173 – In war, deceiving the enemy is the duty (2)
It is true for His Majesty the Crown Prince, but His Majesty’s expectant expression is even more burdensome.
Furthermore, the person who used to make political calculations on his face when dealing with all his subjects is now looking happy, which is even scary.
What is it? Why is he smiling as if he would give it to his own daughter?
“Besides that, what I thought was that Your Majesty should focus his efforts on selecting competent junior officers and administrators from common people. Even though I was active in the Rhineland front and came to Your Highness’s attention, I wish Your Highness had not pushed and pulled me from then until now. “I would never have been able to be where I am today.”
He may have risen to a level where he was promoted much faster than other noble officers, but he would not have been able to hit the mark as he did so far.
Because, as an orphan from a commoner background, there is no way that a suitable opportunity would be given so easily.
“With your abilities, you would have been able to overcome the limitations of your status as a commoner and rise to this position someday. But it will take at least 10 more years to reach lieutenant general.”
“Thank you for your high opinion of me, Your Majesty. If so, please think about it. Even at this moment, among the commoners who graduated from the Academy, there are probably those who are at a slight disadvantage even though their abilities are superior to those of noble officers. “If His Majesty continues to select such people based on their abilities, there will be more excellent commanders in the imperial army.”
“Although nobles above the count may be a little displeased, it is true that even the viscounts and barons who have the right to vote in the emperor election are slightly behind in promotion compared to the highest-ranking nobles above the count. So, while commoners are hired based on their abilities, I will try to join the crown prince, thinking how much better treatment and opportunities I will receive.”
As His Majesty said, humans have this kind of psychology.
‘That bastard who is worse than me also has a girlfriend, so there is no reason for me to live as a mother-in-law. If I do what that guy does, I will have a prettier girlfriend. ‘The reason I’m a parent is not because I can’t do it, but because I don’t do it.’
When they see commoners being chosen like that, the heads of knightly families and low-ranking noble families such as barons and viscounts will probably think the same thing.
You will be thinking about changing the faction you support for the future of your family and the success of your children.
The emperor nodded at what I said and then asked in a questioning voice.
“But if the crown prince selects commoners and comforts the bereaved family, wouldn’t the other princes follow suit?”
“It will not be harmful to the empire if your highnesses follow suit. Additionally, if you look for talent among the far more numerous commoners and lower-ranking nobles, you will soon be able to find a commander who surpasses me. And anyway, isn’t His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who first tried all of this the one that will remain in everyone’s memory the most?”
“…… When I asked you to come up with a plan to increase the crown prince’s position, you even came up with a plan that would help the development of the empire. “That’s amazing.”
Well, that’s natural.
Because I am a soldier and a commoner, so I don’t know who to bribe and who to tie up with certain nobles through political marriages to increase my status.
I can only think that what I think is the best strategy for winning the emperor election shows how much help it can be for the empire.
However, these alone cannot overturn the assessment that His Majesty lacks lethal military capabilities.
“But these alone are not enough. Because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who will become the next emperor, must prove his military capabilities.”
The emperor seemed to have been waiting for me to say just this, as he lifted his back from his chair and looked at me, his eyes flashing.
“Do you have any thoughts? If a suitable location is chosen, I will definitely appoint you as second-in-command in the crown prince’s next war.”
Speaking of being a second-in-command, he is in fact a position with the same level of authority and responsibility as the commander-in-chief.
What I want to climb the most now, and what I have always wanted to obtain, is now within my reach.
I can feel my heart pounding, but at times like this, I need to remain calm.
“From a grand strategic perspective that will determine the future of the Reich Empire, the next place the empire should attack is the Grand Duchy of Austria.”
“It’s the Grand Duchy of Austria. “I thought they would suggest places like the Francois Republic, Belgium, or Morenzia, but I was surprised.”
“If the Francois Republic were intact, it would be best to attack and occupy Morenzia. However, if we leave the current Francois Republic just a little longer, a civil war will break out. So, Belgium is targeting the Francois Republic, and Morenzia is keeping Belgium in check, creating a complete balance between them.”
The French Republic could not escape the aftermath of the last war, in which we lost a huge amount of territory.
No, the wounds we inflicted have rotted away, and the cabinet and parliament have already completely split.
With the two parties fighting each other, according to a report from the Ministry of Information, members of the National Assembly often request murder by contract.
The target they are trying to kill is, of course, a noble member of the opposing faction.
In such a situation, if we attack or do something to change the surrounding environment, we could use that as an opportunity to unite, so why bother attacking the surrounding area?
“Meanwhile, one day, the three countries of Austria, Warsaw, and Czechia will form a coalition and attempt to attack the Empire. Therefore, the empire must first attack Austria, which could become the main axis of its power, to eliminate its central point.”
If you look at the area of the country, Warsaw is overwhelmingly larger, but the Grand Duchy of Austria supports a large population with very large plains and the food that comes from them.
Of the three countries, Austria has the largest population and the largest military.
“Obviously, those three countries cannot unite right now because the Warsaw guys are at war with the Velask and Kaunas guys. What if Warsaw someday negotiates peace with the two countries… It’s scary to think about it. “It is a crisis of the empire.”
“Doesn’t the picture come out well, Your Majesty? His Majesty the Crown Prince personally conquered Austria, which could become a major crisis point for the empire in the future. “This is the situation.”
