Published: December 18th 2024, 7:15:13 am
A Peaceful Land of the Orcs (4.5)
"Staupitz. Is this amount too much for you after all?"
"Indeed. But it's a blessing. I can make it last for three days with just one meal."
"Kite, what do you think? I assume there are often moments on-site where things don't go as planned..."
"That is certainly a problem. However, assessing the numbers of our team and the Kobolds in advance to adjust the supply quantity is quite challenging. If we aim to avoid excess, there's a risk of undersupply. For now, the only feasible approach is to distribute supplies assuming that the entire headcount consists of Orcs. Unless we’re dealing with specific units like the military police’s Great Wolves, the Great Eagle Corps, or specialized groups like the so-called Dark Elf brigade, adjusting supply quantities remains difficult."
"I see... Yes, that's how it would have to be."
"My King, I believe you're overthinking this."
"Do you think so?"
"Indeed. Trust your soldiers a bit more. My sons are remarkable. If there's a surplus, they share it within the unit or use it for special allocations. They handle it efficiently on-site. Sharing meals or coffee fosters camaraderie. For example, Dwarves and Kobolds integrating into the military is partly thanks to such gestures. Soldiers who share food often become popular among their comrades. In return, they might carry others who can't ride horses or carts... things like that happen naturally."
"I see... that makes sense. Yes, we'll proceed as is. Thank you, Schwerin."
"Not at all."
"Ah, Major General Andariel. Based on our discussion, you should eventually establish the supply quantities for your unit. While I understand you're currently stretched thin, consult with Kite and assign this task to your logistics officer. Otherwise, you might find yourself receiving just two loaves of bread a day on the battlefield, not knowing what to do."
"Understood, my King. I look forward to working with you, Major General Kite."
"Likewise."
And so it was.
What surprised Dineluth was how little regard they seemed to have for rank or hierarchy during such discussions.
It was as if fresh air flowed freely.
In any military organization, respect for superiors is a given, especially in nations with feudal social structures.
In some armies, common soldiers wouldn’t dare speak casually to noble officers—such militaries were commonplace. For instance, in Elfynd, it was a significant act for a Dark Elf to offer an opinion to a Light Elf, something typically reserved for clan leaders.
Of course, Gustav's personality also played a role here.
But this seemed characteristic of the entire Orcsen military.
They had codified and explicitly encouraged such behavior.
The Orcsen military’s "High Command Doctrine," their manual for officers, states in its very first article:
"Strategy is a unified art grounded in science and the application of mana. Flexibility and creativity are paramount, and tolerance in commanders is the supreme condition for effective strategy."
In other words, modern military operations, being increasingly complex and large-scale due to science and magic, require freedom and creativity. Commanders must not be narrow-minded; they should actively listen to and incorporate suggestions and advice from subordinates.
By placing this statement at the very beginning of their officer's manual, it emphasized its utmost importance.
Furthermore, soldiers were educated to understand the overarching objectives of their orders, make autonomous decisions aligned with those goals before receiving detailed instructions, and actively propose ideas to their superiors. Soldiers were even encouraged to challenge and discuss orders that seemed evidently unreasonable. These were instilled as both rights and duties.
This system was remarkably flexible and unparalleled among other nations.
Particularly unusual was how such principles were encouraged even at the soldier level.
It was known as mission tactics.
Subordinates grasped their superiors’ intent and acted accordingly based on the combat situation.
Six years ago, it was institutionalized and adopted throughout the army.
This approach fundamentally differed from traditional methods where a single commander issued sequential orders to subordinates, who followed them without question.
To accommodate this, the Orcsen military limited excessive formalities like excessive salutes, mandatory honorifics like "Your Excellency," and similar practices, ensuring discipline through essential habits.
Such practices would be risky in other nations, potentially leading to military revolts or the collapse of societal hierarchies unless the governance system, social structure, and citizen loyalty to the state were exceptionally robust.
In the current world, perhaps only Orcsen could manage such an approach.
Their core principle—no distinction of rank or race, with everything oriented toward survival—was their national ethos.
Fascinating.
Dineluth was impressed.
The atmosphere under this tent reflected those principles perfectly, as did the earlier introduction to Rainders. The same could be said for the opposing forces’ soldiers he had observed earlier, swiftly and autonomously constructing fortifications.
This was undoubtedly one of Orcsen military’s strengths—an overwhelmingly significant one.