episode_0063

Kram Empire, Northeast.

Somewhere on the front lines facing the Elain Kingdom.

In this land where fierce battles unfolded with constant advances and retreats, strange rumors began to circulate at some point.

“Hey, did you hear? There’s been a rebellion.”

“In this situation? They’ve got guts.”

“Right? Everyone’s all about fighting for His Imperial Majesty, making the atmosphere so grim. Where is it?”

A riot had broken out.

A massive riot that had gone beyond a simple disturbance and was large enough to be called a rebellion.

At least several thousand farmers were involved, and dozens of villages and rural communities had joined in.

Just imagining who could have started such an absurd thing was a frightening thought.

“It’s… apparently near my hometown.”

“…..What?”

“I-It’s true! The source is a region called Kerdem, which is right next to my village!”

But what was even more frightening was…

…the fact that the leading forces might be their own families.

According to the information they were hearing, the areas caught up in the rebellion clearly included the hometowns of some of the soldiers.

So clearly that even excuses like ‘it just happened to overlap’ or ‘it was just nearby’ were hard to make.

Depending on your point of view, it wouldn’t be strange to consider them part of the instigators.

“Captain, about the stories going around these days…”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes? Come on, just tell me a little something…”

“I said I don’t know! Stop bothering me and get lost! Do you want to be collectively punished for disobeying orders?!”

Even asking the officers out of worry only brought back harsh curses and warnings.

The usually friendly and playful guys were unusually sharp. As if openly implying that there was something bad going on.

Furthermore, even the leisure time that had been permitted was now forbidden. Things like playing cards or dancing.

It was fine to play as they pleased if there was no battle the next day or if there was a lot of time left, but now even that was blocked off.

“Damn it. What the hell happened that they’re being so strict?”

“Is the battalion commander on his period or something? My wife gets this sensitive once a month without fail.”

“…..Our battalion commander is a man, you idiot.”

“Just saying.”

What was the reason for oppressing them like this?

If they were going to take away their rights and confine them, shouldn’t they at least give them a reason?

They were just worried about their families, would it hurt them to say they were doing well?

As frustration, questions, and stuffiness piled up…

…the answer they so desperately wanted came suddenly. And with content that was never pleasant.

* * * * *

“…..They’re all dead.”

“Probably. It seems they made an example of them and suppressed them thoroughly without mercy.”

The rebellion had been suppressed.

Without leaving behind a single prisoner or convict.

After repeating relentlessly thorough on-site killings and summary judgments, a near-perfect annihilation war was waged.

Targeting the hometowns, families, and relatives the soldiers had lived with all their lives.

“Are you saying they wiped out villages full of only women and old people? Our empire would do something crazy like that?”

“Since when have the higher-ups cared about that? Killing and beating people they don’t like is their daily routine.”

“God damn it. You’re right, though.”

“Fucking hell…..I hope it’s just a dream.”

The soldiers prayed to God day and night. Hoping that they had heard false rumors.

They just wanted a correction to arrive saying that their families were safe because they hadn’t committed any crimes.

But, unfortunately…

…reality was cruel.

“Mr. LeBeau! Is there a Mr. LeBeau here, the son of Papin? Looking for someone born in the riverside village in the southeast!”

“I think that’s me, why are you calling me?”

“I’ve come to deliver a letter. It’s from someone who claims to be your wife.”

“Aria? That bitch isn’t the type to write a letter of greeting or anything–Ugh!! What is this?!”

A merchant who regularly visited the unit delivered a letter. Saying that the family from his hometown had asked him to.

But the soldier couldn’t help but be shocked when he opened the envelope.

Because what was inside was not a handwritten letter written with care, but a severed woman’s finger.

“T-There’s a ring on it. I bought this for Aria. I spent a fortune on it in the city for our wedding anniversary.”

“So, this is a piece of your wife’s flesh?”

“Uweeek!! What kind of son of a bitch would do something like this….”

“It’s obvious! The bastard who cut this off probably sent it to mess with you!!”

The wedding ring, which was the perfect size, was on it.

It was also full of bloodstains that were probably hers.

Unless the woman named Aria was crazy, there was no reason to cut off a perfectly healthy body part and send it.

If so, there was only one remaining possibility. Someone had cut it off directly and sent it disguised as a letter.

If they were going to blatantly harm someone who had been living safely in the countryside… they would have to take care of the people in that village as well.

