NOVEL WEB Chapter 206: War Is Diplomacy (1)
The Reich Empire Palace, Audience Hall.
“Northern Army Commander, General Peter Yaeger, humbly requests an audience with Your Majesty.”
“You must have had a hard journey from the far north. So, how are you getting along with Louise?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve received a lot of help in many ways.”
Laura and Anya, being military officers, had been providing direct and indirect help with the challenging aspects of managing the Northern Army.
Charlotte helped me with daily chores and occasionally assisted with the family’s accounting books, but Louise managed and oversaw all the household affairs of the Count Yaeger family in my stead.
Moreover, honestly, even with one man and two women, it was common for a household to become chaotic.
Thanks to Louise moderately mediating the other three, there were no significant issues within the household.
“It’s really fortunate that you’re getting along well. That aside, how is the situation in the north?”
Hearing this, the Emperor became so furious at the cunning tricks of the Stockholm scoundrels that his face turned red with rage, grinding his teeth.
However, in this case, His Majesty was the first to know about the crisis situation and ordered me to suppress it.
Therefore, I did my best to overcome the worst-case scenario and achieved some success, so there would be no blaming or holding me accountable.
However, the Emperor let out a deep sigh as if the sky were falling and asked.
“It’s a relief among misfortunes that we could prevent all 60 tribes from defecting.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Those were the scoundrels who had been preparing to betray us long before you were assigned to the north. Reducing such vile men from 60 to 40 is indeed a significant achievement. There is no need for further apologies. The important thing is to secure and protect the loyalty of the remaining Northerners. I know the rough contents of the measures, but tell me again in detail.”
Even if losing cattle because the barn was broken was a thing of the past and couldn’t be helped, a person who wouldn’t even fix the barn after the cattle had escaped through it was a fool and an idiot.
But I wasn’t a fool, so I thoroughly repaired the barn.
“Until now, including the Kerzhit Tribe, we have somewhat discriminated between Northerners who have not fully surrendered their territories and assimilated into the Empire and the citizens of the Empire. However, that discrimination should be abolished, and northerners should also be given the same duties and rights as the citizens of the Empire.”
“I agree with your opinion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it could be fully accepted with just a little adjustment. But is it really okay to let the Northerners into the army? They could betray us.”
“Having borne a heavier burden than the Empire’s citizens for about four years without betraying us, there’s no reason not to trust them, is there?”
It might seem like a stretch to argue for accepting all of them as equal citizens of the Empire after just watching them for about four years.
After all, when people meet and decide to marry, they date for 3-4 years, so it would be impossible to judge whether hundreds of thousands of Northerners were loyal citizens of the Empire or backstabbers in just a few years.
Still, I believed I could fully trust those who had followed us so far.
Because, as I subjugated that bastard Ludwig, the Empire demonstrated overwhelming military superiority to the Northerners.
After being incorporated into the Empire, they enjoyed a modest prosperity they hadn’t experienced while nomadic and farming in the north, so anyone with common sense would think it was advantageous to be under the Empire.
“Moreover, young people from the north will serve in the Imperial Army for three years, won’t they? During that time, we can teach them how great the Empire is and how proud it is to serve His Majesty. That way, loyalty to the Empire will naturally develop among the youth.”
“My father often said this. Loyalty must be taught directly for it to become second nature. So, if we teach loyalty to the Empire in the army, even the barbaric northerners will swear loyalty to the Empire and me, the Emperor.”
“In addition, it’s necessary to instill the belief that one can change their fate by achieving merit in the military. Then, they will participate sincerely both in training and in combat. The person who changes their fate and their family by achieving merit will naturally be more loyal to Your Majesty. Watching this, people from the same village will also strive harder to serve Your Majesty, hoping to become the protagonists of their own success stories.”
From the time I commanded the 7th Guard Division, and even more so after I was successfully promoted from company commander to battalion commander, soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers under my command had openly expressed their admiration for me.
Such individuals, thinking of changing their fate like me, fought harder in wars and possessed much thicker loyalty than officers from even the most prestigious noble families.
By instilling the concept that Northerners could improve their fate by serving well in the military and that effort and ability would always be rewarded, they would naturally become loyal.
The Emperor, satisfied with my argument, nodded and replied.
“In my nearly 50 years of life, I’ve never heard of the idea of bringing barbarians into the army to instill loyalty. But it’s certainly worth trying. After all, one of your wives, Baroness Kerzhit, and the northern archers she leads have also developed loyalty to me through their military service.”
“You will surely not be disappointed, and I have also thought about where to deploy them.”
“Do you plan to place them at the vanguard in the war against the Stockholm Kingdom?”
It was a good idea to engage in direct combat with the Stockholm Kingdom, which had been sowing discord in the north, but that alone seemed insufficient.
“As far as I know, among the 40 tribes that intended to betray the Empire following Istvan, some have not yet left the north. And their lands are now being protected by soldiers of the Stockholm Kingdom.”
Precisely, a very small number of Stockholm soldiers were leading local tribes to establish an advance base in the Empire’s north, though it was rather child’s play.
“I plan to mobilize the Northerners who are now on our side of the Empire to attack and kill the Stockholm soldiers. By doing so, we will completely cut off the psychological retreat for the Northerners who have chosen not to follow Istvan and instead follow the Reich Empire.”
“You have considered the possibility of worsening diplomatic relations with Stockholm?”
“Even if a few tribes in the north have surrendered to them, building an advance base for Stockholm on Empire territory, not even in a neutral zone, is tantamount to a declaration of war. The relationship can’t get any worse. It’s war and nothing else.”
Hearing my words, the Emperor nodded and replied.
“I see. But as you know, the Empire is currently engaged in no small number of wars, from Ostarica and Chekovia to even the Peronian Federation below. You know why, don’t you?”
“The intent is to weaken Your Majesty’s power by inflicting a significant defeat at the end of Your Majesty’s term and to hinder the Crown Prince from ascending the throne.”
“Exactly. Therefore, after this expedition against the Stockholm Kingdom, I intend to hold an imperial election. So, we must be even more cautious.”
Imperial election, has His Majesty finally decided?
“After this expedition, we must not have problems in the north for the next 3-4 years. We need thorough measures. Do you have any other strategic thoughts?”
From a strategic perspective, it seemed we should do to the wicked Stockholm scoundrels what the Peronian City Alliance, Ostarica, Chekovia, and the Varshava folks had done to us.
Was there any way?
While pondering, a pretty good idea crossed my mind.
“I have a good strategy, Your Majesty.”
In war, it wasn’t just an eye for an eye; cutting off the limbs of the opponent just for grazing me with the tip of a sword was considered manners, wasn’t it?
Then, since the Stockholm Kingdom tried to sneakily take the north this time, wouldn’t it be common sense to make them pay the price by dropping them into hell?