Chapter 11: Operation Downfall (1)

Having inflicted significant losses while sustaining far fewer ourselves, we, the Revolutionary Army, achieved a great victory.

After capturing all remaining Suppression Army troops as prisoners, we immediately began looting.

"Hey, this bastard wore a gold necklace to the battlefield?"

"Look at this scabbard. It's practically a work of art, just missing the jewels."

"There's plenty of spoils of war, so everyone take what you need! Don't fight amongst yourselves out of greed!"

We took anything of value, regardless of whether it belonged to corpses or prisoners. Armor, equipment, personal belongings, everything.

I had a hunch when they showed up with matching uniforms and boots, but these guys were all incredibly wealthy. Even the lowliest privates had wallets stuffed with cash.

Meanwhile, we couldn't even manage uniform clothing and had to make do with patching up what little we had. Such extravagant bastards.

Well, thanks to them, all our soldiers were able to get their hands on a hefty share. Burp.

"Lieutenant General, the Commander of the Capital Defense Force has protested, saying this is no different from theft."

"Ignore him. Even if we were robbing them blind, are they in any position to resist? They should be grateful we spared their lives."

If we were fighting a regular enemy like the Imperial Army, we wouldn't be doing this. We'd confiscate their weapons at most. No matter how brutal war is, there are still minimal rules to be observed between both sides.

But these bastards are the Suppression Army. An army dispatched to treat us as rebels and slaughter us all.

They came here with the premise of not just fighting to win, but fighting to kill everyone.

So why should we bother following the rules of war? They were the ones who declared they'd ignore the rules in the first place.

"Have we collected all the armor?"

"We've gathered everything except for the completely destroyed ones. There are roughly 16,000 matching sets."

"Prioritize the Grenadier units first, and then distribute the rest to the Spearman units within each Division. Distribute the quantities fairly to avoid any complaints. Combine the mismatched pieces and distribute those as well."

"Yes, sir!"

Anyway. The most valuable spoils of war gained from this victory were two things.

The first was Grand Duke Alexander's head, and the second was the armor worn by the Capital Defense Force.

While not as ornate as the Royal Guard's, it’s enchanted with protective Magic, making its defensive capabilities top-notch. It can even block bullets at a certain distance.

I had the opportunity to wear it when I visited the Capital for a Medal ceremony, and it felt incredibly sturdy.

So, I decided to collect it all and distribute it evenly among the soldiers. If the soldiers on the front lines are well-equipped, their chances of getting injured will decrease.

However, priority was given to the recently joined 39th Grenadier Regiment. They are comprised of people from my hometown who resonated with the cause of overthrowing the corrupt ruling class.

As a unit entrusted with the dangerous task of handling Hand Grenades, they needed to be well-equipped. Hand Grenades in this era are closer to lit lumps of gunpowder than the portable bombs of the future.

Grenadiers are already an elite unit, and if their defensive gear is inadequate, their casualty rate will skyrocket.

'I'd love to take those nice Uniforms too, but… it'll make it too hard to distinguish friend from foe, so I'll have to give up on that.'

Unfortunately, I had to leave the Capital Defense Force’s uniquely decorated Uniforms as they were.

Even now, in the midst of this Civil War, we're barely managing to distinguish friend from foe with a few markers on our clothing. If we start swapping Uniforms, it'll be chaos.

Once we seize the Capital, let's get some brand new Uniforms made exclusively for the Revolutionary Army.

"Baden, is the interrogation of the high-ranking officers complete?"

I returned to the barracks, leaving the soldiers to their own devices, and received a report from Major General Baden.

"Yes. Lieutenant Colonel Kaisel diligently applied his special skills. After a few hours of 'discipline,' they spilled everything they knew, and even things they didn't."

"And the information you obtained?"

Those who comprised the Suppression Army Command Center along with Grand Duke Alexander were all sent to the interrogation room for questioning.

It seemed the results came quickly after I authorized intensive torture.

"Apparently, there isn't even a single Division's worth of troops in the Royal Capital of Lahator. They claim they brought everyone they had and got completely wiped out."

"For a hastily assembled army, I thought it was a large number, but they really scraped together everything they had and brought it here...."

I couldn't help but be taken aback by the revelation that the Royal Family had staked their most elite forces all at once.

I had developed my strategy anticipating this kind of flow, but things were going better than expected. I never imagined the Grand Duke would be this incompetent.

"Did they not request Reinforcements or declare a state of emergency mobilization?"

"It seems they issued mobilization orders to nearby units before departing. But there was no mention of a general mobilization order. Should I double-check?"

"No, it's fine. They probably thought they could handle the situation with the troops they currently had."

After organizing the acquired information in my head, I unfolded the map. A military map detailing the names, sizes, and locations of units stationed throughout the country as of two months ago.

According to this, there were a total of four units within a few days' march of the Capital. If the timeframe is extended to two weeks, there are six.

"It'll be troublesome if these all gather...."

