Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 38 Rundstedt: "We should have thought of this in 1918..."

"Your Excellency Marshal Leopold, Captain Lelouch Hunt, Company Commander of Company A, Assault Battalion, 12th Division, 6th Army, it is an honor to meet you."

Lelouch took a deep breath and greeted the old man in as steady a tone as possible.

This old man was none other than the Crown Prince's uncle and the current King's second brother, Marshal Leopold Maximilian Joseph Arnulf.

Marshal Leopold is 70 years old and has served in the military for 52 years. He had already become a general during the Franco-Prussian War 43 years ago, was promoted to marshal 9 years ago, and retired at the age of 68 two years ago.

Upon hearing Lelouch's self-introduction, the old marshal's previously unfocused gaze gradually settled on him. After scanning him up and down a few times, he suddenly stood up, leaning on the cane resting on the armrest of the recliner.

"It's not surprising that you've become a captain at such a young age. But you're the first company commander to be invited to a banquet at Neuschwanstein Castle by Rupprecht. I'm quite curious about what makes you so special."

The veteran coach spoke with a strong voice, clearly showing that his lung capacity had not declined significantly with age.

Lelouch didn't want to appear weak; he knew that for a pure soldier who had dedicated his life to the military, any unnecessary modesty would be seen as hypocrisy. So he directly revealed his merits:
"Perhaps it's because of my previous meritorious service in battle that His Highness appreciates my tactical vision—I followed a regiment under Major General Karl in Billy King, held off the breakout of three enemy divisions, and finally used a psychological warfare tactic to force them to surrender, thus annihilating the Billy King Army."

In front of the old coach, Lelouch was very careful with his words, making sure they were as precise as possible and avoiding any appearance of boasting.

He then changed the subject, briefly outlining why he had been invited to the banquet and what specific work he needed to report to the Duke.

Although the old coach had retired, his insight remained sharp. After listening to Lelouch's account, he beckoned him to come closer.

As I get older, my eyesight isn't what it used to be, but my judgment is absolutely sharp.

"Is this the camouflage uniform you suggested for the assault troops? It is indeed much better at concealing themselves, but unfortunately it doesn't quite fit the Empire's tradition of honor; it looks too dirty."

As for this helmet—could it really stop bullets? Who knew history could turn back time? It's just that it's uglier than ancient helmets.

As a soldier, one is naturally familiar with helmets. Especially since Demania has been home to heavily armored soldiers since ancient times, full plate armor is a common sight in museums. When the old general saw a modern steel helmet, he naturally thought of the massive helmets of the Teutonic Knights era.

Lelouch did not show any emotional fluctuations despite being questioned. He simply calmly explained the design concept behind the camouflage pattern and the specific considerations for creating the "work boots".

As for the old general's doubts about the helmet, Lelouch even took the helmet off and put it in the old general's hand so that he could feel the material himself. He also said that the old general could try it with a pistol - as long as he didn't shoot at too straight an angle.

The old general couldn't possibly have actually tested the gun in his own castle. Seeing this, he played with the helmet for a moment and then returned it to Lelouch, which meant he believed his story.

Even the veteran commander could see that while the helmet was ugly, the curvature of the forging was indeed well-designed. It was more likely to deflect and ricochet when bullets came from the side. It was only relatively easy to penetrate when encountering top-attack bullets coming from above.

What the old man didn't know was that Lelouch's original helmet design was actually a one-step solution, minimizing detours.

Lelouch drew inspiration from the M56 helmet of later generations. Although it was only created in the 50s, it was actually easier to manufacture than the M35 helmet of the 30s (assuming the same materials).

Because the smoother the curve of the helmet, the easier it is to process during forging and stamping, and it can even be formed from a single piece of steel. However, if the turning angle is too sharp, the steel is prone to breakage when forged directly, and it is necessary to process it into two pieces and then weld them together.

Historically, German helmets from World War I were made by welding at least two steel plates together.

This device, with its excellent ballistic performance and simple manufacturing process, was the best of both worlds. Its only drawback was its appearance; many people in later generations said it resembled a tortoise shell and was not as stylish as a helmet with sharp edges.

But Lelouch wasn't a pure art student who failed math; he was good at drawing, but his grades in science and engineering were even better.

He doesn't just consider aesthetics when making decisions, so he didn't hesitate to choose the design that resembled the M56.

The more the old marshal looked at the helmet, the more he felt that there was something mysterious about it. Although he could not calculate the specific mechanical analysis, he could tell from his soldier's intuition that Lelouch was a down-to-earth and unpretentious person who was dedicated to victory.

"It's rare to see a young man as pragmatic as you. You're insightful and perceptive; I can understand why Rupprecht values ​​you so much," the veteran coach exclaimed sincerely.

It was Lelouch's good fortune that he designed it this way; everything was for practical reasons, out of a sense of responsibility for the lives of his comrades.

But older people are typically steady and conservative, and dislike anything flashy or frivolous. Lelouch's steadiness was seen as a rare virtue by the old coach.

It's not uncommon for a person in their thirties or forties to be so calm and pragmatic. But it's quite rare for a young person in their early twenties, full of youthful vigor, to be so pragmatic.

Touched by this, the old general's originally dignified demeanor softened, and he became more talkative, chatting with Lelouch about many topics.

