The Decision to Abandon the North

What was the most important duty for a king of any nation? Protecting its people. The foundation of a country was its people. If they crumbled, so did the nation. That was my conviction. A country was nothing more than a collection of communities, and without safeguarding the smallest unit—the individual—no such community could exist.

I'd felt that truth down to my bones on the day I became the Northern Grand Duke, alongside my memories of my past life. It had been ten years already.

"Your Grace. This is bad."

Allen, my 33-year-old adjutant, muttered while staring beyond the wall. His warning was as chilling as the northern cold.

Beyond this massive Northern Frontline Wall stretched an endless snowy plain, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dotted with forests here and there. The Milky Way flowing arrogantly across the black sky above made for a profoundly romantic sight.

But.

Hiding within that romantic landscape were things utterly devoid of romance.

Magic Beasts. They vanished like ghosts at sunset, only to reappear at dawn. The calamity the North had battled since time immemorial. No one knew where they came from or what lay beyond the land. There wasn't even time to investigate. Holding them back was challenge enough.

The North's barrier was sturdy, its forces all knight-grade or better—elite of the elite. Yet endless attrition warfare was wearing them down. I still vividly remembered the nausea that hit me the first time I witnessed it: hordes of Magic Beasts swarming like angry bees.

The burden of a mere commoner reincarnated to lead an organization rivaling a nation. The terror of those beasts. It had taken ages to shoulder and overcome it all.

"Any word on reinforcements?"

"We've sent repeated requests, but they only reply that it's difficult."

I bit my lip hard at my adjutant's words. The metallic tang of blood coated my tongue.

The Center—meaning the emperor of this vast empire—had refused aid with every excuse in the book. The North is vast and well-unified, so hold out if you can. You can do it. Bullshit like that. It was code for be our meat shield till you die.

He'd had personality issues even as crown prince. I'd been uneasy hearing the rumors back then, and now here we were.

"How long can we hold in the current situation?"

"Supplies are a bit short but not critically so. Morale is high enough for a prolonged defense. However..."

Allen trailed off. Even if we hold, what's the point? People kept dying.

"I get it."

I drew a deep breath of the North's frigid air, steadying myself. Rage boiled my blood, heating my head.

Seven years ago? Things started declining after the new emperor took the throne. Declined until we reached this point. Incompetent bastard. Jealous fuckwit. A guy unfit to lead even a village was sitting on the throne.

Still, with people behind us—with the duty to protect the North's folk—I'd endured. But no more. We couldn't all die.

If we fell, the North would be lost. I could already see the Magic Beasts charging south. Whether we died holding or they broke through—it amounted to the same. The logical conclusion was to minimize Northern sacrifices.

I wasn't some soldier loyal to the empire. I was the North's guardian.

Abandon it? Sure, why not. This is all that retarded emperor's fault.

With resolve hardened, my anger cooled astonishingly fast. I barely even felt mad anymore.

"Allen. Activate the emergency network at full capacity. Gather all the lords in one place. Right now."

"Yes, sir! I'll prepare it."

Allen leaped down from the wall—not via stairs, but straight off. Risky, but he landed fine. Silent as a shadow. A superb knight.

Gathering the lords didn't mean summoning them here. It meant a video conference via Mana Crystal Plate.

Allen knew that and hurried off. He soon returned to the wall.

"Huff... huff...! It's ready, Your Grace. You can speak now."

Allen handed me a palm-sized white plate. A phone for calls only. An obscenely expensive Mana Crystal Plate.

"Are all the lords in position?"

The North's twelve lords answered in unison. Low but resounding voices.

"Listen carefully to my orders from now on. This is top priority."

The lords replied in stiff, rigid tones. Absolute loyalty. They might not stand on the front lines, but they supported unwaveringly.

I exhaled slowly, steeling my throat, and spoke with force.

"No flowery words. Straight to the point. Everyone, prepare to relocate underground starting now. Move as soon as you're ready."

From my predecessor's time, I'd ordered underground farms built. The North needed its own supply lines. That foresight had kept us alive this long. Mages provided light and water for the farms, bit by bit. We'd even carved out living spaces beyond farmland, forming a kind of city. The extreme cold and harsh terrain made surface magic too inefficient.

One lord asked. The only marquis among the twelve. The rest: six viscounts, five earls.

"Yes. Once evacuation is complete, I intend to abandon the North's guardianship."

Abandoning the North. Unthinkable ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for a Grand Duke. But my resolve was ironclad. In the end, it came down to people. As long as they survived, the North wouldn't truly be lost.

The lords voiced concerns one by one. I knew full well.

"I think the same. But if we hold, we'll just sacrifice ourselves in the end."

I sighed, glaring fiercely. As I spoke, my cooled anger reignited.

