This isn’t right. Yeah, that’s it. No matter how I think about it, this really isn’t right!
Didn’t we do something similar to this before? Absolutely not! It’s nothing like that at all!
When a meteor fell and the morale of the troops hit rock bottom…
That situation was different. That time when we used kites to boost morale—that was a different case.
Back then, it was purely a psychological setback.
Meaning, if we just patch up the psychological part, a complete turnaround is entirely possible.
There was no loss of supplies, and no casualties either!
“Kaya, can you give us a moment please?”
“Suddenly why?”
“There’s something urgent I need to discuss with Chief here. Please?”
Kaya would undoubtedly take my side if she stayed.
So, I decided to have my little sister wait outside the office for just a bit.
Turns out someone wanted to have a quick chat with Kaya anyway, so I suggested she go ahead.
“Director. War Planning Director.”
Once Kaya left with the man, I continued in the most serious and solemn tone possible.
“No matter how I think about it, this just isn’t the right job for me.”
“And why is that?”
“Handling troop recovery is the job of a commander. Someone who knows absolutely nothing about the military like me will be more of a hindrance than a help.”
I presented my counter-argument quite logically.
But my efforts crumbled with just a simple response.
“You don’t have to worry about that. You’re not the main recovery subject. We simply want you to provide smart suggestions and witty insights alongside the responsible officer.”
Just like we did during the standoff with Nobogorod and the Pavillon campaign.
Heaving a sigh, I pressed my palm to my forehead upon hearing the Director’s last words.
Of course, that’s why things ended up like this.
To be fair, the situations fit like a glove.
But come to think of it, the success in both the Nobogorod standoff and the Pavillon campaign… in the end, it was all sheer luck.
If not for Lady Luck smiling down on me, I’d have been marked the scapegoat for sure.
“On the contrary, I think you’re being too humble, my friend.”
No, Director, this isn’t humility. This is reality! The extra pressure on someone who knows just a little bit about the matter is absolutely immense!
“Even during the Pavillon Campaign, a lot of people thought it would be quite challenging. In truth, our War Planning Department was also closely monitoring the situation there.”
“…”
“But then you stepped up, and before anyone knew it, the situation completely changed. The coalition crumbled into chaos and started fighting among themselves, didn’t it?”
“That… yes, that did happen.”
Seems like reasoning with him this way isn’t going to cut it. Time to change tactics.
“Anyway, isn’t the second wave of military forces set to depart soon?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then why all the fuss about the 7th Legion’s recovery? Wouldn’t it be better to pull them back and focus on the second wave?”
My question got a muttered response from the Director, “That’s not feasible, and that’s why it’s a problem.”
He took out a cigarette from his pocket, brought it to his lips, then put it back upon seeing my look.
Judging by that, there’s something I don’t know.
“Shuffling units around is a simple military matter. However, this is more than that.”
“You mean there’s a political angle too?”
“Precisely. Imagine this: we send one of our elite legions, the 7th Legion, and after just one battle, they retreat to the rear. Just think how uneasy the Empire’s citizens, who had such high hopes for victory, would become.”
“…”
“Plus, this might also embolden the Pro-Empire faction, who have been keeping their heads down due to the recent trilateral alliance issues. That could cause chaos internally.”
So, in other words, they’re trying to cover up the incident as if nothing happened.
Although I admit, if I think about it, it’s not entirely unreasonable.
Given that context, pulling the 7th Legion back really would give the 3-nation coalition the upper hand.
In war, momentum is everything. Once you’re swept away, it’s hard to regain your footing.
And in the worst-case scenario, the hard-won Pavillon area might even suffer consequences.
“Therefore, the 7th Legion needs to recover and re-engage in battle.”
“Shortages in manpower and supplies will be covered by the second wave.”
“That part will be handled by the commanders, as you said. The key question now is how to stabilize the 7th Legion’s morale.”
Hearing that, I finally understood why I was selected.
Even the commander of the 12th Legion must see me as the perfect candidate.
It’s like slathering honey all over your body and then standing in front of a beehive.
“Phew.”
“I understand your concerns, but as I said, you just need to help stabilize things. After that, the Legion commanders, the leaders, and the Imperial hierarchy will make the decisions.”
Yes, that’s exactly what worries me. I have this feeling I’d be asked to do more.
You know how it goes: you stabilize things diligently, and then comes the, “Oh, could you also handle this while you’re at it?”
“So, I just need to go there and stabilize things, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Really?”