Highly respected elders are sometimes quite lonely. Having received so much respect for so long, they sometimes feel a sense of isolation at the top. When the old commander inquired about Lelouch's background and education, he learned that Lelouch had come to Bari from the Oreo Empire to serve as a soldier. Far from finding this inappropriate, the old commander felt a sense of kinship and naturally tried to strike up a conversation:
"You're from Oreo? Oreo is great! My wife is from Oreo, and she'll be very happy to see young people from our motherland at the dinner later."

Marshal Leopold's wife, who was also his cousin, was the daughter of Emperor Orio Franz and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi)—and Empress Elisabeth was Marshal Leopold's aunt and Duke Rupprecht's great-aunt. Intermarriage between the Orio and Barea royal families had a history spanning many generations.

After his initial reflections, the old marshal, now completely open and talkative, also felt a bit like testing the young man's strategic vision. So, following up on the earlier topic of serving in the military across borders, he asked:
"So what were you thinking when you came from Oreo to join the army in Balria? Will you regret it in the future? What do you think of the future of this war?"

Lelouch paused for a moment, not because the question was difficult to answer, but because he had already answered Duke Rupprecht once before.

I never expected that I would have to answer the same question again when I met the Duke’s uncle. Although the two questions were not exactly the same, this time the question was more profound and had more foresight.

Lelouch, of course, also wanted to take the opportunity to showcase more of his talents and avoid rehashing old ideas, so he racked his brains for a while and hesitated to answer easily.

His silence was seen by the old marshal as simply because he had never thought about such a question.

After a long while, Lelouch sighed and first recounted his motives, which he had already explained to the Duke, and then repeated them in a similar manner. But at the end, he abruptly changed the subject, adding an extra personal thought that he had just come up with, while also answering the old marshal's last two questions:

"...Of course, I came to Baria to join the army not only because I wanted to fight alongside the soldiers of my own people, but also for another reason."

When I saw Bretonnia join the war, I realized that the Allies had been insidiously outmaneuvered. No matter how capable I was, if I stayed in my homeland of Oreo, I would only be a pointless sacrifice, and nothing would change.

Because Oreo's internal problems are too serious—it's a giant with feet of clay, just like Lusa—the only way to change the outcome of the war and, incidentally, save my homeland is for the Demacian Empire to perform exceptionally well.

Lelouch's words were very boastful, yet also very sincere.

The old marshal was incredulous: What was this young man saying? It sounded like his side was doomed if he didn't intervene? And even if he did intervene, only by coming to Demacia could they change their fate?

Is that what you mean?

It was also thanks to the old marshal that he had just heard that this young man had changed the final outcome of the "Run to the Sea" campaign, cleverly turning the tide and annihilating the Billy King Army...

Only then was the old marshal able to remain patient and not immediately kick him out as a madman.

"So you think this war is hopeless? Then tell me, in the best-case scenario, what kind of outcome do you think the Empire could achieve?"

After the intellectual exchange and debate, Lelouch had more or less sorted out his thoughts. Coupled with his extensive knowledge of history, he was no longer nervous and began to speak fluently:

"I believe the Empire's hope for victory lies on the Eastern Front. If the Empire's leadership can see the situation clearly and unite as one, with everyone working together, the best-case scenario is victory on the Eastern Front and a draw on the Western Front."

Upon hearing this, the old marshal's slightly angry expression returned to normal, and he became serious again.

"You think the Empire's chance lies on the Eastern Front? That's quite different from the General Staff's view. The General Staff, from top to bottom, believes that the Eastern Front is vast and deep, and a complete victory over Lusa would be a protracted affair. Moreover, the harsh winters in Lusa's interior are so terrible that even Napoleon couldn't conquer them."

In comparison, how much strategic depth do the Franks have to the west? If you had fought better at Ypres this time, and continued like this, gradually nibbling away at their territory, wouldn't you have been able to wipe out the Franks? Are you discouraged just because the Griffin-sur-Marne Plan failed a few months ago?

The old marshal fired off a series of questions, finally staring intently into Lelouch's eyes and asking without backing down, "Tell me honestly, did Rupprecht reveal to you that after the New Year, His Majesty the Emperor might recall me to command the southern flank of the Eastern Front? Is that why you said the Empire's hope lies on the Eastern Front and wanted to curry favor with me?"

The old marshal's eyes were burning as he tried to see through Lelouch's gaze to see if he was just saying that to flatter him.

But Lelouch's gaze remained firm, without the slightest hint of evasion.

Lelouch replied calmly, "His Highness the Duke didn't tell me anything, and I didn't know you would be returning to the Eastern Front—the banquet is about to start, so when His Highness returns, you can confirm it with him yourself, right? I would never lie about something like this."

The old marshal thought it made sense, so he stopped questioning the other party's flattery and returned to the professional issue: "Then explain in detail why you believe that the hope for this war lies on the eastern front, while the western front can at best only achieve a draw. As long as your reasoning is sound and shows strategic vision..."

The old marshal originally wanted to say a few words about offering official positions and making promises, but then he thought it was unnecessary and not dignified enough, so he didn't say anything more.

However, his meaning was already very clear: Lelouch was just a captain, while he himself was a marshal who was about to return to service.

If Lelouch can gain the Marshal's appreciation for his strategic vision, why worry about his future prospects?

(End of this chapter)