[The royal authority is a sacred right granted by the Goddess. It is only natural for the subjects of the kingdom to obey and follow this right.]
This was the belief of Duke Alexander, the cousin of the current King Carl VII.
Born into noble royalty and having lived his life being served and treated with the utmost respect, the social hierarchy seemed only natural to him.
He viewed the privileges and rights exclusive to the royal family as inherent rights that were given by birth, and to refuse these was something unthinkable.
Having lived his life as someone exceptional, he had no understanding of the heavy tax burdens or the suffering caused by forced conscription that commoners experienced.
Even if he were to know, he would not perceive these as problems.
To him, it was a natural duty for the humble commoners to sacrifice and give everything for the royal family.
Thus, it was inevitable for the Duke, who had lived his life this way and planned to continue living this way, to lose control of his rage and become enraged upon hearing the news of the rebellion.
“These damn bastards! Even if I tore them apart a thousand times and fed them to the dogs, it wouldn’t be enough!! How dare they reject the grace of the Queen and rise in rebellion?! And they, of all people, the ones entrusted with the sacred duty of defending the North!!”
The military council convened immediately after the news of the Northern Army’s rebellion reached the capital.
In the meeting room, where high-ranking generals and noblemen were gathered, Duke Alexander unleashed his unrestrained fury, paying no heed to any form of decorum or manners.
As one born into a position of absolute privilege, he simply expressed his emotions without restraint and raged uncontrollably.
“We must punish these traitors immediately. To restore the laws and order of the kingdom, we must crush them thoroughly!!”
“Calm down, Your Excellency. We are already in the process of planning a suppression force.”
Unable to stand the sight of the Duke throwing his expensive writing instruments and smashing the desk, one of the generals finally spoke up.
“We plan to issue a summons to the reserve units in the rear. Once we integrate them with the forces stationed in the capital, we will easily overwhelm the rebels. Please, exercise some patience.”
Currently, the total number of troops stationed in and around the capital is approximately 50,000.
This includes 10,000 Royal Guard troops, 30,000 defenders of the royal city, and 10,000 other troops.
“If we gather the nearby troops that were not deployed in the battle with the Empire, we can form an army of at least 80,000 within three weeks. The rebel forces are only around 40,000, so we would nearly double them.”
The fundamental principle of mercenary tactics is to operate with a force larger than the enemy’s in order to suppress them with minimal losses.
For now, it made sense to fortify and hold out until reinforcements arrived, and then switch to a counterattack.
This was the best strategy to deal with the treason while minimizing troop losses and ensuring the traitors would be crushed.
“The longer we delay, the more the rebels’ supplies will deplete. Soon, their morale will break. We must wait for the right moment to strike them all at once—”
“No, no! That cowardly approach will never show the might of the royal family!”
Unfortunately, Duke Alexander was far from a person who valued such military reasoning.
“We cannot let the kingdom appear as if it’s struggling against these rebels! We must demonstrate the grandeur and strength of the royal family to our subjects, not delay the battle! Absolutely not!”
For him, military advantages or minimizing casualties had no meaning.
This was a rebellion to be crushed.
The royal family and the military’s dignity were the most important values in this fight.
To him, a dazzling victory was far more important than any strategic concerns.
Only through a glorious triumph could the tired hearts of the people be revived, and the royal family’s power be restored.
“I will take charge. I will show the strength of the royal family with the royal guards and return victorious.”
“It’s too dangerous, Your Excellency. The rebels must be making their own plans and advancing toward the capital. If you charge out recklessly, we could suffer great losses.”
Up until this point, his logic might have seemed somewhat reasonable.
It’s not unusual for political interests to take precedence over military practicality.
At least those in the military council could understand the rationale behind his policy.
But the real problem with Duke Alexander became clear from this point forward.
“Ha! How can those scoundrels, who were buried in the snowfields of the north, pose any threat? They’re nothing but bugs that will fall with just a few swings of my sword!”
For those who have enjoyed special treatment as if it were an everyday occurrence, common sense and proper reasoning were painfully lacking.
Instead, what filled the gap was arrogance, dogmatism, and an endless sense of self-importance.
The Duke considered this situation to be just an expansion of the peasant uprisings that had occurred several times in the past.
The only difference was that the perpetrators were soldiers instead of commoners; he assumed it would ultimately be the same thing.
Although he seemed to have some military experience, so what? In the face of the royal guards, the kingdom’s elite army, with their guns and swords, they were all just insignificant pests.
If they clashed head-on, the royal side’s overwhelming victory was inevitable.
The Duke firmly believed this without a doubt.
He had always won, and this time would be no different.
