Rise to Power (2)
A border defense war that would decide the very fate of the Grimoire Kingdom. Inside the command tent, officers of squad leader rank and above had gathered for a war council. General Cornelia opened the floor.
"Our forces number five thousand. The enemy has fifty thousand. The situation is desperate, but we cannot surrender. If we fall, the Grimoire Kingdom falls with us. If anyone has a strategy to break this deadlock, speak now."
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the room, as if everyone had been struck mute. It was only natural; ever since the war began, Grimoire had suffered defeat after defeat. Any rational, level-headed commander could see that the tides of war had already turned against them.
Yet, there was one man. A burly, heavily bearded officer boldly raised his fist.
"There is only one way forward—charge!"
His name was Sergeant First Class Kares. A platoon leader, he was a soldier notorious for his reckless bravery and sheer belligerence.
"Charge! Charge! We must charge until the very last man falls, and show those wretched bastards of Lidorphia that Grimoire will not go down easily!"
"Are you suggesting a suicide charge?" one of the officers in the tent shot back.
"And why shouldn't we? There is no greater honor than dying for one's country!"
"But morale is at rock bottom. The soldiers know it, too. Victory is already out of the question; the only thing left is deciding how we lose."
"Then that is all the more reason to push them harder and drive them into the jaws of death!"
"The soldiers have a right to live, too."
"We have no use for soldiers who cling to life!"
Several other officers voiced their opinions after that, but Kares ultimately dominated the room. Among those who had essentially given up on the war, Kares was the only one fiercely advocating for a fight to the death. Seeing this, Cornelia granted him the floor.
"Speak, Sergeant First Class Kares. How exactly do you plan to fight?"
"Give me command of all five thousand troops. I will lead a brave charge straight toward the enemy commander and take his head."
"The enemy commander...?"
"General Uras, of course."
General Uras. He was a legendary commander representing Lidorphia and the very heart of their army's charisma. The fifty-thousand-strong force currently invading Grimoire was, for all intents and purposes, his personal army.
"Uras is a general famously beloved by his men. He is always guarded by his personal elite guard."
"Every single one of the five thousand men under my command will be a fearless elite!"
"To be frank, Kares, it is hard to believe you possess the same charisma as Uras."
"You underestimate me. Consider the achievements I have brought on the battlefield."
Achievements. It was true that Kares had led several battles to victory. However, his reckless strategies had always resulted in catastrophic friendly casualties, preventing him from ever receiving high praise. He was simply a man blinded by overconfidence.
"Give me the five thousand troops! I will slay Uras!"
"Those five thousand represent our entire national army... To hand them all over to you..." Cornelia hesitated. She did not particularly like Kares, but no one else was stepping forward to fight. Just then, a soft chuckle broke the tension.
"Pfft."
Every eye in the tent turned toward the source. Sitting there was Kim Youngho, an outsider who had been granted special permission to attend the council under Cornelia's direct orders.
"What is it, you? What's so funny?" Kares snapped irritably.
"Oh, nothing. I just thought it was a great strategy. Striking the head—that is indeed an excellent plan. But don't you think five thousand men is a bit too many?"
"What are you talking about? The enemy has fifty thousand. Honestly, even five thousand is far too few."
"If you leave this task to me," Kim Youngho said, spreading his fingers. "I will bring back the enemy commander's head with just five men."
"..." A heavy, suffocating silence hung over the tent. Naturally, Kares was the first to break it. His face flushed bright red as he roared.
"Stop talking nonsense, you ignorant fool! Who do you think you are anyway?! An outsider allowed into a war council by General Cornelia's grace, trying to ruin our army's morale with such drivel! General Cornelia! Shouldn't we have this man beheaded immediately?!"
"Wait," Cornelia said, raising her hand to stop Kares. "I find his peculiar confidence intriguing. I must ask. What is the basis of your confidence? How on earth do you plan to kill Uras with a mere five men?"
"I possess a special ability," Kim Youngho said with a smug grin. "I can grant immense buffs to those I recognize as allies. My soldiers do not die; if they are injured, they heal instantly, and they grow stronger just by breathing. In other words, I can forge the ultimate, immortal army."
"..." Cornelia locked eyes with her officers one by one. Their reactions varied. Some shook their heads, some sneered, and others stared in disbelief. Though their gestures differed, their collective response could be summarized in a single sentence: This bastard is completely out of his mind.
Kares, in particular, drew his sword in a fit of rage. "Is this lunatic serious?! General Cornelia! Are you really going to keep listening to this bastard's nonsense? He is doing nothing but disrupting military discipline!"
Indeed, Kim Youngho's words were utterly absurd. An immortal army? While it was the ultimate dream of every general, it was nothing more than a delusion. Under normal circumstances, Cornelia would have punished or expelled Youngho just as Kares suggested. But... had Cornelia herself not been saved by Youngho's extraordinary ability? Her leg, which had completely lost all nerve function, had healed itself without anyone even touching it. If that was a mere glimpse of the 'immortality' he spoke of... it was a gamble worth taking.
