Chapter 5: Now That Things Have Come To This, I'm Going To The Capital (2)

Suddenly, out of nowhere, an impromptu rebel army, no, the Northern Revolutionary Army, was formed.

Let's review the state of this army, with me at its head.

First, we're still well-supplied. Since this area is so remote, we receive large shipments when we are resupplied.

The last resupply was a month ago, so we don't have to worry about starving for the next two months or so.

Internal unity?

At least among the high-ranking officers, there shouldn't be a problem.

Most of the Northern Army has been fighting desperately here since they were newly commissioned second lieutenants.

Since the war broke out, they haven't been able to transfer or change their assignments, they've been stuck in the same unit.

After sharing life and death for years, their sense of camaraderie is incredible. They often consider each other as sworn brothers.

Therefore, we can safely assume there's no possibility of betrayal, desertion, or internal discontent.

It's the perfect condition for those about to rebel against the government.... but there was still one obstacle remaining. The Private Soldiers.

"Why are the Private Soldiers a problem?"

"They don't even know what we're thinking yet. And the commoners are unexpectedly obedient."

It would be different in the 21st century, but this is a medieval fantasy world. Although there are anachronistic things like plumbing and electric lights, the overall level is around the early modern era.

In other words, forget higher education, even people who can read and write are rare.

So rare that anyone who can read is automatically promoted to non-commissioned officer upon enlistment.

School? How can poor commoners go to school when they're struggling to survive? They need to be digging the ground and plowing the fields instead.

"They've only ever heard about being loyal to the country and sacrificing their lives for the Royal Family, will they suddenly listen to us if we tell them to rebel?"

"Ah."

Most of the soldiers, who are uneducated commoners, go to church every weekend.

To attend Sunday Mass and pray.

Since childhood, they've been taught that believing in the Church of the Goddess, the state religion of The Kingdom, is common sense, so even the laziest of them rarely miss Mass.

So what do the Priests and Nuns teach when they go to church?

Brainwashing education to obey the Goddess and her representative, the Royal Family, of course. Using pleasantries and sermons as a guise to cultivate loyalty to the state and the church.

They've been absorbing such teachings since they were kids, so if you suddenly tell them to rebel against the Royal Family, almost none of them will understand.

"So persuasion and agitation comes first. We need to unite the Northern Army, regardless of officers and Private Soldiers."

They would understand and accept it if they heard the whole story, but we can't tell them later as an afterthought.

The persuasion effect would diminish, and there would be those who wouldn't believe it.

The first priority is to publicly reveal everything to induce everyone's agreement and boost morale.

The most effective means to achieve this is.... a speech, wouldn't you say?

"I told you to gather everyone at the parade ground after lunch, did you do it?"

"Yes, Lieutenant General. They've been waiting for 10 minutes."

"Good job. Tell them I'll be there after changing my clothes."

So, as soon as the officers reached an agreement, I ordered everyone to be assembled in one place.

Some are absent because they're on guard duty at the Front Line, but that's unavoidable. Currently, everyone who can be assembled within the army has been gathered.

'Calm down, it's no different from the usual lectures I give to the boys. It's just that the topic is a bit heavier.'

After calming myself down by looking in the mirror one last time,

I took a deep breath and headed towards the parade ground podium.

"Deputy Commander entering!"

At the adjutant's loud announcement, the soldiers all looked at me at once.

Over 70,000 pairs of eyes, filled with faith, curiosity, worry, and all sorts of other emotions, are directed towards me.

Struggling not to be overwhelmed by that pressure, I hardened my expression and slowly opened my mouth.

"It's been a while, my men."

My voice, amplified by Amplification Magic, reached everyone in the Northern Army. My fear, my anger.

Instead of revealing them, I continued the speech in a dignified and trustworthy manner, like a commander.

"You've probably heard at least once that we're planning to abandon the Northern Region and Retreat to the rear. Your commanding officers might have told you directly."

Regardless of how far the news has spread, the fact that we're abandoning the Front Line is still classified information.

In principle, it's information that should only be known to the officers and not yet disclosed to the soldiers.

I reveal it outright. To give the soldiers, mostly from the Great Plains, a sense of despair and helplessness.

"Unfortunately, it's true. We have to abandon this land, which we have bled endlessly to protect, and flee. Away from the Snowfield, to a place with convenient transportation and easy resupply. Yes, even to the Great Plains, the homeland of many of you."

And then I transform that despair and helplessness into anger and hatred through the following revelation of the truth.

"Why? Because we didn't fight well? Because the enemies were too strong? No. We did our best.

You fought more valiantly than anyone else in The Kingdom, and you have displayed valor that will be remembered in history. It's a fact known to everyone in The Kingdom that the Northern Army has steadfastly guarded the Front Line."

"However, that 'everyone' seems to exclude the Monarch Your Majesty and the high-ranking Nobility in the Capital."

An expression that shouldn't be uttered in a public setting.

Since I'm a Deputy Commander, everyone's eyes widened when I said "Nobility." They look at me as if they misheard me.

I'm sorry, but you heard me right. Honestly, even the word "Nobility" is too good for them. Vermin or sons of bitches would be more appropriate.

"A few weeks ago, I received a notice from the Central Region. They said they could no longer send us supplies, so we should withdraw our troops. Without any further explanation of the circumstances, they simply sent a single order to withdraw the troops."

