CH 42

The calendar of the Monarchy of Diete is inherited from the history of the Earth era.

The Capital planet Diros, which has a 28-hour planetary rotation, has 28 hours a day, but by setting the month to 26-27 days, it matches the Gregorian calendar.

From the perspective of economic activity, a seven-day week is still in effect. Even if a business is open on Saturdays and Sundays, it is not possible to make transactions with other companies because they are closed, and children’s kindergartens and schools are closed, so there are no employees. Therefore, companies have no choice but to close their doors too.

The Royal Army of the Capital planet is also closed on Saturdays and Sundays in peacetime, just like most companies.

Hart, a General of the Royal Army, who has been assigned to the Monarchy since June 442, also works on a five-day workweek system, just like the majority.

On weekdays, Hart wakes up at 6 a.m. and clocks in after 7 a.m.

The military has a number of dedicated air routes for flying vehicles, and Hart has access to officer-only air routes, so he can be at the office within an hour from his home and start work from 9 a.m.

Regular work ends at 18:00, and meetings, conferences, committees and debriefings are held after hours, and ends around 20:00. Since he is in a managerial position, he does not receive overtime allowances. Even though he is not financially troubled, he sometimes feels disappointed because Hart, who comes from a quasi-aristocratic background, has a small-town spirit.

Hart’s rank, a General, is one of the top ranks in the Royal Army.

Above the General, there is only one Fleet Admiral and four Colonel Generals, for a total of five people. Moreover, Hart, who came in second after Valfrete in military achievements for defeating the Coalition, has the highest rank as a General, except for his predecessor, and is ranked 10th out of 16 people.

But Hart’s position is Deputy Director, and unfortunately he has a solid boss called Director.

The Monarchy of Diete, the government has a ministry called the Ministry of Military Affairs, and under that government agency, there are three offices: the Military Government Office, the Staff Office, and the Command Office. The three heads of the Royal Army are the Chiefs of the three offices.

The Military Government is in charge of general affairs, legal affairs, accounting, planning, technological development, and so on.

Yuna is the director of the Spirit Crystal Department of the Technology Development Bureau in the office, the Planning Bureau is proceeding with the Salamander project, and the Finance Bureau has the Accounting and Audit Department, etc.

The Staff Office has jurisdiction over personnel, education, and property including personnel affairs, education, and administration.

Philine is the third director of the Instructional Bureau within the office, the Personnel Bureau is in charge of personnel affairs, the Administration Bureau is in charge of warships and equipment, and the Instructional Bureau is in charge of the Military Academies and vocational schools.

The Command Office is in control of the operation of the actual forces.

The Command Bureau within the Agency has the General Command, the Security Bureau has the Military Police Department, and the Star System Bureau has the District Department, etc., which issue instructions to the Royal Army’s active forces.

The order of the three offices was the Military Government Office, the Staff Office, and the Command Office, but during the Battle of Loki Star System, when Valfrete alone was promoted to Colonel General, the Command Office was given the highest priority. The exceptional wartime privileges continued until Valfrete was promoted from Commander-in-Chief to Supreme Commander.

Hart is scheduled to be appointed as the Deputy Director of these three offices.

Once he served as Deputy Director of the three government offices, he would be able to take control of all of the entire Royal Army. After that, he would be viable to replace the three Chiefs at any time.

Sovereign Valfrete may be trying to raise Hart, the son-in-law of his biological daughter Yuna, to be his agent in the military. That is what Hart and the military personnel around him think. That’s why Hart is being educated in a cramming program.

Before the war, it would have been enough to work in a pattern over the years.

However, as a result of the reorganization of the military organization due to the resumption of the war with the Coalition, the doubling of the territory controlled due to the surrender of the Coalition, and the corresponding reorganization of the army, the conventional operational pattern became completely unacceptable. The three offices are spending their days forced to deal with requests and demands from all sides one after another.

If you’re a first class graduate of the Military Academy and have completed a one-year command staff course, you can do it… this is a great misunderstanding, and in each field with a high degree of specialization, it is usual for the officers who have graduated from the Commandant department of the Military Academy to enter and steadily improve while gaining practical experience.

For the time being, Hart was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Command Office, saying, “Because he was a commander of a combat unit, he should be capable of managing the Command Office in charge of the actual combat force “.

In the three offices, the decision makers are the Chiefs (Colonel General), the Directors of each bureau (Lieutenant General), each Department Head (Major General), and the Section Heads (Colonel) according to the contents.

Hart, the Deputy Director, despite not having the final say at any level of decision, was required to pre-confirm everything in the Chief level decision and attend various committee meetings as an observer.

[Seems you’re about to drop dead.]

It was Colonel General James Anderson, the Chief of Military Affairs, who described the man as dead over the communications screen.

Anderson, an old man who graduated from the Military Academy at the top of his class 78 years ago, reached the mandatory retirement age of 100, but remains the oldest member of the Royal Army since the resumption of the war and the end of the war.

He always says, “I’ll retire after the post-war cleanup”.