Before the war, there were twice as many. Since there was no need to send troops to the Front Line, the military was dispersed throughout the rear.

However, even with the main force stationed at the front, there were still enough troops scattered throughout The Kingdom to form a Corps or two.

The one saving grace was that two of these Divisions were units I had stirred up with Propaganda Leaflets.

So, the troops that could potentially become hostile immediately numbered around 45,000 in total. 10,000 in the Capital, and 35,000 either on their way to the Capital or planning to come.

"Wouldn't it be fine to just wipe them all out? With our strength, it's entirely possible, Lieutenant General."

"The possibility isn't the issue. If we crush all our allies, how are we going to manage public sentiment?"

Defeating them wouldn't be difficult. We still have ample supplies.

However, that would bring the number of The Kingdom's troops defeated since we raised the banner of Revolution close to 100,000. What would the people think of us then?

An army that decimates more of its own than the enemy? It would be a miracle if they didn't consider us spies or traitors working for the Empire.

"...No, wait. We don't necessarily have to defeat them. We just need to contain them effectively enough to prevent them from reaching the Capital, right?"

At that moment, a shift in perspective occurred in my mind.

What we needed now was to prevent the units near the Capital from reaching it.

That being the case, a direct confrontation wasn't the only solution.

"To march north from the south towards the Royal Capital, they would have to cross the river, right?"

"Yes. The name was Art...something or other."

"It's the Artlantia River. My family home is located in the lower basin of that river, so I know it well."

Just as Mesopotamian civilization on Earth developed between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers,

The Kingdom arose between the River Tiola in the north and the Artlantia River in the south, gradually expanding its power in all directions to reach its current state.

However, expansion southward was quickly halted by the coastline, which meant most of the southern forces were located south of the river.

This means that if we just destroy a few bridges across the river, they won't be able to reach the Royal Capital.

"Order the 39th Regiment to head south. Tell them to destroy all the bridges between here and here and then return."

"Wouldn't this make overland transport difficult later?"

"It's better than fellow countrymen shedding each other's blood. We can always rebuild the bridges later."

I immediately wrote the order and had it delivered to the messenger outside. This effectively sealed off around 20,000 troops.

Then, all that remained were one Division and two Regiments approaching from the east and west respectively.

"If it's just this scale...it won't be a problem even if they come."

I decided to leave them alone until they approached.

If it's less than two Divisions worth of troops, we can detach a portion of our forces to counter them.

Even if we have to deal with the forces inside the Capital and them simultaneously, the capture of the Capital is still entirely feasible. The Revolutionary Army has more than enough capability for that.

"Baden, instruct the soldiers to get sufficient rest. We depart for the Capital again in two days."

The journey to overthrow the incompetent King and the greedy Nobility of the Central Region was nearing its end.

* * * * *

One week later.

The Revolutionary Army, accompanied by numerous prisoners and mountains of spoils of war, finally arrived at the Royal Capital of Lahator.

"General. It's finally coming into view. The walls surrounding the Capital."

The first thing to greet us was a wall of remarkably unique design.

An ancient relic and fortress, with legends claiming it was built by angels sent by the Goddess.

Whether that's true or not, its defenses currently seemed lax. Empty watchtowers and artillery emplacements were visible everywhere.

"Shall we prepare for a siege?"

"No. We wait for now. We should at least offer them a chance to surrender, out of courtesy."

Accompanied by four Cavalry, I approached the walls, our proud flag of the former Northern Army, now the Revolutionary Army, fluttering in the wind. As I drew closer, the panicked sentries began to scurry about in confusion.

"Listen, soldiers of The Kingdom! I am Lieutenant General Karlos von Roitel, Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army!!"

I paused for a moment, then raised the salt-cured head of Grand Duke Alexander high and shouted.

"The Suppression Army you sent has been utterly annihilated, their souls scattered across the desolate plains! Their Commander has fallen, leaving only this head behind!!"

"Therefore, if you don't wish to suffer the same fate, surrender at once! Cease your foolish resistance and open the gates! I swear on my honor that if you do so, no blood will be shed. No harm will come to the civilians!"

Naturally, there was no response. The tightly shut gates showed no sign of opening.

So I calmly returned to headquarters and summoned the officers for tactical instructions.

"It seems they intend to fight to the bitter end. Prepare for a siege. Set up camp and deploy a Regiment near each gate."

"After the siege, shall we construct siege weapons?"

"No. We will capture the Capital without bloodshed."

There's no reason to waste gunpowder and blood by throwing ourselves at a fortress with obviously formidable defenses. It's inefficient.

Why do that when there's a more effective and powerful tactic available?

"Blockade all routes leading to the Capital. Don't let even a single rat through."

Cities fundamentally consume resources rather than produce them. Moreover, with a population of several hundred thousand residing in the Royal Capital of The Kingdom, the rate of consumption must be immense.

Could they really endure a prolonged blockade? I highly doubted it.

"Let's call this operation...Downfall."

Just like how the US tried to starve the Japanese Empire to death, let's see you wither away.