episode_0103

News of the empire’s defeat reached the imperial palace straight away.

The first major defeat since the end of the Great War.

The city of Daejeon was plunged into silence at the terrible news.

[Imperial 9th and 14th Legions annihilated]

[Imperial 1st and 5th Legions. Maximum damage]

[ Most of the materials were lost. Many casualties ]

The high and low ranking officials who heard the entire report could not bring themselves to open their mouths.

When was the last time an empire suffered such a crushing defeat?

All he could do was just look at the emperor and lower his head to the floor.

It felt like a scolding would come down at any moment.

But the emperor could only blame himself for all this, saying it was all his own immorality.

“… This is so sad.”

When those words finally came out of the emperor’s mouth, everyone knelt down.

And then they apologized, saying that it was all their fault.

In particular, the people on the War Ministry and General Staff side looked as if they had been sentenced to death.

“Please kill me, Your Majesty. It is all my fault.”

“I brought this shame upon the empire because of my lack of conviction. How can I erase this sin?”

The Minister of War and the Chief of Staff of the General Staff cried out mournfully, hitting their foreheads on the floor.

It wasn’t some kind of acting to survive. It was a heartfelt self-reproach.

In an instant, two of the five Western Corps were completely dissolved.

The remaining three legions each lost a limb.

It was a terrible, catastrophic, and utterly humiliating defeat.

It’s almost dark to think about how this will be recorded in imperial history.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

The crown princess with her cold, hard face steps forward cautiously.

“I am truly sorry to say this, but I believe that right now is not the time to discuss responsibility. It is natural to hold those responsible for this disaster, but first, the recovery process must come first.”

In the worst case scenario, the Crown Princess took up arms herself.

In such dire times, who would dare to speak so frankly to the Emperor?

All I can say is that the Minister of War and the Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should be dismissed and punished immediately.

At least for the subjects and nobles, that was the only option.

Knowing that, the Crown Princess stepped forward and said that the priority for now was to overcome the current situation.

The war is still raging, and even after this terrible defeat.

Replacing the heads of the War Department and the General Staff immediately would only add to the confusion.

‘The first priority right now is to get through this difficult situation. Punishment comes later.’

There is no way the Emperor would not know the intentions of the Crown Princess.

Rather, he was waiting for the Crown Princess to step forward at this moment.

If everyone keeps silent, those two will have to be punished immediately.

“The Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff, raise your heads.”

“Your Majesty!”

“We won’t hold you accountable right away. Rather, we should discuss how to overcome this situation and bring it to Jim’s attention.”

“Even if my bones break and I vomit blood, I will do it!!”

It doesn’t mean that there will be no punishment. It means that it will be put on hold for now.

Since the two people are each the heads of wealth, they did so only to avoid causing more confusion.

It wasn’t just a normal defeat, it was even worse when two legions were destroyed.

After this, the Empire decided to temporarily pull back all the legions that were advancing deep into the region.

At the same time, all the reserve units waiting in the rear were hurriedly moved forward.

The entire War Department and the General Staff devoted themselves day and night to the recovery effort.

I was out of my mind. This was the first time the Empire had suffered such a crushing defeat.

In the process, borders were temporarily emptied.

“Dedorant Army Targeting the Border?”

And almost, the Empire’s mainland was attacked.

Everyone was shocked again by the terrible news that came after the defeat.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor. It is said that the Dedorant Army appeared near the Western and Northern Gates.”

“What happened? Did the gate fall?”

“No. Fortunately, they say they repelled the enemy without much damage.”

For a moment, the Emperor, the Crown Princess, and the ministers tilted their heads.

Judging from the fact that they appeared near the gate, they were clearly targeting the empire’s mainland.

And there are currently no significant military forces stationed near the border.

From their perspective, there couldn’t have been a more perfect moment for an attack.

But you say the army withdrew without causing any significant damage?

“It is said that the Imperial Chief of Staff arrived there a few days ago.”

Come to think of it, Kael had asked the Emperor for permission to move in advance.

However, he did not lead the army. He intended to move first and check the situation.

Even before news of the Empire’s defeat was heard.

There would have been no preparations. At best, there would have been only border guards.

But how could they stop the enemies who had planned to break through the gate?

“… Huh.”

The Emperor sighed after seeing the detailed report about him and the report submitted by Kael.

It is said that when the enemy came, they deliberately opened the gate wide and waited.

All the soldiers dismounted, and only the flag was raised. They cleared and swept the road and motioned for people to come in.

