Chapter 80
Chapter 80
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Betrayed Genius Betrays
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Victor's declaration plunged the meeting room into silence.
The officers of the Red Dragon Legion stared at him with wide eyes, while the 5th Legion officers quietly gauged Volker and Victor's reactions.
"Hmm..."
Volker met Victor's glare with an impudent expression.
"May I ask what exactly you mean by that?"
He smiled as if perfectly at ease.
"It means exactly what I said. Even with His Majesty's direct orders, your 5th Legion shows no intention of launching an offensive."
Victor swept his fierce gaze across the room.
"The Red Dragon Legion will advance alone and crush Serona, Adense, and La Leon in sequence."
The Red Dragon Legion officers, momentarily stunned, soon grasped his intent and exchanged glances.
Some were already fidgeting excitedly in their seats, while others nodded quietly in agreement.
In contrast, the 5th Legion officers were taken aback by Victor's fiercer-than-expected response and shot uneasy looks at Volker.
"..."
Florian started to open his mouth, but Volker silenced him with a raised hand.
"Alone?"
His voice remained low and leisurely.
"You plan to breach their fortresses with just 10,000 troops and a few cannons? A bold decision, to be sure, though some might call it reckless."
"You might think that, imagining their walls towering to the heavens and swarming with enemy troops inside."
Victor shot back without flinching at Volker's sarcastic tone.
"The Red Dragon Legion has more than enough strength. We have no need for cowards who fear the enemy and defy His Majesty's will. We'll fulfill his command with our own hands."
"Cowards? How dare you...!"
"Quiet! ...Are you prepared to take full responsibility for those words?"
"I am."
"Hmm..."
Volker posed the question, then rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
In his mind, it was a doomed offensive, but Victor's unwavering confidence nagged at him.
However,
"As for supplies, they'll be distributed as Field Marshal Gerhard instructed earlier, so no need to worry."
"..."
"...We've wasted enough time. We'll be leaving now. Let's go."
"Yes, General."
Victor gathered the documents and stood with his Red Dragon Legion officers before Volker could respond.
"Oh, almost forgot."
As he led the way out of the meeting room, Victor added,
"His Majesty is always watching you. Keep that in mind."
Once all the Red Dragon Legion officers had left,
"Defying orders?"
"He's just saying that..."
"Didn't he call it his direct legion?"
The 5th Legion officers whispered in confusion.
"Is this alright?"
Florian, who had been staring blankly at the departing officers, asked Volker in a trembling voice.
"What do you think, Adjutant?"
"...I agree it's a reckless assault, as you said, sir. But if they somehow succeed on their own, won't that shrink our position?"
"Who knows."
"W-We need to call Victor back now. Otherwise..."
Unlike the frantic Florian, weighed down by the gravity of "defiance," Volker's face still held a faint smile.
"Listen, Adjutant. What did I say before?"
"...That breaching the fortress would cost too much, so delay the attack until a real opportunity arises..."
"Exactly. I've never said I wouldn't attack. I'm just biding my time."
"You mean...?"
"Why do you think I let them leave?"
-Thud!
Volker slammed the desk, drawing the officers' attention.
"They tried to use us, but now it's our turn to use them."
"..."
"The Red Dragon Legion lacks the numbers to take all three fortresses at once. When they launch their attack, we'll target a different fortress with lax defenses and advance. However."
He paused deliberately, stoking their curiosity.
"Our strategy will shift based on how the Red Dragon Legion fares. If they break through quickly as their commander claims, we'll maintain a standoff with the enemy and press a token offensive. But if they fail—or worse, if the enemy counterattacks?"
"...!"
"Their force is less than half of our 5th Legion. The enemy's counterattack will likely focus on the seemingly weaker Red Dragon Legion. That's our opening—we'll strike the vulnerable fortress and take it."
"Ooh...!"
"As expected of General Volker!"
Volker reassured the officers with this pragmatic plan.
They quickly shook off their anxiety at the prospect of turning the tables on the Red Dragon Legion.
"Prepare our gear for immediate deployment and distribute supplies. But do it discreetly so the Red Dragon Legion doesn't notice... Actually, no need for that. Prepare thoroughly."
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
"Adjutant, dig up everything you can on the Red Dragon Legion's attack targets and departure time."
