Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Deputy Commander
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Like the armies of other nations, when the Imperial Army conducted operations involving multiple legions, one officer would take command as supreme commander over the other legion commanders.
If there was no commander specifically appointed by the Emperor, it was standard for one of the legion commanders to assume the role of supreme commander.
After a brief meeting, Gerhard Weisstilt—who had led large forces multiple times as supreme commander and could garner support from all the legions—was placed in overall command of the 8th Legion, 10th Legion, and 1st Provisional Legion.
The main force of 35,000 troops, temporarily designated as the 1st Army and set to engage in battle at Lake Apitello near Shene, would also fall under Gerhard's command.
"You want command of the 10th Legion..."
Thus, Victor's request to hand over command of the 10th Legion to him conflicted with that decision.
"Mentioning command of the 10th Legion specifically sounds to me like a request to operate the 1st Provisional Legion and the 10th Legion independently."
"That's correct. Now that you've been decided as supreme commander of the 1st Army, we will of course carry out your orders. But in emergencies, I request the authority to command the 10th Legion and 1st Provisional Legion independently."
Victor replied with the same confident tone he'd used during the strategy meeting.
"Hmm..."
The current Imperial system emphasized centralized command and the proper execution of orders.
It was common knowledge that armies with divided command structures easily fell into chaos during operations and struggled to deploy forces efficiently.
Gerhard could immediately recall examples of armies crumbling due to fractured command, but he also knew Victor was the very man who had achieved brilliant victories against the Empire's noble faction forces with their dispersed command.
Since Gerhard didn't believe Victor would make such a request without understanding those points, he pondered long and hard.
"I don't know your reasons for asking, but this doesn't seem like something I can decide on a mere request. Command decisions should be made in a meeting with all the 1st Army's officers present."
In the end, he expressed his intention to hold off.
He didn't deny Victor's command capabilities, but even Gerhard—who viewed him positively—couldn't easily grant command over 15,000 troops, half the army's strength.
Gerhard had been about to suggest guaranteeing command of the 1st Provisional Legion instead, but
"No, sir. Your agreement alone is sufficient."
Victor didn't back down even after hearing what amounted to a refusal.
"What do you mean by that?"
Gerhard felt puzzled by Victor's insistence on dividing command, despite the logical and composed demeanor he'd shown throughout their previous meeting and his clear awareness of the risks.
After hearing Gerhard's question and staring off into space for a moment, Victor said,
"Given the situation, I suppose I can tell you, sir."
"Hmm?"
"After observing the 1st Provisional Legion's training, you remarked, 'It's like they used magic or something.'"
He closed his eyes briefly as he mentioned magic, then opened them again.
"It was magic. I can issue instant orders to my subordinates without needing any tools."
"What? ...Are you serious right now?"
"Yes."
"Magic? I've never heard of magic like that..."
When Gerhard was thrown off by Victor's out-of-nowhere claim,
-Swish.
Before Gerhard could fully compose himself, Anna—Victor's adjutant, who had let him in earlier and then left—suddenly opened the tent flap and walked in.
"I'm Anna, adjutant to Legion Commander Victor."
"...Did Legion Commander Victor summon you?"
"Yes. He told me to come straight into the tent."
Gerhard reflexively returned her salute and looked at Victor in astonishment.
He considered that Victor might have simply ordered her to enter at the right moment in advance, but on the other hand, Victor's words were starting to feel convincing.
"Sorry, but I need more confirmation."
"Of course."
Gerhard whispered instructions to Victor for a simple action to give Anna,
"It's like this. No need to shout—I can convey orders just by thinking them, and she receives them instantly."
"...Hmm."
She executed every instruction perfectly without even looking toward Victor.
Even when Gerhard took Victor outside the tent, whispered orders, then went back in alone to check—it was the same.
Gerhard sat in the chair beside him, rubbing his forehead as if nursing a headache.
"Why did you say only my agreement is needed?"
"For them to hear my orders, the recipients must recognize that they're under my command. If you just mention that they should follow my orders in emergencies, they'll be able to hear them."
"Heh."
Phegethon was a legacy of the ancestral dragon Vulcanus, and the other magic seen in the Empire was limited to crude forms like hurling fireballs or massive boulders.
Yet Victor claimed to possess an ability akin to magic that allowed him to transmit orders instantly.
That assertion lay far beyond Gerhard's common sense, which had been shocked by enormous fireballs conjured from thin air.
"Hard to believe, but it doesn't sound like a lie. So that's why the 1st Provisional Legion moved so perfectly..."
