Chapter 33

Even in an era without phones or wireless communication, rumors always spread surprisingly fast. Especially when it’s news related to war.

And this recent battle was no exception. Just a few days after Karolus sent his report to the parliament, the news of victory had already spread throughout the royal capital.

“Extra! Our army has achieved a great victory in the north!!”

“The Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Council has held the front line! They’ve captured tens of thousands of prisoners!!”

Even before Lady Arshah’s forces began their propaganda efforts, the citizens were already basking in the joy of victory.

Posters announcing the news were plastered all over the streets, and shops declared special discount events to celebrate the good news. Wandering musicians performed free concerts in the squares, and flower petals filled the sky.

The three fronts that had dragged on for ten years with no end in sight—finally, one of them had turned the tide. Everyone was buzzing with excitement, their dopamine levels maxed out.

It wasn’t a complete victory yet, but so what? They had already crushed half of the Imperial forces. Compared to the desperate holding actions of the past, this was a much better outcome. Rumor had it that the exchange ratio was incredibly favorable.

“We made the right choice siding with the Vice-Chairman.”

“If we had kept acting all high and mighty like the old folks, we would’ve lost our heads long ago.”

“Not to mention, we wouldn’t have even made it to the bishop’s seat. The fact that we got the chance for promotion was all thanks to His Excellency’s support.”

The religious circles were in a similar mood.

The current leadership of the Goddess Cult was entirely composed of talents handpicked by Karolus and his subordinates. They were all individuals judged to be excellent in loyalty and cooperation.

Thanks to General Roytel laying the groundwork, they had followed the path of rebellion → removing superiors → seizing positions → gaining parliamentary seats. How could they not be happy in such a situation?

It was absolutely unthinkable. If they had any sense, they would at least pretend to cry tears of joy. That’s how you prove your loyalty.

“How about we officially praise His Excellency on behalf of the cult?”

“Nah, that’s too much. Let’s propose a temporary holiday or something to the parliament. We need to show our loyalty and obedience to His Excellency.”

To stay close to the center of power and maintain their current influence, the priests engaged in a loyalty competition without a hint of hesitation. Exactly the kind of attitude Karolus had hoped for from the clergy.

“Damn it, how long has it been since he left, and he’s already won a victory…”

“He was already quite famous. We should’ve expected him to achieve something.”

“But to pull it off this grandly… If we had known, we should’ve stepped in to handle it ourselves.”

On the other hand, the Blue Bloods couldn’t help but sigh. In their attempt to undermine that damn rebel’s authority, they had only ended up boosting his reputation.

Forcing him to clean up his own mess after his miscalculation had backfired. If they had taken charge themselves, they might not have achieved such a clear victory, but at least they wouldn’t have empowered their political rival.

Those who hadn’t stepped up regretted their decisions and pounded the ground in frustration. But what could they do? The deed was already done.

“In this situation, we should prepare to go to the parliament. The First and Third Estates will surely use this as an excuse to attack us.”

“Ugh! How did the great nobles of Ullanor come to this…?”

Since Carlos had managed to cover up his mistakes publicly and escape responsibility, the backlash was inevitable. To survive, they had to brace themselves and focus on minimizing the damage.

Thus, the nobles of the kingdom gritted their teeth and began preparing for the impending political offensive, all while desperately hoping for a day when they could avenge this humiliation.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, it wasn’t just the kingdom that received the news. The battle was, after all, a matter between the kingdom and the empire.

In fact, the Allied Empire received the information even faster.

While the kingdom had to send messengers through treacherous snowy plains, the empire received direct reports from retreating troops. Within days, they had a detailed account of the battle.

“We took a big hit on the southern front (the kingdom’s northern front), huh?”

“Yes. We lost the equivalent of two army corps.”

General Sebastian de Leclerc, the commander of the Imperial Western Front, clicked his tongue in frustration.

Dealing with the enemy in front of them was already tough enough, and now their flank was exposed. This was no small setback.

“Just last week, weren’t we pushing the kingdom’s forces back smoothly?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then explain to me why the situation suddenly reversed. In detail, so I can understand.”

“Well—”

General Leclerc gathered detailed accounts from the messengers about what had happened on the southern front.

The enemy suddenly launching a field battle during a defensive line assault, unexpected reinforcements appearing out of nowhere, and being defeated by an enemy commander using bizarre tactics they had never seen before.

Most of the information was based on testimonies, so its reliability was low, but it still provided enough useful details.

“…I see. Good work, everyone. You may rest now.”

After dismissing the messengers, Leclerc turned to his officers.

“The kingdom’s commander was Karolus von Roytel, right? The same guy we know?”

“Most likely. If they described his tactics as bizarre, it has to be him.”

“Damn it. Of all people, why did that mad dog have to come back?”

A crude expression unbecoming of a noble marquis, but no one pointed it out. They all felt the same way.

Dignity be damned, the psychological impact of that name was overwhelming, making it hard to control their rising emotions.

“The kingdom isn’t short on generals, is it? They have at least five or six field marshals. Why did it have to be him?”

It had been ten, no, eleven years now.

From the moment they crossed the border on the first day of the war until today, Karolus von Roytel had been the Imperial forces’ nightmare.

As a junior officer, he had caused chaos in countless small skirmishes. As a general, he personally led numerous battles, showcasing all sorts of unconventional tactics.

For example…

Triggering avalanches with explosives.

Ambushing with white camouflage.

Creating improvised black powder claymores.

Using one-time-use gravel-shooting wooden cannons.

And so on.

He brought things no one else had even conceived of and used them to humiliate the Imperial forces dozens of times.

“Do any of you think you can beat that guy?”

“Sorry, sir. It’s impossible.”

“If ordered, we’ll do our best, but honestly, it’s difficult. We’d need at least twice the troops…”

“I thought so. Damn that bastard.”

But was he weak in conventional battles? Not at all. Karolus was just as skilled in standard tactics as he was in unconventional ones.

Imperial generals who underestimated him and charged in, thinking his tricks were all he had, ended up utterly defeated—more than a dozen of them.

“We received intel that he had gone to the capital to stage a coup. Why did he come back?”

Whether it was defensive battles, sieges, infantry formations, or artillery and mage duels, Karolus von Roytel was at least a prodigy in every aspect.

No wonder the empire nicknamed him “Mad Dog.” Like a rabid mutt, he bit hard and fought like hell.

And now that mad dog had returned to the snowy plains, wreaking havoc with his personal troops in tow.

“The guy who cleaned up the southern front won’t just sit back. He’ll definitely shift his focus elsewhere. Right?”

“Most likely. Deploying tens of thousands of troops isn’t cheap. He’ll want to achieve more.”

“Then his target… would obviously be us.”

Dealing with the enemies here was already troublesome, and now this nightmare was added to the mix. Leclerc clutched his head, feeling dizzy.

“The distance between the two fronts is considerable. Even with a fast march, it would take at least ten days, considering the terrain.”

“We also have to account for the time it took for the messengers to arrive, sir.”

“So roughly a week and a bit more, then.”

There was still some time.

Reassuring himself, Leclerc looked at his officers and issued orders.

“Halt all ongoing operations and pull the troops back. Quickly reorganize the defensive line. We need to be ready before he arrives.”

“Yes, sir!”

Charging in blindly would be suicide. Holding the fortresses and trench lines would at least give them a slight chance.

It still wouldn’t be enough, but it was better than doing nothing.

* * * * *

And soon after arriving at the western front, our Karolus…

“Wow, these guys are all huddled up, scared stiff?”

Calmly began burning the entire front line to the ground. Literally.