Chapter 532: The Armed Chapel

Morin's words temporarily curbed the wild imaginations of Manstein and the others.

It wasn't their fault for overthinking. From their perspective, the success of the Malta Port operation meant that the instruction unit's success could be replicated.

That naturally brought about a certain sense of crisis...

This wasn't an issue of "disloyalty," but rather that their past battles had drastically elevated the instruction unit's status in the Army's order of battle, filling Manstein and the others with honor and pride.

In the process of acquiring these honors and cultivating a "sense of belonging" to the instruction unit, suddenly realizing their status might be threatened naturally bred some defensiveness... It was completely human nature.

But to Morin, the success of this operation was unsurprising. Or rather, this was the original intent behind establishing the instruction unit.

And just as he said, whether it was Klaus and his men... or those six Thunder Warriors "withheld" by the General Staff, they were all "super soldiers" enhanced using an improved modification serum extracted from him.

While they were formidable compared to other conventional combat forces and ordinary supernatural units, to Morin, they were still just comprehensively weakened "versions of himself."

If he could toss Kleist and the others around like sacks on the training ground, it meant he could toss these Thunder Warriors around just as easily...

From another perspective, the Saxon Empire's high command hadn't made any "muddle-headed" decisions or maneuvers since the war began.

After the success of the Schlieffen Plan, they had also achieved excellent results on the other newly opened fronts.

Neither the Army high command nor the Emperor himself had made any decisions that dragged them down. Especially regarding support for the instruction unit, with Crown Prince Georg backing him, Morin had faced virtually no major obstacles.

So Morin currently believed that as long as the powerful combat force of the instruction unit was needed, the high command wouldn't foolishly "cut off their own arm."

Taking a ten thousand steps back, if someone really did lose their mind, Morin would use other methods to "wake them up"...

With the personnel transfer matter temporarily settled, Kleist and the others dragged Morin after training one afternoon to a newly completed brick-and-stone building in the northeast corner of the garrison.

From the outside, it looked like a church, but its exterior walls and roof decorations bore the solemnity and severity of an armed forces garrison building.

"So this is the 'Armed Chapel' you guys were talking about?"

Morin asked, looking at the church-like structure.

"Exactly, Commander! And it's not just a chapel! It also incorporates the suggestion you made before!"

As the project's chief manager, Kleist looked quite excited.

"Just like you said during your speech to the officers and NCOs the other day—sparks, seeds... and 'forever a part of the instruction unit'... If these are just words, they'll fade over time."

"But if we have a physical entity to record all the campaigns, all the sacrifices, and all the honors of the instruction unit from its inception to the present..."

"...Isn't this the 'Unit History and Honor Hall' I talked to you guys about a long time ago?"

Hearing Kleist's words, Morin finally realized this was actually an idea he had proposed long ago.

At the time, the instruction unit was undergoing its first round of expansion. Morin knew that one day, some members would be transferred to other units, and the unit itself would continue to grow...

So he felt they needed other means to further enhance the members' cohesion, ensuring everyone ultimately felt proud to be a "member of the instruction unit."

Morin's initial idea was to build something like a "Unit History and Honor Hall" in the garrison to record the various campaigns the unit had participated in and the heroic deeds that occurred during them.

However, shortly after, the instruction unit deployed to the Balkan Peninsula, and the idea was temporarily shelved.

Until this return, piled under an absolute mountain of official duties, Morin hadn't paid much attention when Kleist told him the "Armed Chapel" was almost finished, as such buildings were standard "infrastructure" in most military garrisons.

Now, hearing that Kleist and the others had integrated his idea into it, Morin's interest was immediately piqued.

Seeing Morin's interest, Kleist's smile widened. He had clearly prepared for this for quite some time, speaking fluently: "Commander, the main force units of the Imperial Army in various military districts all have chapels in their garrisons, used for worship, pre-deployment masses, and memorial services for fallen soldiers..."

"The Teutonic Order's chapels are even more elaborate. Their walls are hung with portraits of past Grand Masters and captured enemy regimental flags. After mass, the soldiers can see the legacy of their own unit."

"My thought was, the instruction unit should also build its own 'Armed Chapel'... I communicated with the Army Ministry in advance, and we meet the criteria!"

"And besides the standard religious functions, I've integrated the unit history and honors section into the corridors behind the main hall, and left room for expansion..."

Morin: "For example?"

