Outside the barracks
A streetlamp stood in front of the gate,
and she still stands there in front of it.
In this way, we wish to meet again.
The streetlamp knows well
the grace of your footsteps.
Every evening, the streetlamp lights up,
but she has long forgotten me.
And should I be in anguish,
who will stand beside the streetlamp?
You, Lily Marlene,
You, Lily Marlene.
—
“Hey! d*mn Empire bastards!”
“What? You country bumpkins from Dedolant!”
“Turn it up louder! I can’t hear it!”
—
The two camps were so close that it would take less than ten minutes to reach each other at full speed.
Surprisingly, however, instead of fighting, they were shouting this kind of dialogue at each other.
It was originally a popular folk song among Dedolant soldiers.
But the Empire, having heard the melody repeatedly, got hooked as well.
Now they’ve reached the point where, instead of fighting, both sides hum the song.
Dedolant is, after all, on the defensive. Unless the Empire attacks, there’ll be no battle.
And this Imperial army, instead of attacking, keeps singing and sharing their tunes.
Naturally, the fighting has almost disappeared, and with that, the soldiers have begun to enjoy some “free time.”
“…d*mn. I want to go home.”
“My wife, how is she doing back home? d*mn it. That Victor next door—how much has he been eyeing her? I’m so worried I can’t stand it.”
“Normally, this is the time we should be celebrating the New Year and waiting for spring to come. sh*t. Fucking hell.”
When people have leisure time, it’s only natural they start thinking about other things.
Until now, the Dedolant soldiers only moved with the single-minded determination to fight.
But now, such feelings have been diluted by this free time and nearly disappeared.
All that remains is the distant memory of their parents, siblings, and lovers left behind.
It’s no longer about fighting. Now everyone just wants to live.
The more they sing, the more they hear that familiar melody, the sadder they grow.
Considering that this brief respite will vanish and they’ll return to hellish battlefields, it’s enough to drive anyone mad.
This atmosphere even reached the ears of Leontite and the lower-ranking officers responsible for maintaining discipline.
“d*mn Empire bastards! How dare they castrate the fighting spirit of the Deo people right in front of my eyes! Do you have no sense of self-respect?!”
The soldiers’ fighting spirit has dulled. Hostility toward the Empire has weakened.
This reality has driven Leontite into a wild rage.
“If I see anyone singing that song again, I’ll have them beheaded immediately!”
In fact, a few soldiers who unknowingly hummed the tune ended up headless.
His subordinate officers also began searching with fire in their eyes, eager to find anyone still singing.
Whenever they arrived, the soldiers fell silent like children who’ve been reprimanded.
Yet their numbers, no matter how many, barely reach double digits.
On the other side, at least 40,000 soldiers are trapped here.
Even if they try to monitor and suppress the behavior, it’s an impossible task.
Some junior officers, tasked with supervision, were actually siding with the soldiers.
To them, Leontite and the moderate-ranking officers following him were more hated than the Empire.
She has long forgotten me.
And should I be in anguish,
who will stand beside the streetlamp?
You, Lily Marlene,
You, Lily Marlene.
Meanwhile, the Empire kept singing without pause, filling the air with music.
Especially when these lyrics played, the Dedolant soldiers grew despondent.
Some even burst into tears, calling out the names of their beloved women.
“…This is the situation, Commander.”
And Paelus Gusthagen, informed of everything, could not hide his despair.
“What’s the state of the troops?”
“At its worst. The majority of weapons are already broken, with no hope for replacement or repair. At this rate, we’ll have to fight bare-handed after a few more battles.”
“Most soldiers can’t even have one proper meal a day. Many are lying here immobilized by hunger, Commander.”
Paelus suddenly felt something was off.
Sure, he knew things were bad, but this was worse than expected.
“Are all supplies being distributed evenly?”
“It’s…,”
“What’s the problem? Speak quickly.”
“General Leontite stopped the supply distribution along the way.”
“What?”
What is this nonsense? Paelus urged him to continue.
“He claims it’s dangerous to arm and feed those who might betray us. He used the supplies to arm his own military police instead.”
“d*mn human! What the hell do you think my soldiers are?”
Enraged, Paelus decided to finish Leontite off right then and there.
But his aides managed to barely restrain him, preventing a disaster.
After all, with the situation already so tough, having the top generals fighting each other would be catastrophic.
“Hmph…”
He suddenly craved a cigarette, though none were available thanks to the supply cuts.
Struggling with nicotine withdrawal, Paelus decided to inquire about other matters.
“How about any news from outside the siege?”