"It's largely thanks to them following my training and orders well, but yes."
Gerhard recalled Victor's overwhelming command prowess from the Northern War records and the near-perfect maneuvers of the 1st Provisional Legion during training.
And he'd just demonstrated it a little by summoning Anna.
Victor's claim of using magic sounded far more realistic than the staff's hypothesis that every soldier in his legion possessed tactical awareness.
"Would it work even on people who've never been under your command?"
"As long as they recognize my authority, there won't be a problem. Without time for separate training, they might not move as nimbly as the 1st Provisional Legion, but it'll still be far more efficient than relying on messengers, horns, or flags."
"Right, I suppose it would."
"The 10th Legion's officers saw the 1st Provisional Legion's training, so I believe they'll accept my command with relatively little resistance."
Gerhard weighed the pros and cons in his mind, assuming Victor's ability was real.
If it was, it could change the paradigm of warfare.
If simply handing over command allowed the 10th Legion to replicate even a fraction of the 1st Provisional Legion's performance, it was a request he had to accept.
However, horrifying examples from the manuals and ingrained common sense held him back.
Just imagining 15,000 troops operating outside his control made Gerhard anxious.
Besides, they needed to depart as soon as possible for the operation, leaving little time to think.
"Hmm..."
As he racked his brain in deliberation, it suddenly hit him.
"Ah."
"...?"
He let out a sigh upon gaining a peculiar realization.
"Haha. Hahaha!"
"...What's so funny, sir?"
Gerhard laughed heartily, looking at the baffled Victor.
"I'm pathetic for worrying about something I don't need to! There's more than one way to unify command, after all."
"Pardon?"
He recalled Victor logically explaining his strategy in the meeting room.
His strategy was too well-structured to have been conceived on the spot, yet too tailored to the local terrain and Brotan Kingdom army's situation to have been pre-planned without knowledge of them.
Either way, it demonstrated Victor's competence, and he had already proven his worth through two years of real combat.
"Legion Commander Victor, I appoint you as temporary deputy supreme commander of the 1st Army."
According to records, the Ruth Kingdom army under Victor was famously known for its bizarrely low casualties.
Seeing it as beneficial for the soldiers as well, he could entrust the 1st Army's troops to Victor without hesitation.
"Sir."
"You're a legion commander yourself, so appointing you as temporary deputy won't strike the officers as odd."
He anticipated he could easily convince the officers by leveraging a bit of his own authority.
Beyond his personal desire for a capable successor to lead the Empire or the magic for transmitting orders, Gerhard believed Victor's demonstrated strategy, tactics, and command abilities alone qualified him for deputy supreme commander.
"Think you can pull it off?"
"...I'll deliver a perfect victory."
Depending on the results, he might not end Victor's tenure as deputy on a temporary basis.
"That's the answer I was waiting for. I'll gather the officers—let's go together."
"Yes, sir."
Gerhard stepped out of the tent with Victor.
I'll keep hiding the core of my abilities—like the minimap and simulation functions—from now on, but the uniqueness of my command via the tactical map is something that'll come to light immediately once I start commanding Imperial troops.
They just haven't known about it until now.
Once I command Imperial soldiers, they'll experience my orders arriving in their heads in real time.
So, I chose to reveal it early to Gerhard, who's relatively trustworthy in the Empire, to secure firm support.
Whether calling it 'magic' to aid understanding was the right way to disclose the truth can be set aside for now.
If a guy like me, who hasn't even fought a debut battle in the Empire, demands command outright, it'll seem suspicious. But if the merit is that soldiers under me nominally can receive real-time commands, that changes everything.
The fact that he, who agonized over just the 10th Legion's command, immediately appointed me deputy supreme commander of the 1st Army means it was a success.
I announced my appointment as deputy to the assembled officers and explained the detailed plan.
"Legion Commander Victor... Understood."
"Hmm... If it's Commander Gerhard's decision."
With Gerhard's resolve firm and since these were officers I'd spoken with directly in the meeting room, there was little backlash despite my recent arrival in the Empire and appointment as deputy.
The temporary nature of the position probably helped too.
While the soldiers prepared to march, I finished explaining the strategy and issuing orders to the officers.
"We're moving out! Destination: Shene!"
With Gerhard's declaration, the 1st Army began its advance toward Shene.
"Let's go!"
"Yes, sir!"
To explain the strategy in advance to the 8th Legion troops stationed in Shene, I rode ahead swiftly with 4,000 cavalry—composed of the 8th Legion's 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 10th Legion's Cavalry Regiment.