Reborn: Imperial Officer Promotion Guide

It was four days after the war began when news of the Principality's advance arrived.

Captain Lorenzo hurried back from the military headquarters and personally found Hull to inform him of the news.

"The army led by General Reinhardt has rushed out in full force and is heading towards the fortress. They have encountered almost no resistance along the way."

"This news came back too late..."

"It's obvious that the front line is deliberately concealing the truth! What a bunch of bastards!"

Captain Lorenzo slammed his fist on the desk, and his tone, as gentle as Captain Lorenzo's, became very rude at this moment.

It seems that the situation may be worse than imagined.

"What measures has our army taken?" Hull coughed lightly.

Captain Lorenzo's expression was still very dissatisfied and his tone was a little discouraged.

"Nothing happened..."

"how do I say this?"

"The fortress is now divided into two factions: the retreat faction and the resistance faction, and they are completely unable to reach an agreement."

"Really? I thought you were just arguing about how to defend, but I didn't expect that you would even want to retreat after all this."

Sure enough, no matter where you go, there are always these guys who specialize in holding your side back.

Sometimes, our own people are far more dangerous than our enemies.

Even if Captain Lorenzo didn't say it explicitly, Hull could guess it.

The faction that wanted to retreat must be Lieutenant Colonel Kenek's faction, which was hostile to Colonel Giroud Maguno.

"If we can't come up with a plan that satisfies both sides, the worst-case scenario is that Lieutenant Colonel Keneck will lead the officers and soldiers of his faction and directly withdraw from the fortress."

"No, I think no matter how much concessions and persuasions they make, they will eventually choose to retreat."

Lieutenant Colonel Kainek hoped that Colonel Giroud Magnus would lose power. If Colonel Giroud Magnus chose to retreat, then he, as the supreme commander of the fortress, would inevitably bear the responsibility for losing the fortress.

Even if Colonel Giroud Maguno chose to resist to the end, Lieutenant Colonel Kenek would not cooperate. His camp might have already prepared for a full retreat.

No matter which path they choose, Colonel Giroud Maguno's side will be irreversible. It's really poisonous...

No wonder even Captain Lorenzo was so angry.

However, Captain Lorenzo sighed heavily.

"Colonel Giroud Maguno will never retreat. He is an old stubborn man who will not be influenced by other people's opinions."

"In that case, we should abandon Lieutenant Colonel Kainek's army as soon as possible and make preparations for war."

"If we give up trying to win over Lieutenant Colonel Kainek's side to help us in the battle, it would mean losing at least half of our troops. How can we possibly hold on with just us?"

"Let's give up this unrealistic idea as soon as possible. Those guys did it on purpose. If we keep them here, they might hinder us..."

Hull stared into Captain Lorenzo's eyes.

"We can defend this battle on our own."

"This... this is too difficult... The Principality has dispatched at least 40,000 troops this time. How can we defend with only 10,000 soldiers like us? Moreover, the enemy's general is the Thunder General!"

"Of course this battle won't be easy, but at this point we have no other choice but to do our best."

"You...you can say that, so you must have some plan, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay! I understand! Let's go to the military headquarters now, and you come with me!"

Captain Lorenzo pushed away the guard standing at the door and hurriedly led Hull to the military headquarters.

Captain Lorenzo knocked heavily on the door of the military headquarters and rushed in, panting.

Inside the room, Colonel Giroud Maguno and officers from his faction were discussing the next battle plan.

They all had expressions that indicated the situation was hopeless at this moment. Colonel Giroud Maguno hung his head and murmured in self-abandonment.

"There is no chance. A large number of officers and soldiers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Kenek, have all withdrawn from the fortress... We have lost this battle."

"Colonel Gillette Maguno! Now is not the time to give up. Lieutenant Helheim has a plan to turn defeat into victory!"

Captain Lorenzo looked at Colonel Giroud Magnus cautiously, trying his best not to provoke the other party.

"Strategy...?" Colonel Giroud Maguno smiled bitterly.

"What are you talking about strategies at this point? Okay... I understand... Tell me, what strategy can help us turn the tide?"

Colonel Giroud Maguno raised his head slightly, his eyes were cloudy and bloodshot, and he seemed to have aged a dozen years in just a few days.

Captain Lorenzo patted Hull's shoulder gently and nodded heavily.

Hull understood and took a step forward.

"Excuse me, everyone, please don't be so discouraged. In my opinion, Lieutenant Colonel Keneck and his men's early withdrawal from the battlefield is the best news for us. If I still hope for the best and expect their help, my plan will be out of the question."

"..."

"Ahem... My plan is very simple. I just need to defeat the enemy's general head-on, and then the enemy's morale will definitely fall to the bottom, and the battle line will collapse without a fight."

As soon as these words were spoken, Colonel Giroud Maguno's eyes suddenly widened, and then he raised his head and laughed wildly.

"Hahahaha! Is this your plan?"

Colonel Giroud Maguno slammed his hands on the table.

