“Uh, Kael. Ah, no. Chief of Staff.”
“You may address me casually if you wish, Your Highness Princess.”
“…Anyway. The song the Dedolant prisoners keep singing—apparently it was a big hit back in Dedolant.”
“Yes, it’s called Lili Marlene.”
Isn’t that something? The exact same song I remember exists here too. What are the odds?
This just made things a whole lot easier for me. Easier to exploit their nostalgia, anyway.
While listening to that song, you’d have to be heartless not to feel something, right?
“Do you really think this will work? It feels like we’d be better off just suggesting they surrender outright.”
It seemed our Princess was a little worried.
Ah, right. The Princess is here because she recently returned to the command post. Once the southern legion was surrounded, her presence there was no longer needed.
“Previously, I told His Majesty the Emperor that they will be the ones to beg for surrender—never us.”
“Could I ask why?”
“Because encouraging their collapse will happen faster and more effectively this way.”
For the glory of the Deo people, d*e with pride—for the love of it!
You’ve got to be kidding me. I bet even a stray dog would stop and laugh, then drop dead mid-cackle.
Talk all you want about glory and pride. Does any of it matter when you’re staring d*ath in the face?
Every living thing clings desperately to life. Humans are no different.
We live to survive. End of story.
What happens when a massive wave of fear crashes over them?
For now, they’re hanging in there, but how long can that last?
Soon enough, all their talk of pride and nationalism will fade, and reality will set in.
They’ll start missing their parents, their siblings, the lovers and wives they left behind.
And amidst all that, they’re hearing a familiar old song. One that reminds them of happy times, of life outside the battlefield.
“Take a look at the lyrics, Your Highness Princess. ‘She’s forgotten me long ago,’ it says. ‘If I should suffer torment, who will stand by the lamppost?’ The girl the singer loves has moved on, maybe with someone else. Tell me, wouldn’t that be the last thing you’d want to hear if you were out here fighting?”
Imagine this scenario: you’re dead, and some random idiot who didn’t even fight has stolen your girl. Just thinking about it makes me want to rip my eyes out and puke. No doubt any soldier hearing that is fantasizing about twisting their commander’s head off right about now.
And worst of all, this isn’t some random song—it’s a popular one from Dedolant itself. Mixed with the memories of New Year celebrations they should have spent with their families…
What are the surrounded Dedolant soldiers thinking about right now? I can only imagine.
“…This is the situation we’re dealing with. I doubt they’ll be able to keep fighting much longer.”
The Princess sighed softly. She seemed to understand the implications.
Looking out at the Imperial Army singing and humming that song from all sides… It seems everyone has finally realized what’s truly important—survival.
And when they do, their path will already be decided.
“But, Kael,” the Princess interjected, “while the soldiers may feel this way, the commanders don’t necessarily have to share the same mindset, do they?”
“Your Highness is correct. That’s why we’ve gathered as much intelligence as possible regarding their commander. Turns out he’s the kind who actually cares about his troops.”
“Then perhaps Kael’s plan stands a good chance.”
“However, there’s also someone among them who’s too blinded by the so-called ‘glory of the Deo people.'”
At this, the Princess frowned. “So what exactly is going to happen?”
The commander is compassionate, but those around him seem totally unwilling to surrender.
My straightforward answer? “It’s actually better this way.”
“If they fragment themselves, that’s ideal, isn’t it, Your Highness Princess?”
“Don’t tell me…you weren’t even aiming for them to surrender outright in the first place…?”
“Exactly. We wanted them to split into those who can be accepted and those who cannot.”
Because sometimes, you get people who surrender, but then cause trouble later.
We’ve seen it before. Some of the Dedolant prisoners we’ve taken have been troublemakers. Going on about maintaining Deo pride, or dishing out punishments in the prison camp as if they’re still on their own military base.
What do we do with those kinds? Simple—we have the soldiers give them a gentle reminder with a good ol’ whack of a baton.
In this world, there are no bad people, just people who haven’t been hit enough.
