Chapter 343
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
All Quiet on the Southern Front?
Translator : PolterGlast
When the winter of the Kyle Year 515 ended and the soft
spring sunlight began to melt the snow covering the peak of Mt. Teigoon,
far to the south in the new territory of the Griffonia Empire, there was a man working busily day after day,
contrary to his own wishes. For the past few months, he had been working
diligently almost without rest.
The Big Bridge Fortress, constructed as the linchpin
of the defense of the new Empire territory.
In front of his office, where he was stationed permanently, a large number of
military and civil officials stood in line, rapidly seeking reports and
approvals, and on his desk, reports and approval documents were piled high.
「Lord Operations Commander, regarding
the notified operational movements, we have received organizational reports
from each unit. Please confirm.」
「Confirmation for what? If they are
doing exactly as I instructed, you can just confirm it yourself.」
「Lord Vanguard Legion Commander,
periodic report letters have arrived from the various regional armies. Please
confirm.」
「I told you before that if there are
no anomalies, detailed reports are unnecessary, and I just want you to settle
it with 『no
anomalies』, didn't
I?」
「Lord Logistics Controller, requests
for additional stockpiled food and deployment have arrived from various units.
Please give your approval urgently.」
「I told you food resupply would be 『sent sequentially through merchants』, didn't I? I also said, 『Consume the current stockpile until
it arrives.』 Does this
mean it's a different situation from that?」
「Lord Chief Administrator, regarding
the newly constructed signal fire towers, we have received reports and requests
from various sites.」
「I should have told you that as long
as it is on the schedule I communicated in advance, and if it is necessary, I
don't need a report every single time for what is procured within the budget.」
「Lord Governor of the New Territory,
the merchants have requested a meeting to report on the investigation they were
commissioned with, but...」
「Ah, I'm busy right now... no, I'll
listen to their report as soon as I finish up here, so ask them to wait a bit.」
「Chief of Staff of the Garrison Army,
please give a report on the latest trends of each country and the deployment
status in response to them...」
「I'm about to do that right now,
so... wait, why is Your Highness here? Please give me a break.」
「Hahaha, you're working quite
diligently, aren't you. That's a good thing.」
Saying so, the Third Prince (Grat) laughed. He
currently had Sieghart hold various posts concurrently, throwing not
only the operational movements of the occupied territory they held, but also
military and political affairs entirely to him, while he himself specialized in
inspecting the front lines and pacifying the soldiers.
Initially, to make things easier for himself, Sieghart
abolished the waste and inefficiency of political affairs, and while giving
discretion to the local sites, he unified the chain of command to eliminate
injustice and incorrect instructions, but... His overly perfect command and
control corrected deficiencies, and in the process of streamlining the
inefficiency of instructions and orders, it also birthed a small negative
effect.
Originally a muscle-brained group leaning towards warriors,
the middle-ranking commanders in the occupied territory who were used to the 『loose』 system until now lost their confidence in the face of their
perfect superior's commands and orders. They hesitated to exercise the authority
granted to them, and became anxious unless they checked every single thing with
him. That matter was currently in a transitional period, and it weighed on Sieghart
as a heavy pressure.
「Your Highness, this is no laughing
matter. I feel like I'm going to use up a lifetime's worth of diligence right
here. Because I am a person far removed from diligence in the first place, you
know.」
「I would appreciate it if you could
understand my struggles up to now even a little bit.」
「I mean, things have been way too
loose up to now! Because of that, there was a lot of work for the sake of work,
wasting time and resources, you know.」
「No, that's...」
「I understand that Your Highness's
soldiers are basically a group of muscle-brains. But they are far too sloppy!」
「For that... I am very grateful. So,
what about my question?」
Because the situation was far too unfavorable, Grat
forcefully changed the subject and sought the answer to his initial question.
「I will interview the merchants and
analyze the requested investigation and whether there are any other suspicious
points after this. A report based on that will be at night. If you want a
report based on information prior to that, I can give it right now, though?」
「Then please do it right now. I'm
heading to the eastern front lines again right away.」
「Tch, it's not fair that only Your
Highness...」
「If you going will raise morale, I
don't mind taking your place, but...」
「Even if I, with my disappointing
appearance, go, there's no way morale will rise!」
Grat could
only smile wryly. Sieghart himself is already hailed by the soldiers as
an undefeated famous general, a genius tactician, a wise general of both
politics and strategy, and his popularity is exceedingly high, with the
soldiers trusting him absolutely. If he goes to the front lines, although
perhaps not as much as Grat, the soldiers' morale will surely rise.
Whether his self-evaluation is simply exceedingly low, or perhaps... 『Hmph, he probably just simply hates
standing out.』
Grat could only think so.
