Chapter 7

Rewinding time a bit.

A few hours before the clash between the former Northern Army, now the Revolutionary Army, and the Royal Army’s 19th Division.

Brigadier General Hainburg, the commander of the 19th Division, had made thorough preparations.

“Dig trenches and build barricades! If it’s too hard to build earthen walls, at least set up wooden fences! Create obstacles to hide behind and hinder the enemy!”

“General, the soldiers are complaining of fatigue. They’ve been working non-stop for hours. If you keep pushing them…”

“So you’re saying we should just sit back and rest while the traitors are coming?! No matter how hard it is, we need to prepare to increase our chances of victory!”

They expanded the existing garrison’s defenses. Though they only had a few days, they did their best.

They built earthen walls, dug pits for cover, and set up artillery batteries. With 10,000 men, it wasn’t too difficult. For a makeshift fortress built in the field, it was decent.

“This should hold for a week even against several times our number. We just need to wait for reinforcements!”

“Will our allies arrive in time?”

“Of course they will! They can’t refuse to support us while we’re holding off the traitors!”

They had already requested support from nearby units. Now it was a race against time.

If they held out for five or six days, the situation would reverse. The rebels would soon be outnumbered and collapse helplessly.

That was his strategic plan.

Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Brigadier General Hainburg wasn’t a militarily incompetent officer, and the 19th Division’s combat strength was quite formidable. If they were fighting ordinary rebels or external enemies, his calculations would have been spot on.

Unfortunately, the Revolutionary Army from the north was far from ordinary.

“Rebels approaching from the 3 o’clock direction!!”

“Why are they so fast? They’re maintaining formation while running?!”

“All artillery batteries, prepare to fire! Everyone, combat deployment! We must stop their momentum!”

As a staunch royalist, Hainburg assumed the enemy’s strength was at best equal to or slightly below theirs.

The traitors he had encountered before were just mobs of rebellious peasants or disobedient soldiers. He carelessly assumed this would be the same.

Even with the deputy commander joining the officers, they were still just unruly elements opposing the royal family. They couldn’t possibly have proper combat strength.

Thus, his loyalty led him to underestimate the enemy.

“We can’t hold them! They’re closing the gap too fast for suppression fire!”

“Then shoot them! Do I have to give every single order?!”

But think about it.

The Northern Army had been fighting on the front lines, in the harshest and most intense battles, for over a decade.

With no rotations or shifts, they had been stuck in the snowy plains, their youth wasted in blizzards and bloodshed. Could such soldiers be ordinary? Each one was an elite.

In contrast, the 19th Division had been a reserve unit stationed in the rear since the war began.

They trained hard but had no real combat experience.

Occasionally, they were sent to the front when troops were lacking, but even then, entire units were transferred, making it meaningless.

In other words, this battle was a seasoned veteran corps vs. a rear-guard rookie division.

And to make matters worse, their morale was already at rock bottom due to Lieutenant General Karolus’s propaganda… The outcome was practically decided.

“The traitors are right in front of us! Fix bayonets and prepare for close combat!!”

“F*** this! I can’t take it anymore!”

“I surrender! I don’t want to die here!”

The Revolutionary Army charged swiftly, not giving the 19th Division time to react.

With their experience, they found the weak points in the formation and broke through, creating chaos.

Unable to use their defensive advantages, the 19th Division’s discipline collapsed, and desertions began.

Soldiers who had already lost trust in their superiors now threw down their weapons and fled, even with officers present.

“Have you all lost your minds?! The enemy is right in front of you!!”

“Shut up and get lost! Why should we risk our lives fighting for the same side?!”

“Go be loyal to those damn royals! We’ll survive on our own!”

Their trust in the ruling class had long been discarded.

Forced into grueling construction work and now facing an enemy several times their size, no soldier would fight willingly. Swearing was inevitable.

With desertions and fragging rampant, the makeshift fortress couldn’t hold.

The outer defenses fell one by one, and soon the enemy penetrated deep inside. Like dye in clear water, it was smooth and effortless.

