Norden II 2

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NOVEMBER 16, UNIFIED YEAR 1924, NORTHERN ARMY GROUP COMMAND, STAFF MEETING ROOM

I don’t know what era he was from, but some great man once warned us: “Victory is like a drug.”

Military triumph brings radiant glory and a most splendid intoxication to a nation. For that reason, when people are drunk on victory, they think only of getting more. Soon, no one is allowed to ask what the victory is for. Military romanticism has a violent effect on countries.

That’s why no one likes pragmatic soldiers. They’re lucky to get off with being called cowards.

“Thus, I think avoiding losses and keeping casualties to a minimum is desirable.”

Drawn on the map is the Imperial Army pulling back. Mounting a predictable pursuit is, naturally, the enemy army. It’s a proposal to retreat so as not to put too great a strain on the supply lines. If a normal officer were to suggest this plan, they would have to be prepared for an immediate string of names worse than coward.

And the meeting room did freeze for a moment. With no idea when Colonel General von Wragell might explode in his seat at the head of the table, Lieutenant General and Chief of Staff von Schreise was inwardly annoyed, but at the same time, the atmosphere was so tense he wanted to bury his head in his hands.

“By moving the lines back, I believe we can lessen the inevitable burden of distance on logistics as well as simplify plans for a spring offensive.”

But Tanya, who had purposely ignored the atmosphere and stated her thoughts on the matter, quietly takes her seat. Acting like she has finished her report, her impassive Noh-mask face is unreadable while she completely ignores the staffers’ stares.

Actually, no matter how stormy it gets in the Northern Army Group meeting room, I simply can’t seriously see it as something that has anything to do with Tanya. Her battalion has carried out its mission and has already returned to its garrison for the moment. She’s only present because Major General von Rudersdorf ordered her to attend since she had time.

When it comes down to it, Tanya is a part of the Central Army, serving directly under the General Staff, so she doesn’t have a place in the Northern Army Group chain of command. And that’s precisely why she proposed, as a bit of advice, that they use this time to shorten and consolidate their lines.

Really, I didn’t mean to interfere so much at first. Rudersdorf was there from the Operations Division of the General Staff—I figured being pushy was his job.

A major general in the General Staff serving as section chief has far more influence than the rank indicates, so I thought I would politely listen to him speak. But then, ahead of the meeting, he declared he would like to hear the opinions of officers from the field, and several brigade commanders were selected to comment. Perhaps their reports didn’t satisfy him? Even though it would be easier to count up to her rank from the bottom, the ball had been passed to her.

In that case, I felt I should probably show these hemming and hawing numbskulls, who can’t offer a straight remark, how it’s done. The only ones who don’t give their opinions at meetings are the inept or idiots too worried about what everyone else thinks. That said, there are also times where someone has to stand up and bear the brunt of the silent majority’s pent-up frustration. The fact that someone has to be forced into this role, reminiscent of the ship that draws fire away from the rest of the fleet, is a problem that will no doubt plague all organizations forever.

And if the boss of the group dispatched from Central is going to keep his mouth shut, then the role of the scapegoat falls to me, another person who hails from Central, with field achievements to boot. It’s aggravating but true.

First of all, I repulsed a regiment-sized assault. That’s a solid feat no one can deny. In addition, my considerable accomplishments in Dacia as a mobile strike specialist ought to lend some weight to my comment.

My battalion did its best. They’re a real bunch of war nuts, but they gave their all. We turned back a regiment and shot down their bombers. We can be proud of the serious blow we dealt to the enemy.

“Hmm, Major von Degurechaff’s proposal is quite novel… What is the Northern Army Group’s take on the logistics involved?”

“Quite novel?” He has thicker skin than I thought.

But I suppose Central can’t come out and say that the supply lines are dangerously overextended. Our now-dismissed predecessors, dreaming of smashing the encirclement, mobilized the Great Army with gear appropriate for fighting in the north, only for them to hastily deploy to the Rhine front. It’s not just General von Rudersdorf—no one could ask whose fault the messy supply lines were, because the blame lay with their predecessors’ blunders.

