I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy Chapter 38

EP.38

Three days after receiving an order from the Crown Prince to carry out a mission as an advance reconnaissance party.

The Jaeger Battalion I led arrived at the border between the Reich Empire and Czechia, and I ordered a night’s rest to recharge the soldiers’ stamina and boost their morale.

Thanks to my instructions, even the soldiers and non-commissioned officers were able to enjoy alcohol and food to their heart’s content in the village.

To discuss our next policy after crossing the border, I called the company commanders and Laura and started a meeting.

“Then, from now on, in order to carry out His Highness the Crown Prince’s orders, this battalion commander will convey the Jaeger Battalion’s future policy. First of all, everyone here knows this, but I’ll say it again. Our role is proactive reconnaissance. “Our job is to understand the topography of the Visocia region, which will be the battlefield where the main force of over 40,000 men fight, and the number of enemy positions.”

What I just told them is basic information that everyone in the Jaeger Battalion, from junior officers like second lieutenants to privates, knows.

Therefore, I only mentioned it to draw attention and prepare for getting into the main topic.

The important story starts now.

“However, His Highness the Crown Prince has granted us the discretion to do anything within the scope of our responsibility, except for an all-out war with an active offensive by the entire battalion or an act of massacre of civilians. I have a plan to actively use this discretion to gain advantage before a full-scale battle begins. Are you interested?”

As I made my fortune like this, the company commanders looked at me with their eyes shining with joy that what was to come had come and said,

“I will trust and follow the battalion commander! Anything you give it to me, I’m ready to do!”

“Shouldn’t we seize the opportunity when it comes?”

“Just give me the command and I will jump into the fire!”

Whether in the Reich Empire or Korea, which have a strong medieval fantasy feel, the soldiers seem to have the same desire to achieve merit.

Considering that the unit’s capabilities are maximized when subordinates and superiors move in unison.

With subordinates who actively follow my suggestions like this, no matter what strategy I attempt, it’s like half the effort.

Thinking like that, the corners of my mouth rose so high that I couldn’t hide them, and the commanders began to focus on my story with bright eyes, intent on making a military move.

“good night. Then, I will explain the full details of the operation. First, we will divide the unit into two. One detachment consisting purely of cavalry will be organized into the main unit, while the rest will perform an advance reconnaissance role. “The detachment will be composed of about 20 people carefully selected from all knight companies and infantry who can ride horses, and I will be in charge of commanding the detachment.”

The officers who heard this agreed to forming a separate unit from the battalion, but when they heard that the battalion commander would directly lead the separate unit, they looked at the faces of the people around them and gaped.

It is common for other officers under the commander to lead the detachment, but it must have felt unfamiliar to break that rule and have the battalion commander take the lead himself.

At that time, the 1st Company Commander, the Jaeger Battalion’s second-in-command, asked on behalf of everyone.

“I don’t understand why the battalion commander takes the risk. “If you are going to organize a separate unit and carry out an operation, wouldn’t it be better to appoint me or another company commander as the commander?”

“Certainly, if a separate unit had been organized in a normal battle, the command would have been entrusted to other officers, such as the 2nd company commander, as you said. “But this is far from the normal situation you are talking about.”

Then I took a breath and continued speaking.

“As everyone knows, Czechia has ordered a significant portion of its soldiers to be concentrated in the rear area, 20 days away from the border, to fight against His Majesty the Crown Prince, so there are not many troops in Visocia, our scouting area close to the border. Therefore, there is no significant risk even if we operate as an advance reconnaissance battalion. Still, it is very dangerous to cross the border and wander through enemy territory with a number of less than 20 people.”

Of course, since they go about their activities on horseback, they are unlikely to be easily chased and killed.

If we dismount from our horses, in the worst case scenario, there is a risk of being killed by the serfs or citizens living in the village.

Because our number is only about 20, if they feel like eliminating us at any time, they can mobilize farmers who are several times more numerous.

This is because even excellent swordsmanship and equipment have no business in front of numbers.

“Furthermore, the operation our separate unit will carry out this time is not to attack enemy soldiers on the battlefield, but to confuse the enemy forces. Therefore, it will require a high level of command that is incomparable to the tactics carried out by a general detachment. “The battalion commander believes that the person best suited to oversee this operation is me, Peter Yeager.”

As expected, the tactic I will use while commanding the detachment is a hit-and-run strategy based on guerrilla warfare developed by a small number of weak people to deal with a large number of strong people.

