In the northeastern part of the Kram Empire, somewhere along the frontlines where it faces the Kingdom of Allein, a fierce battle has been raging, with alternating advances and retreats.
In this land where intense skirmishes have been a constant, rumors began circulating after a while.
“Hey, have you heard? They say a rebellion has broken out.”
“A rebellion, at a time like this? That’s bold.”
“Yeah, right? Everyone’s been saying we should fight for the Emperor, and the atmosphere is so tense. Where did it happen?”
A riot broke out.
Not just a small disturbance, but a large-scale uprising that could only be called a rebellion.
At least thousands of peasants were involved, and dozens of villages and rural areas participated.
It was terrifying to think about who could have instigated such a ridiculous act.
“They say… it’s near our hometown.”
“…What?”
“I-It’s true! The origin of it is a place called Kerden, and it’s so close to our village!”
But what was even more frightening was that the leading figures might be their own family members.
According to the information coming in, it was clear that some of the soldiers involved in the rebellion came from those areas.
It wasn’t just a coincidence or that they were nearby.
It was undeniable.
Depending on the perspective, it wouldn’t be strange to consider them leaders of the rebellion.
“Captain, do you know anything about the rumors going around lately–“
“I don’t know.”
“Huh? Come on, just tell me a little–“
“I said I don’t know! Don’t bother me! Do you want to be punished for disobeying orders?!”
When they asked the officers, all they received were harsh curses and warnings.
Normally, the officers were kind and playful, but their attitudes were unusually sharp.
It was as if they were openly hinting at something bad going on behind the scenes.
Moreover, leisure time that had been allowed before was now prohibited.
Things like card games or dancing.
If there was no battle the next day or if there was extra time, they could usually relax as they pleased, but now even that was forbidden.
“What the hell? What’s going on that’s making everything so tense?”
“Is the battalion commander on his period or something? My wife does the same thing every month, gets all sensitive like this.”
“…Our battalion commander is a man, you idiot.”
“Just saying, you know.”
Why were they being oppressed like this?
If they were going to strip them of their rights and tighten the noose, at least they should tell them the reason.
It was just a simple concern for their families.
Was it too much to ask for just a word that everything was fine?
As frustration, confusion, and helplessness built up, the answer they had been hoping for suddenly arrived.
And it was far from pleasant.
*****
“…They’re all dead.”
“Probably. It seems they made an example of them and ruthlessly suppressed the rebellion without mercy.”
The rebellion had been suppressed.
Not a single prisoner, not even a captive, was left.
After repeated executions on the spot and summary judgments, a near-perfect annihilation battle was carried out.
And the targets of this were the soldiers’ hometowns, families, and relatives.
“Did they really wipe out a village with only women and old men left? Is that really something our Empire would do?”
“When did those high-ranking people ever care about that? If they don’t like someone, they kill them and take them down. It’s just part of daily life.”
“Goddamn. You’re right, but still.”
“Shit… I wish it was all just a nightmare.”
The soldiers prayed to the gods day and night.
They desperately hoped that they had just heard a false rumor.
They waited for a correction report, hoping that their families were innocent and safe.
Unfortunately, the reality was brutal.
“Is Lebois here? I’m looking for someone from the southeastern riverside village, Lebois’ son!”
“It feels like they’re talking about me, why are they calling me?”
“I’m here to deliver a letter. It’s from your wife.”
“Aria? She’s not the type of woman to write a letter… Aaaagh!! What is this?!”
A merchant who regularly visited the base delivered the letter, claiming it was a request from his family back home.
However, the soldier could only stare in horror as he opened the envelope.
Inside wasn’t a heartfelt handwritten letter, but a severed woman’s finger.
“Th-the ring is on it. This is the one I bought for Aria. I paid a lot of money for it in the city as a wedding gift.”
“So, this is your wife’s flesh, huh?”
“Ughh!! Which bastard did this… this awful thing?!”
The ring was a perfect fit, stained with blood.
If this woman, Aria, wasn’t insane, there would be no reason to send such a thing by cutting off a healthy body part.
The only remaining possibility was that someone had cut it off and then sent it disguised as a letter.
To harm someone who had been living safely in a rural village, they would have to take care of the villagers as well.
