I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy

Chapter 6: Raintlant Cadet Squad Leader Selection Test (2)

“Peter Yaeger’s platoon and Johann von Hausenburk’s platoon, please come to the center of the sports field.”

There was no emotion in the voice calling us to the field, but it made my heart race.

If I crush Johann’s squad with an overwhelming skill gap in the upcoming mock battle, people’s perception of me would change from an annoying orphan from a commoner background to a promising future commander with real talent.

At least in the mock battle, I would be judged objectively for my ability as a commander, not my background or status.

“Yaeger platoon! March and move forward!”

Including me, my platoon moved as if they were a single person, lifting their feet to the same height and matching their strides as we had trained.

On the other side, although Johann’s platoon had maintained their line and spacing, each soldier’s hands and feet moved individually as they marched.

The synchronized march, an unfamiliar concept in this era, seemed to have left quite an impression on the audience. The battle hadn’t even started yet, but murmurs and gasps were already audible.

“Is that Peter Yaeger? How did he train his troops to match their steps so precisely? Did they practice that just for a month?”

“I had bet 3 silvers with my friends on who would win, and I placed my money on Hausenburk… Am I going to lose?”

“Just by the way they’re marching, they almost seem like elite troops…”

Commonly, people imagined elite troops to consist of individual soldiers with exceptional skills.

However, those knowledgeable in military science would agree that a force comprised of individuals with not just basic capabilities, but those who cooperated exceptionally well, constituted an elite army.

Until the advent of modern warfare, where increased firepower and range made clustering together lethal, battles were about formations and lines. The collapse of these formations often decided victories and defeats.

To form proper lines and formations, it was crucial for every soldier’s actions to synchronize perfectly. By that standard, my well-coordinated troops would indeed appear elite to them.

Seeing the shock on the faces of those who once looked down on a commoner orphan like me was truly… satisfying.

Receiving such attention and focus, we stopped about 20 meters away from Johann’s platoon. Then a student council executive officiating the match raised a flag and gave the stop command.

“You will be given 5 minutes from now to form your formations. Johann, Peter, prepare your best formation to defeat the opponent.”

As soon as he finished speaking, I immediately turned my gaze to my soldiers and said,

“From now on, form the formation as I command. Understood?”

“Yes, understood!”

The soldiers stood in four rows, with eight people each in a single row. The eight with crossbows protected the spear soldiers from the rear. During the initial clash, the soldiers in the very front would focus solely on deflecting the enemy’s spears, while those behind them should pierce the enemy and gain the upper hand! Each row’s squad leader must do their best to overpower the enemy!

The first row deflected the enemy’s attack, and the second row immediately pierced the enemy as a tactic.

It might not seem challenging when described verbally, but executing it in reality was quite a complex battle method.

Why? Because the long spear, while having a considerable length, was not as agile as a sword. In a situation where soldiers were clumped together, it wasn’t easy to find space to swing the spear due to the arms, legs, and bodies of the soldiers.

But of course, within my platoon, if every member moved as directed, such attacks were possible, at least before chaos ensued.

“From then on, follow my and the vice-platoon leader’s commands. Don’t be tense. The enemies are our food.”

Upon hearing that, the soldiers cheered in response. A flag signaling 10 seconds before the start of the game was raised.

Just before the game started, Johann boasted as if he had already won and provocatively said in a taunting voice,

“If you’re a commoner, then act like one and quickly surrender to a noble like me! Then you won’t have to show your humiliating defeat!”

Even if that guy was a noble, such taunts in a mock battle were a breach of etiquette. Moreover, speaking rudely to someone of higher status, like me, could be deemed offensive, depending on the interpretation. Hence, given the growing tension, it might be appropriate to retort back at him.

“Talk nonsense in your sleep, Johann! Even a drunkard unable to control himself at the market would speak more politely than you!”

At those words, his face turned as red as a drunkard in anger. Then the official in charge of the game, about 30 meters away, declared with a look of disdain,

“We now begin today’s final mock battle! Every student, fight fair and square!”

