The Southern Sixth Legion Encampment.
“….”
“….”
Just a few days ago, these soldiers had been brimming with confidence due to their string of victories.
They were practically shouting about how they’d annihilate Dedolant at any moment.
Some even thought they’d be reuniting with their families before the sun set on this year.
But now, an eerie, terrifying silence engulfed the camp, as thick as a woolen blanket.
It was as if every single man had turned into a mute statue, not a word passing their lips.
They had been pushed back by the Dedolant forces. While the officers tried their best to deny it, there was no mistaking this for anything other than a defeat.
If it was merely a defeat, that might have been the better situation.
Because their retreat caused not one, not two, but two entire legions to be trapped and unable to escape the enemy’s encirclement.
And in the end, those legions fought valiantly to the last, vanishing entirely without a trace.
It was their fault. Their failure to hold the line had left comrades stranded, comrades who would never see home again.
Fathers, husbands, sons – they had sent them to their graves.
This cold, heavy reality squeezed the throats of every father, husband, and son still standing.
“Hey?”
Until a young man suddenly appeared in their camp.
“Eh… uh…?”
“Colonel?! No, wait. Chief of the Imperial Staff?!”
That’s right. It was unmistakable. Kael. Kael Klauwitz to be exact.
The strategist who had fought alongside them in the Southern Theater, gifting them their most glorious victories.
The same man who had been promoted to Chief of the Imperial Staff at a startlingly young age for his efforts.
Word had it that after this recent defeat, he’d received an order from the Emperor himself to also take on the role of Chief of Staff for the First Army. Likely because they knew his talents were needed to turn this situation around.
But why was he here, of all places, visiting the Sixth Legion’s camp instead of the First Army headquarters?
“Good grief! You all look like you’ve been buried alive!”
“Th-that’s…”
“Get a grip! Stand up and shake it off! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Out of Kael’s mouth came a brash, aggressive roar none of them had ever heard before.
Both soldiers and officers alike startled so badly they immediately froze in attention.
“Soldiers of the Sixth Legion!”
“…”
“Empire’s Southern Sixth Legion!”
Once more, the deafening roar echoed across the camp – though this time it was not Kael speaking, but the Chief of the Imperial Staff and First Army Chief of Staff himself.
The entirety of the Sixth Legion shouted “Yes!” in response, and he continued.
“Do you truly believe you’ve been defeated?”
“…”
For a moment, the soldiers exchanged glances. Hadn’t they been defeated? They had retreated, leading to this exact mess…
Yet somehow, the atmosphere suggested maybe they shouldn’t explicitly say so.
“You’re right. You have been defeated. And because of that defeat, you retreated.”
“A…”
Yes, they had been defeated. Just as the soldiers were about to hang their heads in shame…
“But!”
With a powerful stamp of his foot, Kael pressed on.
“This was merely a loss in one battle. Soldiers of the Sixth Legion, do you remember the Eastern Campaign? There, the Empire’s Seventh Legion suffered a defeat. Yet they went on to win the war. Because they had the determination to avenge their losses and the desperate desire to win.”
And then…
“And because I was there, it was possible.”
At the mention of his name, a flicker of light began to return to the soldiers’ eyes.
That’s right. Thinking back, during this operation and even this defeat, Kael hadn’t been present. He’d been serving his duties as Chief of the Imperial Staff from the rear.
And now, at this very moment, here he was, doubling as the First Army’s Chief of Staff, rejoining them by the Empire’s First Army’s side. Finally, that genius strategist had returned to their ranks.
“I believe you all remember fighting against the Benito forces in the Southern Theater.”
The soldiers, the officers, the staff, even the Legion Commander themselves – all sharply nodded in unison, recalling that moment.
The Sixth Legion’s greatest glory: the battle where they absolutely decimated their foes. That single victory had turned the tide of the Southern Theater, of the entire war, in the Empire’s favor. Upon returning home, they had been greeted by the people’s cheers and admiration.
“That victory. That moment – I’m going to give it back to you.”
“Ah…”
“If you can’t trust in your own victory, then trust in me. Me, the undefeated genius strategist of this world! Believe in me and follow me without question!”
And with him, he would undoubtedly bring them a victory that no one could deny – one that would be their greatest, most shining triumph!
At those final words, a roar erupted from the soldiers like a dam bursting.
“Yeah! We can do it! With him, with that strategist, we WILL win!”
Just as they had in the Southern Theater, just as they had in the Eastern Theater, surely this man would deliver another victory to them!
“Rise up! Soldiers of the Sixth Legion!”
“Ooooh yeah!”
“Yeah!”
With a spirit fierce enough to swallow the bitter taste of defeat, the Sixth Legion sprang to their feet. Nearby, the encamped Thirteenth Legion of the South was similarly ignited.
“Once more, victory to us! Glory to the Empire!”
Had the Empire been on a continuous streak of victories, such a reaction might have proven impossible.
