Chapter 96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Reinhardt's Technological Prowess is World-Class (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I invite all our distinguished guests to freely tour the exhibition hall. If you have any questions, please ask any of the personnel wearing a red sash, and they will be happy to answer them.”
With Count Petrinent's welcome speech, the military exhibition held at his estate was officially opened.
As befits a military exhibition hosted by the master of a county that serves as one of the pillars of the Empire, the number of guests was easily in the hundreds. Of course, there were some civilians dressed in formal suits and formal attire, but most, including us, were in military uniform.
‘Maybe it's because it's a military exhibition.’
Naturally, since it was an event held in our own country, the majority of the personnel were from the Reinhardt Imperial Army, but it wasn't difficult to spot uniforms from other countries as well.
Among them, of course, was our rival nation.
“……Captain, isn't that the Sovye Empire?”
“It seems so. For now, as fellow imperial nations, it appears Count Petrinent has extended an invitation.”
“It's a bit uncomfortable.”
“We should try our best to avoid running into them.”
I whispered to Lumia, who looked slightly displeased.
The silver-haired major I had clashed with at the Riemensch Armory had likely made it out of the facility safely. There was no way a secret passage for evacuating key personnel first wouldn't exist in a facility where inhumane experiments were being conducted.
‘I wonder what that guy reported to his superiors…’
For now, it was certain that running into the Sovye Empire's side would be a headache in many ways. We should just avoid them. And they would probably want the same.
That's how the international stage works. Even if you have an uncomfortable relationship, you're sometimes forced to face each other.
Still, there was no reason to be intimidated. They were the ones who made the mistake first, and to top it off, their pride as an Empire must have been quite wounded after receiving a proper counter-punch from an army they looked down upon. Rather, we should be the ones walking around with our shoulders held high.
“Let's go over there. I saw a locomotive earlier.”
I took Lumia's hand and led her to a place where the guests from the Sovye Empire wouldn't be visible.
Soni Chepelin had disappeared to meet another grand archmage belonging to the Reinhardt Empire, so at least for today, I had to wander around with just Lumia.
“There's no need to get entangled in complicated diplomatic issues right away.”
“Th-that, that, that, of course!”
“……? What's wrong?”
“Ah, it's nothing!”
We arrived at the left exhibition hall.
There, an armored train painted pitch black was on display.
“What is this? A locomotive?”
“It's called the Moldok armored train.”
It was a completely early prototype that hadn't even loaded its cannons yet, but after a few more years, it would evolve into a mobile fortress covered in all sorts of cannons and machine guns.
“They turned a train into a weapon…? I haven't even ridden a real train yet.”
“Carriages were originally made for war too, so what's the difference for a train?”
“……It means they're serious about war, no matter what it takes.”
Lumia answered with a bitter look. As a soldier, she knew better. How many lives this train would consume if it were actually deployed in war. And that was a clear fact.
I knew too well how brilliantly this weapon would perform from the beginning to the middle stages of the war.
But that was only a romantic notion.
If we were to drive the armored train ourselves and blow the heads off all the traitors, it would just be bitter, but if the enemy were to drive an armored train and slaughter our allies, we could never tell such a high-sounding tale.
We would be demanding with our eyes bloodshot that we, too, must procure such a weapon and crush them right away.
I looked at Lumia, whose expression was complicated in many ways, and added.
“It's only natural. All nations will have to be serious about war from now on.”
“Of course. I agree with you.”
“?”
I turned my head at the unfamiliar voice that naturally chimed in, and there stood a young man in the uniform of the Reinhardt Imperial Army.
His hair was as red as the sun, and his amber eyes, which complemented it, sparkled sharply.
I instinctively checked his epaulets. Three iron crosses with no pattern. The rank of Captain in the Reinhardt Imperial Army.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Enok Levandel. I've heard a lot about you from Count Petrinent.”
The captain extended a friendly hand for a handshake. I took his hand and shook it lightly in greeting. Seeing the red sash across his shoulder, it seemed he was the one in charge of explaining this armored train.
“The pleasure is mine.”
“I am Rittmeister Johannes Weissenberg of the Reinhardt Imperial Army.”
“Johannes Weissenberg…?”
“Oh, do you know me?”
“Ah, no. I must have been mistaken.”
I was momentarily flustered by the familiar name. ‘Johannes von Weissenberg.’ He was the name of an artillery-specialized general available for use in the Reinhardt Imperial Army.
‘A namesake? No… Usually, he's a general available two years after the war starts, so if he's a captain now, the timing might be about right.’
His red hair and eyes were a definite match. It was quite similar to the portrait I had seen. I was sure he would become a competent artillery general in the future.
