“If we had won these battles, I think the colonel would have been able to be promoted to the youngest brigadier general in the Empire, but now… sigh.” He sighed.
The soldiers had talked enough about the defeats on the battlefield and felt enough frustration, so they were unwilling to discuss this heavy topic any further.
Then one person said, "Speaking of which, it's really impressive that the colonel has been promoted to such a high position at this age. If he continues to participate in the war and achieves some results after the counter-offensive, I think he will eventually be promoted again."
"Yes, it's very likely. In fact, the tactic of detonating explosives on the peaks was proposed by the colonel from the beginning, and General Dylan provided strong support afterward, which allowed us to achieve relatively good results in this battle," the lieutenant explained.
“So that’s how it is. To be honest, I originally thought the reason the colonel got to this position at such a young age was because of his family…” The post station soldier was interrupted by the cavalry lieutenant in a deep voice before he could finish speaking:
"Don't say that again. That's just a rumor; only a fool would believe it. The appointment and removal of high-ranking officers are based on the Emperor's comprehensive evaluation and will never be arbitrarily promoted because someone is a relative. Your thinking is dangerous, and you must completely abandon it." The lieutenant glared at the post station soldier.
The soldier hurriedly stood up, bowed, and said, "I apologize, please forgive my inappropriate wording; that was not my intention."
The lieutenant waved his hand and nodded, saying, "Sit down. I was just reminding you."
"In short, you must remember that although the colonel comes from a prestigious family, he did not rely on anyone's help. Instead, he relied on his own abilities to first enter the Salivarian Military Academy, which was personally founded by the Emperor, to learn systematic military knowledge. After that, he gained experience in the grassroots units, participated in and personally commanded many battles, and after being promoted one after another, he finally became General Bernhardt's chief of staff."
"If he really wanted a smooth and unobstructed career path, then all he needed to do in the beginning was to join the First Army under Field Marshal Wolfgang after graduating from the military academy."
"But as you know, he has never held any position in the First Army, and this time, he..."
As the lieutenant was speaking, he heard a sound coming from the stairs. He quickly interrupted himself, stood up, and looked towards the top of the stairs. The other soldiers also stood up at that moment.
"Step."
"Step."
"Step."
Slow, heavy footsteps echoed up the wooden stairs. The steps were slow, but each one was exceptionally heavy, causing the stairs to creak as if they were about to crumble at any moment.
With slow, heavy footsteps, Dingle's figure gradually descended the dark staircase and stepped into the bright light of the first floor.
Under the dim light, even though Dingle had his face down, the soldiers could still see that his complexion was very pale and his eyes were bloodshot. He seemed to be in even worse condition than before he went upstairs, and the soldiers couldn't help but worry when they saw him like this.
The lieutenant immediately asked with concern, "Sir, are you alright?"
Dingle then raised his head and replied absentmindedly, "Um...it's alright."
Although he said this, the lieutenant didn't think Dingle was in a good mood, after all, he looked almost like a dead man. But he couldn't say anything more, so he could only say:
"Alright, sir, dinner is ready."
Dingle nodded blankly, found a chair near the fireplace and sat down. Then he hugged his waist tightly with both hands, shrinking into the chair, but still trembling.
The lieutenant glanced at him, knowing that he hadn't warmed himself by a fire since arriving at the post station, and that there was no stove to keep him warm while he was alone on the second floor.
Therefore, he let the soldiers go to eat their dinner, while he himself went to the kitchen and served a bowl of meat soup to Dingle.
"Sir, sir." The lieutenant called several times before Dingle finally looked away from the burning firewood in the fireplace.
“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.” Dingle shook his head.
"Have something to eat, sir. You and we haven't eaten for over ten hours. We're leaving early tomorrow morning, so we need to replenish our strength. We won't be able to have hot meat soup while we're on the road," the lieutenant continued.
Dingle then took the bowl from his hand, and at that moment the soldiers also carried their bowls to the fireplace, quietly eating their food in the warmth of the fireplace.
"Gentlemen, I've cooked a big pot of meat. There's more if you can't finish it all, so eat as much as you can. Also, I've prepared some rations for the road." At this moment, a handyman with graying temples came out of the kitchen. He greeted the soldiers while wiping his blood-stained apron.
“Yes, Uncle Anton, the food you made tonight is delicious, we will eat it all.” A young soldier at the post station said, waving the spoon in his hand.
The handyman, known as "Uncle Anton," nodded to him, turned around, and went back to the kitchen. After this little incident, the soldiers gradually started talking.
"Alas, during my days in Enzos, I have hardly had a hot meal..." a cavalryman sighed, looking at the meat in his bowl.
As soon as he finished speaking, another cavalryman chimed in, "Those few days were absolutely the most difficult time of my life. I've never experienced anything like it before."
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