Chapter 89: Rewarding Merits And Promoting Officers, Everyone Rises Together
“Congratulations, Officer Lelouch! You’ve finally been promoted to Colonel!”
“What a bright future! Promoted to Colonel at 24, if the war continues, it won’t be long before you become a General. You’ll absolutely be the youngest non-royal General in Empire history!”
“Although not from the royal family, you can’t just call him Officer Lelouch anymore! Remember to add von to the name! You guys who are slow on the uptake, your reactions are just slow, and you can’t break those bad habits.”
The day after Lelouch’s promotion to Colonel, all the main officers of the various assault battalions knew about it.
Everyone was happy for Lelouch and all came to sincerely congratulate him. Naturally, Lelouch had to treat them, booking the best remaining club in Dunkirk City, letting all the attending officers enjoy themselves.
No one felt unconvinced because of his youth. Everyone naturally thought that no matter how much Officer Lelouch was promoted, it was well-deserved.
Such huge, solid merit—what’s wrong with promoting to Colonel!
Actually, when Duke Rupprecht returned to Berlin and went to General Staff Headquarters to handle Lelouch’s promotion procedures, some rear echelon civilian officers responsible for evaluations saw Lelouch’s record and felt slightly skeptical—not questioning that his merits weren’t big enough, but that he was too young, promoted too quickly, and had just been promoted once not long ago.
“This Lieutenant Colonel Lelouch—wasn’t he just promoted to Lieutenant Colonel after assisting in capturing Kemmel Hill, parachuting to seize the Dunkirk coastal defense fortress, and assisting in sinking several battleships in Dunkirk Port? He’s been Lieutenant Colonel for less than half a month and now promoting to Colonel? In the Empire’s officer management history, there’s never been such a precedent!”
And facing the reviewers’ doubts, Duke Rupprecht personally argued for Lelouch at the time:
“He captured the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force, Marshal John French!”
“Marshal, don’t misunderstand us—we’re not against his promotion. How about we hold onto the merit record for now and talk about it in at least a few months?”
“He captured the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force, Marshal John French!”
“…He’s already at regimental level. We can’t let him promote twice in the same month in February—at least wait until early next month…”
“He captured the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force, Marshal John French!”
“…”
The General Staff Headquarters’ civilian reviewers finally had no choice but to approve it.
Fine, they weren’t even willing to wait ten days.
But no way around it, they had to approve it, and it was filed in the February archives.
Who can argue with such solid military merit.
If anyone is unconvinced, let him go capture a major enemy country’s Army Commander-in-Chief too!
……
“The promotion approval process was actually like this. I still have to thank the Marshal for personally arguing for me.”
Lelouch held a glass of locally produced champagne and told his brothers all the insider details he knew about the promotion.
This wasn’t told to him by the Duke, but relayed by the Duke’s adjutant. It was clear that he was a good adjutant, able to ensure that everything the leader did was known to the beneficiary, allowing the beneficiary to owe the leader a favor.
The other assault battalion officers listened with great interest, and the most unruly Rommel insensitively remarked:
“What a legend… but not surprising. After all, becoming Colonel at such a young age—those old guys grinding away office seniority in the General Staff won’t understand.”
Hearing this, the relatively honest Model nearby gently nudged him with an elbow, signaling caution. Rommel then remembered that Officer von Bock was also there—he was a Colonel too, and his uncle was the Chief of Staff—so better not badmouth General Staff Headquarters people.
Rommel pretended he was just drunk, picked up half a glass of cognac brandy and downed it in one go to cover his embarrassment.
Von Bock didn’t look at him or say anything, pretending nothing happened.
As the host, Lelouch naturally took the initiative to move past the topic upon seeing this. He stood up, refilled his glass first, and invited everyone to raise their glasses:
“That’s all in the past. Anyway, everyone now has a bright future—let’s not bring up old matters. The Commander trusts me, so I know more news than you. Today we’re all our own people, so I’m not afraid to say it out.
After two months of rest for the troops, we’ll head to the Eastern Front to join the fight. The Lushans have already launched a new offensive campaign against our ally the Ollie Empire, in the Carpathian Mountains area on the Southern Sector of the Eastern Front. Everyone should use this time to handle personal matters and adjust your condition—that’s the real priority.”
The colleagues and subordinates all raised their glasses, toasting him one by one. They very consciously took turns in order of rank from high to low, with no one cutting in line.
