Over the next week, there were many changes at the frontlines. Just as Durioro had predicted, Prince Hansbach did indeed carry out a huge purge at the frontline command center. He even used the war as a sign that it was over to dismiss the military staff.
It was said that almost a third of the noble officers were ordered to retire, and five or six lieutenants of the older noble families were relieved of their positions.
Durioro said that while Prince Hansbach was headstrong and not a suitable successor to the throne, he was an excellent commander.
He was right. After realizing that the situation at the frontlines had spiraled out of his control and posed a great threat to the kingdom and the royal family, he immediately changed his tune and returned to the frontlines.
He took control of the frontlines in one fell swoop and gathered all the lieutenants for a meeting.
He gathered all the Legion Commanders for a meeting, and during the meeting, he directly removed the Legion Commanders who colluded with the aristocratic forces from their positions.
At the same time, he deployed the royal guards to replace the guards of the frontlines command center and carried out a huge purge of the noble officers who had taken control of the frontlines command center.
Dozens of noble officers were charged with corruption and disobeying orders, and were punished by military law. Dozens of noble officers were ordered to retire from the army, permanently losing their future in the kingdom's regular army.
The commoner officers who had been suppressed were promoted by the prince and became the backbone of the frontlines command center.
Durioro received news from his friend that Prince Hansbach had handed over control of the frontlines command to King Stellin X's envoy, General Bodekamp.
General Bodekamp would be in charge of the evacuation and reorganization of nearly a million troops. In a few months, everyone would be able to return home.
Another piece of good news was that Skree had been rescued by the prince.
Captain Durioro had learned from his friends at the front that Prince Hansbach had used Major Skree's so-called iron-clad case to punish a large number of noble officers.
It was said that when the eldest prince had just regained control of the frontline command, the noble officers had written a petition to the eldest prince, using the irrefutable case of Major Skri as proof of their meritorious service. In the end, the eldest prince had slapped their faces with a resounding slap, not only reversing the case, he had also conveniently pushed the responsibility of losing the territory onto the noble officers.
Durioro's friend described in the letter that the first prince asked the noble officers what rescue plan the 1st Ranger Battalion had when they were surrounded by the enemy in Count Krilos' castle.
The noble officers were dumbfounded. Only a noble officer in the communications department of the frontline command said that they had sent five sparrowhawks over, but none of them came back …
And then you don't care anymore?
The First Prince flew into a rage and questioned what the frontline staff and headquarters were doing at that time.
First Ranger Tribe had lost contact with the encirclement, but the platoon guarding the mountain path had sent back a report saying they had been attacked and had lost contact with camp headquarters.
At the same time, the local guard camp sent a secret message saying that the entrance to the mountain was surrounded by the enemy. They couldn't send reinforcements or supplies to 1st Ranger Tribe and needed frontline command to send reinforcements to rescue them.
And the result?
In the end, you ignored them and only sent five sparrowhawks. When none of them returned, you concluded that 1st Ranger Tribe had been annihilated.
You just sat there and watched as 1st Ranger Tribe was surrounded for three months. When they ran out of food and ammunition, you accused them of losing the territory!
Preposterous!
Prince Hansbach was furious. He slammed the table with all his might. No one in the room could refute the prince's accusation.
It was true. Apart from 1st Ranger Tribe's castle, the rest of the frontline had long since stopped fighting. Nearly a million royal soldiers were idling around waiting for orders from the rear.
Frontline command and staff should have been focusing their efforts on rescuing 1st Ranger Tribe or preparing for a counterattack against the enemy.
Even though the mountain path was narrow and inconvenient, a single regiment was enough to repel the enemy and rescue 1st Ranger Tribe.
They could even deploy more troops to temporarily build a wider road on the mountain path to facilitate the reinforcements of the following troops.
However, the noble officers of frontline command and staff didn't care about 1st Ranger Tribe's predicament. They were busy pushing aside the commoner officers of frontline command and overthrowing General Michelc Priest who was managing the frontline command in place of the first prince.
The first prince tore the dossier about Major Skri's loss of territory to shreds on the spot, leaving behind only the document about the people who had contributed to the case.
He held the document in his hand and said meaningfully, "I'll do a thorough check on these people."
It was said that more than half of the noble officers paled on the spot.
While 1st Ranger Tribe's commander, Major Skri, was released by the first prince and reinstated to his post, he wasn't in the best condition due to the torture he'd suffered after being arrested. He was now being treated in a treatment camp under frontline command.
At the same time, Captain Hackmus of 3rd Band had recovered and returned to base. He was temporarily in charge of the camp with 4th Band's Captain Kurdwork.
Major Skri sent Captain Hackmus a letter stating that he was doing well and that there was no need to worry. He would probably be able to return to base after half a month of treatment.
At the same time, Major Skri asked Claude to draw up a list of five people that he would be assigned to.
It was worth noting that Claude's name was also on the list.
When Durioro saw the request, he congratulated Claude on his promotion.
Claude didn't understand. How did he know that he was going to be promoted from the letter?
It's simple. Durioro said that Major Skri wants you to draw up a list of five people, including yourself. This means that all five of you will be assigned to a new unit.
