[Vol. 7] Chapter 280: As Everyone Knows, Emotional Intelligence Is More Important Than Skill
Just as she was halfway through her peach, Miss Rene suddenly paused for a moment. She quickly closed her eyes, and a glowing golden symbol, like an eye, quietly appeared above her head. It looked like the eye of a god watching over the earth, showing her a scene far away. When the girl opened her eyes again, her expression had clearly changed. She looked very excited now.
“Wow, what a big setup! It really is the Austre Empire’s special forces! Vehicles with wheels that move on their own, metal monsters [Graeme], and a bunch of weird things I’ve never even heard of before. This is going to be fun to watch!”
“Special forces… So, everything is just like what Lady Violet told us.”
Leila gave a small nod and lifted her long spear slightly. Her eyes grew sharper.
According to a certain priestess, most of the Austre Empire’s troops sent to Sainz, the academy city, were pretending to be heading to the western border. Then they would suddenly turn around and launch a surprise attack. The Dragonkin could stop them for a while by claiming the army was interrupting a sacred religious ritual, buying time.
But there was one special mobile unit coming from the north of the Empire. This group would almost completely avoid the Dragon Mountains and arrive in secret, carrying a sealed order personally signed by the Emperor. Their real purpose was to lead the other clueless troops and carry out the true plan.
This was the only force that had to be stopped outside of Sainz, and the Dragonkin couldn’t be the ones to do it.
The Empire’s newest troops were not easy to deal with. Although Leila and Rene had come, they wouldn’t attack the Imperial army themselves. After all, angels were too easy to recognize. People would quickly assume they were connected to the Holy Empire or the Goddess Church.
The best force to face these troops was one that “no one had ever seen before,” something strange and unfamiliar. That’s why Lady Violet had prepared a “special gift” right here. On the only road the Imperial troops had to take.
“Let’s go. The others should be ready by now. Let’s give those arrogant Imperial guys a little surprise.”
“Hehe, I’ve been waiting for this~”
With that, the two angel girls leapt off the cliff and disappeared into the shadows of the canyon below.
………………………………………
Meanwhile, Bernard Rodalth felt like he was reaching the peak of his career.
After the Imperial Intelligence Bureau’s operation against the Dragonkin in the Lannas Province failed, there was a major shake-up in leadership. A bunch of people had to step down to take the blame, and Bernard, once just the right-hand man of the bureau chief, was promoted to fill the now-empty Vice Director position. His authority grew almost overnight.
Opportunity, ability, and the courage to take action at the critical moment. These were the secrets to success in Bernard’s heart.
In the Austre Empire, just having a noble background wasn’t enough to make a name for yourself. Even if you were a member of the royal Frederick family, if you were useless, you’d still end up doing nothing your whole life, or worse become a pawn in a power struggle.
On the other hand, those who were truly capable could climb to high positions through their own efforts, no matter how poor their background was. That’s why Bernard never believed his current achievements came from his family. He firmly saw himself as someone who got things done.
Just like this time, when everyone else was hesitant and scared to step forward, it was he who bravely volunteered to lead this critical military mission. He had taken command of the Empire’s most elite modern unit in a surprise attack on the city of Sainz.
If he could win this battle and complete the intelligence bureau’s strategic plan, Bernard believed the Emperor would definitely notice him. Then, he could finally step into the true inner circle of power, maybe even rise to one of the top three positions and become a great minister.
Hahahahaha!!
Just as Bernard was happily dreaming about his bright future, a deputy officer ran up in a hurry.
“Commander, our forces are now close to the entrance of Iron Hammer Canyon. But the terrain here is narrow and long, with only one way in and out. It’s always been the perfect spot for an ambush. Should we stop briefly at the entrance and send out scouts first—?”
“Hah?”
Sitting inside the Empire’s newest magic-powered armored vehicle, wearing a suit of mechanical armor, the commander turned and gave the deputy a sharp glare. He shouted angrily:
“What nonsense are you saying? Do I need to remind you of the simple rule that ‘speed is everything’ in warfare? Our army is a surprise attack force. His Majesty specifically ordered this secret mobile unit for one reason, speed! And you’re thinking about setting up camp and resting? This isn’t a duel between two armies!”
The deputy didn’t back down. He seemed like a man with a strong opinion of his own. Frowning slightly, he calmly argued.
“But Commander, right now Sainz is still covered in that massive storm. According to our magical detection tools, the storm won’t calm down for at least another day. Even if we reach the edge of the city quickly, we still won’t be able to get inside. So wouldn’t it be wiser to slow down a bit, and make sure our path…”
“How dare you!”
Bernard was completely shocked that this little deputy officer actually dared to talk back to him, the supreme commander of the army and future top advisor of the Empire. Even though he knew deep down that what the deputy said made some sense, with so many soldiers watching, there was no way he could let himself lose face in an argument.
“Captain Jerry, remember this, I am the commander of this mixed unit. Only I understand what His Majesty truly wants. I know exactly what to do, so just do your job and follow orders!”
“...!”
Seeing the commander act so arrogant and unreasonable, the young deputy, who came from a military background, clearly showed a flash of anger on his face. But since Bernard was indeed his superior, Jerry could only hold back his frustration, bow politely, and reply.
“Yes sir. I will obey orders.”
As Jerry walked away stiffly, Bernard leaned back in his seat inside the armored vehicle, letting out a soft snort through his nose, his face full of disdain.
Even though Bernard was wearing the same or even more advanced mechanical armor as the other soldiers, he actually wasn’t from the military at all. He was a high-level official temporarily appointed from above. Before he arrived, Jerry had been the actual leader of this special mixed unit.
The real goal behind the Emperor’s secret plan wasn’t something that regular soldiers or junior officers were allowed to know. Bernard was the only one who had been told part of the truth. That’s why, even if his decisions seemed strange, they weren’t made without reason.
On the journey here, he had already clashed with Jerry several times for similar reasons. Bernard admitted Jerry had some ability, but when it came to politics and understanding how the world worked, the man was too blunt. Just like that [Lion’s Fang] legion commander, Ferdinando. Good at leading troops, but not cut out for great things.
The fact that His Majesty didn’t share the real plan with Ferdinando and instead chose Bernard, a vice director of the Intelligence Bureau, was proof that Ferdinando still wasn’t truly trusted. No matter what he did, he would never be part of the Empire’s true inner circle.
In politics, emotional intelligence is more important than pure ability.
For example, if Jerry had phrased his advice in a more polite and tactful way, instead of bluntly challenging Bernard, Bernard would’ve actually considered it. He wouldn’t mind taking a safer, more careful approach.
But sadly, there’s no “what if.”