"If you want to talk nonsense, please go somewhere else! After Lieutenant Colonel Kainek and his men retreated, we no longer have the fighting power to defeat Reinhard's army! Besides, there is no one in the fortress who is capable of fighting General Raiden!"

"Isn't the person who can fight General Raiden standing in front of you now?"

"Are you...are you kidding me?"

Colonel Giroud Maguno showed an unhappy expression as if he was offended, but Hull didn't mind.

"I will defeat Reinhardt."

"Huh? You're just a second lieutenant, and the other party is a general who is famous throughout the country! What makes you think you can do that?!"

"The reason why I am only a second lieutenant is because I just joined the army not long ago and I don't have enough time to accumulate military merits. That's all."

"Besides, military rank only represents the grade of the magic orbs equipped, and does not represent my personal combat power."

"This is ridiculous! Captain Lorenzo, did you bring this idiot here just to let him say this?"

"Lieutenant Hull has already signed a ceasefire agreement with the Kumins. I believe that we have no other choice but to trust it."

"Can we generalize? Being able to sign an agreement with that group of barbarians only proves his negotiation ability. Now we are talking about a real battle strength comparison!"

"No, you are wrong. The Kuming people are known for their bravery and they naturally worship the strong. They are willing to accept Lieutenant Hull's proposal because Lieutenant Hull has demonstrated the strength of a powerful magician."

"...But...even so, for a lieutenant to face an admiral-level warrior is too unrealistic no matter how you think about it..."

Despite Captain Lorenzo's strong recommendation, Colonel Giroud Magnus was still full of doubts.

Even Hull couldn't help but sigh.

He really couldn't understand why he was hesitating at this point.

Is there any other choice besides believing in yourself?

How can a superior who lacks decisiveness command other subordinates?

Perhaps, it is precisely this indecision that is the root cause of the inability of all parties in the fortress to work together.

From this point of view, Colonel Kenek's approach may not be wrong.

"Colonel Gillou Maguno, what does a magician mean to you?"

"Well... of course it represents people who can use magic."

"Really? Is that your answer?" Hull shook his head slightly.

"In my opinion, magicians are able to make the impossible possible. For example, they can annihilate tens of thousands of enemy troops by themselves, or use magic to destroy giant monsters that are much larger than a city, or cure incurable diseases..."

Hull's answer was understated, but every word was powerful.

"That...those are just some unrealistic dreams. I'm sorry I can't keep up with your ridiculous nonsense!"

"I am just like you. I care more about the results than the empty talk. But please forgive me for being frank. Now you have no choice but to trust me."

"If you choose to retreat like Lieutenant Colonel Keneck and the others, as the supreme commander here, you must bear the responsibility for losing the fortress. Even if you survive by chance, you will be exiled to the wilderness and spend the rest of your life there."

"No matter what the hidden truth is, you will be labeled as a coward and will never have the chance to gain a foothold on the stage of the empire."

"you...!"

Officers are judged as heroes by their military honors and military achievements.

No matter how powerful the enemy is, if you cannot fight bravely and achieve ultimate victory, you have no value as an officer.

Strategic retreat is allowed, but retreating due to cowardice due to disparity in combat power is considered a disgrace to the soldiers.

"In that case, even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, you can only place your bet on me."

"Do you want to endure the criticism of others until the last moment of your life, and live the rest of your life in a miserable situation without dignity? Or do you want to survive and finally achieve the final victory?"

"You only have these two choices."

Colonel Giroud Maguno felt very uncomfortable and did not dare to look up for a long time.

"But...but..."

Hull walked up to Colonel Giroud Maguno and stared at him with emotionless and cold eyes.

"I am stating only one fact here - I can fulfill your wish, that's all."

"Lieutenant... Lieutenant Hull! You...you are too rude to say that!"

Major Schneider next to him roared, but Hull had no intention of stopping.

"Impolite? I'm just stating the facts, there's no such thing as impolite. After all, if you had listened to my advice and attacked before the Principality found out that we had signed a truce with the Kumins, you wouldn't be in this situation today."

"If you hadn't signed a truce agreement with the Kumins, the balance in the North would never have been broken!"

Colonel Giroud Maguno stood up, his forehead almost touching Hull's.

Colonel Giroud Magnus was close to insanity and seemed to be planning to blame it all on Hull.

However, Hull showed no intention of giving in.

Do you have no ability to resolve a crisis, but are brave enough to push all the responsibilities onto your subordinates?

It seems that this colonel's ability is limited to this extent.

"I only proposed a plan, and I was able to do it only after you approved it. Moreover, I also provided a follow-up strategy afterwards. Unfortunately, my suggestion was thrown into the trash can by you because of your wrong judgment. Mistakes on the battlefield mean death. You all understand this, right? Your fate was determined at that moment."

"......" Colonel Giroud Maguno sat back heavily in his chair and couldn't say a word for a long time.

No one else could refute it, so they just gritted their teeth and remained silent.

"But you are lucky. Just leave this battle to me, and I promise to let you see a shocking reversal that no one can imagine!"

Hull smiled.

This smile made all the officers, including Captain Lorenzo, shudder.