"For example, starting from the instruction unit's first battle—the airborne assault on the Liège Fortress, then Charleroi, Arras, Amiens, Creil, Paris... all the way to the Balkan campaign. The time, location, main events, and casualties of every campaign will be engraved on bronze plaques and embedded in the wall."

Kleist grew more animated as he spoke.

"This way, whether it's people about to leave the unit or new recruits joining in the future, when they walk into this chapel for mass and look up, they'll see the path the instruction unit has traveled."

Morin listened in silence for a few seconds, then nodded in genuine approval.

"Beautifully done, Ewald... Your idea is much more thoughtful than mine!"

Kleist's plan was indeed much more grounded than Morin's initially envisioned "Honor Hall."

Because the vast majority of Saxons were Catholic, the proportion of Catholics in the Army was extremely high. Such "Armed Chapels" had a natural audience base and a sense of solemnity within the military.

Combining unit history and honors with a religious space was neither abrupt nor forced; it was a method truly suited to "national conditions."

This was also the principle of concrete analysis and implementation of specific problems that Morin had always advocated... Mindless copying was definitely inappropriate; it was better to adapt based on actual circumstances.

Kleist and the others quickly took Morin on a tour inside the "Armed Chapel." It was clear this "buff building" was 90% complete, leaving only the finishing touches on interior decorations.

After walking through the corridors behind the main hall, Morin was inspired to propose a new idea.

"I remember we captured a lot of spoils in our previous battles... and there are also belongings of fallen soldiers that weren't claimed by their families. If possible, we can categorize them and place them in the areas corresponding to their respective campaigns."

As he spoke, Morin couldn't help but think of the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces built by the Russians in another timeline, finding some of its designs quite suitable for this scenario.

Perhaps other main force units considered this when building their chapels, but they didn't have many captured spoils. Most of their spoils even came from other states within the Saxon Empire, making them unsuitable for display.

The only truly heavyweight spoil, as far as Morin knew, was the regimental flag of the Gallic Imperial Guard and the Emperor's hat, captured by the Imperial Guard during the Battle of Sedan in the "Franco-Prussian War"...

"We will definitely capture more and more spoils in the future, so we can plan the display area in advance... assuming the instruction unit's garrison doesn't relocate. Oh right... and the Thunder Warriors!"

As if suddenly realizing something, Morin sped up his speech: "The origins of the Thunder Warriors and the instruction unit must be presented. Let those who join this unit in the future know that the invincible Thunder Warriors on the battlefield originally stemmed from the instruction unit's 1st Company..."

"One more thing, leave a dedicated spot for 'supernatural spoils' in the display."

Morin paused, a look of relief crossing his face.

"Then I can store that captured 【Dark Sword】 in there... It's really inconvenient to carry that thing around, and it's not suitable for the public armory. This saves me from having to find a special place to lock it up every time I return to the garrison."

Kleist, Manstein, and the others were momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting this idea.

"Wait, Commander... You want to put that sword in the chapel? That was captured from a vampire..."

"Exactly, isn't it a perfect fit? Other units don't even have the luxury of displaying such a 'supernatural spoil'~"

Manstein said thoughtfully, "That's true, but putting a cursed sword up there right off the bat..."

"Correction, not just one... The Queen's broken sword will also be sent over once the Holy See repairs it. Repaired weapons aren't great for taking back into battle, so placing it in the chapel is perfect. Don't you agree?"

Since there was no one else around, Morin slung an arm over Manstein's shoulder, waving his other hand as he spoke.

"It's settled. Proceed with the remaining construction based on this plan. If there are funding issues and the Army Ministry can't approve it quickly, just tell me. I'll solve the money problem."

Kleist opened his mouth, but seeing Morin's mind was made up, he ultimately gave up trying to persuade him.

Having followed this commander for so long, he was used to his bizarre ideas popping up from time to time.

Moreover... hanging a cursed sword wrested from a once-in-a-century "Vampire King" high on the wall of the instruction unit's Armed Chapel as a trophy...

Alright, it was undeniably badass.

Over the next week, Morin made several trips to the Army Ministry and the General Staff.

Aside from "networking" with the high command regarding the specific organization of the instruction unit's expansion and fighting for as many fire support units as possible, he also visited Falkenhayn privately. Catching the Minister in a good mood, he began his "haggling."

Morin had never been an officer to shortchange himself or his subordinates. While the Army was expanding the instruction unit again to compensate for the drawn-out core personnel, to Morin, this "compensation" was far from enough.

"Minister, regarding the personnel transfer, I have a reasonable request."