On the other hand, if it was simply an organizational failure, the problem shouldn’t require Central to handle it so delicately. The issue at hand is that the Empire is panicking, and the enemy is taking advantage of that. Winter is already on its way, and partially because the Imperial Army’s Northern Army Group is lacking supplies it needs to weather Norden’s cold, the Empire’s movements are becoming severely limited. The Entente Alliance, of course, is on its home turf, so its commandos are dominating and constantly conducting guerrilla attacks on the Empire’s supply bases. Security at small depots is already in shambles and growing difficult to maintain. But the soldiers still need bread if they are going to march on the enemy logistics base.

If it were a tactical disadvantage we needed to fix, commanders would still have room to work. Or if simply fighting hard could solve things. But the supplies in a burned-down depot can’t be recovered. The conclusion I reached is simple. It isn’t clear if the Imperial Army has enough supplies to survive the winter. The supplies exist, but they need to be carefully managed.

And that time could be used to reorganize the lines. Aha, so that’s why he suggested I make careful preparations before the airborne assault on the enemy. If you want to buy time with harassing attacks,8 airborne operations are an effective option.

But Tanya is (I am) not very well-informed when it comes to the average human psyche. Of course, she would come at this from the perspective of her own unit’s airborne assault in the spring offensive.

But that’s why if I’m here, I have to sound the alarm about the danger regarding our winter supply preparations—and declare that aiming for a swift end to the war is too great a risk.

General Jekof von Schreise just barely keeps himself from losing his temper as he thoroughly reviews the plan as chief of staff for the Northern Army Group. At the same time, the part of him that remains cool and rational screams in his mind about how bad this is.

Really, this proposal is only that and nothing more. In other words, it’s simply one possible option. General von Schreise is a veteran who has worked his way up in the Imperial Army’s meritocracy. He can see that despite having its main force, the Great Army, pulled out and the local numerical inferiority of its mages, the Empire still has a clear advantage over the Entente Alliance.

Certainly, he understands that the burning of bases supplying the front lines, including small depots, was a thorn in his side. He’s relieved that after they shed some enemy mage blood, the raids should stop. But at the same time, he’s equally worried about the supply issues on the front lines. No, it’s not as if he isn’t already aware of the problems.

But to have it smugly pointed out by Major von Degurechaff, dispatched from Central, is another issue.

“Major von Degurechaff, I’d like to confirm something.” After a moment, a Logistics officer speaks. “Are you envisioning us digging in, then waiting out winter?”

“Yes,” she replies calmly. Her tone is rather matter-of-fact. “At present, we can’t maintain the supply lines. We’re under no obligation to please the enemy by wasting matériel and men in a futile offensive.”

Schreise looked at the Logistics and Operations staffers. As he expected, Logistics was resisting the urge to shout her down with obvious displeasure and expressions that seemed to say they weren’t buying her plan.

After all, even the lowliest private knew there weren’t enough supplies—you didn’t even need security clearance to realize that.

It wasn’t as if this Logistics staff was extraordinarily skilled, but they were capable of approaching supplies with common sense. They understood quite well that they didn’t have enough matériel. They also knew that even if the chaos was due to an error on Central’s part, the ones who made the error in the first place had already been dismissed. Their continued dissatisfaction had to mean that Degurechaff’s appearance was affecting their judgment. Nobody wanted to be the kind of adult who whaled on a little kid. If Rudersdorf knew that and was having Tanya speak up for that reason, he was quite the crafty fellow.

But though the Operations staff were restraining themselves, their masks were beginning to crack, showing the limits of their tolerance. This would surprise no one, but their purpose was different from that of Logistics. Every day the other army groups would pressure them, asking how much longer they were going to drag out the conflict. After all, Dacia, with about the same number of troops committed to the theater, had fallen in six weeks. The criticism of the Northern Army Group “still fighting up there” was growing sharper with every passing day.

“Major von Degurechaff, if we did that, we’d be losing time.”

“Huh?”

There were all manner of expressions around the table, but on the whole, everyone was waiting to see what would happen.

