Counterattacks also require time to prepare. Units that have suffered heavy casualties must be rotated out for rest, and strategic supplies need time to be gathered and transported. It has long been proven that modern warfare is no longer simply about fighting on the battlefield. The rear lines are also engaged in their own form of combat. The recently launched Battle of the Rhine is a prime example. Without Austria’s massive deployment of machine guns and artillery, it would have been impossible to repel the French offensive with inferior numbers. The greater the firepower, the heavier the logistical burden. More than eighty percent of the trains and ships sent from Austria to the front lines are carrying strategic materials. If not for logistics taking up so much of the transport capacity, the Austrian army’s movements would not be so slow. Of course, this current sluggishness is meant to allow for rapid action in the future. In fact, several years ago the Austrian government had already proposed to the German Federation the construction of a strategic highway from Bavaria directly to Luxembourg. At the time, however, the situation in Europe was still peaceful. There was not enough sense of crisis, and due to concerns over cost, no agreement was reached. After all, the German region already had a well-developed transportation network. River and rail transport could fully meet peacetime needs, and building another road had too little economic value. On top of that, Britain and France feared that Austria would use the new highway to further deepen its influence in western Germany. They worked behind the scenes to obstruct the project, and so it was shelved. It was only after the outbreak of the continental war and the mounting pressure on front-line logistics that the governments of the states along the route were forced to restart the strategic highway plan. To save time, the governments decided to widen and reconnect existing roads instead of building entirely new ones. But time was too short, and relying solely on the German Federation made it impossible to complete the project quickly. Even temporary roads would have been too much. As a good ally, Austria naturally extended a helping hand. So far, more than six hundred thousand Austrian laborers have entered German territory, exceeding the number of Austrian soldiers stationed on the Rhine front. Managing such a massive workforce has naturally become a major challenge. Fortunately, Austria practiced universal conscription. Even if these drafted laborers had never served in the army, they had all undergone training in the reserves and could quickly adapt to their new roles. The unremarkable town of Weiss was selected to become part of the new main road due to its geographical location. In charge of construction for this section was the 3rd Battalion, 4th Regiment, of Austria’s 3rd Engineering Division. As the lead engineer, Iversen stood on site with a pair of binoculars in hand, surveying the area. Calling it a survey might be generous. Iversen had only brought paper, a pencil, and a set of binoculars. There were no measuring tools or specialized instruments of any kind. It was not due to negligence or laziness. The real issue was the race against time. There was no room for lengthy preliminary work. What used to involve surveys, analysis, and detailed planning had now been reduced to “look with the naked eye, rely on experience, draw the route.” Once the general direction was decided, construction proceeded immediately. Aside from geographical constraints or obstacles that had to be avoided, everything else was simply pushed through. After all, this was road construction, not precision engineering. Even if there were alignment errors, they could just bend the road at the junction. As long as the deviation wasn’t too extreme, it was acceptable. “What a pity. This fine manor is about to be split in two!” Iversen had lost count of how many times he had made similar remarks during the journey. It couldn’t be helped. What he was doing now was effectively demolition work. Manors built on flat land were ideal for agriculture, and equally ideal for road construction. A bit of leveling and a layer of compacted concrete was all it took. Soil type, subgrade strength, and geological analysis, these basic parameters of normal construction were now considered unnecessary. On flat plains, even if the roadbed later sank under pressure, it would never sink too deeply. Concerns about road quality were considered overthinking. Everything was now about speed. As long as the risk was manageable, nothing else mattered. If worse came to worst, the roads could be rebuilt after the war. For now, it only needed to be usable for logistics transport. Besides, vehicle capacity at the time was limited. Only heavy trucks could carry several dozen tons in one go, so the roads didn’t need to meet a particularly high load-bearing standard. “Lieutenant, someone’s here to see you. Says it’s urgent and wants to speak with you.” A sentry on duty had run over to deliver the message. Since the area was under military administration, military ranks were naturally required. Though Iversen had only recently been conscripted as an ordinary engineer, his technical expertise had earned him a position as a junior officer. Lowering his binoculars, Lieutenant Iversen asked calmly, “Understood. Ask them what the matter is first. If they can’t give a clear reason, or if their excuse sounds too flimsy or their demands are too excessive, send them away.” Clearly, Iversen was already well-versed in handling such matters. Even without meeting the visitor, he knew what it was likely about. “Demolition” work, after all, inevitably involved disputes over interests. In this era, there was no such thing as formal compensation for requisitioned property. Even if the land was privately owned, anything