Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Thunern Tribe Extermination (3)
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The Northern Army ranked number one on the list of units that fresh noble lieutenants straight out of the Academy absolutely did not want to be assigned to—a reputation spanning decades.
And for good reason. Unlike other provincial units, the Northern Army saw small-scale battles pop up like clockwork, offering zero help in racking up the merits needed for promotions.
In a place like that, no newly arrived green lieutenant could expect any hand-holding from captains or even the more seasoned lieutenants.
To survive in the Northern Army, these fledglings had to learn not from senior officers but from the battle-hardened non-coms beneath them—platoon sergeants and the like—like they were right back in school.
For the record, if they couldn't swallow their pride and refused to learn properly, they'd be branded dead weight within the battalion in a matter of months. In a way, it was a place where things ran completely backward.
In normal units, it was common sense for officers to learn from other officers. A new platoon leader might casually pick up soldier management tips from the deputy sergeant as a reference, but actively seeking instruction like a student? That would earn him a reputation as an arrogant prick.
With frequent clashes against barbarians and all sorts of emergencies as everyday occurrences, it was a brutally tough posting. Officers from the capital or other regions, clueless about Northern affairs, often faced open disdain.
Because an officer or commander who paraded his rank insignia around without knowing the local lay of the land could easily bungle things—and pay for it with dozens or hundreds of soldiers' lives...
That was why it was true: officers assigned to the North had to start by proving their worth to their subordinates, steeling themselves to fight enemies tooth and nail, risking life and limb.
Yet even in situations like this, there were always exceptions.
"Sir! Deputy Regimental Commander of the 24th Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Max von Frenhil! It is an honor to serve the colonel hailed as the hero of Rhineland and Czechobia!"
Like when a new commander dispatched from the center had proven his overwhelming competence through his record and skills.
Because if an incompetent or mediocre fool took the reins, he'd just pile up needless corpses in the unit. But under a capable commander wielding the baton, the odds of dying a dog's death plummeted dramatically.
With merits piling up from the constant stream of battles, officers could look forward to promotions and cushy postings back in the capital.
Non-coms got a shot at officer candidate school—a life-changing opportunity—while enlisted men could pocket discharge bonuses big enough to buy farmland or snag early outs.
That much was clear from the way the deputy regimental commander's gaze was locked not on my face, but on the Silver Knight's Sword Cross Medal pinned to the left breast of my uniform.
"I'd planned to foot the bill for a welcome dinner out of my own pocket since it's my first day, but orders just came down from the legion commander for the Thunern tribe subjugation. Bear with me—we'll jump straight into the ops meeting."
"No need to apologize, sir! It's an honor to serve under the famous colonel."
A nobleman in his late forties staring at me with eyes brimming with awe and respect was... well, a bit more than a little overwhelming.
But to this middle-aged man, I must have looked like a lifeline dropped straight from the heavens. No helping it.
For one thing, being in his late forties as a lieutenant colonel meant mandatory retirement was right around the corner.
If he grabbed tight to this rope called me, he could rack up major merits—maybe even leap over colonel to chase a star, his dreams inflated with the possibility.
"Then let's start with a report on the regiment's troop strength."
At my words, Deputy Commander Max snapped to attention and reported crisply.
"Our Northern 24th Regiment consists of four infantry battalions, one mage battalion of 50, and one knight battalion of 50. We have 148 vacancies against full strength."
148 vacancies? For a Northern unit, that was better than I'd dared hope.
Plus, having the mage and knight units at full strength was a huge stroke of luck—essential for dealing with these half-farmer, half-nomad bastards.
"Very good. The regimental commander is quite satisfied with the unit's condition. I expect you can live up to that?"
"We'll do our utmost to meet expectations."
"Then summon all commanders company level and above. We'll begin the ops meeting to execute the legion commander's orders in one hour."
**
Right on time as instructed, I entered the briefing room, and the officers rose as one, saluting me with gazes full of respect.
There wasn't a trace of the disdain or suspicion you'd expect toward a young commander.
Just like when the deputy first laid eyes on me, their looks held nothing but admiration for the 23-year-old colonel with the Silver Knight's Sword medal and a barony to his name—a true hero.
No doubt fueled by their aspirations for a competent leader, their hunger for survival, ambitions for advancement, and the useless pride and inferiority complexes naturally shed from years of hardship in the North.
But with expectations this high, even a single slip-up would turn that respect into disappointment in a heartbeat.
I had to exceed them.
"This is Colonel Peter Jaeger, assuming command of the 24th Regiment as of today. The situation's too urgent for proper introductions—we'll save those. I've already been briefed on the unit's status by the deputy commander, so no worries there. Now, for orders on the Thunern tribe subjugation."
With that, I picked up the command pointer and aimed it at the map someone had thoughtfully prepared, showing the Thunern tribe and the 24th's garrison area nearby.
"The Thunern tribe razed Plensburg Castle and ten surrounding villages to the ground, looting everything. As a result, 1,200 Imperial citizens were abducted, and 2,000 more became refugees overnight, homeless and landless. Their fields were scorched earth, and all livestock stolen—catastrophic damage."
Being half-farmers half-nomads, they'd likely enslaved the men and women for labor or sold them off to places like the Franco Republic.
Or true to form as amoral monsters, killed the men and raped the women into playthings... fucking animals not even worthy of the name.
"The legion commander has ordered us to thoroughly exterminate these damned bastards. But we won't be using the tactics other units employed against scum like the Bruniks in the past."
At that, murmurs rippled through the officers.
"They say in the Czechobia campaign, you wrecked the enemy's supplies with tactics no one saw coming... Planning something like that here?"
"The old ways have worked fine so far. If we go toe-to-toe with their army, we outmatch them in infantry even if cavalry's dicey."
"But the Northern Army's tactics have held up for decades. New ones right off the bat on arrival? Kinda worrying."
Normally, most commanders would shut down the chatter and demand focus on their words.
But I deliberately gave them time to hash out their thoughts.
Because their words carried the essence of how the Northern Army had fought and operated under its unique atmosphere all these years.
And from those respectful eyes they'd shown me at first glance, I figured they'd listen first before judging.
Sure enough, after about five minutes, the officers fell silent as one and turned to me.
"The reason is simple: the situation's changed drastically from before. Just five years ago, smashing their armies after a raid was enough. Why? Because once we wrecked the hostile tribes' forces, the ones submissive or friendly to us would muster and raze their villages to the ground—plenty of deterrence."
According to Staff College reports, these tribes had devoured weaker neighbors despite being fellow half-nomads, swelling their power under survival of the fittest.
The others thought:
'That sneaky bastard. Gobbling up all the weak tribes around him to build an army? He's gunning for khan. No way—let's rally the others and crush him.'
So the Empire just needed to beat them down moderately and rein them in a bit—they kept each other in check just fine.
"But now, that damned Ludwig's unified the peninsula's nomadic peoples. Even if we annihilate the Thunern army, no other nomad tribe will touch their villages. With their men depleted and farming crippled, they'll raid us even harder just to feed their families. Luring and smashing their armies like before? That's a band-aid, not a fix."
It was like those Korean thugs turning to crime out of hardship, getting a record that bars employment, then doubling down on murder and theft to survive.
At my explanation, realization dawned on the officers—they hadn't considered that angle—and they nodded in agreement.
"So the operation I'll use is completely different from past tactics. We'll advance with minimal defense against any lures they throw, systematically wiping out their settlements one by one—an extermination campaign."