But because they had suffered this heavy defeat just prior, because it served as their kindling and fuel, when the flame of Kael’s presence was cast upon them, it quickly transformed into a roaring inferno.
After visiting the two southern legions, Kael immediately set off for the Eastern legions.
There, he gave the exact same impassioned speech he had delivered to the southern forces.
“Remember your proudest, most glorious moments! Recall who was there with you! Now that you’ve remembered, let’s march toward victory! I’ll be behind you, crushing all enemy morale and standing with you!”
Humans are creatures who eternally yearn for the moments they shone brightest. In those times, even in the most trying circumstances, they find the power to move forward.
Kael had gifted the soldiers, mired in the swamp of defeat, precisely those memories.
And he whispered: Climb out of that swamp, and once more, trust me to walk alongside you. Just as I’ve shown you before, I’ll do the same this time. For yet another glory, for one more hard-won victory.
The Eastern Seventh Legion, the Twelfth Legion, the Southern Sixth and Thirteenth Legions… their spirits were rekindled in the blink of an eye. Faster than before, the flames of determination burned brighter.
With the strategist who had been by their side during every victory, what was there to fear?
“Now, onward to the next.”
Kael now turned his attention to the region covered by the Western legions.
The situation with the Western legions was different from those in the south and east. They had suffered their greatest defeat, even losing two entire legions. The remaining legions were hit hardest of all, making it difficult for them to rise again.
Unlike the eastern or southern legions, they couldn’t be rallied solely by past glories and victories. Kael’s reputation wasn’t enough to resonate directly with them, nor was there any immediate bond of trust to leverage.
So how should they proceed? How could they be made to take up their arms again?
“Remember the Ninth Legion! Don’t forget the Fourteenth! Think of them – those who willingly stayed behind in the encirclement for your sake. Those heroes who never once dropped their weapons and kept resisting in battle against the wretched Dedolant forces until the bitter end! Your presence here today exists because those heroes sacrificed themselves!”
Instead of glory, vengeance. Rather than victory, vengeance. Vengeance. Vengeance. Vengeance.
The most primal and potent word. Kael chose it.
“Remember! You are the only ones who remember those heroes! Don’t forget! You are the only ones qualified to seek vengeance for those heroes!”
“Lingering over defeat, atoning to the fallen, even writing letters of apology to their families – all of that can wait until after vengeance has been served!”
“Revenge! And reclaim! With your hands, restore the glory of both yourselves and those heroes who have fallen!”
The strategist who had toppled the three eastern kingdoms and crushed Benito was shouting thus. That brilliant young man who had earned countless merits at such a tender age, the Empire’s brightest talent. Watching him, the remaining soldiers of the Western Legions found within themselves the spark of possibility.
Or rather, all considerations aside, that single word ‘revenge’ was just too potent. This man said he would help them repay this defeat, this humiliation.
Yes. They would exact their revenge. They would get payback – against those d*mn bastards!
“Show those fools who think they’ve already won the exact opposite! The war is just beginning!”
Just as the strategist said, the war was just starting now.
*
“Hmph.”
The Southern, Eastern, and Western Legions.
Now all that remained was to rally the Northern Legions.
On the way there, I reflected on my words and actions from earlier. It was a success. Everyone had responded well.
I had worried they might think, ‘What can you even do by coming here?’ But because they all harbored a desperate desire for victory, such a situation never arose.
‘The task at hand right now is exactly this.’
The logistics at the rear is handled effectively by the reformed General Staff. They’re the ones repositioning the newly arrived three legions, placing the reserve forces mustered through the mobilization order, replenishing lost supplies, and securing necessary provisions moving forward.
In fact, the General Staff now functions essentially as my auxiliary support.
If I give an order, they respond with a resounding ‘Yes!’ and handle everything for me without needing further instruction.
As a result, while my burden has increased somewhat, it’s not entirely bad.
‘Alright. Next.’
Are we done? Not a chance. We’ve barely scratched the surface.
While we’ve revived their morale, something more dramatic is still needed.
And I’ve already arranged for that something.
“Chief of Staff.”
“Ah, you’re here?”
“Yes. A letter from Charlotte Estania.”
As soon as I became Chief of the Imperial Staff and Chief of Staff for the First Army, my first action was to petition the Emperor.
Charlotte desired to move alongside the Nobogorod reinforcements, and I asked the Emperor to approve this request.
The Emperor readily agreed, giving me the authority as Chief of Staff to handle it as I saw fit.
This allowed me to place a reliable strategist by the side of Kaya, who was traveling with the reinforcements.
“Exactly as you predicted two days ago, we’ve arrived near the northern border of Artria.”
“We’ll begin our actions shortly after a day of rest.”
“Looking forward to it. Not to mention, our Demon Race warriors already have a grudge against Artria.”
One of the basics of combat: relentlessly pound the weakest point in the enemy’s guard.
