Chapter 83 : Reversalism (4)

Charles Delescluze.

He was a promising talent of the Navre Kingdom who had attended the Academy until the third year before dropping out.

“I fully understand your anxiety and concern. But if you respond emotionally, it will only harm the nation.”

If you asked why he dropped out, it wasn’t his fault.

The Academy had been shut down, so he couldn’t continue his studies.

How can you pursue academics when your school no longer exists?

Still, thanks to his excellent grades during enrollment, he was able to be appointed to an important position in his homeland.

“In this era, people who’ve completed secondary education are a rarity. With credentials like his, he’s top-tier.”

Originally, only a few hundred students across all of Navre entered the Academy each year.

Among them, only 20 to 30 studied practical fields like politics, finance, or diplomacy.

So even if he didn’t complete his education, he was treated as a valuable human resource.

“…Then what do you believe should be done?”

“You must change your mindset. It’s impossible to retrieve books once they’ve already spread.”

Using his career and reputation as weapons,Charles managed to sway the higher-ups of the Navre Kingdom.

With eloquent speech, he argued that taking a hardline approach was not the only solution in times like these.

“As you all know, the soldiers at the front lines are extremely fatigued. Due to the plague, they can’t even retreat to the rear, and they’ve reached their limits from repeating exhausting missions daily.”

“…That’s unavoidable. What if the disease spreads within the unit? That would be a disaster.”

“Exactly. But tired soldiers also means a rise in defiance. If you keep overworking them without rest or compensation, who would want to obey their superiors’ orders?”

There’s a limit to tightening the reins and whipping them.

No matter how disciplined the military may be, when things go too far, resentment inevitably explodes.

Particularly in situations like now, where soldiers are being asked to make excessive sacrifices, caution was essential.

“You need to approach this gently. Soothe and persuade the troops so their morale doesn’t falter.”

In other words,you need to govern them by offering carrots—some kind of reward or relief.

To help the weary soldiers maintain morale and uphold the chain of command.

“If you start handing out harsh sentences just for reading a distributed book, some might start thinking in extremes. If they’re going to die anyway, they might try to go out with a bang.”

“Hmph. Are you saying there’s a possibility of rebellion?”

“Anyone whose life is on the line would go wild, don’t you think?”

Then he brought up something that had happened in a neighboring country a few months ago.

Though it was suppressed not long after, it had shocked the leadership of every country involved in the war.

“If people in similar circumstances start banding together… it could end up like the Kram Empire. Entire units might mutiny, or there could be mass desertions.”

The Kram Empire had ruthlessly cracked down on a region that resisted excessive food requisitions,only to suffer large-scale rebellions from units composed of men from that region.

It took several months to suppress the uprising.

The damage to their national strength and manpower was immense.

To recover from that loss, they imported a large number of slaves—which then got them deeply entangled in the current plague outbreak.

There’s no guarantee Navre won’t end up the same.

Who’s going to quietly accept death just for reading a book?

Some might even steal classified information and defect to the enemy.

“What did you say?!”

“No! If the army fractures when the northern front is already threatened by the Allein bastards, we’re finished!!”

“Please calm down. I’m only speaking hypothetically.”

Calming the panicking authorities, Charles continued his persuasion in a composed tone.

“So we must take a moderate approach. We need to control the soldiers, but in a way that allows them to willingly follow orders.”

There were more than enough ways to achieve that.

Just a bit of mercy without looking down on the lower ranks would solve it.

Consideration, understanding, and gentleness toward others have always been more effective tools of control than violence and coercion.

“First, we should inform them how absurd the contents of those books are. If it gets too long, it’ll lose persuasiveness, so keep it concise.”

“Specifically, how?”

“Let’s emphasize how much our country cares about its soldiers. And also the benefits that the families of the fallen receive.”

“You mean things like tax exemptions or relocation rights to the capital?”

“Yes. We must make them realize that even if they die on the battlefield, it won’t be in vain.”

“All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Farewell to Arms” are both novels about the futility and misery of war.

To win over those persuaded by such works, the best approach is to highlight the justice and value of war.

Since the Navre Kingdom had also begun to adopt benevolent military governance, this was quite easy.

Diverting all national resources to the military was itself proof that the country valued its army.

On top of that, if they selected a few bereaved families and gifted them relocation rights as a show, then advertised it—it would work.

