Chapter 133 - Farewells and Encounters (2)
The moment of destiny had arrived.
The 1st Battalion received reinforcements.
But it wasn't just a simple replenishment—there was also a change of command.
Levin Ort was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel and moved on to become the Commander of the 13th Regiment, and his successor, Bailey Hoffman, took over as Lieutenant Colonel and Battalion Commander.
From early in the morning, the 1st Battalion was so busy they barely had a moment to breathe, and Ernest found himself so swamped that he couldn't even meet the new Platoon Leaders—Robert had to go and bring them over in his stead.
"I've heard a lot about you all. I look forward to seeing you continue to excel."
"Yes, Battalion Commander Sir."
The newly appointed 1st Battalion Commander, Bailey, greeted the battalion officers with a handshake.
Up to this point, the atmosphere was quite pleasant.
"Well then, Colonel Hoffman, I'm counting on you to take good care of the 1st Battalion."
"Yes, Regimental Commander."
But when Levin, now the Regimental Commander, exchanged greetings with Bailey, the tension in the air was impossible to miss.
Levin looked obviously uncomfortable, and Bailey looked not just uncomfortable but as if he was barely enduring an outright humiliation.
After their final goodbye, when Levin departed, Bailey gave a salute—to his new immediate superior, Levin—and his fingertips visibly trembled with humiliation.
If Levin hadn't quickly acknowledged the salute, it looked like Bailey might've shouted something.
"For now, I'd like a detailed report on the current status of the unit."
Fortunately, once Levin had left, Bailey began to look after the 1st Battalion in a thoroughly competent and normal manner.
However, throughout the briefing, he couldn't hide his uneasy mood, constantly running his thick brown hair back with his hand, and flickers of anger could be seen in his dark brown eyes.
"Since we've received reinforcements, it would be best to start training. It would be difficult to begin today, so we'll proceed step by step starting tomorrow."
"Yes, Battalion Commander Sir."
It seemed Bailey placed significant importance on training.
It was true that the new recruits needed it—and with so many new officers assigned this time, including the new 3rd Company Commander, training was absolutely necessary.
This was a bit different from Ernest and Robert's experience, who had to be thrown straight onto the battlefield without a single round of training. Back then, the battle situation was so dire that there was no choice but to send the troops straight into the forest.
"Now that we've been reinforced, report back on your company's condition after lunch."
Hans Schum, the operations chief who'd arrived with Levin, pressed his brow as though exhausted and asked the company commanders to assess and report on their companies.
With reinforcements having arrived, this was mandatory, and to prepare for training, it was essential to carefully check the soldiers and equipment.
"Yes, Operations Chief."
"…All right..."
When Ernest and Ferdinand, now his fellow company commanders, replied obediently, Hans looked a bit dissatisfied but said nothing more.
"Captain Kissinger. I trust you'll do well."
"Yes."
Hans met the eyes of Andersen Kissinger, the new 3rd Company Commander, as he spoke, and Andersen replied calmly.
Andersen was a big, well-built man, tall and broad-shouldered, but despite not yet being thirty, he was completely bald, without a single hair on his head.
On top of that, his black eyes flashed fiercely, and his mouth was completely covered by a thick black beard, making him look truly intimidating.
With such an unmistakably professional appearance, even Hans, who had looked on the seventeen-year-old greenhorns with disapproval, felt he could trust Andersen.
Ernest and Ferdinand also had a very positive impression of Andersen.
Seeing that spotless bald head, they couldn't help but think of Gauss Schulz, the Cadet Commander and Brigadier General from the Imperial Military Academy, and a sense of trust welled up inside them.
"Nice to meet you."
Once only the infantry company commanders were left, Andersen took the initiative and greeted Ernest and Ferdinand with a hearty welcome.
He first shook hands with Ferdinand, his large, rough hand enveloping Ferdinand's.
Ferdinand, who was smaller than Andersen and had rarely shaken hands with such a big man, found it an unusual experience.
As for Ernest, having gotten used to Ferdinand's size, he didn't feel the slightest bit intimidated.
