I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 185: Invasion Of Ostarica (1)

As expected, my prediction was spot on.

Since only the minimum troops necessary for maintaining order were stationed in the western part of Ostarica, our expeditionary force was able to capture the western territories without much resistance.

Meanwhile, the soldiers stationed in the western part of Ostarica tried to flee, either to save themselves or to inform the Grand Duke of Ostarica of our invasion.

However, most of those trying to flee were killed or captured by the northern nomadic cavalry led by Anya, which had moved ahead of our main force.

Given the long journey undertaken by the Grand Duke of Ostarica to support the Chekovians, it was inevitable that it would take a long time for him to learn that we were already capturing the western part of Ostarica.

This situation was ideal for the Reich Empire’s military but truly unimaginable and dreadful for the Grand Duke of Ostarica.

While I was lost in thought, the door to my tent opened, revealing a familiar face.

“Did you call for me, General?”

“Ah, Brother, you’ve arrived? Please, have a seat.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I gestured to Charlotte and said,

“Charlotte, bring us some warm soup with cheese, hardtack, and some ham. Make sure there’s plenty.”

“Yes, Master. Would you like some wine as well?”

“Please bring a large bottle from Strasbourg, along with wine glasses.”

I don’t usually drink during war, except at banquets, but there was one exception—when I have a difficult request for my subordinates.

“Ah, and when it’s just the two of us, Brother, please just speak comfortably. It’s just us, isn’t it?”

“Would that be alright?”

“After all, Brother, you’re not even assigned to my direct unit, are you?”

Though I said that, Brother’s current assignment was as an administrative staff officer under the Chief of Staff.

He had been pushed into a corner with almost nothing to do until this war forced an assignment on him, so he was being ignored even by lieutenants and second lieutenants under him.

So, I had to treat him well myself, or he might really end up in a bad way.

“Then let’s do that. But really, enjoying such luxuries as soup filled with cheese and ham on the battlefield, I’m not sure if we should.”

“It’s with you, Brother, and we are currently moving along the southern border of the empire, so this much is fine. If you’d like, I can also offer you a beef steak.”

“I’d love to eat it, but let’s hold off on that.”

So, Brother and I briefly chatted about how delicious the food and drinks could be on the battlefield, given his unfortunate circumstances.

“Master, I’ve brought the food you requested. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Thank you. Charlotte, if there’s something you’d like to eat, ask the quartermaster for the ingredients. If you mention that General Yaeger sent you, they’ll accommodate you.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Since Charlotte was a civilian who had followed me to the battlefield, not a soldier, I must accommodate her as much as possible.

If she failed to take care of herself, then I’d lose someone who looked after me, which could put me at risk.

“You seem to be quite fond of your personal maid. You treat her well, it seems.”

“I try my best to treat my subordinates well. Especially Charlotte, who has been with me longer than even Laura, if we’re counting the hours.”

Upon hearing that, Brother made a curious expression and asked,

“So, what did you call me for, Brother-in-law? As far as I know, you drink on the battlefield only during banquets or when you have important tasks for your subordinates.”

“Alright, Brother. Then, let me ask you directly. Are you prepared to risk your life for reinstatement?”

Upon hearing this, Brother became serious and nodded as he spoke.

“I know that my current plight is all due to my own faults. But frankly, looking at my current state, it’s not worth living. Death might be better. Although I haven’t lost my rank like Matthias and the others, I’ve been living for a year and a half on just my salary without an official position. Now, I’m working under the Chief of Staff, but even the young punks openly disrespect me. What’s even more laughable is that the Lieutenant Colonel, who is aware of this, just blatantly ignores such insubordination. Is this really a life worth living?”

“You must have suffered a lot.”

“Don’t even say it. Don’t mention it. So, even if it means risking my neck, I’m willing to do anything for a chance at reinstatement.”

It seemed he was fully committed… Then, as the adopted son of my father-in-law and the heir to the Benner family, it would be appropriate to offer Brother a real opportunity.

Unlike Matthias and the other four lieutenants, this man had a family that he must protect.