“There’s no change. Our allies have been trying to breach the siege lines, but the Empire’s flanks are too strong, resulting in repeated defeats.”
“The Empire isn’t foolish enough to let their siege lines collapse easily.”
One of the aides, watching cautiously, timidly spoke up.
“What does His Highness the Prince say, Commander?”
“…He says everyone should try a little harder.”
“Is that so.”
In truth, it was a lie. Prince Georg never said that.
In fact, they haven’t even had a proper conversation with the Prince.
The magic communication device merely showed the Prince’s aide.
[His Highness the Prince lauds your efforts.]
[Show the Empire Dedolant’s spirit and the struggle of the Deo people.]
What kind of effort? What kind of spirit? What struggle are they talking about?
First, the men need to eat and be properly armed.
How can they fight these overconfident Imperials with nothing but rocks in their hands?
Surely they don’t expect the soldiers, many on the verge of collapse, to fight? Seriously?
‘Your Highness, what in the world are you thinking?’
Paelus didn’t know that the once-passionate Prince Georg had changed.
The cunning intelligence he once had has gradually faded, replaced by a growing anxiety.
If the Prince is screaming like this, something must be wrong with him.
Outside the barracks
A streetlamp stands in front of the gate,
and she still stands there.
In this way, we wish to meet again.
While Dedolant soldiers endure this desperate situation,
the song has even reached near the command post.
It’s proof that they’ve used magic to amplify the sound.
How frustrating. Here we are struggling with lack of supplies,
while the Empire uses their precious magic for this nonsense.
What were they even thinking when commanding the campaign against the Empire?
“Commander! Commander!!”
At this moment, a field commander rushed into the headquarters, drenched in sweat despite the winter.
“J-Just now, an envoy from the Empire proposed a temporary ceasefire.”
“A ceasefire?”
“Yes, and guess who set up the meeting at the frontlines? None other than Kael Klauwitz, the Imperial Chief of Staff!”
Kael Klauwitz? That famed Kael, the Imperial Chief of Staff himself?
This news quickly reached Leontite and his followers, who were busy trying to restore morale.
The phrase that leapt immediately to their lips was—
“We must assassinate him!”
“Is this absurdity?”
“This person is harmful to Dedolant. If such a fool has come forward unafraid, we’ll pretend to agree and launch an attack with our forces!”
Paelus felt his mind go blank upon hearing this.
Are these people in their right minds? Do they really mean this?
Have hunger and privation driven them mad? Or have they been using drugs?
“Hold your tongues. Do you really think this is reasonable? Killing someone who has come forward for negotiation?”
“This person harms Dedolant. This harms the Deo people!”
“This is precisely what disgraces Dedolant and the dignity of the Deo people! We aren’t bandits or pirates! We fight under the Kingdom’s banner! You seriously think I’ll let you suggest such an atrocity!”
Unable to contain himself any longer, Paelus roared. His usually calm demeanor shocked even the extremists by Leontite’s side.
“General Leontite, have you too been infected by the madness of these fools?”
“Cough.”
“Don’t utter nonsense! Even bandits and pirates wouldn’t harm those coming forward unarmed for negotiation! There are things we’re supposed to uphold, even in war!”
It’s been a long-standing taboo to attack unarmed individuals.
Breaking this would bring them eternal shame, even if they claimed a victory.
“Still. He’s the Empire’s Chief of Staff…”
“So what? Will killing him make the Empire surrender? All it would do is provoke even greater hatred!”
“Are you saying the Empire’s wrath scares you, Commander?”
“Of course it does! Thinking of our families and hometowns being ravaged by their revenge, it only makes sense to feel fear!”
—BOOM!!
Unable to contain himself any further, Paelus slammed his fist into the strategy table.
Hard enough to split it in two and send it collapsing to the floor.
“I will handle this matter personally. Generals under Leontite, silence yourselves.”
“But…”
“Should you truly value the pride of the Deo people, stop talking nonsense and shut your mouths right now.”
Intimidated by Paelus’s authoritative stance, even Leontite fell silent.
In the end, he and the extremists left headquarters with a curt nod.
Thereafter, Paelus, accompanied by a few aides, set off toward the designated place where the Empire awaited.
“There, Commander.”
“What nerve that man has, setting up a negotiation tent closer to our camp than theirs!”
“No wonder His Highness took such precautions against him.”
Paelus nodded at the aide’s comment and approached the tent, announcing his identity and accepting the terms of the temporary ceasefire.
After a brief moment,
“I am Paelus Gusthagen of Dedolant.”
“I am Kael Klauwitz. Welcome, Commander.”
Finally, Paelus met the legendary strategist of the Empire.