"Do you have previous company command experience?"
Ferdinand asked Andersen, sounding a bit curious.
Andersen's black beard twitched a little as he spoke.
"Speak comfortably. We're all Captains here. I've commanded companies more times than I care to remember."
"Then why are you taking up a company commander post again?"
"I told you, talk casually. I was waiting for a staff officer assignment after plenty of company command, but then I got dragged back here."
"…I'm sorry to hear that."
"You really aren't listening, are you? I told you, just speak comfortably."
Andersen was a highly experienced and outstanding captain, right on the verge of promotion to major.
If the war hadn't broken out, he'd probably be serving as the battalion operations officer or a staff officer at the regiment or division by now.
But thanks to the unfortunate timing of the war coinciding exactly with his promotion window, he'd been left waiting, only to end up assigned as a company commander again.
Now, finding himself seemingly demoted back to a company commander role, he saw that the other infantry company commanders in the battalion were just seventeen-year-old greenhorns, kids who had simply become famous because the army promoted their names everywhere.
To make matters worse, Hans Schum, the operations officer of the 1st Battalion, was a captain just like him.
Hans had gotten lucky and landed the operations officer post, so he was about to be promoted to major.
On the other hand, Andersen, who got unlucky, was back as a company commander, his promotion to major now uncertain.
From Andersen's point of view, it was an incredibly frustrating situation.
But perhaps he had already reached a Zen-like acceptance, because even in this ridiculous situation, all he did was laugh it off with a hearty chuckle.
Ernest soon realized that, despite Andersen's barbarian-warrior appearance, he was a relaxed and slyly humorous man.
"If there's anything you don't know, just ask any time. We'll do the same if there's anything we're not sure about."
Ernest said this with a slight smile to Andersen.
Although Andersen's smile was mostly hidden by his thick beard, it was clear he was smiling too.
"You don't seem like the type to listen, but I'll say it anyway: just speak comfortably." "Yes, I am speaking comfortably."
At Ernest's reply, Andersen just shrugged his broad shoulders.
Then he let out a long sigh through his nose.
"Well, since you seem a little unfamiliar with things, let me tell you one thing first."
"Are you talking about the Battalion Commander, sir?"
Before Andersen could say anything, Ernest frowned and pressed his brows, looking as if he already had a headache.
Andersen widened his sharp eyes a little and looked at Ernest.
"You know about it?"
"I don't, I just have a feeling."
"You've got a sharp sense, I see. That's right. We're in deep trouble now."
Andersen spoke coarsely in a voice that somehow still sounded dignified.
"Our Battalion Commander is a senior to Colonel Ort, the Regimental Commander. He joined the military even before the Military Academy was founded, so there isn't an official senior-junior relationship between them or anything like that..."
"…Don't tell me the Battalion Commander used to be the Regimental Commander's superior?"
"I don't know the details, but I don't think it's quite to that extent. There isn't that big a difference in when they enlisted. Still, from the Battalion Commander's perspective... it must be awkward, don't you think?"
As Andersen spoke, both Ernest and Ferdinand began to feel a headache coming on.
Even if he wasn't technically a subordinate, someone who had once been his junior was now his direct superior.
It wouldn't be strange to feel humiliated.
Bailey didn't exactly seem incompetent.
Bailey is an officer who was promoted very conventionally, step by step, following all the proper procedures.
The problem is that Levin was so exceptionally capable that he made Colonel before Bailey did.
A regimental commander holds the rank of Colonel, while a battalion commander is a Lieutenant Colonel.
If something goes wrong, you can end up with an awkward situation like Levin and Bailey, where the dynamic between them is uncomfortable.
"Normally, they wouldn't make appointments like this."
Ferdinand spoke cautiously.
Bailey's assignment as the 1st Battalion Commander was decided by the higher-ups, not by Levin.
And even at the top, they're very careful with personnel assignments precisely to avoid absurd situations like this one.
"How would I know such things when I haven't even been promoted to Major and am merely a Captain? Why don't you go ask your father or your grandfather? I'm sure they'd know better than I could."