When Morin saw Falkenhayn, the latter was sitting behind his desk, signing a stack of documents. Hearing this, he looked up, then lowered his head back to signing.

"I knew you wouldn't let go that easily... Speak."

"Then I won't hold back... I hope the Army Ministry will agree to let the transferred personnel leave the unit only after the instruction unit completes its expansion."

Morin's tone was incredibly sincere, his face a picture of selfless devotion.

"Primarily, the handover process takes time, and the new officers need the veterans to guide them. Someone has to teach the operational procedures and tactical standards... If we expand and pull people simultaneously, we'll botch both."

Falkenhayn's pen paused for a moment before resuming signing.

"What else?"

"How did you know I had more to say?"

Hearing this, Falkenhayn snorted, finally looking up: "Oh my~ Since when does our 'Hero of the Empire,' the illustrious Friedrich von Morin, come to the Army Ministry with only one request?"

"..."

Seeing Falkenhayn had guessed his errand involved multiple items, Morin stopped pretending and said crisply, "Minister... During the expansion, there are two officers I'd like to specifically request be transferred in. Both fought alongside us in the Balkans... assuming they're willing to join the instruction unit, of course."

"Rest assured, with the 'gold standard' of Colonel Morin backing it, I doubt any ambitious officer in the Army would pass up this opportunity~"

Falkenhayn stared at Morin for two seconds, then smiled and shook his head.

"Go on... I'm sure you have more than just these two requests, otherwise you wouldn't have made the trip yourself today~"

"Minister, this is truly the last one!"

Morin dropped his cheeky demeanor, his expression growing serious.

"Once the instruction unit expands to a brigade-level unit, I'd like to apply for a dedicated regimental flag."

This request made Falkenhayn look up. In the Saxon Imperial Army system, a "regimental flag" wasn't something just any unit could possess.

Typically, only formally established main force standing infantry divisions were eligible to be awarded a flag.

Although the instruction unit was expanding to a brigade size, its rank was still insufficient. And theoretically, its full name was the "Imperial Guards Assault Instruction Unit"... so even if it had a flag, it should use the Imperial Guards' flag.

"Minister, the nature of the instruction unit is special... Our contributions and sacrifices on the battlefield are not insignificant..."

Morin blocked Falkenhayn's refusal before he could even speak.

"From its inception to the present, the instruction unit has crossed two war zones and participated in a total of..."

"Stop, stop, stop... You don't need to recite your battle record to me. The Army Ministry is very aware of how many battles the instruction unit has fought."

Falkenhayn interrupted Morin, massaging his temples, beginning to regret appearing so agreeable earlier.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Falkenhayn turned to pour himself a drink.

He watched as Morin darted to the liquor cabinet, grabbed the bottle of wine Falkenhayn favored during office hours, and poured himself a small half-glass in the blink of an eye.

"You rascal, is this what enhanced superhuman physical attributes are for?!"

Falkenhayn grumbled in exasperation. Seeing Morin's "impervious" demeanor, he finally relented.

"Fine, I'll submit the application for you... You picked a good time. The instruction unit has indeed accumulated quite a bit of military merit. I estimate His Majesty should approve it~"

"Thank you, Minister."

Morin retained his cheeky smile. 'Speak human to humans, speak ghost to ghosts'—this applied perfectly in any universe, in any nation.

"Alright, alright, stop loitering around here." Falkenhayn waved a hand, shooing him away. "If you don't have any pressing matters these next few days... find some time to visit the Imperial Army Central Hospital."

"The hospital?" Morin was stunned. "I'm perfectly fine, what am I going to the hospital for? Even for a checkup, I should go to the Imperial Military Medical Center..."

"It's not about you. There's a newly established project group concerning rehabilitation treatment for battlefield trauma."

Falkenhayn flipped through the documents on his desk, pulled one out, opened it, and spoke while reading.

"An expert has developed a new treatment protocol... The Army high command wants frontline commanders to go see the actual results. And since you've operated across multiple battlefields and coordinated with various units, you've likely seen similar cases..."

Falkenhayn paused, copied down the crucial information from the document onto a notepad, handed it to Morin, and added, "Just go take a look. You don't need to write a report... Just consider it helping with an evaluation."

"Understood, Minister. I will go take a look tomorrow~"

Morin took the notepad from Falkenhayn. It contained some basic information and the expert's name.

—Dr. Kaufmann, Neurology.

Looking at this name, Morin felt an indescribable sense of familiarity.

This chapter was translated by Nightjar Reads. For advance chapters and the newest releases, visit nightjarreads.com