Chapter 2

[ x ] Thanks to the current peace, you also got your way when the 354th Mage Battalion was created, hence your Battalion was just like you wanted, created from the scraps of the Empire. [Grants a greater pool of reinforcements and long term benefits if used successfully.]

Your men were just like you had requested, nothing special, and though you were quite sure that this was the main reason for why you ended up with three undeniably capable captains to lead your Companies, you wondered if you made the right decision not to form an elite unit given that it was the chance of a lifetime. But after a short moment of struggle you manage to push the thought out of your mind, you were stuck with your choice now and like your instructors always told you, there's no point in focusing on things that you cannot change.

Leaving the doubt you had in your choice behind for now you decide to focus on the things that can still be changed instead, the Empire would be more than willing to part with the needed resources when it came to its mages after all. And as long as the ends justify the means in the Empire you're sure that you could manage to improve the lot you gave yourself, even if it would take you a few months to bring the Battalion up to imperial standards.

Considering that your captains were doubtlessly working on it the abilities of the 354th Mage Battalion truly weren't a good enough issue to focus on right from the start of your command, your fellow units were honestly of much greater concern to you. For while serving near just a single Artillery Division was already quite bad for a Mage Battalion, serving near three of them was unreasonably dangerous. The 182nd, as well as the 197th and even the 168th were all sitting around the same supply depot as the 354th, and it made you genuinely wonder if there was even a place in the world that could claim to have this much anti-air firepower to protect itself as the area around Fallholt.

The problem you were facing was that all three of those Divisions obviously had their own Company of spotters with them that were even now filling the air with a disturbing amount of mana. Or in other words, there was even now with the low activity of simple training exercises too much mana in the air to properly identify who was and who wasn't a mage of the Empire. It was essentially up to radio communication that could certainly be jammed in case of a war or direct visual confirmation that could be tricked by skilled enough mages to make sure that the Battalion wouldn't eat imperial flak when coming home to resupply and rest.

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You imagine that even the higher ups didn't really think about the problems created by essentially stacking Artillery Divisions on top of one another seeing as the spotters aren't usually used like regular mages, it truly was a blessing and a curse. You could use the situation to get some favour by pointing out the issue, but at the same time it wouldn't be a problem simply solved and as such would continue to threaten the lives of not just yourself but also your entire Battalion. The Divisions below you were there for a reason after all, and the 354th would likely have to suck up the risk and continue as usual.

You were disappointed that even men like Major General Manfred von Ulmer or the great Major General Otto von Fuchs didn't care about the troubles of the Empire's mages, surely someone must have realised the problem before you even if they were just spotters. And then there was another small concern, namely that even the French observers across the border would be capable enough to pick up on the fact that imperial mages were suddenly beginning to fly around one of their own positions if you actually went ahead and informed the troops in the area, which would be attention the only offensive supply depot in the west really didn't need.

You didn't wish to be the fool that ruins some long term plan of one of the generals back in Berun, such a screw-up would clearly be the end of your command and bright future in the army. But at the same time, you can hardly continue your patrols and training flights till the moment a skirmish or war actually breaks out and requires of the 354th to stay away for more than a few hours, for returning to base wouldn't be an option anymore. Without light and proper training on either the side of the spotters or the 354th, you would simply be stuck with a unit of amateurs that couldn't even fly any night missions while the world was watching.

Well, you guessed that showing things from that point of view would at least make for a decent excuse should you really decide that a breach of conduct would fix the whole mess the fastest. After thinking a little more on the matter while you made your descend with the rest of your Company you made up your mind, the Empire's unhealthy thirst for knowledge couldn't be denied and one way or another you couldn't remain quiet either, so you decided to bite the lemon, for the good of the Fatherland, if not your career.

Please select the option you like the most:

[ ] Hence, you brought the problem to the attention of the higher ups as directly as you could. [Grants favour but will lower the danger of friendly fire only slightly.]

[ ] Hence, you spoke to the major generals in private. [Very slow to take effect across the Empire, but grants reputation with Major General Manfred von Ulmer, Major General Otto von Fuchs and Major General Monbert von Stein.]

[ ] Hence, you pointed out your problem to the spotters of the 197th Artillery Division. [Slow to take effect across the Empire, but lowers the danger of friendly fire immediately.]

[ ] Hence, you refused to fly. [???]