"Hm…"
Andersen replied playfully, leaving Ferdinand at a loss for words.
But Ferdinand wasn't really offended.
He wasn't so dense as to miss that Andersen was joking, and Andersen had said it in such a lighthearted way.
"Well, maybe we should try to see this in a positive light, don't you think? If they went so far as to break with convention to make him the 1st Battalion Commander of the 13th Regiment, it must mean he's a truly outstanding leader."
"That's true, but it still makes me uneasy."
Andersen said this with a smile, but Ernest just couldn't see things so optimistically.
"The Battalion Commander is a bit… He seems excessively self-conscious about it."
At Ernest's remark, Ferdinand's eyes twitched slightly.
However, Andersen, who had never personally experienced Ernest's famously cursed powers of observation and insight, just laughed and waved it off.
"I'm sure nothing will happen. And even if we did know something, what would we do about it?"
"…That's a fair point."
"Well then, let's go back to our Companies and try making some new friends. Not that I'm not a new arrival myself."
"Yes, I'll see you again later, then."
Andersen would be busy getting a handle on the 3rd Company, which was mostly composed of new recruits. Ernest and Ferdinand also had plenty to do.
...
Ernest and Ferdinand looked at each other, let out small sighs, and made their way to their respective Companies.
Their chests felt heavy, but with so much work piled up, there was no time to rest.
When Ernest arrived at the 2nd Company, he saw the newly arrived recruits—looking spaced out—receiving their gear and heading to their tents. Amid all this, he spotted Robert looking a bit tired yet still lively, and walked over to him.
"You didn't skip anything, right? Took care of everything?"
"Of course! What do you take me for?"
"That's Robert the quartermaster for you. You should serve in quartermaster corps until the day you die."
"Please, don't say things that scary and ominous."
If it were anything else, maybe Ernest would worry, but when it came to quartermaster duties, there was no reason to doubt Robert.
He always handled things perfectly on his own.
Robert was born for quartermaster work—it was a waste for him to be serving as a Platoon Leader here.
"What about the new Platoon Leaders?"
"They went with the new recruits to get their supplies and just got back. I told them to wait in your tent, so they should be in there."
"Got it. Keep up the good work."
"Alright. …Hey, wait! You're back, so why am I still doing all of this…!"
Ignoring Robert, the perfect man for the quartermaster role, Ernest made his way to the Company Commander's tent that Yurgen used to occupy—now, it was his own.
...
Ernest paused in front of the tent, recalling the moment he first met Yurgen, and took a deep breath to steady himself.
Inside, he could hear low voices tinged with tension.
Taking a slow step, Ernest entered the tent.
...
Inside Ernest's tent, two young men stood awkwardly—not quite in a corner, but not in the center either—visibly uncertain when they spotted Ernest.
For a moment, they hesitated, unable to tell whether this was really the 2nd Company Commander.
Though they'd heard that Captain Ernest Krieger of the 2nd Company was just seventeen, actually seeing a Greenhorn their own age, wearing that expression, was almost impossible to believe.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ernest Krieger, Company Commander of the 2nd Company."
Ernest said this with a small smile.
Only then did the two new Platoon Leaders quickly salute him.
Ernest returned the salute with sharp precision. He felt a bit uncomfortable inside—he'd never imagined he'd be saluted by fellow officers so soon.
"Billim Madsen, sir!"
Billim Madsen, the new Platoon Leader, was tense, swallowing nervously as he spoke. He was tall and slender, a handsome young man with bright, wheat-colored hair and striking blue eyes. After shaking Billim's hand, Ernest turned to the other new Platoon Leader.
"Simon Bergman, sir."
Simon seemed a shade more at ease than Billim.
While there was still some tension, he managed to stay fairly composed.
He had black hair and dark brown eyes, his skin tanned to a deeper shade as if sun-kissed.
Though a bit short, he had a solid build, and in his speech, the accent of the Empire's southern region was strong.
"Are you from the south?"
"Yes."