"It's been a full seven years. No matter how politely, how obsequiously we begged for troops and supplies, the emperor ignored us. You know what that means."

The lords fell silent. No one answered. They couldn't bear to say we'd been abandoned. It made everything too pathetic.

"They mean to use us as meat shields, squeezing us until the last one dies. Only then will they panic."

I said it anyway. To amplify hatred for the Center, burying any pangs of conscience.

"We protect the North. We look after those below when we can afford it—but not anymore. Protect our people first."

The Magic Beasts were strong. Relentless. The Center, having forgotten that, would now pay for its complacency. The North falling wasn't our fault—or mine. It was the emperor who abandoned us, and the ruling class ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too busy sucking him off.

Even if they sent people, it'd be the same. Each lord would devour them, slave them, meat-shield them. Same end as if we failed to hold.

"Let's watch how great the arrogant Center really is. Everyone, move out."

In the end, all twelve lords bowed out politely, ending the call. They'd be scrambling like mad now.

I looked to the sky and said, "We start evacuation too. Stockpile as many supplies as possible. Leave only combat and support troops."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Allen tucked the crystal plate away and replied. Expensive thing—better keep it safe.

"Move evacuees only at night, in batches to avoid chaos."

"Understood. I'll handle the details as needed."

"Good. We'll hold the wall in the meantime."

A time-limited defense. Finish evacuating and hide within that window. Space was ample. Supplies just barely sufficient. Imagine an underground civilization. Beasts? We'd hunted for meat anyway—no loss. Maybe take pets.

The emperor's at fault. The nobles too. No arguing that.

With abandonment decided, leisure returned, vision cleared.

—Even if I abandon the world, I won't let the world abandon me. Suddenly, MilfHunter Jo Seung-sang's famous line popped into my head.

We'd been abandoned once and waited like fools, but now we'd abandon first. The North was always frantic, cutthroat—no time even to dream of rebellion. If there'd been slack, we'd have struck the Center.

"Hoo..."

I sighed, lowering my head. Thick, frozen bloodstains gleamed starkly on the cold walltop. Stains that would vanish only if the wall crumbled to dust.

I watched my breath fog sharply, then turned away. Now it was a race against time.

—Woof woof!

Dawn broke. Knights assembled from sleep; soldiers took positions in rear turrets, nocking arrows. Mages joined them. All swallowed hard at the sight of bipedal white wolves: Werewolves. The most numerous Magic Beasts—infantry equivalents.

"Fire."

I bellowed with mana, and turret mages unleashed fireballs. Bombardment.

Boom! KABOOM!

The beast horde's midsection shattered; roars and black smoke rose.

—Woof woof woof!

Werewolves charged fiercer, barking madly. Magic Beasts knew no fear—only forward toward targets. That was the scariest part.

"Second wave, fire! Mages, focus on breaking their center! Archers, target those nearing the wall!"

Mages hit the distant center. Archers, nearer Werewolves. Reduce numbers maximally. Beasts came endlessly, but thinning them shrank the waves. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ignore them, and waves swelled.

"Your Grace! Caledon!"

Someone yelled from a turret. Far off, a building-sized boar thundered closer, shaking the earth with each step. Giant boar Caledon. Rare, but a must-stop threat—or the wall would shatter.

So I infused my voice with mana, amplifying it like a megaphone.

"I'll handle it! Don't break formation—stick to your roles!"

I drew my waist sword and leaped diagonally with full power. A Grand Duke's duty.

Whoosh.

I shot up diagonally, dizzyingly fast and high.

—Squeeeeal!

The rampaging Caledon raised its head and shrieked. Threatening beast, with hide tougher than any armor. Northern knights wore beast leather over plate. Meat was toxic raw but edible processed—key food source.

I plunged sword-first at its crown. Blue smoke trailed the blade—shunk! It sank deep, cracking skull, piercing brain. Perfect handfeel.

Nice.

Eyes rolled back; Caledon thrashed, squealing. Crunch! A nearby Werewolf got pulped underhoof.

The giant pig rampaged and rampaged. Five brains or what? Thud!

One minute of frenzy. It finally weakened, staggered, collapsed. Nearby Werewolves crushed beneath.

I leaped off just before, landing on the corpse to survey the field. Werewolves bounding up the wall like flat ground. Exploding fireballs ahead. Arrow barrages painting the sky. And Werewolves climbing the round, fat corpse, baring teeth. Unavoidable.

—Yelp!

I cleaved the head of one at my feet vertically, catching my breath. Situation said stick here. Couldn't halt bombardment for me; detouring wasted stamina.

Might as well bag some wolves.

I split climbing wolves' skulls, breathing steady. Clear blue morning. Magic Beasts swarmed like bees.