Chapter 71: Where Is Your Position?

“Your Majesty,” Baron Miraze continued. “The Marquis has personally slain the Winston general Kaplan, held off the Winston Army under the walls of Kampnavia with only two thousand scattered soldiers, and sent Crown Prince Louis, the commander of the Winston Army, fleeing in complete disorder. His achievements are not necessarily inferior to Marshal Neville, the God of War in Delanmaya’s history. In my opinion, he is undoubtedly the best choice for the commander of operations.”

By Fred’s seniority, status, and popularity, he seemed very far from the position of commander. In front of him, there were more dukes and generals than one could count on two hands who were qualified to occupy this high seat that held the nation’s military power . However, at this moment, something strange happened: no one jumped out to oppose this somewhat absurd suggestion. If one paid attention, one could discover such a fact: almost all the lords who had the right to get this position were already standing in those two tangled “crowds,” having become supporters of the two most powerful men among them. And among those who had not expressed their opinions just now, Fred was the military officer standing closest to the King.

“Your Majesty, this matter…” Fred was just about to decline when Lord Meneval interrupted him. The Minister of Military Affairs suddenly said with extreme deference, “Noble Majesty, I believe the Marquis is a man of extraordinary talent and remarkable bravery, truly a treasure of our army. He is the perfect candidate for commander. I am willing to withdraw my earlier recommendation.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, almost half of the lords and masters in the hall nodded in agreement and voiced their support one after another.

Duke Gallett hesitated for a moment. He looked at the Minister of Military Affairs, who had suddenly changed his tune, then looked at Fred, who stood there at a loss. Seeming to think for a moment before making up his mind, he turned and said, “Your Majesty, if it is the Marquis Guderian, I also believe he is more suitable for this position.”

Suddenly, the officials who had been quarreling fiercely just now all became harmonious at once. Together they placed one flattering hat after another on Fred. One said he was incomparably brave, another said he could plan strategies and win battles from afar; one said he was extraordinarily handsome, another said he looked dignified; one said he could kill a tiger with a single punch, another said he could kick a bear to death… As for his inappropriate age and identity, it seemed that everyone had forgotten it completely. Even if someone wanted to say something, in the end they still did not speak it aloud.

“Your Majesty, I am young and ignorant, truly unworthy of such a great responsibility,” Fred objected.

“Marquis, you have already proven your value through your achievements. A lion does not fear sheep just because it is young. I believe you are completely capable of taking this glorious position,” Duke Gallett said hurriedly. His words won almost everyone’s approval. It seemed no one remembered that only a moment earlier, he had firmly opposed Count Kritz taking this position because he was “too young and too inexperienced.”

“My young Marquis, you are fully qualified for an even more noble position. If you have any wishes, I will satisfy them. You will prove your loyalty through your actions, won’t you?” His Majesty the King asked Fred in a very friendly tone, but his words sounded more like a command. What other choice was there? My friend could only accept this sudden position.

“Then from now on, you are the person to whom I entrust my life. I hope you will defend this nation with a hundredfold loyalty and courage. I promise your loyalty will never be paid in vain.”

“It is my honor to serve you.” Fred knelt on one knee and accepted his new appointment. In an instant, he went from a newly risen noble who had just stepped into high society to the person who temporarily held the most powerful force in this nation. The change in between was truly incredible.

The young Baron Miraze had witnessed this scene at the closest distance. In fact, it was he who had brought all of this about. In a sense, he had succeeded. From an unknown young nobody who did not know his place, he had become a young official who left a deep impression on the person controlling this nation. But his expression was by no means that of a successful man. When Fred took the staff of command with both hands, a trace of jealousy flashed across his face.

Yes, I believed that was jealousy.

“Marquis!” As we walked out of the palace gate, Baron Miraze called out to stop us.

“Congratulations, Marquis. Oh, perhaps I should say General,” the young noble said.

“All of this I should thank you for,” Fred replied with a sour tone. “You pushed me onto a golden seat and also set up an archery target behind me.”

“Your words truly make my heart cold, my lord. Everyone has a position appointed by heaven. Your position is destined never to stay so low forever. Even the supreme commander of the entire army or the Marshal of the kingdom, my lord, may not be the best stage for you to display your talents.” Baron Miraze smiled cunningly, with a mysterious, provocative tone.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I will visit you. I hope you will not shut me outside the door then. I take my leave.” The Baron did not further explain his words. After arousing Fred’s interest in conversation, he chose to leave, leaving us behind to watch his back in silence.

The Baron was true to his word. At noon the next day, he came to our camp as promised. He arrived at exactly the right time. Rodrick and the others were busy sorting out the troops that had just been placed under their command. Red Flame and Poirot, although unable to formally take military positions because of their race and profession, did not stay in the camp. Instead, they had been dragged out shopping by the young ladies who were deeply attracted by the capital’s prosperity. Only I remained by Fred’s side, because I was in charge of logistics.