At the same time, Johann and I slowly approached each other, maintaining our formations.

Gradually, the distance between us decreased to 10 meters, then 7 meters, and then 5 meters. Just when our spears were about to touch each other, Johann, seeming certain of his victory, commanded from beside his infantrymen:

“Crush Peter Yaeger’s platoon! They’re just a ragtag group led by a commoner. There’s no victory for them! We must return victorious!!!”

Simultaneously, my platoon’s crossbowmen aimed at the enemy spear soldiers, who had pulled their spears back to pierce us and fired their crossbows.

It would have been best if all eight shots had hit eight people, but perhaps because we focused only on improving the capacity to move as one unit, or maybe because it was a real battle, our aim was unstable.

In reality, about 4 to 5 shots were hit.

Yet, those who had never experienced real combat and only focused on improving individual skills…

“…..”

“What the? Why are arrows suddenly flying at us? Watch out ahead!”

“Idiots! Look ahead and not at those getting hit by the arrows on the side!”

Such hits caused them to no longer maintain a unified front, and they began to falter.

I enjoyed watching the unit led by Johann, who had once looked down on me, crumble, but it was too early to let my guard down.

It was only courteous to completely ruin the career of an officer here if I were going to destroy them.

“Now’s the time! First line, clear the spears! Second line, follow the squad leader’s instructions and strike the enemy in front of you at once!”

Johann tried to counter as I gave the command and prepared for the attack.

My soldiers swiftly brushed aside the already crumbling enemy front line’s spears, and our second line punctured them, rendering them powerless.

Their spear defense was almost entirely broken by just that.

Johann’s soldiers, who didn’t even know how to properly form a formation in battle, seeing their allies struck down by spears and arrows, exclaimed,

“Damn, we’re doomed!”

“I thought we could win since we were trained by Captain Johann at the academy, but we can’t even touch them!”

“Are those bastards really rookies like us? Did the instructor deceive us?”

Morale plummeted as they sang high praises.

Seizing this opportunity to completely crush the enemy unit, I unsheathed my sword, entered their broken lines, and shouted,

“Johann’s lines have completely collapsed! Everyone, follow me and charge! Archers, put down your crossbows, and take up short swords, and follow!”

At the same time, I kicked an enemy soldier in front of me, knocking him down and striking him with my sword.

The feeling was like hitting a sandbag that was hard on the outside but soft on the inside with a baseball bat.

After knocking out an enemy soldier who was dazed and immobile, I hit another rushing towards me.

My soldiers, following me, took down Johann’s remaining soldiers one by one, shouting,

“We’ve won!”

“Put down your weapons and surrender, and we won’t hurt you!”

Johann, seeing this, decided to come at me with his commander’s sword.

He might’ve lost his sense due to the swift collapse of his unit, as everything about his attack was sloppy.

So, I tripped him and pinned him down, then punched him three times with resentment in my eyes, pointing my sword at his neck and saying,

“I, Peter Yaeger, have defeated Johann von Hauzenburk and his unit!”

The soldiers cheered, and the referee, an officer, declared with a surprised expression,

“The winner of the mock battle is Peter Yaeger!”

The audience began to buzz.

“Isn’t that senior the 4th year orphan? No matter how average Johann’s grades are, I can’t believe this is a fight between peers. Can an instructor even do that?”

“… Is it true they’re just rookies who trained for only a month? Yaeger’s unit seemed like an elite group playing with fresh recruits. Was he a hidden talent?”

“Johann’s officer career is over. Even if Yaeger’s unit was strong, this is a crushing defeat.”

Though there was some sympathy for Johann’s humiliating defeat, their interest was in the prospective officer, Peter Yaeger, who couldn’t flourish for four years because he was an orphan.

Based on their comments, my previous image as a bullied 4th-year senior was completely erased.

It was a more satisfying result than expected.

I hoped to perform similarly on the front lines in the future.

I finished the final match amidst their mixed reactions of admiration and astonishment. A week later, my unit and I were dispatched to the Raintlant front.