Chapter 59
Chapter 59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Emperor Lavishly Rewards (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Two months had passed since the war with Chekovia ended.
The officers and soldiers of the Jaeger Battalion, myself included, returned to the capital of the Reich Empire and eagerly enjoyed a well-deserved break.
To be precise, right after arriving in the capital, our unit received a full rest order, exempting us from all guard duties and even watch rotations.
Aside from major events like parades, we were free to drink and feast from morning till night.
Officers from the enlisted academy often took their soldiers to brothels to unwind.
That said, the academy graduates didn't exactly keep up appearances either—they just headed to fancier, more upscale spots for their nighttime fun.
Me? I wasn't married, and I figured going to places like that would just invite unnecessary trouble, so I didn't even consider it.
Instead, I spent my evenings helping Laura handle the miscellaneous tasks the other officers were supposed to deal with.
Not that it was much—just writing in the roll call log that "the soldiers, NCOs, and officers are resting well and living healthy lives." It took about an hour, tops.
Today, as usual, the officers—looking more like rowdy local thugs than soldiers—were boozing it up and making a racket when an elegantly dressed administrator appeared at our battalion HQ.
Given that he'd come all the way here, he had to outrank me, but from the circumstances, he was clearly carrying documents for His Imperial Majesty's rewards for meritorious service.
"Battalion, attention! Salute the administrator!"
A moment ago, they had been drunk, disheveled messes resembling street punks, but thanks to their training, they snapped to attention with razor-sharp precision and saluted.
"I am Helmut von Groger, auditor attached to the Ministry of War. I have come here under orders to deliver rewards for meritorious service to the relevant units, effective 12:00 this afternoon."
An auditor from the Reich military? That seemed like overkill for just reading and delivering reward documents.
After all, an auditor was the equivalent of a brigadier general in army rank.
The officers, already standing at rigid attention, corrected their postures even further, to the point where you might worry they'd slice through anyone who brushed against them.
Of course, even I, the battalion commander, froze like a wooden statue before this one-star dignitary.
The esteemed auditor, clearly used to such scenes, approached me with a nonchalant expression.
"Battalion Commander Peter Jaeger, Major, step forward and receive His Imperial Majesty's commendation decree."
At those words, I dropped to one knee before the auditor as if in the presence of the Emperor himself and bowed my head.
The auditor unfurled the scroll with a flourish and read it aloud in a booming voice that everyone present could hear.
"His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Ferdinand von Reich of the Reich Empire, is deeply moved by the Jaeger Battalion's exploits and loyalty. As your sovereign, he shall reward your devotion handsomely."
This was standard boilerplate—the Emperor said it even when handing out a single copper (worth about 1/10,000th of a gold) instead of a gold.
But our battalion's achievements were on par with an entire division of 8,000 men, no exaggeration. At minimum, they had to be rewarding us at sixteen times our unit size, right?
"First, each soldier in the Jaeger Battalion shall receive 4 gold. Those who served in the detachment or pursuit forces shall receive an additional 4 gold. If they served in both, they shall receive 8 gold more."
If 1 gold covered a year of living expenses for a serf family of 4 to 6, then 4 gold—with citizenship assumed—could buy enough land to feed a whole family just from the harvest.
Factoring in 12 gold, which could outright purchase prime countryside land for living large without exaggeration...
This was the kind of massive reward that made you think the Emperor was dead serious about showering us.
"NCOs shall receive a flat 2 gold more than the soldiers, plus 6 gold in bonuses. All shall advance one rank, and NCOs of sergeant rank and above shall be granted admission to the Enlisted Officer Academy."
Graduating from the Enlisted Officer Academy alone was a massive status boost for NCOs, who were mostly commoners or well-off citizens.
Even for units with major achievements, the perk was usually just priority in admissions screening, not outright entry.
Plus, these rewards were stingy at the bottom and grew more generous up the chain.
So what would the real nobles among our officers get?
Sure enough, my officers were biting their thighs to stifle cheers that were bursting to escape, though they kept silent.
Strictly speaking, grunting like that during an imperial decree reading was against protocol, but today's auditor seemed flexible.
He pretended not to notice and continued.
"The Knight Company Commander, though from the enlisted academy, shall receive special admission to the Staff College, 50 gold, a weapon, and armor. The 1st Company Commander and Mage Company Commander shall receive Staff College admission, 40 gold, weapons and armor forged in the Imperial Armory, and warhorses. The 2nd and 3rd Company Commanders shall receive the Gold Cross Medal, 35 gold, and horses. Each platoon leader shall advance one rank and receive 10 to 30 gold based on merits."
Hearing this, I couldn't hide my inner shock.
This single war had promised stars to three men from one battalion in the future.
Especially Knight Company Commander Werner—he'd thrown himself into both the detachment and pursuit forces, padding his record like a dog in heat to rack up insane merits.
But Staff College admission? I never imagined he'd hit the jackpot like that in one go.
The horses given to the 1st Company and Mage Company Commanders suggested they'd make major after graduating.
The rest had gained a foothold to climb one rung higher than their limits.
The company commanders and officers were already tearing up with emotion, even before the auditor finished, struggling to hold it back.
Werner in particular had bitten his lip so hard it was bleeding.
"In the case of Lieutenant Laura, for personally capturing Chekovia's Major General Mikhail, her exploits in the detachment, and major contributions to the deputy commander decapitation mission, she is granted special admission to the Staff College as an exception. No bounty shall be paid."
No gold, not even 1, for Laura... But as the only daughter of Count von Venner, she wasn't hurting for money like the rest of us. Instead...
This was Count von Venner and the Personnel Director's ploy to send her to Staff College and fast-track her promotions.
Staff College was mainly for captains and majors, but the law allowed lieutenants, so no issue there.
With her merits, they'd promote her to captain in the first year, no doubt.
Now it was time for my reward. The brigadier-grade auditor suddenly adopted a grave, solemn, serious demeanor, as if subtitles had appeared over his head.
He pulled out a far more ornate scroll than the others and read in a deeply reverent tone.
"Major Peter Jaeger is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, one rank. He is appointed professor at the Staff College. He shall receive 3,000 gold in bounty. Additionally, he is granted the territories of Salzburg, Rainer, and Schwarz, and the barony title, recognizing him as a high noble of the Empire."
...What the fuck? This was "the boss has lost his mind" levels of generosity back in Korea.
I could explain at length why, but becoming a Staff College professor counted as central staff duty during the mandatory two-year term, which was huge for promotions.
Among officers, having Staff College professor experience on your record meant you'd rise to major general just by breathing—that was the conventional wisdom.
Plus, a barony with three territories meant that even after hitting colonel and pinning on stars, I wouldn't get steamrolled in politics for lack of wealth or influence.
So yeah, how could anyone not say the Emperor had gone mad?
Meanwhile, the auditor who'd delivered my promotion news switched to sincere congratulations, fawning as he changed his posture.
"My heartfelt congratulations, Baron. Earning a barony at 21... It's an honor to deliver the news. I look forward to working with you."
In the military, rank trumped titles internally, but across units, titles mattered more.
So this guy, basically a one-star to administrators, was buttering me up.
With that, the auditor swiftly departed.
Even though I, the battalion commander, was being reassigned as a Staff College professor—meaning the Jaeger Battalion would disband—everyone's faces were lit with smiles.
As my final act as commander, I shouted.
"Assemble the battalion! We're burning it down one last time today. Rent out several inns by company and drink your fill—the bill's on me!"