Chapter 36
Chapter 36
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: The Betrayed General Betrays
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gerhard was lately feeling his body aging more acutely than ever.
He had been fighting on the battlefield for over forty years now, well past the age of retirement.
His passion and drive were still as strong as ever, but his worn-out body and stiffened mind could no longer keep up.
The Dragonia Empire was surrounded by countless enemy nations, barely maintaining a precarious balance amid them all.
The empire was powerful, but not stronger than the combined might of all those surrounding states.
Gerhard believed that breaking free from this situation required change, but he also knew that as long as veteran generals like himself held the reins of the imperial army, such transformation would be difficult.
In that regard, the more he studied Victor's strategies and tactics, the clearer his talents became, leading Gerhard to see Victor as the man who could bring about change to the empire.
The Noble Faction's forces had racked up early victories in the war, growing overconfident that it would end quickly, so they advanced a bit too hastily. They minimized local conscription for the sake of swift conclusions and managing occupied territories.
But General Paul, who led them, was far from incompetent, and by the empire's doctrines, he hadn't made any major blunders.
It was simply that Victor's ruthlessly efficient tactics had exploited their weaknesses with surgical precision.
Bold maneuvers targeting temporarily divided enemies on the march, agile unit operations leveraging terrain, relentless raids on supply lines.
Victor moved as if he could read the imperial army's every step, making their struggles inevitable.
According to the staff officers' estimates, if the armistice negotiations hadn't been signed, the empire would have suffered massive losses from Victor's counteroffensives.
And now, that very Victor had come over to the empire's side, earning the backing of the emperor himself, who had a keen eye for talent.
Gerhard was already convinced that Victor would rise to a pivotal position in the empire, just like him.
"Legion Commander."
"Hm."
"Why not propose integrating the legions now? If Victor's skills are the real deal, it's a waste to leave him with just those troops."
And while they trusted Victor, his 1st Provisional Legion was a different story from his distrustful subordinates.
"We'll watch for now. They've been through two years of war too. I don't think they're your average conscripts."
"...Understood."
Gerhard judged that they had hidden potential as well.
Concerns about collaboration were just excuses both sides knew well, given the empire's habit of frequently incorporating surrendered enemy troops.
His subordinates acknowledged Victor's ability but dismissed his legion as a ragtag bunch of conscript defectors, limiting its value in their eyes.
Those who had seen the Noble Faction legions' shortcomings in joint drills were especially prone to this view.
Yet contrary to such opinions, Gerhard believed the troops faithfully executing Victor's orders could not be mere ordinary conscripts.
An army that promptly followed its commander's orders even in battle was proof of elite status in itself.
"Formation movement and shift training. Make sure it's conveyed clearly?"
"Yes, Legion Commander."
That was why Gerhard had affirmed Victor's words, seeing this joint exercise as a stage for proof.
More precisely, for the 1st Provisional Legion to demonstrate its strength.
Formation movement and shifts.
For a legion-scale force to maneuver smoothly, it demanded far more than what was expected of typical elite soldiers.
"The 10th Legion and 1st Provisional Legion joint training will now commence."
Victor’s legion had been given one week.
A short time, but Gerhard believed the 1st Provisional Legion would surely showcase its capabilities.
Training 15,000 men at once was impractical, so the joint drills proceeded with brigade-sized groups of around 4,000, observed jointly by officers from both the 10th Legion and the 1st Provisional Legion.
One brigade trained per day, with officers from both legions watching from a high watchtower.
The 10th Legion had dozens up there, including staff officers, while the 1st Provisional Legion had fewer than ten: Victor, Anna, Alexandrov, and a handful of others.
"1st Infantry Brigade, impressive as expected."
"General Klaus put in a lot of effort."
The 10th Legion's 1st Infantry Brigade handled the first day's training without issue.
Morning refined line formations and transitions, afternoon demonstrated various setups like the crane wing, fish scale, and circular formations.
The brigade used flags, trumpets, and whistles for control, with Brigade Commander Klaus personally dispatching messengers for fine adjustments.
Changing formations took 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the shape.
Soldiers moved sequentially like a rippling wave from those nearest headquarters, occasionally straying slightly at company or battalion levels—but that was only natural.
Signals took time to propagate, so even elites couldn't move much faster.
The 1st Infantry Brigade wrapped up in late afternoon, leaving a few to train weak points until evening.
"Fifteen minutes to shift from column march to line abreast. Remarkable."
"It's a common real-battle scenario, so they must've drilled it heavily."
The 10th Legion officers exchanged lively opinions throughout.
Most marveled at the brigade's elite quality; 2nd Infantry officers jotted notes on Klaus's command style.
"..."
"Hm..."
In contrast, the 1st Provisional Legion observers just watched the soldiers with odd expressions.
"What does Legion Commander Victor think?"
