Chapter 509: Learning How To Lead An Army
(Juxta Military Base, Officer’s War Hall)
Over the next seven days, Leo discovered that despite his usually unserious personality, Charles was actually a very good teacher of military strategies.
Not in the poetic sense, nor in the way of a traditional lecturer standing before a class, but in the practical, clear-cut manner that only someone who had bled through hundreds of battles could pass on.
When he spoke, he completely skipped through fluff and theatrics, only passing on what he truly believed to be useful.
The first lesson he had drilled into Leo had been simple: As a Commander, he didn’t need to know 90% of the grunt work. That wasn’t his job.
He had no need to memorize the topographical map symbols, or learn all the on-field hand signs and quick calls used by low-ranking officers.
Whatever he said was automatically going to be translated and relayed down the chain of command by people who had trained their whole lives to do just that, so he did not need to micromanage that.
Instead, he needed to be the mind behind every assault.
"Remember boy, men under your command will march until their legs break and fight for you until their bones snap, but if you don’t feed them, their morale will plunge like sand through your fingers," Charles lectured, while dragging Leo through the supply corridors of Juxta’s logistics wing.
As per his experience in the military, the men did not mind being cold, did not mind being tired and did not mind being hungry, but they could only do one of those three at once.
If they were going to fight from dawn to dusk, they expected a proper meal and a warm bed to sleep at the end, and it was Leo’s job to ensure that they got at least that.
"Food and Water... that’s the spine of your army. Not fancy speeches or made up war cries," Charles said as he introduced him to the army cooks, before showing him how the army stored food and water.