needed for the project would still be taken. At most, owners might receive a symbolic token in return. But it would never come close to matching the actual market value of the land. In cases of large-scale expropriation, landowners might still come out relatively whole, but here the compensation only covered the land directly beneath the road. The problem was that the road’s impact extended far beyond just the area it occupied. Many estates were split in two, instantly becoming burdensome rather than valuable. And as for trying to argue the matter, this was wartime. Everything had to give way to military needs. Any grievances would have to wait until peace returned. Not everyone had a sense of the greater good. Fewer still were willing to make sacrifices. Naturally, those seeking to minimize or shift losses began calling in favors and pulling strings. Anyone bold enough to show up in person was no ordinary citizen. At first, to maintain good relations with local powerbrokers, Iversen had even attended several banquets. But he soon gave up on that. The concentration of land ownership in the German states had become so extreme that no matter where the road was placed, someone’s interests would be harmed. This was a strategic highway. Its occupied area would not be small. Compared to the original 2–3 meter-wide roads, this one was five or six times wider, and all of it would require land. The old saying “To get rich, build a road” didn’t really apply in this region. The local economy was already strong, and existing roads had long sufficed for everyday transport. This new highway, in essence, was causing significant harm to landowners’ interests. Take the manor ahead, for instance. If the road cut through it, the estate would not only lose land but would also see its maintenance costs rise and its market value fall. Had this been before the collapse of the Luxembourg defense line, Iversen might still have considered doing the owner a favor by shifting the route slightly. But that was no longer an option. The orders from above were clear: push forward with focus on speed. As for the aftermath, that was a problem for the local governments to deal with. … “Lieutenant, I brought this bottle of wine to—” Before the elderly man could finish his sentence, Iversen interrupted him and said, “Apologies, Mr. Weil, but you should already know that the Luxembourg defense line has fallen, and the Rhine River defense line is now hanging by a thread. For the greater strategic picture, the authorities have ordered that most of the route must be connected within two months. We simply don’t have the time.” Of course, the Rhine River defense line was not truly hanging by a thread. But when it came to expropriation matters, it had to appear as if it were. If people didn’t feel the pressure, who could guarantee that landowners wouldn’t become greedy and deliberately obstruct the roadworks? The old man bitterly replied, “Lieutenant, I understand all of that. If the French break through the Rhine defense line, this whole region will become a battlefield, and no one will be spared. But this is a vineyard. If the road cuts through the middle, it will certainly affect the quality of the grapes. Please, just divert the road slightly. It would only add less than a kilometer in distance. The terrain here is flat. It won’t take much extra time!” Having a road run through the center of a vineyard would undoubtedly affect the quality of the grapes. Even without mentioning anything else, the dust and noise from passing vehicles alone could hinder the growth of nearby grapes. Grapes are not easy to preserve, and in these times, most vineyards relied on producing raisins and wine. For low-end markets, lower-quality grapes might suffice. But for the middle and high-end markets, any factor that might affect grape quality could be fatal to the vineyard’s prospects. Iversen shook his head and explained, “Sir, I’m truly sorry. That’s something I cannot help you with. My personal suggestion is that you speak with the local authorities and try to negotiate compensation to minimize your losses. You may believe that diverting the road by just a few hundred meters through adjacent land would cause the least damage and add little to the workload. But don’t forget, that land belongs to someone else. Its owner certainly wouldn’t want the same thing happening to them. If the landowner files a complaint with the military, and it appears we’ve acted maliciously or unfairly, I could be court-martialed.” Austria was preparing to unify the German states, and recklessness would not be tolerated. Everyone understood that building a strategic highway would require land, but the key was to ensure fairness. Even if a detour was possible, it would only proceed if the neighboring landowners had already agreed and raised no objections. The old man nodded with resignation and said, “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to put you in a difficult position. If the route cannot be diverted, then please just shift it slightly, so it passes along the edge of the estate. I will personally organize workers to assist with the added labor. The construction schedule will not be affected.” “A slight adjustment, with no dispute over land ownership and no impact on progress. I believe that’s acceptable.” Lieutenant Iversen was not one to make things difficult for its own sake. So long as it did not interfere with the mission, he was willing to do someone a favor. The local official in charge of coordination breathed a sigh of relief. Situations like this had already occurred countless times. Any dispute that could be resolved without conflict was considered a good outcome.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH) Support the translation and read more chapters at https://ko-fi.com/dragonlegion
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