A refreshing mix of politics, school life, and warfare, with some fantastic attention to detail, largely realistic universe, and a capable MC.

This manga follows the story of a young, prestigious and able officer, Bernd Balzer, who has quickly risen through the ranks of his country's (Weiben's) military. For his latest task, he is assigned to a neighboring country who has recently formed a pact with his own as a military instructor. This is not only done to aid their ally, but also increase his home country's influence through political means. The MC soon becomes involved in a series of political intrigues and actual conflict as well as his normal teaching duties, gradually introducing progressive ideas in a country with many conservative and traditional customs.

The late 19th century pseudo-fictional setting was executed brilliantly by the mangaka, as you'll find out yourself if you read the additional notes ranging from military tactics and specifics of equipment to a description of a traditional kind of bread consumed at the time. These details, which mirror the actual history of late 19th century (largely inspired by Prussia), are incorporated seamlessly in this fictional world. The ranges of rifles of the era, advantages and disadvantages of certain formations and more, are all taken into account in military decisions and teachings, as expected of competent military leaders.

The politics and intrigue are also rather interesting and well-written. As well as dealing with the country's leaders, Balzar also needs to consider the general populace's opinions of Weiben. Not only that, we are often reminded that these two countries are but a small part of the global theatre, and Balzer also needs to consider the international response to Weiben's actions.

Balzer himself is a logical and capable individual, who ultimately acts in Weiben's and his own best interests. As a distinguished member of his home country's military, Balzar has an intelligent mind and a wealth of information, especially regarding the art of war. Although he is usually friendly and enthusiastic, he will quickly become calm and rational in a political and diplomatic setting or during a battle. I found Balzer's intelligence and rationality to be very welcome in the largely realistic and historical setting.

Other main characters all act rationally and according to their believable mindsets, for example the conservative views of a crown prince in a feudal system. However, the capable characters occasionally pull off some physical moves or quick-thinking decisions a bit better than you'd think they could, and a few light-hearted moments in the academy are perhaps a bit too expressive. This will probably only be an annoyance for those looking for the most serious and gritty of manga.

The art feels more detailed but also slightly messier than the popular modern style. Not too different from what you'd be used to, but also not many shortcuts were taken in the areas that detail was required the most, such as the different parts when a rifle was dismantled.

Overall, this manga is a fantastic mix of politics and military, and brings forth a lot of logical theory and ideas reminiscent of Maouyuu Maou Yuusha. It's not overly focused on battles, so if you're looking for some really action-heavy manga, you should probably look elsewhere. However, the few battles that have occurred so far show off Balzer's smart decisions yet remain largely realistic, and the additional historical details and theory add a great flavour on top of both the military and the political aspects of the story.