And…
“I have to lead the charge myself to take all the credit. If I win this, I can aim for more power—overthrowing the commander of the royal guard, even eyeing the Minister of Finance or the Foreign Minister’s position.”
He was deeply ambitious. His insistence on a quick, decisive battle, pushing his narrow viewpoint, was because of his greed for power.
If he fought and won according to his own strategy, he could use the victory to enhance his political standing.
Therefore, everything other than his own opinion was wrong.
He wanted this, and he had to make it happen.
This was the true reason why the Duke was stubbornly pushing his agenda.
“While it’s true that the royal guards and Your Excellency are strong, we must be cautious.”
“Excessive caution only aids the enemy! Don’t you see that the more cautious you are, the more you give the rebels a chance?”
“How does ensuring we understand the enemy’s movements and strengthening our forces put us at a disadvantage—”
–Crack!
The general who was rebutting Duke Alexander’s words could not continue his argument.
He was suddenly slapped across the face.
“Endless nonsense, huh? I don’t have time to waste talking to an idiot like you. I will lead the royal guards and the kingdom’s defense forces in two days, so you better be ready!”
“…Understood. I wish you good fortune.”
With the conclusion already set, there was no chance of continuing the discussion.
Especially when the person giving the orders was a duke who ranked just below the king and the crown prince in this country.
The meeting was forcibly ended that way.
Two days later, the majority of the main forces stationed in the capital would march out to engage the rebels in battle.
“General, may I have a moment?”
On the way back from the meeting to his office, someone called out to the general who had just been slapped by the duke.
“Ah, General Holtman, what is it?”
“About Duke Alexander… Is it really all right for him to take command of the army like this?”
At his subordinate’s question, General Alfred von Albrecht sighed and responded.
“There’s no way it’s fine. Disregarding the chain of command and mobilizing troops like that… It’s just that his status prevents me from stopping him.”
“Should we report to His Majesty and request a change in strategy?”
“Do you think that would be easy? His Majesty and Duke Alexander are far too close. By the time we try to convince him, the operation will already have started.”
The power of blood relations was formidable.
It clouded judgment and made it difficult to reason with people.
It was obvious that by the time the king was convinced and the duke’s irrational decision was explained, the operation would already be underway.
In short, it would be a waste of time.
“You, prepare to surrender as soon as Duke Alexander is defeated. Even if it’s just our pitiful lives, we should at least try to save them.”
“There’s no choice but to salvage it somehow.”
“…You’re already certain of defeat, aren’t you?”
“That’s the only option.”
General Albrecht sighed.
“Duke Alexander has no idea. He doesn’t know how monstrous the Northern Army is.”
“I’ve heard they are strong, but they’re just conscripted troops, right? They can’t compare to the royal guards and the elite forces of the central army.”
“Hah! You’re making a huge mistake.”
General Holtman received a mixed glare of disdain and frustration.
“The way the Northern Army fights is completely different from ours. For them, the entire process from engaging the enemy to returning to base is considered part of the battle.”
“Eh? Isn’t that the same for us?”
“No, it’s not. When we’re knocked out of a battle or lose our way on the battlefield, we don’t have to worry about dying.”
In the western or eastern regions, if they fought in vast fields or between mountain ranges, it wouldn’t matter if they collapsed in the middle of battle or couldn’t return to base right after.
As long as they didn’t die, it was fine.
They could rest, and once morning came, they could return to the main army without any issues.
There were so many soldiers like that that there were no specific punishment regulations.
But in the North?
In the freezing cold of the snowfields, would anyone survive if they fell behind?
How likely would they be to avoid freezing to death in the blizzard where they couldn’t see a step ahead?
That’s why, for the Northern Army, returning to base was part of the battle. If they didn’t leave enough stamina to make it back, they could win the battle but die on the way back.
To be able to fight while balancing that kind of stamina… Well, ordinary skill wouldn’t be enough.
They had survived hundreds of such battles.
Since the start of the war.
“They are completely different from us weaklings. Every soldier has survived over ten years on extreme battlefields, they’re nothing less than killing machines.”
Royal Guards? They may have good equipment, but in terms of battle experience, they’re nothing but spoiled young masters.
They couldn’t handle anything beyond suppressing peasant uprisings.
There’s no way they’ll survive, they’ll probably get destroyed, and if one out of ten survives, it would be a miracle.
“If you understand what I’m saying, go and prepare. If you want to live even a little longer, do it quickly.”
“Understood.”
General Holtman had no choice but to quietly follow General Albrecht’s orders.
Two weeks and two days after the defeat of the 19th Division.
“There they are, the bastards!”
“The foolish royal dogs are coming! Get ready for battle!”
At the southern bank of the Tiora River, General Carolus von Royten’s revolutionary army clashed with Duke Alexander’s suppression forces.