What if I entrusted a separate unit to the 1st company commander or others who lacked an understanding of these tactics and told them to attempt a guerrilla operation?

I just didn’t say anything to protect the pride of the 1st Company Commander and other officers.

It would be really fortunate if I came back with even mediocre results.

There is a high probability that the attempt will be discovered and the plan will fail, or in the worst case, the entire detachment may be killed by the enemy’s plan.

Then, not only the lives of my precious subordinates, but also the military careers of the officers under my command will be completely ended.

After summarizing the situation, I looked at the slightly sullen 1st Company Commander and said,

“So, while I am away, you will act on my behalf as the 1st Company Commander, lead the unit well, and thoroughly carry out your duties as an advance reconnaissance battalion. Otherwise, the enemy will think the advance reconnaissance unit is not coming and become suspicious. “It is no exaggeration to say that my life depends on you and the other commanders, as even I, who commands the detachment and the detachment, may fall into crisis.”

Strictly speaking, it has little to do with the role of the advance reconnaissance battalion and the lives of the detachment.

Usually, when people think that they are in charge of a big task, they work more passionately because they think that someone higher up trusts them and they want to live up to that expectation.

Also, in my view, the 1st Company Commander is a person who would do well as a company commander or a battalion commander in another unit, so if he performs reconnaissance duties with motivation, he will definitely get good results.

I will be able to leave behind a career as a commander who worked as a separate unit to confuse the enemy while conducting thorough advance reconnaissance.

“Now, finally, select two soldiers or non-commissioned officers from each infantry company who are good at riding horses and one wizard who is good at riding horses from each wizard company. We are leaving the day after tomorrow, so prepare well. In addition, Ensign Laura is coming with me.”

The meeting ended like that, and that night, our unit selected people from each company who were good at riding horses and formed a separate unit.

**

About a week after completing the formation of a separate unit.

The detachment I led succeeded in reaching almost the end of the Visocian region, using a crude map secured by the Crown Prince in advance.

I wanted to record detailed topographical information on the way here.

In order to perform the mission as a separate unit, we had to move while saving as much sleeping time as possible, so we only recorded the locations of large rivers, mountains, hills, villages or castles on the map we brought with us.

Still, when I was taking a break for a while, feeling relieved and feeling fortunate that no unexpected problems had arisen.

Corporal Velcro, who was on a mission with him in the separate unit, approached and said.

“There is smoke rising about 300 meters away from here. I think the only people who would light a fire like this in the mountains would be scouts or hunters. What would you like to do?”

When I heard that, I was inwardly delighted.

Because I didn’t find any traces of wild animals when I wandered around here, so it’s highly likely that the guys smoking are scouts.

“Let’s go immediately.”

So we finished our break and quickly moved to the place where we thought the guys were.

There were three people who appeared to be scouts resting there.

Moreover, even though they are scouts, ‘Can those Reich guys come in here already?’ He was resting in a state of relatively relaxed vigilance, without any sentries, perhaps because of his complacent thoughts.

So it would be most effective to attack them on horseback, but instead I just got a little more dirt on my face.

He then sent a signal to the detachment members behind him and ordered them to take cover if it seemed like I was in danger, and ordered them to surround me.

Having done this, lightly armed guys won’t be able to easily harm me wearing armor.

Even if a battle breaks out, I can handle them alone, but it is most advantageous to capture them while they are off guard.

In order to get them to let down their guard, I approached them in the same manner as a battalion commander would when checking the alertness of new soldiers, and spoke to them, making my presence known to them.

“Nice to meet you. I’m alive now. I am Lieutenant Sand Bauman of the 7th Regiment of the Palatinate Division of the Czech Republic Army. I got lost while scouting. “Please help me return to base.”

When I said that, the guy who seemed the tallest among the scouts came out and answered.

“Secret code…”

“When was the last time I lost my way and will I know the password today? Damn it… When I return to the unit, do you want me to punish you one by one, starting with your platoon leader?”

Then the soldier in front of me sighed and said, as if there was nothing he could do.

“I understand, Lieutenant. Then, let’s sit here and have a bite to eat. Miller, lieutenant, cook another bowl of porridge for him to eat.”

The moment he let his guard down and turned around, I covered the mouth of the soldier in front of me and made him kneel.

At the same time, the members of the separate unit also took advantage of that moment and shot crossbow bolts at the legs of the soldiers who were looking at me blankly, preventing them from moving and subduing them.

Now all I have to do is get some information out of them.

See next episode