chapter_0045

44 – Respond to Violence with Violence

44 – Respond to Violence with Violence

Fifteen days later.

As usual, I went to the headquarters office and sat in my chair, looking at Lucy.

Lucy was looking down, reviewing documents, and her silver-white hair flowed down.

With a familiar gesture, Lucy tucked the stray hair behind her ear and focused on her work.

Seeing her high level of concentration when handling tasks, there was no better adjutant.

If Lucy were just an ordinary adjutant, I would have praised her frequently.

‘But she’s a spy.’

Lucy, who could assassinate me at any moment, was right in front of me.

That’s why I had been agonizing over something for a while.

Whether or not to report the research logs taken from the kingdom’s laboratory to the higher-ups.

The conclusion was that I would not report it.

The reason was simple.

Even if I argued that Lucy was a spy based on the logs, there was no evidence.

Therefore, Lucy could simply claim it was a person with the same name.

The name Lucy wasn’t common, but it wasn’t rare either.

If the matter was glossed over like that, I would be the one in danger.

Lucy would think that Daniel Steiner had noticed her identity.

‘A disaster would surely occur…’

So, until clear evidence emerged, it was right for me to be the only one who knew about the “Lucy Project.”

Having sorted out my thoughts, I cleared my throat.

Lucy, who had been reviewing documents, looked back at me.

I met Lucy’s red eyes and said,

“Headquarters contacted me saying they would send a garrison commander. Do you know when they will arrive?”

“Ah, they departed yesterday with a minimal escort, so it will take about a week.”

“Minimal escort?”

“A single battalion. Even this was reduced by headquarters. In addition, the garrison commander requested more troops for a long-term occupation, but headquarters rejected it.”

A battalion-sized force departing and arriving in Nordia in a week.

That meant transporting all the soldiers in transport vehicles and conducting a rapid march.

Was there a need to rush that much? I wondered, but since it was headquarters’ decision, there must be a reason.

I nodded roughly and opened my mouth.

“What is the situation at the front?”

“As you already know, it’s a series of victories. There have been reports that the Empire has occupied more than half of the kingdom’s territory. The kingdom has already lost its function as a state.”

“Indeed. If it continues like this, we can destroy the kingdom before winter comes, as His Imperial Majesty the Emperor wishes.”

“That’s right. However, the kingdom seems to be preparing for a desperate last stand, withdrawing its forces from the front and deploying all troops to defend the capital. As a result, the Imperial Army has also entered a kind of lull.”

Deploying all troops to defend the capital. It was practically a last-ditch effort.

But for the Imperial Army, capturing the kingdom’s capital, which was like a hedgehog, would be troublesome.

The Imperial Army, not wanting to suffer losses, would probably propose a peace negotiation to the kingdom.

How would the kingdom respond to the peace negotiation proposal, which was like an ultimatum?

‘In the game, they ignored the Empire’s proposal and went for a desperate last stand…’

Because I had unintentionally played an active role, the situation had changed a lot, so I didn’t know what the conclusion would be.

Of course, it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

Once the garrison commander came up from headquarters, I would hand over the duties and return to the Imperial City.

‘When I get back to the Imperial City, the first thing I should do is have a drink. Not the supply whiskey, but something proper.’

I was thinking about the comfortable and prosperous life I would have in the Imperial City.

─ Get out! Get out!

─ Beautiful Nordia doesn’t need scum like you!

The shouts and cries of the citizens made my shoulders flinch.

Wondering what was going on, I got up from my seat and approached the window.

On the main street in front of the headquarters, at least several hundred citizens were carrying signs and moving.

‘…What is this? Are they finally expressing their dissatisfaction with the garrison?’

As I looked down in bewilderment, Lucy approached and said,

“It’s a protest against the privileged class. I heard there were signs, but I didn’t expect it to actually happen.”

“The privileged class… you mean the nobles of Nordia?”

“That’s right. I heard that the discord between the citizens and the nobles has reached its peak since you, Major, enacted the ‘Law Prohibiting Racial Discrimination.’ It seems the citizens’ anger towards the nobles has erupted today.”

As Lucy said, the citizens passed the headquarters and began heading somewhere.

What on earth had the nobles been doing for things to erupt just half a month after the law was enacted?

With my hands behind my back and frowning, I clenched my fist at a sudden thought.

‘Isn’t this the last chance to lower my performance evaluation in Nordia?’

After calculating in my head, I turned to Lucy and said,

“Order the available personnel of the garrison to follow the protesters.”

“…The protesters?”

“Yes. Managing the protests is also the role of the garrison. Tell them to stop any violence that occurs during the protest. It doesn’t matter if they use force in the process of stopping it.”

Lucy didn’t question my order and immediately replied.

“Understood. I will immediately convey your order to the garrison.”

After confirming that Lucy had turned around and was walking away, I turned my gaze to the window and chuckled softly.

‘To think that such an opportunity would come when there’s only a week left in my position as temporary garrison commander.’

A protest born out of anger would surely be accompanied by violence.

What would happen if the garrison unilaterally suppressed the citizens’ violence?

