Sino-Korean War — The Road to Doom
A massive retreat, forced by China's great counteroffensive operation.
The construction of a second defensive line and the deliberate effort to draw Korea deep into Chinese territory had inflicted considerable damage on the Chinese forces.
"...Damn it all! How the hell does it make sense that there's no relief force?!"
A Chinese company commander, scrambling up a mountain in a state fit for a beggar, finally lost his composure and exploded.
Wasn't the normal response to restore the air-defense network and commit the air force? Korean bombers had cut every major route, and they were just sitting there watching? Handing Manchuria over wholesale just to build a second defensive line — what kind of absolute nonsense was that?
China's great counteroffensive plan had, of course, been classified. The units stationed in Manchuria — units at risk of capture — had known nothing of it. They simply concluded that their superiors were idiots, or that they themselves had been abandoned.
Sadly, they truly had been abandoned.
This unit was the product of one general's bright idea: break the army into fine pieces. That way nothing could be swept away all at once, and it would be more than enough for the Korean forces to smash them at a leisurely pace and get drunk on the sense of victory. At least, that was how it looked from the lofty vantage of high command.
From the perspective of the men being pulverized without a clue, it was the worst possible outcome.
"Hiking over mountains on foot in the twenty-first century. Were we mountain troops or something?"
"Didn't we do this all the time in training, sir?"
To the company commander's outburst, a platoon leader whose exhaustion was written all over his face offered a smile, pointing out that those seemingly useless drills had turned out to be surprisingly helpful. A thoroughly positive, patient officer!
The rank and file, however, sided with the company commander.
What a load of crap.
How many pathless mountains is this now?
When the hell do we get to eat?
In the Korean army's initial assault, it hadn't only been people who went down. A great deal of equipment had been blown apart. This unlucky unit no longer possessed a single vehicle. They had decided to avoid the Korean forces holding the major routes by going over the mountains.
On foot.
"Even if we get out of these mountains, will we actually find friendly forces?"
Having vented his fury several times and recovered a measure of calm, the company commander put his finger squarely on the truth. Was it really possible to rejoin an army in the middle of a full-scale retreat?
"I think we'll find the Koreans, sir."
The platoon leader laughed and answered with brutal honesty, and the atmosphere turned ice-cold in an instant. The soldiers who had been thinking just over this one mountain suddenly faced reality as well.
A unit that kept crossing mountains on foot was never going to outpace Korean troops moving by vehicle. If friendly forces had still been holding the rear, there might have been something to hope for — but the massive withdrawal had been underway for a long time now.
Yes. They had been left behind.
"Strip the uniforms. We'll disguise ourselves as civilians."
"That would be a violation of international law, sir."
The platoon leader's objection shut down the company commander's decision at once.
"International law, my ass! No one is rooting for China!"
The company commander ground his teeth and spat the words out in rage. A month into the war, even the previously clueless had come to understand with perfect clarity that China was being cursed abroad. Already they were being beaten one-sidedly and forced into endless retreats; the knowledge that the entire world was heaping scorn on them was grinding their morale down even further.
"Even setting international law aside, the Party won't like it."
That objection silenced the company commander. They were already being condemned; if word got out that they had broken international law, the higher-ups would be absolutely delighted. No one really cared about international law — but Korea's eagerness to seize on it and start a fresh round of denunciations had given the thing real force.
"Ah! I can see a road!"
One of the soldiers shouted, shattering the heavy mood. At last they were free of that godforsaken mountain!
The joy shared by every man in the company turned to despair almost at once.
"...Looks like Korean troops, sir."
The platoon leader pointed to vehicles visible at the end of the road. Voices dropped at once; the company took cover and waited for orders.
"Do we engage?"
The platoon leader raised his rifle as he asked.
"Hold still. If we fight here, more Koreans will come swarming."
The company commander restrained him and desperately worked through the problem. He had no idea how many Korean troops might be nearby, but there was no chance of Chinese forces still retreating in the vicinity — so the moment they opened fire, the enemy would inevitably come pouring in.
So we go back into the mountains and find another way out.
The company commander looked again at the mountain they had just finished suffering through. Dense trees and thick undergrowth brimmed with vitality.
Returning to the embrace of Mother Nature — how wonderful!
Climb that mountain again and his legs would probably break, right?
How wonderful!
"...Anyone here feel like climbing that mountain again?"
At the company commander's words, every grimy, reeking man in the company twisted his face.
Don't even joke about that, sir.
The unspoken reply rang in his ears like a hallucination.
Having received his silent answer, the company commander quietly looked at his old friend, the platoon leader. Without a word exchanged, the platoon leader understood what his friend intended.
Click.
With careful deliberation, the platoon leader raised his rifle and took aim at the Koreans.
Whack!
The company commander cracked his friend across the skull and stopped the madness cold.
"We're surrendering, you lunatic."
