62 – It would have been better if I had been kicked out then…
“Days… It has become really difficult.”
“That’s right. Really… it is.”
Richard speaks in a quiet voice at Clara’s words.
Seeing her like that, Clara, as a co-worker, started talking about this frustrating situation to Richard.
“Needless to say… If at all chance that woman, Nelson, finds out what we’ve done, it’s all over.”
“That’s right, because when it comes to Captain Cromwell, he was a person who woke up even while sleeping. Above all, the opponent is a great general. He is a dangerous person who cannot be compared to the Olivier who tried to stab us in the back.”
“What should I do? It’s not easy to even make contact with General Neto, let alone decorate things… ”
Clara speaks with concern.
To this, Richard answered in a quiet voice without losing his composure.
“For now, let’s stay silent and wait for the right moment. After all, only the three of us know the exact story behind it.”
“It is, but… ”
“If you make a fuss for no reason, you will be more suspicious. Most of all, since the battle is right around the corner, if you quietly bury it, you won’t get much trouble.”
“That… I will… would you? I’m glad then… ”
Clara was able to put her mind at ease at the words of Richard, who was more rational than her and good at reasoning.
And.
Looking at Clara like this.
Richard said in a calm voice with a smile on his lips.
“Don’t just scratch and make blisters, just focus on your work. I’m still failing one after another, but if I lose again this time, then it’s not Cromwell’s job, but I’ll be punished as a defeat.”
“Whoa… Yes, I see what you mean.”
Clara leaves the room after sighing at Richard’s words of comfort and advice.
And.
seeing her like this.
After removing the mask called the smile from his face, Richard began to put on a cold expression.
‘You pitiful boy… It’s like you’re fiddling around because you’ve been working on something and you can’t even fix it… . Besides, if I stay there like this, I’ll end up buried with them.’
Clara, a comrade who conspired together, believed in herself and came to seek advice.
But,
Contrary to Clara’s trust, at this moment, in Richard’s heart, there was not even a fingernail of loyalty to that woman.
From the moment he accused General Bagoin of all the conspiracies in the past, it was Richard who decided to discard those who had been involved in the conspiracy neatly.
Although the work failed as General Bagoin was expelled before he could use his hands in earnest, from this point on, Richard abandoned all expectations from them and was only looking for an opportunity to make a loss.
In fact, even the mobilization of the Mok tribe, which was a trump card, failed completely, and in the process, her close friend, William, whom she was even close to, disappeared, and in fact was treated as a warrior, so her thoughts were completely solidified.
‘They no longer have hope. In order to survive, I’ll have to bury them as soon as possible and find a way for myself to live… ‘
However, apart from this inner situation, Richard was currently unable to make any special moves.
General Bagoin, the great general who listened to her accusations in the past and acted according to her thoughts.
However, General Nelson, who is here now, was not so easily accessible.
Nelson had a frighteningly great affection and obsession with Cromwell.
If she found out about this, she would definitely try to dig into the exact inside story, and if that happened, Richard, who had been working on this together with others, could not be left alone.
‘Even if you pretend to forgive right now, you will definitely try to get rid of it later. That bitch was originally that kind of guy… ‘
Nelson’s abilities were so terrifying that he rose to the position of general commander alone in this place where he was virtually demoted and kicked out.
He is a master general with skills comparable to Cromwell’s, but at the same time possesses more cunning and political insight.
Unlike Cromwell, who was weak in humane feelings and whose temperament was only good enough to be called a saint above all else, Nelson was a monster-like figure who literally showed no blood or tears when turned into an enemy.
Well aware of that character, Richard dared not even attempt to accuse Nelson of the truth.
In addition, it was a bonus to try to hide the truth as much as possible while comforting Clara even though he was reluctant.
‘And yet, those two-headed Neto and Clara walked into this hell on their own feet… I’ve been seeing Nelson for so long and I don’t even know what that bitch is like.’
