Chapter 2

Finally, Lieutenant Colonel Kais, who had brought the information, handed over the documents and reported what he had found out.

Unlike the poker-faced intelligence bureau, he was completely unable to manage his expression.

“So, to explain the situation roughly, it goes like this.”

He said that they originally hadn’t planned to come up with such a strategy.

The king and the nobles didn’t want to lose even an inch of territory, and the military was of the same mindset.

They had planned to continue replenishing troops and defending the frontlines and borders like an iron wall, just as they had always done.

Retreat? That was a term that shouldn’t even be mentioned.

…If only that stupid queen hadn’t suddenly gotten greedy.

“That idiot Zalomir—”

“Watch your mouth. This is the military. There are many ears listening.”

“My apologies. Anyway, some idiot suddenly demanded the king buy her some expensive luxury item. Because of that, the budget for our military has dried up.”

The current king, Karl VII, has three wives. One is the official queen, Zalomir, and the other two are concubines he took later.

The concubines aren’t particularly important, so let’s move on. The problem began at a palace banquet held one day.

“Everyone, please pay attention! This is a brooch made from the largest ruby in the world!”

“W-what carat is that? What kind of gem is that big even after being processed?!”

“To buy that, we’d need… no, can you even put a price on something like that?”

The Marchioness of Benemünde, who didn’t get along with the queen, showed up wearing jewelry sent from her family’s estate.

The Benemünde family’s territory is famous within the kingdom for producing high-quality gems.

They mined the highest-grade ruby from their family-owned mine, processed it, and showcased it at the banquet to show off.

It’s annoying news for someone who has to live in a tent 365 days a year even as a general, but it wasn’t particularly strange.

After all, one of the basic traits of high-ranking nobles is showing off and satisfying their vanity.

If they have something to boast about, it’s natural to show it off in public.

But the queen took this as a challenge to her authority and immediately sought a card to counter it.

In other words, she tried to find another luxurious and high-class piece of jewelry to rival Benemünde’s ruby brooch.

“Your Majesty, please arrange funds. I must humble the Marchioness’s pride.”

“Do we really need to? We’re already short on budget because of the war.”

“This is a matter of my and the royal family’s authority! Will you just stand by and watch our royal family’s honor be trampled?!”

“Ah, fine. Then where can we get the money…?”

The Marchioness’s ruby was so large that it could proudly be called the largest in the world. Finding something of comparable value wasn’t easy.

Especially since rubies are much rarer than other gems like sapphires or emeralds.

In the end, the queen turned her attention to diamonds.

The king of gems and a symbol of luxury. Even a relatively small diamond could sufficiently showcase its value and rarity.

Coincidentally, a suitable item appeared in a neighboring country. A tiara made from dozens of small but top-quality diamonds.

The price was astronomical, but it caught the queen’s fancy, so the target was set. Immediately, a large sum of money was arranged for the purchase.

…And that money included the budget originally meant for the military’s new recruit training and supplies.

The blood money that should have been used to protect the kingdom from the United Empire, which had been tormenting us for the past decade.

In a normal country, they would have given up on buying jewelry and used that money for national defense, but this is an absolute monarchy.

In a system where the king’s word is supreme and takes precedence over any value judgment, expecting such rationality was impossible.

“Your Majesty, if you do this, we won’t have enough budget to feed the soldiers on the frontlines.”

“Then we’ll have to cut military expenses. Which front costs the most right now?”

“The northern front. It’s far and the terrain is harsh, making supply difficult.”

“Then pull back the troops from there. Giving up a bit of frozen wasteland won’t have much impact on the war.”

A region buried in snow most of the year, where farming is impossible and the population is sparse. Holding onto it doesn’t bring much benefit.

So let’s hand it over to the United Empire and reorganize the frontlines in the rear. Shortening the supply lines and making movement easier will reduce defense costs in the future.

With that logic, the north was abandoned.

Only a few lines of instructions were left, as revealing the full truth was too difficult.

“Damn it.”

And naturally.

Having grasped the situation, there was no way I could agree with such a ridiculous decision.

* * * * *

“Those damn pigs in the capital.”

I muttered a curse under my breath.

It was embarrassing to do so right after telling Lieutenant Colonel Kais to restrain himself, but I couldn’t help it.

Abandoning territory because they ran out of money for luxury? Was a tiara more important than the hardtack for the soldiers?

Does that even make sense? Then why did they issue orders to never retreat and fight to the death?

It’s not like we lost most of our military in a battle or the economy is on the verge of collapse.

If we were going to give up land so easily, what was the point of fighting all this time? Huh?

If it was land we could give up for some luxury item, then why did we sacrifice so many lives, fight hundreds of battles, and pour in massive resources over the past 10 years?!

“Do they even know what value this place holds? Do they still not understand why we set up a defensive line in a region where people can barely live after over 10 years?”

“It’s hard to believe, but… it seems so. Some even mockingly say we must enjoy suffering to be stuck in such a place.”

“Are they dumber than insects?”

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Is the north barren and not contributing to the kingdom’s strength? Yes. That’s true. Honestly, losing this land would hardly affect the kingdom’s economy.

But the value of land isn’t determined solely by the resources it produces.

Even if its value is low, simply holding onto it can benefit the country.

The north is a realm dominated by snow and ice. There are no cities, not even decent villages or settlements, and the terrain is harsh.

The United Empire side has a slightly better environment, but the part our kingdom owns is practically a wasteland.

However, beyond the snowy plains lies a vast expanse of flatland.

A massive great plain, like Ukraine, with nothing but a few hills and lakes.

“The moment we give up the north, our kingdom is doomed.”

To put it simply,

For our kingdom, the northern snowy plains are like the Eternal Wall of the Ming Dynasty or the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia.

If the west falls, we can hold out with the old fortress lines in the rear. The eastern front is short, so even if it’s breached, we can quickly block it again.

But not here. Giving up here means the entire country collapses. This is the most crucial strategic point for the nation’s defense, no, its entire security. And they’re just handing it over?

What, are they trying to achieve some era of peace or something?

“All the loyalty I’ve given feels meaningless now.”

“…I feel the same.”

For the first time since reincarnating into this world, I felt regret.

The queen wasting tax money on a tiara, the king readily agreeing, and the central nobles who let it happen.

I felt disgusted that such people even existed in this world.

But most of all.

I felt the most disgusted with myself for having devoted my life to this damn kingdom.

Why. Why the hell did I waste 10 years of my life being a fool? I should have surrendered to the United Empire as soon as the war started.

At least then I’d be living comfortably by now.

Should I have been a merchant instead of a soldier?

If I had gone abroad and done business, wouldn’t I be living a much more comfortable and peaceful life now?

“Begging won’t get the order revoked now.”

Though I’ve made a name for myself on the battlefield, I’m still just a low-ranking noble. I have no connections in the capital and am a pure military man.

Even if I went to the capital and begged the nobles to reconsider, it wouldn’t make a difference. I’d probably just get dismissed for being insolent.

“Am I the only one you’ve told this news to?”

“No, General, you’re the first.”

“Then keep it quiet for now. If everyone finds out, there’ll be no solution.”

“Yes, sir!”

After ordering Lieutenant Colonel Kais to keep quiet, I stayed alone in the barracks and lit a cigarette.

I’m not usually a smoker, but right now I wanted to drown my brain in nicotine.

But as they say, news travels fast.

“General! Is it true we’re retreating because of some jewelry?!”

“Please explain this to us!!”

The rumor had already spread among the officers.