Among those present now, only Fedor von Bock, William Keitel, and Lelouch were at the same level, all promoted to Colonel.
But considering Lelouch started much lower, and Bock’s uncle was the Chief of Staff, anyone with eyes could see that within the year, Lelouch would definitely surpass him.
As for Keitel, he was already a Major before joining last year, with a thick record—from Liège to Namur to the Marne River, a complete track record. This time he earned merits repeatedly, especially commanding railway guns against the Royal Navy fleet, finally advancing another level to Colonel.
It had to be said that Navy and Air Force officers at lower ranks could earn military merit more easily than Army ones—as long as they solidly sank warships or shot down airplanes, with good personal technical skills. But at higher levels, personal technical level mattered less, and it became fairer. In the future, to rise to General, Keitel would definitely be slower than the other two.
In this small team now, there were three Colonels. When they reached the Eastern Front, Lelouch could lead a parachute regiment, von Bock could lead a regimental-level unit for ground assaults, and Keitel could lead an experimental artillery regiment. Lelouch could fully use his connections to coordinate some new, special cannons for him, giving priority in equipment.
With such a composite force, they could do many things. Plus, Lelouch also served as operations staff officer for the Army Group, so he could coordinate with friendly forces for joint operations, giving even more room to maneuver.
Among the rest, Gerd Rundstedt, Erwin Rommel, and William Leb had all been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, enough to serve as battalion commanders of reinforced battalions or deputy regimental commanders.
And the talent types were perfectly configured: Rundstedt was an old-school infantry officer, Rommel specialized in new-style assault tactics, and Leb was an artillery officer.
This way, Rundstedt served as deputy under von Bock, Rommel as deputy under Lelouch, and Leb as deputy under Keitel.
In the future, with a bit more battle merit, Rundstedt and Leb could go lead their own units. But Lelouch had no intention of letting Rommel go.
Because Lelouch would definitely rise faster than the others. He believed that when Rommel was qualified to be regimental commander, Lelouch might already be division commander. That way, Rommel could always serve as his deputy, helping fill in tactical basics and cover gaps.
Lelouch was very self-aware; he knew professional matters should be left to professionals. He hadn’t properly attended a military academy, and in his previous life he was just an amateur military enthusiast—lots of knowledge from books, but lacking practical experience.
He was better at using his absolutely advanced strategic vision and foresight for big things. As for detailed tactical command of troops, Rommel would fill those gaps, so outsiders wouldn’t spot Lelouch’s weaknesses.
Further down, at the Major level heart-under-officers, there were many.
Walter Model, William Lister—these famous potentials from later generations—were already Majors.
Even Barrack, Andri, and others who worked with Lelouch in the cavalry reconnaissance company right after his transmigration had been promoted to Major.
Barrack rose from Lieutenant during the “Rush to the Sea” campaign, advancing one level per major campaign. Captain Andri was seriously wounded in the final stage of the “Rush to the Sea” campaign but was promoted to Major on the merits then, and only returned after over a hundred days of recovery.
There were even more Captain-level officers below, but the only one leaving a name in history books was Edward Dieter. When he joined Lelouch’s team, like Model, he was just a Second Lieutenant. Later, during the assault battalion’s first battle and the attack on Stenford, Dieter was more seriously wounded—a bullet hit his steel helmet causing a ricochet that saved him—and he recovered one or two extra months, missing several merit opportunities.
Model had risen to Major battalion commander, while he was still just Captain company commander.
Among the other unnamed old friends, even more had reached Captain, like Schweinsteiger and Klose from the communications platoon on Lelouch’s first day of transmigration—they were now Captain company commanders too.
These people lacked talent for independent command, so Lelouch kept them close. Long break-in with these old colleagues meant high efficiency in coordination. Schweinsteiger continued handling communications troops, while Klose handled the regimental headquarters guard company for Lelouch.
A side note: Lelouch’s old friend from the air squadron, Mark Immelmann, was also promoted to Colonel after the campaign. But Immelmann was just a friend, not a colleague or subordinate in the same system—different branches.
This was also Immelmann’s luck; the Air Force had been a blank slate before. As the actual pioneer of fighter jet application tactics, he built the Empire’s fighter unit from nothing. Plus downing so many enemy planes, rising from Captain to Colonel in a few months was a miracle.