It seemed he was in the cavalry corps, not artillery, during his junior officer days.
“It's a surprisingly common name, you see. I hear that often.”
Johannes brushed it off nonchalantly and continued the conversation.
“By the way, it seems you know a thing or two about armored trains?”
“Ah… I heard a little from the Count. And personally, I've been paying attention to the potential of trains.”
“As expected of a promising officer who will lead the next generation. You have quite an eye.”
Captain Johannes Weissenberg, thinking I shared the same opinion as him, showed a very favorable reaction.
“Railroads will become extremely important on future battlefields. It's a rapid means of transport that can deploy troops quickly and is barely affected by terrain or climate.”
Johannes enthusiastically talked about the tactical significance of trains and their future development. The face of Count Petrinent, who had been grinning while showing us the airship earlier, overlapped with his. It was just as they say, birds of a feather flock together.
“Isn't it truly amazing!? I'm talking about even more powerful armored trains, everyone─!!”
“Ah, hahaha… I see.”
In the end, it was entirely Lumia's role to handle Johannes, who had been possessed by the spirit of Speedwagon. I already knew everything, so what was the point?
The important thing was that this was an exhibition, not a parade. The fact that they dispatched an officer of the rank of Rittmeister to a mere count's weapon exhibition meant that the Reinhardt Empire had other intentions besides simply showcasing new weapons.
Originally, there were only two reasons for holding a military exhibition to reveal new weapons like this.
First, to show off their military power by saying, ‘Look at these glorious weapons, your country doesn't have anything like this, does it?’
Second, to advertise to various countries, saying, ‘Don't you want this? If you sign a contract or invest in its development, we'll give it to you cheaply.’
New weapons don't just grow on trees, and realizing a concept that never existed in the world requires a tremendous amount of capital.
So, they hold these exhibitions to make the soldiers' eyes go wide over the new weapons.
To amplify envy among allied nations and lure investment, and to amplify fear among potential enemy nations and lure investment as well.
After all, the products sold to foreign countries would be downgraded versions, 2 or 3 tiers lower than the ones used by their own military.
It's an essential virtue that all munitions companies and arms manufacturers must have, from modern to contemporary warfare.
In that context, displaying an armored train that is still just a prototype shows that the Reinhardt side wants direct or indirect investment in this armored train.
‘We do need a few armored trains ourselves. It would also make it easier to deploy along the Northeast axis, where long-term troop recruitment is impossible.’
It was an armored train that had been used quite effectively in the original history. In Hearts of General, you also have to build at least one armored train. Especially for countries relatively lacking in supply capabilities or troop deployment abilities, the armored train can often serve as a kind of game-changer.
With the air force still in its primitive stages and infantry fire support being conducted only by mages, who are essentially infantry, and things like close-range field artillery, if two armored trains were dug into the Eastern axis?
There would be no more reliable fighting force than that.
It would be enough firepower to crush the Sovye Empire's first offensive and stalemate the front lines, no matter what nonsense the perpetually weak Ukraine tries to pull.
‘But the problem is, we have no money.’
Ironically, the Ukrainian army probably doesn't have the assets to buy an armored train yet. And it's still too much of a prototype right now.
It's also uncertain whether we could provide the appropriate level of investment needed for development.
Right now, the equipment for our 8th Assault Mage Infantry Battalion and the maintenance of the airship were mostly being covered by Soni Chepelin's personal funds.
If the airship is a joint development with Count Petrinent, giving Soni Chepelin a certain share, that's one thing, but the armored train is a separate issue.
I started to get a little greedy.
“Rittmeister Johannes.”
“Yes, Captain Enok.”
“Are you the person in charge of this armored train project?”
There was no need to beat around the bush. We're all soldiers, after all. Beating around the bush is a politician's way of speaking; soldiers have their own way.
“May I ask why you're asking…?”
“This is just a personal opinion, but I think the Moldok armored train has a few fatal flaws.”
“Flaws?”
Johannes's eyes changed.
“You're not thinking of arming the armored train with something as trivial as a rifle, are you…? In the end, you'll have to mount artillery on it, won't you?”
“Th-that's correct.”
I pulled out information that was still vivid in my mind. It came from my memories of playing the Reinhardt Empire, specifically as an artillery, in Hearts of General.
“However, the artillery currently possessed by the Reinhardt Empire cannot meet the firepower requirements demanded by the armored train.”
If Soni Chepelin was involved in the development of the Graf Petrinent, there's no reason I can't be involved in the modification and improvement of the Moldok armored train. Coincidentally, the project I had been hinting at and推进 with the Central Technology Research Department since the last time could serve as a good hook.
“In that case, would you like to hear my idea?”
I gave Johannes a wide grin.