Chapter 33: Gorsky-Zhurduv

In any case, Zhang Shan’s series of flashy and unorthodox maneuvers left veteran generals like Mikhail completely stunned.

In their eyes, this Third Prince possessed almost no real military authority. Yet, relying solely on a cavalry regiment of ragtag herdsmen and an air force that seemed utterly useless, he had wiped out six enemy divisions. And what about those Yamato troops in the south of Red Tower City who had mauled the Balashia garrison brigade? Mikhail and the others were plunged into deep bewilderment.

Zhang Shan had no time to worry about them. That day, a middle-aged officer was brought to the headquarters of the [Andrei Combined Arms Brigade].

Zhang Shan looked at the square face that gave him a strange sense of déjà vu and asked tentatively, "Captain Goski Konstantinovich Zhuldov? From Jakalu Province?"

"Your Highness, that is me!" the forty-two-year-old Goski replied abruptly. He was completely confused by the day’s events; he had no idea what he had done, or what crimes he had committed, to have caught the attention of the Crown Prince of the Grand Duchy of Bolia. After all, he was just a low-ranking civilian officer without a pedigree or connections, scattered among the vast imperial army. If he had to pinpoint what he had done, it was his time in Red Tower City recently...

"I heard that you wiped out two territorial defense brigades in Red Tower City a while ago..."

Before Zhang Shan could finish, Goski gritted his teeth and snapped to attention: "Your Highness, this is my responsibility, and I am willing to—"

"Forget it. Since when has the Empire rotted to the point where a colonel commanding a brigade escapes in the face of battle, leaving a mere captain to take the fall? Furthermore, you did well, holding off a Type-B Yamato division with such pathetic manpower and equipment. I must commend you! Congratulations, from today on, you are a Lieutenant Colonel of the Empire."

Goski was dazed, as if he were hallucinating. It wasn't until Natalie stepped forward with a red velvet tray, holding a pair of lieutenant colonel shoulder boards and a Bolia Medal of Valor, that he realized it was real.

"Your Highness, I, this..." The honest and simple-minded Goski was struck dumb by such immense fortune; he was completely at a loss.

"Goski, this is the reward you deserve. You held the line against the Yamato invasion for the Empire and the people. Otherwise, our Motherland would have suffered tragedies like this, this, and this." Zhang Shan gestured, and an aide began playing images on a projector showing the Yamato troops slaughtering civilians in Seris.

"This..." The raw, realistic photos made Goski’s blood boil.

Zhang Shan’s words seemed to carry a supreme magic: "Unfortunately, I have witnessed all of this firsthand in Lanwu. Those beasts were already looting, raping, and pillaging before they even captured the city."

These words gave Goski a profound realization—this Prince was by no means the playboy the rumors described. The Prince was truly knowledgeable about military affairs, had been to the front lines, and understood the suffering of the people and the hardships of the soldiers.

"Your Highness! I am willing to offer everything I have for this country." Goski gave a standard military salute.

"Then let me ask you: with the current regular Bolia army, what are the odds of a single division winning against a Type-A Yamato division?"

Goski blurted out, "Difficult!"

"Where does the difficulty lie?"

"The gap in numbers and firepower! The structure of our divisions compared to theirs is too lopsided. Our artillery is severely insufficient. But the key is the difference in mindset—even when we are at a disadvantage in troops and firepower, our commanders are always thinking about winning with bayonet charges. This is a backwardness in combat doctrine..." Goski spoke fluently about his own experiences.

Truth be told, with his blunt personality, openly criticizing the flaws of the old imperial troops in front of the nation's leader, it was no wonder he had remained a mere captain until the age of forty-two. Most leaders and high-ranking nobles would never swallow their pride to accept criticism from a civilian junior officer. If they didn't have him executed on the spot, it would be considered a sign of a mild temper.

Zhang Shan was laughing internally. He lacked the stuffiness of the old nobility and the ego of those in high positions.

"If I were to organize a division for you, what would you do?"

"First, I would expand the division’s structure, or combine two divisions into a small army group—at least twenty thousand soldiers—so we wouldn't be outnumbered by a Type-A Yamato division. Then, I would want at least three hundred pieces of various artillery, one hundred tanks, and ideally, an assault battalion composed of five hundred heavy infantry. If possible, I would also hope for the most timely support from the air force..." Goski felt more insecure as he spoke. This was all too idealistic. He couldn't imagine it being possible... could it?

He never expected Zhang Shan to clap his hands happily: "Yes! Exactly! Then I will add to your burden. From this moment on, you are the commander of the [Andrei Combined Arms Brigade]."

"Wait! Your Highness, me?!" Goski’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yes! A combined arms brigade. It will have fifteen thousand new recruits, trained entirely by you. Plus a cavalry regiment of five thousand Mongol horsemen to cover your flanks. And two squadrons of I-16 fighters for constant air cover. The entire brigade will be equipped with Arika-made Galant rifles, Asgardian MG34 machine guns, Gr.W.34 mortars, and leFH 18 105mm light howitzers. And 100 BT-7 tanks."

What kind of brigade could have fifteen thousand infantry? Goski understood every word Zhang Shan said, but put together, it made no sense. He only knew that this so-called brigade was a super-reinforced Type-A division in the guise of a brigade—a tool built by the Prince specifically to crush the Yamato Type-A divisions.

This massive windfall left Goski dizzy. The scene felt so blissful that he felt as if he were living in a dream.

"Your Highness, is this appropriate? To entrust your precious division—no, this combined arms brigade—to someone like me, with no background?"

"This is a moment of national survival; shouldn't we set aside backgrounds and appoint based on talent? I believe in you!" Zhang Shan’s gaze was sharp: "Goski, have some confidence! Even if you don't believe in yourself, you should at least believe in me, for I believe in you!"

A sense of transcendent devotion—the feeling that a soldier should die for one who truly understands him—made Goski’s blood boil. He saluted again, his eyes burning with fervor: "I will not fail your trust, Your Highness!"

"Go. Anna will help you complete the handover of all affairs. You are short on time; you only have two months to train the soldiers and get familiar with the equipment."

"Yes!"

Goski left. Truth be told, as expected, Goski’s promotion and appointment stirred a storm in the military circles of the Grand Duchy of Bolia. There was no other reason; to the nobles, Goski had too many eyesores. It wasn't just his civilian background—given the current state of the Duchy, even if the Grand Duke jumped off his sickbed, there would be no one else to use. The key was that Goski was from Jakalu Province, which was in the heartland of the Empire and had nothing to do with the Far East.

There was a reason he hadn't been promoted to field officer by the age of forty; before arriving in Red Tower Province, he had served in the old Empire’s Third Cavalry Division, which was notorious for having picked the wrong side during the civil war.