ALL NOVEL Chapter 44
Two weeks later.
As I started my day at the Commander’s Office of the Headquarters, I sat down and looked at Lucy.
Her silvery-white hair flowed down as she bent over reviewing documents.
With a practiced motion, Lucy tucked her hair behind her ear and dove back into her work.
Seeing her intense focus while handling tasks, I couldn’t help but think she was a truly exceptional aide-de-camp.
If Lucy were an ordinary aide, I would have praised her often.
“But she’s a spy.”
Right in front of me was Lucy, someone whose intentions to assassinate me were unclear.
This left me deep in thought for a while.
I was torn over whether to report the research journal I obtained from raiding the kingdom’s lab to the upper echelons.
To cut to the chase, I decided against reporting it.
The reason was simple.
Even if I claimed Lucy was a spy based on that journal, I lacked tangible evidence.
Thus, from Lucy’s perspective, she could easily dismiss it as a case of having a namesake.
While the name Lucy isn’t exceedingly rare, it certainly isn’t too uncommon either.
If the incident faded away just like that, I would be the one in danger.
Lucy would likely think that Daniel Steiner had caught on to her true identity.
“A catastrophe is bound to happen…”
Therefore, until clear evidence emerged, it was best that I alone was aware of the “Lucy Project.”
Clearing my thoughts, I cleared my throat.
At that moment, Lucy paused her document review and turned to me.
I met her red gaze and spoke.
“I received word that the Garrison Commander will be sending a unit. Do you have any idea when they will arrive?”
“Ah, they departed yesterday with minimal escort personnel, so it should take about a week.”
“By minimal escort personnel, you mean?”
“A battalion level. This is already a reduction from what the headquarters originally proposed. Additionally, I heard the Garrison Commander requested more troops for long-term occupation, but the headquarters declined.”
Even with a battalion departing, it would still take a week to arrive in Nordia.
That meant they’d need to load all the soldiers onto transport vehicles before advancing rapidly.
Was there really a need to rush? I thought to myself, but since it was a headquarters decision, there must be a reason.
I nodded in understanding and continued.
“What’s the situation on the frontline?”
“As you likely already know, we’ve been winning consecutively. Reports indicate that the Empire has occupied over half of the kingdom’s territory. The kingdom has essentially lost its state function.”
“Indeed. If this continues, we could dismantle the kingdom before winter, just as His Majesty the Emperor intended.”
“That’s right. However, it seems the kingdom has redirected all forces to defend the capital, perhaps preparing for a stubborn resistance. Consequently, the Imperial Army has also entered a kind of stalemate.”
So, they’re pooling all their forces to defend the capital. That’s almost a last-ditch effort.
However, it would still be tricky for the Imperial Army to storm the capital, which is akin to a hedgehog.
Unwilling to suffer losses, the Imperial Army would likely propose a peace negotiation to the kingdom.
I wondered how the kingdom would respond to this ultimatum-like proposal.
“In the game, the Empire’s proposal is ignored, leading to a stubborn resistance…”
Given that I accidentally altered events, it was impossible to predict the outcome now.
Of course, this wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
Once the Garrison Commander arrived, I would hand over responsibilities and return to a more regular life.
“When I return to regular life, the first thing I’ll do is enjoy a drink. Not just any supply whiskey, but something proper.”
While I was musing over the comfortable and bountiful life awaiting me…
─ Get back! Get back!
─ We don’t need scum like you in beautiful Nordia!
The citizens’ chants caused my shoulders to shudder.
Curious, I rose from my seat and approached the window.
In front of the headquarters, hundreds of citizens were marching while holding placards.
“…What’s going on? Are they finally expressing dissatisfaction with the garrison?”
As I was puzzled, Lucy approached and said.
“It’s a protest against the privileged class. I had heard there were signs of this, but I never expected it would actually happen.”
“By privileged class, do you mean… the nobles of Nordia?”
“Exactly. Apparently, ever since you enacted the Anti-Discrimination Law, tensions between citizens and nobles have reached a boiling point. The citizens’ anger toward the nobles seems to have erupted today.”
As Lucy spoke, the citizens passed by the headquarters and headed somewhere.
What on earth had the nobles done to warrant such a reaction just a fortnight after the law was enacted?
With my hands clasped behind me and my brows furrowed, I suddenly had a thought and clenched my fists.
“Could this be my last opportunity to lower my evaluation here in Nordia?”
As I ran through calculations in my head, I turned to Lucy and said.
“Command the available garrison personnel to follow the protesters.”
“…The protesters?”
“Yes. It is also the role of the garrison to manage protests. Should any violence occur during the protest, inform them to suppress it. It’s okay to use force during the suppression.”
Without questioning my command, Lucy immediately replied.
“Understood. I will relay your orders to the garrison right away.”
As I confirmed that Lucy turned to walk away, I shifted my gaze back to the window and let out a low chuckle.
