Chapter 31: Roland's Platoon

"How do you like it? Our army is quite impressive, isn't it?" Murat asked Roland as they walked along.

Roland did not hide his admiration, responding enthusiastically. "The uniforms look great today. There's a saying that the uniform is as good as the fight; no wonder this unit wins every battle."

"Ha ha ha, you sure have a way with words. No wonder Napoleon likes you so much," Murat laughed heartily after hearing Roland's comment. The pair continued their conversation cheerfully as they made their way to Napoleon's military tent.

At that moment, Napoleon was busy with paperwork inside the tent, not noticing their arrival.

"General, Roland has arrived," Murat approached Napoleon and announced softly.

"Oh! Roland is here?" Napoleon looked up at Murat's prompt.

"Uncle!" Roland greeted respectfully with a nod.

"How is it? Are you prepared mentally to live in the camp?" Napoleon got up and walked over to Roland, patting him gently on the shoulder.

"Of course!" Roland responded eagerly. In truth, he had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

"Good, Roland. To celebrate your enlistment, I have something special for you." Napoleon seemed pleased with Roland's answer and turned to walk over to his desk, talking as he moved. He then pulled out a piece of paper from a drawer and handed it to Roland, saying, "Look! I think you'll like this."

Roland took the paper from Napoleon with a curious expression and began to examine it closely.

"This is!" Roland was instantly shocked at the sight of the document. It was an award order, issued by the French authorities to commend Roland for his heroics in the Battle of Macken Village.

The award order promoted Roland to the rank of Second Lieutenant and appointed him as the commander of the 7th Platoon. This meant that Roland had officially entered the military and become a junior officer.

Staring at the contents of the award order, Roland was astounded by the significant recognition and rewards granted to him by the French authorities.

Knowing that he was merely a recent military academy graduate now appointed as a platoon leader, Roland realized that Napoleon must have exerted some effort on his behalf.

"See, I knew you would love this gift, Commander Roland," Napoleon chuckled as he saw Roland's stunned expression. It reminded him of his own youth when he was first appointed as a platoon leader and was so excited that he could not sleep all night.

"Uncle Napoleon, I'm truly overwhelmed. I never expected the military to grant me such an honor," Roland said excitedly, responding to Napoleon's remark.

"Roland, you're really lucky. To jump from a student to a platoon leader directly! When I joined the army, it took me a year to climb to the position of platoon leader. You achieved this in just one day; I must admit I'm quite envious. But you should also thank your Uncle Napoleon," Napoleon continued.

"The French authorities originally planned to make you a private first class. It was I who went to the Army Ministry myself, insisting that the honors you earned at the Battle of Macken Village were substantial and had a direct impact on the war situation. Merely making you a private first class did not match your contributions. At the very least, you deserved to be made a platoon leader," Murat interjected.

Indeed, as Roland suspected, his uncle Napoleon had played a significant role in his rapid rise.

"Thank you, Uncle Napoleon, I will never forget this kindness," Roland immediately expressed his gratitude after hearing Murat's explanation.

"What's there to thank? You are my nephew. Besides, after I went through so much effort to get you from Louis, of course, I couldn't shortchange you. Now, go and inspect your troops. Your unit's barracks are located at the easternmost side of the camp. Since there's nothing pressing at the moment, take this opportunity to meet the young men you will be commanding."

Napoleon chuckled as he reminded Roland. "At your command, General Napoleon!" Roland saluted Napoleon respectfully.

"You rascal," Napoleon found it amusing to see Roland mock-seriously salute him.

---

That afternoon, Roland was led by a soldier to the 7th Platoon's barracks, where he first met with several key officers of the unit. They were all freshly appointed and notably young—the oldest being 29 and the youngest only 23. However, compared to their commander, Roland, who was only 16 years old, their ages seemed more mature.

Despite their youth, these officers were all elites. Rumors had it that all the up-and-coming talents of the Italian front had been gathered in the 7th Platoon. All were selected by Napoleon to build a solid foundation for his nephew. The chosen officers were thrilled, knowing that being close to Roland could mean rapid promotions as Roland accrued further achievements, which would also elevate their own statuses.

On his first day at the unit, Roland called for a meeting with the platoon's second in command, the deputy platoon leader named Edward. Edward, who was also well-versed in human relations, did not underestimate Roland due to his age.

Instead, he understood that Roland's youth was an asset. Being so young and already a platoon leader, it was likely that Roland would ascend to higher ranks like battalion or regiment commander, or even general. The best approach, therefore, was to align closely with him early on.

"Good afternoon, Commander Roland," Edward appeared before Roland as soon as he stepped into the camp and saluted him.

"Good afternoon!" As the saying goes, you do not strike a smiling face; thus, seeing Edward's respectful greeting, Roland naturally responded with a smile.

"Reporting, Commander Roland, the troops are assembled and awaiting your orders," Edward continued.

"Is that so? Then take me to see them," Roland spoke softly, eager to see what his troops looked like for the first time.

"This way, please!" Edward gestured invitingly to Roland.