I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 5

EP.5

The day of selecting cadet platoon leaders and platoon members heading to the Rhineland front.

Twenty academy students, including myself, who had applied for the Rhineland front, stood in the center of the playground wearing armor.

Is it because we are surrounded by several officers, professors from the academy, and first to fourth year students sitting in a circle?

I even felt like I had become a representative athlete at a sports event.

However, the guys who came out to see it probably just came to enjoy the sight of kids in the middle and lower grades leading the young soldiers they trained for a month to face off in the form of a mock battle on a weekday when there was nothing to do.

After seeing the Jaeger platoon in action, you won’t just enjoy it, you’ll be filled with admiration.

It feels really exciting to think that I get a chance to prove my worth to those who discriminate against people based on their status.

“At 12:00 on May 15, 220 Imperial Calendar, we will begin the selection of cadet platoon commanders who applied to the Rhineland Front! “We will inform you about the exam format, so everyone listen carefully!”

At those words, even the students and faculty who had been distracted until now stopped talking in groups and focused on the professor who was announcing the exam method.

“First of all, out of the 20 cadets who participated in this mock war, only 10 can go to the Rhineland front. Therefore, two students each take the platoons they have trained and compete in a mock battle, and the winner becomes eligible to apply to the Rhineland Front.”

Although the professor said that he was qualified to apply, there is no way that a single student who has come this far would refuse to go to the front line.

That’s because all 20 people, including me, have ambiguous grades and are trying to quickly build a career at the front line and get promoted.

If you didn’t apply at all, if you apply and are selected but don’t go to the front, you will be branded a coward and your future military life will be greatly affected.

Who would be crazy enough to take that kind of risk?

“Then, I will explain how to test the element rules evaluated in the mock battle. First, in this mock battle, only the command capabilities of each cadet as a platoon leader are evaluated. And since the best way to evaluate him is through a mock battle, four officers, including Lieutenant Colonel Weber, will evaluate whether or not he is victorious and the entire process of the battle. The rules are the same as a regular mock battle, and a close-quarters battle takes place head-on in the central playground.”

It is a method of evaluating game style that seems too simple, but it would be difficult to find a better method to evaluate the command ability to command a platoon.

This is because in this era, with the military knowledge and weapon tactics of the Middle Ages and early modern times, almost all battles that can be fought at the platoon level are close combat.

If a commander with keen insight is making an evaluation, he will be able to check things such as each unit’s training status, trust in the commander, and the commander’s platoon management ability just by looking at the two units facing each other in close combat.

Another advantage is that if a match is fought in hand-to-hand combat, the battle ends quickly, so all 15 groups can be played within one day.

“Finally, before we begin the mock battle, do you swear that you will play a fair game in the eyes of the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor?”

20 students, including me, unanimously recited the lines we had been taught in advance.

“From the moment I entered the Academy, I

swore to live an honorable and noble life for Your Majesty and for my country! “May Deus punish those who break that oath!”

“Okay then, all students should now move to the seats prepared for the players. The names of the people you will be competing against and their order are written there, so you can rest there and get to know your opponents before the game. more!”

After the order was given, the students and I sat down on chairs provided near the playground.

According to the game order guide posted on the desk in front of the chair, my turn was the last and my opponent’s…

Just as I was about to check my opponent’s name, I heard a rather familiar voice behind me.

“I never thought I would be competing with my senior, but to meet face to face like this is like a twist of fate.”

I turned my head in the direction the voice came from and checked his face, and it was him.

A month ago, he asked me, ‘Do common people eat bread mixed with wheat, barley and sawdust?’ The rotten guy who ridiculed me by asking:

The way he looked at me was a mixture of contempt and ridicule for me, who was still an orphan, and a little bit of relief.

He seems to think that there is no way he, a noble noble, would lose if he were to compete in a mock battle with a commoner.

That kind of bullshit prejudice lasts until today.

“I also had no idea that I would be competing against you, my junior, like this. Maybe it’s Deus’ prank. “So, did you train the unit well?”

When I asked leisurely, he suddenly got angry for no reason and spoke.

“For a month, I trained my unit to be stronger than my senior’s unit. Once the mock battle begins, the winner will definitely be decided within 10 minutes. So before you worry about Johann von Hausenburg, the second son of the Baron Hausenburg family, worry about how to defeat him in a less humiliating way.”

At that moment, a thought occurred to me, ‘Is that guy an asshole?’ I thought so, but

After thinking about it again, I came to the conclusion that no matter how noble he was, there was no way that a 4th grader who insulted me by talking about bread mixed with sawdust could be a normal person.

Still, wouldn’t it be better to be an idiot who only shouts to charge forward than to have a mock battle opponent who is smart and intelligent?

However, a master never lets down his guard even if his enemy is a fool.

“Then can you tell me how you trained your troops? According to what my junior said, I am the type of person who will lose in the next game anyway. Then just tell me how the unit that defeated Peter Yeager trained.”

After hearing that, John couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Haha good. “The game starts in an hour anyway, and we’re not going to tell you our attack strategy.”

“Thank you.”

Maybe at other times, but I am sincere now.

Because even if you only know roughly how he trained, it becomes clear how to attack his troops.

And John puffed out his chest and boasted about his unit as if he was bragging to me.

“For the first 10 days, we trained the soldiers on basic things such as how to hold a long spear, how to swing a long spear, and how to stab. In the next 10 days, we will learn how to move in formation and how to attack as a group. “For the last 10 days, we divided the platoon in half and had mock battles and reviewed what we had learned so far.”

It seems that the training methods from the Imperial Military Studies textbook were applied quite well.

Just looking at the content, John’s soldiers would have succeeded in learning how to march in formation and move as a group of 30 people.

At least one platoon will function sufficiently.

Since I showed such results as a cadet at the academy, I should feel confident.

They will be no match for the Jaeger Platoon, which has learned from the very beginning how to move as a group of 30 people through ritual and physical training.

Because if you compare your unit and our unit as a single unit, we are a steel platoon that matches every single movement of each individual in the group.

According to what he said, John’s unit is probably a platoon of mud that has barely learned how to move together.

So I was 99% sure of victory, but I would have to wait a little while to repay the insult he gave me.

“You trained very faithfully according to the rules. “I don’t know if it’s any other job, but in the military, it’s best to follow the textbook thoroughly.”

John reacted very coldly to those words.

“Is that so? Then, how about you abstain now, sir? If you do that, you will have the disgrace of abstaining, but there will not be a record of you being defeated by Johann von Hausenburg without any help.”

As I was about to respond to that, a guy from the academy’s student council came up to us and said,

“Cadet Peter Jaeger Johann von Hausenburg! Both of you, prepare for battle! Each platoon is waiting on the east and west sides of the playground. “The mock battle begins in 15 minutes.”

And John and I quickly ran to where our respective platoons were.

When I went to the east side of the playground where my platoon members were waiting, I could see nervous expressions on the soldiers’ faces.

Seeing them like that, I spoke with confidence.

“If we follow our training, we will definitely win. No, you won’t be able to use even a small hand. So listen carefully to my instructions and follow them.”

Johan von Hausenburg, try hitting on a commoner who eats bread mixed with sawdust.

Then, you won’t even be able to show your face at social gatherings for two years.

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