A Decision to Save the Nation
A Decision to Save the Nation
Meanwhile, the Imperial Council.
The Liberal Society Party Leadership Office.
"Your Excellency. I congratulate you on seizing control of the capital."
A young man in a neat suit offered Belvar coffee as he spoke.
His name was Kadem.
He was a member of the Noble Union who had become the new party leader of the Liberal Society Party after Kembal was thrown in prison.
As Belvar, seated on the sofa, accepted the coffee, Kadem took a seat opposite him.
"I am relieved that things seem to be going according to plan. It is truly because of who you are, Duke Belvar. Lately, the conviction that siding with you was the right choice has been solidifying within me."
Belvar frowned at Kadem's flattery.
"Do not act rashly. This is no time to celebrate victory."
"You always say there's no harm in being cautious. Understood. More importantly, I heard that Your Excellency has confined the Emperor to the top floor of the Imperial Palace. What measures do you intend to take going forward?"
"Publicly, we have stated that His Majesty the Emperor is resting, deeply shocked by the death of the late emperor. The Imperial Daily is circulating that story as well."
"Hmm. So it is a form of buying time."
"We may control the capital, but it does not mean we have seized military power. We must make the first move before those outside realize the situation in the capital and rebel."
Kadem glanced around unnecessarily and lowered his voice.
"When you say make the first move...?"
"There will be a large-scale personnel reshuffle going forward. We must neutralize the Emperor's generals to prevent any possible mishaps."
"I see. And after that......."
"I will announce that I shall perform the role of regent until His Majesty the Emperor recovers from his shock and regains his full faculties."
Upon hearing the plan, Kadem came to understand, to some extent, why Belvar had sought him out.
"Shall I assist in placating the populace?"
"Yes. If I step forward to claim the regency, the people's discontent will surely swell rapidly. Especially since most citizens of the capital support Selvia, the backlash will be great. To quell that discontent, I will promise a tax reduction."
In other words, reducing taxes in the midst of war was tantamount to weakening the military.
Because the majority of tax revenue went toward producing and procuring military supplies.
But it was clear that the populace, weary of the ever-increasing tax rates, would look favorably upon Belvar's promise of tax reductions.
People, after all, had a natural tendency to focus on short-sighted gains.
"At the point when the citizens' discontent has lessened, you must step forward and champion the Noble Union's position. Argue that my assumption of the regency is legitimate, while also repeatedly asserting that the Noble Union will pursue reforms solely for the people."
"Indeed. After cutting taxes, we can agitate them with the notion: 'The Emperor could have reduced taxes all along but chose not to! The Emperor did not care for his people!'"
"Excellent, we understand each other. Once the number of people sympathizing with our cause begins to grow......."
A faint smile played on Kadem's lips as a quiet realization dawned on him.
"A republic. If we play our cards right, we could depose the Emperor and declare a republic."
"It is a distant future, but not an impossibility."
"Ah. It is truly because of who you are, Duke Belvar. My humble mind cannot possibly keep up."
Belvar clicked his tongue once at Kadem's sycophancy and rose from his seat.
For he had conveyed the rough outline of his plan and had no further business there.
"When the time comes, I will let you know when to act. Make sure you manage the councilors and party members well."
"Is there any doubt?"
Kadem, having risen halfway from his seat, bowed his head deeply.
Belvar, who had been quietly observing Kadem, turned and left the office.
Belvar, who had walked straight to the entrance of the council building, came to a sudden halt.
Because Feliston, the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Department, was waiting at the entrance.
Feliston, who had been extremely restless, approached Belvar the moment he spotted him and bowed his head deeply.
"Duke Belvar."
"......What is the matter?"
Feliston, who had raised his head, hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
"The Allied Nations' 12th Armored Division has failed in their surprise attack."
Belvar, upon hearing Feliston's words, urgently scanned his surroundings.
Once he confirmed that no one was within earshot, Belvar lowered his voice.
"Failed their surprise attack? Why on earth?"
"I am told Daniel Steiner had anticipated the enemy ambush and secured a retreat route. Thanks to Daniel Steiner holding the retreat route, the main force was able to withdraw quickly, and the Imperial Army's 7th Armored Division reportedly suffered no significant damage."
"What?"
It was absurd enough that he had predicted the ambush; hearing that they had escaped unscathed gave him a headache.
Belvar, to whom Daniel Steiner's survival loomed larger than any other adverse news, glared at Feliston.
"Make sure that bastard cannot leave the front lines."
"By what means......."
"I mean block him by any means necessary, fabricating orders from the Emperor or whatever it takes! The moment that son of a bitch harbors ulterior motives, everything could turn to foam!"
Belvar was shouting abusively, but a faint tremor leaked from his voice.
Feliston, who had been watching Belvar, who seemed seized by an inexplicable fear, bowed his head deeply.
"I will carry out your orders."
For Feliston, too, there was no other choice.
*
After hearing from Intelligence Staff Officer Pelf that the division commander had died, Daniel headed for the command tent.
It was to cross-verify whether Pelf's words were true.
When Daniel entered the command tent at a brisk pace, all the officers seated around the operations table rose to their feet.
They turned to look at Daniel and bowed their heads as if by prior agreement.
"Division Commander, sir."
"We have been waiting."
"......Division Commander, Your Excellency."
Their hushed voices told him that cross-verification was unnecessary.
