The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 7: Ut Sementem Feceris, ita Metes

by Carlo Zen

  A massive waste of matériel.

  The profitless enterprise of war.

  An idiotic battle of human-capital attrition.

  When you fight so hard to repel them, refusing to be crushed, only for their energy to never flag or waver, even the hardiest soldier has no choice but to recoil from their fierce attacks.

  And if you succeed in repelling them, the feeling that remains is far from joyful. It hardly feels like a victory; you just get the dimmest sense that you were able to defend.

  Later, while wandering the battlefield snatching up the gear the enemy left behind or cleaning up and working on rebuilding the line, it’s very noticeable even if you wish it wasn’t…how all sorts of the enemy’s plentiful gear has to be deemed “origin unknown.”

  “This is strange. It can’t be that…,” Tanya grumbles as she gazes at the abandoned Federation Army tanks that dot the landscape just as the report from the defending troops described.

  The presence of Commonwealth tanks doesn’t bug her so much. As a hostile country, it’s not so out of the ordinary for their equipment to be on the eastern front. But what about the tanks from the catalogs of “neutral countries” sitting out there?

  “Huh? Who even knows where these tanks are from!”

  The ominous word lend-lease2 crosses my mind.

  I knew it. I anticipated this. But the shock of actually seeing it is impossible to describe.

  It’s not fair, I want to say.

  I hope you rot, I want to curse.

  No, wait. Tanya notices a strange feeling mixed in with her distress. Curse? You mean a libertarian like me thought to rely on a supernatural power?

  Of all the—! She can’t help but shudder.

  Are my thoughts being contaminated by God, the devil, or some similar notion?

  That’s erasure of me as a modern individual.

  When I think about how I might have taken a step closer toward the negation of my dignity, free will, and determination—a denial of everything that matters to me—all I feel is fear.

  It’s so horrible that simply suppressing the urge to vomit is a struggle.

  Wishing is just too superstitious. If I’m going to end up on the side of the cackling Being X, it’d be better to blow my brains out.

  Still, even while Tanya draws a clear line between praying and wishing, she can’t help but hope.

  Our reinforcements had better arrive tomorrow, as scheduled.

  APRIL 27, UNIFIED YEAR 1927, IN A VILLAGE NEAR THE FRONT LINES OF THE EAST

  A rare visitor. That is Tanya’s first impression of the colonel wearing the brilliant insignia of the General Staff.

  That said, she’s happy to see him.

  Colonel von Lergen has come to the quagmire of the eastern front bearing coffee beans and reinforcements. Only someone out of their mind who hates coffee and wants to monopolize the war would be unwelcoming.

  In other words, someone the exact opposite of extremely sensible Tanya. She doesn’t imagine she could understand them.

  So Tanya welcomes the incoming troops with a huge smile. Naturally, she doesn’t forget to return—with textbook style—the salutes of the officers leading the column.

  “I feel like it’s been ages, Captain Meybert, Lieutenant Tospan, Lieutenant Wüstemann.” Tanya grins as if to say, Nice work making it back, and then extends her respects to the colonel. “I owe you thanks for guiding them.”

  “What? No, it’s fine. I have business here anyhow.”

  “On the forward-most line of the eastern front?”

  “That’s right.”

  It’s not rare for a member of the General Staff to come observe things in the field, but Tanya stiffens up—Wait a minute—and Lergen lowers his voice.

  “I need to talk to you. Is there somewhere we won’t be disturbed?”

  “Sure, one moment.”

  She doesn’t even have to wonder what’s up. It must be important. Seems like anti-espionage operations are high priority as well. Though she wanted to brief the troops herself, she can leave that to her subordinates.

  With that settled, Tanya raises her voice. “Officers, gather up! Major Weiss, Captain Ahrens, fill in the returnees on the frontline situation! Lieutenant Grantz, you’re on duty while they’re doing that!”

  “““Understood!”””

  The snappy, disciplined response is encouraging.

