Suddenly, out of nowhere, the rebel army—no, the Northern Revolutionary Army—was formed on the spot.
Let me take a look at the state of this army, with me as the leader.
First of all, we still have a surplus of supplies. This area is originally difficult to access, so when we do receive supplies, we stock up in large amounts.
The last supply was a month ago, so for the next couple of months, we shouldn’t have to worry about starving.
What about internal unity?
For now, I don’t expect any issues among the senior officers.
Most of the Northern Army’s soldiers have fought here relentlessly since their days as second lieutenants. When the war broke out, they couldn’t be reassigned or transferred and were stuck in the same unit the whole time.
Having shared life-and-death experiences for years, the sense of camaraderie is no joke. Many of them even consider each other as sworn brothers.
Therefore, betrayal, desertion, or internal discontent shouldn’t be a concern.
In terms of rebelling against the government, this is the ideal setup, but… there’s still one obstacle left: the soldiers.
“Why are the soldiers a problem?”
“We still don’t know what they’re thinking. And the common folk are surprisingly loyal.”
If this were the 21st century, it would be a different story, but this is a medieval fantasy world. There are timeless inventions like running water and electric lights, but overall, it’s on the cusp of the modern era.
To put it another way, it’s rare to find someone who can even read or write, let alone receive higher education.
To the point that anyone who can read and understand written text automatically starts as a non-commissioned officer when they enlist.
School? How can poor commoners, struggling just to survive, afford to go? They have to spend that time digging and working the fields instead.
“We’ve been told our whole lives to be loyal to the country and dedicate our lives to the royal family, so do you think they’ll suddenly listen when we ask them to rebel?”
“Ah.”
Most of the soldiers, who come from uneducated, lower-class backgrounds, go to church every weekend. They attend Sunday Mass and pray.
Since childhood, they were taught that believing in the Goddess Church, the kingdom’s national religion, was the norm. Even the laziest of them wouldn’t miss Mass.
So, when they go to church, what do the priests and ministers teach them?
Of course, it’s the brainwashing that teaches them to obey the Goddess and the royal family, who are her representatives. They use words of encouragement and sermons to instill loyalty to the nation and the church.
From a young age, they’ve been absorbing these teachings, so suddenly asking them to rebel against the royal family is something that almost no one will be able to accept.
“That’s why persuasion and agitation must come first. Whether it’s officers or soldiers, we need to unite the Northern Army.”
If they understand the circumstances, they will accept and comprehend it. But it can’t be something that’s explained later, like an afterthought. The effect of persuasion will decrease, and people will start to distrust it.
The first step is to openly reveal the truth, get everyone on board, and boost morale.
The most effective means for this would… probably be a speech.
“You told them to assemble in the parade ground after lunch, right? Did you do it?”
“Yes, General. They’ve been waiting for the last ten minutes.”
“Good. Tell them I’ll just change my clothes and be there soon.”
So, once the officers were in agreement, I instructed that everyone be gathered in one place.
A few soldiers were still on duty at the frontlines, but there’s nothing to be done about that. For now, I gathered everyone I could find within the army.
‘Calm down. This will be no different from the usual speeches I give to the men. The only difference is that the topic is a little heavier.’
Finally, I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and headed for the parade ground.
“Deputy Commander is entering!”
At the loud announcement from my aide, all the soldiers turned their eyes to me.
7,000 pairs of eyes, filled with trust, curiosity, worry, and every other emotion, were all fixed on me.
I struggled not to be crushed by the pressure and hardened my expression before slowly speaking.
“It’s been a while, gentlemen.”
My voice, amplified through magic, carried across to every soldier in the Northern Army. My fear and my anger, all of it, was conveyed. Instead of showing these feelings, I continued the speech in a solemn and reassuring tone, fitting for a commander.
“You’ve probably heard that we plan to abandon this northern region and retreat to the rear. The commander may have even told you personally.”
Regardless of how much the rumor had spread, the fact that we were going to give up the front lines was still treated as classified.
In principle, only the officers should know about this, and it’s information that mustn’t be made public to the soldiers yet.
I boldly reveal this to them, intending to sow feelings of disillusionment and helplessness among the soldiers, most of whom are from the vast plains.
“Regrettably, this is the truth. We are going to have to abandon this land, which we have defended with bloodshed, and retreat. We will leave the snowfields behind and head to a place with better transportation and easier supply lines. Yes, to the vast plains, which many of you call home.”
And through this feeling of disillusionment and helplessness, I aim to turn it into anger and hatred with the subsequent revelation of the truth.
“Why is this happening? Is it because we didn’t fight well enough? Because the enemy is too powerful? No. We did our best.
You, my soldiers, fought more bravely than anyone else in the kingdom, and you have performed feats of arms that will go down in history. It is well-known throughout the kingdom that the Northern Army has steadfastly defended the front lines.”
“However, it seems that this does not apply to the King and the noble lords in the capital.”
This is something that should not be said in a public setting. For a Deputy Commander to say “lords” in such a manner makes everyone stare at me in shock, as if they’re questioning what I’ve said.
Sorry, but you heard it right. Frankly, even the word “lords” feels too generous. “Scum” or “bastards” would be more fitting.
“A few weeks ago, I received a message from the capital. They told me that they could no longer send supplies and ordered me to pull the troops back. Without any further explanation, they simply sent a command to retreat the army.”
I shook the document I received from the Commander in Chief.
