Chapter 2: I didn’t want to do this either (2)

Finally, Colonel Kys, who had managed to gather the information, handed over the materials and reported what he had found.

Contrary to the usual poker face typical of the Intelligence Department, he was unable to control his expression at all.

“To explain the situation, it’s roughly like this,” he began.

He said that initially, this wasn’t the strategy they had planned to pursue.

The king and the nobles wanted to make sure not a single inch of land was lost, and the military shared the same mindset. They had planned to continue reinforcing the troops and maintaining a strict defense along the frontlines and borders, just as they had always done.

Retreat? That was a term that should never even be mentioned.

…If that foolish queen hadn’t suddenly gotten greedy, that is.

“That damn fool, Jalomier—”

“Watch your mouth. This is the military. There are many ears listening.”

“My apologies. Anyway, some idiot suddenly demanded that the king buy expensive luxury goods. Thanks to that, our military’s budget was completely drained.”

The current King Carl VII has three wives. One is his legitimate queen, Jalomier, and the other two were concubines taken later on.

The concubines aren’t particularly important, so let’s move past them. The real issue began at a royal banquet one day.

“Everyone, please pay attention! This is a brooch made from the world’s largest ruby!”

“How many carats is that? What kind of jewel is that? It’s so big it’s the size of a fist!”

“How much would it cost to buy that… No, before that, can we even put a price on something like that?”

The wife of Marquis Benemunde, who had never been on good terms with the queen, appeared wearing jewelry sent from her family.

The Benemunde family’s estates are known throughout the kingdom as a source of fine gems.

They had mined the highest quality ruby stones from their family-owned mines, processed them, and showcased the finished product at the banquet to flaunt their wealth.

Some may find it rather distasteful, especially when others, like a general, spend every day eating in a tent. But anyway, there was nothing particularly strange about the incident.

It’s just one of the basic qualities of high-ranking nobles: the need to show off and indulge in vanity.

When they have something to boast about, it’s natural for them to display it in front of everyone.

However, the queen saw this as a direct challenge to her authority and immediately began seeking a way to retaliate. In other words, she decided to find another flashy and expensive piece of jewelry to rival the Benemunde ruby brooch.

“Your Majesty, please arrange for an urgent sum of money. We must somehow put the Marquis of Benemunde in his place.”

“Do we really need to do that? Our budget is already stretched thin because of the war.”

“This is a matter of my authority and the royal family’s prestige! Are we just going to watch our royal honor fall to the ground?!”

“Alright, alright. Then let me see where we can arrange the funds…”

The Marquis of Benemunde had proudly declared his ruby to be the largest in the world. Finding something of equal grandeur to match it would not be easy.

After all, rubies are far rarer and more precious than sapphires or emeralds.

In the end, the queen’s attention turned to diamonds.

The king of gems, a symbol of luxury. Even a small diamond could display enough value and rarity to compete.

Coincidentally, a suitable item had come onto the market from a neighboring country. It wasn’t particularly large, but it was made of the finest quality diamonds, dozens of them, crafted into a tiara.

The price was astronomical, but the queen was so pleased with it that it became her goal. A large sum of money was immediately gathered for the purchase.

…And that fund included the budget originally allocated for new soldier training and the purchase of military supplies.

The blood money that had been raised over the past decade, which had been hard-earned and was meant to protect the kingdom from the Northern Allied Empire that had tormented them for so long.

In any rational country, the purchase of such a luxury would have been canceled, and the money redirected to the military. But here, in this kingdom ruled by an absolute monarch, the king’s word was final, and no rational decision could be expected.

“Your Majesty, if we proceed with this, there won’t be enough funds to feed the soldiers at the frontlines.”

“Then we’ll have to cut military expenses. Which front is consuming the most money right now?”

“The north. It’s difficult to supply, given the distance and rugged terrain.”

“Then let’s withdraw the troops from there. Even if we give up the frozen wasteland, it won’t make much of a difference to the war.”

The region was buried in snow for most of the year, making farming impossible and with a very small population. There was no significant benefit to holding on to it.

So, the idea was to hand it over to the Northern Allied Empire and reorganize the front from the rear. Moving to a location with shorter supply lines and easier mobility would also reduce defense costs significantly.

