I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy

Chapter 15: Opportunity For Promotion (2)

At those words, the Division Commander seemed very intrigued and asked,

“Sounds like a good strategy. Can you explain in detail?”

Normally, the fact that I had successfully garnered the division commander’s interest and presented my strategy might have made me extremely pleased. However, the reason I was given the opportunity to speak was due to the division commander’s intention to encourage other staff officers and young officers to suggest their plans.

When the division commander followed through, and the briefing began, the expressions of the senior officers changed, seemingly more pressured than a few minutes before.

They probably thought, ‘If even that mid-ranking officer can suggest a strategy without being reprimanded, as long as I don’t say anything ridiculous, I won’t get scolded either.’

Now, this is the crucial moment.

“Understood. However, may I use this wooden stick, strategic map, and wooden pieces on it?”

“Permission granted.”

Then, I placed the wooden pieces to set the enemy’s base and our base. Using the stick to point, I said,

“First, our available troops number 5,000 due to our cumulative losses. On the other hand, the enemy, including the newly joined Black Lion Mercenary Group, surpasses 9,000. The difference in forces is more than 4,000. Our morale has dropped significantly due to the heavy losses in the last battle, while the enemy’s morale is presumed to be skyrocketing.”

Hearing the bleak outlook, the division commander’s face reddened with anger. The other officers, sensing the mood, looked at me as if thinking, ‘Did he really just say that?’

I fully understood their sentiments. Essentially, I was suggesting that since we lost, we should retreat. So, I quickly added,

“But if we utilize this situation correctly, we can turn the tide.”

Normally, a middle-ranking officer like me making such a bold statement might have drawn reprimands. But since none of the senior officers had offered any solutions yet, it was my chance.

Instead of scolding me, the division commander looked at me with eyes that said, ‘If you don’t offer a proper solution, I won’t let it slide.’

Then he inquired,

“The duty of an imperial soldier is to win. A person of your age who has received the Silver Cross wouldn’t suggest a useless strategy, right? Explain in detail.”

One wrong word could ruin the good image I’d built with the division commander.

But I wasn’t feeling threatened or insecure. As the saying goes, ‘crisis can be an opportunity,’ and this was my chance to suggest a strategy.

If my strategy was accepted, I could influence the plan for the battle with a difference of thousands of forces. Moreover, I could take on the most crucial role.

In such a situation, feelings of tension, fear, and nervousness were trivial.

“Before explaining the strategy, let’s revisit the strategic goals of our army and the enemy’s. The enemy aims to reach the vicinity of Weinberg Castle by conquering villages and territories, while our goal is to annihilate the Francois Republican army in front of us, build momentum, and seize territories up to Regensburg Castle.”

“Strategically speaking, yes. However, a strategy without tactics is as good as a worthless piece of paper. Let’s discuss the tactical operations.”

“Understood. Firstly, your division, including the defense forces of Weinberg Castle, has a certain composition, and the enemy knows it. In our current situation, with only 5,000 men left, they’ll expect us to retreat and focus on defending Weinberg Castle.”

Everyone here knew that if we were annihilated by the enemy, there’d be no troops left to defend Weinberg Castle. But seeing the understanding nods, I continued,

“If we show signs of retreating, like hurriedly leaving our heavy supplies behind, the enemy will assume we’re retreating. They won’t expect an ambush. Strategically, the best move would be to retreat to Weinberg Castle.”

The division commander seemed interested in the ambush, so I quickly elaborated,

“My proposed plan is as follows: Our 8th Division of the Reich Empire should quickly prepare to retreat either today or tomorrow. We’ll leave our camps as they are and carry only light, preserved food to last until Weinberg Castle. At the same time, we will spread rumors within the division that if the Black Lion Mercenaries and the Francois Republicans attack us together, we’ll be annihilated. This will make the soldiers and junior officers believe we’re genuinely retreating.”

It was unlikely there was a spy among the officers here, but even if there were, they’d think twice about betraying their family and honor.

“I was taught every day at the academy about the honor and privileges of nobility.”

Breaking free from that ingrained value system was not easy. Furthermore, the novel mentioned that among the high-ranking officers of the Francois Republican army who participated in this battle, there wasn’t any spy.

“Then spies collaborating with the enemies within our division will convey to the enemies that the ‘Reich Empire army is preparing to retreat’. By feigning a retreat as swiftly as possible, the enemies won’t expect an ambush from our side.”

Regardless of one’s high position leading a division, most judgments were made based on common sense.

However, battlefields were always rife with unforeseen variables, including gathering intel through spies.

If what the spy says aligns with common sense, they would surely presume that our side was retreating.

“I see.”

“In that case, our side will pretend to continue the retreat preparations and wait. My battalion will seize the opportunity to flank the enemy from the right late at night and launch a sudden attack. Caught off-guard, the enemy will be in great confusion. All members of my battalion, ready to lay down their lives, will dive into the enemy lines, sweep them up, and send the signal.”

While we were prepared to die fighting, if my predictions were accurate, not many casualties would occur among the battalion members.

This was because if an enemy division were abruptly attacked by over 100 troops while they were asleep, they would fall into severe chaos.

To them, we might appear as a company or even a battalion.

It would take quite some time for them to gather enough troops to counter-attack.

In the meantime, we would only have to deal with disoriented, half-asleep enemies. With our sheer bravery, we could run amok quite easily.

Moreover, if the division commander mobilizes the troops timely, the aggro would be drawn towards them, allowing us to exit enemy lines without any hassle.

“When you receive the signal, Commander, you can deploy the knights in our division to strike the enemy from the left. Following them with infantry for a collective assault, the enemy will be overwhelmed.”

And if the enemy, just recovering from our ambush, gets hit from behind once again…?

Enemy division commanders and other leaders would believe they were surrounded, panicking, and sustaining significant damage.

“That’s the strategy I’ve prepared.”

Initially, when I mentioned a potential defeat, his expression was filled with anger. But after hearing my strategy, it seemed the division commander quite favored it, as he gently smiled and patted my shoulder before turning to the other officers.

“A mere lieutenant, or a student platoon leader just a month ago, has this much capability? The Empire’s future looks bright. So, any objections?”

Several senior officers proposed various strategies to earn points with the division commander.

However, none of them were agreeable, resulting in disagreements.

As the meeting dragged on and the division commander began to show signs of impatience, our battalion commander stood up and voiced his opinion.

“Of all the strategies presented, Lieutenant Yaeger’s strategy seems the most practical. Thus, I, Heine von Blancia, support Lieutenant Yaeger’s plan.”

Soon after, Lieutenant Frangshu, who had avoided the annihilation of his battalion due to the strategy I led, stood up in support as well.

“Analyzing the current situation objectively, there’s no other plan to break through this crisis except the surprise attack suggested by the lieutenant.”

And the remaining officers, though reluctant to approve a lieutenant’s plan, had no other strategy with the potential to turn the tides, so they agreed.

“Alright, let’s proceed with the strategy proposed by Lieutenant Yaeger. All officers should return to their units and prepare for the retreat.”