“After that, wouldn’t it be effective to warn that anyone spreading false rumors will be punished?There’s no need to show mercy to fools who refuse to understand even after a kind explanation.”

“…Not bad. As expected of someone educated at the Academy.”

“Ha ha, you flatter me.”

The high-ranking officials, swayed by Charles’s argument, nodded and adopted his proposal.

They too knew that blindly cracking down with force had too many side effects.

“You came up with the plan, so why don’t you take charge of it? You’ll be given the authority and personnel you need.”

“Thank you. I will not let you down!”

But unfortunately,they didn’t know.

That this policy wasn’t for the sake of national stability.

*****

“How easily they’re fooled. Stupid pig bastards.”

Alone in his office, Charles Delescluze muttered quietly.

Honestly, they were such easy prey.

To think they trusted the words of a rookie who’d been in central politics for less than two years and gave him full discretion.

‘I’m not working for the likes of you.’

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

Those high-ranking officials might have graduated from the Academy too, but they likely didn’t learn anything properly.

No matter how meritocratic the Academy claimed to be, there were still privileges based on social status.

If a noble from a ducal or marquess household enrolled, they’d get good grades even with terrible test scores.

As long as they had good bloodlines, they could graduate without studying a single day.

Because of that, quite a few graduates—like the ones he had just persuaded—were incompetent despite their degrees.

“Well, anyway, to think the instructor would publish another book.”

Charles pulled out the small books he had hidden in his drawer.

“Farewell to Arms” and “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

These were the books rumored to have been secretly distributed among the soldiers.

Though there were no authors or publishers listed, they instinctively knew who had written them.

That made sense—because in these turbulent times, there was only one person who could craft such a perfectly timed piece of writing.

Who else but Laemis—no, Ishmael—could do such a thing?

“So this time, you’re really planning to plunge the world into chaos.”

He realized it the moment he read it.

This book was the final blow to an already crumbling world.

Having discovered by chance that Laemis was actually Ishmael, Charles and the other students had read all of his works.

The Wealth of Nations, An Essay on the Principle of Population, Leviathan, The Prince, all of them.

They had dug into every trace their instructor had left behind.

And through intense discussion and contemplation, they understood.

The reason their instructor had created and spread all these subversive books was to overturn a rotten world.

He didn’t have the power to topple the oppressors by force,So instead, he would lead them to self-destruction—to bring about a revolution.

“Most of the major nations have already reached their limits due to war. If the military collapses in this situation… they won’t be able to hold out.”

Nationalism.

Totalitarianism.

Religious revolutions.

Division of labor.

Military-first politics.

The world had already suffered enough under these dreadful ideologies.

If anti-war and salt-field ideologies (pacifism and isolationism) were to spread on top of that, it wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

In that case,As a disciple, it was only right to assist his teacher.

“Navre is covered since I’m in charge of handling seditious publications here… the others can take care of their regions.”

Charles and his comrades, who shared his ideals, were already scattered across various nations.

They had all attended Ishmael’s political science lectures and received his books as gifts.

They were smart.

They would respond appropriately to the current crisis.

While pretending to crack down on the distributed novels, they would actually spread them further and bring ruin to the world.

“Don’t worry, Instructor. We will fulfill your will.”

With a vow more fitting for the dead, Charles touched the book he always kept on him.

The Das Kapital that Ishmael had given him.

*****

As an aside,Before leaving the Academy, the students had made a promise to each other.

“Even when we return to our homelands, let’s not forget what we learned here.”

“Yeah. If we’ve taken the trouble to learn it, we should make good use of it.”

“Let’s stay in touch and help each other out.”

Though their individual goals and visions for the future differed, they agreed not to forget the bond they had forged here.

If possible, they would support and cooperate with one another.

To overthrow the oppressors and build a more peaceful world—a brighter future.

After all, sticking together increased their chances of success far more than going at it alone.

“Should we make some kind of symbol? Something that shows we studied and stand together as comrades?”

“That sounds good. Maybe a ring…?”

“Let’s give ourselves a name too.”

Symbolizing their desire to become masons who would chisel down the world and rebuild it anew.

And their aspiration to create a freer (free) and more advanced future.

They shared rings engraved with the tools essential to any mason—a square and compass.

And they called themselves : Freemasons.