early, share in their joy, and rest comfortably. I offer my deepest gratitude. In the time we haven't seen each other, Louise's belly has grown quite large, and the child inside kicks vigorously, showing everyone just how healthy it is. Friedrich is getting along well with his friends at school, and at home, he's been diligently studying etiquette and lessons under Louise's guidance."
"Is that so? Once Louise gives birth, I'll make sure to visit your estate with the father in tow. It'd be nice to see Friedrich's face after so long."
"It would be an honor beyond my station, Your Majesty."
Typically, saying something is "beyond one's station" implies it's so glorious and moving that one desperately hopes it happens...
His Majesty visiting our home would certainly elevate my status dramatically in a positive way, but the cost would be the immense preparations required to ensure flawless hospitality.
His entourage would naturally accompany him, swelling the number of guests to at least several dozen.
To accommodate that, we'd first need to hire extra gardeners to overhaul the grounds, prepare extravagant and special cuisine, and ready gifts for them to take home...
The family's prestige would rise, but at the price of enormous expenses and hardship.
I'm already swamped with my duties as Commander of the Imperial Army—so much so that I'm on the verge of collapse. If I had to host the Emperor on top of that, wouldn't I keel over from overwork?
No, in truth, Louise—who handles not only the estate management but also the household operations—would bear the heaviest burden.
"And when your son turns eight, I'd like him to serve as the Crown Prince's attendant. What do you think? Though 'attendant' is really just a playmate in practice. With how smoothly things go between you and me, I'd love for Friedrich and our Edward to grow close as well."
Hearing that, I understood why His Majesty wanted to visit our home to see Friedrich.
By pairing Friedrich with the Crown Prince as a playmate in front of all the watching nobles, His Majesty intended to demonstrate his profound favor toward me and my family.
As a loyal servant of the Empire, there could be no greater honor or gratitude, but Louise and Laura would have a tremendous amount of work ahead.
"It is an honor, Your Majesty. With your permission, may I now discuss military matters in earnest?"
"By all means. First, let's talk about policies for managing the troops stationed in the Warsaw coastal region and the Königsberg Duchy that we gained from this battle."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"The General Staff advocates recruiting seven more divisions for the Warsaw coastal region and deploying them there. Reports also suggest stationing about four divisions in the Königsberg Duchy. What's your opinion?"
Considering the population and area of the Warsaw coastal region and the Königsberg Duchy, eleven divisions total might not suffice to prepare for contingencies.
But if, in the worst case of invasion, the soldiers and civilians could retreat into the cities' fortresses in time, it would be enough to hold out until reinforcements arrived by sea from the Reich Empire mainland.
Waiting for relief forces would allow us to turn the tide somehow, so there was no need to over-recruit soldiers in these newly conquered lands and strain ourselves unnecessarily.
Instead, we should prepare systems to ensure ample naval support in case of enemy attack.
"Ideally, I'd station fourteen divisions across both areas rather than eleven. But with the war just ended, it seems best to garrison only the minimum necessary forces in the newly acquired coastal cities and the Königsberg Duchy. However, since the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and other nations will be eyeing opportunities to invade, we need countermeasures: repairing the walls, equipping for siege defense, and bolstering the navy."
"Repairing walls and preparing siege equipment means a strategy of defending the fortresses and waiting for reinforcements rather than actively counterattacking invaders. But why expand the navy?"
"By seizing Warsaw and Königsberg, the Reich Empire has complete control over the southern Baltic Sea. Naval expansion is essential for transporting reinforcements and managing our expanded territorial waters. Additionally, I've persuaded fishermen from Griffon Castle and other fortresses to join fire attack units, promising them non-commissioned officer positions if they wish."
His Majesty nodded in full agreement with every point I made, his expression one of complete empathy.
"Very well. We'll station eleven army divisions and add naval forces to the new territories. Once governance stabilizes, we'll increase to fourteen divisions."
Both the western Warsaw coast and the Königsberg Duchy could swiftly regain their former prosperity after just one or two years under Reich Empire rule.
As the villages grew wealthy, the populace would come to accept their new nation and obey the administrators' directives.
With that settled, His Majesty smacked his lips.
It seemed he was about to broach the 'army expansion' or 'army-first' proposal that General Keitel had warned me about...
I heightened my focus and pricked up my ears. His Majesty spoke to me cautiously.
"Ever since I promoted you, our Reich Empire's army hasn't suffered a single defeat in nearly ten years. To be precise, we once fell into Count Bern's trap and faced total annihilation in Switzerland, but your courage, dedication, loyalty, and sacrifice—along with your seven divisions—secured ultimate victory. As a result, some nobles within the Reich Empire now claim we've seized hegemony over Europa."
My personal view—no, the Foreign Ministry's official stance—is this:
'There is no hegemon on the Europa continent. Only the strongest nation exists, and that is our Reich Empire.'
The imperial administration, bureaucrats, and even the Army General Staff fully endorse this.
Previously, the Franco Republic and the Reich Empire were evenly matched in military might, economy, and population, forcing a prideful contest for the title of strongest.
But after I incited internal strife in the Franco Republic with my papal bull, no single nation could challenge our supremacy.
Yet that doesn't mean we hold hegemony—we can't dictate the continent's course at will.
For instance, if two or three nations like Warsaw, Chekovia, or Austria allied against us, we'd likely lose.
As I prepared to voice this reality, His Majesty continued.
"Oh, I'm no fool—I agree we're not there yet. The Empire is merely the strongest nation on the Europa continent. I know that full well. But lately, hearing what young generals like Lieutenant General Manstein are saying has sparked a dream in me too."
Michael von Reich—the man who, after I shattered a division into a brigade on the Rhineland Front, promoted me with honeyed words.
His Majesty is no warmonger, but if asked whether he's belligerent or a lover of peace, he'd overwhelmingly be deemed the former.
And though I'm now among the Empire's elite, it's the lowly commoners—not nobles or generals—who truly feel war's tragedies firsthand.
Besides, at just forty—ten years my senior—His Majesty is too young to be a fully seasoned emperor.
In his youth, his lust runs high: officially ten concubines, with who knows how many more unofficially, known only to the Grand Chamberlain, living faithfully by his instincts.
He even sneaks off to brothels with Max on occasion, lamenting my absence, he's that passionate.
What thought did such a man have upon hearing Lieutenant General Manstein and the others?
The answer was...
"Does Your Majesty wish to expand the army's size, conquer more nations to broaden our territory, and secure international prestige now that you've ascended the throne and positioned the Reich Empire to vie for hegemony?"
His Majesty replied with a smile that carried the faint, metallic tang of blood.
"Exactly. With you by my side, I feel we could defeat any nation. What say you, General Jaeger? Care to raise the Empire to Europa's pinnacle together?"
I do want to see a Reich Empire gripping Europa's hegemony, but for the current Empire to wage more war would be utter madness.
I had to stop this, even if it cost me my head.