The Operations staff especially were looking to Schreise so as to understand their boss’s intention.

Schreise nodded and pressed his point. “It’ll be a new year soon. We don’t want a long war. And we don’t want to exhaust supplies, nor can we continue tying up troops here.”

Operations continued, imparting internal details of the northern forces’ struggles. Commander Ragheno of the Northern Army Group expressed his agreement with a nod, and Schreise felt some of the tension go out of his shoulders. Apparently, the desire to put a swift end to the war wasn’t only the wish of Operations but a view shared by high command as well. That must have meant that the northern forces agreed on time being the primary concern, at least. And that’s why he glared at Rudersdorf, shameless and cheerfully listening to their debate with a smile plastered on his face; he wanted to figure out what the man was really after.

“The enemy faces the same conditions.” Operations had raised their objections in a near panic, but her reply was cool and calm. Degurechaff, completely unfazed by all the eyes on her, gave a deadpan counterargument.

“Rather than wasting our resources in enemy territory, we should wait for a chance to settle it in one decisive strike.”

“Logistics can’t take it.” Her suggestion was made with their circumstances in mind. Of course, that’s why she proposed shrinking their lines. But she hadn’t arrived at this solution by groping around in the dark; her attitude said that she fully believed it was their only option. She couldn’t so much as lend an ear to the suggestions of the Operations officers who wanted to escape this phase of the war by bringing it to a swift end. No, the expression on her delicate face said she thought their plan was stupid.

“The minute you sally forth, you’ll already have gone as far as you can go.”

Pressing lightly on his right temple, Schreise glared at the Logistics staff.

They had guaranteed the supplies would cover a short offensive. The problem was that the guarantee was for availability, and that was it. Nobody had presented him with a foolproof plan for actually delivering those supplies to the units that would be advancing at the edge of the front lines.

“We can cover a short offensive without issue. We’ve secured almost all the provisions we need for the front.”

Catching his glance, the Logistics officers mentioned they had enough standard ammunition for two battles and rations for three weeks. They had baseline levels of aviation and general-purpose fuel. Their numbers showed the army group could fight for three weeks. Three weeks. Now that the northern front had been reorganized and the units were preparing for an offensive, if they launched a big push, they could wrap it up within that time. The enemy’s reserve forces had already run dry, so if they could just take care of the rest on the front with a large offensive…

But Degurechaff replied without even furrowing her brow at their reports. “I’m against it. The enemy is putting up stiff resistance. I really don’t think we’ll be able to break through in such a short time.” She flatly rejected the idea, as if she thought it was simply unreasonable. “Once the troops get more than twenty kilometers from the light-rail, we’ll be forced to maintain the supply lines with sheer manpower. A steady winter advance is practically out of the question.” She heaved a pointed sigh.

A few of the officers winced, but Schreise stood his ground even under her scathing critique.

He was sure that mopping up enemy remnants would take a week at most. Even in the worst case, he didn’t think the enemy could hold out against a major offensive for three weeks. The one worrisome element, the enemy mage commandos, had been mostly neutralized. Ironically, the one who had played a major part in taking them out was the one stubbornly disagreeing with him, Major von Degurechaff.

Even the logistics situation could be ameliorated if field engineers performed road maintenance and laid down more light-rail. Frankly, the staunch objection from the Central officers was just a pain in the neck at this point. If he could find a way to get rid of them, he would keep holding out.

“You have a point, but the enemy is too worn down to put up a fight. You’re the one who achieved a victory despite being outnumbered two to one. Do you really think you need to be so scared of the Entente Alliance?”

After all, in terms of mage casualties, too, the enemy army had long exceeded their limits. Even if the other powers were intervening to some extent, when a newly formed imperial mage battalion could drive off a whole Entente Alliance regiment, it said something about the state of their opponent’s affairs.

The enemy’s major line of defense only mounted sporadic attacks. Capturing the entirety of the Entente Alliance was only a matter of time. A few intelligence staffers tried to coax Tanya.

