Chapter 30

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Chapter 30: The First Meeting of the Two Military Gods

Early in the morning, the field army camp was busy with morning routines. It had snowed heavily during the night, covering the land in white. The temperature dropped to minus two degrees. Soldiers sleepily poked their heads out of their tents, quickly waking up as the cold wind blew.

Wrapping themselves tightly in winter military gear, they stepped out and rekindled the extinguished campfire. They used shovels to melt snow in pots. It was going to be another peaceful day on the battlefield.

As the soldiers chatted leisurely, washing their faces and brushing their teeth, Acting Platoon Leader Norman Liszt appeared beside them.

"Platoon Leader!" Several soldiers stood up to salute.

"Hmm," Liszt saluted back. "Hurry up, freshen up, eat breakfast, and then clean the snow in the camp. A VIP is coming to inspect today."

Being the platoon leader, he woke up earlier than everyone else, completing his morning routine by five o’clock, getting dressed neatly. He quickly ate a piece of bread, then went to the temporary stable to check on the condition of the warhorses. The horses had caught a chill because the soldier in charge of them forgot to keep the fire burning last night.

Liszt scolded the two negligent soldiers, then ordered them to hurry to the division headquarters to fetch the veterinarian. They hadn’t returned yet, so it was likely they would be back after breakfast.

Since the war started, many annoying things happened in the platoon. They were all new soldiers who didn’t know much, and Liszt had to teach them everything one by one. The platoon leader had just graduated from military school, was arrogant, disobeyed orders on the battlefield, and was executed by military law last week. Liszt became the acting platoon leader.

"Platoon leader, platoon leader! Today’s plan is exactly the same as yesterday’s."

The signal soldier who went to the division headquarters in the middle of the night returned, waving a letter.

Liszt sternly said, "You are just a signal soldier, don’t peek at the battle plans. If you do it again, I will send you to military law."

"Oh… sorry."

The signal soldier lowered his head in apology, while the other soldiers around the campfire glanced over and then turned back to wait for hot water.

Regular officers were feared by soldiers, but the Ninth Division Dragon Cavalry Reconnaissance Platoon respected their leader more than they feared him.

Lieutenant Liszt was a highly experienced and distinguished veteran who had fought in the South German War, the Apennine War, the US-Texas War, and the Crimean War. He had risen through the ranks from the lowest level to second lieutenant, and the Iron Cross Medal on his collar was a symbol of his honor.

He never beat or punished his soldiers, never cheated on their pay, led by example in battle, took care of his subordinates in daily life, and was a person of integrity and precision. He was almost a perfect example of a Prussian soldier, just like the Regent’s propaganda.

The soldiers felt very lucky to be fighting under such a good officer’s lead.

Where is Liszt?

He thought that leading this group of new recruits would effectively strengthen cardiovascular endurance, enhance emotional control, which is a good thing.

"Hurry up and finish eating, tidy up the camp, clean yourselves up, and put on your best appearance." Liszt clapped his hands, urging the soldiers in the camp to hurry up.

A big shot will come for inspection at eight o’clock, if they see the camp in a mess, they will definitely blame us.

Those big shots don’t know a thing, they just demand the camp to be clean and tidy. Do they think fighting is a vacation? Who has the mood to keep things clean seriously? As long as the camp doesn’t turn into a pigsty, it’s good enough.

Liszt stretched his muscles, found a mirror to tidy up his outfit again, making sure there was nothing to criticize.

At eight o’clock in the morning, the dark sky started snowing again. Liszt led the soldiers to line up neatly at the camp gate, waiting for the big shot’s arrival.

"Fasten your collars."

"The sword is tucked into the second button on the left side of the belt, make sure it’s secure."

"How come the musket hasn’t been cleaned? Hurry up and wipe it clean."

Liszt walked back and forth in the line, checking each instrument. The soldiers had no issues, but the musicians started to have problems.

There were no professional musicians in the band, so two high school graduates took on the roles. One was in charge of the march drum, and the other was responsible for the bugle. These two individuals played the Prussian Glory March composed by Prince Regent, evoking the feeling of Prussia’s surrender today.

It was worrying, so… when the important person arrives, stop playing immediately and quickly throw all the instruments back into the tent.