Looking at the situation like that, I cursed those two guys who made things this way once again.
Richard at least began to recall the only hope she could pin on in this situation.
‘Still, the fortunate thing is that the power of the rebels we are facing must be great… No matter how great Nelson is, he can’t win easily…’
As many as 3,000,
In fact, since the start of this war, the rebels have gathered an unprecedentedly large army.
Although most of them were improvised militias, they were terrifying in size, while the imperial army, although objective numbers were not small, the overall strength was slightly more than half of the enemy.
Even the number of elite troops, which was usually the decisive advantage of the Imperial Army, was roughly similar, so they could be said to be superior to the Imperial Army in both quantity and quality.
While comparing these objective powers.
Richard was thinking that maybe this might be the only way he could survive.
‘As long as Nelson is in the position of general, there is no way to deal with her. However, if there is something to be blamed for showing sluggishness in this war… ‘
Nelson rose to the position of general in a short time.
However, there were quite a few people who felt envy and jealousy that she, who had a status that could never be said to be good, had risen to the ranks of one of the top three generals in the empire.
If Nelson is on the defensive or at worst defeated in this war,
By linking with them and bringing down Nelson from the position of general, it would be possible to eliminate the danger of a bomb that could explode at any time.
‘yes… It’s definitely not going to be an easy battle. No matter how great Nelson is, it would be impossible to win at once against a rebel like him… ‘
Considering Nelson’s abilities, he might have won the battle.
However, as it is a large army that is twice as large, it is inevitable that it will be sluggish and difficult in many ways to deal with them.
It might be considered rude, but for her life, it was all she could do to find fault with her and bite her.
‘There… Along the way, if you’re good at it, you might be able to forge new connections with the forces opposing Nelson. A stronger, more capable connection that would allow me to break up with a guy like General Neto for sure.’
While struggling to somehow survive in this not-so-easy situation.
Richard once again began to feel deep regret for the choices he had made that had led him to this ugliness.
‘Sigh… Seriously, how did I end up like this? In this case, it would have been better to try to drive out General Neto from Cromwell’s side… Why did I act like such an asshole back then… ‘
At the time, it was Richard who was tempted by momentary temptation and committed the work.
The temptation to give him the generalship he had been dreaming of all along would not be easy for even her to shake off.
In particular, as it was a threatening proposal that followed immediately after seeing Nelson, who had been a close aide to Cromwell, helplessly kicked out, it was something that even she could not easily refuse.
‘ Looking back, I should have taken the side of Cromwell, even if I had to be kicked out at that time. If I had been kicked out with Nelson and came here… ‘
Like that, a deep sigh flowed from Richard’s mouth, feeling only regret for the irreversible choice at the moment.
*
Finally, the Imperial Army and the Rebel Army begin to form camps with each other after all preparations are complete.
Heavy clouds of war hung over the vast plains as nearly 50,000 men, combining forces on both sides, prepared for a clash.
“Reorganize the ranks of the entire army!”
“Let those foolish rebels show the majesty of His Majesty the Emperor!”
The longevity of the empire encouraging the soldiers.
At the point ahead of the largest battle ever, their faces were filled with intense tension.
In particular, in the case of the Imperial Army, which is relatively weak compared to the Rebel Army, the level of tension is even more severe.
It was clear that the general morale was not very high, although they were firmly in line as they were trained elite soldiers.
“I don’t think it will be easy. This war… ”
A manager who expresses deep concern while observing the condition of the soldiers.
Currently, the Imperial Army was preparing to advance by literally gathering all their forces in one place under Nelson’s orders.
There seems to be no special plan to stand out,
With the most elite troops deployed at the forefront, he was forced to feel uneasy in many ways in this situation where he was literally risking a head-on confrontation.
And,
towards such a manager.
Nelson said in a quiet voice.
“no.”
“… Yes?”
“We won.”
“Yes?”