Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 4: War – Interlude: Something something about Daria

With Daria still a Cadet, inducting her to join an active military formation is honest to Yggdra unwise. However, there have been cases of Cadets being pressed into service in the past. Namely, me, Erika, and our classmates ever since we jumped off that crashed Junker. Hailing from a golden generation of military aspirants, we were lucky enough to find our groves in the art of war. Eventually, the Cadets who marched with me to Arash came to have successful military stints, if they survived. Those who passed the trials by fire eventually emerged as talented and decorated officers or retired to be well-known figures in the civilian sector. None of the Cadets under me back then turned out to be worthless in the eyes of the world. As such, there are enough pros to justify me putting Daria von Tettenborn next to me in the field of fire.

And no, it's not because I want her to prove herself so that she can put a ring on the index finger of my cute Ningyo, not at all. No sireee~! As a matter of fact, I am using the chance to temper her in a semi-controlled manner. Daria is a keen, promising Cadet in the ways of Armored and Mechanized warfare. Normally, Daria needs to finish her classes at Saint Gloriana Academy first to be assigned to a unit. However, even with her topping all of her exams, Daria would need a couple more years before she could graduate. By that time, things in Europe would have cooled down somewhat, leaving Daria unable to blossom her talents even more. So, in a time period where Belka hungered for talented personnel, I yoinked her when Daria seemed willing to go beyond the Academy's gates. It's my hope that, by throwing Daria into a pack of proverbial wolves, she will take to the soldiering life like a fish in the water. If she can handle the pressure of an active war and even thrive, the Reich will have one more capable officer beneath its belt and Daria will have the green light to live out one of her fantasies with Ningyo... I honestly feel irked whenever I think of the latter.

Don't misunderstand me, I have nothing against Daria. Truthfully, she's a pleasant young girl, well, younger than me I mean but you get the point. She's kind, competent, and overall a good person to hang around with. The family loves her and not because she's quite possibly the only one who is normal and wholely sane in the house. Daria comes to our attention as a normal girl who works hard to get to that point. She's just a noble girl who decided to venture on the path of self-betterment and patriotism. A girl who, while keeping an elegant facade, has periods of fantasizing and out-of-character tirades just like any other. Daria is possibly the most down-to-Gaia individual we've ever inducted into the family. And no, little Mei doesn't count because her IQ is high enough to keep up with Ningyo and Bronya, girls who are literally bio-supercomputers. Mei is by no means ordinary and I am highly curious about the Emperor who gave her the genius genes. Still, I've digressed.

The point is, Daria is a loveable young lady, much like me~! But yeah, the only reason I am irked whenever she is being lovey-dovey with Ningyo is because... Cue the dramatic drums... She wasn't in the picture.

Yep, that's right. Daria acting on her feelings and getting close to Ningyo wasn't something that I had foreseen or planned around. I am so protective of Ningyo that I basically vetted and arranged whoever came in contact with my cutest sister. Obviously, what I did is not something anyone else knows other than ONI Section Zero or Yggdra. The latter is an all-seeing Goddess but opts not to say anything for shits and giggles. When I learned of the random variable that was Daria who proclaimed her love to Ningyo in a rather cliche romantic way, I was caught on the back foot. I did as any good sister would do and subjected Daria to an intense period of secret monitoring and profiling... And nothing happened. Daria is as clean as an exemplary citizen would get and the circumstances behind her crush on Ningyo were purely natural and coincidental without any manipulation. Trust me, I know, for I cheated and asked Yggdra to verify it. My loving Primordial Goddess then proceeded to tease me for months about this.

Sigh, despite my best attempt at screening Ningyo's acquaintance, someone still escaped the net, thus influencing her growth. I, and by extension we, were lucky that it was only Daria. Was it any bastard though... I dread the amount of Destruction I will bring down. Obviously, I did not do anything to hamper Daria's and Ningyo's romantic development. However, it doesn't mean that Daria's road to Ningyo will be all smooth sailing. Of this, I have made it perfectly clear to Daria and she considers it a rightful challenge to overcome. As long as she performs well with her posting in Army Group A, I will give her my full blessing in pursuing Ningyo. With that promise acting as her drive, Daria has been hard at work in acclimating herself to the battlefield atmosphere. How is she doing this, you may ask?

Well, she starts off small, with me throwing her a bunch of paperwork to read and finish as my aide. Inventory check, munition requisition, transfer order, overall management of a Logistic Company... Daria must first familiarize herself with background management at a Company level. Then, when in active combat, I will have her acting on an advisory basis. If she performs well during the trek to the North, I will think about elevating her to the upper level of command and even active combat duty. The pressure for the upcoming few days will be high and sufficient enough to push Daria to a growth spur or break her. Either of which is what I am eagerly awaiting for. Though from what I can see next to me...

"I need you to send these biofoam crates to the 2nd Company, 78th Regiment, and fast. Someone made a typo and the 2nd Company will be facing a shortage of medical supplies if we're not careful."

"More airburst munitions? How? Why? The reports here stated that your Platoon received a supply of those less than 24 hours ago! Don't tell me you decide to hunt some games with those! Do you know how expensive it is to create the fusing system for an individual airburst shell!? If I caught you all wasting those rounds ineffectively, I will write a petition to cut your paycheck for munition procurement!"

"Who gave me the right!? Of course, it's her with that mug of coffee over there! Take it upstairs if you think I'm unqualified!"

"Oh, hello Major. Right, sign over here to confirm you've received fresh Class B Pumas as replacements for the battle-damaged ones. Though try not to do this again, we were only able to requisition brand new replacements due to time constrain for our operation."

"What will happen to the damaged Pumas? Of course, they will be sent to the backline for repair. The damage is only moderate at worst but since the the entire Army Group needs to be mobile as fast as possible, repairing them is not as fast as getting them straight from Berlin."

"Good day to you too! Oh, trucks are to be parked behind the storage tent so that we can load up on the goods. If you need me for anything, I will be by that table over there."

"Unloading? Oh, right, you see that Oni? Give him a holler if you need some help carrying those mortar shells. Don't want anything exploding over here now, do we?"

Yeah, Daria is gonna be fine. I feel a smirk growing as I sip my coffee. Ah, Robusta, you're always the best in topping up my tank. Nevertheless, to think she got the gal to make me her shield when someone question her authority. I must admit, I am honestly impressed.

I watch her run around with a clipboard tucked beneath her left arm and a tablet on her right until it's time to set out. The more I look at her, the more I am reminded of myself when I first formed the 404th. I used to be drowned in these organizational tasks, all of which I tackled with zeal and passion for the future I envision. The only limiting factor was that my height prevented me from going about fast enough. Daria too is facing the same issue I had back then, much to my amusement. The way she stomps her feet just so that she can rush to something that requires her immediate attention is honestly cute... Is this how Bryn sees me whenever I am on duty? No wonder she tends to have that look of fondness as I go about my day-to-day tasks on the field. Even now, I can't say that I am the tallest person in the family, much to my chagrin.

Regardless, that's it for a slice of my chill time. We still have a war to finish.

End recording.