episode_0065

Meanwhile, around the same time Saint Joan was wailing in despair.

An emergency meeting was in full swing in the capital of the Kram Empire.

“A rebellion, of all times, in this situation!”

“The scale is too large. To think so many soldiers would defy the imperial order…”

“Who on earth spread the rumors?”

The soldiers had revolted. And these were first-rate soldiers fighting on the front lines against the Elaine Kingdom.

Units with some of the best combat power and experience in the empire had collectively turned their guns around.

“Disloyal bastards. To break the oath of allegiance they swore to His Majesty upon enlisting like this.”

“What can you expect from commoners? They’re just ignorant fools who haven’t received a proper education.”

“That’s why I opposed the introduction of the conscription system. No matter how beneficial it may be, accepting anyone and everyone into the military ruins military discipline.”

The nobles and generals attending the meeting spewed curses as if competing with each other.

They were spouting prejudices and discrimination, saying things like the problem was their low bloodline and that one shouldn’t expect anything from commoners.

As if saying harsh words would solve the problem, they were tearing into the rebels just barely within the bounds of dignity.

‘Damn it. We shouldn’t have been so excessive in suppressing them.’

‘They killed them all, is it any wonder anyone would be angry?’

‘If it were me, I would have done the same as the soldiers.’

But deep down, everyone knew. They knew what the cause was.

How could they not, when the rebels were openly proclaiming it?

‘Even if an example needed to be made, that was too much. Just dealing with the ringleaders appropriately and raising taxes as a punishment would have been enough.’

Too much blood had been shed mercilessly cracking down on the people who had risen up in hunger.

The news quickly spread to the military, and soldiers who had lost their families were enraged and revolted.

A very simple cause and effect.

Yet, they couldn’t mention it because the ones who had ordered the hardline crackdown were the very people sitting here.

They had taken a hard line to root out the disloyal dogs, and this butterfly effect had blown up in their faces.

“Tsk… What should we do about this?”

“Wouldn’t another hardline crackdown be best?”

“I suppose so. We can’t exactly compromise.”

In any case, regardless of who caused the problem. They had to fix it now that it had occurred.

The appropriate way to deal with a large-scale military rebellion… would surely be the use of force.

They couldn’t afford to choose compromise when they were already racking their brains trying to figure out how to win the war.

No matter how dire the circumstances, there was only punishment for traitors.

“Then which units should we mobilize?”

“Wouldn’t the 17th and 14th Divisions, which were held back as reserves, be good? Their command post is near the rebels.”

“If we deploy both units simultaneously, we can create a pincer movement and suppress them easily.”

The size of the rebel army is about 10,000 or so.

More than one division but less than two.

The officers and commanders have probably been kicked out long ago, so they won’t be properly controlled.

Even if the soldiers are individually elite, if the group is in this state, two divisions will be enough to handle them.

“These bastards have created a hole in the front line by rising up. Once the suppression is over, it would be good to deploy the two divisions forward as they are.”

“We can fill the personnel losses with new recruits who will soon be coming out of the training camp.”

“Then what do we do with the captured rebels? We can’t execute them all.”

“Let’s hand them over to the Navr Kingdom. We can’t keep them in the country, so let’s give them as a gift to use as a penal unit.”

The rough strategy was quickly completed.

The detailed plan still needed to be refined a bit, but that’s something to leave to the underlings.

“Now that the discussion is over, I’ll go get approval from His Majesty.”

“Please do.”

However, even as they went to submit the document summarizing the meeting results, they still had some unease in their expressions.

‘What if this kind of incident happens again?’

‘We can’t just kill them all every time…’

The incident that had already occurred was spilled water, so they hurriedly cleaned it up, but it would be difficult to continue doing this in the future.

If they continued to use hardline measures, there wouldn’t be any commoners left in the country.

They needed some fundamental solution.

Was there a way to make the commoners not even dare to revolt?

* * * * *

“It went as expected.”

Reading the report that came up today, I nodded calmly.

As expected, the responses from the higher-ups never fail to meet expectations.

Well, it’s hard to come up with other measures besides forced suppression in this situation anyway.

“How long do you think this uprising will last?”

“Hmm. Since the response is so fast, wouldn’t it be settled in a couple of months? The government seems to be trying to crush it decisively from the start.”

“That’s a shame. It would be nice if it lasted at least half a year.”

“If that were the case, we would have had to revise our strategy.”

