Chapter 34

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 22, 2025

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Longing is the emotion farthest from understanding.

This is a widely spread saying among the officers of the former Northern Army, now the Revolutionary Army, and the Central Army.

Usually, it refers to their leader, Karolus, the Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction.

Why did this line, which fans of a certain hipster death manga would know, become so widespread? The reason is simple.

Because the presence and stature of Karolus von Roytel, a young man in his late twenties, is so immense that he is irreplaceable among them.

“Colonel Karolus? He’s been here since I was a rookie. Thanks to him, our unit has the highest survival rate.”

“When I was trapped in a crevasse during a reconnaissance mission, Lieutenant Roytel saved me. There are few officers as caring and considerate as him.”

“He’s the backbone of the Northern Army. If anyone badmouths him, the entire division would lynch them. No, the entire corps would come after them.”

From rookie lieutenants to veteran generals.

Karolus has been protecting the North since the first day of the war.

Even as his comrades fell one by one, even as his body was covered in scars and he suffered severe injuries.

He continued to fight in the bloodiest battles, never leaving the front lines.

Even in the most unfavorable situations, he never gave up on his mission, standing shoulder to shoulder with his comrades against the Imperial Forces.

Through countless battles, he piled up mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, defending the kingdom’s territory.

He may not have the flashy record of a major victory in a large-scale battle, but his long-standing career is unparalleled.

Normally, it would take 15 years to reach the rank of general even with top connections, but he achieved it in less than 10 years.

“Honestly, if it weren’t for General Karolus… I might have committed suicide due to the absurdity before even becoming a sergeant. There are countless people alive because of him.”

“If he hadn’t improved the unit culture, we’d still be throwing rookies into the latrine as an initiation ritual.”

But that’s not all. Karolus was highly regarded not just for his achievements, but also for his character.

This is a medieval fantasy era, where superiors beating subordinates and officers treating soldiers like slaves is considered normal.

But he was different. The most he’d ask of an orderly was to handle some chores.

He treated his soldiers as individuals, not mere expendables.

Even when reprimanding mistakes, he used light swearing, reasonable criticism, and verbal warnings instead of violence.

When he was a captain in the Korean army, he wasn’t known for being particularly kind, but in the Royal Army, this level of decency made him seem like an angel.

Thus, the Revolutionary Army admired Karolus.

They respected their great superior, who was not only capable and legendary but also kind-hearted.

So much so that even during the coup, they wanted to make him their leader.

Despite their mutual trust and belief in each other, Karolus was the only one they truly believed in and followed as a leader. Everyone was certain of that.

…But today.

That belief was slightly shaken.

Because of the absurd tactic Karolus proposed.

“Huh? Set a fire?”

“And in the middle of the enemy camp?”

“Yeah. Burn everything—land, fortress—and take out anyone who tries to escape.”

Should we… still admire him?

* * * * *

‘Hmm.’

The military meeting held right after our Central Army arrived at the Western Front.

When I suddenly proposed my idea in front of all the regimental commanders and above, their expressions were… unusual.

It was like they were looking at a mental patient who had escaped from a hospital.

I get that my proposal was unexpected and shocking, but come on, you guys are being too obvious with your disdain. We’ve fought together for years, and this is how you react?

“Everyone, calm down and listen. Do you know what month it is?”

“…It’s September, right?”

“Exactly. Early September. Just after summer ends and autumn begins.”

But I didn’t just blurt this out without thought.

I came up with this plan after carefully observing the enemy’s movements and the environment. Honestly, I’m a bit hurt by your reactions.

“From what I’ve observed, this western region has a temperate climate. Summer is dry, and winter is wet. Right?”

“Yes. That’s why we always have to be careful about water storage in summer. But what does that have to do with anything?”

The western part of the kingdom has a Mediterranean climate.

Summer is dry, and winter is wet, the opposite of Korea’s rainy and dry seasons.

It’s a blessed climate since it doesn’t turn into a sauna in the heat, but that’s not the point.

“Think about it. If it’s so dry that water supply becomes an issue, what state do you think the forests and vegetation are in?”

“…Ah!”

One officer finally realized and let out a sigh. Yes, they’re all dried up and brittle.

I remember seeing on the news that Greece issues wildfire warnings in summer.

The environment is so fire-prone that it can ignite naturally. If we set a fire intentionally, it would spread like crazy.

“And the Imperial Forces, they reinforced their defensive lines before we arrived. They built multiple layers of wooden barricades and set up artillery batteries. All hastily made.”

They even halted their ongoing offensive and holed up, like a turtle retreating into its shell.

Not a bad strategy, really.

If you’re not confident of winning in a direct confrontation, buying time is a classic tactic.

But the problem lies in the resources they used to fortify their position.

“Do you think they used proper materials for the barricades and walls they built in just a few days? They didn’t have enough time to process stone properly.”

Bricks that need to be fired, stone that needs to be cut and shaped, concrete that takes days to set.

All of these are widely used but not suitable for quick construction. And it’s unlikely they had enough materials stockpiled.

The only material the Imperial Forces, pressed for time, could have used is wood. Raw, untreated wood.

Sure, wood can be useful if used properly, but from what I saw during reconnaissance, they just roughly cut and used it.

No paint or treatment.

In other words, it’s perfect kindling in the dry summer heat.

They’ve covered their entire defensive line with this stuff, so it won’t take much effort to breach it.

“By now, you should understand. Their fortress looks sturdy on the outside, but it’s incredibly vulnerable inside. A little trick from us, and it could collapse.”

“But… will a fire attack really work as planned? What if the wind blows the fire towards us—”

“That’s not a problem. We’ll leave it to the mage corps.”

Besides, this is a fantasy world. Wind magic is a given.

We can’t summon hurricanes or storms, but a gentle breeze is entirely possible.

We’ll have the mages create a wind blowing towards the enemy camp. With thousands of mages, maintaining it for 2-3 hours won’t be difficult.

More than enough time to burn everything down.

The turtled-up enemy will be forced out by the encroaching flames.

“Got it?”

I looked around at the officers and gave the order.

“Gather all the oil and sugar in the unit. We’re going to teach those Imperial bastards a lesson in fire safety.”

* * * * *

And now.