"People from the south usually aim to become navy officers."
"I'm not from that far south."
"I see."
Simon seemed a bit surprised that Ernest had picked up on his origins so quickly, but he didn't show it much.
He probably thought his accent was perfectly in line with the Empire's central region.
To Ernest, who was from Grimman, it was unmistakably a southern accent.
"Madsen, where are you from?"
Ernest felt a little awkward, speaking in a tone he wasn't really used to.
Still, with these fellow new Platoon Leaders—his exact age, only a month's difference in army experience at best—there wasn't a more fitting way to address them.
"I'm from the north, sir!"
"I've heard there's a lot of snow up there. Don't people along the northern coast usually go for the navy too?"
"I'm not from that far north, either."
"I see. Makes sense."
Picking up on what Ernest wanted, Billim brought the exchange to a tidy close, just as Simon had.
That brief, light conversation was enough to ease a lot of the tension in the room.
"Madsen, you'll be 2nd Platoon Leader. Bergman, you'll take 3rd Platoon."
"Yes, understood"
Ernest casually assigned the two of them to their platoons as if it was no big deal. But the decision hadn't come easily.
The 2nd Platoon was the former 1st Platoon Ernest used to command.
It had proven, outstanding non-commissioned officers like Deputy Company Commander Gustav, Ralf, Kol, and Sven, along with many well-trained soldiers, and their morale was high.
In contrast, the 3rd Platoon had lost both Jonas and its non-commissioned officers in battle, and many of its soldiers as well.
With mostly new, inexperienced recruits, its training level and morale were both low.
Billim seemed to have a gentle disposition, so it would be best to send him to the relatively stable 2nd Platoon, where he could set the overall tone and lead well.
Simon, on the other hand, appeared blunt but decisive. He'd be better off in the struggling 3rd Platoon, where he could quickly assert control and whip things into shape.
Even a task as seemingly trivial as assigning new Platoon Leaders to their units required a lot of thought.
The Company Commander was only one step above the Platoon Leader, but the expectations for ability were much higher.
Frankly, in Ernest's opinion, paperwork was no big deal, but dealing with personnel matters like this was really a headache.
"You must've heard a bit from Robert, the 1st Platoon Leader…"
Ernest started to explain his policy for running the company, but after catching the lost expressions on Billim and Simon's faces, he realized that damn Robert hadn't told them anything at all.
Robert had gotten excited about handling logistics and completely neglected the new Platoon Leaders.
Ernest decided he'd have to give him a serious dressing-down as his superior.
"In our 2nd Company, we basically fight with the aim of minimizing casualties."
At this, Billim looked a bit relieved, while Simon appeared somewhat puzzled.
"I'll explain the details to you later. For now, that's all you need to know. And another thing."
Ernest spoke firmly, feeling as though what had happened just a month ago now seemed like a memory from years past.
"Do exactly as I say. No matter how incomprehensible my orders might be, follow them—no exceptions. If you have complaints, I'll hear you out as much as you want after the battle's over."
"Y-yes, sir."
"Yes, sir."
Just moments earlier, Ernest had been speaking gently, but now his words were so cold they sent a chill down Billim's spine; Billim answered, startled and trembling.
Simon, on the other hand, responded calmly, as if this was only natural.
"Also, Madsen, Bergman. I know you both consider yourselves special people—and those around you probably do, too. But on the battlefield, that's not true. Out there, you're nothing more than one ordinary person among many others. You are not special here."
Recalling Yurgen's lessons, Ernest spoke while reflecting on the irony that, in reality, he hadn't been able to follow Yurgen's teachings at all, and yet here he was, still alive, instructing others.
"Just like all those who have lost their lives, you must never forget that you, too, could die at any moment."
"Yes, understood."
Billim and Simon replied immediately, glancing briefly at each other.
"…So, what did Robert say to you?"
Catching on right away, Ernest pursued the question with the faintest hint of a smile.
Unlike Billim, who was anxiously gauging the mood, Simon answered the Company Commander's question without any hesitation.
