Chapter 99: The Second Winter War (3)

The war progressed more smoothly than expected.

Of course, there’s no such thing as a “smooth” war in this world, but considering the enemy we faced, the situation wasn’t entirely dire.

The real issue was the lack of tangible gains.

This was essentially a preemptive war—we had to uproot the Winter Queen’s power before she grew stronger, a judgment agreed upon by other nations.

Victory here wouldn’t fundamentally change much, but it would preserve the critically important value of survival.

The problem was that nothing else would change.

Worse, the damage we sustained here had to be borne individually.

In other words, even winning would leave us in the red.

This led to a wary standoff.

The Empire had to lead the vanguard; if the war dragged on aimlessly, the Empire would suffer the most.

To break this stalemate, we had two choices: end the war as quickly as possible or promise substantial compensation to the allied nations.

Either way, the Empire’s losses would be immense.

“We’ll have to choose the former. But that means heavy casualties for our soldiers.”

“A decision must be made. Wolfgang.”

“I know.”

Wolfgang sighed.

Politics was the last thing she wanted to worry about in this situation, yet its necessity was undeniable. There was no other way.

If we delayed here, other nations would hold back, and the Empire would bear the brunt of the damage.

It was obvious.

The one silver lining was that there was one other force desperate to fight alongside us: Prince Jaiha’s resistance army from the Kingdom.

They were on the brink of losing their nation, so naturally, they’d fight with all their might.

Joining forces with them to strike the Kingdom’s capital was the best immediate strategy.

Fortunately, the Vendetta Legion—led by Wolfgang—possessed asymmetrical firepower strong enough to be called overwhelming.

Plus, their commanders were top-notch.

And for now, the allied nations seemed to be making a token effort, perhaps still mindful of the Empire’s influence.

This was our chance.

Despite reckless advances and accumulating losses, the Imperial Army’s morale was better than expected.

Unwavering supplies and support helped, but more than that, it was about trust.

“General Leonhardt will definitely win.”

“Yeah, and the perks are great. Even liquor is supplied.”

“But don’t overdo it. No matter how well-treated you are, getting caught drinking on guard duty means severe punishment.”

“I know that much.”

Though cheap, liquor and food were supplied regularly.

Most importantly, Wolfgang and the Vendetta Legion were fighting tooth and nail at the frontline.

How ironic.

The Empire and Kingdom, once at each other’s throats, were now united against a common enemy.

Maybe after all this fighting ends, change might come.

But that’s a distant future tale. Not anytime soon.

Wolfgang spat out the cigarette she’d been holding in her mouth.

“I really need to quit this damn cigarette.”

“The commander quitting smoking? That’ll never happen.”

“It’s bad for health.”

“True. Then let’s enjoy it before quitting?”

“Liquor, huh? Not bad.”

There was no reason to refuse Galina’s offer.

Entering the tent prepared for the Vendetta Legion, Jackal was already fast asleep in his bunk.

“Jackal’s worked hard too.”

“Yes, he has.”

“Everyone’s exhausted. What about Black?”

“He’s scouting the skies right now.”

“Right.”

We never dreamed they’d create flying Wendigos.

Thanks to explosive flesh bombs and poison raining from the sky, we suffered unexpected casualties.

Now we had to guard both land and air.

Among us, only Wolfgang and Black could counter aerial threats.

“We’ll need to relieve Black when he returns.”

“Leave him be, Commander. He’s a dragon.”

“Dragons need rest too. That way, they’re more useful.”

“How about a drink first? You should warm up before going out.”

“Sounds good.”

Wolfgang didn’t refuse the liquor Galina offered.

The reason for even a small liquor ration was simple: to boost soldiers’ morale and courage.

Wolfgang downed it heartily.

It tasted far more bitter than expected.

An indomitable military genius might minimize casualties and win, like Sun Tzu or Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

But sadly, this was different.

If our enemy were human, there’d be a chance.

But they were Wendigos, creatures that casually did things humans couldn’t even imagine.

For example, dropping Wendigos from extreme heights for surprise aerial assaults, or mass-producing suicide bombers who survived their own explosions to wreak havoc on our forces.

In the south, the advancing coalition reportedly lost a third of troops their to suicide bombers and had to retreat.

Whether true or not…

“How many casualties?”

“Thirty killed in this battle.”

“Collect the bodies and belongings. We’ll deliver them to the families when we win.”

“Understood.”

“We need to push harder from now on.”

At least, when touched by Wolfgang’s flames, the enemies exploded and couldn’t regenerate.

Undying suicide bombers were far more annoying than anticipated.

“They really pulled out all the stops.”

“But that must have its limits, right?”

“Of course. They can’t churn these things out so easily.”

The Winter King hadn’t bothered with such tricks—he had overwhelming power, and his Wendigos were far stronger under his influence.

But now, while Wendigos were annoying, they felt weaker compared to those from the previous Winter War.

They just compensated with bizarre mutations.

The Winter Queen was indeed more troublesome as a commander, but annoying and unstoppable were different leagues.

We were advancing without difficulty much.

Yet separately, the rate of attrition was faster than expected.

The Winter Queen had clearly schemed too.

“The Winter Queen’s been scheming too, huh. Damn brat.”

“But not for long.”

“Right, we’ve finally reached the Kingdom’s capital.”

Thanks to Wolfgang’s overwhelming firepower and the Vendetta Legion’s ferocious fighting, the Imperial Army and Prince Jaiha’s resistance reached the capital in just a month. A remarkably fast advance.

This was also possible because Prince Jaiha, the resistance’s leader, knew the Kingdom’s terrain like the back of his hand.

Without him, it would’ve taken longer.

Wolfgang clicked her tongue and looked up.

The capital looked completely different from what she’d seen before.

In one word: a frozen citadel.

No, not a metaphor—literally. A towering fortress of ice, defying the sky, greeted us.

Are we seriously supposed to siege that?

“Looks like we’ll need a small elite team.”

“You think so too? Leifen.”

“Yeah. To anyone, it’s just a deathtrap of a fortress.”

We’ll attempt a siege, not but deeply—just a light attack. Meanwhile, we’ll infiltrate the capital with a small elite unit.

“We’ve wiped out countless Wendigos on our way here. Plus, the southern and western coalitions are barely holding their lines. That means there’s likely very little inside.”

“Then it’s time for the Vendetta Legion to step in.”

“Exactly.”

Each member of the Vendetta Legion was a monster capable of replacing an entire army.

If they hadn’t covered the frontlines, casualties would’ve been far worse.

“But how do we get into that fortress?”

Prince Jaiha, listening to the discussion, spoke with a bewildered look.

Right, a common-sense question. If it were easy to enter, why bother with a siege?

But unfortunately, the Vendetta Legion doesn’t play by common sense.

In response to Jaiha’s question, Leifen snapped his fingers.

A dimensional rift appeared before his eyes—revealing the frozen capital’s landscape.

Staring at it blankly, Jaiha looked stunned. Leifen smirked and said,

“Does that explain it?”

Once we’re ready, let’s depart immediately.