Chapter 56
After the battle ended and the imperial army officers had roughly cleaned up the battlefield, they gathered in the tent to tally the battle results.
The officers, who hadn't even wiped the blood from their armor, leaned their tired bodies against chairs, but their eyes were full of vitality.
"The 10th Corps' total casualties are 4,829, of which 1,439 are deaths."
"The 8th Corps had 1,189 deaths and 3,291 wounded. A total of 4,480 casualties occurred."
The imperial army's losses mainly came from the 10th Corps infantry, which bore the brunt of the enemy's initial charge, and the 8th Corps, which endured the pressure in the center together until the kingdom army was completely neutralized.
Although the kingdom army put their relatively elite soldiers at the vanguard, they were no match for the imperial elite heavy infantry whose sole purpose was to endure while retreating.
"The 1st Provisional Corps suffered 472 casualties. The number of deaths is 117."
The 1st Provisional Corps, which waited in the rear and then supported the 10th and 8th Corps, faced a kingdom army that had already lost its momentum, so their losses were small, and,
"I'll report the combined losses of the entire cavalry! 51 deaths and 134 wounded!"
As the enemy cavalry decided to retreat quickly, the losses of the cavalry that raided the rear, which was mainly defended by conscripts, were negligible.
"Total casualties 9,966, deaths 2,796..."
Gerhart was surprised by the fact that they had finished with only about 25% losses despite facing an enemy more than 1.5 times their size on the plains, but,
"I'll report the enemy's damage situation."
As if it was too early for him to be surprised, Viktor himself began reporting the enemy's losses.
"The enemy's total force was about 65,000. Of these, about 30,000 are dead, and about 15,000 are wounded. About 30,000 were taken prisoner. The enemy cavalry escaped without significant losses."
"...Well."
Gerhart let out a low sigh at his report that half of the kingdom army was dead and half taken prisoner.
"This was an inevitable result. The 10th and 8th Corps had to withstand the enemy's attack when their morale was at its highest..."
"That's not what I meant, Deputy Commander Viktor."
Viktor, thinking Gerhart's sigh was due to the allied losses concentrated on the 10th and 8th Corps, spoke as if making excuses with a complex expression, but Gerhart carefully interrupted him.
"The enemy numbered 65,000, how could there be no losses on our side? The reason I couldn't speak properly was..."
"..."
Viktor carefully examined the expressions of the gathered officers.
The officers who had closed their mouths seemed to be squirming, holding back what they wanted to say, and Anna, standing behind, was looking at him with a deep smile.
And Gerhart,
"This, this... Ha. I can hardly speak. I've been on countless battlefields, but I don't remember seeing such an overwhelming result."
With a bright smile, he approached Viktor and patted his shoulder.
"I'm glad that such a capable general is in the empire. I'm already looking forward to what kind of story you'll write in the future."
"...Thank you, Commander."
When Gerhart acted like this, other officers and staff also stood up and gathered around Viktor.
"Did you intend this result from when you advanced the central forces?"
"Hmm... Yes."
"I was curious about why you left some troops in the rear despite our smaller numbers, but thinking about it now, their role was crucial!"
"..."
"You were amazing this time too!"
"...This victory was achieved thanks to everyone's hard work."
Officers praised Viktor, who had a strange expression, and staff approached to speak, and he answered one by one to those who spoke to him with a thoughtful face.
Although it varies depending on the situation, it's a common belief that when both sides' main forces are infantry and they engage in battle on the plains, the side with more troops has an advantage.
The officers, who had expected not a small number of casualties, praised Viktor's tactical insight and command, and the staff poured out questions about the specific details of the operation.
"At the end, we loosened the cavalry's encirclement to cause confusion among the enemy. In my opinion, thanks to that final movement, we annihilated the enemy without additional losses."
"Moreover, it was impressive how we kept that exit narrow and had cavalry waiting outside the encirclement to deal with those who came out."
"Deploying the infantry in a simple linear formation was also effective."
Some analyzed Viktor's strategy with awe instead of approaching him.
"Hmm..."
Gerhart watched such officers' behavior with satisfaction.
Having captured the enemy king and other high-ranking officials as prisoners, he considered the end of the war with the kingdom a foregone conclusion.
The kingdom no longer had the strength to refuse the empire's proposal.
If so, then the Empress' merit evaluation awaits afterward.
"...It won't take long."
Gerhart intends to retire and vacate his position whenever he feels Viktor is ready to become a symbol of the empire.
He thought that as long as all the officers were aware of Viktor's achievements like this, that day wouldn't be far off.
Sitting beside and watching Viktor, he,
-Clap!
"Well, although it seems you still have many questions, it's better to have such conversations after finishing work. We'll depart for Saint-Toire tomorrow, so finish cleaning up the battlefield and prepare for camping."
"Yes, understood!"
"Yes!"
He drew the officers' attention with applause and calmed them down.
"You take charge of cleaning up the battlefield."
"Yes."
"Brigade Commander Klaus. You prepare tents to accommodate the prisoners."
