Upon returning from the field, the very first thing I did was relocate the General Staff.
Now, listen up, the General Staff isn’t the Field Army Headquarters. It doesn’t need to be stationed near the frontline, and quite frankly, it shouldn’t be. Too close, and it becomes vulnerable to enemy sneak attacks, leading to chaos in command.
That’s why, up until now, the General Staff had its base at a fortress on the Dedolant border—land occupied by the Empire. But then the Imperial Army broke through Dedolant’s defenses and was practically breathing down the neck of their royal road. A glance at the map showed that the Empire had already taken over more than half of Dedolant.
Thus, it was high time to move the General Staff as well to coordinate all ongoing operations.
“Alright, let’s relocate the General Staff here.”
Under my instructions, the new flag was planted not just anywhere, but right smack in Setongrad—the ancient stronghold of the old Dedolant kingdom. A grand declaration of our victory, don’t you think? Perfect for the entire continent to witness.
Sure, Dedolant might be furious about this, but oh well. If they don’t like it, they can try something. Though, knowing how things have gone so far, I doubt they’ll get very far.
*
With the General Staff now closer to the action, tasks came pouring in like waterfalls.
I hadn’t even had time to catch my breath from the relocation, and now the workload had doubled.
“Sir Chief of Staff, we’re receiving detailed reports on the status of all the legions. Some of these require your immediate review…”
“The legions are requesting fresh recruits and reinforcements. In some cases, the numbers exceed a thousand per legion. There’s even one demanding close to three thousand…”
“There’s been a growing number of reports of supplies being damaged by recent heavy rains. And to add insult to injury, the roads we’ve been using are now a big headache. Some are urging us to find solutions soon…”
For crying out loud! Work, work, work! As soon as I return from a short break, it’s like a tidal wave of tasks slams into me. Between the Benito and Artria frontlines, I had enough on my plate already, but now this?
Sure, I hired some new staff, but none of them can replace the Chief of Staff. What that means? I’m going to have to work like a dog again today!
“Please relay to the relevant parties that I’ll review all urgent matters and dispatch the necessary responses today. Important reports should come in before it’s too late.”
“For the issue of recruits and reinforcements, kindly inform them that they’ll have to wait. I haven’t heard anything definitive from the War Ministry either.”
“As for the supply damage, I’ve already sought assistance from not just the War Ministry but the Ministry of Land as well. Resolving the road situation will likely be the quickest fix.”
I suddenly understand why our venerable Mr. Gongming died from overwork. Even someone like me, who’s always been confident in my physical endurance after years of rigorous training under the Klawitz family, is now starting to feel the strain.
Heaven forbid, I’m handling military affairs alone, but think about Gongming who had to oversee everything as a prime minister while plotting strategy for the future. If this is hard on me, he probably didn’t even sleep for years.
I mean, if he didn’t collapse from exhaustion, he was practically an immortal. Immortal, I tell you!
“Sir Chief of Staff! Here are the next set of reports!”
GAAAHH!!! Enough already! If this keeps up, the Chief of Staff is going to d*e of a heart attack before this war’s over!
Every task I complete brings two more. Complete those, and four more pop up. I deal with those, and before I know it, sixteen more pile in. Frantically trying to handle them doesn’t help. There’s no end to the workload.
And it doesn’t even get smaller. In fact, it grows. While Crown Prince of Benito handles the diplomatic side, the external elements still involve me. The Imperial Army is occupying Dedolant, and it’d be absurd if the Chief of Staff wasn’t keeping track of what’s happening.
It’s even worse on the Artria front. There, the fighting is still ongoing, and unlike Benito, the nobles there refuse to surrender. They’re stubbornly grinding their teeth and fighting to the bitter end. What’s their deal anyway? Apparently, they’ve been pumped up with something, I hear.
“Our biggest problem, though, is still Dedolant.”
After hearing rumors that something might be happening involving their king, King Cassius II, Dedolant has fallen eerily silent in their defensive posture. While we’re slowly chipping away at their defenses, it’s strange how quiet they’ve become. Those crazy guys usually cause trouble but are now eerily silent, which is oddly unsettling.
