EP.10
Regardless of the poor people, the rich people, the good-looking people, the ugly people, all people live with a sense of inferiority, even if there are differences in degree.
People who are good-looking but do not have a stable income envy ordinary-looking, highly educated employees of large corporations, and people who have achieved success through studying are jealous of people who enjoyed love and pleasure in their youth.
A feeling of inferiority felt towards someone who has something that one wants but cannot have.
Therefore, people who achieve great achievements or success receive jealousy and envy from those who do not.
Since entering the academy, I have never achieved enough success to give others a sense of inferiority.
When I won the last mock battle, I only proved that I was capable of being a commander, but people other than Johan, who lost so cruelly, just thought it was a strange incident.
But this time is different.
“A commoner who was lucky enough to enter the academy dares to step forward and surpass me, Gustav Haubringer…”
“What a lowly scum he is, running wild without even knowing where he is going. “If you go forward like that without even knowing the subject, it will be like digging your own grave.”
“The Francois Republic will soon become an empire. “To see a noble as high as a battalion commander being murdered by a commoner.”
To me, who had been assigned to the front line as a student platoon leader and had accomplished the feat of destroying a battalion before the student platoon leaders, who were high-ranking noblemen, could even adapt to the front line.
The fact that they were sincerely envious and jealous of me, who had lived as a lowly commoner orphan, and wanted to disparage my achievements in any way possible washed away the sense of inferiority I had toward nobles.
As I was savoring my current situation, which was much better than before, I heard a voice calling me from the podium.
“Student Platoon Leader Peter Yeager! “Go up to the stage.”
It was a low platform with only 10 steps because it was a battlefield, but as I climbed each step, I felt the envious gaze of the officers, especially the student platoon leaders, on the back of my head.
Without exaggerating at all, I feel like all the humiliation I received after entering the academy has been completely washed away.
Of course, I have no intention of being satisfied here.
There were many people on the podium who called me, such as the division commander, adjutant, regiment commander, deputy division commander, and chief of staff, all of whom had ranks that were difficult for nobles to rise to.
There was a student platoon leader next to people who had the rank of at least major or brigadier general, so I felt small and a little sad for some reason.
Not long after, the division commander came up to the stage with the military band playing, tapped my shoulder and smiled.
In normal times, even if he had achieved quite a great feat, there was no way that a noble officer, even a division commander who was close to the top of the board, would show such affectionate behavior towards a student platoon leader… But
before he was a nobleman, he was a soldier who put his life on the line for promotion.
In particular, the eyes of the entire core of the imperial army were focused on this front, as it was a stage prepared by the crown prince to make his first military achievement in his life.
Depending on how you show here, your promotion to lieutenant general, general, or marshal depends on how you show up.
Although he didn’t do anything, the student platoon leader, a commoner who was mostly treated as nothing more than a piece of luggage, wiped out a battalion and even took off the head of the battalion commander…
I guess he treated him so intimately because he wanted to boast about his ability.
After organizing my thoughts, I immediately responded by giving my rank.
“Student Platoon Leader Peter Yeager!”
“Looking at you, I understand why His Majesty the First did not place restrictions on the status of entering the academy! Very good, then let’s get started!”
At those words, I took a slanted, attention-grabbing stance, and the dedicated adjutant spoke loudly as if making a declaration.
“Student Platoon Leader Peter Yeager responded to the Empire’s call at the academy and applied to become a platoon leader. In his first outing, he stood at the vanguard of the company, killed three wizards, contributed greatly to reducing the company’s sacrifice and annihilating one battalion of the Francois Republic, and was appointed battalion commander. He raised the dignity of the empire by directly suppressing it.”
It was certainly an incredible thing for a student platoon leader, no better than a second lieutenant, to annihilate a battalion in the Francois Republic and kill the battalion commander.
For empires and other countries that currently have more than a dozen divisions, this level of damage is a new blood loss.
So, strictly speaking, we should say that the name spread only to the Rhineland front. Good is good.
“Thus, Division Commander Stefan von Bolt, acting on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor, in accordance with his lawful authority, commissions Peter Jäger as second lieutenant and awards him the Silver Cross, 2nd Class and corresponding awards.”
In my heart of hearts, in fact, I almost certainly expected to be promoted to second lieutenant and awarded an appropriate medal.
This is because a student platoon leader contributed greatly to the destruction of the battalion, so it was appropriate to appoint him directly with the authority of the division commander.
However, since it is second class, it is lower in rank than first class, but I never expected that they would even award the Silver Cross.
This is because the Silver Cross is only awarded to veterans of the rank of major or higher, or to soldiers or commanders recognized as great aces who have repeatedly accomplished great feats.