However, he was not apathetic, but rather an energetic old man who claims, “We destroyed the Coalition in my generation. Now I can dominate the Retired General’s Association. So I want to retire early. Otherwise, the person I’m bragging about will die in my lifetime”.

Hart straightened his posture over the communication screen.

“Excuse me.”

Anderson spoke to Hart, someone from his grandson’s generation, as if he were making small talk.

[It’s hard to get used to at first, but that’s because you’re not grasping the point yet.]

“The point?”

[Yes, the main point may be enough, so if you think about what the purpose of the Royal Army is and what is required to fulfill it, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out what you need to do. For example, here would be the approval decision for the Salamander deployment.]

Anderson showed the settlement data for the Salamander deployment, which was still subject to final approval by the Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of Staff.

When Hart nodded, Anderson opened the contents and shared the data with Hart.

[This approval will increase the Royal Army’s military power by 1.6 times. The Royal Army is an organization that protects the Monarchy and its people. Therefore, if the military power is increased by 1.6 times and there are no issues with the budget and resources, then it is okay to proceed. On the contrary, if you do not approve and the military power is insufficient in an emergency, you would regret it. I wonder if there’s anything else you don’t understand.]

“No, I think the Chief is right.”

Hart nodded to Anderson, wondering if such a simplification would be sufficient.

Anderson speaks leisurely in a relaxed manner, stroking his beard.

[What I believe is necessary for the postwar Royal Army is the maintenance of its organization. Man has a combative instinct. General Amakawa, have you read any of the research materials on the World War III awareness survey conducted during the Earth’s era?]

“Just a glimpse.”

The materials Hart read during his time at the Military Academy are international awareness surveys that began on a global scale using social media half a century after the end of the Cold War.

The contents were, “When will the next world war happen?” and “When will the nuclear war occur?”, etc., and people who consistently answered that the world war would never happen again in every survey of every era were always a minority. And in fact, there have been interstellar wars, not just planetary ones.

As for wars and conflicts that were not on a global scale, they were occurring for a long time until Diete dropped celestial bodies on Earth.

[The next war will surely happen. The sound maintenance of the military is indispensable for deterrence and response. My final task is to see to it that my successor understands this. A General with whom I have spoken directly, who is as young as possible and has a strong influence inside and outside the Military. If he has the support of the people, so much the better. How would you like to be Director General of the Military for about 200 years? I will make a direct appeal to His Majesty in exchange for retirement.]

“Ha, ha, ha…”

Anderson and his colleagues, who had an average life expectancy of 150 years due to aging stagnation technology, had a mandatory retirement age of 100 years.

However, in the generation whose life expectancy would increase to 200 years, the retirement age will probably increase to about 150 years. And if Hart and his colleagues have an average lifespan of 300 years, the retirement age may be extended to around 220 years.

In Hart’s position, it would not be impossible for him to hold the post for 200 years.

Anderson, who offered a 20-year-old man a job that would last ten times longer than he had ever worked in his life, nodded with satisfaction.

[Whether it’s the Chief of Staff who oversees the aristocrats, a Commander-in-Chief who presides over a combat unit, you are capable, General Amakawa. If you occupy one of the three Chief posts, you can exert influence over the other two. You can pass it on to your successor when you retire. And now, with this my work is done.]

Satisfied after saying what he wanted to say, Anderson stamped his approval on the settlement data of the Salamander deployment and displayed it on Hart’s communication screen.

Anderson ended the call, noting that he intended to finish the settlement or the handover. Anderson, who saw Hart’s salute across the screen, returned the courtesy, appealing for something as his eyes conveyed a strong sense of purpose, and cut the communication.

When communication was disconnected, Mira, one of Hart’s new spirits, brightly announced on his left side.

“One, done”

Hart sighed deeply and leaned against the back of the chair.

Next to him, Mira, who looks like a girl about 10 years old, sits on the desk and toying with a large silver fork that is about two-thirds her height.

Hart recognizes that the high spirits have an inhuman appearance, the intermediate spirits are human females, and the lesser spirits are little girls.

Intermediate and lesser spirits are further divided into upper and lower categories.

The upper intermediate spirits possess, without exception, some form of objects, such as distinctive wands and books, and uncharacteristic belts and ornaments. In addition, lower spirits recognize their power at an early age. However, they can’t see the contracted spirits of others.

Hart’s other two contractors were both inhuman in appearance.

Fleur, a cherry-colored spirit crystal, is a spirit with half-elf ears and fairy wings.

Rhea, a yellow-green spirit crystal, is a spirit whose elf ears swirl around with a green breeze.

But Mira, the same high spirit, didn’t quite fit the criteria that Hart knew at all.

She had the appearance of a ten-year-old girl, like a lower spirit, with a silver fork, like an intermediate spirit, and the figure she had shown only once when she made the contract was a beautiful Naiad that lived in a spring or river. Incidentally, the Naiad also had a black-covered book with a silver chain jeweled necklace hanging from her neck.

When Hart asked about Mira’s appearance, she replied, “Because this is easier.” As it turned out, Mira was a very unusual spirit.

