Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Unexpected Things Keep Happening
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“Richi.”
On the way back in the carriage, Father called out to me.
I could clearly hear the worry in his voice. Probably because of what had just happened.
“Will you be alright?”
Obviously not. But saying that would make me the epitome of a troublesome filial son. The truth was I wasn't alright, but what could I do? All I could manage was to smile and reassure him.
“I'm fine, Father. In fact, I'm pretty excited right now.”
Of course I was. I'd signed a slave contract myself and even stamped my seal on it. Damn it all.
The even worse part was that I couldn't back out—not with who the other party was. It was like tying myself up tight and tossing myself into a tiger's maw with a bow on top saying, “Eat me.”
“Still… wouldn't it have been better to wait until after you graduate the academy?”
“It'll be tough juggling it with my studies, sure. But… you know why I made that choice.”
I'd taken the emperor's blank check and filled in my own work schedule. He probably wanted that deep down.
So why had I gone along with it? Because that's what the emperor wanted. And in that sense, it was a kind of safeguard he'd prepared for me.
By the time I graduated the academy, the advance into Koenihesen would already be well underway.
No, we'd probably be locked in fierce battles deep in their homeland by then. That would be too late.
I wanted to play a leading role in this war too. Now that I'd decided to join the military, sitting on the sidelines wasn't an option. We were a family of war heroes—dawdling around and calling it quits would be worse than not bothering at all.
The emperor had seen that exact point and handed me the blank check.
You know it'll be rough, but this is the perfect timing for you. Step up now, finish your preparations, and when the real war erupts as we push into Koenihesen, you'll have your place—just like your grandfather, your father, and your brother. Something along those lines.
“What do you think about what I told His Majesty?”
“You mean how we'll need at least a year to prepare for the push into Koenihesen proper?”
He let out a thoughtful hum. He'd just masterminded a perfect defense and seized a counterattack opportunity, only for discussions to drag on for a full year as supreme commander—no wonder it grated on him.
But in the end, Father nodded and agreed with my assessment.
“Yeah, it'll take about that long. Koenihesen may be crumbling, but that's only because we were on the defensive. When we turn the tables and strike their homeland, we'll need far more troops, supplies, and we'll take heavier losses.”
One perk of being from a war hero family: easy access to the latest war reports.
Word was we'd reached the existing front lines and were ready to push even further right away.
The problem? We were only ready for the immediate term.
Koenihesen's territory was as vast as the empire itself. Immense. We'd need to seize at least half of that sprawling land before anyone could seriously talk victory.
To pull that off required preparations on an entirely different scale from before. Troops, weapons, supplies, transport, training—even the mood back home in the empire. There were far too many factors to consider.
The longer our front lines stretched, the more extended our supply lines became. Meanwhile, Koenihesen's would shorten proportionally.
We couldn't ignore that disparity. Despite their defeat, they were still a formidable foe.
If our supply differences started to show, the empire could suffer a crushing defeat and be forced to retreat.
“Don't worry. I'll throw myself into my studies and give this new role my all.”
“I'm not worried about that. When have you ever slacked off, Richi?”
“Fair point.”
After dropping me off at the academy, Father headed back to headquarters.
The weight of responsibility radiating from his retreating back was something I couldn't even fathom.
One command from him could decide the fates of hundreds of thousands. Just thinking about it… was terrifying.
Clop, clop—
The crown prince had been swamped with duties, barely able to catch his breath, when he suddenly received a summons from the emperor.
Wondering what it could be about, he set aside his work and hurried to his father's side.
“Your Majesty. I heard you called for me.”
“Come in, Crown Prince.”
As the crown prince approached cautiously, the emperor cut straight to the chase.
“Instruct the Minister of War to reserve a position in the Logistics Department.”
“Your Majesty?”
It was a sudden—and more than a little bewildering—command.
As the crown prince's face twisted in confusion, the emperor tapped his armrest.
“He knows the empire's logistical capabilities in exhaustive detail. And he dares point out the flaws right here before me. Not at all like a young noble. He should have no experience, yet he speaks like a seasoned veteran. As if this weren't his first rodeo.”
“...”
It was even more baffling, so the crown prince simply listened in silence.
“Crown Prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Are you aware of any issues with the Imperial Army's logistics?”
Quite the abrupt question. But he didn't tense up or falter.
Neither he nor the emperor could claim true expertise in military matters. If they could, there'd be no need for army marshals or navy marshals—the emperor would hold direct command.
Logistics worked the same way. The fine details were for the specialists. The emperor surely knew that, so this question had to be leading somewhere. In that case, the answer he wanted was…
…something to do with personnel.
After a moment's more thought, the crown prince ventured his opinion carefully.
“The Logistics Director recently resigned due to illness. His replacement is new and doesn't yet have full control over both the army and navy sides.”
Was that it? Was this what Father wanted to hear? The crown prince stole a glance and inwardly sighed in relief. A faint smile played at the emperor's lips.
“That young friend I just met said the same. The empire's logistics capacity is solid—doing well, even. The problem is the man in charge. As the war drags on, the fronts widen, and supply lines stretch, the demands will multiply. If the head there lacks authority, he'll be at others' mercy.”
“The current Logistics Director position…”
“It's a major department in the Ministry of War, but still under the minister. It's held up so far with battles confined to the border and fizzling into stalemates after a few clashes. But that's no longer the case.”
Koenihesen mainland invasion. The decisive war to end it all. That was what the emperor craved.
They couldn't keep repeating this endless slog forever. Fear of national collapse had kept both sides from committing to an endgame.
In the midst of it, Koenihesen had drawn first blood—launching attacks across every front, nearly shattering the Imperial Army and storming the capital itself.
“Providence has lent its aid once more. Bestowing another hero at this crucial juncture.”
The Field Marshal, lion of the defense. The Supreme Commander who rallied the alliance. And now this new comet who struck Koenihesen from behind. Thanks to them, Koenihesen had crumpled again.
Now it was the empire's turn to press forward. The moment had arrived. They couldn't let it slip.
“Your Majesty, there are issues with logistics.”
“Right now, field commanders' voices inevitably carry more weight. Officers and knights, army and navy—all competing over whose contributions are greater. It's not entirely negative, so it's not for me to meddle.”
“But that means to rack up merits, they push for the front lines over the rear. Those chasing glory all want to charge ahead.”
Immediate, visible results. The fastest path to elevating their factions' honor.
With field influence inevitable that way, the logistics side remained unchanged.
More battles meant more merits. If those figures made requests of logistics, would they even be seen as mere requests?
It was the least glamorous role, but the most vital. Which meant it needed an even firmer grip at the helm.
That's why he aimed for it. At the very least, bearing the name Reinhardt—even those decorated war heroes wouldn't dare act rashly against him.
“...”
At last, the crown prince understood why the emperor had brought up logistics out of the blue.
He's planning to carve it out as a separate entity altogether.
Not that the crown prince himself hadn't grown increasingly concerned about it.
The Logistics Department under the Ministry of War was the largest, but its structure had been set for the empire's previous army scale. Now the forces were expanding rapidly.
On top of that, most key logistics personnel clamored for field assignments, leaving gaping holes in experience.
It would be ideal to keep them, but military glory centered on battlefield victories against the enemy. No one welcomed rear-echelon duty.
If they pushed into Koenihesen territory beyond the border like now, every scale would double overnight.
Troop numbers swelling, more commanders, rising stars claiming high ranks—and logistics unchanged in the midst of it?
Disaster waiting to happen.
Accidents in the military were never small. And if logistics-related? Even worse.