Furthermore, unlike others in arranged marriages, I knew he had a good relationship with his wife and as very attached to her.

So, for the sake of his wife and children, he wouldn’t betray the empire or me.

Then, I extended a document contained in an envelope that was on my field desk.

“Please read this, Brother. Once you complete this task, here is the list of honors I will recommend to His Highness the Crown Prince for you.”

Brother received the envelope I gave him as if it were something sacred, reading its contents over and over.

“Restoration of honor, return of confiscated property, reward money. Promotion by one rank and the Knight’s Cross? These could save me and my family from hell. No, these honors could completely cover all dishonors, couldn’t they?”

“If you carry out the mission I’m entrusting you with and we win this war, these will be granted immediately. Moreover, if you achieve even greater results than I’ve outlined, I’ll use my authority to upgrade your honor to at least a Bronze Knight’s Cross.”

“Of course I will do it, but what exactly are you asking me to do, Brother-in-law?”

At that, I gestured with my hand for him to come closer and then whispered,

“Before that, do you still have the trust of Matthias and the other four? If you have any suspicions about them, it might be difficult for you to carry out this operation.”

“I’ve already received a knighthood decree through a letter from Matthias, bearing the Grand Duke of Ostarica’s seal. I received the original documents a few weeks ago, and upon verification through the imperial intelligence, it was confirmed to be genuine.”

“Good. Then, knowing this is a lot to ask, you must desert and head to where the Grand Duke of Ostarica’s army is located, right now.”

Brother looked very puzzled, as if the conversation was cutting too deep too quickly.

So, I decided to explain further and continued,

“I’ve gotten ahead of myself. First off, it’s clear that Lieutenant Matthias and the other four, who were deployed as double agents to the Ostarican camp, have betrayed us, considering the way the war has unfolded.”

This betrayal included being caught and forced to divulge information.

“Otherwise, there would be no reason for 130,000 Ostarican soldiers to be stationed around Linz. Everyone knows that the imperial army is attacking Chekovia, so the Grand Duke of Ostarica would have no reason to enter into a mutual defense pact that could be disadvantageous to him.”

“Indeed, from Ostarica’s perspective, there’s no need to accept such a mad proposal as mutual defense.”

“Well, it turned out much better for us. Thanks to that, there are too few soldiers stationed up to Innsbruck, allowing us to capture a much larger area of land than we initially targeted.”

Thanks to this, the morale of our soldiers was at its peak, and it seemed we might achieve additional objectives if we win this war.

“However, the only remaining problem is that they have an army of 130,000, and we don’t know when they might send additional reinforcements.”

“That’s true, Brother-in-law…”

“So, I’ll give you a role. Inform them that the imperial army is moving through Innsbruck to the east. Also, convince them that the imperial army is planning to raid the northern part of Ostarica. This will prevent them from sending additional conscripts or reinforcements to stop us.”

Brother nodded in agreement to my words, and I spoke with a smile.

“Eat well with me today, and then at 4:30 AM tomorrow, desert with only jerky and hardtack. Take off your armor, mount a horse, and flee as fast as you can.”

“Understood, I’ll do that.”

“Lieutenant Colonel Anya will lead the northern cavalry and pretend to chase you with all their might. If captured, I’ll ensure your survival, but I’ll leave the type of interrogation you might endure to your imagination. The northern archer cavalry often uses barbaric interrogation methods because they’re effective.”

Once, when the northern archer cavalry was interrogating a woman’s rape and murder suspect, wow…

The way they declared that a man who raped and killed a woman wasn’t human, then proceeded to pull out his nails and smash each finger joint with a hammer, was truly horrific.

Well, since they would report to me before the interrogation went that far, Brother would probably end up with just a few lashes.

For the success of the operation, it was necessary to genuinely frighten him into fleeing, so I had to pretend I didn’t know about it.

And then, at 4:30 AM the next day, Lieutenant Colonel Max von Benner fled on horseback as if his life depended on it.

It was said that everyone was amazed at his speed.

So much so that Anya and the northern cavalry gave up the chase.