Some had soot on their faces from the aftermath of the bombardment, having gathered without even being able to wash properly.
Daniel, who had been scanning the faces of the officers, moved to the empty head seat of the tent.
The seat where the division commander was originally supposed to sit was vacant.
'This is insane.......'
The shock did not fade, as he had never anticipated that the division commander would die from the bombardment.
But he could not just stand there in a daze.
Because the staff officers gathered in the tent and, of course, the unit commanders were all looking at Daniel.
Daniel, noticing the subtle cracks spreading across their faces, slowly opened his mouth.
"......Before I receive the damage report, I will make one thing perfectly clear. The staff officers and commanders of each unit gathered here are probably aware of it."
The cracks on the faces of the staff officers and unit commanders stemmed from distrust.
"The fact that the Imperial Intelligence Department fed us false information."
The distrust was born from the Intelligence Department's aerial reconnaissance analysis results.
The Intelligence Department had clearly informed the 7th Armored Division that the enemy was on the defensive at their defensive strongpoints.
But when they actually advanced, no sign of the Allied forces was visible at those strongpoints.
It was a blatant lie.
"We, who were played by the Intelligence Department's false report, fell victim to an enemy ambush. What do you think this signifies?"
"It means those bastards have joined hands with the Allied Nations."
As he snarled, murmurs of agreement spread here and there.
Daniel, who had raised his hand to calm them, spoke in a composed manner.
"If it is true that the Imperial Intelligence Department has conspired with the Allied Nations, this is not a situation we can overlook. Because those bastards have not only driven our allies into a death trap but, further, insulted His Majesty the Emperor."
"Then what should be done?"
"The surest method is to inform His Majesty the Emperor of this fact, but if the Intelligence Department is corrupted, the other departments are likely not in a proper state either."
Sounds of deep contemplation came from various spots.
Among them, the reconnaissance battalion commander, who wore a grave expression, opened his mouth.
"Our allies have betrayed us, and the enemy is right before our eyes. This time, thanks to the Chief of Staff...... no, to you, Division Commander, we were able to retreat with minimal damage, but we will soon reach our limit."
"Damn it! If things continue this way, we're all just going to die pointless deaths, aren't we!"
"That is correct. What is even more horrifying is that if we become isolated here, no one will ever know of the Intelligence Department's atrocities. The damage to the Imperial Army will only grow more severe."
A murmur arose once more, and anxious emotions hovered in the air.
Daniel, who had kept his silence amid the murmuring, thought.
That this was his chance to return to the capital.
"Someone must make the Intelligence Department's atrocities known."
At the words of Daniel, the division commander, everyone's attention focused on him.
"Now that it is certain the Imperial Intelligence Department has conspired with the Allied Army, holding the front line holds no meaning. Because they will try to annihilate our army using even more meticulous methods."
"In that case......."
"If communications have been compromised, someone must go and convey the message directly. However, it is unlikely the Intelligence Department betrayed our allies on its own authority. There is undoubtedly a ringleader."
In Daniel's view, that ringleader was Belvar.
Because Otto, the Chief of the Security Bureau, had sent word that 'Belvar will stir up a storm.'
'I didn't think he would come out so recklessly, though.......'
Since the bastard had staked his life on this fight, this side, too, needed to respond properly.
"If the ringleader in question has formed a collusive relationship with some elements of the military, the situation becomes complicated. Because they will try to stop us in our tracks before we can deliver word to the capital."
The armored grenadier regimental commander swallowed dryly and spoke.
"So are you suggesting that we also mobilize our forces and head for the capital? If the enemy learns we have vacated the front line, will they not immediately begin their advance?"
"There is no way they could. The enemy bombed their own defensive strongpoints to ambush our army. Did you not personally witness that not only the defensive facilities but also the supply facilities were destroyed?"
There was no advance without supply lines.
The Allied Nations would not advance while they were repairing their own defensive strongpoints.
Even if they recklessly advanced, the front line was vast, and even excluding the 7th Armored Division, the Imperial Army was spread everywhere.
Unless every Allied force on the entire front launched a simultaneous general offensive, they could not penetrate beyond a certain distance alone.
Doing so posed the risk of the unit with a broken supply line being exposed to an ambush and annihilated.
Moreover, the 7th Armored Division had approximately 3,000 Allied prisoners, so they could halt the enemy advance at any time through negotiations.
The unit commanders, having finished their calculations, turned to each other and nodded one by one.
"I shall follow you, Division Commander. In any case, if you had not secured our retreat route, my unit and I would have met our end in enemy territory."
"I, too, would rather lay bare the atrocities of those Intelligence Bureau bastards than wither away isolated in this place."
"Give your order. We will stand with you, Division Commander."
Amid the fervor of the unit commanders, the staff officers also silently concurred, as if no other option existed.
Daniel, who had been looking over them all, nodded gravely.
"I will give my order as the division commander of the 7th Armored Division."
After a short, deep breath, Daniel opened his mouth.
"Unit commanders, return to your respective positions and proclaim that we will not stand idly by and watch the Intelligence Bureau's conduct as they conspire with the Allied Nations and drive our allies to their deaths. Declare that we will use this opportunity to root out every single collaborator committing treason in our midst!"
As the atmosphere in the tent surged, Daniel shouted loudly.
"Therefore, relay the message to all troops of the 7th Armored Division!"
Daniel's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Prepare to withdraw!"