Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Besieged on All Sides (3)
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Just before I turned in for the night, the village chief came to see me.
The village chief surely knew it wasn't natural for the Imperial Army to roll out civilian support like some modernized force, lending farmers a hand with their work.
So he wouldn't dare demand anything more here.
He knew full well that if he crossed me, I could personally show him exactly what kind of tragedy might unfold.
"Lieutenant Colonel, sorry to bother you so late."
"Helping those in need is just the duty of an Imperial soldier."
When soldiers lend a hand, all folks need to do is be grateful.
They shouldn't treat us like slaves or livestock, the way some lunatics do.
"What brings you here this time?"
"You've helped us so much, Lieutenant Colonel. Now it's our turn to repay the favor."
"You want to repay us? No need to go that far."
Even if a bunch of peasants threw everything they had at us, they couldn't so much as scratch the Imperial Army.
Sure, there might be a spy or two in the mix, but keep watching, and they'd show themselves soon enough.
So there was no reason not to trust their intentions.
Truth be told, I'd helped those peasants precisely to set this up.
'The odds are too random—I didn't even mention it to the commander.'
"Hasn't the Imperial Army been too good to us? We're nothing but lowly serfs, but we want to give a little back for His Majesty's grace."
"I see."
"Anything you need, just say the word."
"Even if it's dangerous?"
The chief's face went stark white.
But after a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
"Thank you for giving us a chance to prove our loyalty to the Empire."
"Good. No turning back now."
I warned him firmly, then laid out exactly what I'd have him do.
As he listened, the chief's face drained of color—turning not just white, but positively blue...
But his fear melted away after I finished outlining the plan and added one final remark.
"The land you're farming right now—is it all tenancy?"
"Yes, it is."
"If you rack up some real merit, I'll report it straight to Staff Headquarters myself and request they grant your village's fields to the people here. You get what that means, right?"
A human life can't be measured in coin.
But hand a lifelong renter—or generations of them—an actual plot of land?
So long as it's above board and the asker's reliable, that's worth staking your neck for.
Especially for serfs who sell off their own kids just to scrape by.
"Keep that promise, and you can have my life."
"Head back and rest tonight. Spread the word to the villagers by lunch tomorrow."
"Understood."
With that, the chief hurried out of my room.
The moment he was gone, a smile crept across my face.
"That commander holed up in Obern's gonna lose his mind."
Over the next week, I ramped up the civilian aid even more, then returned to the Imperial Army camp alongside these brave citizens who'd volunteered to help.
The instant we got back, I requested a private audience with the commander.
A few higher-ups spat foam at the idea, but it sailed through quick enough.
A smile lit up the commander's face.
Probably because good news had been rolling in for the Imperial Army lately—but mostly, he was just glad to see me.
Thanks to my efforts, we'd dodged one hell of a crisis.
"Why do you keep inviting all this grief?"
His words weren't a reprimand.
Just the wry chuckle of someone baffled by the sheer absurdity.
"I only did what needed doing."
"Cut the nonsense. What officer in this world pitches in on peasant farmwork or rebuilds villages by hand? Folks might start pointing fingers."
"Let them point. If it plants loyalty to His Majesty in the hearts of the occupied locals, that's enough for me."
"Fair enough. Makes your men suffer for nothing, though. Want me to step in? And if some bastard at the social salon laughs off your deeds, I'll chuck my glove right in his face."
You see it in romance novels and dramas sometimes—someone hurling a gauntlet to challenge a duel over honor.
For him to go that far for me...
Empty words, sure, but it showed just how much he thought of me.
'Good is good.'
"Around the camp in the occupied zones, a whopping 1,257 souls showed up begging to help us. Usually, you gotta hold a blade to their throats for that... You're something else."
"Sincerity always finds a way."
"Grateful for the spirit, but what's the use? Got nothing to offer."
We can't arm peasants.
Hand weapons to folks who might flip on us?
Worst case, they turn guerrilla. Or worse—some sentry torches the powder magazine...
"Best case, porters. Or odd jobs around camp."
I nodded.
Under normal circumstances, that's all they'd be good for...
But I planned to use them to utterly crush the morale of the troops and civilians trapped in Obern.
Soldiers might fight like devils, but they can't farm worth a damn.
These folks had their own specialties.
"We can use them to break the enemy's spirit."
"Their spirit?"
"Yes. Think about it—if they spend every waking hour hollering from outside about how great it is to come over to the Empire...? What do you suppose the poor bastards inside will start thinking?"
Besieged on all sides—the ploy where Chu songs from every direction tanked Xiang Yu's army morale.
Xiang Yu started with plenty of troops...
But Liu Bang's men sang those hometown tunes, and all but 23 ditched him.
The histories say they just sang Chu songs...
"The Empire hands out food for surrendering—not just enough to eat, but tax exemptions this year too. That alone should sap the fight out of those garrison troops."
"Soldiers have no sense of honor. Can't be helped."
No, that wasn't honor—it was basic logic.
Why do we work for the boss?
Because he pays us.
So why did all these Imperial bigwigs wrap it up in lofty 'honor'?
I swallowed a sigh and pressed on.
"On top of that, we'll have the villagers chime in with tales of parents, family—real heartstring stuff."
"......Ruthless plan."
Officers fight for honor.
But they're human.
Out on campaign, they miss family and friends like anyone.
Pride just forces it down.
Conscripts dragged into it? No anchors at all. Fragile as glass.
Hell, in the ranks, they exempt anyone under corporal from night watch on the line.
In the Imperial Army, where bullshit like that flies...
'Rookies stare at the moon, get homesick, and desert.'
Exploit that mindset, and we can torment them indefinitely.
"Folks from Ortz Kingdom hunting for sons and daughters. Wives pining for husbands. And at night? Hometown lullabies drifting in. Wouldn't that be perfect?"
"Perfect indeed. Hell for the ones under siege."
"Hold the siege two months—three at most—and Obern's gates will swing wide."
The Ortz Kingdom commander never planned to hunker down in Obern from the jump.
If he had, he wouldn't have risked 6,000 cavalry on raiding our supply lines.
And behind every epic siege defense that crushes ten-to-one odds...
Lies months of meticulous prep.
'Winging it? No way they hold out.'
"Food runs low, morale craters—they won't be able to defend."
"Exactly. For a skeleton crew holding a city, nothing matters more than morale."
Thirteen motivated soldiers can smash a battalion sometimes.
Flip side: a demoralized horde gets wiped by desperate holdouts.
Look at that Korean War tank holding the line solo against hundreds retreating foes.
"What do you think?"
"Kick it off tomorrow."
It wasn't long before serfs from the Imperial-occupied lands marched right up to Obern's walls.
Close enough a stray arrow could nail them.
Unarmed, they approached the battlements.
And started hollering.
"Andersen! Mom made dinner—come eat!"