Deus lo Vult

by Carlo Zen

  “Ngh— Please excuse the interruption, General.”

  Tanya chuckles to herself in her head at this one-in-a-million chance meeting. No matter the era, it never hurts to have friends in high places. And if you are trying to meet people, it’s essential to go out and increase your chances.

  That said, it’s a terrible shame that my external age is so young. It makes me hesitant to go anywhere alcohol could be employed. Obviously if such a little girl were present, anyone would have a hard time enjoying their drinks—it would defeat the point.

  On the other hand, she’s able to make a good impression by having her act so put together at such a young age. It is difficult for me to capitalize on her appearance because I have to consciously behave like a child, though.

  Children are already another universe I don’t understand, so little girls might as well be alien life-forms. She can smile in a pinch, but that is about it.

  Now that she’s blessed with an opportunity, she will not hesitate to take full advantage.

  “Oh, you can just treat me like an older alum for the moment.”

  The man who returns her salute sounds less like a soldier and more like a philosopher who would be more at home doing research. He is probably straitlaced in some sense, but as far as she can tell he seems friendlier than bad-tempered.

  “Thank you, sir. My name is Tanya Degurechaff. I’m a student here, and I was granted the rank magic first lieutenant by the Empire.”

  “I’m Brigadier General von Zettour, deputy director of the Service Corps in the General Staff Office.”

  The Service Corps in the General Staff Office! He’s one of the top dogs in the rear! I’m so lucky.

  “It’s an honor to meet you, General.”

  She’s pretty sure she can say that and mean it. After all, they have about as much clout as the guys who run General Staff Personnel. In a corporation, they’d be the ones running administrative strategy.

  The only word for this chance to meet an off-duty officer from there is lucky.

  “Hmm, Lieutenant, are you in a hurry right now?”

  “Not in particular, sir. I’m here for the purpose of self-study to acquire knowledge.”

  She manages to control herself and obediently states her purpose instead of jumping up and down. Luckily, between her need to satisfy her intellectual curiosity and errands to research laws and ordinances, she is here quite frequently, so it isn’t out of the ordinary.

  “Great. If you’ll give me a moment of your time, I’d like to get a younger person’s opinion on something. How about it?”

  “Gladly, sir, if I’m not interrupting.”

  “No, it’s fine. Relax.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Perfect, he’s interested in me, too. It’s so much easier to talk to someone when they’re interested. This will be infinitely better than giving a presentation on personnel cutbacks to a bunch of execs who oppose the idea because they don’t understand the necessity.

  “I’ve heard a bit about you. It seems you’ve been quite busy.”

  “My reputation is undeserved, sir.”

  That agonizingly annoying nickname “White Silver” has convinced me the army needs to reconsider its taste in names, but apparently it does attract attention.

  It seems like getting some name recognition will be good for my career as a young elite, although the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. I need to keep an eye out for ways to keep my fame under control.

  “Hmm? I think everyone intends it as a fitting appraisal… Oh, but let me ask you this.”

  And apparently even false reputations can contribute to a good first impression. Even if it is just a casual whim of this brigadier general who has taken a slight interest in Tanya, he is going to ask her perspective.

  “Lieutenant, you can give me your subjective opinion. How is this war going to turn out? What’s your view?”

  Two soldiers having a conversation about the state of the war. Well, that’s a kind of military small talk. Sticking to safer topics isn’t a bad idea, according to common thinking.

  But he’s taken an interest in me. If I can give him an honest opinion, he’ll see me as motivated. Of course, the barrier to entry is having something smart to say.

  “That’s a very broad question, sir.”

  So showing that I’m both assertive and deliberate by confirming the aim of his question is critical. In the military, everyone will like you if you consult with your superior officers often and report everything. If you don’t know something, admit it and ask. That kind of attitude seems particularly useful in the army. These imperial soldier creatures have a tendency to be bizarrely obsessed with accuracy.

  Since that’s how it is, instead of trying to gain points, I’ll put effort into not losing them. You can’t get promoted just by speaking up. You need to pay attention to the minute details and make your voice heard.

  “Hmm, you’re right. Let me rephrase it. What shape do you think this war will take?”

  “My apologies, sir, but I don’t believe I’m in a position to comment.”

  And you should always stop yourself from commenting on things outside your duties. For example, human resources shouldn’t butt into sales’s business, just as sales shouldn’t butt into human resources’s. It’s important to know your place.

  “It’s all right. This isn’t an official consultation. Just tell me what you think.”

  “Then with your permission, sir…”

  I really don’t want to say anything, but refusing any further would be rude. It would be worse than anything to come off as someone too inept to have anything to say. Remaining silent and expecting him to understand would be naive—a super-dreadnought-class fantasy.

  Human beings have two ears but only one mouth. In other words, when dealing with someone who is willing to listen, one mouth is plenty. Unless you open it, your ideas have no chance of getting across.

  “I’m sure it will turn into a world war.”

  Rule number one of making a presentation: Declare estimates with confidence. And while it’s important to be creative, make sure your forecast is reliable. A presentation is meaningless if your points don’t reach your audience.

