“Commander, I have brought those whom I judged to be suitable candidates for the battalion commander position, as you requested.”
Rachel’s speed in handling tasks was extraordinary.
She solved the task in less than an hour.
Three men with scars covering their faces stood there.
Each of them had a gaze that reflected their determination to protect the country.
“Ugh…”
I let out a sound without thinking as I looked at them, but suddenly, the white battalion commander on the left knelt.
“…?”
“I greet you, Commander, who has been newly appointed! I am Gerald Taimon, currently leading the 1st White Battalion!”
I was flustered.
Wouldn’t anyone be flustered if someone who looked at least 10 years older than me showed such discipline?
But the strong salute didn’t end there.
“I am Pierre Sucral, leading the 3rd White Battalion!”
“I am Jean Krill, leading the 6th White Battalion!”
‘This is overwhelming!’
Is this the example of a soldier with strict military discipline?
Seeing this, I could understand why Rachel had given me that look.
The previous commander must have been defeated by letting such outstanding soldiers go to waste while doing foolish things alone.
I looked at Rachel.
Her gaze had certainly softened a bit compared to yesterday.
Maybe I passed the first test.
“…I understand, so get up now. I don’t want to waste time on things that are not important.”
Only after I spoke did the white battalion commanders return to their original positions.
“I brought those who have the highest achievements in operational success.”
“I would like to hear the detailed reports from each of them.”
It was important to understand the team’s strength in detail.
If I got complacent thinking ‘Rachel picked the capable ones, so they’ll handle it,’ I would likely fail to make use of their individual talents.
Just because someone is good at swimming doesn’t mean they can climb mountains.
“The 1st White Battalion excels in mountain warfare, the 3rd White Battalion excels in water combat, and the 6th White Battalion excels in plain warfare.”
‘…This is perfect.’
Military organization must be balanced.
Later, when the country develops and gains modern military power, it will be possible to manage the army, navy, and air force separately, but not in the early stages.
Even in the medieval era, one couldn’t afford to ignore naval defense.
In that respect, the white battalion commanders in front of me were a very good balance.
“Would you like to organize Gerald Taimon, Pierre Sucral, and Jean Krill separately?”
Looking at the spear that appeared in front of me, I realized what the capabilities of my subordinates were.
It seemed that the officers who would directly interact with me were being registered here.
Even the battalion commanders rarely interact directly with the commander.
Orders are generally passed down through the battalion commanders.
As I understood the status window system, I became a little intrigued.
Although the form had changed significantly, it felt similar to when I played Warcraft.
“I will ask.”
“Yes!”
“Are you prepared to protect your families and swear loyalty to His Majesty and me?”
Thinking about the commander’s position, I spoke in a slightly coercive tone, even though it felt awkward.
I would need to quickly get used to speaking this way, even to older people.
The white battalion commanders looked up at me with expressions of doubt, similar to the one Rachel had given me.
It seemed like they found it strange that I was saying such things.
The driving force behind military power comes from the desire to protect one’s country and family.
That’s why I said it, but perhaps it was a little off-putting.
Fortunately, it seemed my concern was unfounded, as the white battalion commanders returned to their resolute expressions.
“Yes! We will definitely protect everyone!”
Gerald said this first and bowed, and the other battalion commanders followed suit.
New figures have been activated!
—There are changes in the status!—
‘Hmm?’
I checked my stats after seeing the interesting status window message.
Nothing else had changed, but one noticeable stat stood out.
“Leadership (A)”
What’s this?
How can one suddenly jump from D to A?
I thought it was a bit strange for such a sudden rise, but I noticed a question mark next to it.
“The individual has exceptional understanding and insight into the current battle! Rank is temporarily increased!”
So that’s how it works.
It seems that remembering the context of this battle was what triggered the system’s increase.
That means after this battle ends, it will likely return to D.
Where is this?
In a battlefield where every variable counts, if something like this makes me an A-level commander, that’s a good situation.
‘What’s good about having leadership increased…’
“Your commands will be more persuasive.”
…That’s the ability I need more than anything right now.
Does this mean that, unless I’m saying nonsense, my soldiers will listen to my commands?
‘Great.’
Now, it’s time to prepare for war.
According to Rachel’s report, the enemy’s movements were becoming more suspicious.
The invasion is likely to occur within a week at the earliest.
I had to finish the preparations before that.
Even though the previous commander was incompetent, the overwhelming defeat meant that they were outnumbered.
“Commander.”
“Came, huh.”
As I gazed at the ridge, lost in thought, Rachel approached me.