When Lelouch was a Captain, Immelmann was already a Captain too—he was the only friend keeping up with Lelouch’s promotion speed so far. But as said before, Navy and Air Force in mid-low officer ranks rise easier on personal tactical skills. At General level, it’s different. His future momentum definitely wouldn’t match Lelouch’s.
Additionally, Lelouch’s superiors had all promoted at least one or even two levels—the Ypres-Dunkirk campaign was such a huge victory that all participating units earned merits.
Even the Army Group Commander became a Marshal; those below leading main attacks—army and division commanders—naturally rose easier.
For example, Lelouch’s original division commander, Duke Rupprecht’s own second brother, Major General Karl, had now been promoted to Lieutenant General, commanding the Baria 2nd Army.
Lelouch’s original regimental commander, Colonel Richard Lister, had also been promoted to Major General, taking over as Baria 12th Division commander from Karl.
It could be said that the entire Baria region’s military strength, prestige, and influence had all stepped up a level due to annihilating the Britannia Expeditionary Force.
After all, at least seventy to eighty percent of wiping out the expeditionary force was done by the 6th Army Group.
……
Everyone had smoothly been promoted, so the celebratory atmosphere was naturally harmonious. Even if some were faster or slower for various reasons, no one bothered to nitpick.
Hearing Lelouch’s advance internal news that the next phase might go to the Eastern Front, ambitious colleagues were already calculating how to break the enemy and earn merits after arriving east—the Eastern Front was so long, which segment was the soft spot easy to target.
Rommel couldn’t help but ask first: “I heard that on the Southern Sector of the Eastern Front, the Lushans have launched a new campaign, fiercely attacking along the entire Carpathian Mountains border area.
Especially the throat of the Carpathian Mountains defense line, the Przemyśl Fortress—even before this campaign started, or rather shortly after the war broke out last year—was already besieged by the Lushans.
Up to now, Przemyśl Fortress has been besieged for four months. If it ultimately runs out of ammo and food and surrenders, those over a hundred thousand Austrian Army troops gone means the Lushans might even reach Budapest—giving us two months for rest and transfer, will we make it in time?”
Lelouch: “Erwin, don’t be too greedy—everyone wants to save them. We’ve just ended such a bloody battle; the troops are too exhausted. Plus, transferring to the Eastern Front by train in batches, with a stop back home for soldiers to take phased leave—two months is already giving face to the Ollie people.
I believe when our Army Group arrives on the Eastern Front, we can definitely turn the tide. Whether we can save Przemyśl Fortress, I don’t know, but given the Lushans’ sluggishness, even if it’s fallen by our arrival, no big deal. The Lushans’ railway system is rotten, and the Carpathian Mountains lack transport infrastructure—they won’t have time to ship all the prisoners back.
So, if Przemyśl Fortress hasn’t fallen when we arrive, best case. If it has, we’ll just rescue the friendly forces who took it. I firmly believe the Commander has this ability, and our reorganized new troops have this combat effectiveness.
Compared to that, we should focus more now on improving the troops’ infiltration combat ability, airborne combat ability, mountain warfare ability—use these two months to fix shortcomings and adapt to the Carpathian campaign environment.”
Everyone would soon disperse for free activities and leave, so Lelouch had to lay out these words before they temporarily split, lest other officers waste these two months.
Lelouch himself wouldn’t waste time—even without military duties, he had plenty of business and industry layouts to plan.
Everyone agreed after hearing, keeping it in mind, ready to ponder when opportunities arose.
Before parting, Lelouch gave Captain Dieter a meaningful glance. Dieter, who was just a background figure tonight, suddenly felt he must pull himself together and work hard after being eyed by the officer.
Lelouch knew that in the future, Dieter would become a mountain warfare expert—this machine gun platoon leader-turned-officer had astonishing talent for mountain operations.
He missed part of the Dunkirk campaign due to injury and promoted slower; on the Eastern Front, time for his performance to catch up with colleagues.
Moreover, Lelouch had an inner consideration inconvenient to voice here: the Ollie Empire was rotten to the core—impossible to count on them holding the southeast line against enemies. Only when the Ollie people were on the brink of collapse could the Germania Army enter and turn the tide for maximum gains, forcing allies to face reality and hand more battlefield initiative to the Germania Army in the future.
Otherwise, rushing to save them from the start—even if successful—wouldn’t earn much favor. The more internal dragging forces in allies left, the more trouble for future layouts.
Better to use this chance to build prestige, strike only at allies’ most dangerous moment, then post-war settle merits and demerits to purge a batch of draggers.
