Chapter 95
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Reinhardt's Technological Prowess (1)
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Reinhardt Empire.
One of the five great powers of Hearts of General, and a mighty nation that, along with the Sovye Empire, forms the main pillar of the Imperial Alliance.
As a nation modeled after real-world Germany, it has a long and bitter historical rivalry with the Free Democratic Republic of Prussia.
The Reinhardt-Prussia front, which opens right after the Ukran front ends, is a frontline in Hearts of General that truly makes the player feel what a "real war" is like.
Airships dominate the sky, tens of thousands of soldiers charge into trenches only to be ground to dust. The crossfire of machine guns lights up the night, and the incessant artillery shelling renders one deaf.
At that level, it's common for players to hold the rank of Major, acting as battalion commanders or high-ranking staff officers.
Watching the number of troops dwindle day by day, you could guess just how fierce the combat was, even if those numbers were just simple data.
That is the Reinhardt Empire.
As befits a mighty nation that proudly calls itself an Empire, its atmosphere is completely different from the Ukran Duchy.
Ukran, in the northern hemisphere's temperate climate, would typically be a muddy mess around this time of year, but Reinhardt's roads were maintained remarkably well.
In fact, while they lacked asphalt and cement, the sturdy carriage roads made of neatly cut stone covered with dirt were in no way inferior to those of the modern era.
'So this is why their supply rate within the Empire's territory was insane. It's perfect for launching an offensive.'
I could feel exactly why the Reinhardt Empire specialized in short-term Blitzkrieg tactics.
"It's so comfortable......"
"That's partly because the road is good, but the carriage is on a completely different level from a military one as well."
"Hmm, uh...? What did you say?"
"Nothing, please continue to sleep."
As expected of a carriage used by the royal family, the ride quality was no joke. After riding a piece of junk that kept slamming my ass into the seat every time it hit a stone, getting on such a high-class vehicle felt refreshing.
Of course, Soni Chepelin chattered for a bit before curling up in the back seat of the carriage and falling asleep.
"Doesn't she look just like a cat?"
"I agree."
Lumia chuckled as she said this. Soni Chepelin was a human who was completely the spitting image of a cat. Not just in appearance, but in her mannerisms as well.
Right now, the way she's sleeping, curled up in a ball, is a prime example.
She does whatever she wants even when told not to, and when asked to do something, she playfully and evasively brushes it off. At first, I thought she must be an arrogant and headstrong person, having the title of Grand Archmage, but looking at her now, she's just someone who does whatever she pleases.
It's funny how that attitude, combined with her magical abilities and terrifyingly sharp insight, actually works in her favor.
'No matter how I look at it, she doesn't seem like she'll age, unlike the one I saw in Hojo...'
Of course, the portrait in Hojo adopted a slightly Western cartoonish art style, and it's also true that the characters' faces, excluding the player, weren't depicted very prettily.
But she was one of the people with the biggest gap between her portrait and her real self. I could recognize Count Petrinant as soon as I saw his face, for example.
Even with my ten thousand hours of playtime, I had no idea what had happened to her and Ukran.
'The most likely scenario is still a coup d'état.'
Civil war, coup, rebellion.
These are situations that occur quite frequently in Hojo. Whenever a player takes a wrong route or occasionally fails to meet certain conditions, causing internal rebel forces to stir.
If you fail to suppress them early on, they spread across the entire nation, turning a country already a mess from war into an even bigger disaster.
The number one culprit for making Hojo's gameplay even harder.
In a centralized state that can't even properly command its army, how could it control the public sentiment? That would have been an unstoppable tide, even if a Grand Archmage used all their power. It wouldn't be a stretch to say she aged rapidly from the stress during that time.
'I hope she manages the internal affairs well to prevent such things from happening as much as possible...'
I looked out at the passing scenery as the carriage moved smoothly, lost in thought.
My promotion had been incredibly fast, far more than I expected. If this were a game, it would be fast enough to suspect bug abuse or console commands.
From Second Lieutenant to Captain in seven months?
That was faster than the insane promotion speeds of people during World War II.
Well, it's true that going any higher would be difficult for now.
As long as no local battles break out, the promotion limit for field-grade officers is the maximum authority Soni Chepelin can exercise.
However, this also means that Ukran's officer establishment is completely and utterly screwed.
It's rare for a rolling stone to dislodge an embedded one. Especially in a closed-off group like the military. No matter how competent the rolling stone is, there are countless cases where they are blocked by the embedded stones, which are on the verge of crumbling to dust.
This isn't just the case for Korea. Every military organization in the world is like this, and the virtual nation of the Ukran Duchy was no different.
And the Soni Chepelin I knew was not the type of person to be swayed by personal connections or to only push her own people.
