“Hey, Kael. Uh, no. Commander-in-Chief.”
“You can call me comfortably, Your Highness the Princess.”
“…Anyway. That song the Thedorant prisoners are singing right now. You said it was a very popular song in Thedorant.”
“Yes. It's called Lili Marleen.”
Isn't it strange? That something exactly the same as what I remember exists here too.
Thanks to that, things proceeded much more easily. Because it can draw out their nostalgia.
While listening to that song, could they possibly remain indifferent?
“Will that really be effective? I think it would be better to advise them to Surrender.”
Nevertheless, our dear Princess seemed to be very worried.
Ah. The reason Her Highness is here is that she recently returned to the Command Staff.
Now that the encirclement was complete, there was no need for her to be with the southern Legion anymore.
“There is something I once said to His Majesty the Emperor. That those bastards must ask for Surrender, and that we will never be the ones to advise it.”
“May I ask why?”
“Because only then will their collapse proceed more quickly and effectively.”
Fight to the death for the Glory of the Theian People, for their self-respect?
There's a limit to the bullshit one can spew. It's the kind of thing that would make a passing dog die laughing.
Talk about Glory or self-respect all day long. Is it of any use in the face of death?
People. No, all living creatures have a great attachment to life.
All living creatures live to live. Humans are no different.
Before such beings, the great fear of death has descended.
For now, they are barely holding on, but it feels like that too won't last long.
Slowly, things like self-respect and what-not will disappear, and they will see Reality.
They will miss their parents and siblings, and they will miss the lovers and wives they left behind.
But. In that situation, they hear a song they used to hum in the past?
Happy times. Life itself will surely come to mind.
“Look at the Lyrics, Your Highness the Princess. It says she has long forgotten me. It says, if pain comes to me, who will stand by the lamppost? The woman I love has forgotten me, and someone else might be by her side. From the perspective of men on the Battlefield, isn't there no worse thing to hear than this?”
I die, but some crazy bastard who didn't even go to the Battlefield takes my woman?
Just imagining it is a story that would make one's eyes pop out and stomach turn.
They would surely want to cut the throat of the Commander urging them to fight right now.
Moreover, that song is not just any song, but a popular song they used to sing well in Thedorant.
On top of that, these are the times they should have spent with their families celebrating the holiday of the New Year.
But if, during that month, they've been through all sorts of hell and have only barely managed to survive.
What are the Thedorant bastards left in the encirclement really thinking?
“…The situation is roughly like this. I don't know if they can fight any longer.”
At my words, the Princess could only let out a sigh of, 'Aah'.
The Princess too is getting a rough estimate. The situation is predictable.
Watching the Imperial Army singing and humming from all sides.
When they throw away all that crap about victory or Glory. And just face the instinct to live.
The path they will choose will, in the end, be decided.
“But, Kael. Even if the soldiers are like that, the commanders might not think the same, right?”
“Your Highness is correct. So I activated the intelligence network as much as possible to find out about the opposing Commander. As a Result, it turns out he is a man of virtuous command who cares a great deal for his soldiers.”
“Then Kael's plan might work well.”
“But it's said that next to him is a man whose eyes have been blinded by the Glory of the Theian People.”
At that, the Princess becomes anxious, saying, ‘Then what on earth is going to happen?!’
The Commander is a man of virtue, but the bastards next to him are the type who seem like they would never Surrender.
She is asking if the current plan will work well in this situation.
And to that, the answer I can give is only one. 'It's even better,' I say.
“If they divide themselves, there is nothing more desirable than that, Your Highness the Princess.”
“No way. From the beginning, you weren't aiming for their immediate Surrender, but—”
“For them to become even more divided. For them to sort themselves out into 'those who can be accepted' and 'those who must not be accepted'.”
There are guys like that sometimes. The ones who Surrender and then do strange things behind your back.
In fact, some of the Thedorant prisoners our Empire secured showed such behavior.
Saying they must protect the Pride of the Theian People even in a prisoner-of-war camp.
That if they don't act like honorable soldiers of Thedorant, they themselves will punish them.
As if this place was their own Military camp, not an Imperial prisoner-of-war camp.
So what did I do? Of course, I had the soldiers caress them with clubs.
There are no bad people in the world. There are only people who haven't been hit enough.
And once you get hit, you naturally become a person, so I did them that favor.
Anyway. After seeing those guys, I took a greater interest in the prisoner problem.