  “Lieutenant Serebryakov, follow me.”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  I’ve participated in exercises where we practiced tactical operations without troops on military maps while General Staff oversaw us, but come to think of it, this is my first time getting a lecture from such a high-ranking staff officer as Colonel von Lergen.

  I have to stay on my toes, thinks Tanya as she tenses up again.

  “All right, let’s take a walk. This way, Colonel. Allow me to show you the front line.”

  With her adjutant guarding their rear, Tanya leads the way, heading for the aftermath of the battlefield that had only just calmed down after the recent fierce battle.

  She’s confident she can protect one colonel, but…she’s still anxious that there could be snipers or remnants of the defeated troops lurking about—it’s bad for Tanya’s heart.

  That said, they’ve mopped up already. Since a certain degree of safety is guaranteed, she gives him a rough explanation, describing the lay of the land while beginning to expand on how they’re preparing for the next defensive battle.

  This kind of report is rather normal, but since they’re on the forward-most line, there is wreckage of destroyed weapons and such all around.

  Perfect. She points out one of their most challenging foes. “…This is a defeated Federation main battle tank.”

  “Hrm?” Lergen’s eyes pop. He must be fairly perceptive.

  Happy for the opportunity, he approaches, shaking his head as he examines the armor itself. “…I’ve seen it on paper before, but in real life, the armor is surprisingly thick.”

  “It can defeat most attacks. According to my armored officer, even our tank guns can’t penetrate unless it’s at awfully close range.”

  “Makes sense.” Lergen grimly nods. “At this rate, most of the active main battle tanks will need to be downgraded to reserves. The pressure to upgrade is increasing.”

  Tanya and Visha maintain a respectful silence while Lergen openly heaves a sigh.

  “They may be our enemies, but…I envy them. They still have this much energy to spare? To think they can develop and commit new tanks like this…”

  Clong-clong—Lergen raps on the armor with a knuckle. His comments reveal his perspective on the situation as someone coming from the rear. That said, it’s probably the viewpoint of any staff officer confronted with the need to update primary equipment of whole armies.

  “Have you fought one of these things yourself?”

  “I’ve battled similar tanks several times,” Tanya responds, inviting Lergen’s follow-up.

  “So what’s your honest evaluation of them, having faced them before? Your personal opinion is fine.”

  “The skilled members of the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion can just barely break through the top armor. Current anti-tank doctrine won’t cut it anymore. We should assume that the ability of a normal aerial mage unit to combat tanks has been severely limited.”

  “No doubt about that. So they can even repel 57 mm shells, then?” He winces, mentioning in passing that he read that tidbit in a report. Lergen is an observer with integrity. He has no shortage of imagination and is capable of revising mistaken preconceptions. Truly a model staff officer.

  Which is why Tanya feels safe offering a bit of her personal opinion. “I’m not even sure 88 mm could do it. It’s an evolution of dinosaurs, but everything on the eastern front does change abnormally fast.”

  “So just reading the briefs isn’t enough. You really can’t get a sense for things unless you come out and see it for yourself. They say the devil is in the details, but
the field has a quality all its own.”

  “What the General Staff needs is experience on the front. With all due respect, this is a trap that those of superior caliber are especially liable to fall into. Smart people tend to understand things intellectually first and foremost.”

  “A sensible thing to say.” Lergen nods. “You’re absolutely correct. Assuming you understand without proof is terrible. Knowing and experiencing are two very different things. Well said, Colonel.”

  “I’m honored to have you say so, sir.”

  “And this is exactly why I have a favor to ask of you.”

  When he flicks his eyes toward her adjutant, Tanya knows what to do.

  After waving off her adjutant with a “Leave us, please,” she takes a cautious glance around, but nothing is out of the ordinary.

  And since they’re talking in low voices behind the wreckage of a tank, eavesdropping probably isn’t an issue.

  “So may I ask what the secret is?”