This wasn’t something a regular band of thieves would do.
Maybe a regular army might be responsible.
“The rumors… they were true.”
“Did my family end up like this too?”
What this meant was that the massacre and devastation had been carried out under the government’s leadership.
Against the soldiers’ hometowns.
It wasn’t just one place.
Similar events had happened in other units as well, specifically in units stationed near the southeastern region.
At this point, the soldiers’ hearts filled not with sadness, but with anger.
“Why did they have to go this far?”
“We’ve been struggling for years for the country, and this is how we’re treated?”
“They could have confined them, or punished the main instigators. There were plenty of other ways. Why did they have to wipe out our whole families?”
If the families had committed crimes and were punished, it could be understood.
If they had been sentenced to a few years in prison or forced labor, it would have been sad, but at least it could be understood.
But.
Why did they have to commit a massacre?
Why did they kill the elderly and women indiscriminately?
A newborn baby, an elderly man on the verge of death… were they supposed to be committing treason?
At an age when they couldn’t even hold a sword?
Had they truly committed a crime that warranted death, despite being unable to resist or even take care of themselves?
“We were told to fight for our people and families. Yet, the high-ranking officials were killing our families.”
“Bastards.”
They had worked hard and sacrificed, but the country had given them nothing in return.
Instead, it took everything from them.
“Should we continue to be loyal to a country like this?”
Had their dedication been rewarded?
No, it hadn’t.
The country had proven it would not reward them, and they had shown that it would never do so.
In that case, there was no reason to maintain loyalty.
“Hey, you idiots over there! Pick up your rifles and get moving! The battle’s right around the corner, what are you doing–!”
“Fuck you, bastard!! We’re leaving!!”
“When did you think we’d keep following your orders!!”
Starting from an incident in one battalion, the mass rebellion spread rapidly.
At first, it was tens of soldiers, then hundreds, and eventually thousands.
At least one division of soldiers refused to obey the government’s orders and set out for revenge.
“Everyone, stand up! Throw away the national flag and turn your rifles around!”
“Let’s get revenge on those who destroyed our homes!!”
“If we’re going to die either way, we might as well make those high-ranking bastards suffer before we go!!”
And when the Kram Empire government heard this news.
Naturally, they were thrown into chaos.
*****
“They’re really fighting hard among themselves. It’s good for us though.”
“Right.”
We enjoyed watching the infighting of a so-called mighty empire.
Just for fun, to see how stupid they were, and also to observe the results of our behind-the-scenes work.
“They’re in such a mess just because we sent a few letters. Anyway, the cleanup is always important.”
The remains the soldiers received?
That was sent by our organization.
We had carefully cut pieces from the fresh bodies left after the Kram Empire’s massacre—parts that could be used to identify the bodies.
While they were destroying and massacring everything, they were too lazy to properly clean up the scene.
They probably thought no one would come for a while… They should have been more careful.
Because of their useless laziness, we were able to take advantage.
‘It was quite a cost-effective operation. For the cost of sending a few letters, we triggered a large-scale rebellion.’
I asked the agents at the Kram branch to stir up the ruins, and it turned out to be quite a profitable venture.
The rumors spread on their own, but I had been worrying about how to prepare proof.
It was easily solved.
This time, it was properly trained soldiers who revolted, so it would be difficult to suppress them in a short time.
It wouldn’t be impossible to resolve, but… it would leave serious aftereffects on the country.
“Anyway, they should have thought about the aftermath before doing this.”
How could they randomly harm the families of soldiers on the front lines?
Did they think morale would stay high after doing such a thing?
They introduced conscription, knowing its advantages, but didn’t consider the cautions, which is why this mess happened.
Did they really think just controlling everything like before would solve it all?
‘I’ll have to prepare some operations here soon.’
I thought, holding Kalia close and sniffing her hair.
This incident would surely have both big and small effects on all the countries involved in the conflict.
They would definitely try to come up with preventive measures, and I’d have to intervene just a little bit.
Rather than logical countermeasures, I’ll make sure they make choices that will ruin their country in the long run.
‘By the way…’
While I’m working so hard to destroy the world, what could our saint be doing right now?
*****
“…And you still claim to be a god? How can you be so irresponsible?”