I don't mind those who can be taken in and used for the benefit of the Empire.
But it's too much of a waste to feed Imperial Citizen's taxes to those who have no intention of cooperating.
“I only think and decide for the sake of the Empire. For me, prisoners who are not cooperative with the Empire and are just eating away at our supplies have not the Slightest Bit of value.”
“That's cold.”
“If by any chance you are disappointed….”
“No. Kael. That's why I think you're even more amazing. In your head, there is only your Family, your House. And the Empire that embraces them all.”
Of course, Your Highness the Princess. That's the only reason I've come this far.
Although lately, I've taken your Advice and there's a part of it for myself too.
“Hmm. Then, shall we go and shoot the climax of this play?”
“Go? Where?”
“The front line. I will go and request a Conference with their Commander. Proposing a 72-hour truce, with the intention of celebrating the New Year's holiday that we couldn't because of the Battle… Ugek.”
I wondered what was happening as my body was suddenly pulled forward.
When I came to my senses, my goodness. The Princess's face was right in front of me.
Only then did I realize that the Princess was grabbing me by the scruff of the neck.
“Y-Your Highness the Princess?”
“Say that again. Where are you going?”
“I-I will personally go to the front line and meet with the Commander of Thedorant's rearguard— Oof.”
A bit more force went into the Princess's Grasp on my collar.
At the same time, the already close distance between me and the Princess narrowed even further.
To the point where we could clearly perceive each other's breath.
“What did I say last time?”
“Th-that.”
“What did I say?”
“Y-you said that I am a very important person now, so I should take care of myself.”
“You remember well. That's a relief. I thought you had forgotten.”
And yet. While remembering it so well.
The Princess continues with a chilling smile.
“You're going to step forward yourself again. Show your face on the front line, and even have a direct Conference with the Enemy Commander.”
“If I don't go myself, they might not believe it.”
“Let's send representatives instead. What if, by some chance, they try some dirty trick! Don't you know His Majesty the Emperor personally attached a Guard and implored you?!”
Um, Your Highness the Princess. I went to Rostanica and even Dregali with that Guard.
His Majesty the Emperor didn't say anything about it, so isn't it fine?
—If I said that, she would show an even more vehement refusal.
“Your Highness the Princess. But this time, I must go myself. Only then will the Enemy be a little less suspicious, and above all, we can further enhance the majesty of our Empire.”
“I understand the former, but why the latter?”
“Didn't the Prince of Thedorant flee? While leaving his soldiers in the encirclement. If I, the Commander-in-Chief of the Empire, appear before those soldiers, what do you think they will think?”
What would they think. Of course, they would think, ‘Our prince was a cowardly bastard.’
No matter how great a figure he is, right now he is just a man who ran away.
As I said, that pride or whatever, I have to peel it all off from the skin to the flesh.
Only then, even if they Surrender, will they do it properly, and even if they Surrender, they will bow their heads in sincerity.
My Memories of a Past Life are enough of leaving strange embers to create more crazy bastards.
“…Really, Kael. I can't figure out what you're thinking, even when I think I do.”
“I'll take that as a compliment, Your Highness the Princess.”
“Of course. Have you ever seen me speak ill of you?”
Aha. My apologies!
“Haa. Fine. I understand.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. Then—”
“So. Let's go together.”
“For a moment, the Command Staff… Pardon?”
“I said, let's go together. If what you say is right, it's better if I go too, right? For the sake of sincerity. And to show the difference between royalty and imperial family.”
Somehow, everything she said was so right that I couldn't say no.
As I was hesitating for a moment, the Princess shot me a glare and continued.
“Why. Could it be because there's a 'just in case' factor? Because it could be dangerous? You're not trying to say no with words like that, are you?”
In the end, the Princess's next move was decided.
The Destination was a direct Conference with the Commander of Thedorant's rearguard, with me.
“And. Kael. There's something I want to ask you.”
“Please ask.”
“I said that in Kael's head, there is only Family, your House, and the Empire that embraces them, right?”
“You did.”
“Then. Can I be included in that?”
Without realizing it, I stop walking and look at the Princess.
The Princess, unlike before, was meeting my Gaze calmly.
She wasn't joking or testing me. She asked with sincerity.
“…If Your Highness.”
And I too, decided to face it head-on instead of avoiding it.
“If Your Highness the Princess becomes Family with me, wouldn't that be more than possible?”
“Good. That answer. I am very satisfied.”