  “Feel free to consider this a personal request. Just don’t tell anyone.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Tanya straightens up, and Lergen, openly hesitant, broaches the matter.

  “I’d like to ask you to look after a guest, Colonel.”

  “A guest?”

  “Yes, that’s right… A military observer.”

  Hrm? Tanya cocks her head. Should a provisional unit like the Kampfgruppe be taking observers?

  But that question is obliterated the moment she hears what Lergen says next.

  “It’s a colonel from Ildoa.”

  “A military observer? A colonel?!”

  But, but!

  Unlike Colonel von Lergen, Lieutenant Colonel Tanya von Degurechaff is an officer in the field, so she says what she needs to say without reservation.

  “Colonel von Lergen, we’re a Kampfgruppe.”

  “I know that, of course. And?”

  “You don’t get it. To be frank, I’d ask that you consider Eastern Army Headquarters or at least Divisional HQ instead.”

  “It’s too difficult?”

  In response, Tanya nods deeply and shoots back, “With all due respect, do you mean to say it’s easy?”

  The Kampfgruppe, by its nature, is a temporary unit. It doesn’t have a permanent headquarters, and it was never supposed to. The silver lining is that the core of the unit, the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion, has so many officers that she can use them as staff.

  In other words, everything runs smoothly thanks to all the effort put in on the ground—essentially unpaid overtime. It’s obvious that if they suddenly have to look after an important visitor, they’ll be overworked.

  “We don’t have extra personnel in the Kampfgruppe. And since it’s unclear when or if we’ll ever get replenished, taking proper care of an observer is…”

  “It must be out of the question.”

  It’s less difficult and more impossible.

  Tanya tries to state her case clearly, but she’s unable to finish when she hears Lergen say that.

  So if you get it, then… She glares at him before she can stop herself and is caught entirely off guard by his response.

  “Even so, I have to ask this of you.”

  “Ask?! Forgive me, but you, a colonel, are asking me, a lieutenant colonel?!” The reply is out of Tanya’s mouth before she knows it. She’s never seen Lergen bow his head before.

  He’s a General Staff officer, a hotshot from central, not to mention an elite on track to become a general. Of all the things he could do, he’s bowing?

  Tanya shakes her head, confused. “Please excuse me, but are you telling me this isn’t an order from the General Staff?”

  “Not officially.”

  Once he says that, she’s even more bothered. She has no idea what the colonel is trying to get at.

  “This is a strange thing to ask, but…could you please speak candidly? What in the world is going on?”

  “…That’s a natural question to have. Well, where do I start…? But you’re right—I should be frank. Colonel von Degurechaff…starting today, I’ve been appointed the commander of a mobile task force above the Salamander Kampfgruppe.”

  Tanya doesn’t even try to hide how ridiculous she thinks the news is and snaps, “I haven’t heard a thing about that. Personnel is making that kind of move now?”

  “Yes. The paperwork is all done. Written orders have been issued.”

  That’s the efficiency of someone who’s spent time in the General Staff. This is the kind of familiarity with the organization’s regulations that earns a military bureaucrat so much honor.

  But that flawless adherence to procedure gives her pause as well.

  “…That’s awfully efficient.”

  If they were really so thorough, Tanya should have heard something. Communication is fundamental to an organization. A talented military bureaucrat should know how to avoid causing malfunctions in the lower ranks by keeping everyone appraised of their plans and thoughts.

  The fact that Tanya didn’t get word of it at all means either that failed to happen or purposely wasn’t done…

  In other words, there must be some reason behind it. In which case, it’s simple. Tanya has a general idea of what’s going on.

  “It’d be great if you could share the truth with me and not just your official cover…”

  “You always get straight to the point, don’t you?” Lergen winces.

  Tanya feels bad for him, but this is important, so she closes in a step and asks, “Could you tell me what this has to do with the Ildoan officer? Wait a minute. Sending an officer here as a personal request is…”

  That would normally be beyond the realm of his authority. There should be no way that a personal request from Colonel von Lergen results in Tanya welcoming a military observer into her Kampfgruppe.