"Yes, Commander."
He distributed roles to the officers, and,
"I think it's not too late to enjoy the joy of victory after arriving at Saint-Toire. What do you think?"
"I agree."
"That's right, Commander!"
"Hmm, thank you. Don't get too excited, and make sure to finish everything properly. The meeting is dismissed."
He sent out the officers gathered in the tent.
"I'll take my leave as well."
"Hmm!"
Viktor, who had been staring at the documents with an expression difficult to read, also greeted Gerhart and naturally left the tent.
---
In the empty tent, he mulled over the battle results.
"..."
He thinks it's a natural result.
Although he's not a genius with excellent strategic, tactical insight, or command ability like Hannibal, he has the mini-map, tactical map, and thousands of years of human war experience.
Moreover, the Roman legionaries who faced Hannibal at Cannae were soldiers who had undergone months of training, while what he faced were armed civilians who couldn't even form proper ranks.
Even their so-called elite forces were insignificant compared to the imperial army, so their offensive ended quickly, and their formation collapsed much faster.
He thinks it's close to inevitable that he, solving an easier problem while copying the answer key, would receive a better report card than Hannibal.
-Tap! Tap!
Of course, he doesn't think that's a reason not to be happy about the victory.
After all, the empire achieved a great victory.
Having broken Guillaume's personal rule and captured him along with other high-ranking kingdom army officials as prisoners, an agreement with the Brotan Kingdom will be concluded in the near future.
"...Waaaah!"
"...Still... cleaning up..."
"...We didn't... lose..."
Even inside the tent, he can faintly hear the soldiers' cheering voices.
Rejoicing would be the normal reaction of an ordinary soldier.
In fact, several junior officers and soldiers approached him to talk about how fierce this battle was and how happy they were to have achieved victory.
Even the officers, including Gerhart, didn't hide their joy in victory.
-Tap!
"Ugh."
But why can't he rejoice in this?
Why does he hear the screams of the dead louder than the cheers of the victorious allies?
"..."
He looked at his thumb, which had started bleeding from being bitten too much.
Is it because he had lived a modern life far from death?
Is it because, unlike the perfect commander 'Viktor' he's acting as, inside he's just a weak human?
Or is it because no blood actually stained his hands?
-Tap! Tap! Tap!
Is it because blood flowed on the battlefield, not his own, but that of allies who moved trusting him?
Is it because, while making various excuses, he placed soldiers from the 8th and 10th Corps, not the 1st Provisional Corps, in the center where casualties were bound to be high?
-Tap! Tap!
To begin with, how can one feel joy in war?
War entails death.
The death of enemies is fine.
He realized long ago that he must be resolute about the enemy's death once on the battlefield.
What he's still not used to is not their deaths, but the deaths of allies he had conversed with just the day before.
Viktor, who had the same name as him and whom he had grown fond of, Ivan who liked him for not being of noble origin and refused transfer.
Georgi who boasted he was the best fighter in his village, Ilya who wanted to write poetry when he returned home.
Anton whose belongings were just packed in a bag to return home.
And, and...
"Huff... Huff..."
He can't recall.
The names of comrades, their faces that seemed they would always be remembered, are gradually disappearing from his memory.
He's afraid.
If even he forgets them, and their existence completely disappears.
Forgetting, forgetting, and forgetting again, he feels like he'll eventually forget even his sense of responsibility and become a person insensitive to death.
"Ugh..."
At times like this, he resents himself for choosing the military academy with a light heart, but it can't be helped.
Now he can't turn back.
He can't put it down.
Already, the blood of tens of thousands or more has stained his hands.
Already, the name Viktor has climbed high, stepping on a huge mountain of corpses and blood.
Doesn't he know?
That this world is designed to be engulfed in war, and this has nothing to do with his will.
Given such a world, all he can do is organize the continent as quickly as possible to end the war.
That for this, even if soldiers die, he must live on.
"...Ugh. Uugh."
Although he's disgusted with himself trying to rationalize his actions, his survival instinct somehow.
On the other hand, he also thinks about completely arming himself with self-rationalization.
If he just enjoys being called 'Great General Viktor' and justifies the deaths of others with the excuse that the world is like this, so it can't be helped.
If he focuses on the results and benefits he has created.
Wouldn't there be no need for such un-'Viktor'-like worries?
...If it were 'Viktor'.
If it were 'Viktor, the unparalleled great general'.
What would he have done?
"...Ah."
A green dot approaches the tent.
It must be Anna, who was performing duties outside.
None of his subordinates other than her tend to think of entering the tent when he's alone.
-Rustle. Rustle.
He tidied up his seat.
Wiped the blood from his mouth and hands, and neatly arranged the crumpled documents.
Rebuttoned the buttons he had undone, adjusted his collar again, and then.
-Flutter.
"Hmm, Anna. Did you finish your work well? If it's not all done yet, I could help a bit."
He greeted Anna, who had opened the tent and entered, as usual.
"...General."
"Hmm?"
She called him in a low voice and slowly walked towards him with her eyes slightly lowered.