「Status of each front line, no
anomalies. Deployment is being completed as scheduled. Stockpiles and
construction work are also proceeding as initially planned. There are no
notable movements in the trends of each country at present, and it is possible
to consider the possibility that the enemy's negotiations are not proceeding
well. If I had to say, I am concerned about the movements of the Istoria
Imperial Kingdom and surrounding countries, but we are leaving that to Lord
Takuhir. That is all!」
Saying so rapidly as if it were a hassle, Sieghart
took a breath and turned a serious face.
「What concerns me is that the enemy's
(First Prince's) movements are far too normal and sluggish, perhaps. Because
everything is exactly as expected.」
「Is it not because they are idiots?」
「Precisely because they are idiots!
Idiots sometimes have the possibility of pulling off things we can't even
imagine. Much less, I don't think the Old Raccoon is just sitting back and
watching the situation like this.」
「So, what will you do?」
「There is no 'what will I do'.
Because there are no movements at all. However, I am somehow not convinced...」
「What happens if we just keep glaring
at each other like this?」
「That is also a problem. The longer
the encampment, the more war expenses it costs. Because our numbers are what
they are...」
「War expenses are no joking matter,
but the soldiers are also getting tired of it, is that what you mean?」
It had already been nearly half a year since they deployed
the army corps to the front lines. They are rotating them to rear duties and
transferring positions to some extent, but even so, the soldiers were beginning
to get tired of the long-term inconvenient life on the front lines. That is
precisely why Grat is taking the trouble to patrol the front lines and
maintain morale.
「Yes, the worst thing is receiving a
surprise attack when the soldiers have grown tired of the encampment and let
their guard down. Right now, their very silence is incredibly eerie.」
「Indeed, even the Sura
Principality, which was once full of fighting spirit, has become quiet like
a lie. They don't even pay attention to the openings you prepared to provoke
them anymore.」
Yes, there were three anticipated invasion routes from the Sura
Principality. The highways on the south side, the center, and the north
side of the vast border line. In response to that, Sieghart had deployed
armies near the border as preparation in the south and north, but intentionally
did not deploy an army only in the center. There is no military force blocking the
highway in the center of the border, and they could advance straight to the
fort of Big Bridge here. However, the Sura Principality was
eerily watching quietly.
Actually, there was a reason for this. It was merely that
negotiations regarding post-war compensation with Duke Harry had not
reached a conclusion, but they had no way of knowing such circumstances.
『I should be dealing with everything
that can be anticipated. So
what is this anxiety? Is there still something I'm overlooking...』
This was Sieghart's thought recently. A
one percent possibility—there was simply no leeway
to deploy an army for something like that. If one
were to entertain such notions, the Empire would have to consider the
possibility of invasion across every inch of its vast territory and respond
accordingly. Since it was impossible to cover everything, there was no
choice but to implement countermeasures only where deemed necessary and, from
there, arrange a plan for victory. He is
proceeding with responses in order of the highest anxiety factors, analyzing
the movements of each country and the situation as far as he could learn.
However...
Pondering so, Sieghart raised his face.
「For the time being, I would like to
receive Your Highness's permission to use the reserve funds.」
「Reserve funds... ah, you mean that?
I should have already told you I leave it entirely to you, but...」
The reserve funds were the internal affairs budget Grat
had newly obtained under the pretext of developing the new territory. Up to
now, because there were gold coins generated through Sieghart's internal
affairs efforts, commercial transactions, and other governance capabilities,
they had not touched that.
「Of course I don't mind, but... do
you need that much?」
「I might need it, that's about it.
When the time comes, I'll use about half of it, you see.」
「!!!」
Grat
unconsciously swallowed his breath. To use an amount reaching 200,000 Imperial
gold coins nonchalantly?
「Well... if you say you need it,
don't mind using it.」
「You won't ask for what purpose?」
「You’re likely thinking of something
no good anyway, right? If it's not clear at this point, there's no point in
asking about it here and now.」
In front of Sieghart's office, military and civil
officials waiting their turn were still lined up. In such a situation and at
this place, Grat had no intention of going into every little detail
either.
「Hahaha, that loose part of yours,
Your Highness, is exactly why I find being around you so comfortable.」
「Weren't you just criticizing that a
moment ago? Then I'll continue to rely on your actions as an expression of your
gratitude. I asked what I wanted to ask, and I will head to the front lines.」
Leaving those words behind, Grat walked away briskly.
「Thank you very much. You have my
gratitude...」
Bowing his head and seeing him off, Sieghart, who raised his face again, was floating a grim smile. It was a face expressing his determination to do it without caring about appearances from now on.
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