“For now.”
Ah, I see. “For now” means exactly that, huh?
Much appreciated for the honest answer. That sure takes a load off my mind. Haha!
“Unfortunately, the 7th Legion could have handled things better if they’d moved slower.”
“Director, that’s beyond my control.”
“What do you mean?”
I’ve already calculated the possibilities based on my planned strategy.
We don’t necessarily need an outright win in the Pavillon campaign. After all, I’ve already planted enough seeds of doubt, so it’s only a matter of time before it all blows up.
But things are different with the 7th Legion’s area. In that region, there’s almost no Porland army.
The primary force is Burkhai, with Caden as support. These two kingdoms’ armies are the core.
If we just maintain a standoff with them, they’ll be busy trying to sort out their internal chaos.
That chaos boils down to two possible scenarios. Either they eventually uncover the truth about Porland through time…
Or the two kingdoms decide to split Porland’s assets first and then use their combined strength to fight the Empire.
In any case, we need to keep the strongest of the three eastern kingdoms, Burkhai, in our grip.
By keeping Burkhai engaged in battle against us while verbally provoking Porland, we can ultimately drive Porland to break away from the alliance.
“Do you think there’s some kind of plot involved in the 7th Legion’s situation?”
“That’s not it. They were just outdone in raw momentum.”
“Since issues arose in the Pavillon campaign, the alliance must’ve been panicking quite a bit. They must’ve fought fiercely against the 7th Legion to push them back.”
In short, the 7th Legion had reasons to fight.
They were not careless or executing worthless attacks.
The problem was the enemy’s resistance exceeded all expectations.
“And judging from this, it seems the alliance itself took significant damage.”
“That’s what they’re saying. Hence, even though the 7th Legion lost, the enemy couldn’t pursue them.”
In simple terms, they all went down in an all-out fight.
This is a “lucky mishap.” If the enemy had retaliated, the Pavillon campaign would’ve been in jeopardy.
“Things seem quite intertwined on several levels.”
“That’s true.”
Today, that famous quote comes to mind: Tactics are subordinate to strategy, and strategy is subordinate to politics.
“Director, is there anything specific we should be cautious about in this recovery process?”
“There’s nothing specific. On the contrary, the higher-ups seem to want the 7th Legion’s morale to be restored by any means necessary.”
“By any means necessary, you say.”
I repeated those words in my mind a few times.
“Director, is it really okay to use any means necessary?”
“Absolutely. Any means whatsoever. Do you have any bright ideas?”
I’m unsure if it’s a good idea, but a scenario just popped into my head.
“Director.”
“I’m listening.”
“Could we use a certain high-ranking individual as well?”
As I conveyed my idea to the Director, Eugene’s face twisted in sheer bewilderment.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, you said any means were allowed.”
“Well… this is… d*mn, this isn’t something that ends with me.”
Muttering to himself, the Director scratched his head and told me to wait a moment.
When I asked where he was going, he simply replied, “Obviously, I need to check with the Minister as this isn’t just a military matter but a palace issue.”
*
2nd Princess, Isabel Heldenberg. Currently, she’s stationed in the eastern part of the Empire.
War has erupted between the Empire and the three eastern kingdoms.
They declared war first, and the Empire responded in kind.
Prior to that, through the Pro-Empire faction, the Empire had even extended gestures of peace.
Thus, this war cannot be blamed on the Empire.
In fact, it’s more accurate to say the Empire is merely responding to their aggression.
But that’s aside. Ultimately, war has broken out, which means people will d*e, and others will be injured.
It’s necessary to monitor and calm public sentiment ahead of time, and that’s exactly what Isabel volunteered for in coming here to the East.
“…The 7th Legion lost?”
The shock upon hearing that news is indescribable.
While it wasn’t a complete rout, Burkhai also suffered substantial damage.
But since the Empire’s army retreated, it qualifies as a defeat.
As news spread, an atmosphere of unease settled over the eastern part of the Empire.
Though chaos hasn’t fully erupted yet, the shock is undeniable.
“Fortunately…”
Yes, it’s fortuitous. Fortunately, she’s here—Her Royal Highness.
She will quickly soothe public sentiment and rein in the local nobility.
The Emperor must’ve expected this role from her when allowing her to come here.
For her father, for her sister, and for this Empire.
That’s how Isabel spent day after day, traveling from place to place handling her schedule, until one day…
“Your Highness.”
That all changed when Kael abruptly arrived.
“Let’s take on a task together.”