"Very well. In that case, we shall let the soldiers choose," Cornelia declared, making her decision as commander. "Inform the five thousand troops. Kares and Kim Youngho—let them choose which unit they wish to join. Then, both Kares and Kim Youngho will target Uras's head using their respective strategies. This council is adjourned!"
At Cornelia's command, the officers saluted in obedience. As Kares left the tent, he sneered at Kim Youngho. "Hmph! You filthy con artist. General Cornelia is a terrifying woman. Once she finds out you're lying, you'll be tortured to death."
"Sergeant First Class Kares, was it?" Kim Youngho countered, completely unfazed. "Don't push yourself too hard. I'd hate to see you waste the precious lives of your soldiers."
"Bah! Are you some kind of fairy-tale fool babbling about the sanctity of life? On the battlefield, lives are meant to be taken and lost. How can anyone win a war without casualties? Besides, you're just a foreigner anyway. You don't actually give a damn about the lives of Grimoire's soldiers, do you?"
"What are you talking about? I care deeply," Kim Youngho said, passing by Kares with a deep, knowing smile. "After all, they will all be under my command eventually."
"Hey, did you hear?"
"They're splitting the army into two units."
"Kares and Kim Youngho?"
"I know who Kares is, but who the hell is Kim Youngho?"
"His name sounds weird... Is he a foreigner?"
"A foreigner commanding us?"
"That's insulting. Is this a joke?"
"Kares might be a glory-hound, but it's still better than being ordered around by a foreigner."
"Yeah. Why should we trust and follow some guy named Kim Youngho who has no background or experience?"
Being given a choice was not a common occurrence for ordinary soldiers. Usually, it was a soldier's fate to simply move as ordered. However, they were still human. They possessed their own emotions and values. Currently, the prevailing sentiment among the ranks was that even the reckless Kares was a better option than some unknown foreigner.
Yet, there were those who couldn't help but pay attention to a strange rumor.
"But... I heard Kim Youngho has an ability that makes the people in his unit immortal."
"Hey, do you actually believe that?"
"There's always con artists like that popping up whenever a war breaks out."
"Are you naive, or just stupid?"
"She's probably just terrified... Right, Cowardly Sarah?"
Cowardly Sarah. Possessing a petite build and a widowed mother to support, she had neither patriotism nor loyalty. She had merely been conscripted and dragged to the front lines. She was just a timid young woman who wanted nothing more than to return home and farm with her mother. She couldn't sympathize with Kares's reckless bravado in the slightest; she simply wanted to live. If what Kim Youngho said is true... If he really can keep me from dying...
To not die. What greater achievement could there be for a mere foot soldier? Sarah quietly slipped away from her comrades as they marched to join Kares's unit, making her way toward Kim Youngho's tent instead.
"Look at that coward, acting on her own again."
"She's going to get herself killed."
"She clearly doesn't realize how dangerous it is to follow a complete novice."
"Farewell, Cowardly Sarah. Not that we'll ever see you again."
The mocking jeers of her comrades stung her ears, but she forced herself to ignore them. Sarah pushed against the crowd and arrived at Kim Youngho's tent, where there was barely any sign of life. When she opened the flap and stepped inside, she found only about five people gathered there.
"Oh. Welcome. What is your name?" Kim Youngho asked, standing with his arms crossed in a relaxed posture.
"I-I'm Sarah."
"Sarah. With you, that makes exactly five. Just the number I wanted."
Just the number he wanted? Was this man out of his mind? The enemy numbered fifty thousand. How were they supposed to break through a siege of fifty thousand and kill the enemy commander? With only five people? Just as Sarah was beginning to regret her choice and wonder if she had made a terrible mistake, a booming roar echoed from the neighboring tent.
"Are you going to stand by and let yourselves be looked down upon by some foreigner?! Brave warriors of Grimoire!! A tenfold difference in numbers means nothing!! I give you all a strict command! Before you die, make sure you show me the heads of ten Lidorphian soldiers you've slain!!! Only then will victory be ours!!! Let's gooooo!!!"
Soon after, the thunderous trampling of countless soldiers marching out shook the ground like an earthquake. For a brief moment, Sarah felt a pang of anxiety, wondering if she would have been safer blending into that massive crowd. Just then, Kim Youngho placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke gently.
"Hey, don't be so tense."
"T-Tense?"
"You look like you have a lot on your mind." Kim Youngho looked around, making eye contact with Sarah and the other four soldiers gathered in the tent.
"Listen up. You will absolutely not die. Even if you are pierced by spears, struck by arrows, or have your heads severed, you will not die. So don't worry about a thing. Just infiltrate the enemy's main camp and bring back their commander's head. That is all!" It was, without a doubt, the strangest command Sarah had ever heard in her life.