I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 30

EP.30

Count Benner responded with a voice that seemed very satisfied after hearing my answer.

“It’s great to see them preparing with all their might for the war that’s about a year and a half away. As expected, the meticulous preparation of an officer who was awarded the Silver Knight’s Sword Medal directly by His Majesty the Emperor at that age is very admirable. “Young people these days should learn from you.”

“That is too much to say.”

“I don’t think it’s something for a guy of that age to be a captain or even a battalion commander. “My only daughter is also said to be a genius who will emerge once every ten years from the Imperial Academy in the body of a woman, but her light will fade in front of you.”

When he heard those words, he lowered his body even lower and tried to show humility, but Count Venner spoke firmly as if he would not allow any more humility or counterarguments.

“Let this old man give you some advice. Since you came from being a commoner or an orphan to this position, I think you have developed a habit of behaving humblely in order to avoid making as many enemies as possible. Now don’t humble yourself so much. That will only make more enemies. Do you know why?”

“I do not know.”

“It’s simple. You have already achieved so much for your age. So, unlike before, everyone will be wary, envious, and jealous of the man named Peter Yeager. Most of the nobles will refrain from doing crazy things against you because you have the protection of His Highness the Crown Prince, but some of them will see your achievements as something they could do if they were in the same situation, and will look for an opportunity to make a mark. Furthermore, he probably thinks that if only you were gone, he would be able to achieve success like Peter Yeager. “Being more humble than necessary will make those who think like that take you for granted.”

Even in Korea, where I lived, posts like this were often posted on the Internet.

Those who were wealthy or unbecoming of people continued to abuse their power as usual, but it turned out that the other person was either the son of the chairman or a high-ranking person whose identity he had hidden.

When the identity of the high-ranking person is revealed, the story ends with the person who was abused teaching life lessons to the abuser through proper education.

However, in terms of the entire Reich Empire, I am a novice who has just entered the high nobility, and there are many nobles and officers with greater power above me.

If I pretend to be unnecessarily humble and appear easy-going, I could be eaten by nobles who are jealous and have a sense of inferiority.

From now on, I think I will have to show a confident side without appearing arrogant.

“I will keep this in mind, Count.”

“It’s good to be confident, but accepting one’s own shortcomings is also a virtue of the generals who left their names in history. One more thing, this time I’m going to make you a request, no, an offer that you must accept. “Please read this.”

The Count handed me a scroll with an official letter on it, and inside it was written:

[To Captain Peter Jaeger, recipient of the Silver Knight’s Sword Cross, who led the victory on the Rhineland Front, defended the Empire, and raised the status of the Imperial Academy. The Imperial Academy recommends one of two options to you. First, in recognition of one’s achievements, one receives an honorary graduation without taking a graduation exam. Second, instead of being exempt from the graduation thesis and theory exam, you can re-verify your capabilities as a commander and obtain an official diploma. Please choose from one of the two options and inform the Academy of your decision. -Lieutenant General Mansfeld von Braun, President of the Imperial Academy-]

Not to mention most students, even the student council president, who is selected from the most prestigious aristocrats and the best in many fields among the students at the academy, is a high-ranking person who only looks at once during the president’s inauguration ceremony.

This is because most of the academy’s practical work and rituals are handled by the director just before retirement, and the president only has personnel authority, such as deciding where to place graduated students at the Chief of Staff headquarters and appointing professors.

To have my graduation exam taken care of by someone I thought so highly of and respected when I was a student makes me really have no idea how things will turn out in my life.

When Count Banner decided that I had read everything, he spoke in a stern voice.

“If you’ve read everything, tell me straight. “I would like you to go to a place where you can re-verify your capabilities as a commander.”

At the moment, why is it that there is an easy way to graduate, but considering my achievements and awards so far, there would be no disadvantage to receiving an honorary diploma…

Why? I wondered if I should go on the stage of re-verification, but if I asked if I could choose to graduate with honors here, I would be shocked.

“All right. “But I want to know why you asked me to participate in a position to re-verify my capabilities.”

“It’s simple. Your fame has already spread throughout the Reich Empire, but not many people have seen with their own eyes just how capable Peter Jaeger is. So those who still have nothing but air in their heads are talking about how it was all luck and coincidence.”

In technical terms, in Korea, it was called mental victory.

However, the problem is that if I continue to neglect mental victory or nonsense, it will degenerate into solid bullshit so confident that it is difficult to handle and will block my path.

So, it probably means proving your ability as a commander in front of many people to prevent false rumors.

“Now, with the support of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Majesty the Emperor, there will be no fool who will openly make an issue of it in front of you. However, if these false facts continue to spread, there will soon be people who accept them as fact. So, in order to nip all doubts in the bud, I thought it would be a good idea to prove your outstanding ability as a commander during this graduation exam.”

“All right. But listening to what you said, it seems like it would be difficult to prove that I am competent by dealing with just one student.”

After hearing that, Count Venner grinned and said.

“Even if there are many talented students at the academy, how long would you last if you were to fight a genius who rose to the rank of captain at your age? Academy presidents often say, ‘We need to show students this is what real life is like.’ Because he is the one who says. We will use this opportunity to prepare for a mock battle at the battalion level, which is what students will most likely encounter in real life. So, your opponent will be the battalion commander and the battalion under his command who are on active duty at the actual front line.”

“Then, since I am also a battalion commander, I will call the units under my command and personally fight a mock battle?”

“I see. However, if that happens, your territory will be temporarily empty of troops. So, in preparation for that, a battalion will be selected from the division stationed in Schlieffen, the neighboring territory, to temporarily carry out security stabilization and border defense duties.”

I had no intention of backing out, but I felt a little goosebumps when I saw them so kindly remove the excuse by saying, ‘It looks like it’s going to be difficult.’

However, Count Venner spoke with a meaningful smile, as if he knew how I felt.

“Of course, even if you are defeated here, you will still graduate, but Captain Peter Yeager, who is directly supported by His Highness the Crown Prince, will be defeated. This is an act that will bring His Majesty’s honor to the ground. So we must win.”

Certainly, there would be no such shame if an officer personally guaranteed by someone as high as the Crown Prince was defeated by a battalion commander of the same rank.

Of course, you won’t be cut off by the crown prince to this extent, but the price will be more than you think.

As I gulped and swallowed my saliva out of nervousness, Count Benner smiled at me and said,

“The mock battle will be held in two months, in the basin of Mount Pelane near the Academy. You and the opposing battalion commander will fight in the basin, and there will be many high-ranking people around you, such as academy students, high-ranking officers, and nobles. “To see whether the new rising star of the Reich Empire will fall or shine brightly.”

“I will do my best to meet your expectations.”

“Good posture. Instead, if I achieve an overwhelming victory in this mock battle, I will seek promotion to major during this year’s year-end personnel evaluation. This is unprecedented, but since the achievements made on the last Rhineland front were so great, if you can show that you can perfectly command a battalion. I might be able to convince the head of the personnel department at the Chief of Staff. “Then I guess I’ll just go.”

After saying that, Count Banner turned his back and left the workshop.

A month later, 512 infantrymen from my battalion exchanged duties with soldiers from the neighboring unit and came to the capital.

I trained my infantry there for a month in square-platform tactics.

And as time passed, the day came for the mock battle at stake with promotion to official battalion commander.

See next episode