She was a person with a meritocratic mindset, prioritizing nothing above the abilities required for a soldier and a mage.
If I hadn't produced any results, or if someone like Chief of Staff Yoseph had taken the position first, she wouldn't have even promoted me to Captain.
So, the reason Soni Chepelin pushed for the unreasonable promotion to Captain in just seven months and agreed to promote the entire NCO corps under her command to officers is simple.
It means there are no embedded stones left in the current Ukran military.
The remaining officers and personnel were nothing but gravel and sand, worn smooth by the winds and storms of time.
Even if you try to tamp down the ground, you can't cultivate land that's already worn down to the point of being blunt.
The only method is to sweep away all that sand and gravel and lay down stones that haven't yet been weathered, that are sharp and solid enough to serve as a foundation.
And that was me.
It was my squad members, including Lumia Blue.
It was the 8th Assault Mage Infantry Battalion and the Special Response Brigade.
'I guess I'll just have to keep on rolling...'
I will repay faith and trust with results worthy of them. That is the value of a soldier and the duty of a subordinate. With that in mind, I steeled my resolve once more.
The new goal I had set for myself was to make Lieutenant Colonel before the war.
If I could do that, I'd be a little closer to a future where Ukran wins.
"Brigadier General, we will soon be arriving at Deoronto in the Petrinant County."
"Brigadier General, it's about time to wake up."
"Huh? Mmm... I know."
I approached her as she slept, wheezing slightly, and shook her. The Brigadier General wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve and got up.
"...Please don't wipe it with your sleeve, use this."
"Haaah~! Ah, thanks, Captain."
I handed her a handkerchief, and Soni Chepelin let out a loud yawn and stretched.
A Brigadier General of Ukran, said to be its strongest fighter, is she really allowed to be this defenseless?
A question like that crossed my mind for a moment.
But there was no reason to complain about it now.
"It's good to see you again."
"It's an honor, Count."
I respectfully accepted the handshake offered by Count Petrinant and bowed my head slightly.
"I was sure you were a Lieutenant last time I saw you. My, you've added another jewel to your shoulder in just a few months?"
"That's all thanks to the Brigadier General looking upon me favorably."
"Kuhuhu, you speak so nicely. If I had a young man as capable as you among my vassals, I would have pushed you forward relentlessly."
Not a bad connection to have.
He was, after all, the man who would soon be hailed as the father of the Reinhardt Imperial Air Force.
Even now, he was a tremendous magnate and pioneer, so much so that he would drain his own fief's treasury to pour into his hobby-like development of airships. He was certainly worth getting close to.
In a few more years, when his true value began to shine, he would become an even more precious connection.
From Count Petrinant.
To Lieutenant General Petrinant.
If I built this connection now, I would surely be able to make good use of him when the time comes.
Carl von Clausewitz, the author of the world-famous military strategy book, "On War," said that war is a continuation of politics.
In the end, the reason Ukran was the first to fall at the beginning of the World War was because its political foundation was incredibly weak.
In the future, I had to increase my contact with these heavyweight figures and gradually grow my own influence. A strong military power is certainly a clear deterrent to war, but what acts as an even stronger deterrent is ultimately international politics—diplomatic power.
"In that case, it would be best to show you this first."
Count Petrinant, after sharing a brief greeting with Second Lieutenant Lumia Blue, who was accompanying us, guided us to the back of the mansion with an expression like a child hiding a wonderful toy.
"Thanks to the Omen Pearl you recovered, I was able to realize my lifelong dream. The Graf Petrinant, an airship named after me."
Diameter: 70 meters.
Height: 40 meters.
A gigantic airship was revealed, one that made the two small airships sleeping at the back of the battalion look like toys in an instant.
"Wow...!!"
Unable to hold back her awe at the overwhelming size, Lumia let out a gasp, and the Count smiled with satisfaction.
"Isn't it magnificent? Of course, unlike other airships, I won't use that one for military purposes. I can't send that beautiful child to a battlefield drenched in blood."
"Hahaha......"
As someone who knew more or less what the future held, all I could do was give a dry laugh.
Wait, no.
You use the Graf Petrinant as your main bomber at the start of the war, don't you?
Thinking about how it devoured the frontline trenches and military headquarters like a cookie, it made my teeth grind.
But that's that, and this is this. The Count was right, its majesty was truly immense.
I knew it in a general sense, but seeing it with my own eyes was on a completely different level.
"And the closing party for today's expo will be held on that airship. Wouldn't it be truly beautiful?"
Ah, a party inside an airship.
For some reason, an unspeakable animated movie came to mind. And wouldn't you know it, there's a Brigadier General with the alias "Grand Archmage of the Sky" right here with us?
"......"
"Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
...Will we be okay?