“How do you plan on preparing for the next stage?”
……. This time we were caught by the Swiss and suffered a big blow.
However, the strategy they used was extremely effective, so we should learn it thoroughly and use it.
“The former majors who assisted His Highness the Crown Prince this time are not guilty of such great sins. So, to give them one chance to revive, we’re going to go to Austria and carry out a double agent mission. “I plan to provide confidential information about the Reich Empire to the Austrian headquarters until the decisive moment, but after that, I plan to give them a hard slap in the back.”
The former majors who were next to His Highness the Crown Prince were graduates of the General Staff College, so they knew the basic doctrines, strategies, and tactics of the Imperial Army in detail.
Although it is partial, he will also have memorized information that is classified as a level 2 imperial military secret.
If you offer up all of these, if not all of them, to the Grand Duchy of Austria, they will certainly be very happy to welcome you.
Of course, if its usefulness drops, it will be quietly purged in the future.
His Majesty the Emperor asked in a surprised voice.
“Of course, those guys just followed the instructions from above. There are extenuating circumstances. But, is it really okay? “When the crown prince becomes emperor, it will truly increase his entourage.”
Those five former majors are people who had the right to succession to noble families, and unlike me, who is only close to His Majesty in public, they are also very close to him in private.
When His Highness often jokingly asks me to go hang out at a bar with a girl, I always politely decline, but those noblemen are always following me around.
If my relationship lasted only about 4-5 years, those former majors were close to His Highness for nearly 20 years.
So, in a way, it is an act that undermines my position, but…
The reason I have been able to survive until now is because I put the interests of the empire first.
“I am not making this proposal with the intention of gaining their gratitude and strengthening my position. “It’s a bit much to say, but the five former majors were held accountable for carrying out their duties according to His Majesty’s instructions and were severely punished.”
“That’s right. “It’s a pity that these talented young people have a bright future.”
“So, in a way, it is right for His Majesty to take responsibility for these people. This is to show the public that Your Majesty is giving them a second chance and helping them succeed. That means His Majesty will gain a reputation as a monarch who will take care of his close associates who followed his orders until the end, even if they lose value and fall.”
After hearing what I said, His Majesty looked at me blankly for a moment and then spoke.
“Okay, just do whatever you want. However, confidential information to be leaked during the intelligence operation will be treated as top secret, and must be reported directly to me in writing only before the operation begins.”
“I will follow your orders.”
**
From noble mtl dot com
After finishing the story, Emperor Fernando thought.
‘From the beginning, there was no intention to keep Vice Admiral Yeager, who was like a benefactor of the Empire, in check. Rather, I thought it would help me continue to spread my wings and move forward.’
What the emperor was thinking was that he was just trying to get rid of those around him who were clinging to political power for no reason.
No, he had no intention of doing so and was planning to keep the girl who was following him away from him as well.
“Baron Kergit, she may not be as smart as Lieutenant General Jaeger, but she is a very smart woman. And she is the woman who is the central point in helping the Empire gain and hold the North. If the Northern Territory becomes prosperous in the next few decades, I will be crowned its earl. Then the North will not leave the empire even after I die.”
The emperor personally felt quite sorry.
Because in social circles, the only one who was insensitive to romantic situations was Lieutenant General Jaeger, who was gossiped about because he was the highest rank among the imperial nobles.
She knew very well that the reason Baron Kergit, who cared for the North more than anyone else, did not marry her considering her political gain was purely because of her desire to give birth to the lieutenant general’s child.
“So I had to drop it. If those two come together, the Jaeger family will gain a very strong foundation. “He thought he needed to be kept in check.”
Then the emperor chuckled.
Because when Lieutenant General Jaeger was talking about the operation to conquer Austria, he said that he would share the position in the next emperor’s inner circle, which he could monopolize, with five former majors for the sake of his national interest.
Apart from all interests and calculations and only thought about the empire.
I thought it was just stupid to doubt the man who held the rank of major general and killed 200 enemies while standing on a limb for the empire.
So the Emperor, who had stopped being suspicious, wanted to somehow make Lieutenant General Jaeger more obsessed with the Empire.
“Honestly, even if you take away all of the influence that the current Lieutenant General Jaeger has as an aristocrat. Its value is equivalent to that of one duke’s family. Then it might be a good idea to bring him into his family. Moreover, according to the Imperial Household Special Act, when a princess marries a man who has a mistress, there is a law that recognizes both the princess and the mistress as equal ‘mistresses.'”
So, the emperor was thankful for the law that allowed him to make Jaeger completely on his side, and also saved him from having to take the position of the loyal wife of the daughter of the Marquis Vener, who was a loyalist.
“My daughter Louise will also turn 20 next year and get married, and ever since she was young, she has been saying things like, ‘I want to marry someone like the knight on a white horse from a fairy tale!’ And that knight is. Aini has put in all her efforts to become a woman worthy of this. She might make her dream come true. “I’m sure she’ll like it.”
However, there was one thing that worried the emperor.
That is…
“However, Lieutenant General Yeager is a very conservative guy, so he has a personal maid by his side who everyone touches when he is a general. Plus, she’s clearly the girl she’s in love with and is eager to send out her signals. “The lieutenant general only thinks of her as a loyal subordinate… Will Louise be able to do well?”