  “World war?”

  “I believe most of the major powers will become involved, so the fighting will take place on a global scale.”

  Will this be this world’s first world war? Well, there’s no mistaking that the major powers are going to have a serious fight. It’s definitely going to be big.

  In that case, perceiving it as a “world war” is only common sense. World powers will clash with world powers, seeking hegemony. Each side will fight like they mean it, for sure. So showing I’m not taking things lightly, that I’m facing reality, is more likely to work in my favor.

  “…What makes you say that?”

  “Though the Empire is an emerging state, compared to the existing powers, we boast quite an advantage.”

  It’s also important to avoid convoluted explanations. The only way to prevent pointless meetings is to thoroughly establish common understanding.

  In that sense, this brigadier general seems very smart—so much so that it’s surprisingly open-minded of him to have a conversation this serious with a first lieutenant. But then, that’s precisely why he’s worth talking to.

  “If we were to fight each nation one-on-one, we would surely come out victorious.”

  “Right. Against the Republic, we could win.”

  He said the hard part for me. “Against the Republic” can mean that it might not hold true in other cases. Since the superior officer hinted at their other potential enemies, it’s easier to continue the conversation.

  Genuinely impressed by that nuance, Tanya realizes she is perhaps talking a bit much. She even senses that in the army, where you don’t really get to choose your subordinates, they invest in their juniors more than in the corporate world.

  This perspective was impossible for me to have had when I was do
ing layoffs in human resources, so I should take this lesson to heart. In the army, unlike in a company, you don’t get to choose your subordinates—all you can do is educate them.

  “But actually, it’s difficult to imagine the Commonwealth and the Russy Federation simply standing by. I’m not sure about the Kingdom of Ildoa.”

  “…They shouldn’t have any direct interests in the current war.”

  And with that Tanya reconfirms what is already obvious. Yes, this is good. This is fantastic. This is what you call an intelligent conversation. It’s the type that doesn’t occur unless the person you’re talking to is interested in finding out how smart you are. This is delightful. It’s what being an adult member of society is all about.

  “Not direct interests, no. But they will be forced to confront the question of whether they will allow the birth of a dominant state or put a stop to it.”

  “A dominant state?”

  “Yes. If the Reich, situated in the center of the continent, eliminates the Republic, we will have not a relative advantage but absolute superiority.”

  I can consider this to be similar to how it was possible for imperial Germany to defeat France and the Russian Empire. Was the British Empire stupid enough to let that happen? If it had been, that island nation would be treated like a backwater about now.

  Instead, they participated in the war because they understood the severity of the situation. Won’t the great powers of this world join the battle as their national interest dictates?

  “So if we can’t get rid of the Republic quickly, in a way that doesn’t give other nations enough time to interfere, the fighting will trigger a domino effect of other countries getting involved.”

  “I see. You may be right, but isn’t the alternative that the Republic ends up the dominant state? They shouldn’t want that, either.”

  Ngh. Agh, I didn’t say enough, so he filled in for me. If I assume he’s taking my youthful appearance into consideration, I’ve been pitied. I can’t make any more mistakes.

  Hang in there. Look him straight in the eye and answer clearly.

  “I agree. That’s why I think they’ll try to make it so both the Empire and the Republic fall.”

  “You mean other countries will intervene?”

  “Yes. I imagine it will start with financial assistance to the Republic. Other conceivable methods include providing them with weapons and dispatching volunteer troops.”

  Think of the famous lend-lease17 policy and how wars are financed. English and France won, but they were still in a precarious position by the end. Considering that, the Empire and the Republic would have their fun little war, and the natural result would be for everyone else to intervene right when the pair had exhausted each other. If they wanted to, they could even pretend to be good Samaritans about it.

  “…Aha. I’m beginning to see what you mean.”

  “Yes, I would think the general plan of the other powers would be to lend large amounts of money to the Republic and then intervene to take down both of us in the end.”

  States are honestly so evil. They take good people and turn them into members of an evil cult. We need to consider their potential for grossly warping people’s true natures.

  For example, the hateful Soviet and East German secret police caused massive harm to human nature. Behold society’s fear under the eye of the Stasi! Freedom. Give them mental freedom! It’s high time the human race realizes that individualism is the only path that will save the world.

  “And if the Empire overwhelms the Republic?”

  “It’s very likely that its national security policies would say to team up with other powers and intervene directly. Even if they can’t do that, they may not hesitate to intervene on their own.”

  The noble proposition of freedom of thought may be important, but I can’t take this intellectual conversation lightly. I have to keep up the appearance of stating well-thought-out views.

  “I see. That’s a fascinating conjecture. How do you think we should handle things?”

  “Well, I haven’t come up with a plan…”

  Actually, when I have ideas, I submit them. If I could give him one now, it could be a seed for my advancement, but unfortunately I lack the military expertise. Well, perhaps military creativity should be left to Napoleon18 and Hannibal. As a good, peace-loving individual, there is nothing wrong with that.

