Chapter 9: Difference in Caliber (1)

[The right to rule is a divine right bestowed by the Goddess. It is only natural for the subjects of The Kingdom to obey and follow this.]

This was the firm belief of Grand Duke Alexander, the cousin of the current Monarch, Charles VII.

Born into the noble Royalty and having lived a life of service and respect, the social hierarchy was a natural thing to him.

He considered the privileges and authority exclusive to Royalty as inherent rights, and the act of refusing them was something that should never happen.

Having always been special since birth, he knew nothing of the heavy tax burdens or the harms of forced conscription that commoners experienced. Even if he did, he wouldn't have perceived them as problems.

In his eyes, it was a perfectly natural duty for the lowly commoners to sacrifice and dedicate everything for the Royal Family.

Having lived his entire life like this, and intending to continue living this way, it was an inevitable consequence for the Grand Duke to fly into a rage when he heard the news of the Revolution.

"These damn bastards! Even if I tear them apart a thousand times and throw them to the dogs, it wouldn't be enough!! How dare they betray Your Majesty's grace and rebel?! And those who bear the noble duty of defending the Northern Region, no less!!"

A military council was held as soon as the news of the Northern Army's rebellion reached the Capital.

In the conference room, where key generals and high-ranking Nobility were gathered, Grand Duke Alexander unleashed his unreserved fury. Without any regard for courtesy or etiquette towards others.

Just as befitted his status, which allowed him to be arrogant from birth, he simply expressed his emotions as he pleased and went on a rampage.

"We must punish these scoundrels immediately. We must crush them completely to restore law and order to The Kingdom!!"

"....Calm yourself, Your Excellency. We are already planning the formation of a Suppression Force."

A general, finally unable to bear the sight of him throwing expensive writing instruments and smashing the desk, spoke up.

"We plan to issue a mobilization order, primarily for the reserve units in the rear. If we combine them with the troops stationed in the Capital, we will easily overwhelm the Revolutionary Army, so please be patient."

The current troops stationed inside and outside the Capital number approximately 50,000. Including 10,000 Royal Guard, 30,000 Capital Defense Force, and 10,000 others.

If we gather the units that were not deployed in the battle with the Empire and are nearby, we can organize an army of at least 80,000 within three weeks.

The Revolutionary Army is said to be only around 40,000, so it's almost double.

The basic principle of military tactics is to deploy more troops than the enemy and subdue the enemy with minimal casualties.

It made sense to hold out for the time being and switch to a counteroffensive posture as soon as Reinforcements arrived.

That was the best strategy to suppress the rebellion while minimizing troop losses.

"The longer we wait, the more the rebels' supplies will dwindle. The day their momentum breaks will surely come. At that time, striking them all at once--"

"No, no!! With such a cowardly method, we cannot show the majesty of the Royal Family!!"

Unfortunately, however.

Grand Duke Alexander was far removed from such military rationality.

"The Kingdom must not show itself struggling against the rebels! At a time when we should be demonstrating the greatness and strength of the Royal Family to the subjects, a war of attrition? Absolutely not!"

It was meaningless to argue about what was militarily advantageous.

This was a suppression of a rebellion. It absolutely must not be prolonged, and maintaining the face of the Royal Family and the army was the most important value.

In his eyes, a glorious victory took precedence over minimizing casualties or ensuring a safe battle.

Only then could they suppress the public sentiment weary from the long war and elevate the Monarch's authority.

"I will go myself. I will show them the power of the Royal Family with the Royal Guard."

"It's dangerous, Your Excellency. The rebels must be making their own plans and marching towards the Royal Capital. If you rush out to intercept them, you could suffer heavy casualties."

Up to this point, it would have been a somewhat understandable logic.

Cases where political interests are prioritized over practical issues are common.

At least it would have been possible to convince those participating in the military council of the justification for the policy.

But the real problem with Grand Duke Alexander started from here.

"Ha! What threat do those rabble who have been stuck in the snowfields of The Northlands pose? They are mere insects who will collapse on their own if I swing my sword a few times!"

For someone who has enjoyed the extraordinary as everyday life, common sense and proper reasoning were fatally lacking. Instead, arrogance, self-righteousness, and endless conceit filled that void.

The Grand Duke regarded this situation as an expanded version of the peasant rebellions that had occurred several times in the past.

He assumed that it was essentially the same, just that the main actors had changed from peasants to soldiers.

He seemed to have a fair amount of combat experience, but so what? In front of the bullets and blades of the Royal Guard, the Kingdom's elite army, they would all be just small fry. If they clashed head-on, it was certain that this side would win.

The Grand Duke truly believed this without a doubt. He had always been victorious, and this time would be no different.

And.

'I must personally defeat them to take all the credit. I should aim for the position of Minister of Finance or Minister of Foreign Affairs, beyond the Commander of the Royal Guard, with this opportunity.'