“I never expected such an opportunity to arise just a week before the temporary garrison commander position ends.”
If the protest arose from anger, it would surely involve violence.
If the garrison were to unilaterally suppress the citizens’ violence, what would happen?
The citizens would realize that the garrison is not their ally but, in fact, soldiers of the Empire.
In that case, the support for the garrison that I had painstakingly built would surely plummet.
The General Staff Headquarters would not look kindly on me for having demolished the tower of support with a momentary error in judgment.
I could cause deep disappointment for the Deputy Chief of Staff, who had pinned their hopes on me.
Then I could step back from operations support and leisurely enjoy my new life.
While being assured of safety there, I could look for a way to escape from the Empire.
“Perfect.”
The incoming Garrison Commander would have a tough time, but that was not my concern.
“I offer my apologies in advance. But life was never meant to be smooth sailing.”
With a wicked smile, I casually gazed down at the line of protesters.
*
The marching protesters came to a halt in front of a grand mansion.
“Get back! We don’t need rotten scum like you in Nordia!”
“Release my father immediately! I’ve already paid off the debt he owes you!”
“Bastard! Do you even realize that you’ve been ruining Nordia!?”
The mansion’s owner, Taramto, heard the commotion and stepped out to the front yard with his soldiers, only to be shocked.
There were clearly hundreds of citizens holding placards and raising their voices.
Among the citizens were several nobles who usually advocated against racial discrimination.
Moreover, Imperial soldiers dressed in black uniforms stood in formation to protect the citizens, raising tensions.
“Are you kidding me! Why are they doing this!?”
Responding to Taramto’s words, one of his soldiers spoke up.
“Well, they’re demanding the release of those you’ve enslaved.”
“What? Slaves? I make them work in exchange for food and shelter! What do you mean slaves!? Are those mad people demanding my private property!?”
To Taramto, the citizens seemed no different from a group of robbers trying to seize his assets.
Given how many people would starve to death in a war, he was convinced that he was behaving normally by providing food and shelter, regardless of their pay.
“Ungrateful bastards! Shoot them all! If a few die, they’ll scatter like cockroaches!”
“Uh? My lord, but…”
“Shut up and do as I say!”
Reluctantly, the soldier raised his weapon toward the protestors.
Soon, other soldiers followed suit, pointing their rifles at the crowd.
“G-get down, it’s a gun!”
“That crazy bastard is going to shoot us…!”
Thanks to that, the protesters could only step back in shock.
At that moment, Lieutenant McCall, who was orchestrating the Imperial soldiers, lifted a megaphone.
─ We advise you to lower your weapons. The temporary Garrison Commander, Captain Daniel Steiner, has instructed that any violence occurring during the protest will not be tolerated.
This caused Taramto’s eyebrows to furrow.
Before he could rebut, Lieutenant McCall spoke again.
─ If you choose to disregard the Commander’s orders and fire, based on the directive to respond to violence with violence, we cannot guarantee the safety of either you or your soldiers.
After hearing Lieutenant McCall’s words, Taramto gulped.
To him, those words sounded like, “Cross the line, and we’ll kill you.”
“Is the Imperial Army truly siding with the citizens?”
After grinding his teeth in silence for a while, Taramto reluctantly raised the white flag.
“…Lower your weapons and release those people.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. There’s no benefit to upsetting the garrison.”
Reluctantly, the soldiers all lowered their weapons.
They knew that fighting the Imperial Army was a losing battle.
Consequently, the citizens who had been protesting erupted into cheers.
“Taramto is withdrawing! Now we can see our families!”
“Taramto, you bastard! Now you understand! The garrison is on our side! They’re protecting us!”
“Long live the Garrison! Long live Captain Daniel Steiner!”
The citizens’ voices filled the air as they raised their placards high.
Among them was Hamtal, the leader of the secret society known as the Black Crow.
“To think we’d overthrow Taramto…”
Before the war erupted, Taramto was the most successful noble in Nordia.
His wealth was amassed by giving loans to people of color, then imprisoning them in mansions or farms under the pretext of debt collection.
The enormous interest made it nearly impossible to repay the debt, and since the law favored Taramto, a noble rather than the people of color, they had no recourse.
Then, the temporary Garrison Commander Daniel enacted the Anti-Discrimination Law, inspiring courage and strength in the citizens.
If that weren’t enough, by providing protection to the protesters during this uprising, he effectively stopped Taramto’s indiscriminate gunfire.
Now, there was no escaping the truth.
“Daniel Steiner is not a conqueror.”
He was a liberator, here to save the citizens from the kingdom’s oppression.
As the citizens cheered for Daniel’s name, Hamtal quietly took out a radio from his pocket and pressed the transmit button.
“Attention, all members of the Black Crow.”
After a brief pause, Hamtal spoke with certainty in his eyes.
“From now on, we stand united with Captain Daniel Steiner’s cause.”
It was the moment a hero acknowledged by all was born in Nordia.