At eight forty, Liszt checked the pocket watch to confirm the time, and finally, the important person emerged from the distant woods on horseback, without any guards.

The black horse riding through the wind and snow caught everyone’s attention, but Liszt squinted and saw that it was a young girl in a unique outfit – a blood-red custom cavalry uniform and a black cloak draped over one side.

It must be the legendary genius girl, Erika Mia, who swept through the entire military academy with no rivals in simulated battles, undefeated in a hundred fights at just 14 years old. She is the niece of the prince regent and the most martially talented princess in the Hohenzollern family.

The soldiers looked over with curious eyes, and Liszt scolded everyone to keep their eyes forward and not stare around.

Liszt was curious and envious as he looked at the nobleman who had graduated from military school and quickly rose to the rank of Major General, while he himself, a commoner who had fought in battles, was still just an acting Lieutenant.

Whenever Liszt saw the aristocratic officers advancing in their careers, he would reassure himself that even commoners could have opportunities. After all, Lieutenant General Hans was the best example, and he believed that he would climb up one day.

Erika Mia arrived in front of the neat welcoming queue, gently stopped her horse, gracefully dismounted, and energetically bounced around.

"I am Erika Mia, a military academy student, here to experience the feeling of the battlefield."

"I am Lieutenant Liszt of the Ninth Infantry Division’s Dragon Cavalry Scouts acting as the platoon leader. For the next week, I will protect you during the inspection."

Liszt solemnly saluted and muttered to himself that important people were here to experience life, not to fight on the battlefield.

"What is our mission for today?" asked Erika Mia.

"The Ninth Infantry Division’s defense line is deployed along the outskirts of Wes Town. The enemy’s two divisions are positioned 19 kilometers northeast at Sennerburg. My scout platoon is responsible for patrolling and guarding. We will patrol this line twice this morning and afternoon… Please refer to the map."

"Can we depart now?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

In the morning patrol mission, it was the responsibility of Cavalry Unit A, led by Captain Liszt and Erika Mia. Nineteen people left the camp.

Snowflakes continued to fall from the sky as the group moved at a slow pace, looking around for enemies and enjoying the beauty of the snowy landscape.

The warhorses caught a cold last night and with the freezing weather now, they were having diarrhea along the way. Fortunately, Princess Erika Mia was at the front and did not witness such a sight.

Patrol duty was so boring that Erika Mia couldn’t stand it after just half an hour. She took out a water bottle from her saddlebag, which actually contained brandy.

The soldiers caught a whiff of the alcohol and felt a bit envious. The scent of the brandy smelled expensive, and they were all poor kids who only drank beer.

Princess Erika Mia was only fourteen years old, and the military rules prohibited drinking alcohol. After some thought, Liszt felt it necessary to advise her.

"Fine, no drinking, got it. Boring! Who has a story to share?" said Erika Mia.

Liszt happened to be good at storytelling. The new recruits often asked him to share his experiences from battles, and over time, he had honed his storytelling skills.

His stories were colorful, focusing on important people related to the royal family. Liszt described various interesting things and customs from different places. He ate local pizza in the Apennine Peninsula and found it too bland, so he asked for salt. As a result, the locals chased him with sticks. He fought with cowboys in the New World.

Erika Mia was surprised to hear that the young lieutenant had fought in so many different places. She had learned at school that the death rate of lower-ranking soldiers in war was very high, and it was rare for someone to be lucky like that.

Liszt said, "The death rate is indeed very high. I used to serve in the militia’s scouting team. After a few battles, everyone died. Later, I became a cavalryman, fighting in Italy, America, and Crimea. Many people around me also died. But recently, many doctors have appeared in the army, and field hospitals have reduced the death rate significantly."

At eleven o’clock noon, halfway through the patrol, the group found a place by the edge of the forest to rest and prepare a simple lunch.

A pot of stew mixed with dried meat, a grilled authentic Frankfurt sausage, and a piece of black bread made up everyone’s delicious meal. As dragon riders, they were treated much better than ordinary infantry.

Liszt, afraid that important people might not be used to the food, also specially prepared white bread and crispy biscuits.

Erika Mia, without any airs, casually sat against a tree in the snow, eating the simple food without showing any displeasure. She thought the military food was okay, having trained with a person called Moltke when she was a child. The training was harsh, and the lunches were always extremely basic.