“Kael, do you need a hand?”
The princess appeared in my office, visibly distressed by the state of things and willing to offer her assistance. She can’t help with the important matters, but surely she can assist with more general tasks.
“Your help would be much appreciated, Your Highness Princess.”
“Phew, what is all this? Stop joking around, Kael.”
“If you don’t believe me, then how about this: Would you believe it if I told you this is only a fraction of what I have to handle today?”
“Only a fraction? Are you serious?”
As the princess gawked at the mountain of work on my desk—and the one behind it, which I revealed with a sorrow-filled smile—her jaw practically hit the floor.
“I was under the impression the war was winding down, and I’d have more free time.”
“Unfortunately, that’s the saddest part. Once the war ends, the top brass will still be busy. In fact, it may even get worse. Now might actually be the ‘calmer’ part.”
Consider: What will happen to Artria and Dedolant after the war? How should we deal with the enemy leaders captured? Should we send the troops home? How many? And in what order?
And this is just a small part of what I’ll need to take care of after the war ends. Just listing the big ones gives me a headache.
“What can I do to help? Where should I start?”
“First, we’ll need to reclassify all these documents. Separate the frontline matters from the homeland logistics issues…”
At that moment, a knock interrupted us, followed by an aide peeking in cautiously.
“Sir Chief of Staff, I apologize for disturbing you during work hours, but there is a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“It’s General Paelus of Dedolant, one of those who surrendered. He wishes to meet with you.”
“Very well, please show him in.”
It seems he’s made up his mind one way or another. Ideally, I’d prefer a positive result, but I’ll deal with what comes.
A few moments later, General Paelus entered the office, nodded a respectful bow my way, and then, noticing the princess, stared at me in slight surprise.
“Do you wish to discuss anything personal?”
“If I could.”
“Unfortunately, since I share quite a bit with Her Highness the Princess, it might be redundant to keep things private. I was going to relay everything to her anyway. It would be far more efficient to just say it once.”
Currently, she’s even helping me out with some of the Chief of Staff duties.
“The Princess knows nothing that would cause an issue.”
“Seeing as the Chief of Staff says so…”
General Paelus nodded, accepting the invitation to sit down, and I offered him a cup of tea. Watching him sip it, he suddenly gazed at me inquisitively.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“People in high office, it’s inevitable, subconsciously develop an air of authority. However, I see none in you.”
“Perhaps it’s because I’m young?”
“Hardly. Age matters little. Many in power acquire this aura and subsequently falter under its weight.”
“I see. Well, I guess that explains the reason why the Emperor chose me for this role.”
“Don’t expect me to flatter you. Not that you’ll get much anyway.”
“Ha! Rest assured, I am fully aware.”
General Paelus chuckled lightly, taking another sip of his tea before lapsing into silence, seemingly organizing his thoughts. Meanwhile, the princess enjoyed her tea leisurely, waiting for him to proceed.
“Sir Chief of Staff, I’ve reviewed every material you previously gave me for diversion.”
“Well, then let’s get to the point.”
“Do you swear that the information you’ve provided is genuine?”
“Absolutely. I swear on my loyalty to the Empire, without the slightest hint of deceit or manipulation. And I swear this in front of the Princess here.”
“Have there been any new developments since you last provided this information?”
“Other than the fact that Dedolant is strangely quiet even as our troops are advancing toward their royal road, no.”
“…I see.”
General Paelus gripped his teacup tightly, steadied his breathing, and glanced at a tactical map of Dedolant placed on the table.
“A map with tactical defense points and fortresses, I presume?”
“Yes.”
“Destroying those fortresses is indeed a good plan. However, an even more effective approach would be to attack Dedolant’s remaining supply depots.”
“Are you aware of their locations, General Paelus?”
The princess’s question elicited a small nod from General Paelus.
“Our command concealed them well. Even if the Imperial Army had intel, the sheer number of bluffs would make it hard to discern truth from fiction.”
“I see.”
“I will help. Whatever I can do to assist. In return, however, I have one condition.”
Oh war, please, please, end already.
For their soldiers, for my soldiers, let everyone return safely to their homelands.
