Chapter 1

The beginning was as cliché as a traffic accident.

A truck speeding through a red light crushed a pedestrian on the crosswalk, and that pedestrian happened to be me—a story so common it’s almost boring.

And when I opened my eyes, I had reincarnated as a low-ranking noble in a kingdom.

Karolus von Royten.

The second son of a poor baronial family with a barren and impoverished territory in the southeastern region.

That was me.

I hadn’t read any novels with this kind of setting, nor had I played any games like this, yet here I was, thrust into this otherworldly life.

But surprisingly, it wasn’t all that uncomfortable.

While I missed having a smartphone, my relationships with my family were good. My parents cared for me and my older brother, and my brother always looked out for me, his younger sibling. Our vassals were loyal, and the people of our territory respected us, their lords.

Though we weren’t financially well-off, we never went hungry, and I was able to enjoy a pleasant childhood. However, regrettably, there was one fatal problem looming over me.

My future was uncertain.

The title and territory were set to be inherited by my older brother, the firstborn, and our family wasn’t in a position to provide a substantial inheritance to any siblings beyond the eldest.

I had managed to scrape by, but at best, it was enough for a horse and a suit of armor.

If things continued this way, I was either going to become a wandering knight or starve to death on the streets, so I had to find a way to survive.

The conclusion I reached was to enroll in the military academy.

Graduating would guarantee me a position as an officer, and for four years, my tuition and living expenses would be covered.

Being a commander was an honorable position in any era, so even if I was poor, I could still gain some prestige.

Fortunately, the military in this world suited me quite well.

In my previous life, I had served in the military through ROTC, and it wasn’t all that different here. The weapons and tactics were just a bit more outdated.

By using my social skills to defer to higher-ranking nobles, I graduated with decent, if not outstanding, grades.

As a newly minted second lieutenant, I was assigned to the northern region, a border area adjacent to the Northern Union Empire.

A place covered in snow for most of the year, and with peaceful relations between the kingdom and the Northern Empire, it was always a tranquil area.

I planned to quietly build up my experience as a platoon leader here before transferring to another region and climbing the ranks as an elite officer.

Yes, that was the plan.

If only the war with the Union Empire hadn’t suddenly broken out.

* * * * *

The Empire, claiming that our kingdom had committed a diplomatic offense, launched a fierce offensive on multiple fronts.

The flat and hilly western regions, the narrow mountainous eastern regions, and even the northern front where I was stationed.

Despite the snowy plains making both combat and marching difficult, the Empire sent a massive army.

At least tens of thousands of troops, along with supplies and various weapons.

They were determined to crush us with their overwhelming force.

In comparison, we had a mere 5,000 troops. The entire Northern Army was smaller than their vanguard, putting us at a severe disadvantage.

What choice did I have? Surrender?

Even though I was reincarnated, the kingdom was still my homeland. I couldn’t bring myself to abandon it.

So, I fought.

With our inferior forces, I gritted my teeth and fought desperately. I set up ambushes at key points, dug traps, and fought tooth and nail.

As a platoon leader, I personally wielded a sword and musket, engaging in close combat with the enemy.

So many riflemen died that I had to disguise myself and infiltrate enemy lines to snipe their commanders.

The number of scars on my body reached double digits, and I lost count of the battles I fought. I survived while my comrades fell one by one, and my soldiers were replaced entirely.

For over a decade, I struggled and clawed my way through.

I was promoted to deputy commander of the Northern Army, and before I knew it, I had become a general known by both friend and foe.

…Well, it wasn’t a bad feeling. Having a reputation meant I had honor and authority.

Being able to oversee the entire front and make strategic decisions was also nice.

The war, which had continued unabated for the ten years I had been stuck in one unit, persisted even after I became deputy commander.

New recruits were constantly sent to the front, and every month, hundreds or thousands of lives were lost in the ongoing battles.

Neither side could deliver a decisive blow, but we steadily accumulated damage against the Empire and defended our territory.

If this continued for another three, no, two years—if we could hold the line without giving the Union Empire an opening—there was a chance the war could end.

We were tired, but the enemy was even more exhausted, so there was hope.

That’s what I believed, and I urged my soldiers to hold on just a little longer.

Unfortunately, my homeland didn’t have the patience to endure that long.

* * * * *

“Retreat, you said?”

“Yes. A full retreat.”

The sudden order given to me when I reported to headquarters.

After ten years of shedding blood to defend this land, I couldn’t believe my ears when I was told to abandon it.

“Why? Our forces are still fighting on equal footing.”

“I don’t know. Orders came from above, so we’re following them.”

The Northern Front Commander-in-Chief answered dismissively, as if he didn’t want to engage in a long conversation.

The pig of a man, with a belly full of fat, spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and I had to suppress my anger. After all, he had connections in the central political sphere.

If I confronted him, not only I but our entire unit, and even the entire Northern Army, could face repercussions.

“But there must be a reason, Commander. Surely the central command didn’t just send a retreat order without any explanation?”

“Hey, Karolus. Why are you being so rebellious today? Didn’t you hear me say to prepare for retreat?”

“I can’t accept this order! All this time, we’ve been told to hold the line at all costs, to fight to the death, and now you’re telling us to retreat?!”

I’m the deputy commander of the Northern Army. Excluding the central command, I’m among the top five highest-ranking officers in the Royal Army.

And even I wasn’t given an explanation for something this urgent?

I hadn’t heard any reports of other fronts collapsing. What could possibly be the reason for suddenly changing our defensive strategy?

I was furious. The royal family and the central command’s decision to render all our sacrifices meaningless was incomprehensible.

But what I couldn’t understand most of all was the arrogant attitude of the pig in front of me.

–Slap!

“Hey, you brat! When I say jump, you jump! What’s with this insubordination?!”

“…My apologies.”

“I won’t say it twice. Go and take responsibility for preparing the retreat! Pull all the units back to the rear!”

As he slapped me and ranted, I could only bow my head.

It was clear that further conversation would be pointless with someone like him.

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and quietly leave the barracks.

“Lieutenant General Roytel, are you alright?”

“Do I look alright to you?”

As I trudged through the garrison, a young captain approached me. My adjutant.

He had been commissioned last year and, after being shuffled around various battlefields, had been promoted faster than me.

“What did they say to make you like this?”

“Retreat. They want us to pull back the entire front.”

“…What?”

His expression was one of disbelief. I felt the same way. But that bastard commander was adamant.

“What’s the reason? Are we running out of supplies?”

“He didn’t give me an answer, so I don’t know. That’s why I’m going to find out.”

I took out a cigarette and lit it, then gave my orders.

“You know Lieutenant Colonel Kais from intelligence, right?”

“The guy with the long mustache? Yes.”

“He should be nearby. Go and ask him for help. Explain the situation first.”

I had saved his life once before, so I figured he’d be willing to help me out this time.

For now, I’d stall the commander by saying we were thoroughly preparing. A full retreat wasn’t something that could be done overnight.

If I dragged my feet, I could buy us a month or two.

After all, the commander was all talk and no action. He didn’t know the first thing about actual military operations. I had been handling everything all along.

He didn’t even know how to read and interpret supply documents, so I was confident I could fool him.

And so, I bought as much time as I could to gather information.

“Lieutenant General Roytel. Lieutenant Colonel Kais is here.”

“Let him in.”

The truth I finally uncovered was utterly shocking.

“The Queen’s Diamond Tiara is short on funds, so they’re cutting military expenses and abandoning the front…?”

I, the kingdom’s officers, and our brave soldiers—

Had we been fighting for these parasites all along?