He was greedy for power. This was the reason he was forcing his biased opinion and demanding a swift decisive battle.

Only by fighting and winning according to the strategy he devised could he use this incident to strengthen his political standing.

Therefore, everything other than his own claim was wrong. He wanted it that way, and he had to make it so. This was the real reason for the Grand Duke's insistence.

"I do not deny the strength of the Royal Guard and Your Excellency. However, we need to be cautious."

"Excessive caution only benefits the enemy! Don't you understand that the more cautious you are, the more you increase the enemy's chances of winning?"

"How can the act of grasping the enemy's movements and reinforcing our own forces lead to our disadvantage--"

--Slap!

The general who was arguing against Grand Duke Alexander could not finish his sentence. Because he was suddenly slapped.

"The nonsense goes on and on. I don't have time to waste talking with a fool like you. I will depart the day after tomorrow with the Royal Guard and the Capital Defense Force, so be aware of that!!"

"....Understood. I wish you good luck."

There was no way the discussion could continue when he was being yelled at to accept a predetermined conclusion. Moreover, this was the Grand Duke, the highest-ranking person in the country after the Monarch and the Crown Prince.

The meeting was thus forcibly dissolved.

With the conclusion that they would depart in two days with most of the main force in the Capital and engage in a decisive battle with the Revolutionary Army.

* * * * *

"General, do you have a moment?"

On the way back to his office from the conference room, someone called out to the general who had been slapped by the Grand Duke.

"Lieutenant General Holtman. What is it?"

"About His Excellency the Grand Duke....are you really alright with this? Letting him take the army and go as he pleases."

To his subordinate's question, General Alfred von Albrecht sighed and replied.

"How could it be alright? Ignoring the chain of command and mobilizing troops as he pleases. It's frustrating that I can't stop him because of his status."

"Then, we should inform Your Majesty and change the operation...."

"Would that be easy? You know how close Your Majesty and His Excellency the Grand Duke are. He'll be gone before we can convince him."

The power of blood ties is a scary thing. It blinds people's judgment.

It was obvious that the operation would begin by the time they managed to explain to the Monarch how irrational the Grand Duke's judgment was and convince him. In other words, a waste of time.

"You should prepare to surrender as soon as the Grand Duke is defeated. We have to try and save our worthless lives somehow."

"....You are already certain of defeat."

"It can't be helped."

General Albrecht sighed.

"His Excellency the Grand Duke is completely unaware of how monstrous the Northern Army is."

"I've heard that they're strong, but they're just a conscripted unit, aren't they? They can't compare to the Royal Guard and the elite forces of the Central Region."

"Ha! You are making a huge mistake."

Lieutenant General Holtman received a look mixed with pity and frustration.

"The Northern Army's way of fighting is completely different from ours. For them, the entire process, from encountering the enemy, fighting and winning, to returning to base, is included in the battle."

"Excuse me? Isn't that the same for us?"

"No. Because even if we fall behind in battle or get lost on the battlefield, we don't have to worry about dying."

If we fight in the vast plains of the Western Region or the Eastern Region, or in the hilly areas between mountain ranges, it doesn't matter if we faint in the middle of the battle or if we fail to return to the main camp immediately after the battle. Because we won't die.

There's no problem with resting and returning to the main force when the day breaks. Such soldiers are common, so there are no separate disciplinary regulations.

But in The Northlands?

If you get lost in the Snowfield where biting cold is a daily occurrence, do you think you'll survive?

What are the chances of not freezing to death in a blizzard where you can't see an inch in front of you?

That's why, for the Northern Army, returning is part of the battle. If you don't have the strength to return, you'll die on the way back even if you win the fight.

To be able to think about such stamina distribution while killing the enemy in front of you....you can't even dream of it with average skills.

They have survived such battles hundreds of times. Ever since the beginning of the war.

"Those guys are fundamentally different from softies like us. Each and every soldier is a killing machine that has survived more than 10 years on an extremely difficult battlefield."

The Royal Guard? Their equipment is just fancy, but their actual combat experience is zero. What chance of victory do those young lords have? Those guys have no ability to perform any mission beyond suppressing a mob of serfs.

They'll most likely be defeated badly and die like flies. Surviving even 10% would be considered a miracle.

"If you understand what I'm saying, go and prepare. Hurry if you want to live a little longer."

"U, understood."

Lieutenant General Holtman had no choice but to silently obey General Albrecht's orders.

* * * * *

And two weeks and two days after the annihilation of the 19th Division.

"There, I see the rebels!"

"The stupid Royal dogs are coming! Prepare for battle!"

Lieutenant General Carolus von Roytel's Revolutionary Army and Grand Duke Alexander's Suppression Army faced each other south of River Tiola.