She had a slight frown on her forehead.
It was an expression of suspicion.
“The stone wall has been completed as requested, positioned along the downhill path, and I instructed the carpenters to pile up all the branches and stones left from cutting trees behind the wall.”
“Good work.”
“But what exactly are you trying to do?”
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if this strategy would work perfectly.
The only military experience I had in my life was retiring as an Air Force lieutenant.
And even that was as a combat pilot, solely focused on flying, with my military knowledge having faded over time.
All I had left were my insights on Walk and war history.
I had no choice but to stake everything on this.
“The proposal has been approved.”
“…Are you referring to the battalion commander promotion?”
“Yes. In this operation, the roles of Gerald, who became the 1st Battalion Commander, and Pierre, who became the 3rd Battalion Commander, are the most crucial.”
I envisioned all the strategic layouts in my head.
None of them were certain to succeed.
Still, I kept visualizing the moment of victory when the operation succeeded.
As if I had already won the battle, I smiled.
“I will now explain the operation.”
Kingdom of Philips.
Located at the edge of the continent, it bordered the Kingdom of Stral Rent to the right and was surrounded by vast seas on the other three sides.
The King of Philips was well aware of the country’s isolation and pondered ways to overcome it.
The solution he conceived was to engage in trade with nations beyond the sea.
Philips had an immense reserve of mana stones.
Using these mana stones as leverage, they imported military supplies to strengthen their forces.
As a result, their military grew so powerful that they believed they could even triumph over the Empire in close combat, surpassing the complacent Kingdom of Stral Rent.
In a battle against Stral Rent, they secured an overwhelming victory, even decapitating the enemy’s legion commander.
“The time has come, my soldiers.”
General Haiman stood on a high platform, inspecting the troops lined up before him.
He was pleased with their burning determination to secure victory in this war.
“His Majesty desires to demonstrate our military strength to the Kingdom of Stral Rent. And this war is not unrelated to us. Soldiers, are you not enraged that they take our goods at outrageously low prices under the guise of intermediary trade?”
“Yes, sir!”
In response to Haiman’s fierce words, the soldiers shouted loudly.
Their voices carried a hint of anger.
“We cannot endure such humiliation any longer. Not long ago, we secured a victory against the Kingdom of Stral Rent. And in that battle, we successfully took the head of their legion commander. The time has come to ensure that those deceitful scoundrels never underestimate us again.”
Haiman turned around and scanned the distant ridges.
A massive mountain range lay between Philips and Stral Rent.
It was the only tactical advantage Stral Rent possessed, yet their soldiers had no knowledge of how to utilize it in warfare.
Having fought them before, Haiman was certain of this fact.
“We will now commence the operation. Maintain silence.”
At Haiman’s command, the massive army slowly advanced into the mountains.
A single misstep could result in them losing their way, but the mana stone compasses of Philips ensured they would never get lost.
And this information was known only to the Kingdom of Philips.
If everything proceeded smoothly, General Haiman would utterly crush the Kingdom of Stral Rent.
This would allow Philips to take control of the intermediary trade to their advantage.
‘Damn Stral Rent scum, I’ll crush you.’
With that thought, Haiman marched forward alongside his troops.
They had been advancing for some time and had reached the middle of the mountain when—
“Arghhh!”
A scream echoed from somewhere.
Assuming it was an enemy ambush, they immediately scanned the surroundings.
Yet, no enemy was in sight.
Haiman widened his eyes, scrutinizing the area.
But the ordeal was far from over.
“Guhh!”
“M-My ankle!!!”
“Assess the situation!”
At Haiman’s command, his adjutant gathered reports from the battalion commanders.
And the words from the adjutant’s mouth were shocking.
“There were traps.”
“Traps?”
“A small wooden plank on the ground broke, crushing an ankle against sharpened branches inside.”
Traps?
Haiman’s breath became uneven with rising irritation.
He thought the enemy had resorted to such a petty trick because they knew they couldn’t win in a direct battle.
But he quickly regained his composure.
Mountain warfare had always been like this.
Stral Rent had been so inept for so long that he had simply assumed they wouldn’t employ such tactics.
“Everyone, wear snowshoes! Expand the surface area of your steps so you don’t sink in!”
At Haiman’s order, the troops put on the snowshoes.
This inevitably slowed their march.
With an irritated smirk, Haiman glanced in the direction of the Kingdom of Stral Rent.
“Those pathetic wretches are using their brains now, huh.”
He thought to himself.
This time, he would annihilate them so thoroughly they would never rise again.