"...Ah. Excellent maneuvers. I'd heard of the 10th Legion's elite status, but seeing it surpasses the rumors."
"I see. Thank you."
Victor, the legion commander, responded positively to Gerhard's question, but his subordinates' lukewarm reactions irked the prideful 10th Legion officers.
The same held true the next day during the 2nd Infantry Brigade's drill.
While 10th Legion officers chatted enthusiastically,
"Training's over, so the 1st Provisional Legion will head back early to prepare for tomorrow."
"...Yes."
Those from the 1st Provisional Legion watched quietly then left promptly.
"...Hah."
The officers saw it as arrogance.
Afterward, 10th Legion officers gathered separately to discuss the 1st Provisional Legion's attitude.
"Victor's a defector general, so he's got a big ego."
"Hmph. He must've been awestruck inside."
"A guy used to handling mediocre conscripts might not even grasp our level."
"Hahaha!"
They wouldn't say it to Gerhard's face, but they were convinced Victor's legion would fail the training.
And so, the next day dawned.
"Where's Legion Commander Victor?"
"He said he'd command the troops directly."
"...Huh."
Most 10th Legion officers climbed the watchtower to observe, but aside from one messenger relaying Victor's intent, no one from the 1st Provisional Legion appeared.
"Haha, must be short on officers."
"Come to think of it, yesterday and the day before, only a few showed up."
"I heard not the whole army surrendered, so maybe that's why."
The officers murmured softly.
Even for a smaller legion, having the commander handle tactical command directly was awkward.
Gerhard had just watched from the tower for two days during the 10th Legion's drills.
The officers approached Gerhard, who sat with a serious expression.
He was still gazing at the 1st Provisional Legion assembling in the training field.
"What do you think, Legion Commander?"
"Judgment comes after seeing the training. For now, just watch quietly."
"...Yes."
Following his orders, the officers sat silently and observed the 1st Provisional Legion's drill.
"Without enough officers, it'll be tough, right?"
"Indeed. Victor's talented, but he's only one man."
The initially skeptical officers,
"...Huh?"
"What."
began gaping at the 1st Provisional Legion's soldiers' movements.
"D-Does that even make sense?"
The 5,000 troops of the 1st Provisional Legion started shifting and changing formations right from morning, with no prior prep.
"Good lord..."
"How long was that?"
"...About five minutes."
Five minutes after the main banner waved.
The 5,000 in marching column had already reformed into battle-ready line abreast.
"W-Well, maybe they just practiced linear formations...?"
But their speed switching to complex formations was several times faster than the 10th Legion's troops.
"How in the world..."
Most crucially,
"Everyone moving in sync? Is that possible?!"
"...We're seeing it."
"..."
The troops shifted to positions almost simultaneously, without delays between units.
No back-and-forth signals, no swarm of messengers.
They clustered by company to form the overall shape, with no overlaps or stragglers in their paths.
The staff officers exchanged glances, speechless.
"Could we do that?"
"...Sorry."
"No need to apologize. We all know that level of control is impossible."
At Gerhard's smiling words, the officers clamped their mouths shut and watched the 1st Provisional Legion intently.
With endless drilling on movements alone, it might not be entirely impossible, but they lacked confidence in achieving such fluid speed and variety.
"Oh, no way."
"...Incredible."
Even the brigade commanders from prior drills couldn't hide their awe.
Having finished formation demos by morning, the 1st Provisional Legion shuffled archers, spearmen, and swordsmen around, flaunting flexibility—especially archers weaving freely through infantry, drawing all eyes.
Mid-movement, they adjusted speeds and made micro-shifts to clear paths, letting archers and elite swordsmen pass safely.
Paths could've crossed or tangled, but a few signals sufficed for flawless execution.
"...Are they teaching tactics down to the individual soldier?"
"No way."
"..."
In the end, the 1st Provisional Legion completed all formation shifts, movements, training, and demos before lunch.
The 10th Legion officers descended the tower, following Gerhard—who headed to Victor's headquarters with a bright expression. Not one still doubted the 1st Provisional Legion's capabilities.
"Legion Commander Gerhard?"
"Mind if we come in?"
"...Yes."
Gerhard flung open Victor's tent flap upon arrival.
Dozens of 10th Legion officers poured in behind him.
"Ahem. Ahem! Legion Commander Gerhard."
"...How exactly is this possible? Care to explain?"
Gerhard strode straight to Victor, who stood before a map clearing his throat, and demanded answers.
"Ahem..."
"Magic, perhaps?"
When Gerhard half-jokingly mentioned magic, the officers seriously pondered if Victor had used it.
The empire had only basic attack spells and Phegethon for magic, but the 1st Provisional Legion's feats defied natural explanation without supernatural aid.
"Ahem! Something like that, probably."
"...Impressive."
Gerhard took Victor's evasive reply as reluctance to reveal details, nodding with a smile.