“My lord, can I speak with you alone?” The young noble was led into the tent and made this uncomfortable request as soon as he entered. His eyes glanced at me scornfully, signaling that I was staying where I should not be.

“Lieutenant Colonel Gid is my friend. If your words cannot be heard by him, then they cannot be heard by me,” Fred said resolutely.

Baron Miraze looked at me suspiciously, as if trying to find something special on my ordinary face that could attract my friend’s attention. But in the end he found nothing. He took a deep breath, casually found a seat, and asked a question that seemed inexplicable to me:

“What do you think of the great Cretan army at Silver Shield Castle?”

What did I think? What did I think about it? Wasn’t that the invading army besieging the capital? Although it was a little strange that they had not made any move.

“That is only a gesture. They want to draw the nation’s forces here. When the time is ripe, they can easily obtain lands that have no one defending them,” Fred answered without changing his expression, but this answer startled me.

“Since you know that, why don’t you stop the armies that are reinforcing the capital?” The Baron asked the question I wanted to ask.

“To preserve our strength, sir. We have been fighting the Winston for nearly three years, and in fact we are the losers. In these two years, the Winston have lost less than fifty thousand men, while we have lost almost one hundred thousand trained soldiers and large areas of fertile land. If at this time we fight the well-prepared Cretans with the strength of one city or one region, we might delay them for a while, but the result will not change. Rather than do that, it is better to let the Cretans scatter their forces while we concentrate our superior strength and win in a large-scale frontal battle. Moreover, only when our noble lords lose their own lands will they be able to summon enough courage to fight.”

“Are you so sure of victory?” The Baron pressed relentlessly.

“Winter is coming…” This time Fred only said a few words. But the meaning of those few words was already enough. Winter meant many problems unfavorable to the Cretans, such as increased logistical supplies and difficult transportation on supply routes. More importantly, Crete and Delanmaya were located on the southern and northern sides of the Bilixix Mountains. Although the two countries shared a border, their climates were very different. The Cretans from the south could not fully unleash their combat strength in this unfamiliar, bitterly cold weather.

“Don’t insult your own wisdom, Baron. I don’t believe you need me to explain these things to you. Please state why you have come.” Fred waved his hand to stop the Baron from asking further questions and said seriously.

Baron Miraze smiled as if he could not care less and said, “Perhaps you want to know why I recommended you to take military power yesterday.”

Yes. This question interested not only Fred, but I also wanted very much to know.

“By now you must have noticed that our honorable King, worn out by state affairs, has fallen ill and probably does not have long to live. The ones qualified and capable of inheriting the throne are exactly the two lords who performed a farce in the hall yesterday. Oh, I misspoke. It is Lord Meneval’s son who has that qualification. But that idiot-like Kritz has far less ambition than his old father. Even if we talk about private life, strictly speaking, His Excellency the Minister of Military Affairs is the one who is more like His Majesty’s son-in-law.”

“As you can see, they have already won the support of most people. Lines of lords and knights queue up to lick their backsides. They hold great power in their hands and can turn things upside down. At a time like this, whoever controls this great army under the capital’s walls is one step closer to the highest throne of the nation… Hmm… in fact, the cushion has already been placed beneath his backside. There is no suspense. Therefore, even though they all know that taking this position means facing the powerful invading army, they still cannot stop themselves from fighting for it.”

“As for me, a ruined noble with only eight hundred soldiers, I am completely unimportant to any of them. No matter which of them becomes King, none of them will reward me for my support. I am not a friend who can provide powerful help. I am just a small noble who clings to the powerful. If they do not use my little remaining assets as cannon fodder after becoming commanders, I would already be very grateful.”

“So I chose you, my lord. I think I have already left a deep impression on you. That is what I need. Moreover, I am deeply convinced that as you gradually come to know my abilities, I will gain more.”

“Why me?” Fred asked. “There are so many people. They are not necessarily less suitable than I am.”

“Come on, my lord. I can tell the difference between a fool and a good general. At least on the battlefield, the chance of surviving while following you is much greater than following others. But my lord, perhaps no one can match you in the art of war, yet your performance in the court is not even as good as a child’s. In this area, I can help you, and only I can help you without reservation. My understanding and knowledge of the court are far deeper than yours, and I do not belong to any faction. I can help you avoid dangerous political traps. Many times, these are more terrifying than fighting on the battlefield. So you also need me, just as I need you.”

“You are really honest,” Fred said, not without sarcasm.

“Saying the right words to the right person has always been one of my good qualities. For a smart person like you, honestly speaking out your desires is not a sin.” The young Baron took this as a compliment and accepted it gladly. “Do you still remember what I said to you yesterday?”

“Everyone has a heaven-appointed position?” Fred asked.