"He said that you, Company Commander, are exceptionally special, and unfortunately, you know it all too well. So you strut around, full of yourself, thinking nothing in the world can scare you." "B-Bergman…"
Billim, his face pale, called out to Simon and tried to nudge him with his elbow to stop him, but Simon simply told the Company Commander everything as it was.
"He also said you're so special that you've managed to survive this long, so if we do what you say, we'll make it out alive without having to worry about dying. Just as long as we don't try to copy you ourselves."
"…I see."
With a very gentle smile, Ernest slowly nodded, giving Simon a brief reply.
Unlike the unsociable Simon, Billim, who was more outgoing, was visibly uneasy.
He was worried because he thought something bad was about to happen to Robert.
Billim was right.
Something was about to happen.
To Robert.
Something big.
"Robert!"
Ernest briskly stepped outside the tent and called for Robert in a thunderous voice.
Startled, Robert immediately turned his head toward Ernest, and the moment he saw the smile on his friend's face, he realized something was wrong.
The veteran soldiers, already used to this kind of situation, quietly stepped back and started watching Ernest and Robert with murmurs.
"W-what is it? What's going on?"
"Shh, you're about to see something fun."
The new recruits, flustered, asked the veterans what was happening, but the veterans just snickered and told them to keep quiet.
"Those bereters bastards!"
The moment Robert saw Ernest's smile, he immediately realized that the new platoon leaders had betrayed him.
Simon, the true Bereter bastard, didn't even bat an eye, while poor Billim, who had done nothing wrong, just shook his head in panic.
"As the 1st Platoon Leader, you should take responsibility and help the new platoon leaders."
"..."
"And from now on, you'll be in charge of managing and receiving all supplies for the 2nd Company."
"Ah, come on, why!"
"Because you're the Deputy Company Commander. That's the least you can do."
"This is tyranny!"
"Come on now, I told you it was an order. If you've got a problem, why don't you get promoted to Captain yourself? Also, there's a training session scheduled for tomorrow, so the Section Chief in charge of the plan asked for a company status report after lunch. Report on the platoon status."
"Can't you give it to me one at a time? Please!"
"I am giving it to you one at a time. One at a time, don't be late, and do everything."
"…Let's go…"
Robert, a Second Lieutenant and Platoon Leader, trudged over with a heavy heart in response to Ernest, the Company Commander and Captain.
He wearily motioned to Billim and Simon to follow him.
"I'm letting it slide because you're my superior."
"If you want, I can take off my rank and settle this right now."
"I'm letting it go because I can't win."
"Come anytime you want, just take off your rank first."
"You bastard."
"You're the worst one here."
Ernest and Robert exchanged their usual lighthearted banter, and Billim and Simon followed after Robert.
"..."
Ernest noticed that Billim and Simon were glancing back and forth between him and Robert with sour looks on their faces, and realized he was all too familiar with this bizarre situation.
Robert seemed to feel the same way, as he looked back at Ernest.
The two exchanged wry smiles.
He suddenly remembered how baffled Yurgen had looked when dealing with Benzen and Hertz.
It must be exactly how they're feeling now.
"It's not so bad, though…"
Ernest mumbled as he watched Billim and Simon walk away.
At least their personalities seem decent.
Billim had a gentle nature and was sociable, while Simon was blunt but followed his superiors' orders well.
Still, aside from their personalities, whether they had the necessary skills remained to be seen.
Their first assignment as Platoon Leaders was to assess and report on their platoon's current status.
It might not seem like much, but even just watching how someone handles a report can give you a rough sense of their abilities.
Ernest hoped they would either complete the assessment thoroughly or at the very least actively ask the Non-commissioned Officers for help.
Having real skill would be great, but even if they didn't, as long as they communicated well with those around them, there wouldn't be any issues carrying out their duties as Platoon Leaders.
"What kind of Deputy Company Commander am I? I'm a slave, that's what! A slave! There's got to be a limit to working someone to the bone. He thinks everyone is like him, expects us to do everything perfectly! He manages his platoon, handles the training, supplies, even teaches company members as a hobby and studies on top of that, and he still found it manageable, huh? What, does he think I'm him or Ferdie or something?"
