Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Testing Human Nature Before the War (2)
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Three days after receiving orders from His Highness the Crown Prince to serve as the advance reconnaissance unit.
The Jaeger Battalion under my command arrived at the border between the Reich Empire and Checobia. To restore the troops' stamina and boost morale, I ordered a one-night rest.
The enlisted men, non-commissioned officers, and junior officers could indulge in food and drink in the village thanks to my instructions.
But to discuss our policy after crossing the border, I called the company commanders and Laura for a meeting.
"Very well. Now, as your battalion commander, I will convey the future policy for the Jaeger Battalion to carry out His Highness the Crown Prince's orders. As everyone here already knows, I'll state it again for clarity. Our role is advance reconnaissance. Our duty is to scout the terrain in the Visocia region where the main force of over 40,000 will fight, along with the enemy's positions and numbers."
What I just told them was basic knowledge that every member of the Jaeger Battalion—from lieutenants down to the lowliest private—already knew.
I mentioned it only to refresh their attention before getting to the main point.
The real talk starts now.
"However, His Highness has granted us discretion to do whatever we deem necessary—short of launching a full-scale battalion assault or massacring civilians. I intend to make full use of this leeway to rack up merits before the main battle begins. Interested?"
With that opener, the company commanders' eyes lit up with excitement, like they'd been waiting for this moment, and they fixed their gazes on me.
"We'll follow your lead, Battalion Commander! Just give us the word, and we're ready!"
"You have to seize opportunity when it comes, right?"
"Give the order, and we'll charge into the flames!"
Whether it's the medieval-fantasy vibe of the Reich Empire or back home in Korea, soldiers' hunger for glory seems universal.
Considering that a unit performs at its peak when subordinates and superiors are in sync...
With these eager men backing my proposal, half the battle's already won, no matter the plan.
My lips curled into a grin I couldn't hide, and the officers leaned in, eyes sparkling at the thought of earning military honors, hanging on my every word.
"Good. Now for the operation details. We'll split the battalion in two. One will be a pure cavalry detachment made up solely of mounted troops. The rest will form the main advance reconnaissance force. The detachment will consist of the entire knight company plus about 20 carefully selected infantry who can ride well. I'll personally command the detachment."
The officers nodded at forming a detachment—standard practice—but when I said I'd lead it myself, they exchanged glances and hesitated, mouths opening and closing.
Usually, a detachment is commanded by a junior officer under the main commander, so my taking the reins personally must have felt off to them.
Then the first company commander—my deputy battalion commander—spoke up for the group.
"I don't understand why you'd take the risk yourself, sir. If you're forming a detachment for operations, wouldn't it be better to put me or another company commander in charge?"
"In a standard battle, yes—I'd hand it to someone like the second company commander. But this isn't a normal situation."
I took a breath and continued.
"As you all know, Checobia has ordered most of its troops to assemble far in the rear, twenty days from the border, to face His Highness. So our reconnaissance area in Visocia near the border isn't heavily guarded. As an advance unit, we can operate with minimal risk. Still, twenty-odd men crossing into enemy territory is inherently dangerous."
Of course, on horseback, we'd easily outrun pursuers and avoid death.
But dismounted, in the worst case, local serfs or townsfolk could overwhelm us.
With only about twenty of us, any group with hostile intent could muster several times our number of peasants.
No matter how skilled our swordsmanship or gear, numbers win out.
"Moreover, this detachment's mission isn't to fight enemy soldiers head-on but to sow chaos in their ranks. It demands a level of command far beyond standard detachment tactics. In my judgment, the best man for the job is me—Peter Jaeger."
And rightly so. The tactics I'd use are hit-and-run guerrilla maneuvers, designed for a small weak force against a larger strong one.
Hand that to the first company commander or others without deep understanding of such methods?
I held my tongue to spare their pride.
Even a mediocre result would be lucky.
High chance of detection mid-operation, plan failure—or worst, the whole detachment wiped out by enemy counter-traps.
That would end not just my men's lives but my officers' careers too.
Having laid it out, I looked at the slightly downcast first company commander and said,
"So while I'm gone, you'll act as battalion commander in my stead. Lead the unit well and execute our reconnaissance mission to the letter. Otherwise, the enemy might suspect something when no advance scouts show up—putting the detachment and me in jeopardy. My life literally hangs on you and the other commanders."
Strictly speaking, the main reconnaissance and detachment's survival aren't directly linked.
But people work harder when they feel entrusted with big responsibility—believing the higher-ups trust them and eager to meet expectations.
The first company commander could lead another battalion if I gave him the chance, so with motivation, he'd deliver solid recon results.
Meanwhile, I'd rack up a record as both a chaos-sowing detachment leader and thorough scout commander.
"Finally, select two good riders from each infantry company and one from the mage company. We'll depart the day after tomorrow, so prep thoroughly. Lieutenant Laura, you're with me."
With that, the meeting ended. That night, we finalized the detachment by selecting riders from each company.
About a week after forming the detachment.
My detachment had pushed deep into Visocia, nearly to its edge, guided by the crude map His Highness provided.
I'd have loved to map detailed terrain along the way.
But to fulfill our mission, we skimped on sleep and only noted major rivers, mountains, hills, villages, and forts on our map.
Relieved no unexpected issues arose, I caught my breath during a short rest.
Then Corporal Belcro, on the mission with the detachment, approached.
"Smoke rising about 300 meters from here, sir. In these mountains, only scouts or hunters would light a fire like that. Your orders?"
I inwardly cheered at the news.
No wildlife tracks nearby meant the smoke-makers were likely scouts.
"Let's check it out immediately."
We cut our rest short and hurried to the suspected spot.
Three men, clearly scouts, were resting there.
Despite being scouts, they stood watch-less, lax as if thinking, "No way Reich troops are here already."
Horseback charge would be most efficient, but instead, I smeared more dirt on my face.
I signaled the detachment behind me: cover me if things go south, and surround the area.
Lightly armed foes wouldn't easily harm me in full armor.
Three was a number I could handle alone if it came to blows, but capturing them off-guard was ideal.
To lure their complacency, I sauntered up casually, like a battalion commander inspecting new recruits' vigilance.
"Greetings. You've saved me. I'm Lieutenant Sand Bowman of the Checobia Ducal Army's Palz Division, 7th Regiment. Got lost on recon. Help me get back to base?"
The tallest scout stepped forward.
"Password..."
"Password? That was days ago when I got lost. You think I'd remember? Damn it... Want me court-martialing your squad leader and everyone up the chain when I get back?"
The soldier sighed in resignation.
"Understood, Lieutenant. Sit and have some stew first. Miller, boil another bowl for the lieutenant."
The moment he turned away, off-guard, I clamped his mouth shut and forced him to his knees with a leg sweep.
Simultaneously, the detachment fired crossbows at the legs of the stunned soldiers, pinning them down.
Now, just interrogate them for intel.