And after a few good hits, they tend to see the light. That’s the approach we’ve taken.
Anyway, witnessing this behavior has only made me more interested in the prisoner situation. If a prisoner can be of use to the Empire, fine. But feeding tax dollars to someone who shows no intention of cooperating? Too expensive.
“I only think and decide for the Empire’s sake. To me, prisoners who won’t cooperate and only consume our supplies are entirely worthless.”
“Harsh.”
“If you’re disappointed…”
“No, Kael. That’s why you’re so extraordinary. All you think about is your family, your house, and the Empire that protects them.”
“That’s right, Your Highness. That’s the only reason I’m still here.”
Though lately, I’ve been incorporating a little bit of self-interest into the mix, thanks to your advice.
“Alright, with that said, how about we move on to the climax of this little drama?”
“You’re going somewhere?”
“To the frontlines. I’ll approach their commander and propose a 72-hour ceasefire, so they can properly celebrate the New Year.”
“Wait, what?”
Before I could finish my sentence, I found myself abruptly pitched forward. What was going on?
When I regained my senses, there she was—Her Highness the Princess herself, her face inches from mine.
And then, I realized her hands were gripping the front of my shirt.
“Princess, Your Highness?”
“Say that again. Where are you going?”
“To, uh…I’m going to the frontlines to negotiate directly with the Dedolant rear commander…”
Her grip tightened. Suddenly, the already-small distance between us shrank even further.
Now I could feel her every breath.
“Do you remember what I said last time?”
“Uh…that…”
“Remind me.”
“Y-you said I’m important now and should start watching my back.”
“Good, you remember. I was worried you’d forgotten.”
And yet here you are, planning to march yourself straight into danger?
“And you’re still thinking about going yourself? You’re going to the frontlines to negotiate with their general?”
“Only I can convince them.”
“Send delegates instead. For all we know, they might try some dirty tricks!”
“Your Highness, the Emperor Himself sent along an escort when I visited both Ross Tannika and Dugal. Surely that should suffice?”
I could sense my words would only provoke her further.
“Look, Your Highness, I must go this time. It’ll reduce their suspicion and allow us to show the full majesty of the Empire.”
“I understand that part, but why?”
“The Dedolant prince fled, leaving his troops behind. If I, as the Empire’s Chief of Staff, show up in front of his men, won’t they realize how much of a coward he really is?”
Of course, they’ll think: “Our prince was a complete wuss.”
No matter how great a reputation someone has, when they’ve abandoned their troops, that’s all that matters.
We have to strip away their pride and self-righteousness completely. Only then will they surrender fully and sincerely bow their heads.
We’ve already had one lifetime of dealing with idiots lighting fires after surrendering. That’s enough for me.
“Kael, I can never figure out what goes on in your head.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, Your Highness.”
“Of course, it is. Have you ever seen me insult you?”
“Ah, my apologies!”
“Hmph. Alright, I’ve understood. Let’s go.”
“Go? Wait, the command post…”
“Together. Your reasoning makes sense. It’s better if I come along too—for sincerity and also to demonstrate the difference between monarchy and imperial royalty.”
And she’s absolutely right. There’s no way I can refuse.
She gave me a sideways glance, continuing, “You’re scared of something, aren’t you? Worried about the ‘what ifs’ and ‘just in case’ scenarios? Afraid it could be dangerous?”
And with that, her decision was final.
We’re now heading together to negotiate directly with the Dedolant rear commander.
“And one more thing, Kael. There’s something I want to ask.”
“Go ahead, Your Highness.”
“You mentioned earlier that your mind only holds your family, your house, and the Empire that shelters them. Right?”
“Yes.”
“So…could there be room for me too?”
Without realizing, I stopped in my tracks and looked straight at her. She, unlike her usual teasing demeanor, met my gaze directly.
This wasn’t a joke. She was asking seriously.
“…If you were to be part of my family, Your Highness, wouldn’t that naturally allow it?”
“Perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
—
And there you have it—another bizarre moment of clarity with a touch of melodrama.
