Chapter 41: Other-World Political Work

Listening to the disjointed shouting of the two sides confronting each other, Morin had mostly pieced together the sequence of events.

The few troublemaking Saxon soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, just like him. The 2nd Battalion had suffered heavy casualties in the previous offensive, just like the 1st Battalion, taking fire from the Aetherium Crystal Cannons and facing numerically superior enemies. Their Battalion Commander, two Company Commanders, and numerous officers had been killed in action. Now, the highest-ranking officer in the entire battalion was only a Captain.

Due to the lack of officer supervision and the raw nerves from the bloody battle they had just endured, these hungry soldiers had—as Morin had previously analyzed—resorted to looting the residence. The National Army and International Brigades soldiers were clearly alerted by the fleeing civilians. They arrived and caught the Saxon soldiers in the act of their ‘free shopping spree.’ Since the language barrier wasn’t completely resolved between the rank-and-file soldiers, and with the residual battle fury, an argument quickly escalated into a tense standoff with guns pointed at each other.

Now, the crowd was growing, and many nearby Saxon soldiers had gathered to watch. Yet, no one seemed to know how to defuse the situation. With the tension escalating and fingers poised over triggers, Morin knew he couldn’t wait any longer.

The battle for Seville wasn’t over. If they started fighting among themselves here, the entire campaign was doomed.

No one wanted their side to lose the war, and since Morin was an officer in the Saxon Empire, it was his duty to maintain discipline. With other officers delayed, he had to find a way to resolve the situation, and the method had to be one that everyone—including the local civilians—could accept.

Should he just shoot the offending Saxon soldiers? This simple, brutal method would certainly end the crisis quickly. But in the long run, it would only inflame tensions, making Saxon soldiers feel betrayed by their allies and damaging morale. He had to approach this from a different angle.

With a thought, Morin stopped hesitating. He pushed through the crowd and strode directly between the muzzles of the opposing rifles. He didn’t say a word to the 2nd Battalion soldiers, who had initially looked relieved to see a Saxon officer—a supposed savior. Instead, he simply shoved aside the lead soldier’s rifle, his eyes fierce enough to devour him.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

As he spoke, Morin kicked the back of the soldier’s knee from the side, causing him to lose balance and stumble. The reckless urge to start a firefight instantly vanished. The National Army soldiers were stunned, the International Brigades soldiers were stunned, and the surrounding Saxon soldiers were stunned. Even Major Thomas and Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig, who were rushing over after hearing the commotion, froze at the sight.

The soldier who was kicked straightened up, his face full of disbelief. He hadn’t expected Morin to come not to ‘cover their asses’ but to discipline them.

“What are you staring at?!” Morin glared at the other soldiers, then quickly kicked the backs of their knees, making them collapse. “And you! All of you, put down your rifles!”

These few quick moves completely bewildered the troublemakers and extinguished their inner fire. They instinctively lowered their rifles. Seeing this, the National Army and International Brigades soldiers also lowered their weapons.

Morin finally sighed in relief, knowing the worst-case scenario was temporarily averted. He quickly recalled and adapted some of the ‘Political Work skills’ he had learned from his predecessors in his previous life, turning them into rhetoric tailored for the Saxon Empire context.

Maintaining a stern expression, Morin stood before the soldiers.

“I ask you. You traveled all this way, from the Empire to the Kingdom of Aragon, to fight—for what?” The soldiers lowered their heads, afraid to speak.

“Was it to steal a few blocks of cheese? A few strips of smoked meat? Was it to point your guns at the civilians who see us as liberators, or at the allies who just bled alongside us?” Morin’s voice suddenly rose. He pointed to the food hanging on their bodies, then to the bewildered National Army and International Brigades soldiers opposite them.

“When your parents, wives, and children sent you off on the train, didn’t they expect you to become heroes, to win glory for the Empire? Didn’t they hope you would return home safely with medals?! But what are you doing now?! You are staining your uniforms! You are disgracing the Black Eagle Banner of the Empire! Do your actions honor the expectations of your families far away? Do they honor the comrades who died on the battlefield?!”

His words struck a deep chord with every soldier. Morin didn’t preach lofty ideals; his words were aimed not just at the offending soldiers, but at all the Saxon soldiers gathered there. He knew that the negative emotions were widespread, and this was his chance to suppress the underlying tension.

The troublemaking soldiers, who had acted only out of fear and hunger, completely broke down under Morin’s reprimand. The youngest Saxon soldier amongst them suddenly went red-eyed and burst into tears.

“Sir… we were wrong… we were just too hungry…”

“We won’t do it again.”

They frantically removed the cheese and smoked meat strung on the ropes, placing them neatly at the door of the residence, then hung their heads like children who had done wrong.

Seeing this, Morin’s anger subsided significantly. He turned to face the International Brigades and National Army soldiers and offered a solemn military salute.

“To all our allies, I apologize for the actions of these young soldiers on behalf of the Saxon Army.” He spoke in fluent Aragon, so everyone present understood. “The Saxon Army will strictly deal with them according to military regulations. Please believe that this is an isolated incident. I guarantee we will restrain our troops and prevent similar situations from happening again.”

“I believe these soldiers did not act with malicious intent. Just recently, these young men charged the enemy positions with bayonets. Their unit has suffered heavy losses, and their officers are nearly wiped out, which led to this excessive reaction after the battle.”

“I assure you again, we will maintain strict control over our forces.”

The anger on the faces of the surrounding National Army and International Brigades soldiers gradually faded. They were simple people. Seeing a Saxon officer openly refusing to shield his own men and speaking with such sincerity, especially considering the heavy casualties of the Saxon soldiers, their anger quickly dissolved.

Just then, Major Thomas and Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig walked over, perfectly timed. Major Thomas nodded to Morin, then announced loudly to everyone:

“As Second Lieutenant Morin stated, these soldiers will be dealt with according to military law! But I also hope everyone will give them a chance to redeem themselves!”

“And as Second Lieutenant Morin just emphasized, any act that violates the Saxon Army’s discipline or damages our relationship with our allies will face the severest punishment!” Morin appropriately translated his words into Aragon.

Following this, Ludwig added in fluent Aragon: “The Saxon Empire is a firm ally of the Aragon National Army and the International Brigades. Our common enemy is the Royal Army and their Britannian masters. Anyone who tries to sabotage this friendship is our enemy.”

The endorsement from the two senior officers completely concluded the incident. The 2nd Battalion quickly came and led the dejected soldiers away. They wouldn’t be shot, but punishment was certain. The owner of the residence was brought out and, after accepting some Saxon Pfennig as compensation, expressed forgiveness.

A potential crisis that could have sparked internal conflict was defused by Morin’s quick actions and words.

After the crowd dispersed, Major Thomas patted Morin’s shoulder, his eyes full of approval. Ludwig looked at Morin with even greater complexity, as if seeing him anew. Beyond the scrutiny and curiosity, there was now a look of genuine respect. Even the officers of the International Brigades and National Army looked at Morin differently. They all understood that to quickly identify the core issue in such a chaotic situation and resolve it effectively was beyond the capability of an ordinary young officer.

However, before everyone could fully recover from the commotion, a messenger on horseback galloped over, dismounted swiftly, and ran up to Major Thomas and Ludwig.

“Urgent military intelligence! Brigadier General Paul’s order! All officers of battalion rank and above are to immediately attend a meeting at the city command post! Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig, you are also required to attend.”

(End of Chapter 41)