  “So I would learn from history and try to make peace, and if that was impossible, I would make limiting attrition a top priority.”

  “…You mean you wouldn’t try to win? People will question your will to fight.”

  Yeah, he’s right. That was an awfully careless thing to say. In the manner of a university professor, I spoke a bit too passionately. I can’t believe I would say something that brings my will to fight into question in front of the director of the Service Corps in the General Staff, of all people. Was it really my mouth that said it? That was such a huge mistake, I want to shoot it off.

  This could hurt my career. No, I once heard that cowards get overworked on the front lines. This is very bad. Truly bad. Somehow, without letting any distress show on my face, I need to indirectly state in an utterly calm tone that that is not my intention. At the same time, I’ll probably still be at risk unless I say something kind of brave to show off my fighting spirit.

  “In a literal sense, yes, General. But I don’t mean that we shouldn’t aim for victory. It’s a problem of definitions; we must deconstruct our assumptions.”

  “And? Go on.”

  “Yes, sir. I believe that if we aren’t defeated, we should define that as an Empire victory, since our national defense plan would have worked.”

  “So in your opinion, how do we achieve victory?”

  “We carry out a thorough bloodletting and crush the enemy’s ability to continue fighting.” Tanya seemed to specifically choose words soldiers liked to hear—carry out, thorough, crush—groping for a way to speak realistically while projecting that she was full of fighting spirit.

  “You mean annihilating the enemy field army?”

  Annihilating their field army? Well that would be ideal, but it’s not an easy task. In other words, this question is a trap. In order to show him I’m not just taking a hard line because I think that’s what he wants to hear, I have to dare to disagree here.

  “That would be ideal, but quite difficult, I imagine. Perhaps we should make attrition of enemy human resources our goal and devote ourselves to positional warfare defense?”

  “Can we win that way?”

  “I don’t know. But we wouldn’t lose. And saving up enough extra energy to deliver a decisive blow at that point would increase our strategic flexibility.”

  I can’t declare we can win. But this is the best thing I can say so he doesn’t interpret my answer as saying we’ll lose. I put the words decisive blow in there as insurance. I need to keep making comments that show my motivation to sock it to the other guys.

  “Hmm, how intriguing. But what would you do if the enemy arrives at the same strategy?”

  Now. Now’s the time to be assertive. Once someone shows an interest in you, the final impression they take should be the strongest. If that’s the case, I need to make my aggression clear and gloss over the extremely inconvenient truth that I am lacking in the will to fight department.

  “Yes. Having considered that possibility, I propose switching our main strategy on the battlefield to infantry defense and mage offense.”

  “Mages may have destructive power and impact, but I don’t think they’re suitable for capturing positions.”

  “I agree; however, the objective isn’t to occupy but to eliminate enemy soldiers.”

  To put it another way, the combat maneuvers would be carried out not to extend our sovereignty over enemy land but to exhaust and eliminate enemy countrymen. We need to acknowledge the reality that in all-out war, cutting off the root of the enemy’s ability to continue fighting is the only path to victory, and we should develo
p measures to achieve that.

  In World War I, Germany slaughtered Russia and hit France and England hard—they were overwhelming the other countries on the tactical level. The biggest reason it eventually lost was that it ran out of strength. When in addition to France and England, they had to fight the United States, it was precisely because they knew they couldn’t win that the German General Staff gave up.

  They realized that even if their lines hadn’t broken, they could no longer continue fighting and had no choice but to accept their defeat. So they lost. There’s an important lesson to be learned from this memory. That is, how defeat looks in total war. No matter how well you compete on the lines, if your country runs out of power, you can’t continue the war. It’s not a question of mentality but the limits set by the laws of physics.

  “As such, I’m convinced our main purpose should be to exhaust enemy soldiers with tactical disruption and penetrating raids from aerial mages.”

  Honestly, I think penetrating raids are crazy talk, but as long as there’s a slim possibility that mages could succeed with them, they’re worth proposing. Besides, I won’t be the one doing them; if it’s just unreasonable blather, I can keep it up all day.

  Take a look at Tsugene! Didn’t that idiot get promoted at home for doing whatever he wanted in Manchuria and Mongolia? Or the general who forced the Battle of Imphal! They called him the best spy for the Allies, full-of-shit-guchi, brute-guchi. Or wait, was he the “I’m dying” scammer general?

  Didn’t he say he was dying and then get money in an out-of-court settlement? Mm, maybe not—I can’t remember… Well, whatever. If I can be that irresponsible, life’ll be a cakewalk.

  But unfortunately, I’m a good person. Since I haven’t abandoned that much of my humanity, I’ll draw the line at this plan, which should be doable based on my experiences so far.

  Ahh, I’m such a sensible person. I’m just a bundle of good intentions. Yeah, I am undoubtedly justice incarnate. I’m a long-suffering martyr boasting an utterly wholesome character, who seeks goodness and peace.

  “Hmm? The mage mission wouldn’t be support?”

  “In positional warfare, mages have firepower on par with artillery and agility that outstrips infantry. They’re the ideal branch for hunting enemy soldiers.”