The other four are helpers Major Skri gave you so that you won't be lacking in manpower when you're assigned to a new unit.
But isn't the war already over? The frontline troops are going home. Why would there be a new unit for me to be assigned to?
Claude still didn't find it believable.
I have insider information. Durioro looked around and saw that no one was around. He whispered, "The higher-ups have decided that apart from the four ace corps, there will be another four standing corps. Three of them will be stationed in the three newly conquered duchies and the last one will be stationed in the royal capital as the kingdom's mobile force.
The equipment and treatment of these four corps will be the same as those of the four ace corps. "
"You're saying that I might be assigned to one of these four corps?" Claude asked.
"It's not just a possibility. It's a hundred percent certainty.
Duriolo said, "Actually, it's not just the five on your list. Your First to Fourth Ranger Battalions will all be transferred to the four standing corps.
The higher-ups intend for the elites of the twenty second-line corps to be reorganized into the four corps. To prevent the old nobles from interfering in the new corps, Prince Hansbach has decided to expel the nobles from the four corps. "
Aueras occupied Sidins, Rimodra, and Askilin and needed to deploy a powerful force in each of those duchies to suppress any resistance. That was why they were preparing to form four new standing corps.
The eldest prince, on the other hand, decided to exclude all the noble officers from the four newly formed standing legions due to the fact that the noble officers had taken control of the frontline command center. He wanted the four standing legions to become the royal family's reliable armed forces.
Fortunately, the nobles who took control of the frontline command center didn't have the authority to deploy troops. Otherwise, the first prince wouldn't have been able to reclaim his power so easily.
That also set off alarm bells for the royal family. If the nobles had the authority to deploy troops, the first prince's return to the frontline command center might very well turn into a tragedy. Being imprisoned wasn't that bad. What he feared most was being used as a puppet by the nobles and causing a civil war in the kingdom.
Without reliable military power, the nobles themselves became tragic victims.
They posed no threat to the first prince who suddenly returned to the frontline command center and could only surrender obediently to be punished and purged by the first prince.
The situation in the newly conquered territories was completely reversed overnight. The unscrupulous actions of the nobles became irrefutable evidence of their crimes. The old nobles who tried to invade the new territories were all repelled. It was no wonder that Durioro was in such a good mood.
There wasn't much to say. The four people he trusted the most in 1st Clan were Moriad, Dyavid, Mackie and Gum.
As for the veteran Maqki, while he performed well, he was still a subordinate that he couldn't trust.
The other platoon jarls and squad jarls only obeyed his orders because of their rank.
While some of them were loyal to him, they didn't act any different from the others, so Claude could only apologize.
Even though Myjack and Gum hadn't returned yet, Claude still wrote their names on the list.
If it was as Durioro said and the five of them were going to be transferred to a new unit, Myjack and Gum wouldn't be able to continue following Claude if their names weren't added to the list.
Since they were registered in 1st Ranger Tribe, they would be assigned guards and orderlies in their new unit.
Apart from the list, Claude had something else on his mind.
It was about his little lover, Magus Sheila.
Now that the situation at the frontlines had returned to normal, the second line corps were reorganizing and retreating from their garrisons.
As long as Major Skri returned to HQ, he believed that he would soon receive the order to leave Squirrel Village. That was why he wanted his lover, Sheila, to leave with him. After he applied for leave, he would bring her back to Whitestag and marry her under the blessings of his family.
Unfortunately, Sheila refused his request. She didn't want to leave Witch's Grove and wanted to wait for her mother's return.
Even when Claude offered to bring her home to get married, she wasn't willing.
She told Claude, "We're all magi, not mortals. We don't have to rely on marriage to maintain our relationship like mortals do.
If they got along, they would stay together. If they didn't, they would leave.
That was how her mother left her father and brought her to live in seclusion.
It was the first time Sheerah had told Claude about her father. "Your father is a magus too?" Claude asked in surprise.
"Yes." Sheila nodded. "He's on Higros."
"Higros?
That magus kingdom?
You and your mother came from there too? "Claude asked.
"Yes, I lived on Higros Island until I was six years old.
My father was a fanatic who wanted revenge and wanted nothing more than to return to the continent and restore the glory of the magi era.
My mother was from the School of Nature and didn't want war to break out again. She was worried that the war would develop in the worst way possible and cause magi to lose Higros, their last base of survival and development.
They always fought fiercely. In the end, my mother brought me and some magi from the School of Nature away from Higros to the continent. She brought me here to live in seclusion. "
"Claude …" Sheila sat beside him and hugged his arm. "I know you really love me, but there's no need for you to marry me.
As magi, we follow the principle of freedom. There's no need for us to be bound by family.
We needed time to explore the mysteries of magic, and now that I had acquired my mother's library, I only regretted wasting so much time on playing.
I don't want to leave this place and there's no place for me to learn magic freely.
That's why I won't go with you. I'll continue learning magic here.
Don't worry about me. I'm used to living alone. Besides, Blackwind is here to keep me company.
'There won't be any problems in terms of safety. You know that I have quite a few offensive spells, and there are also those four flintlocks hanging on my wall. I'm very proficient with them, and my shooting is also very accurate. The day before yesterday, I killed a very fat pheasant with one shot from a hundred meters away.