Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

I am in my element. You know, chilling in a high-tech war room in a military complex, directing a war that spans nations with hundreds of deaths every waking moment and all that jazz? Oh, and let's not forget that I am served the finest coffee money can buy while deciding on the fate of quite possibly millions of souls. Because to kill or not to kill is a question that leads to earth-shattering consequences, no matter the choice. A cup of coffee made by Agent is the stimulant I need to ensure perfect clarity whenever I need to answer a question. As for why this particular mood I am having comes about... Well, why not? Things are blowing up, unfortunate enemies are dying, and I am surrounded by beauties as I call the shots, these set the mood just right for me. I thrive in circumstances like this, and a dangerous part of me wishes this war and the others to come would be so long, so devastating that my godly aspects can feed on. However, it's easy for me to put a rain check on those yearnings as there are simply better prizes if I do my job properly.

Gently put down my cup of coffee on a simply adorned ceramic plate, I pass the whole set to a waiting Agent. The maid, and also my vice leader of ONI, then turns to put them away, before returning to my side once more, dutifully reporting the ongoing events that are showing on the large holographic map that changes by the minutes. I listen to Agent's beautiful, if slightly young voice as she speaks. I watch as the blue border representing my conquered land expands slowly, but surely, in real-time. I nod appreciatively whenever another red marker is crossed out and grey out before ultimately disappearing from the map. It doesn't seem like much, but in actuality, we are taking away kilometers and thousands of Polanian combatants in hours, potentially minutes even. The speed of our expansion is quite swift, but not to the point it beats what occurred in Ustio. One of the differences between now and then is the mass deployment of paratroopers behind enemy lines in concert with an Army invasion and a soon-to-occur amphibious assault. That said, perhaps the most notable distinction here is that our logistical supply chain is being put through its paces.

While the Reich had a lot of stockpiled munitions, a not dismissable part of those had been used to kick the Allied forces out of mainland Europe. Things like artillery shells, smart bombs, Exoscars,... were used in abundance to ensure a crushing defeat for the enemy to maintain our combat power. Even our military industries will need a bit of time to recoup all of our munition investment as we can't outsource production anywhere else. Fortunately, our expenditure is still well in the anticipated margin, leaving us with enough leeway to ensure our soldiers in Polania are well-funded and well-equipped to accomplish their part in Case Yellow and then some. This is, of course, acting under the premise that the supplies in the motherland can actually get to them. Now that is the most crucial part. Whereas Ustio at least has a serviceable infrastructure to support our logistics, Polania is quite the opposite. Their roads are in disrepair and their train tracks are mostly left unattended unless they're near major stations. Their airfields are also of deplorable quality, being too small with many of them only having short dirt tarmacs which are nowhere near the safety requirements to operate C-400 Atlas transport.

Unironically, we are forced to literally pave our damn invasion roads because the Polanians think that the money is best spent on their Army which, as stupid as it sounds, also needs the fucking roads to advance on us, the Reich! It's only a few short hours thus far, but reports arrive detailing the sheer inconvenience Army Group D has with the roads and bridges unable to hold the weight of their heavy equipment. It has grown so bad to the point the General in charge decided it's faster and safer to have his engineers use all of their bridge layers and ignore the God-awful civilian bridges. The General of Army Group D apologies for the wasteful but necessary expenditure but in my opinion, replacing a few 22-meter bridges is much better than trying to replace a couple of Leopards that fell into a deep river. Nonetheless, it irks me to no end that even by 1939, some parts of the world still failed to build a civil infrastructure that lasted as long as what the Romans built.

With a hand under my chin, while my legs are crossed as I lean back to view the holographic map of this side of the planet, I say with a soft sigh.

"Tell Army Group D to double time whenever possible and seize those railroads. They need to make sure those tracks and stations are serviceable if we are to bring our war trains up to support the airborne. Other than that, ensure that our troops behind the line get all the air support they need. Better yet, I want an uninterrupted aerial corridor so that we can resupply reinforce, and evac the casualties for the paratroopers. And yes, Agent, even more so than what we already have. With Army Group D beating back the Polanian Army so badly that they're retreating every five minutes, it will only be a matter of time before our paratroopers are stuck between the Polanian remnants at their front and enemy reinforcement at their rear."

Agent nods, before sparing an officer a look. That same officer then moves to a group of communication staff manning different terminals. Together with them, the officer works to disseminate the new directives and coordinates with different Belkan military departments to make sure the orders are done at peak efficiency. Delegation is nice, especially when you have competent people doing the grunt work for you and you are left with the overseeing aspect.

"What's the ETA on that amphibious invasion again, Agent?" I ask now that I don't have to pay attention to what's happening on land.

"The Grand Admiral reports that the Marines are raring to go despite their brief stint in Dunkirk. The High Seas Fleet is resupplying while underway as well, they should be in combat position by tomorrow noon." Agent says before highlighting the largest armada in the Atlantic, which belongs to none other than us.

"Any update on expected naval resistance at Gdańsk?"

"Their flotilla of four destroyers and ten torpedo boats remain either docked or in coastal patrol. Two submarines are confirmed to marauder the local sea but it's possible that there could be more."

"So it's nothing our Reichsmarine sailors can't handle." I comment with a nod. "And when we make ashore?"

"Master, the Polanians, even in their wildest dreams, have never expected an invasion on Gdańsk. Other than the city walls and security posts by the dock, there exists no heavy firepower that can threaten our Marines in their transition to shore. Nonetheless, I will make sure that nothing detrimental will crop up in the area without us knowing it first." Agent bows slightly.