“I am not afraid that you will laugh at me. I know my position is somewhere higher. I do not want to spend my whole life in mediocrity in a position that does not belong to me. Now, perhaps my chair is right beside you.” Baron Miraze answered proudly. I mean, he truly answered this question with “pride.” This was his true inner thought. He was not afraid to tell us honestly. And even though his answer was so proud, it was still not all of his inner thoughts. His eyes did not merely rest on Fred’s side; they looked even higher.

“Aren’t you afraid that these words will bring you trouble?” Even Fred was not quite used to the Baron’s aggressiveness.

The young noble smiled slightly and asked, “Will I?” After he saw Fred helplessly shake his head, he suddenly said in a provocative tone, “Let me ask a question I am personally interested in. My lord, what is your ambition? Where do you think your position is?”

…

Suddenly, Fred fell silent. His confidence, his pride, his composure, and his courage suddenly scattered before this question, like clouds encountering wind, like water poured into soil, leaving no trace to be found. This was the first time he had lost his composure in front of someone he was not familiar with, and also the first time he had been at a disadvantage when interacting with another person. I suddenly felt very disgusted with the Baron, who stood there enjoying Fred’s loss of composure, with a certain vengeful satisfaction flowing from the corners of his eyes. In front of these two young men, who could equally be called extraordinary talents, I could hardly get a word in. Their thinking moved along paths I could hardly guess. Only when the result appeared before me would I suddenly understand. But now I had no choice but to speak. Even though my mind was dull and my words clumsy, I would rather make a fool of myself than let my friend be made a laughingstock by others.

“My lord…” I interrupted. “Have you ever been to a tavern?”

“Yes, I have.” The Baron had not expected me to speak at this moment. He had not yet figured out my intention.

“Then you should know that there are seats in a tavern that are close to the performers on the stage, not far from the counter, and let you get a good look at the pretty girls performing. There are not many seats like that, and not everyone can sit in them. Besides, a tavern is not a high-class restaurant, so it is not possible to reserve seats. So how do those customers get the better seats?”

“Oh, I am not too sure.” He seemed a little interested in what I said.

“Actually, it is very simple, so simple that you would not believe it. Those are first-come, first-served seats. People who come early naturally have the right to pick their seats. Those who come later have to wait until those people finish their drinks before they can sit down.” I slowed my tone, then said to him not without malice, “The Marquis came earlier than you, sir. So you should stand in line.”

The Baron’s pupils suddenly shrank. He looked at me hatefully, then at Fred, who seemed somewhat weak. He did not hide the jealousy and anger in his eyes. Even his smile became a bit stiff.

“You are very interesting, Mr. Gid. Very interesting. Thank you very much for your reminder. I take my leave. My lord, I hope you can find what you want.”

“No need for gratitude. It is what I should do.” I escorted him out of the camp gate.

“What’s wrong with you, Fred?” When I hurried back to the tent as fast as I could, my friend was still brooding over his troubled thoughts.

“I don’t know, Jeff. After hearing his question, I suddenly don’t know what I want. I once thought I could protect everyone, but now I know that is impossible. There will always be people who die, always be people who are hurt, and I can do nothing about it. When he asked me what my ambition was, in my heart… in my heart it suddenly became empty. I don’t know.” His voice was so low that he himself could hardly hear it.

“War makes people mad, makes people evil, my friend. Recently, all I have thought about is how to defeat the enemy, how to kill people, how… how to win this war. It seems I have really been fighting for myself, for my honor, for my interests, for myself alone. But these… these have no meaning at all…”

“Do you remember, Fred? The promise you made to Tommy.” I asked cautiously. I had not expected that my friend could be so distressed by such a simple question. I knew he was a clever man, but I also knew that the cleverer a person was, the more easily he would let his mind run wild.

“I remember. So what? I cannot protect everyone. Do you really want me to become a King? Even if I became King, so what? The wars that should happen will not decrease one bit. The people who should die will still die. It is just that now it is us, and later it will be them.”

“The so-called great people—their greatness is not in how many people they protect, but in their insistence on the wish to protect others.” I held his shoulders. “You saved us. You saved the lives of so many soldiers and civilians, and you still want to save even more. Only you should not be confused about your goal, Fred. Perhaps your ideal is very hard to realize, perhaps it cannot be realized at all, but you are struggling with all your might to achieve it, and you are doing it very well, aren’t you?”

“You are exactly that kind of person, my friend. You are worthy of your vow. For those people you wish to help, you are their King.”

I did not know whether my words were right. I only knew that this was exactly what I thought. The proud Baron Miraze was without doubt an extremely outstanding person. If he were in Fred’s position, I believed he could also accomplish equally splendid deeds. But in my heart, he would never become as great as my friend. Because I believe the highest position is not above other people’s heads, but in one’s own heart.