Appoint Paerus as the protector of the Dedolant Kingdom people.
There was an imperial order, and coincidentally, I was thinking along those lines too.
No matter how ordinary these people may be, they are still Dedolant people in the end.
How they view our empire and, conversely, how our Imperial Army views them…
Since they were enemies, their gazes couldn’t have been friendly, nor could goodwill easily exist.
In times like this, a great source of trust is shared nationality.
Moreover, among our Imperial Army, there are surrendered Dedolant troops and officers of command rank.
“…The Emperor has given me such a task, you say?”
“You can refuse. If you do, we’ll assign it to someone else.”
“No, Chief of Staff. I shall take it on. I want to. In fact, if someone else was assigned, I’d be asking them to pass it to me.”
Paerus immediately rushed to the temporary holding area for the Dedolant kingdom people.
Though no separate instruction was given, he’ll handle it well; he’s a man of principle and wisdom.
He surely knows this is the Empire testing not just him, but also Dedolant.
Will they ultimately prove trustable to bring into our fold, or will they need to all be excluded for the future?
‘Even if we decide and act under the banner of a merciful Empire, if they reject us in the end, showing mercy becomes irrelevant from that moment on.’
So, Mr. Paerus, keep it up. The future of Dedolant rests in your hands.
Shouldn’t we clear out the command structure and ruling elites, but leave the common Dedolant people be?
If they can’t accept the Empire’s order this time, who knows what could happen next?
For now, that’s settled. Next, we need to handle matters on the Imperial side.
A sudden influx of a massive number of Dedolant kingdom people has entered our army camp.
Even if they don’t cause any harm, will our soldiers readily accept this?
“Chief of Staff, all Legion Commanders and the command staff of Novgorod and the Eastern Union have assembled.”
After receiving the report from the aide, I promptly moved to the main conference hall of the General Staff.
“Chief of Staff is entering.”
Already informed, the Imperial Legion Commanders, Charlotte of Novgorod and the army commander, as well as the former eastern Bethel commander all gathered.
“Please take your seats.”
After整顿 the room, I began explaining the reason for their assembly.
“As you all know, this war will end soon. No matter what tactic they try, the enemy’s leadership can’t hold out forever.”
Perhaps because these were the words of the Chief of Staff, the commanders’ eyes glimmered intensely with the sight of the war’s end in sight.
“But ending the war doesn’t mean everything ends. There are obligations to fulfill, and we must settle accounts for the losses caused by this war. It could either be compensation, or for some, it might be the judgment they face upon returning home.”
Soldiers may not understand, but commanders must bear responsibility. It’s the price paid by those blinded by martial glory and the punishment for devaluing soldiers’ lives.
Of course, if there were such reckless minds here, they wouldn’t have been allowed. I would’ve removed them long ago if they showed any signs.
“Remember this: we must never act as invaders. Though we may bear some responsibility for this war, we mustn’t shoulder all the infamy alone.”
I believe everyone roughly understands what I’m trying to say here. In any war winding down, a war we’re destined to win absolutely, we must avoid unnecessary messes. Absolutely no acts will be tolerated that could destroy local sentiment or our righteous cause.
“The Benito situation has been largely resolved. I will deploy all forces from the Imperial Fourth Legion and Reserve Forces to attack Dedolant’s southern regions. We’ll also resume our offensive accordingly; the Sixth Legion and Thirteenth Legion should coordinate with the Fourth Legion to ensure a smooth advance.”
“Yes, Chief of Staff.”
“What’s the situation in Artria? Charlotte?”
“Our Novgorod forces and the Second and Eighth Imperial Legion have almost taken control of the entire area. The remaining regions are Artria’s far west and the areas bordering Dedolant’s kingdom.”
“Since they can’t counterattack anyway, leave behind only defensive forces and proceed to invade Dedolant’s borders.”
From the north and south, nearly 100,000 troops each are advancing and descending upon Dedolant.
If they can withstand it, let them try, but they’ll only end up suffocating under the waves.
“Commander of the First Legion.”
“Yes, Chief of Staff!”
“What’s at the forefront of our central battlefield?”
“Regardless of the enemy or obstacles, we can break through anything.”
“An excellent answer. Proceed to attack the regions near Dedolant’s capital. However, ensure minimal harm to the Dedolant common people.”