I smile. "Then I will entrust that task to you, Agent. See to it that we don't get blindsided, preferably, by a cornered rat."

I then turn to my left where another occupant is sitting cross-legged in her skirt. "And you, Dreamer, anything you wish to report in your Section?"

Dreamer nods with a grin. "It's an update on the exoskeletons we are field testing today, Marshal."

I raise an eyebrow. "Those? It's been quite some time since I first brought them back as technological data from Gentiane's world. How are they looking out there?"

Dreamer then operates her military tablet before pushing footage of some exoskeletons being used by our armed forces in the fields. Judging from their unit patches and the helpful subtitles, most users are from the 501st Airborne. Dreamer says.

"The exoskeletons, watered down version as they may be because we don't want our soldiers to break their spines, still offer a substantial amount of physical enhancement. As you can see from one of the footage, Master Yuki, two humans wearing the exoskeletons can lift a fully loaded Dingo MRAP. Since we made the exoskeletons to fit a variety of humanoid species in mind, the exoskeletons' power output is adjustable, but not without some effort to prevent accidental input from killing the user. That said, we expect that the exoskeletons are being used mostly by the logistical crews as their combat endurance is still not up to par. Most of their finer circuitry and runic inscriptions are susceptible to projectile damage. The risk of wearing a jammed-up exoskeleton while in combat and sinking down a swamp exists and I fear for any soul that is unfortunate enough to encounter that situation. Of course, one can easily detach themselves from an exoskeleton, but it's better if that circumstance can be prevented in the first place."

I hum understandingly. "So it's as I suspect, with how minimalistic the design for those exoskeletons is, they are better off in the civilian sectors or logistical branch. To improve upon them, we either need better technology or make them larger and cram more stuff in. The latter option, however, is essentially building an SPI suit which kills the point of a low-cost, mass-production power suit."

Dreamer agrees. "Yes, Yuki. Already, the soldiers in the field are enjoying the benefits of a robust power suit that is readily availble. While it will take some work to get these exoskeletons combat-ready, digging a trench and building a fortress have never been easier while wearing them. The 501st, in particular, find them a perfect fit for the task of quickly setting up a defensible firebase. The exoskeletons, when working in conjunction with a mage, can erect durable, compacted earth walls in minutes. Given time, they can quite literally build a castle in a night together, according to what the wearers report. And, thanks to our magitech, they can run at full power for around a week before the wearer will have to tone it down and let it recharge by ambient mana in the air. Of course, the faster method would be to replace the mana battery altogether."

"Then it's a job well done then, Dreamer. I tasked you with the improvement of the exoskeleton and you give me something greater." I nod at her with a small smile. "Continue finalizing the design before pushing it for mass production. Given enough time, we will distribute some exoskeletons to the civilian sectors to bolster our productions."

I turn to Agent. "Help Dreamer out when the time arrives."

"Of course, Master." The maid bows before nodding at Dreamer.

Dreamer preens at my recognition, but then I promptly surprise her by continuing to say.

"Seeing that you, and Agent here, have been working hard these days, when you have some requests and I am capable of fulfilling them, don't hesitate to ask. Pass my words to the others too, as they should receive the rewards they deserve."

Dreamer stands, and much like Agent, she bows at me in gratefulness. "Thank you, Master." Dreamer stops for a bit before adding a mischievous smile that is regularly seen on her face. "And I will think hard about what to ask for a reward, Yuki."

"Now then," I clap my hands together. "Is there anything I should follow up on, or is this a wrap, and I can return home and start working on dinner? It's pretty much a full house tonight, barring a few on-duty family members, so I am thinking of cooking up a feast."

Dreamer comments. "Oh, so that's why the brainiac trio decided to call it early today and left me to be the only one to report to you about the exoskeletons. Well, it's my job yes, but I thought that Einstein would at least accompany me because she's interested in it as well."

I giggle at that. "Well, now that you know the reason, you and Agent wanna join us as well? Consider this a family feast that celebrates our victory over the Allied forces."

Agent is the one to reply succinctly. "Since the Eruseans are still acting reservedly, for now, I believe that we are free for the night, Master."

Dreamer nods with an eager glint in her eyes. "Since even my so-called subordinates will be chilling at your place, Yuki, it seems proper that I will join as well, given that I am not yet needed at Section Four. Of course, I will be glad to help you in preparing the feast, provided you will accept my presence in the kitchen, Yuki."

I chuckle. "You and Agent are always welcome by the stove, but not Architect. I absolutely do not want to see her bringing out a flame thrower to barbecue a steak ever again."

Dreamer flinches as a bad memory resurfaces while Agent replies with conviction. "I will be sure to use lethal force if necessary to keep my fellow Einheri out of the cooking area, Master. The mistake of last time won't be allowed to repeat itself."

As for what the incident was about, it's as it sounds like. Architect, my Einheri subordinate in Section Zero, decided it was a great idea to teach my little sisters how to cook a steak using a handheld flame projector. Understandably, I swiftly buried her in the sand with only her head sticking out as punishment. Worst, I made a plate of delicious and actually edible steak and put it in front of her. So close, yet so far, and she was left begging impotently back then. For a period of time, the little vacation oasis Yggdra conjured was filled with the sound of Architect's screams. Yeah, I was cruel like that, but no one is allowed to toast my steak, damn it.