“There’s one more thing, though.”

“Then, let’s move on, shall we?”

“Hey, wait.”

Mira took the liberty of manipulating the equipment and connected the communication to the office of the Chief of Staff, Colonel General Javier Ortiz.

Hart hurriedly explains to the officer in place that he had a prior appointment and confirms the Chief of Staff’s schedule.

Ortiz seemed to be available, and immediately appeared on the communication screen.

Ortiz is the third son of a Viscount family who graduated from the Military Academy 77 years ago. When he could not take over the family, he joined the military at an early age, where he steadily rose through the ranks, taking advantage of his high magic power and his origins to eventually become one of the three Chiefs.

Ortiz, who is also approaching retirement, has publicly stated that if he sees Anderson retire he will also retire.

[General Amakawa? Have you finished your conversation with Director Anderson?]

“Yes sir, I just received approval.”

[Very well, send the data over.]

“Of course, I will send the data immediately.”

When Hart handed over the data that had been approved by the Chief of Military Affairs and the Commander-in-Chief, Ortiz checked it over and then turned to Hart with his arms crossed.

[Before I approve the Salamander hand-over, I’ll tell you one thing.]

“Yes sir. What is it?”

[Other people don’t always operate the way you expect them to. How do we prevent a rebellion by citizens with weapons capable of destroying the Royal Fleet? It is the job of the higher-ups to make sure that each department always thinks of the worst and prepare in advance to deal with it.]

“Yes, sir, I’ve heard that Chief of Staff Ortiz proposed that Salamanders be equipped with a forced remote control function from the mother ship or home port.”

[That’s right, even if His Majesty supports it, there is no point in three Chiefs just blindly accepting things. Shove in what is necessary. You are already in a position to do so, so all you have to do is increase your knowledge and experience, and have the will to do it.]

“Thank you for your advice.”

Ortiz nodded, stamped his approval, and shared the data with Hart. Then he said, “That is all,” and readily cut off communication.

When Hart soundly leaned back in his chair, Mira said cheerfully.

“There, all done!”

“Thanks to you.”

The Commander-in-Chief, Colonel General Jhering, who should be receiving the approval, was promoted from Lieutenant General to General during the expedition of the Solar System Invaders, served in Valfrete’s expeditionary force, but was not up to dealing with the other two commanders, who are older.

Hart, who was granted permission to receive Salamanders on his behalf for study purposes, felt fatigued by his role.

After all, it’s been only half a year since Hart graduated from the Military Academy in April, skipping three years. His aversion to dealing with his superiors is not as bad as Jhering. If you are as distant as Hart, you may as well be a bit defiant.

In the final written decision, Hart sent an order to the relevant departments of the three offices to deploy salamander to the Command Office. Once the order is issued, each department and the field will execute it automatically.

After finishing the biggest job of the day, Hart imagined what he would do when he got home.

Hart is not only a General of the Army, but also a Marquis with a territory of 800 million people.

The territory of the new Marquis is part of the continent of Cynthus across the Mediterranean Sea from the continent where the royal capital is located. There was a second production factory for spirit crystals there, and after much consideration, it was separated from the territory under the direct control of the Royal family.

The provincial government has been divided and transferred from the Monarchy’s government, and the former ministers and chiefs of the Monarchy’s government have been replaced with ministers and chiefs of the local government, and they continue working as they are. The Marquis’ policies are adapted from the Monarchy’s government, and even those with regional characteristics are decided according to the overall plan of the Capital planet, Diros.

Therefore, Hart has few decisions to make, but since the final arbiter is Marquis Hart, he must settle the estate of 800 million people.

Not only the Command Office of the Royal Army, but also the administration of the territory was all new to Hart, and he had to start by understanding the contents. Hart, who spends two hours of the round-trip time between his home and the Royal Army to read, and is forced to work for about two hours after returning home, is freed after 24:00.

In addition, Hart has various social positions. General, Marquis, fiancée of the First Princess, owner of the spirit crystal manufacturing company, etc. Then, many aristocrats, big figures in the political and business world, influential people in the territory, scholars, and so on, came to request a meeting one after another, and Saturdays were devoted to the visits.

Hart would like to be able to at least take Sundays off, but as usual, hope and reality differ.

If not for the fact that Diros, the Capital planet, had 28-hour days, he might have died of overwork. Something seems wrong, but Hart has convinced himself that he must be imagining things.

“If you don’t properly cut corners, you’ll collapse.”

“I hear that, thank you.”

Hart, who was advised by a spirit with an appearance age of 10, thanked her honestly.

“That’s why, though things are hectic, I have some rather unfortunate news for Mr. Hart. It was fortunate I rushed to finish receiving the Salamander. You’ll be glad I did.”

“………… was there an uprising in the old Coalition?”

“It would have been nice if that was all.”

Instead of explaining, Mira manipulated Hart’s terminal without permission.

Then, it seems that the spirit operated on its own even at the other end, and a serious-looking Colette was surprised to see the communication screen that connected her to Hart.