Saga of Tanya the Evil (幼女戦記)

Unified Year 1927, May 26th, Imperial Capital Berun Central Station

This story is a work of fiction. People, organizations, locations, laws, names, etc. have no relation to any real-life counterparts.

Is ours the type of relationship where you have to see me off?

I almost never get to see you in an embarrassing position.

I refuse to miss the opportunity.

Episode Five Unlucky Draw

You had an unlucky draw, huh?

There's no helping it.

I was the one who went against high leadership.

The government itself may fall.

...the Imperial Family itself may be in danger.

I expected to be relieved of my position as Deputy Chief of War Affairs, but...

I'm surprised to see I'm only being transferred.

I'm not being sent anywhere.

Even though we both went against leadership.

It's not fair at all.

We're soldiers.

We have no choice but to obey the will of the nation.

There's no one else in Strategic HQ

with your political skills or understanding of the operation.

And you'll have no one to complain to.

That's right.

I really don't think we can do without you...

It seems it's time.

I'll leave the East to you.

We'll win this war together.

Yeah, that's right.

I'll pray for your good luck.

Come back as a victorious general.

Get the expensive booze and cigars ready.

I'll drive you bankrupt.

Win the war together, huh?

Even a single failure will put the Empire in danger.

No matter how many times the Federation fails, it will keep coming back.

It's not fair at all.

A military officer can be sent anywhere alone with a single order.

But my influence in the East is limited.

I have no pieces to play at all, realistically.

No, I do have one.

Eastern Battlefront Imperial Eastern Theater Frontline Base

Why? Why am I being summoned by Eastern Theater Command?

Something to do with the peace talks?

But then why aren't we being given a ceasefire order?

The Ildoa observer said that a ceasefire was just a matter of time...

Well, there's no way we can continue the war, regardless.

Anybody capable of making logical decisions would know that.

The brass can't possibly be that stu...

huh?

It's been a long time, Lt. Colonel Degurechaff.

S-Sir, what are you doing here?

Strategic HQ has sent me into exile.

I'll be here from now on.

E-Exiled? The boss of my faction has screwed up?!

Is something wrong?

Sorry! I was just dizzy from lack of sleep...

Shit! Shit! Shit!

My whole career plan is in danger!

I was counting on my faction's boss to write me a letter of recommendation!

No, wait. If there's a peace treaty, maybe I won't need it...

By the way...

Peace negotiations have broken down, you see.

High leadership wants more victories to ensure better conditions in the deal.

I was opposed to this, so they got angry and sent me here.

Wh-What?!

The peace negotiations broke down, and the leadership hates my boss!

This is as bad as it could possibly get!

Hey. Hey.

Are you okay?

Sorry! I got a little dizzy from shock...

That won't do.

I'm going to need you to work even harder than before.

They're still going to overwork me, even now?

Now, due to the political circumstances I just described,

I'll be working on a large-scale offensive in the East.

The Andromeda Project?

The main goal of the operation is to ensure better conditions in a peace deal.

And that means crushing the enemy's will to resist.

Specifically, we've decided to take control

of the Federation army's resource-producing areas.

We'll be splitting the Eastern army into A Group, which will handle the offensive,

and B Group, which will maintain the battle lines.

A strikes. B defends.

If this operation works,

it will maintain our forces' ability to fight while weakening the enemy's.

It should help us in negotiations.

And General Zettour has headed to the East

to observe and take command of B Group.

It's de facto exile, actually.

The high leadership doesn't like being talked down.

I understand the operation.

But negotiations in Ildoa...

Are to be temporarily stopped, I'm told.

If leadership wants a win, then we have to win.

No matter what.

I'll ask for your honest opinion.

What do you think of the Andromeda Project?

Honestly, it's nothing short of reckless.

Continue.

B Group's assigned territory is already far too large.

They don't have the men for it.

And if A Group's offensive succeeds,

it will only mean more territory for them to defend.

B Group is a rubber band, stretched to its breaking point.

You don't need scissors to snap it.

A single poke from a needle could do it.

And if I may, I dislike the project's name.

The project's name?

The name suggests a distant horizon, or the stars in outer space.

It's romantic, in a way, but I find it far too distant a goal.

An excellent point!

The one who named it may look rough, but they're surprisingly delicate.

Your points are all logical.

But unfortunately, we aren't allowed to make any changes.

Come up with a defense plan for B Group.

A plan?

What do we need for a successful defense?

The initiative. Without the initiative, we have nothing.

An unchanging fact of warfare.

The question is, how do we get it?

It's hard to say since we're on the inferior side...

Let's aim for a counterattack.

We'll lure the enemy in with a decoy

and wipe them out when they're overextended.

Easier said than done.

Yes. We need something they'll feel is worth taking the chance on.

And the decoy will have to have the tenacity to stay in the fight

until the fish has swallowed the lure.

That, I don't think we need to worry about.

I have a card I can play.

I don't know who he's referring to, but I feel bad for them.

We'll also need hunters who can destroy the enemy once they've engaged the decoy.

Hmm... what spare forces do we have in the East?

B Group does have a mechanized division...

But we can't let them go easily.

Which means our only easily available forces are your combat team.

Oh, don't worry. I'm a hard man to work for, but I won't ask for that.

I appreciate your concern, sir!

Oh, no need to thank me.

You're going to be the bait, after all.

Even I can't ask you to be both the bait and the hunter.

Um... I'm... the bait?

This was your idea.

Of course I'll ask you to be the one to carry it out.

The bait is the group that put their capital city to the torch.

I've little doubt they'll bite.

But I suppose we don't have enough forces?

Even if we did use that mechanized division...

That's correct!

While I do hate to say it,

it seems my idea has little chance of working,

so I'll come up with another one!

Bye!

I'll use one of your companies!

Did you not hear me?

Give me one of your mage companies.

That'll be enough.

We're splitting our forces?

Indeed.

I-If I may, sir, my companies aren't just normal companies!

And if we're going to be on defense, we need mages to have any chance!

It'll be like having our limbs ripped off.

Don't worry. Lots of people have lost a limb.

Y-You insist on taking one of my companies?

Otherwise, I won't be able to save you when you're surrounded.

If you'll take Grantz, one of my young lieutenants, and his unit...

Thank you.

Now, as for the specifics...

Look. This is the spot.