"..."
Grumbling nonstop, Robert strode ahead with Billim and Simon in tow.
Simon listened in silence to Robert's complaints, but Billim wasn't as reserved.
"You seem very close with him."
"Ah, relax, just take it easy. There's only about a month's difference between us anyway. Well, except with Ernest—that's a bit different. Well, I've been friends with him for a long time, and I speak comfortably because that's what Ernest wants, but he's still my superior."
"But you joined with him, and you're the Deputy Company Commander..."
"I know you're just testing to see if you can relax around me anyway, so just speak comfortably. We're all just Second Lieutenants."
"Well, if you say so…"
Since Robert was so easygoing and talkative, Billim decided to cautiously drop formal speech as well.
"Bergman, you can speak comfortably with me too."
"Alright."
"That's more like it. So, you were the one who tattled, huh?"
"I didn't tattle; I just answered my superior's question honestly."
Simon didn't hesitate at all to speak informally to Robert.
And when Robert pressed him about telling Ernest, Simon just admitted it matter-of-factly.
"What a difficult guy."
Robert shrugged and grumbled.
Then he went over to Gustav, the Deputy Platoon Leader of the 2nd Platoon, and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, introduced Billim as the 2nd Platoon Leader.
Likewise, he introduced Simon to the Deputy Platoon Leader of the 3rd Platoon as their new Platoon Leader.
Even though neither Ernest nor the new Platoon Leaders had actually said which platoon they'd be in charge of, Robert had correctly guessed Ernest's decision just from that brief conversation with the two of them.
Robert was exceptionally skilled in logistics, but he also had an excellent eye for personnel.
While Ernest, the Company Commander, was busy, it was Robert who decided which platoons the new recruits would be assigned to.
When it came to anything profitable or involving people, Robert Jimman—the merchant's son—was brilliant.
If we'd gotten here a little earlier, Madsen would have died.
Robert felt a bit uneasy about Billim.
If you had to pick sides, Billim was more aligned with Robert or Jonas.
Robert had only managed to survive this far thanks to being lucky enough to have exceptional people like Yurgen or Ernest around him.
But Benzen—and Jonas—hadn't been so lucky.
Yurgen was unlucky too.
They were just about to break through Bertagne Forest and advance onto the plains, so there wouldn't be any more fighting in that damned forest.
That meant Billim would have plenty of time to adapt to the unit and grow.
Bergman's reliable enough, but...
Simon was short, but he really was a dependable guy.
It was his personality, not his build, that made him feel that way.
This time, if you had to categorize, he was more of a Ferdinand type.
Still, that sort of uncompromising nature could become a weakness.
Whereas Ferdinand had developed flexibility of thought thanks to that damn Ernest damned Krieger, Simon still seemed rather stiff.
Well, as long as he follows Ernest's orders, he'll be fine.
Robert decided not to worry any more about Simon.
After all, everything about the Company was directed personally by the Company Commander, Ernest, from start to finish.
As long as Simon faithfully obeyed his superior Ernest's commands, there would be no problem.
"Ugh, why am I so busy?"
Robert grumbled repeatedly as he thought about all the tasks he had to do.
Officers or non-commissioned officers in charge of logistics or personnel were assigned to Battalion Headquarters.
According to Imperial Army regulations, companies almost never operated independently, so there was no need for a separate supply officer or personnel officer within a company.
As a result, these duties fell entirely to the Company Commander.
In other words, the company would only run smoothly if the Company Commander and the Deputy Company Commander worked hard.
"He could do all this himself, so why does he dump it on me? What a bastard."
Robert tossed a potato toward Ernest, his superior and Company Commander's tent.
But despite what he said, Robert didn't want Ernest to struggle alone with the heavy burden of responsibility and work, so, although he complained, he always did his best with the tasks assigned to him.
At any rate, the new recruits had arrived, and the 2nd Company was ready to fight again—at least on paper.