Tiny Cracks (2)
“… … what?”
An aristocrat from the Commonwealth Empire, who was checking his troops, felt strange and muttered.
The northern frontline where the war with barbarians takes place. The atmosphere here is always heavy and deserves to be serious, but this is because it was unusually cluttered today.
To be precise, it was strange to call it a mess.
“The soldiers seem to be in a good mood. Is something going on?”
A nobleman asked the knight who assisted him. But the knight also had no clue why.
“I do not know.”
“Hmm… … okay?”
The noble tilted his head as if he was still puzzled by the knight’s words.
“… … What, is there something pleasant?”
“Isn’t it the time when the goods sent from the home country have arrived? Maybe the news didn’t spread.”
“Oh, I see.”
When I heard it, I did just that.
The nobility said with a satisfied smile at the unusual appearance of the soldiers.
“It wouldn’t be bad for something like this to happen because you’re tired of the protracted war.”
“Yes that’s right. Even a trivial atmosphere like this will be related to the morale of the soldiers, so it will lead to a better battle situation.”
“hmm! If you are a soldier of the empire, you should do that.”
However, there was a slight discomfort in his eyes as he answered that.
The atmosphere was still untidy even after seeing the nobles who had come to check their troops.
It was as if that was not a normal reaction.
‘… … Well, what would it be like?’
The aristocrat brushed the scene off and passed.
Good was good, and as long as he was helpful, there was nothing wrong with him.
Besides, if everyone didn’t know then, the only thing that was cluttered was one unit. If that’s enough, there’s nothing to obstruct military discipline, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
‘I guess I can just report the inspection results to the upper line.’
… … However, it was immediately after the next battle that I realized that it was a complacency.
“The damage.”
“Ten thousand soldiers have been killed or wounded.”
The noble looked at the man in front of him with a fearful expression.
It was an unusually large number for it to have occurred in just one skirmish.
Even if the war has become particularly difficult lately, it is even more so when I think of the progress so far.
And the interrogation continued.
“I heard there was additional damage besides that?”
“Sorry, sorry, but some of the war materials were stolen by them in the process of defeating the defense line.”
“Details.”
“yes… … yep!”
Wrinkled face and faded hair.
However, on the contrary, he had muscles that he couldn’t even think of as old age and a magnificent spirit that could be seen at a glance.
Duke Belial, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Commonwealth Empire.
The aristocrat was facing a very huge anger that was revealed from his eyes.
He lowered his head deeper and said.
“Three days’ worth of food and all the weapons left in the fortress were taken away.”
“Three days’ worth of food.”
Because the war was already long, it was becoming more and more difficult to procure supplies locally.
In the meantime, food for three days for a large army of 70,000, now 60,000 in the north, was a commodity that could not be exchanged for anything.
To say it was stolen… … .
“I wonder how you will take on this responsibility.”
“… … sorry.”
“It would have been nice if it could have ended with an apology.”
“… … .”
The nobleman was now bowing his head so deeply that he was flat on his face.
Duke Belial looked at it and let go of his anger. After all, it was he who would judge him, not himself.
There was no point in expressing anger at someone who was about to die anyway.
“Give me the recovered drugs.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. Here you are.”
The noble handed out the meticulously folded papers to the duke. The duke hardened his face as he checked inside it.
“… … A lot.”
“Yeah, yes. That’s too much for some to have smuggled in. This is just the fact that it was discovered right away, so if you search the luggage of the soldiers, there will be more… … .”
From noble mtl dot com.
“I don’t mean that, so shut up.”
“… … Yes, Your Excellency.”
The duke growled softly and ran his finger through the drug in the paper.
‘At least 10 grams.’
Although drugs were banned, it was not that difficult to find them on the battlefield.
murder and slaughter. Because soldiers used to use it to overcome the pain of that intense emotion.
Ironically, it served as a kind of support, so to speak.
The problem is that this amount is too abnormally large.
At least from the point of view of the Duke, who knew the situation inside the Federation Empire, it was difficult to understand.
‘There’s no way the 4th prince would have released this much.’
… … okay.
The 4th Prince of the Federation Empire secretly distributed drugs to the soldiers.
Even if it was an inhumane method, it was effective. It forced soldiers to sacrifice for the most efficient war.
But the amount was never this large.
Even if you roughly calculate it, it is about 30 times. At this amount, it would not be a role that facilitated the war as it was intended to be, but would be almost poisonous to the soldiers.
And that meant only one thing.
‘… … Someone other than him is distributing drugs.’
For a while, he put several people on the suspect line and pondered.
But no one really touched me.
The closest thing is… … .
“Hu, if I do something wrong, I’ll get involved in a faction fight.”
It has become something that can’t be done without realizing it.
‘I should have investigated immediately when I received the report of the soldiers’ abnormality… … .’
… … got hit
The peacock’s eyes shone coldly.
“Search the belongings of the soldiers right now to find the drugs.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“And since we’re going to interrogate the soldiers, call those who know the drug dealer’s information.”
“I will follow your orders.”
The aristocrat who received the order acted as promptly as possible, as if he wanted to make up for his mistake at least a little.
and after a while Soldiers entered the commander-in-chief’s barracks.
“Where did you get this drug? It would be better to speak plainly.”