This kind of thing is beyond what an average gang of thieves could do.

Unless it’s the regular army.

“The rumors, they were true.”

“Did my family end up like this too?”

In other words, this meant that massacres and scorched earth tactics were carried out under the leadership of the government. Targeting the soldiers’ hometowns.

And it wasn’t just one place.

Similar things had happened in other units as well. And only in units where the place of origin was close to or next to the southeast.

As a result, anger, not sadness, began to surge in the soldiers’ hearts.

‘Why did they go this far?’

‘I’ve been working my ass off for the country for years, and this is how they treat me?’

‘They could have just imprisoned them or punished only the core instigators. There are many ways. Did they really have to wipe out my whole family?’

They could accept that their families were punished for committing crimes.

If it was a few years in prison or forced labor, they would have been sad, but they would have understood.

But.

Why commit massacres?

Why did they kill old people and women without exception?

A newborn baby, a dying grandfather, committing treason? At an age where they can’t even hold a sword and swing it?

Are you saying that people who can’t even take care of themselves, let alone resist the country, have committed a crime worthy of death?

“They told us so passionately to fight for our nation and family. But the higher-ups were actually killing our families.”

“Those sons of bitches.”

They work hard and sacrifice, but the country doesn’t give them the reward they deserve. Rather, it only takes it away.

‘Should we continue to be loyal to this country?’

Has our dedication been rewarded?

No, it hasn’t. The country itself has proven that it won’t do so in the future.

If so, there’s no reason to maintain our loyalty.

“Hey, you morons over there! Pick up your guns right now! There’s a battle right in front of us, what are you doing–!”

“Fuck you, you bastard!! We’re leaving!!”

“Did you think we’d keep following your orders forever!!”

Starting with an incident that occurred in one battalion, collective insubordination spread rapidly.

First dozens, then hundreds, then thousands.

At least a division’s worth of soldiers refused the government’s orders and set out to repay their grudges.

“Everyone, stand up! Throw away the flag and turn your guns around!”

“Let’s take revenge on the bastards who destroyed the place we’re going back to!!”

“If we’re going to die anyway, let’s at least give the higher-ups a taste of our shit before we go!!”

And the Kram Empire government, upon hearing this news…

…was, of course, turned upside down.

* * * * *

“They’re fighting each other so hard. It’s a good thing for us, though.”

“That’s right.”

We gleefully watched the infighting of the so-called mighty empire. Both to see how pathetic they were and for the fun of watching the results of the behind-the-scenes work.

“Just sending a few letters did that. After all, it’s important to clean up after everything.”

The pieces of remains the soldiers received?

Our organization sent those.

It was a matter of cutting out parts from the fresh corpses left over from the Kram Empire army’s massacre that could be used to identify them.

In the midst of destroying and massacring everything, they were too lazy to clean up the scene properly.

They seemed to be careless because they thought no one would come for a while…..they should have been careful until the end.

They were being lazy for no reason, so we took advantage of it.

‘It was quite a cost-effective operation. It caused a large-scale insubordination with just the money to send a few letters.’

We turned the country upside down just by having the agents of the Kram branch rummage through the ruins, so it was quite a profitable deal.

We were worried about how to prepare the evidence to prove the rumors that were spreading on their own. It was easily solved.

This time, well-trained soldiers have rebelled, so it will be difficult to suppress them in the short term.

It’s not impossible if they really want to…..but the aftermath will be severe for the country.

“Anyway, they should have thought about the aftermath before doing it.”

Wantonly harming the families of the soldiers fighting on the front lines. Did they think morale would be maintained even after doing that?

They knew the advantages of the conscription system and introduced it, but they didn’t consider the points to be careful about, so this situation is happening.

Did they think that they could solve everything by simply controlling everything like before?

‘I should prepare for some maneuvers on this side soon too.’

I hugged Kalia tightly in my arms, smelled the scent of her hair, and thought.

This incident will probably have a major and minor impact on all the participating countries, regardless of friend or foe.

They will definitely try to come up with preventive measures, so I should intervene a little.

Rather than rational measures, they should make choices that seem plausible for the time being, but ruin the country in the long run.

‘Anyway.’

I’m working so hard to ruin the world. What is our Saintess doing right now?

* * * * *

“……And you call yourself a god? Why are you being so irresponsible!”