Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 79 Army Reform
After a brief moment of thought, General Mackensen brought the topic back.

His face had regained its usual calm, but there was something in his eyes that Morin couldn't understand.

"What I'm about to tell you, you're not allowed to laugh."

General Mackensen's words puzzled Morin, but he still nodded in agreement.

"Because of the previous defeat in the Battle of Madrid, the General Staff is under great pressure. His Majesty the Emperor also has some reservations about the army's performance."

General Mackensen spoke in a flat tone, as if stating something unrelated to himself—though in a way, the defeat in Madrid was indeed not his fault.

"However, judging from the final results, although we suffered heavy losses, we ultimately defended the most important city of Seville and severely damaged the elite Britannian forces. This was very valuable for our internal propaganda."

Morin nodded; he understood all of this.

When you lose, you naturally have to find someone to take the blame—for example, the former expeditionary force commander Pritwitz, or for him, it was his fault to begin with.

This person was dismissed from his post and sent back to the country after Mackensen led his men back to kill him.

I don't know what connections this person has, but after causing such a huge mess, all he got was dismissal.
In another timeline, Pritwitz, known as the "worst German general of World War I," was merely dismissed for abandoning East Prussia and retreating on the Eastern Front.

If we win, we'll definitely make a big fuss about it to boost morale and public support.

"Therefore, the General Staff hopes to use this victory to create some 'combat heroes' to promote as role models of the bravery and skill of Imperial soldiers."

At this point, even the usually serious old general Mackensen showed a strange expression on his face, as if he wanted to laugh but had to forcefully hold it back.

He cleared his throat and continued, "I relayed this order from the General Staff to the 16th Brigade, while also conveying it to other combat units."

"Then."

He paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, or perhaps recalling the feelings he had when he first saw the report.

“One of the ‘combat heroes’ nominated by the 16th Infantry Brigade is you, Lieutenant Friedrich Morin.”

When Mackensen said those words, he could no longer hold back, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

It's hard to imagine that this old Saxon soldier, known for his sternness and unsmiling nature, would see the younger generation who had once given him a headache and whom he considered a typical example of a spoiled brat.
What kind of expression would someone have if they suddenly transformed into a combat hero nominated by the military?

That scene must have been quite spectacular.

Morin was also stunned.

Although he did play a role in the battle, he felt that Captain Hauser and the fallen soldiers were more deserving of the title of combat hero.

"What? You don't believe it yourself?" Mackensen teased, looking at his expression.

"Reporting to the general, I just feel unworthy of it. Without the valiant fighting of the other soldiers, the tactical ideas I put forward would have been nothing but empty talk," Morin said truthfully.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, but humility is the right thing to do. I should have let you join the army sooner."

Morin: "."

Mackensen waved his hand and continued:

"But this is also the result of the unanimous recommendation of the 16th Brigade Staff and all surviving officers. Your combat achievements are there for all to see, and no one can deny them."

"Moreover, you are currently a spellcaster."

General Mackensen added:
"A spellcaster who awakens on the battlefield is legendary in itself, which is very much to the liking of those in the Imperial Army's propaganda department."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

A moment later, Mackensen's smile faded, and his expression turned serious again.

"Morin, the 16th Brigade suffered heavy casualties this time, especially among junior and middle-ranking officers, with more than two-thirds killed in action. Many command positions in companies are now vacant."

Morin's heart began to race; he knew the inevitable had finally arrived.

"Therefore, considering your combat achievements, and in order to support propaganda efforts and fill the officer vacancy..."

Mackensen looked at him and said, word by word:

"You will be promoted to Army Lieutenant and concurrently serve as the company commander of the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment."

Having anticipated this, Morin remained unmoved, continuing to listen quietly.

"A second lieutenant who had just graduated from military academy was promoted to first lieutenant 21 days after joining his unit. This speed of promotion, which broke the army's promotion record, is itself an excellent publicity point."

General Mackensen added:

"The Army's propaganda department hopes to use your example to inspire more young officers in the army, especially those descendants of military aristocrats, and to ignite their fighting spirit to serve the empire."