"Yes, sir."
With preparations aligned to the situation, Volker ended the meeting and dismissed everyone.
"...Hoo."
He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
Things were still unfolding as he predicted, so no anger showed on his face.
"..."
Exhaling gray smoke, he sank into thought.
His plan was built on the battles he'd witnessed so far.
But the Red Dragon Legion was armed with guns and cannons unlike any before, and Victor showed not a shred of doubt.
"Haa..."
He fiddled with the documents on mercenary battles involving firearms that he'd been reading earlier.
Of course, rereading them changed nothing.
He imagined the Red Dragon Legion overpowering the Esperian Kingdom army before the 5th Legion could even move,
-Crush.
then stubbed out the cigarette, banishing the thought.
"...Ha."
His trembling fingers reached for another cigarette in his pocket.
I headed to another meeting room in the headquarters with the officers who followed me.
"..."
They trailed me with resolute expressions, some tinged with faint doubt.
"Erika, did you record my conversation with General Volker properly?"
"Yes, but..."
"No need to worry. I'm acting from absolute confidence in our victory, not rash emotion."
"Th-That wasn't what I meant!"
Erika, unfamiliar with our full strength, seemed particularly anxious, so I addressed her concerns as we walked.
A moment later.
"Then, let's begin the meeting."
We dove back into the briefing.
"What's the current status of the Red Dragon Legion?"
"All 9,947 have arrived without injury. They rested yesterday, so we can deploy as early as tomorrow once the decision is made."
"Weather's clear, weapons are in top shape. We brought spares too, so no shortages."
Alexandrov and Anna handed me their prepared reports.
"...I see. What do you all think of this situation?"
"..."
After reviewing the reports, I spoke first, but the officers hesitated, glancing at each other or me.
They still seemed worried, so
"Don't mind the 5th Legion. They'll move once we do."
"...Pardon?"
I added a bit of my personal view to ease their concerns.
"He's the type greedy for achievements, isn't he? Plus, they received an imperial edict. They can't just sit idle—they mentioned His Majesty to avoid his wrath."
"..."
I'd provoked the 5th Legion harshly and name-dropped Luise intentionally to goad them into action.
Volker didn't strike me as completely clueless, so I figured he'd move for some reason.
"My guess is they'll advance after us, eyeing modest gains with minimal effort. Though it's not certain. Slim chance, but they might rush forces into a fortress in a panic."
I finished explaining and waited for input, but the officers just stared at me with shining eyes.
They said nothing, but I knew exactly what their looks meant.
Volker's scheming irked me anyway, so
"...I'll take that as your agreement to follow any orders I give."
"!"
I first turned to 1st Infantry Regiment Commander Klaus Schultz.
"1st Infantry Regiment Commander."
"Yes, Legion Commander."
"Can our Red Dragon Legion defeat 10,000 Esperian Kingdom troops?"
"Of course! They'll scatter before they even see our faces!"
After his confident reply and the officers' reactions, I shifted to Boris beside me.
"2nd Infantry Regiment Commander."
"Yes, General Victor."
"Can we score a crushing victory against 20,000 Esperian Kingdom troops?"
"Yes! With your orders, sir, 10,000 or 20,000 make no difference!"
"Hoo..."
Boris bellowed his response.
The quick-witted ones already anticipated my next words, their fingers twitching.
"Cavalry Regiment Commander."
"Yes."
"Then, even against 30,000 Esperian Kingdom troops, can our Red Dragon Legion annihilate them all?"
"No enemy number scares us. Our cavalry will trample any foe."
Once Heinrich finished, I scanned the officers.
"Do you all agree? Are you certain we can rout 30,000 Esperian Kingdom troops?"
"Yes!"
"Absolutely!"
"That's right!"
As if they'd been waiting, they shouted in unison,
"Then."
I unrolled the map and placed it in the center of the table.
"We'll start with La Leon, then Adense, and Serona."
Excitement lit their faces as I pointed to each,
"We'll bring all these fortresses to their knees with our own hands."
"!"
"...Haha."
"..."
The brief silence after my words
"Excellent!"
"Time to show our power!"
"We'll teach those Esperians what fear is!"
vanished under the officers' cheers.
"Here's the detailed plan. First..."
Once their fervor cooled slightly, I outlined my strategy.