“We’re winning on the strength and quality of our troops. We should make our move now instead of burning through our limited supplies doing nothing.”

The intelligence they’d gathered from enemy prisoners indicated that their opponents were hard up for not only weapons and ammunition but even food. Intelligence had already decided that the enemy army had lost the ability to fight as a cohesive whole.

Rather than camp out across the way, the Northern Army Group wanted to decisively end the conflict before the winter set in, but because of one stubborn major, the debate had been dragged out. What an enormous waste of time.

Schreise couldn’t be the only one thinking that he would have thrown her out immediately if she weren’t a representative of the Central Army’s view.

“Really? Personally, I can only recall two battalions worn out by our fellow soldiers’ efforts and an unsupported group about the size of an augmented company.”

Intelligence’s coaxing only earned them a reply that ruined their schemes.

If she hadn’t achieved anything, then they could kick her out for clearly being a brat who knew nothing of the battlefield. Beneath Schreise’s dignified exterior, he was gnashing his teeth. Her achievements were extraordinary.

This was always how it went. The Central Army Group was constantly pushing the regional army groups around with orders that weren’t appropriate to their actual circumstances. But Rudersdorf, Schreise’s junior at war college, had been whispering in his ear how futile it was to refuse to cooperate with Central. The delicate issue was that Schreise’s superior officer—commander of the Northern Army Group, Colonel General von Wragell—was very angry.

Though he was getting on in years, the veteran who had long been defending the north was furious that the Entente Alliance was trying to trample his home, his fatherland, but he flung curses at the General Staff in equal measure for their repeated errors. So whenever Schreise thought of his boss, who wanted so much to crush this threat with his own hands, he felt depressed.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you overcame an enemy that outnumbered you. You slaughtered a group double your size.”

“The only confirmed kills were less than the company’s worth. It was less defeating them and more just barely driving them off.”

The magic staffers frowned as Degurechaff indirectly emphasized that her battalion had driven the enemy off. After that, the Northern Army Group had pursued and achieved as good as nothing. They were to the point of counting anyone they injured even slightly as a confirmed kill, whereas the Central Army was underreporting.

They’d been granted a concession. He knew they were on the receiving end of some kind consideration for their reputation. They were listed as having downed a battalion, but the score mostly belonged to the Central Army troops. Only a few people were aware of the behind-the-scenes dealings.

That’s why, as most of those present looked perplexed, Schreise shot the mage staffers a look. You owe them, so shut her up!

A staff officer’s job is to come up with a concrete plan to actualize the higher-ranking officers’ intentions. So he tried to persuade Degurechaff again. Please just understand your superiors’ wishes and relax your stance! “You can say that, but in our battle together, the truth is that you achieved the most with your fierce fighting.” Hadn’t her dedicated struggle changed the tides of the war? “You say it was only a company, but that company was the core of the enemy’s only mage commando unit. That’s the same as taking out the supporting pillar of the whole regiment!” Hadn’t she admirably defeated them? “Major von Degurechaff, I welcome your prudence, but I think you and your battalion would be able to guard the supply lines.” If anyone could do it, surely the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion could!

He obliquely implied that the contributions of her and her battalion were very highly regarded. Even if I’m ignoring your cautionary arguments, I’m not failing to appreciate the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion. A high-ranking field officer wearing the staff braid was, strangely enough, flattering someone who was still only a major, though wearing the staff badge.

Work with me here, please.

He stared at Major von Degurechaff with the same silent wish as everyone else, careful not to let her suspect how much pressure he was trying to put on her. She asked permission to speak, as if nothing was out of the ordinary, and stood casually.

“I don’t even know what to say in response to such undeserved praise.”

Does she get it?

Yes, it was just as everyone was sighing in relief and the tense atmosphere began to relax that…

“But as far as I can tell, Entente Alliance Army command units are a mixture of infantry and mages, so I don’t think downing a single company will hinder their activities very much.”

“…What do you mean, Major von Degurechaff?”

