Chapter 6

The expedition preparations were quickly completed.

From the start, everything from equipment to supplies had already been packed and loaded onto carts for a full retreat.

All that was needed was to slightly repurpose the supplies and take down the tents being used as barracks.

The soldiers had already eaten and rested sufficiently, so they had plenty of stamina for a long march. Now, all that was left was to depart.

“I will select the units to remain behind. First, the 1st Division, 2nd Division, and 4th Division.”

However, not everyone would be going. If all the units were withdrawn, a massive gap would form on the frontlines.

A minimal force had to remain to maintain the current front and defend against enemy offensives.

In other words, while maintaining the defensive line previously held by 70,000 troops, forces had to be simultaneously extracted to suppress the capital and the central royalty/nobles.

“Won’t we need artillery? Leaving only infantry and cavalry behind feels unstable.”

“Two artillery battalions and one mage unit. That should suffice, right?”

“It’s a bit lacking… but it should be fine if we’re just holding the line.”

After much deliberation with my subordinates, the optimal balance was determined to be 3:4.

Under the Royal Army’s current organization, one division consists of about 10,000 troops.

And the Northern Army is composed of a total of 7 divisions.

Of these, 4 divisions would be extracted, and 3 would remain in the north. Additionally, some auxiliary units, including artillery, would be left behind for support.

This way, while a counterattack might not be possible, holding the line should be manageable.

“Mauer, I’m leaving this to you. Reinforcements will be sent as quickly as possible, so just hold out until then.”

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant General. I’ll seal it tight like an iron wall.”

Just in case, I appointed Brigadier General Mauer, the most experienced and reliable among my subordinates, as the temporary commander.

This ensured that even if I left, the rear would be secure.

After bidding farewell to those staying behind, I gave my final instructions to my subordinates.

“Remember, speed is crucial. If we drag our feet while trying to overthrow the kingdom, we’ll end up with nothing.”

“Understood!”

What we’re attempting is essentially a power struggle within the kingdom.

It’s not about justification or morality. Even if the root cause is the royal family’s foolish mistakes, objectively speaking, that’s the reality.

We’re essentially trying to overthrow the existing privileged class—the royal family and central nobles—and seize power ourselves.

So, we had to hurry.

The longer we took, the more the kingdom’s national strength would erode.

The vast resources, military power, and funds that allowed us to withstand the Empire’s prolonged offensives—all of it.

For the future, we had to achieve our goals with minimal damage in the shortest time possible.

“Are we attacking the capital immediately?”

“First, we need to clear the path. Where’s the nearest military unit stationed?”

“Are you including the private armies of the great nobles?”

“No. Those are more like reserves, only conscripted in emergencies. I mean the regular Royal Army.”

“Then it’s the 19th Division, led by Brigadier General Hainburg, stationed in the northeastern Great Plains. At marching speed, we’ll meet them in three days.”

“Of all people, it had to be that die-hard royalist…”

So, we had to quickly clear the path and march.

Unfortunately, we ran into a troublesome opponent right from the start.

Brigadier General Hainburg is from a prestigious noble family and is famously patriotic.

I remember avoiding him at a medal ceremony because he wouldn’t stop praising the king—he seemed like a lunatic.

Who would’ve thought I’d run into him again here?

“How about offering surrender or defection?”

“Forget it. He’s the type to absolutely refuse. He’ll fight to the death, shouting about protecting the royal family and stopping us.”

I was about to reject my subordinates’ suggestion to negotiate, knowing it would fail, when an idea struck me.

If the head is the problem, why not target the body?

The soldiers, the backbone of the army. The 19th Division is mostly made up of soldiers from the Great Plains, after all.

“No, send messengers. A group of three or four would be best.”

“But didn’t you just say communication would be impossible?”

“The goal isn’t to negotiate with Hainburg. We’re targeting the rest of the unit.”

I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The taste was as bitter as ever.

“Have them publicly announce our intentions to everyone there. Let them know what the royal family tried to do to us.”

“To the soldiers too…? You’re trying to demoralize them.”

“Exactly. Also, if negotiations break down, tell them that anyone who surrenders won’t be stopped. There’s no need for fellow countrymen to shed blood.”

“I’ll make sure the messengers are well-prepared.”

We’re fighting among people of the same nationality and hometown.

With morale already fragile and the enemy outnumbering us several times over, desertions and retreats during battle are inevitable. I’m just adding psychological reassurance.

Honestly, how many would fight when surrender guarantees fair treatment?

An army with shattered morale collapses quickly in battle. That’s true everywhere.

“Today, we’ll march for three more hours and then set up camp. Relay that to all units.”

“Understood.”

Having departed in the afternoon, it was already getting late.

We stopped before sunset, set up the barracks, and rested.

All while wondering how the 19th Division would react to our proposal.

* * * * *

“Have you ever seen such traitorous scum! Daring to rebel against the royal family?!”

As expected, Brigadier General Hainburg, upon receiving Lieutenant General Karolus’s offer to surrender, flew into a rage.

He insisted that all those who dared defy the king, the representative of the goddess, should be hanged.

To him, who had lived his entire life as a staunch royalist, the monarch’s command was absolute.

No matter how unreasonable it seemed, there must be a deeper meaning, and it must be followed unconditionally. Even if that wasn’t the reality, in his worldview, it was the right thing to do.

“General, how should we respond?”

“What’s there to respond to! Hang all those who brought this nonsense to me! No, execute them! Public execution!”

“What?! Executing messengers is too much…”

Thus, while he wanted to kill all the messengers, who were essentially the vanguard of these traitors, his staff objected.

Because they had already been outside, fraternizing with the soldiers and spreading their message.

“The royal family has already abandoned the north! They’re planning to hand over the Snowy Plains to the Empire!”

“If they take that, where’s next? Our homeland, the Great Plains! The land we’ve plowed and sown will become a battlefield!”

“If you have any sense, don’t fight! Loyalty to those who abandon our homeland for luxury is just a death sentence!”

The messengers, spreading news rarely heard within the army, had already gathered many soldiers around them.

Everyone had heard about the terrible treatment the Northern Army endured and the circumstances that forced them to act.

If they were to capture and kill them now, what would the soldiers and junior officers think?

They’d just accept that what they heard was true.

Far from purging the traitors, it would only engrave the rumors in everyone’s minds. At best, it would be a self-destructive choice.

“Then drive them out! Don’t let them bewitch my soldiers any longer!”

In the end, under Hainburg’s insistence, the messengers were driven out of the unit, but a single truth had already been imprinted in the soldiers’ minds.

That the royal family and nobles of this country were utterly untrustworthy.

‘Damn it. The queen buys jewelry and abandons the frontlines? What kind of madness is this…’

‘If that’s true, my home is in danger! My sick mother is still there…’

For centuries, the royal family and nobles had lost the trust of the common people.

Taxes were raised under various pretexts, and generations had suffered exploitation. How could any trust remain?

In fact, hearing about the Northern Army’s plight, many inwardly agreed that those bastards were capable of such things.

If they didn’t want to disrupt the soldiers’ morale, they shouldn’t have let the messengers in at all.

They should’ve kept them outside, only accepting letters, or killed them immediately without any conversation.

They shouldn’t have allowed any interaction. Either option would’ve maintained discipline.

But since they didn’t, and instead let the entire 19th Division hear everything, it was only natural that their discipline and will to fight would crumble.

And so.

“Charge at once!! Rush toward the cracks in the enemy formation!”

“Run! We’ve already lost, so just run!”

Three days later, when the battle ensued, the 19th Division’s one-sided defeat at the hands of the Northern Army was almost inevitable.