“I couldn’t accept it, so I personally investigated. I wanted to know what had happened that would make them stop sending supplies, even though they had been consistent for the past ten years. What I found out through my investigation was truly absurd and unbelievable.”
“Soldiers, the royal family, lacking money for luxuries, wanted to save on military expenses, which is why they’re asking us to retreat.”
I slammed my fist onto the podium. It was to show that I was genuinely enraged.
“Is this even reasonable? If it were because the people are suffering or the national treasury has run dry, I might have been able to accept it. But it’s because of luxury! The queen prioritizing buying jewelry for banquets over defending the front lines and protecting the nation—does that make any sense?!”
I finally shared the truth that all the officers had already heard with the entire group.
Rather than continuing immediately, I paused to clear my throat.
I wanted to give the soldiers time to understand and absorb what I had said.
I needed them to realize the implications of the royal family stopping supplies in order to buy luxury items.
After holding the uncomfortable silence for a while, and as the atmosphere began to heat up, I finally moved on to the main point of my speech.
“I’ve been thinking about this continuously. Is it right to just watch these events unfold? Should we continue to let this nation, our country, go down the wrong path just because of loyalty? Then today, I finally reached a conclusion.”
“Soldiers! This nation, our homeland, is no longer a normal state. It is a twisted nation where insane tyranny, where sacrificing vast lands and the people who live on them for luxury items that the queen will use for just a season, is taken for granted! Should we continue to watch this pathetic spectacle?”
“No!!”
A cheer of support from the informants I had pre-recruited.
At this, whispers of discontent began to spread among the soldiers.
They asked whether we should continue to endure such treatment, whether it was time to put the nobility in their place.
Even if this atmosphere was artificially raised, the fact that such words were being said meant that there had been a lot of pent-up resentment.
And, as if to pour oil on the fire, I made my declaration in front of everyone.
“I can’t live like this any longer. Let’s tear it all down! Let’s overthrow them, those who suck the lifeblood of the people to feed their greedy bellies!”
“We’ll deal with the royal family and the nobility who are filling their pockets! The time has come for us to take back the blood, effort, and devotion we’ve given to this land and our ancestors!”
“Anyone who agrees with me, let out a roar! There is no need to fear. What we stand to lose are the chains of slavery, and what we will gain is freedom and a just nation! Soldiers, unite! Grab your weapons and stand with me as we build a rightful nation!”
“Waahhh!!!”
“Long live the General! We will stand with you to the end!”
“We are not rebels. We are revolutionaries fighting for the restoration of the nation! Let’s cover the entire kingdom in the wave of revolution!”
The training ground, which had been like a gathering of cultists, was now ablaze with fervor. Watching this, I was certain. With this, the Northern Army was finally united as one. Now, even when we tear down the kingdom, the soldiers will not hesitate.
But before that…
“What… What is this? What nonsense are you people spouting? Overthrow the kingdom? Do you even understand what that means?!”
It seems I need to deal with the pest who’s rudely interrupting.
“Looks like we have an unwanted guest. Someone tie that bastard up!”
It was the Commander-in-Chief, who had finally woken up and was now horrified at the sight before him.
Without hesitation, I gave the order to bind him, the only person in the Northern Army who was still out of line.
Normally, soldiers would have some skill in martial arts, so he wouldn’t be easily restrained.
But this idiot, being a parachute officer, didn’t even try to resist and instead knelt down. Honestly, not having any abilities at all is almost impressive.
“Ca- Carolus, what is all this, huh? This is some kind of unpleasant joke, right? Isn’t it?”
“Are you still not getting it, or are you just pretending not to understand? This is a revolution. A revolution to wipe out scum like you and completely reshape the kingdom.”
This was perfect. The Northern Army needed a symbolic event to unite them.
I activated the amplification spell and shouted to the soldiers.
“Soldiers! This idiot here has been a lackey for the royal family and the nobility, tormenting us all along. The Commander-in-Chief, clueless as he is, has demanded reckless offensives and neglected supply lines! Is there no one among you willing to rid us of this sinful bastard and elevate our cause?”
At first, there was hesitation in their eyes. After all, the idea of killing the Commander-in-Chief so suddenly must have been shocking.
But soon, dozens of soldiers, sensing an opportunity, rolled up their sleeves and charged forward.
“General! We’ll take care of it!”
“Good. Handle it however you see fit.”
The soldiers surrounded the Commander-in-Chief, lifting their boots.
“Don’t do this, you lower-class scum! Do you know how many connections I have in the capital? With just one letter, you all—”
“Shut up, you bastard! Hans starved to death because of you! My friend of 20 years!!”
“Do you know how much the General has suffered while supporting you?! Today’s your funeral, you piece of shit!!”
They stomped, kicked, and crushed him. No matter how much he begged for mercy, they shattered his bones and popped his eyes out.
In the torrent of pure hatred and disgust, his frail body was quickly reduced to a bloody rag, and then into a heap of red flesh.
And all of this happened right before the eyes of the entire Northern Army.
This would be etched into everyone’s minds.
Now that we’ve killed the Commander-in-Chief, there’s no going back. The only way forward is to see this through to the end and claim victory. Otherwise, we all die.
“Well done. Go wash your hands and boots thoroughly.”
“Yes! Understood, General!”
After complimenting my soldiers, I turned to my subordinates and spoke.
“Prepare for departure. We leave immediately.”
Now, the time for revolution has come.