Already 300,000 troops have galloped from the Empire’s western borders to this point.
Combined, half a million troops are now speeding to cut off Dedolant’s breath.
“Our enemies are inviting us to d*e with them. They say if one of them dies, we must also d*e. While this may be a rule of war, I have no intention of playing along.”
“There will be no more battles for the glory of the battlefield. From now on, this war will be fought to return more soldiers home. To accomplish that, we will not discriminate in the means and methods used; please ensure all commanding officers understand this clearly.”
Unlike my previous life, this war has a more optimistic atmosphere. Especially among the higher-ups, many see this as a way to advance further within the Empire.
But I have directly countered all of that, prioritizing the future over personal glory.
“We have clearly understood the Chief of Staff’s words. To ensure this war decisively concludes as an Empire victory and so that all soldiers may stand victoriously, we’ll do our utmost.”
Representing all the commanders, First Legion Commander thumped his chest in confirmation.
“Novgorod is equally committed. Chief of Staff, we’ve already achieved countless feats. Greed leads to disaster, they say. Demon Race may be reckless, but we are not mindless.”
“The Eastern Union will also follow the Chief of Staff’s will. Frankly, we’ve traveled from one end of our homeland to the other. Returning home is our ultimate goal. Hahaha.”
Charlotte Commander and Bethel Commander both positively responded to the modification of future strategies.
Thank goodness. I was already preparing to refute any rebellion.
“Uh… Chief of Staff.”
Until now quietly listening, the commander of the Southern Sixth Legion cautiously raised his hand.
He’s the man who helped demolish the Benito army with me before.
“Even if we can win over the hearts of the Dedolant kingdom people or conscripts, Dedolant command and their elite subordinates still show unwavering resistance. Since they guard the capital, this won’t be an easy battle. Isn’t there a strategy for this?”
It’s a reasonable point. Others also nod in agreement.
If this hadn’t been raised, we probably would have had to discuss it later.
“Worry not about the capital battle. Just clean up the surrounding areas and solidly receive those who wish to surrender to the Empire.”
“Chief of Staff?”
“Not considering the capital battle? Wasn’t the key issue about how to capture Dedolant’s capital?”
That was true at first. Yeah, at first. But things are different now.
Do we really need to capture the capital? What’s the point of winning such a cursed place?
In the first place, we plan to erase Dedolant altogether, so keeping it serves no purpose.
Moreover, the royal line has already been severed. What use is the capital now?
“Our Imperial Army strategy values Dedolant’s capital less than a minor defense post. Why sacrifice greatly for something that serves no purpose?”
“So, we’ll surround the capital and instead focus on collapsing other areas first?”
Surrounding and collapsing elsewhere isn’t bad.
But our Empire isn’t just heating up, it’s blazing.
After all, we bear the stigma of ‘assassinating’ Dedolant’s king. That’s why, right?
We assassinated them? In a war we’ve already won, why would we do such a thing?
“You all can look forward to something extraordinary soon. You’ll witness a spectacular fireworks display.”
It might even be the Empire’s ultimate extravagance.
*
[The capital of Dedolant is impregnable! The spirits of the Deo protect this place!]
[We’ll lose a hundred men with every step the Empire takes into this place!]
[Remember the glory of the Deo! Victory belongs to those who fight!]
Almost all supplies from Dedolant and Dugal have been stockpiled in the capital.
These have been neatly stacked to form an enormous fortress.
We’ve filled it with highly loyal personnel to prevent traitors from sneaking in.
With our elite troops fully deployed, the Empire will soon realize this is a battle unlike any they’ve faced before.
“The defense positions and castles keep falling one by one. We’re getting closer to the capital.”
“If the enemy’s massive siege weapons appear, target them first! If necessary, send a special forces unit to burn them all down!”
“We must create an assassination squad too. Since they’ve assassinated our king, let’s assassinate the Empire’s leadership!”
The last flames of madness show no signs of subsiding.
It will continue to burn until someone forcibly extinguishes it, consuming everything around it.
The Dedolant command thinks similarly, daring anyone to try putting out this fire.
Even if you can extinguish it, your limbs will be burned to ash, they claim.
Meanwhile, the one thing they don’t know is that the other side has no intention of putting out the flames at all.
