Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Besieged on All Sides (2)
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For the first time since the founding of the Imperial Army, we set out to support civilian life in occupied territory.
The soldiers' faces were half disgruntled, half baffled.
The non-commissioned officers and officers looked like they had a lot to say.
"Lieutenant Lina, don't you wonder why I proposed this operation to the Expeditionary Force Commander?"
"It is certainly an unfamiliar operation. But gaining the hearts of the occupied populace will make the rear lines even more secure. I believe it's necessary."
Lina knew exactly what I was thinking, even if the others didn't.
The non-commissioned officers and officers who heard her explanation nodded in agreement.
"Just as Lieutenant Lina said. If we win over the hearts of the people here, not only will the rear be safe, but these folks will quickly accept Imperial rule. What we're doing isn't just waiting on civilians hand and foot, got it?"
"Yes, sir. Understood."
"Show your loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor. Dismissed."
The army is an organization where you dig if the superior says dig, no questions asked.
But that doesn't mean you should just blindly follow orders without explanation.
Who'd feel motivated—or even want to do it—if they didn't know why?
So whenever possible, it's best to explain the reason and get buy-in.
"Battalion Commander, sir, we've brought the village head."
The village head trembled at the sight of me.
Seeing even one occupying soldier would be terrifying enough; how could he not shake before a high-ranking officer leading over five hundred troops?
"Are you this village's head?"
"Yes, sir. I am, Lieutenant Colonel, sir..."
"Have you heard why we're here?"
"Yes, sir. I heard from your soldiers. You're here to help rebuild our ruined village. We're deeply grateful, but how could we trouble a nobleman like you, Lieutenant Colonel, sir, for ignorant folk like us?"
His words sounded like humble refusal out of embarrassment.
But refusing help when the village was in ruins?
These were people who'd beg to borrow even a cat's paw or an ant's toenail.
'No way that's it.'
He just couldn't trust us and was politely telling us to get lost.
"The Expeditionary Force Commander ordered me personally to assist with rebuilding this village. So don't worry about it."
"But it's too much trouble—"
"The Commander also ordered supplies distributed to you. You planning to refuse that too?"
The village head tilted his head at my words.
He probably never imagined something this good.
Occupiers were usually just villains who took everything.
And now they were handing out food?
Even I'd question my sanity.
"Are you really giving supplies to people like us?"
"We've brought flour, barley flour, and all sorts of vegetables. It won't be plentiful, but you won't starve."
In the last battle, our Imperial Army had secured the supply lines.
If that operation had failed, we couldn't have spared food for village rebuilding.
We'd have been worried about our own troops starving first.
Tears streamed down the village head's face.
He dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
"Thank you, sir. Truly, thank you... You've saved us."
"Thank His Majesty the Emperor."
"Ah, thank you, Your Majesty."
Once this news spread through the village head to the villagers, they'd react the same way.
At first puzzled, then cheering "Long live His Majesty!" the moment it sank in.
Their hearts would turn to the Empire in an instant.
"And soon you'll be Imperial subjects too. To pay taxes and raise children, you need to return to normal life... We'll help you with everything we've got. Any objections?"
"None, Lieutenant Colonel, sir."
"Good."
With the talk done, I immediately grabbed a farming tool.
The fields had gone to waste, so we were helping plow them.
"No, sir, you're going to help plow the fields yourself?"
Saying that, I glanced at the officers and NCOs around me.
Their faces soured badly.
You could say they paled a bit...
But to make this support genuine, the officers needed to roll up their sleeves too.
If the high-and-mighty pitched in?
Their view of the Empire would change completely.
"Isn't protecting the people our duty?"
I answered the question with a question.
With that, I swung the hoe at the ruined soil.
Never having done it before, it didn't go well.
"How do you use this thing?"
"It's not just swinging it. Put power into your waist when you swing. That way it cuts deep."
I tried as instructed.
This time, it plowed much deeper than before.
"It really works better. Thanks."
"No problem, sir."
Plowing fields was surprisingly fun.
If you had to do it every day, it'd be tedious and exhausting, sure...
But something you might do once in a lifetime felt almost like a hobby.
The officers beside me looked miserable...
"Good is good, right?"
Anyone who saw this scene would never want to be Ortz Kingdom subjects again.
A nation where nobles and soldiers helped them personally.
Once they tasted this addictive sweetness, they'd never even think of going back to the old Ortz Kingdom.
After hours of plowing, the sun began to set.
I'd never slacked on physical training...
But suddenly doing something I'd never done before wore me out.
"I'm dying..."
I nearly collapsed onto the dirt.
Lying in the mud as a lieutenant colonel would ruin my dignity, so I held back.
The other officers were much the same, but nearly half the NCOs were flat out on the ground.
The village head approached me.
"Thanks to your help today, we can farm the fields again. If we plant turnips there, we'll make it through the year."
"Glad to hear it."
A soldier's job isn't just winning battles.
Rescuing those in crisis is part of it too.
"The troops look beat. Prepare some food. We brought plenty of bread and meat, so take some for yourselves."
"Thank you, sir. We'll never forget this kindness."
"I just did what His Majesty desired. We leave for another place tomorrow, so it's a shame we can't help more."
Keep helping like this, and they'd want to side with us.
If they helped us willingly?
We might even take Obern Fortress with Imperial hands.
The village head gathered all the village men.
He had something important to say.
"What do you think of the Empire?"
No one spoke at the village head's question.
When the Imperial Army first swarmed in, they thought they were ruthless bandits ready to plunder anytime.
But the Imperials they actually saw were different.
A lieutenant colonel—a very, very high-ranking noble.
The young man who could toy with their lives had grabbed a hoe and helped with farm work himself.
All the officers too.
'Could an empire with soldiers like this be bad?'
The second-oldest man spoke for the group.
"Our ancestors lived as Ortz Kingdom peasants for generations. But bluntly, aren't the Ortz bastards just scum who take our taxes and conscript us?"
"The Ortz Kingdom never did a damn thing for us..."
The one thing they did was abolish serfdom when the village head was twenty.
Now they could move to cities freely if they wanted.
Taxes were the same before or after.
If anything, conscription made life worse in some ways.
Just thinking about it ground his teeth.
"And Village Head, the Ortz Kingdom won't leave us alone."
Farmers couldn't read or write.
Literacy was a skill.
So rural peasant villagers were naturally illiterate.
But they weren't born stupid.
You needed street smarts to survive a harsh world, and they could judge if their necks were on the line.
Those who couldn't were ostracized, chased out, and died like dogs.
"If they find out the Empire treated us this well... who knows what they'll do."
In the worst case, the village head could be executed as an example.
They'd impose much heavier taxes, maybe even strip inherited tenancy rights.
No guarantees, but it was risky.
"Let's side with the Empire this time. And shouldn't we help them somehow, since they're treating us so well?"
Everyone agreed.
The Empire gave food, but it might not last the year...
Time to earn some money.