At the same time, it is said that most of the commanders who received this medal before becoming a major were promoted to major and discharged regardless of their origins, so the path to becoming a general has been opened to some extent.
They say that success requires not only hard work but also luck, and the division commander is a person who is blind to promotions, so I am truly grateful for this, which is a great help.
“Thank you, Ensign Peter Yeager!”
At the same time, the division commander attached a medal to the right side of my uniform and attached a sword with fancy silver work to my waist.
“I hope to contribute more to the empire in the future, Ensign Jaeger.”
“Yes, I understand!”
Then the division commander looked at the officers looking up at me from below with expressions of satisfaction and said,
“Let other student platoon commanders contribute to the empire and raise the honor of their families by making achievements like Lieutenant Jaeger. With that, everyone disperses!”
**
The night I was promoted to second lieutenant, receiving the attention of all the officers and soldiers in the division.
The division commander acknowledged that our 4th Company had made special achievements and exempted us from all guard and watch duties for three days.
Even the officers and soldiers of our company started drinking.
“Then once again! Cheers to our youngest who was promoted from student platoon leader to second lieutenant!”
When the company commander finished his toast, the officers except me also shouted loudly in response.
“Congratulations on your promotion!”
“At first I thought it was just a load of luggage, but it turned out to be a lot of luck!”
Even if I get promoted, I will be behind the second lieutenants in front of me right now, but those people who have been successful in combat for more than a few years only receive the Bronze Cross or the Iron Cross, which are below the Silver Cross.
That’s why he could be jealous, but instead of showing any signs of being that way, he’s just happy.
Those people who are senior in the company are a little behind me, but thanks to this victory, I got a lot of the personnel evaluations necessary for promotion.
The company commander also has a significant experience added to his resume when he is discharged from the military after completing his career as an officer and goes to a place like the security guard.
In other words, thanks to the new student platoon leader, everyone was confident in the review, making it possible.
“Isn’t this all possible because my senior platoon commanders taught me well?”
“When I went to war, it was only 2 days after I was assigned, so we didn’t even have a chance to teach you? You speak well! This is a friend I like even more. “Anyway, since you’ve been promoted, you can buy our drinks!”
“2nd platoon leader, stop harassing our poor lieutenant!”
And I constantly drank alcohol given to me by senior platoon leaders who were at least 7 to 8 years older than me and had experience as non-commissioned officers.
It was my first time drinking so much alcohol in both my previous life and this life, so my eyes were spinning and my stomach was nauseous.
Is it because of the fact that he is recognized by senior officers?
Even the headache caused by alcohol felt slightly better, and I began to look forward to the future.
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After drinking like that for about an hour, I went outside to sober up a bit and take a pee.
The cool night air cooled my heated face and I came to my senses, but then I heard a conversation coming from the battalion barracks next to us.
“Martin! This time, our student platoon leader was ruined. “If I go back to school without performing as well as a commoner… I’ll be graduating soon, so the promotion to major is almost a breeze!”
“As a member of the Hauria Baron family, I have to reach the rank of lieutenant colonel when I retire to avoid the family’s shame. I was relieved that the battlefield situation was better than I expected. “What the f*ck!”
“You are better than me. I feel like shit just thinking about it. The company commander and deputy company commander told me that for the next month, I should think of myself as a puppet that only does what I am told and follow orders. “If it gets recorded…”
When I heard those words, a shiver ran down my spine and all the alcohol left me.
The reason I was shocked was not because I was angry or surprised that the Academy nobles were so jealous of me, but because I had a premonition of a bigger disaster.
What would I do in a situation where the things I need to manage from now on in my career in preparation for my long-term service as a commander are being compared to me, who is unrivaled, and is being criticized?
In the novel, it is also said that the reason our troops were pushed back on the Rhineland front was because the Francois Republic army attacked the student platoon commanders, who acted on their own out of greed for success, thinking that this was their chance, and swept them away.
Watching them talk, I can clearly see that if Francois throws any kind of bait at any time, they will turn into dogs blinded by public exploits and run out to bite him.
When I was interviewing at the Academy in the past, I told a story similar to that one.
Damn it, this is why you f*cking brats can’t do it.
Even if you were an inexperienced student like me, if you had trained the platoon you were entrusted with well, you wouldn’t have been in that situation, but the students who couldn’t do that are just complaining without knowing their own skills.
And for the next few days, Francois’s army and the Reich’s army did not fight, and during that time I thought about how to overcome this crisis.
If I use this crisis as an opportunity, I will be able to move to the next step.
A word from the author (author’s review)
Please look forward to seeing what direction the crisis will take.
See next episode
