A Peaceful Land of the Orcs (3.7)
Stifling laughter at the lighthearted greetings, Dineluth reminisced about the past.
It felt strange to think about it now.
She had once faced these men on the battlefield.
With flintlock rifles and bayonets.
Some even carried spears back then.
How simple those battles were!
Now, she found herself having to learn modern military science from them. It was truly peculiar how times had changed.
At the conclusion of introductions between Schwerin and the other generals, Gustav brought Dineluth forward to meet him.
"Ah, so you're the one! I've heard all about you. Mhm, mhm. Quite the ordeal, wasn't it?"
"Major General, Schwerin here was the chief of the 17th Mountain Rifle Division that saved your group during that time. Today, a different unit under his command is participating in the division competition exercise."
"My King, 'chief' makes it sound like I'm some kind of bandit chief, doesn't it?"
"Aren't you just like one, you rascal!"
"Hahaha!"
So, this was the Northern Army.
The north of Orcsen meant the direction of Elfynd.
Dineluth expressed her thanks politely.
The unpretentious reply of the general, who laughed off the gratitude with a "No, no, I did nothing at all," left a favorable impression on her.
"Major General, if it’s not an inconvenience—"
"Yes, Your Excellency?"
"When you have a moment, could you tell me about the Battle of Rosalind Valley? I've been losing sleep over the last 120 years, wondering why we were defeated by you back then!"
"... Haha, if someone like me is acceptable, I'd be happy to."
"Wonderful, wonderful! To think, at my age, I could gain such an experience. It’s truly a blessing!"
The mood was genuinely delightful.
At the same time, Dineluth noticed that this old general, a warrior in his own right, had his unique way of showing concern. It was remarkable. No matter how much military tactics and weaponry advanced, the ability to inspire and connect with others remained timeless.
Recently, Dineluth had started to discern their personalities, emotions, and individual traits—something she had once struggled to grasp.
It was simple, really.
All she needed was to look into their eyes.
Gustav the King had the demeanor of a child.
High General Zebek seemed like a philosopher.
High General Schwerin was like a hearty and straightforward patriarch.
That’s how it was.
It was enjoyable. Truly enjoyable.
When she turned back—
Major Generals Kite and Staupitz were conspicuously forming circles with their subordinates, appearing to have serious discussions. Their performance was betrayed by their barely concealed anxiety, making it clear they were acting.
—Come to think of it, those two likely didn’t have any actual combat experience, given their military careers.
The stripes on one’s rank insignia were not as telling as the breadth of their experience.
This, too, was an unspoken value in the military.
Feeling increasingly uplifted, Dineluth returned to her seat at the far end of the table.
However, as she settled back, something from the previous conversations lingered in her mind.
The 17th Mountain Rifle Division—the unit stationed closest to Elfynd on the Belleriant Peninsula.
It belonged to the Northern Army’s troops.
And they were participating in the division competition exercise?
From Wildschwein to the north, it was a distance of 250 kilometers—even in a straight line.
The exercise officially began yesterday.
How had this warrior’s subordinate unit managed to arrive here in time?
"The Red Army Commander, Manteuffel of the 1st Grenadier Division. I look forward to working with you today."
"The Blue Army Commander, Gloucester of the 7th Grenadier Division. Likewise, I ask for your cooperation."
The two generals shook hands and dispersed with their staff and deputies to the southern and northern parts of the exercise field, respectively.
The 1st Grenadier Division, nicknamed Heavy Wildschwein, was stationed in the capital of Wildschwein as its garrison and was considered the elite force of the Orcsen Army. For this exercise, it represented the defending Red Army.
The 7th Grenadier Division, nicknamed Norden Iver, was under the Northern Army’s command. It was one of the oldest divisions, formed at the inception of Orcsen’s national military. For this exercise, it played the Blue Army, simulating an advancing force attacking the area the Red Army was tasked to defend.
In the Orcsen Army, "grenadiers" was their unique term for infantry, making both divisions the military’s mainstay infantry forces.
Neither division was fielding its full strength, however. Both had drawn specific units: one brigade of grenadiers, one artillery battalion, one cavalry company, one engineer company, and half of a logistics train.
But this was not their peacetime formation—it was their wartime configuration.
Modern armies had developed such distinctions.
Maintaining a standing army was essential for national defense, and ideally, it should always be ready for combat.
However, with the vast number of personnel and units in a modern military, keeping everything at full strength during peacetime would quickly drain the defense budget and negatively impact the workforce in other industries, ultimately destabilizing the nation itself.
Thus, many militaries adopted a system of maintaining only the officers and a minimum number of personnel—about half of wartime strength—in peacetime. In the event of war, they would mobilize and supplement the ranks to achieve full strength.
This process was known as "augmentation" in military terminology. Of course, even in countries with wartime conscription systems, certain high-tension units, such as border guards, remained at full strength.
In Orcsen’s case, this system was further enhanced by a universal conscription policy.
All male citizens of age were conscripted and underwent military training for four years as a patriotic duty.
After completing their service, they returned to civilian life but remained registered as reserve soldiers for another four years.
During wartime, these reserve soldiers were mobilized to augment the military to full wartime capacity.
This system, developed after the Dutone War, was meticulous, detailed, and highly refined compared to similar systems in other nations.
While many countries relied on volunteer-based standing armies, Orcsen viewed such systems as unreliable.
Volunteer systems worked in nations with high levels of education and patriotism, and Orcsen could have adopted such a system. However, it saw pitfalls in peacetime, such as fluctuating troop numbers and a tendency to attract the destitute or disreputable individuals. Thus, it maintained conscription.
Orcsen’s conscription system was designed to produce high-quality soldiers and efficiently mobilize them in wartime.
What do you think about this chapter?