Not knowing what her uncle was thinking, the villain named Moltke actually became the Chief of the General Staff. He understood nothing about military matters, just a mediocre talent.

After finishing her bread, Erika Mia patted her stomach, feeling that military life was really boring. Where were the battles and enemies? The morning had passed by and she hadn’t even seen a ghost.

Liszt said, "War is all about waiting – waiting for the enemy, waiting for battle, waiting for tomorrow."

The Dragon Cavalry Scout Platoon had been stationed in this run-down place with the Ninth Division for two weeks. The only action they had last week was when the platoon leader disobeyed orders and got into a fight. Otherwise, they spent their time patrolling aimlessly.

War was just like this. Liszt had experienced so much. He didn’t desire battle nor grow tired of waiting. He faced each day with a calm mindset.

"Hmm? I think I spotted the enemy, coming from the southeast," Erika Mia suddenly stood up.

Liszt waved his hand, and the soldiers set aside the vegetable soup, quickly covered the campfire with snow, then crouched down to search slowly towards the depths of the woods.

Surprisingly, there were indeed enemies. Liszt glanced at his Highness, amazed at how powerful the Magic Energy Knight was.

There were eight people on the other side, all infantrymen. At a glance, Liszt could tell they were not professional soldiers but rather new recruits just conscripted by Denmark. Those people were even dragging their rifle muzzles on the ground as they walked.

"Hans, Claire, you two stay in the woods. In ten minutes, shoot to attract their attention. The rest of you, mount your horses with me and circle around from the west side of the woods."

While the platoon leader was assigning tasks, Erika Mia excitedly ran to find her warhorse, untangling the reins from a tree. Finally, there was going to be a battle.

More than ten people on fast horses rode around the trees. Just then, the two people responsible for attracting them fired their guns. The Denmark soldiers scrambled on the ground, twisting their heads left and right to look for cover.

The cavalry rode all the way to a hundred and fifty meters away from the enemy. The group of Denmark people were still lying down. It took them a few minutes to load their bullets and they didn’t hit anything with their first shot.

Liszt asked his brothers to dismount and shoot. They were all new soldiers, not experienced in immediate combat as cavalry.

Meanwhile, Erika Mia rode alone and charged ahead on her horse. Her expression was so intense, her face contorted, as she raised her sword and pushed forward with all her might.

Liszt quickly followed, instructing others not to fire to avoid accidental injury.

Liszt saw from afar that a few bullets hit the prince, but magic energy blocked them on the surface of his clothes. Phew, as long as the important person is safe.

The Denmark soldiers threw their guns on the ground, knelt down, and surrendered with their hands raised. But the prince showed no sign of stopping.

"Your Highness! Please stop!"

The Denmark soldiers knelt on the ground trembling, some of them crying and begging for mercy. Meanwhile, Erika Mia rode her horse, waving her sword around them.

"Why can’t I just chop them up?" Erika Mia asked, puzzled.

"Prussian soldiers don’t harm people on their knees, massacring surrendering troops is something only the devil does, as Your Highness the Regent said."

"Alright then, I’ll spare their lives out of mercy."

Erika Mia understood Danish and these cowards on their knees, crying and begging for mercy.

One of them was a laborer, with a wife and three children at home, relying on the children to work as he went to battle.

One was a farmer, mentioning his sick mother.

Two were dock laborers…

These surrendering men were afraid of death, but seeing them cry, Erika Mia didn’t feel they were lying. Each of them seemed to be from the struggling lower class.

Erika Mia sheathed her sword and turned to Liszt, saying:

"I believe they are all good people. They are tailors, farmers, hardworking workers, pillars of a family. They shouldn’t be on the battlefield. I don’t look down on their fear of death and surrender."

Liszt said, "They may all be good people, but now they are soldiers, and they should bear their responsibilities and fate."

Erika Mia asked, "What is their fate?"

Liszt replied, "Death. Today we won’t kill them, but one day, they will die because they couldn’t surrender in time or couldn’t surrender at all."

Erika Mia asked, "Are Prussian soldiers the same?"

Liszt answered, "Yes, Your Highness, the Prussians are trapped in their uniforms."