The citizens would realize that the garrison was not an ally, but merely soldiers of the Empire.

Then, the citizens’ support for the garrison, which had been built up with such effort, would plummet.

The General Staff would not look kindly on me for collapsing a carefully built tower due to a momentary misjudgment.

I would be able to deeply disappoint the Deputy Chief of Staff, who had placed his expectations on me.

Then I could step back from operational support and comfortably enjoy my life in the mainland.

I could find clues to escape the Empire while being guaranteed safety there.

‘Perfect.’

The incoming garrison commander would have a hard time, but it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

‘I apologize in advance. But life isn’t supposed to be easy.’

With a wicked smile, I leisurely looked down at the procession of protesters.

*

The protesters, who had been marching continuously, stopped in front of a huge mansion.

“Get out! You trash who’s eating away at Nordia!”

“Release my father now! He’s already paid more than enough for the debt he owed you!”

“You bastard! Do you even know that you’re ruining Nordia!?”

Taranto, the owner of the mansion, heard the commotion and came out to the front yard with his private soldiers, and was shocked.

At first glance, there were hundreds of citizens, each holding a sign and raising their voices.

Among the citizens were also some nobles who had been advocating for the prohibition of racial discrimination.

In addition, the soldiers of the Empire wearing black uniforms were lined up as if protecting the citizens, so he was on edge.

“Damn it! Why are they doing this!?”

One of the private soldiers opened his mouth at Taranto’s words.

“Well, they’re demanding that you release the people you’re keeping as slaves.”

“What? Slaves? I’m giving them food and shelter in exchange for work, what slaves!? Are these crazy bastards telling me to give up my private property? They’re no different from robbers!”

In Taranto’s eyes, the citizens were no different from a group of robbers trying to take away his property.

How many people were starving to death during the war? He believed without a doubt that he was in the normal category, giving them food and shelter even if it was unpaid.

“Ungrateful bastards! Shoot them all! If a few die, they’ll be scared and scatter like cockroaches!”

“Yes? Master, but…”

“Shut up and do as I say!”

The private soldier hesitated but raised his gun towards the protesters.

Then, the other private soldiers also awkwardly aimed their rifles at the protesters.

“A, a gun!”

“That crazy bastard is trying to shoot us…!”

Thanks to that, the protesters had no choice but to step back in surprise.

At that moment, Lieutenant Mckell, who was in command of the soldiers of the Empire, raised a megaphone.

─ I advise you to put down your guns. Major Daniel Steiner, the temporary garrison commander, has said that he will not tolerate any violence that occurs during the protest.

Thanks to that, Taranto’s eyebrows furrowed.

Just as he was unable to refute, Lieutenant Mckell spoke again.

─ If you ignore the commander’s orders and fire, we cannot guarantee the lives of you and the private soldiers protecting you, based on the order to respond to violence with violence.

Taranto swallowed hard at Lieutenant Mckell’s words.

Lieutenant Mckell’s words sounded to Taranto like, ‘If you cross the line, we will kill you.’

‘Have the Imperial Army really decided to side with the citizens?’

After clenching his teeth for a long time, Taranto had no choice but to raise the white flag.

“…Put down your guns and release those people’s families.”

“Yes? Really?”

“Yes. There’s no point in antagonizing the garrison.”

The private soldiers, who had been hesitating, put down their guns all at once.

They also knew that they had no chance of winning if they fought the Imperial Army.

Thanks to that, the protesting citizens all shouted in unison.

“Taranto is backing down! We can see our families now!”

“Taranto, you bastard! Do you understand now! The garrison is on the side of the citizens! They’re protecting us!”

“Long live the garrison! Long live Major Daniel Steiner!”

The shouts of the citizens, holding their signs high, were spreading everywhere.

Among them was Hamtal, the leader of the secret society Black Swan.

‘To subdue Taranto…’

Even before the war broke out, Taranto was the most successful nobleman in Nordia.

His business acumen, which had accumulated wealth, was to lend money to people of color and then imprison them in mansions or farms under the pretext of demanding repayment of the debt and make them work.

The exorbitant interest rates made it virtually impossible to repay the debt, and the law also sided with Taranto, a nobleman, rather than people of color, so there was nothing that could be done about it.

In the meantime, Daniel, the temporary garrison commander, enacted the “Law Prohibiting Racial Discrimination,” which encouraged and empowered the citizens.

In addition, as if to prove that he was on the side of the citizens, he attached the garrison to this protest as an escort, preventing Taranto’s indiscriminate shooting.

Now I had no choice but to admit it.

‘Daniel Steiner is not a conqueror.’

He was a liberator who had come to save the citizens from the oppression of the kingdom.

As the citizens chanted Daniel’s name and were enthusiastic, Hamtal took out a radio from his pocket and quietly pressed the transmit button.

“All Black Swan squad members, listen.”

Hamtal paused for a moment and continued with conviction in his eyes.

“From now on, we will join Major Daniel Steiner’s will.”

It was the moment when a hero of Nordia, recognized by everyone, was born.