I held up and waved the document I received from the Commander-in-Chief.

"I couldn't accept it, so I looked into it personally. I was curious why we had to stop the supplies that had been steadily sent for 10 years. However, the reason I uncovered through my investigation was truly absurd and unbelievable."

"My men, the Royal Family is asking us to retreat because they don't have money to spend on luxuries, so they're cutting military spending."

--Bang!

I slammed my fist on the podium. To show that I was truly angry.

"Does this make any sense? If it were because the people's livelihoods were suffering, or because the national treasury was depleted by war expenses, I could at least understand. But because of luxury! How can prioritizing the Queen buying jewelry for a banquet over protecting the Front Line and the country be justifiable!!"

I finally shared the truth, which the officers had already heard, with everyone.

I paused briefly instead of continuing immediately.

To give the soldiers time to understand and accept my words.

So they could realize for themselves what it meant that the Royal Family cut off supplies to buy luxury goods.

Maintaining the uncomfortable silence, I brought out the main point of the speech as the atmosphere gradually heated up.

"I've been thinking about it. Whether it's right to stand by and watch this situation. Whether I should stand by while the country goes down the wrong path for the sake of loyalty. And today, I finally came to a conclusion."

"My men! This country, our homeland, is no longer a normal nation. It's a twisted nation where the insane tyranny of sacrificing vast territories and its people for the Queen's fleeting luxury is considered normal! Should we continue to stand by and watch this pathetic sight?!"

""No!!""

The cheers of the plants I had prepared beforehand.

At this, murmurs of discontent began to spread among the soldiers.

Saying things like, should we tolerate this kind of treatment, and that we need to teach the Nobility a lesson.

Even if it's an artificially created atmosphere, the fact that such words are being spoken means that they have a lot of pent-up resentment.

As if adding fuel to the fire, I declared before everyone:

"I can't take it anymore. Let's overturn it! Let's punish the Royal Family and the Nobility who suck the blood of the people to fill their greedy bellies! The time has come for us to collect from them the price for the blood, sweat, and dedication we've offered for generations!!"

"Those who agree with me, shout! There's no need to be afraid. What we have to lose are the chains of slavery, and what we have to gain is freedom and a righteous nation! Soldiers, unite! Take up your weapons and join me in setting our homeland right!!"

"Waaaaaaa!!!"

"Long live the Lieutenant General! We'll follow you to the end!!"

"We are not a rebel army. We are a Revolutionary Army that seeks the Normalization of the country! Let's engulf The Kingdom with the wave of Revolution!"

The parade ground is ablaze with fervor, like a gathering of cultists. Watching the scene, I became certain.

Alright, with this, the Northern Army has finally achieved perfect unity. Now, the soldiers will not hesitate, even as we tear down The Kingdom.

But before that.....

"Wh, what? What nonsense are you talking about? Overthrow The Kingdom? Do you even know what that means?!"

I need to deal with the clueless pest that interrupted.

"We have an uninvited guest. Someone tie him up!"

The Commander-in-Chief, who just woke up now that the sun is high in the sky, is horrified by the situation unfolding before his eyes.

I immediately ordered the arrest of this idiot, the only outlier in the entire Northern Army.

A normal soldier would have some martial arts skills and wouldn't be easily captured.

However, this guy, true to his parachuted nature, was brought to his knees without much resistance. Honestly, incompetence has its limits.

"Ca, Carolus. Why are you doing this, huh? Is this some kind of sick joke? Right?"

"Are you still out of your mind, or are you pretending not to know? It's a Revolution. A Revolution to eliminate vermin like you and rebuild The Kingdom."

This is perfect timing. I needed a symbolic event to unite the Northern Army.

I turned on the Amplification Magic and shouted to the soldiers:

"My men! This fool here has been tormenting us as a stooge of the Royal Family and the Nobility. He demanded reckless Offensives and neglected supplies without knowing anything about the war situation! Is there any soldier who would like to eliminate this sinful man and elevate our cause?"

At first, everyone hesitated at my words. They were probably taken aback by the sudden order to kill the Commander-in-Chief.

However, dozens of soldiers soon stepped forward, as if they saw a good opportunity.

"Lieutenant General! We'll do it."

"Alright. Go ahead and deal with him as you see fit."

The soldiers surrounded the Commander-in-Chief and raised their boots.

"Don't do this, you low-born scum! Do you know how many Connections I have in the Central Region?! With just one letter, I can--"

"Shut up, you son of a bitch! Hans starved to death because of you! My friend of 20 years!!"

"Do you know how much the Lieutenant General suffered taking care of your ass?! Today is your death anniversary, you bastard!!"

They stomp, kick, and crush. They break his bones and gouge out his eyes, regardless of his pleas for mercy.

Under the barrage of violence filled with pure hatred and disgust, his frail body quickly turns into rags, and then into a bloody lump of meat.

And all this happened in front of the entire Northern Army.

This should be etched into everyone's minds.

Having killed the Commander-in-Chief, there's no going back for us.

The only way for everyone to survive is to see this through to the end and achieve victory. Otherwise, everyone dies.

"Well done. Go wash your hands and boots clean."

"Yes! Understood, Lieutenant General!"

After praising the soldiers, I spoke to my subordinates:

"Prepare for departure. We'll leave immediately."

Now is the time for Revolution.