It took only 30 minutes for the Revolutionary Army’s cavalry to reach where Brigadier General Hainburg and the command staff were.

Revolutionary Army casualties: 92.

19th Division casualties: 1,288.

It was a one-sided victory.

* * * * *

“Finally, they’re surrendering. They shouldn’t have started a fight if they were going to end up like this.”

“It’s just the foolishness of someone who didn’t know his own limits. If they wanted to stop us with such rabble, they should have prepared at least ten divisions.”

The first battle under the revolutionary banner ended anticlimactically. Just as it seemed to get intense, they all surrendered.

Without even the leisure to set up a command barracks and maps, it ended with Brigadier General Hainburg’s capture. At least our casualties were light.

“How many died?”

“About forty. Another thirty are seriously wounded.”

A light price for subduing an entire division.

Though my soldiers are precious and irreplaceable, some sacrifices are inevitable for the revolution.

We’ll compensate the bereaved families generously later.

“Make sure the bodies are buried properly. Even if it’s just wooden markers.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Now, it’s time for a serious talk with our dear prisoners and former comrades.

“Let go of me, you traitors! Where are you taking me?!”

“Shut your mouth. You’re in no position to be noisy.”

Brigadier General Hainburg, tightly bound, still shouted and struggled.

In contrast, his subdued subordinates were brought before me. Behind them, the disarmed 19th Division soldiers were gathered under guard.

I sat on a makeshift chair in front of them, kneeling on the dirt.

“Well, it’s been a while. How have you all been?”

“Damn traitor! After living under His Majesty the King’s grace, how could you betray the kingdom?!”

“I regret that it came to this. We didn’t want to shed our comrades’ blood, but it couldn’t be helped.”

“The goddess will never forgive you!! You and your family will pay for your treason!! You’ll pay dearly for opposing the royal family–”

“Someone shut this fool up. Ah, good job.”

First, gag the idiot who still hasn’t come to his senses.

Then, I continued speaking in a friendly tone to those who seemed to have realized the reality.

“Let me say it again, I didn’t want to fight you. It was just one fool causing trouble, forcing us to use force.”

We don’t see you as enemies. Even if we’ve killed each other, you’re still our comrades.

I subtly mixed in the message to make them feel closer to us.

“Originally, I planned to just take your weapons and supplies and let you go… but that seems difficult now.”

And now, the main point.

“As we all know, the central royal family and nobles are greedy and evil. If we let you go, they’ll surely treat you as defeated soldiers and punish you.”

Even though you were at a disadvantage, that’s no excuse.

To those damn nobles, you’re just incompetent trash. Worms who couldn’t even stop the traitors.

They won’t forgive you. They’ll accuse you of siding with the rebels and cut off your heads. In fact, it’d be strange if they didn’t.

“So, I’m giving you a chance. Join the revolution.”

“…What?”

One officer absentmindedly asked. I ignored him and continued.

“Change the direction of your guns. Rather than die for futile loyalty, wouldn’t it be better to shoot at least one bullet at those rotten royals and nobles? Let’s tear down this corrupt kingdom together.”

“If you join, we’ll treat you as comrades. I promise, you’ll receive the same treatment. Let’s raise the revolutionary banner together.”

Join us in destroying the kingdom. Even if we die, let’s vent our accumulated resentment.

With that proposal, I stood up. I threw a few bayonet knives on the ground and turned away.

“If you’re interested, kill Brigadier General Hainburg with these knives. Prove your resolve by killing the royal dog. If not, quietly step back.”

By making them kill their staunchly loyal commander, I ensured they couldn’t turn back.

Just like when we killed the Northern Army’s commander, they had no choice but to share our fate.

“I’ll be back in an hour. I expect your answer by then.”

Leaving only the guards, I stepped away.

And when I returned with my subordinates.

In place of the 19th Division soldiers was a gruesomely torn corpse. Not a single one had stepped back or avoided the task.

“Lieutenant General Roytel, does this prove our resolve?”

“…Yes. Welcome to the Revolutionary Army.”

Mission accomplished: troop replenishment and new comrades. A great success.