The preparation for the expedition was quickly completed.
Since all the equipment and supplies had already been packed and loaded onto carts for a full retreat, it was only necessary to slightly alter the intended use of the materials and take down the tents used for the barracks.
The soldiers had already had enough time to eat and rest, so they still had plenty of stamina left for a long march. Now, it was just a matter of departing.
“We’ll select the units to remain behind. First, the 1st Division, 2nd Division, and then the 4th Division.”
However, not everyone would be going. If all the units were withdrawn, there would be a huge gap in the front lines.
A small number of soldiers needed to remain to maintain the front lines and defend against the enemy’s offensive.
In other words, the task was to simultaneously maintain the defensive line that had been held with 70,000 troops and take personnel to suppress the royal family and nobility in the capital and central regions.
“Won’t we need cannons too? It’s concerning to leave only infantry and cavalry behind.”
“Two battalions of artillery and one unit of magic soldiers. That should be enough, right?”
“It might be a bit lacking, but… I think it will be fine. As long as the goal is just to hold out.”
After discussing the matter with his subordinates, the optimal balance was decided to be 3 to 4.
In the kingdom’s current military structure, one division consists of about 10,000 men.
The Northern Army is made up of 7 divisions in total.
Out of these, 4 divisions would be sent out, and 3 divisions would remain in the north. Additionally, some auxiliary units, including artillery, would stay behind for support.
This way, while they wouldn’t be able to counterattack, they would at least be able to hold the line.
“Mauer, I’ll leave this to you. I’ll send reinforcements as soon as possible, so just hold on until then.”
“Don’t worry, General. I’ll make sure to hold the line tightly.”
To be safe, the most experienced and trustworthy officer, Major General Mauer, was temporarily assigned as the commander.
This way, the back line would be secure, and there was no worry about leaving.
After saying farewell to the personnel who would remain behind, I gave my subordinates a final instruction.
“Remember, speed is key. If we waste time after deciding to overthrow the kingdom, neither rice nor soup will be ours.”
“Understood!”
We are essentially engaging in an internal power struggle within the kingdom.
It’s not about justification or morality. Even though the cause is the royal family’s foolish blunders, from an objective standpoint, that’s the reality.
We are attempting to remove the existing powers, the royal family and the central nobility, and seize control for ourselves.
Thus, we had to hurry.
The longer we delayed, the more the kingdom’s national capacity would erode.
The immense national strength, military power, and finances that had allowed us to withstand the Empire’s long-term offensive would diminish. All of it was at stake.
For the future, we needed to achieve our objectives within the shortest possible time and with minimal casualties.
“Are we attacking the capital right away?”
“Before that, we need to secure the route. Where is the nearest military unit stationed?”
“Are you referring to the private armies of the high nobles as well?”
“No. Those are like reserve troops who are only mobilized in emergencies. I mean the kingdom’s regular army.”
“Then it’s the unit in the northeastern Great Plains. The 19th Division, led by General Heinburg. We can reach them in three days based on the march speed.”
“Of course, it has to be the royal family’s most loyal dog…”
So, we needed to clear the route quickly and advance.
Unfortunately, we were facing a troublesome opponent right from the start.
General Heinburg came from a well-established noble family and was famous for his patriotism.
I remember meeting him at a medal ceremony once, and he wouldn’t stop praising the king—he seemed like a madman, so I avoided him.
Who would have thought I’d run into him here?
“How about suggesting surrender or defection?”
“Forget it. He’s the type to refuse absolutely. He’ll probably fight to the death, claiming he’s protecting the royal family, trying to block us until the end.”
I was about to reject my subordinate’s suggestion of negotiations, knowing it was destined to fail, when a sudden thought crossed my mind.
An idea came to mind.
If the head is the problem, shouldn’t we target the body below it?
The soldiers who form the core of the army. Most of the soldiers in the 19th Division are probably from the Great Plains.
“No, send a messenger. It’s better to send three or four together.”
“But you just said that they wouldn’t be able to communicate, didn’t you?”
“I’m not aiming to negotiate with Heimburck. I’m targeting the rest of the troops.”
I took a cigarette from my pocket and lit it, speaking as I did. The taste of the cigarette was bitter, as it had been today.