Even Kael was said to be sitting on the gate, leisurely playing the lute!

What kind of courage is this, something so great that it jumps out of the boat?

If the opponent had rushed at me, thinking, “Wow, that’s crazy,” I would have given up not only my life but also the gate.

I was simply amazed at where and how such confidence and conviction came from.

“Your Majesty. Am I seeing the right thing?”

The Crown Princess, who received the report from the Emperor, also reacted no differently than her father.

Did they really anticipate this and rush to the border?

Are you sure that if the Empire were to lose, Dedorant would target the Gate?

‘Just how far ahead is this guy looking?’

For the first time in a while, the Crown Princess gave me goosebumps.

If such a person had come from somewhere other than the Empire.

How much damage did the empire have to suffer?

Even after some time, it was revealed that Dedorant’s army was made up of the best.

It was revealed that Prince Georg III, who could be called the heart of Dedorant, was inside.

Literally, it means a unit that can break through a gate and break through it.

If they had stormed into imperial territory, there would have been enormous damage to the rear.

It must have been a terrible thing, with the supply depot burning and the surrounding rivers being trampled.

And the Imperial Chief of Staff, Kael, was the one who prevented that from happening.

Without fighting a single battle. Just opening the door wide and cleaning.

While strumming the lute in front of a terrifyingly large army!!

“This is truly a stroke of luck, Your Majesty. If the border gate had been breached, the situation would have gotten out of control and into serious trouble.”

“It’s simply amazing that they were able to stop Dedorant’s elite bodyguard without any damage.”

It was a surprising victory that was completely unexpected in the midst of the worst defeat.

It was a ray of light in the gloomy Daejeon and gave us a breath of fresh air.

If even the gate had been breached, it would have been even more difficult to recover from the rear.

This not only blocked one gateway, but also prevented the beginning of a greater defeat.

“Your Majesty. How about quickly delegating full authority to the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Staff to sort out this situation?”

The military elders who were observing the situation were the first to speak.

“Full authority delegated to the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Family.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Chief of Staff of the Imperial Household has already proven his abilities in the Eastern and Southern campaigns. Whether it be tactics, or strategy, or strategy. And even the part of strategy. I think it would be too much of a loss for the Empire to keep such an outstanding talent in the rear.”

“Do other military ministers have the same opinion?”

Most of those present bowed and answered yes to the emperor’s question.

Normally, it would be normal for someone to oppose someone who is so strongly supporting and recommending someone.

If power and authority are concentrated in one person, it can easily lead to unfavorable outcomes.

But now the empire has suffered a great defeat.

The military’s losses are severe, but the biggest problem is that morale has hit rock bottom.

Even if you somehow manage to secure supplies and troops, it is not easy to maintain morale and momentum.

“What the frontline soldiers need now is the belief that they can win despite this defeat.”

“Hmm.”

“He is the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Family who has never been defeated. He is a strategist who has succeeded with every strategy. If someone like him is with us, the soldiers will surely gain the strength to stand up again.”

Faith. Faith. The emperor nodded slowly at those words.

Yes. What greater defeat can there be than a broken heart?

For now, we will have to put all our effort and energy into erasing it.

“Minister of the Imperial Household.”

“Please give your order.”

“Grant the authority of the Chief of Staff of the First Army to the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Staff. From now on, all matters of the First Army shall be discussed and carried out together with the Commander of the First Army.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Also.”

As if it wasn’t the end, the emperor looked around at the crowd and said:

“The Ministry of War should focus on supply and reserve and garrison units rather than managing the entire war zone.”

“All those in the General Staff who were deeply involved in this operation will be dismissed. The Chief of Staff will also issue a standby order after completing the immediate recovery work.”

The purpose of the war effort is to focus more on support work rather than the war itself.

The General Staff is saying that they will reorganize the internal structure to the point of a complete reshuffle.

Upon hearing that order, one conclusion came to mind in the minds of the high and low ranking officials gathered there.

‘This is… granting absolute authority to the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Staff.’

‘The Ministry of War, which failed to prevent the tragedy, was pushed back, and the General Staff, which was the biggest cause, was completely reorganized. If this happens, the influence of the Imperial Chief of Staff will become stronger than ever.’

‘He is said to be the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Army and the Chief of Staff of the First Army, but in reality he is acting as the Chief of Staff of the General Staff.’

The absolute trust of the Emperor, and the absolute authority that comes with it.

Now everything depended on a young man not yet thirty.