I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy

EP.249

Baron Spiegelmann took me straight to his office.

Then, as soon as the door closed, he came towards me with a harsh force that made me feel like he was going to grab me by the collar, and started swearing at me.

“You son of a bitch! I heard that the pigs of the Reich Empire like to eat sausages out of their backs, but they only know things with their mouths that are dirtier than excrement. “A dirty bastard, a devil, worse than a heretic.”

I was momentarily surprised by the outpouring of verbal abuse that, if I had heard it under any other circumstances, would have made me pull out my sword and challenge him to a duel, but I wasn’t angry.

In fact, it felt good to hear such words from the enemy because it was the best reward a commander could receive.

“Thank you for the compliment. After today’s meeting, I have to brag to my family. “Okay, could you please write down what you said just now?”

“Do you have any hobbies that make you feel like you’re being sold on by a man? “I never would have thought that Captain Jaeger was a homosexual worse than a heretic.”

“Even though I look like this, I am a person who likes women enough to have four wives. However, no matter what country’s academy it is, I was taught that it is a great compliment to be criticized by an enemy who is cornered. Haven’t you just confessed that you’re in such a corner that there’s nothing you can say to me other than swearing? So it’s an honor for the family.”

As soon as Spiegelman heard what I said, his face became red as if he was so angry that it turned red and started to burn.

I ignored him, shrugged my shoulders, and spoke threateningly.

“The reason I came here is to advise you, the mayor of Gryffino Castle, to surrender unconditionally. “Are you willing to surrender?”

“How could I, as the head of the honorable Baron Spiegelmann family who serves His Majesty the Grand Duke of Warsaw, surrender to an enemy nation? And because of your mistake, all of the serf citizens in our castle are truly resenting the Reich Empire. So, Captain Jaeger, after you leave this castle, as long as you incite their hatred towards the empire, we can fight again.”

As he said, if we fuel the anger of the people who lost all their property to the Reich Empire, the morale of those in this castle who can fight will be restored.

If you think about common sense, how many people would believe that if the person who burned everything said, ‘If you surrender, I’ll save you’.

With just a little stimulation, their thoughts will change like this.

‘If we’re going to die anyway, let’s take at least one Reich Empire bastard as a comrade to the underworld.’

If all the soldiers and citizens fighting in this castle fight with that kind of determination, it is as clear as day that our troops will suffer enormous losses.

And judging by the Baron’s eyes, expression, and voice, it looks like he’s really prepared to die here…

When negotiating with this guy, threatening him with death if you don’t surrender won’t have any effect. Let’s use a different strategy.

“It is useless to threaten to kill someone who is ready to die. Okay then, let’s change the story a bit. Mayor Spiegelman You already know. “The fact is that His Majesty the Grand Duke of Warsaw used it as a way to throw away Grypino Castle and all its people.”

“You did not abandon it. However, for the victory of the Grand Duchy, everyone at Gryffino Castle, including me, follows His Majesty’s orders and defends the castle. Well, the best thing is for you to step away on your own.”

“You are truly crazy to serve such a foolish archduke even though you know he has been abandoned. But if you die like that, what’s left?”

In fact, such questions are meaningless to nobles who risk their lives.

This is because those who are born as nobles are thoroughly educated to live for honor rather than life.

There are many cases of people committing suicide by hanging rather than losing their honor and living a miserable life.

“Honor remains.”

So, if you want to appease a nobleman like this, you just have to destroy his reputation.

“Dying for the person who abandoned you may seem cool on the outside, but in reality, it is nothing more than a dog’s death. In addition, your name was not on the bribe ledger I obtained last time, but the officials belonging to Gryffino Castle were very corrupt. If I were the archduke, I don’t think I would even trust you. If you couldn’t trust me so much, would you have planted a division here that protects the western coast under your influence and prayed for it to die? “If the Archduke had thought of you at least, he would have ordered you to take the soldiers and families from Gryfino Castle and join the main army.”

As an administrator, he will understand the truth of what I said.

If the Archduke had taken Baron Spiegelmann’s position into even the slightest consideration, he would have taken out all of the troops from Gryfino Castle, including him, in order to gather even more troops and stage a revolution.