Morin asked with some curiosity, "Does this require igniting fighting spirit?"

"You think you're the only 'playboy' in places like Dresden, Potsdam, and Munich?"

General Mackensen continued, "The situation is becoming increasingly volatile every day. The whole of Europe has become a powder keg, and no one knows when the next all-out war will break out."

"But since the victory in the last war against the Gauls, the younger generation of the empire has begun to become increasingly lax, which is a very dangerous sign."

The old general seemed to have finally found someone to talk to, and he talked to Morin about many things related to the current situation.

Morin listened attentively but didn't offer any opinions, simply watching the system's information collection rate slowly increase.

After the two chatted for a while like ordinary elders and juniors, General Mackensen suddenly changed the subject.

"There's another thing. I don't know if I should tell you."

"Why?" Morin asked, puzzled.

"Because I'm worried that if you find out, you'll become arrogant and complacent, and revert to being that ignorant and reckless brat you used to be," Mackensen said bluntly.

Morin was speechless.

Seeing his frustrated expression, Mackensen finally spoke up.

"Sigh, never mind. You're an officer who's been through life and death now, I believe you can adjust your mindset."

The old general sighed, then lowered his voice.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has noticed you."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?" Morin was taken aback.

"Yes."

Mackensen nodded, his expression becoming extremely serious.

"His Highness the Crown Prince hopes to take this opportunity to promote a reform of tactical thinking within the army."

"Tactical reform?" Morin vaguely guessed what it meant.

"Regarding the vulnerability of dense formations to modern firearms that you mentioned earlier, some insightful members of the General Staff had already noticed this long ago, after the Britannians paid a heavy price in the Boer War."

Mackensen explained:

"At that time, the General Staff also tried to conduct some small-scale tactical reform pilot projects, but because some of them were too subversive to traditional infantry tactics, and there were not enough convincing battle examples to support them, they all came to nothing in the end."

"And this time, after your battle report in Seville was submitted, many of the details of the battle were approved by His Highness the Crown Prince and some of the younger staff officers."

"They believe that this may be the direction for the future development of army tactics."

Mackensen looked at Morin with hopeful eyes.

"Therefore, His Highness hopes to use the 16th Infantry Brigade as a pilot unit to gradually implement the new tactical concepts."

"However, there's only the battle in Seville so far, so it's not convincing enough. You understand what I mean?"

Hearing Mackensen's words, Morin nodded; he naturally understood what the old general meant.

The battle isn't over yet, don't even think about resting.
Mackensen: "Your exceptional promotion is not only a reward for your military achievements, but also a signal that His Highness the Crown Prince is sending to the entire army—a signal of support for reform and encouragement of innovation."

Morin finally understood that his promotion wasn't solely due to his military achievements and status as a spellcaster; it was also because he had inadvertently become a figurehead for the Crown Prince's military reforms.
Morin: "First of all, I want to clarify that it's not that I'm greedy for the reward. But since it's already reached His Highness the Crown Prince, wouldn't it seem a bit stingy to only promote him by one level?"

Upon hearing Morin's words, Mackensen was so angry he laughed.

"Hahaha, you mean His Highness should have someone promote you directly to the rank of colonel, and then in the next battle, watch you lead a battalion, yelling and charging into the enemy's guns, only to have them all die?"

"No, not at all."

"Lieutenant Friedrich Morin!"

General Mackensen suddenly called out Morin's name in a serious and loud voice.

The latter, almost reflexively, sprang up from the chair and stood at attention.

"Don't get cocky just because you fought a good battle! This is only your first battle; you have a long road ahead!"

Mackensen's tone became extremely solemn, and the imposing presence of an army lieutenant general was once again fully unleashed at this moment.

"I hope you will not disappoint His Highness the Crown Prince's expectations, and even more so, not disappoint the comrades who sacrificed their lives in Seville."

"Put away your old, messy ways, be down-to-earth, and become a Saxon officer truly worthy of this uniform!"

(End of this chapter)