With that logic, the north was abandoned.

It was difficult to reveal the truth, so only a brief order was left, just a few lines on a command sheet.

“Shit.”

And of course.

After understanding the circumstances, there was no way I could agree with such a reckless decision.

“Those fucking pigs in the capital.”

I muttered lowly, unable to hold back the curse.

It was shameful to be swearing after just telling Lieutenant Colonel Kys to hold his tongue, but I couldn’t stand it any longer.

They’re abandoning land because they’re short on funds from luxury spending? Was a tiara more important than the rations for the soldiers?

Does this even make sense? Then why the hell did I issue orders to never retreat and to fight to the last man?

We hadn’t lost in the battles where we deployed most of our military forces, nor was the economy on the verge of collapse.

If we were going to give up the land so easily, then what the hell were we fighting for all this time?

Was this land something we could afford to give up for the sake of luxury goods? Why, after sacrificing so many lives and fighting countless battles over the past 10 years, did we need to spend such enormous resources?

“Do they even understand the value of this land? After more than 10 years, do they still not get why we built a base in a place where people can barely survive?”

“I know it’s hard to believe… but it seems so. Some even mock saying that they must have liked suffering to be stuck in a place like that.”

“They must be dumber than bugs.”

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

Did they say the north is barren and contributes nothing to the kingdom’s strength? Fine. That’s true. Honestly, even if this land were lost, it would barely affect the kingdom’s economy.

But the value of land isn’t determined solely by its resources or production.

Some lands, no matter how low their material value, provide immense benefit to a country simply by being held.

The north is a realm dominated by snow and ice. It’s difficult to even find a proper village or settlement, and the terrain is quite rough.

The environment on the Northern Allied Empire’s side might be slightly better, but the part owned by our kingdom is closer to a literal wasteland.

However, beyond the snowy expanse lies a vast plain.

A gigantic flatland, similar to Ukraine’s great steppes, with only a few hills and lakes breaking up the terrain.

“If we give up the north, our kingdom will collapse.”

Should I simplify it further?

The northern snowy region is to our kingdom what the Great Wall of China was to the Ming Dynasty or what the Sudetenland was to Czechoslovakia.

The west could fall, but we’d still have old fortress lines in the rear to hold the defense. The eastern front is short enough to be plugged quickly if breached.

But not here. If we abandon this place, the entire country will crumble. It’s the most critical stronghold for the kingdom’s defense strategy—no, for its entire security. And we’re just going to hand it over?

What, are they trying to achieve world peace or something?

“It feels like all the loyalty I’ve given has been for nothing.”

“…I feel the same.”

For the first time since reincarnating into this world, I felt regret.

The queen who wasted the kingdom’s taxes on a tiara, the king who readily agreed, and the central nobles who stood idly by and let it happen.

I was revolted by the mere existence of these people.

But above all else.

I hated myself the most.

Why? Why did I, this pathetic fool, waste ten years of my life? I should have surrendered to the Northern Allied Empire the moment the war began.

I could have been living comfortably by now if I had just surrendered earlier.

Maybe I should have become a merchant instead of a soldier.

If I had emigrated and started a business, wouldn’t I be living much more comfortably and peacefully now?

“But now, no matter how much I beg, I can’t get them to revoke the orders.”

Although I made a name for myself on the battlefield, I’m still a low-ranking noble. I have no connections to the central government and my status is just that of a pure military man.

Even if I go to the capital, begging the nobles to reconsider, it probably wouldn’t work. I might even get dismissed from my position as deputy commander for being too presumptuous.

“Has anyone else heard about this?”

“No, sir. You’re the first to know.”

“Then keep quiet about it for now. If word gets out, it’ll be the end.”

“Understood!”

After giving Kaiss the order to remain silent, I stayed behind in the barracks, lighting a cigarette.

I’m not usually a big smoker, but right now, I wanted to drown my brain in nicotine.

But, as the saying goes, rumors travel faster than anything.

“Deputy Commander! Is it really true that we’re retreating because of jewelry?!”

“Please, explain it to us!!”

The rumors quickly spread among the officers.