However, until now, they must have been trying to avert their eyes due to the nobles’ unique sense of honor and mission.

A devil named Peter Yeager appears there and even tempts them by saying that they would be upset if they were so unfairly purged by the enemy’s sword, which would drive them crazy.

“But what is the result? Even though I found no evidence of your guilt, there were many corrupt officials under your command, so I can only see the archduke’s prejudiced view that Mayor Spiegelmann must also be corrupt. He, like nearly 150,000 citizens, dies while protecting this huge castle. Your honor will remain, but what if you feel sorry for your family? Even under these circumstances, would you be willing to die for the Archduke?”

I could see his emotions fluctuating as if what I was saying sounded plausible.

After that, he looked at me and shouted as if he was going to kill me at any moment.

“……You heretic Satan!”

Seeing him spewing profanity like that seems to have stimulated his subconsciously hidden emotions and made him angry.

Now, that person will begin to feel the fear of death that he had been trying so hard to suppress.

He must be getting angry like that to somehow cover it up.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

Spiegelman immediately perked up his ears at my words.

“If you open the gate now, I will save you and your family. In addition, all the people will survive and be able to return to their daily lives. In addition, I will use all my authority as commander of the expeditionary force to ensure that this city is restored as quickly as possible.”

“…….”

“For your information, one of my wives is a princess. In addition, my other father-in-law is the Marshal of the Imperial Army. So, if I petition you, you will be able to live comfortably with your wife and receive a pension for opening the gates and surrendering. Also, if you have a son, you will be guaranteed the same opportunity as other nobles to become an administrator at the Imperial Academy.”

With my sole authority as commander of the expeditionary force, I can at least save the lives of Spiegelman and his family.

Also, if you succeed in securing Gryfino Castle, you can use it as a supply base for supplies used in this Warsaw expedition.

In that case, the rear supply unit will focus on rebuilding around this city for future expeditions.

Additionally, what if you put in a little effort and write a petition?

Spiegelmann will receive a pension in return for handing over a huge city of over 150,000 people without shedding a drop of blood, but he will also receive the title of baron and a fiefdom elsewhere.

Because this is something that should be given without my recommendation or petition.

“In addition, you will receive the honor that your current lord, the Archduke of Warsaw, would bestow upon the entire family of Baron Spiegelmann, who is now buried in the land. The form may be a little different, but isn’t it more important to enjoy life than to be honored in death? “This will be the same for your people.”

At those words, Spiegelman looked at me with the eyes of someone who has given up everything and said,

“I will open the gate immediately.”

“Let’s go together.”

The two of us went out that way, and Baron Spiegelmann walked around the entire castle and said, ‘If you’re going to die, seek light in the Reich.’ He advised everyone.

When Spiegelman, his only spiritual support, broke, the castle gate opened faster than expected.

And I went into his office with Spiegelman and Laura Anya.

“As you know, if you are on our side, wouldn’t it be of great help to the future of the Spiegelman family to help the empire as much as possible?”

Spiegelman responded to my words with a voice full of doubt.

“That’s right.”

“So, please write me several letters. About a few hundred pieces. “You know what it’s about, right?”

“… Rather than being innocently purged by the crazy Archduke, would you rather come to the Reich Empire and live a comfortable retirement with me?”

It is said that once a person has been defeated once, the second time is very easy.

Who would have thought that he would have no hesitation in writing a letter that could be a fatal blow to the Archduke of Warsaw, who had been loyal to him only a few dozen minutes ago.

Thinking like that, I looked at Spiegelmann’s expression and his face clearly showed the sense of betrayal and disappointment he felt towards the Archduke.

No, if it was because of his intense anger at having his innocent self thrown up, it would be more correct to say that he realized the truth rather than being broken.

“Let me stamp it with my seal and your seal and send it to the army under the Archduke.”

The Archduke has already become so excited about the sword that no officer among the corrupt will be stabbed and turn to us after seeing this.

However, the Archduke is now very suspicious because of the ledger I sent him…

Now that he is in the midst of fighting, he will suppress it at all costs, but after the war is over, he may escape reality by claiming that his defeat was due to ‘traitors’.

Then the military of the Grand Duchy will be in shambles, and the empire will be safe from now on.

A word from the author (author review)

Thank you, reader.

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