“Sir, it’s true that in local skirmishes my battalion has emerged victorious. But that group was the same one our troops fought hard to exhaust and isolate. We drove off an enemy weakened by consecutive battles, so I hardly think you can say my battalion took the brunt of their attack.”

Can’t you even drive off a weakened enemy? she seemed to say with a hint of nastiness. Probably not on purpose.

“…You’re very humble, aren’t you?” one of the staff officers murmured, curling the corners of his mouth into a smile that was more of a sneer.

Normally, they would scold her. That’s what everyone was thinking, but they all hesitated. Scold her for what? Disturbing the harmony of the officer group? But all she had done was share her opinion on a military situation. Silencing her would go against the staff officer traditions that the Empire, the Reich, was so proud of.

The one who broke the silence in that awkward atmosphere was the very person who had created the tense mood. “No, Colonel. I’m just answering based on the facts.” Major von Degurechaff glared at the high-ranking staffers. Well, it was proper etiquette to look a superior in the eye when addressing them.

But when a mage who had been steeping in gunsmoke and blood on the battlefield until just recently began staring you down, that was a different story.

A few rash magic officers—no doubt unconsciously—reached for their computation orbs.

“That’s about enough of that.” Any more is too much, Schreise decided and interrupted. Piercing his subordinate with his gaze, he continued as a mediator between the two. “We understand Major von Degurechaff’s opinion now. And her fears are worth listening to, in part, but our pressing topic right now is bringing the war to a swift end.”

They’d already let her yap this much. They understood the Central Army’s position so well it made them sick. Honestly, it bothered him more than anything in the world, but he could understand where she was coming from. For a mere major to protest so stubbornly in a room full of superior officers, she must have been under some strict orders. Schreise had never seen a major with such a big head without making light of him.

So the little messenger needs to pipe down. He gave her a resolute stare.

“It is my duty to firmly object. The goal of lessening the load for each regional army group could backfire and result in a larger burden.”

But surprisingly, it had no effect on her. Without hesitating even a little, she—a mere battalion commander—matter-of-factly gave her opinion to the staff and even had the audacity to disagree with them.

Even with the sacred, inviolable General Staff’s power behind her, she was nearing an inexcusable challenge to authority.

A head could be allowed to swell only so far. There’s a limit to what can be tolerated, even for recipients of the Silver Wings Assault Badge! Though he wanted to scream at her and chew her out, he suppressed his fury and said, “Our intention is to lessen the load on the troops. Major, please refrain from rash remarks.”

The major, though still rather new, was readily crossing a line of which all graduates from the war college should have been aware. She was protesting too much. If they weren’t in a war zone, it would most certainly not be allowed to stand.

This sort of behavior could only escape rebuke on a battlefield. It was practically an outrage, wasn’t it? Indignant, the officers turned their anger on her with violent glares.

But even under such silent censure, Degurechaff made a bold move. She lifted the coffee cup she had been served for the staff meeting, eyed the milk and sugar on the table, and murmured, “…In the west, our troops are drinking dirty water, starving and suffering in the mud. The north is so blessed…”

To the officers watching her, hanging on her every word, the smile on her lips was both offensive and profoundly meaningful. At the same time, she scanned the room with an expression that seemed to ask what exactly they were all trying to say from their seats in this comfortable office. Her face did the talking.

“Naturally, I don’t think that affects how much you care about the troops…”

That comment was the last straw for Schreise.

The Central Army was always making unreasonable demands on the regional army groups. He couldn’t take any more of this interference.

Without realizing it, he had kicked his chair away and stood up. He wouldn’t listen to any more of her mouthing off.

“…Major! If you’re going to talk like that, then go back to the west! We don’t need any cowards in the north.”

“Is that the will of the Northern Army Group?”

“That’s enough!”

He realized he was shouting at an officer. He was seized by the urge to kick her out. Most of the others in the momentarily silent room held their tongues, but they felt the same way.

Then, with a despicable calm, Degurechaff snapped off a splendid salute.

“Then if you’ll excuse me.”

With that, she straightened up smoothly and bowed. They could hardly believe it, but she approached the door with fluid motions and exited the room. No one tried to stop her.