  What if the Lergen Kampfgruppe was set to take the observer…? He would never be able to hide his tracks with this farce of saying the guy’s just an observer… What if he’s not hiding it, and we’re all partners in crime? Then it would make sense…

  What could be the reason? Why is that necessary?

  As that line of thought nears the critical point—Ohhh—a hypothesis springs into being.

  “I’ll ask you straight. Is this about diplomatic negotiations? Are you, a General Staff officer, planning to perform them?”

  “…This war can’t go on any longer. Can’t we agree that it has to end at some point?”

  That’s essentially saying yes!

  “I heard about your argument regarding the necessity of an immediate end to the war from Lieutenant Colonel Uger. I’d like it if you could think of this as a related parting-gift-plus-covert operation.”

  “…So accepting the observer plays a role in the negotiations?”

  “We’re expecting a handsome reward. It wouldn’t hurt to spend a little quality time with our Ildoan friends, would it?”

  “What does General von Zettour think about all this?”

  “Probably, ‘Show them what’s going on.’”

  Ahhh. Tanya’s shoulders slump. It’s true that the higher-ups in the General Staff are open-minded. He might actually say that. And considering Lergen’s position, it’s clear that he must already have authorization.

  “They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but…”

  “Show the peace-addled Ildoans the military might of the Silver Wings.”

  “May I say something?” Tanya cuts in.

  He’s calling it battlefield observation, but this person would actually be a guest. It would be best to show them a neat and tidy Imperial Army. In fact, if that’s one of the main goals and they don’t take it seriously, I’m somewhat worried about the upbraiding that might come from the homeland.

  “I’m sure you’re aware that they call me Rusted Silver…”

  “It’s not as if you’re advancing by wildly spilling the blood of your allies. Don’t worry about it.” He laughs, and Tanya smiles wryly, thinking how
bold he’s gotten.

  “With all due respect, Colonel. Human lives are precious irrespective of friend or foe.”

  “You surprise me, Colonel. Let me be frank. I had no idea you were a humanist. When did you convert?”

  “That’s a malicious misunderstanding. I’m nothing other than a decent individual who was born full of affection for mankind.”

  “In that case, the least you can do is exercise some neighborly love and demonstrate what someone with the Silver Wings is capable of. The Imperial Army has got to show our ally just what sort of army we are.”

  This should go over well is Lergen’s tone, and the way he nods makes her feel as though she doesn’t need to worry. Or actually, maybe she does?

  “Is this gunboat diplomacy?”

  Lergen grins in response to her question. “It’s a gesture of friendship toward a pal who’s in a bit of a precarious spot.”

  So the idea is to give them a stern warning.

  Lergen may not be aware of it himself, but between the chilling smile about his lips and his frigid eyes, he’s the spitting image of the ideal General Staff officer. As usual, he’s a prime example of how even a good individual can be a member of an evil organization.

  “Ooh, how terrifying. I can’t help but shake in my boots.”

  “We’re looking out for our ally, Colonel.”

  In what way is this looking out for someone? Even if Tanya asks, he’ll tell her it’s a state secret. The risk of touching something sensitive is too great. She just nods vaguely and casually shifts the conversation toward impending practical matters.

  “So? How long am I supposed to have this guy?”

  “Basically, the General Staff wants to make it look like everyone involved in the negotiations is present on the eastern front. We can get a lot of things moving on the pretext of entertaining him.”

  “So it’ll be a while, then?”

  “There will be a slew of phantom commanders, bureaucrats, and staffers joining the Lergen Kampfgruppe, and they’re going to raise some hell.”

  At first glance, the response doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what she asked, but the meaning is clear. This temporary measure could easily become permanent. At the very least, this will probably continue until some sort of decisive moment comes. Even considering the General Staff’s personnel policy, which is so strict about regular shuffles and meetings, the scale of this could be measured in not months but years.