“I, I bought it from a person called Quartermaster.”
“I also said that I would sell it cheaper than the market price, so the vendor… … .”
“I, I received it through a close soldier. But I’ve heard that soldier say he got it from a supply officer.”
The soldiers brought in by the duke’s threats spit out all the information they knew.
And the only information that came to the conclusion was the fact that it was obtained from a supplier.
Naturally, the duke’s expression distorted.
“Of course, other than the supply center, is there anyone who would come to get goods during the war? It means to give more concrete information.”
“Sin, sorry! I was covering my face, so until then… … .”
“Me too… … .”
“… … Tsk.”
It’s an obvious pitfall.
The ‘supplier officer’ they were talking about was not one or two.
Besides, among them there would be people who were distributing drugs under the orders of the 4th prince, so it was impossible to track them extensively.
In the process, if the facts about the drug are revealed along with the background.
‘… … The morale of the soldiers plummeted.’
The Duke’s expression deepened.
If it is publicized incorrectly, it will be difficult to avoid national criticism.
Whether it is the 4th prince who first executed this task, or the others who later supply additional drugs and watch the progress.
‘It’s impossible to leave it as it is.’
If a large amount of drugs are released like now, the condition of the soldiers will get worse day by day.
It was literally a slope.
‘For now, the work should be covered up, but crackdowns should be strengthened to prevent additional sales of drugs.’
… … and even murder.
yeah that was the best
The problem is that the amount that has already been released exceeds 10 grams per pack.
Considering that one dose of the drug is 0.03 grams, it was already too late to crack down on it from now on.
“… … sh*t.”
There was no way to stop the attack that perfectly grasped the internal circumstances.
“Get out of here. I will forgive you for possessing drugs just this once.”
“Go, thank you!”
A roar of anger.
The duke let his soldiers go and thought.
Thinking of how many insiders could do this.
* * *
“The Northern Front of the Confederate Empire is rapidly collapsing.”
“Right.”
I smiled softly as I heard the news from George.
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was just as ridiculous to see her now that she fell for that scheme.
‘Well, because of that, I suffered a lot before returning.’
I closed my eyes for a moment and recalled what had happened before the return.
Like inhaling stimulants, the Federal Empire’s army, which was heavily addicted to drugs, was very difficult to deal with.
It was astonishing to find out that their direct supply of drugs was their ’emperor’.
After all, this incident was an attack aimed at that fact.
‘I wouldn’t have known if I had been wary of drugs and banned them from the beginning.’
Because he knew that the drugs were secretly being released, he was rather late in his response.
That carelessness rather created this division.
Besides, the bizarre political conflict taking place at this time must have further clouded their judgment.
In an instant, my closed eyes were opened coldly.
‘And that’s what the 4th prince, you guys, did.’
Conceit without hesitation in making enemies without looking back for one’s own gain, that cruel personality that even uses soldiers in one’s own country.
It was said that this made things easier, but I couldn’t help but pay homage to the disgust.
“What happened to the underworld personnel who distributed drugs?”
“They say they already got out of there.”
“Right.”
“They say they made good money because there were so many sheep… … Well, for now, the first goal of creating confusion seems to have been achieved.”
“It was as if it were planned.”
George, who would normally have expressed his disapproval by saying that he was conceited, nodded slightly.
It was only natural that he confirmed that everything was as designed up close.
‘Of course, that would be only the first purpose.’
Creating cracks from the inside was just the beginning.
The first trick the guy suggested.
If it is successfully completed, chaos and rifts in the Federation Empire will rapidly increase in size.
“All that remains is to wait for a response from them.”
“Probably won’t be long.”
George’s eyes widened as he said that.
But I didn’t mean to waste even that time.
Chew-!
A map of the north unfolded on the desk in an instant. I said while running my finger along the borders of the Federation Empire.
“Now, the gaze of the barbarians must have turned even more towards the Federation Empire.”
“That’s also the case, since there’s finally a hole in the wire… … It’s an opportunity to occupy all of that wide granary that doesn’t exist anywhere else. There is a high possibility that they will drag all the warriors left in the land of barbarians.”
“Accurate.”
Finally, the northern gateway of the Commonwealth Empire, which blocked them, collapsed.
It is only natural that their troops, weakened by the protracted war, would spark their ax blades again.
The reason why the war with the Commonwealth was fought in the first place was for food.
“… … If so, that would mean that the northern part is now empty.”
It was literally an empty land with no troops left.
I twisted the corner of my mouth and smiled. Then George smiled too.
“Are you going to move soon?”
“Because I’ve been waiting all this time to make that happen.”
Previous expeditions into the northern outback.
In the end, unlike before returning, he succeeded in reducing their potential power by rescuing the dwarves.
But it was disappointing to end with that.
It was appropriate for thinning out, but I didn’t get anything that could be called a ‘major’.
But after that, it was different now that I had been preparing for a long time.
“The time has finally come.”
One year after going through something called regression.
It’s not perfect yet, but I’m pretty much ready.
In other words, the minimum conditions for a leap forward are met.
Now, the time has come to reveal Esteban’s strength and make a full-fledged move.
It is no longer a weak country that only bows its head to other countries. The time has come to prove that fact across the continent.
“Go as planned, call them first.”