Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Sometimes the Truth is the Most Cruel (2)
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A major is by no means a low rank.
Even the executive director who could crush a bird with a flick of his finger turns into a mere paper tiger in front of the chairman.
Let alone a middling major, right in the middle of the officer ranks...
He's the kind of existence whose head flies off if the general so much as breathes.
For such a greenhorn to barge right in without even blinking, claiming concern over the operation, is an outrageous breach of etiquette.
Our division commander's face, standing behind His Excellency the corps commander, has completely frozen over.
But instead of snapping at me, the corps commander let out a hearty chuckle and replied.
"What a bold fellow. Still, no need to worry. My attack operation is proceeding most smoothly."
"What I wish to report isn't a problem with our own forces, sir."
"Concerned about the enemy's movements? They've lost their supplies, so their morale must be in the dumps, and their combat capabilities severely diminished to boot."
The corps commander kept flashing that leisurely smile.
But a faint wrinkle—a very faint one—began forming between his brows.
High-ranking officers never show their emotions easily. And a dressing-down? It kicks off the instant they express even the slightest regret.
If I can't persuade the corps commander here, it'll start with the division commander and work its way down.
'War hero or not, this is my personnel evaluation on the line.'
"Your Excellency, an ugly woman hides her flaws with makeup. Armies at war do the same with bad news. What worries me is that the Dolce Republic Army is trying to completely bury the fact that their division-scale supply unit got utterly wrecked by a single battalion—without so much as landing a punch."
The crease between the corps commander's brows deepened.
Then he looked at me and let out a sigh.
During World War II, Japan and Nazi Germany declared total war and pumped their people full of fabricated good news for propaganda.
Claims like the glorious Japanese Navy blowing up the vile Anglo-American carriers and sinking battleships.
Or the German army repelling two enemy divisions with minimal losses, and so on.
They blinded everyone with fake news.
Because it was a million times better than doing nothing.
"Your point has merit. It's a chance to crush enemy morale, so how absurd if it doesn't faze them."
"We need to spread rumors, sir."
"How do you plan to do that?"
I'm not thinking of any clever schemes.
War is won by sticking to the basics—common-sense tactics anyone can grasp.
Pulling off bizarre stunts no one would dream of just to stand out? You'll lose battles you could have won.
"Infiltrate agents among villagers along their line of march, then have them quietly spread the word."
"Why not spread it openly?"
"Rumors work best when whispered like, 'This is a secret—I'm only telling you.'"
"Fair enough. Tell someone it's just for them, and it'll blanket the entire Empire in three days."
There's a saying in this world: perfect secrets don't exist.
More precisely, the moment you tell someone, 'This is our little secret,' it becomes public knowledge.
Conversely, if you say go ahead and spread it freely, interest fades and no one bothers.
"But if we execute rumor-mongers under military law, the talk won't spread among the troops."
"That would actually benefit us."
"The harder they try to suppress it, the more the soldiers will believe it's true?"
"Yes, exactly."
'You selling your body or what?'
If a woman hears that and shrugs it off calmly, everyone knows it's a lie.
But if she flies into a rage or threatens murder...?
People start thinking maybe the rumor hits too close to home.
It's a natural reaction, but reacting that way only makes it seem truer.
Especially if we're just spreading word that their supply unit got crushed by one battalion.
And they respond by shooting people under military law?
'Everyone will believe it's fact.'
"And unlike us officers, enlisted men get bored even in wartime."
"Bored when death could come any moment?"
"Humans adapt to looming death—as long as no blade's at their throat."
Officers are swamped: managing supplies, checking on troops, overseeing ops, drowning in paperwork.
Mountains of it, even in war.
Soldiers? March, stand a bit of guard duty, then nothing.
Too busy, no time to dwell on war's terror. Too much free time? Anxiety builds, trembling starts...
'And eventually, boredom sets in.'
"In a situation like this, that kind of rumor will spread like wildfire."
Soldiers will lap up juicy, secretive gossip to drown out fear and kill the boredom.
"......Make it happen at once. You're dismissed."
"Loyalty, thank you, sir."
"Loyalty."
The Republic soldiers pressed on with their march to repel the Imperial Army.
But no matter how urgently they marched, they still had to eat and sleep.
Soldiers aren't tools like hammers or pickaxes—they're human.
Neglect their stamina, and even dumped in front of the enemy, they'll be too weak to lift rifles, turning into perfect human targets.
Gusto, an unnamed corporal in the Dolce Republic Army, was one such soldier.
"Gonna die..."
Today's march alone: a grueling 36 kilometers.
Nine straight hours in full gear, and this had been going on for a full half-month.
"Ha, really gonna drop dead at this rate."
It was so exhausting that "I'm dying" spilled from his lips every time he opened his mouth.
Leg cramps? No lagging behind—had to keep walking.
Shoulders bruised purple from backpack straps.
"Squad leader, you holding up okay?"
"Do I look okay to you?"
"Sorry, sir."
"You worthless punk. Listen to yourself. Oh yeah—one of our rookies collapsed during the march? Can't handle your juniors? Being corporal doesn't show at all?!"
"Sorry, sir!"
"Count yourself lucky. Your name comes up plenty in the platoon as trash. If I had the strength, you'd be a corpse by now."
Corporal Gusto had made a big decision today.
After chow, he was going to lay into the punk under his command.
Rookies these days lacked discipline. For their own survival in this war, he had to drill it into them.
"Soldiers, here's some stew. Dip your hardtack in it at least."
Normal rations: veggies, salt, a smidge of salted meat in stew.
Village-cooked version? A bit more meat—luxurious by comparison.
Corporal Gusto wolfed it down.
As he finished and glanced around, he overheard farmers muttering.
"You hear? One Imperial battalion smashed a Republic supply unit bad."
"For real?"
"Real or not, I saw it plain as day with my own eyes."
Village gossip—not the most credible.
But it didn't sound entirely baseless.
Rations had gotten worse lately.
'If that's true, it makes sense...'
"What're you talking about?"
"Oh, pretend you didn't hear."
"I already heard everything."
Gusto figured this deliberate rumor came from locals who'd witnessed the supply unit's defeat firsthand.
They were Dolce Republic folk, after all.
No reason for them to make up bad news about their own country.
"Week ago, an Imperial battalion right around here crushed a supply unit—thousands strong. You didn't know?"
"No, sir. Hadn't heard."
"Aigoo, really. You oughta know stuff like this. Sure, you're a soldier dragged off to war, but honestly—for plain peasant trash like you or me, surviving matters more than who wins. What's the point of fighting when thousands get massacred by one battalion?"
Gusto didn't doubt their words.
His own meal quality had plummeted.
Officers had been walking around with grim faces lately.
Everything fit the rumor perfectly.
"The higher-ups never mentioned it."
"'Cause it's bad news. Armies gonna army—always bragging the good stuff, burying the bad and the dead bodies."
Every army in the world was the same.
Hype up tiny wins, hush up disasters at the unit level.
"Can't argue there."
"We saw those supply guys looking like beggars ourselves. Anyway, stay alive out there."
With that, their chat ended.
Corporal Gusto let out a deep sigh.
Imperials were supposed to be trash, unable to hold a candle to the Republic army.
Now it all felt like lies.
Desertion crossed his mind, but he didn't go for it.
Instead, he returned to his squad and relayed everything he'd heard.
"......I heard something shocking, guys."