Kallia, who is making dinner in an apron over her naked body, seems disappointed, but it can’t be helped.

Unless an unprecedented great general suddenly appears to lead the rebels, it will be difficult to reverse the trend.

The previous peasant uprising was escalated by the rear guard trying to stop it, but this time they are deploying a proper combat unit.

It will be over soon, just as the Kram Empire’s high-ranking officials want.

“It seems that neighboring countries are also showing interest.”

Since the incident has become so big, it has attracted a lot of attention in various ways.

It would be strange if it didn’t, since large-scale uprisings have broken out twice in a row.

Since a territory the size of a earldom was devastated in one fell swoop, everyone is desperate to obtain information.

They want to understand the circumstances and learn lessons, so that such things don’t happen in their own countries.

‘It’s not going to be easy.’

Unfortunately, it will be quite difficult.

In the first place, the root of the problem is excessive exploitation and poor living conditions, but how can that be solved during wartime?

The war has to stop before the requisition of supplies can be stopped.

The higher-ups will realize this sooner or later, as long as they aren’t fools.

Then they will try to change their approach.

If they can’t eliminate the cause of the rebellion, they will instead try to suppress its occurrence and spread.

“Then how do you see the political situation going forward?”

“Everyone will try to establish measures to prevent riots. For example… strengthening the existing control system.”

Since they don’t know any better, they will start by simply tightening the screws on the people.

Increasing checkpoints on major road networks, or deploying military police to patrol the cities.

“But it will probably fail.”

However, I think it will be canceled soon. They will feel directly that it is not very effective.

No matter how much they increase surveillance and create an atmosphere of fear, there is a limit to the areas that can be controlled.

This isn’t the 20th century with surveillance cameras or communication networks, so how can they manage the entire country?

It is impossible, no matter how much money and manpower they spend.

It would rather be a bad move that only increases the people’s dissatisfaction.

“If that doesn’t work, they might strengthen propaganda education.”

“Are you saying they will promote the worship of the monarch more actively?”

“They won’t just do that, but it will probably be included.”

The safe bet is to expand propaganda.

A campaign to inspire loyalty among the people and brainwash them to endure the current hardships unconditionally.

They will deceive the people with sweet talk, saying that rebellion is a terrible act that will be cursed for generations, or that if they suffer here, they will go to heaven after death.

They will psychologically bind them so that they cannot even dare to defy the state and the government.

Whether this succeeds or fails, the state has nothing to lose, so it will definitely be implemented.

“I feel a little sorry for the people who will be subjected to it. Their way of thinking will be shaped to suit the tastes of the rulers.”

“That’s what war is like.”

From the standpoint of someone who has actively intervened and contributed to this situation, I offer my sincere condolences.

Not that I feel particularly guilty.

If you’re going to resent someone, resent that damn goddess who dropped me into this world, you primitives.

“Stop reading and let’s talk over dinner. I made mostly healthy food today.”

“Thank you as always. Where’s the menu…”

Kallia, who brought in the table, took the report from my hand and set the table.

Grilled eel, oyster dishes, and beef tenderloin with plenty of garlic and asparagus, etc.

Hmm, it seems that the focus is on stamina rather than health.

I guess it’s not just my imagination?

“My mother told me some good recipes. I went to the trouble of preparing it lavishly, so you can’t leave any behind, okay?”

“…I’ll try.”

Anyway, Kallia made it with care, so I have no choice but to eat it.

It seems that my back will hurt tomorrow morning.

“But, Ishmael.”

“Why?”

“Will the responses of each country end with just propaganda education? If the goal is to prevent rebellion, it seems too weak.”

To her question about whether the leaders would be satisfied with education close to mass hypnosis, I shook my head.

“Of course not. They will need a supplementary means.”

Of course not.

There is a limit to the effect that can be obtained by teaching and training the people.

If they want to prevent the underlings from rising up, they must have physical deterrent power as well.

And I am going to provide that deterrent force. In a way that looks plausible on the outside, but is nothing more than a poison apple on the inside.

“I’m already writing a book that will be helpful. It’s still in the outline stage though.”

“I’m curious. The books you write are always unconventional. What’s this one about?”

She took a piece of fried oyster that she dipped in soy sauce and offered it to me, and I took a bite and mumbled.

“If I say military-first politics… does that give you a sense?”

Following the Juche ideology, this is the second essence of Hokburius’s hereditary dictatorship.