“Make sure to tell everyone there about our purpose. Let them know what the royal family was planning to do to us.”
“Even to the soldiers…? You intend to lower their morale.”
“Yes. Also, tell them that if the negotiations fail, anyone who surrenders when we leave will not be stopped. There’s no need for us to spill blood among people of the same country.”
“I’ll make sure the messengers are well prepared.”
We were fighting against people from the same nation, the same homeland.
Under such conditions, morale was already on the verge of breaking, and with the disparity in numbers, deserters and those fleeing in battle would surely increase. I was simply adding psychological pressure to that.
Honestly, how many would be willing to fight when we’re offering guaranteed treatment for defectors?
An army whose morale has been shattered will crumble quickly in combat. This is true anywhere in the world.
“Let’s march for three more hours and then set up camp. Make sure to relay this to the other units.”
“Understood.”
Since we had departed in the afternoon, it was already getting late.
Before the sun completely set, we halted and set up camp, resting as we awaited the response from the 19th Division to our proposal.
“Have you ever seen such treacherous rebels? How dare they rise against the royal family?!”
As expected, Heimburck, the commander, went into a frenzy when he was offered the chance to surrender by General Carolus.
He shouted that anyone who dared to defy the royal order of the king, the representative of the goddess, should be hanged immediately.
For someone who had lived his entire life as a staunch royalist, the king’s orders were absolute. No matter how unreasonable they seemed, there must have been a deeper meaning behind them, and it was his duty to follow them without question. In his worldview, this was the right thing to do, even if the reality was different.
“Commander, how should we respond?”
“What response is there to give! Hang every one of these scoundrels who brought me this nonsense! No, execute them! Publicly, at that!”
“What?! Even so, executing the messengers…?”
Although Heimburck wanted to kill all the messengers, the officers around him expressed their disapproval.
The messengers had already been out among the soldiers, spreading the news.
“The royal family has abandoned the North! They plan to give the entire Snowfield to the Empire!”
“If we lose that, where will we go next? Only the Great Plains, our homeland! The very place we farmed and sowed seeds is going to become a battlefield!”
“If you have any sense, don’t fight! Serving those who would abandon our homeland for luxury will only lead to pointless death!”
There were already many soldiers gathered near the messengers who were spreading such news, which was hard to hear within the military.
Everyone had now heard about the terrible treatment the Northern Army had endured and the circumstances that led to this situation.
What would happen now if Heimburck ordered the capture and execution of these men?
The soldiers and lower officers would likely think, “Ah, so that’s the truth.”
Rather than eradicating the traitors, all this would do was engrave the rumors in everyone’s minds. No matter how you looked at it, this was a choice close to self-destruction.
“Then get rid of them! Don’t let them deceive my soldiers any longer—throw them all out!”
In the end, Heimburck’s insistence led to the messengers being driven out of the camp, but the truth had already been engraved in the soldiers’ minds.
That truth was: “The royal family and nobility of this country are not to be trusted.”
“Dammit. They’re abandoning the frontlines just to buy jewelry for the queen? What kind of madness is this…?”
“If this is true, my family is in danger! My sick mother is back home…”
For centuries, the royal family and nobility had lost the trust of the common people.
They had raised taxes under various pretenses and exploited labor for generations. How could they still expect trust?
In fact, after hearing about the situation in the Northern Army, many soldiers thought to themselves, “Those bastards would do that, no doubt.” They had come to accept the truth, albeit reluctantly.
If Heimburck hadn’t wanted to destroy the soldiers’ morale, he should never have let the messengers into the camp in the first place.
He should have either kept them outside and just taken their letters, or killed them outright without any words.
There should have been no conversation, no engagement. If he had chosen one of these options, at least military discipline could have been maintained.
But since he failed to do that, and even left the messengers exposed for the entire 19th Division to hear, it was only natural that the morale and fighting spirit of the 19th Division would disintegrate.
And so, because of this…
“Charge forward at once!! Charge towards the gap in the enemy formation!”
“Run, run away! We’ve already lost, just escape on your own!”
In the battle that took place three days later, the 19th Division was completely decimated by the Northern Army, and this was almost an inevitable outcome.