"I thought you meant we should die gloriously."
At the word surrender, the platoon leader dropped the formal speech and gave an awkward laugh.
"Anyone against it?"
"None, sir."
Every man in the company, after all that hellish hardship, agreed with the company commander's decision. They waved a white flag one of the soldiers had prepared in advance and surrendered. There was a minor scare when startled Korean troops nearly opened fire, but fortunately these beggars were taken into custody without further incident — and each of them was given a Choco Pie.
"How long has it been since I had anything sweet? This is actually delicious."
Every one of them found happiness in that scrap of food and turned their eyes away from the future of their nation.
With orders this stupid, our country is finished anyway.
No one's saying they abuse prisoners, so it should be fine.
If they'd just sent relief — hell, even supplies would have been something.
Units like this were not one or two in number.
Having committed everything to the great counteroffensive, China had paid little attention to the retreat, and units that felt abandoned surrendered one after another. The Chinese high command barely cared. Most of the important mechanized units were still in the rear, so they considered the losses insignificant.
In practice, filling out the numbers of ordinary infantry with conscripts never took long. Their skill might be a little lacking, but quantity made quality. Keep swelling the ranks of cannon fodder, and those who survived would naturally become veterans.
— The Korean Emperor —
Through a continuous, smooth advance, the Korean army succeeded in occupying Hulunbuir — the northernmost reaches of Manchuria.
"Chinese forces have established a defensive line running from Jinzhou to the Xilingol League."
The western edge of Manchuria, then. Push a little farther and you would reach Hebei Province, which wrapped around Beijing.
"Is the rear stable?"
"The residents of the occupied territories are showing minor discontent, but nothing serious."
"Is that so? Then I can go to Harbin, can't I?"
"...Pardon?"
The Head Maid's pupils trembled violently. She had said there was no major problem — but going there in person was another matter entirely. Still, he needed to go.
Status window.
A cheerful chime only he could hear, and the comprehensive system window rose before him.
Activation Conditions —
Manchuria Occupation: 70%
Travel to: Harbin
This was exactly why.
To trigger the event, there was a strange condition requiring him to go to Harbin. It hadn't been in the game, either.
"Your Majesty, the occupied territories are dangerous."
The Head Maid's face, having instantly reversed her earlier claim that there was no major problem, trembled with anxiety.
"You said I can go wherever I wish."
"..."
The Head Maid fell silent. If he simply issued the order as things stood, she would almost certainly obey.
"I'll take a sufficient escort, stop by briefly, and come straight back."
Even so, he chose persuasion. Uncharacteristically.
Ever since the game possession — or the isekai transfer — he had always done whatever he pleased. There was that saying about what happens when you put power in a person's hands, and so on. Surrounded by beautiful women who granted his every wish, he had gotten rather carried away issuing all sorts of commands.
For example: transferring all the funds and items of the maids who played alongside him onto his own character!
Assigning the maids' characters as healers and buffers!
Making them watch movies he wanted to see.
Asking them to sing for him.
...Small, amusing things of that sort.
He had never particularly wanted to give truly serious orders — with the exception of the war he had judged absolutely necessary.
If someone always smiled for him, he did not want to throw impossible problems at that person. He did not want to make them sad. The more completely they obeyed him, the more careful he became. That was why he had never reached out to the three sisters who so blatantly tempted him.
After all — when he was this happy...
How could he treat them carelessly?
Joy was being able to laugh among people who liked him.
In this other world, he had come to understand what happiness was. They had shared it with him.
Effort was a foolish thing. It was the act of inflicting pain on oneself.
But for the sake of someone beloved — it clearly had value.
Even if someone more capable than him existed, the will to do something for that person still meant something.
Ah — the favor he received might have been forced upon them by someone else...
No, that was almost certainly the case. Even so, he was glad. Glad enough to feel gratitude for having been given this experience.
Even if someday everything vanished like foam, for now he would enjoy this world.
"If you say no, I won't go."
At his words, the Head Maid — who had been hanging her head — lifted her face. She looked as though she wanted to say exactly that this very second.
He stepped closer, slowly, and took her hand.
...The small trembling stopped.
What effect had this gesture had on her? He hoped it was a positive one.
"It may be dangerous — but if you're always at my side, won't it be all right?"
"...Ah."
At the smiling words, the Head Maid's lips parted and closed several times. She could not speak to him.
It might have been a little underhanded. But triggering the event would be of enormous help, so a small risk needed to be taken.
That was how he thought of it.
If one had been given love —
one ought to give love in return.
So he wanted as many of his people as possible to survive. He wanted those who loved him to win. He wanted them to be happy.
For that, let them scatter the enemy's blood. Let them deceive the enemy and drive a blade into his back. Use everything that can be used.
Cast humanity into hell.
Into the deepest abyss.
Toward the predetermined end.