SWNOVELXO Chapter 165
Manhattan Project.
From the perspective of my past life, it’s a grand plan for developing an atomic bomb, the embodiment of the wrath of the great nation.
The moment humanity crafted a weapon capable of self-destruction.
I have now become death, the destroyer of worlds…
Of course, in this world, such a thing is utterly impossible.
Magic has made leaps and bounds, but unfortunately, science still has a long way to go.
It’s not wrong to say that highly developed scientific technology is not much different from magic.
Yet, it’s entirely my fault that the name Manhattan Project came into being.
After all, nothing beats the formidable explosion that can perfectly overwhelm the opponent.
[ A magic conglomerate concentrated in one place, equivalent to the magical corps’ carpet bombing. No, even more powerful! Thanks to this, we had to endure immense research costs, labor costs, and countless trial and error. ]
“I’ve heard progress has been fluctuating.”
[ Recently, as there’s some leeway in the battlefield, research has been resumed. It seems the Chief of Staff has played an immense role from start to finish. ]
“Surely that can’t be true. You should commend those involved rather than me.”
They say I can handle a sword and that I’m clever enough to be called a strategist.
Even so, I have my weaknesses, and one of them is magic.
Manhattan Project. A power incomparable to anything that could devastate the entire region.
That was the condition proposed, but honestly, I had no idea if it was possible with magic at the time.
I merely thought, ‘If our empire could do such a thing, wouldn’t it create tremendous deterrence in war?’
The wizards who made every effort to meet that standard deserve my utmost respect.
‘So that’s why when I suggested attaching wizards to the transportation unit, the Minister of Magic and the Ministry of Finance were horrified.’
Even with the number of wizards involved in the Manhattan Project, it’s already immense.
We’re talking about experienced wizards, not novices, to be placed in the transportation unit.
Honestly, if I were the Minister of Magic, I would’ve grabbed that guy by the collar and shaken him right away.
[ I feel I must let them know. If our empire truly aimed at the King of Dedorant, rather than methods like assassination, we simply would have announced this to the world. A declaration that those without this kind of magic shouldn’t even think of opposing the empire. ]
As an aside, the results produced so far in this Manhattan Project haven’t reached the level of the atomic bomb from my previous life.
To put it metaphorically… um, how should I say it? I’ve never seen such an explosion even in my past life, so I wouldn’t know.
In any case, it’s neither at the level of Fat Man nor Little Boy. It’s much lower than that.
At best, it can wipe out a single castle.
Still, that doesn’t mean its destructive power is weak.
Wiping out a castle in a single attack means, by our standards, it would be considered at that level.
“I, too, wish to welcome the Crown Princess’s decision. However, the project I presented is not only impractical for battlefield use but also lacks accuracy, and above all, it could sweep up innocent people.”
I wish to use it at the enemies’ gathering site, but doing so inevitably means our troops must be at odds.
Additionally, there’s bound to be collateral damage from fires or smoke that would affect our side as well.
There are too many challenges for its usage in the field. Ultimately, the only place it would be used is a castle or similar location.
So there’s a potential for civilians of Dedorant, not just soldiers, to get caught up in it as well.
[ Chief of Staff, I believe that in war, there are no innocents. ]
“Is that so?”
[ If you wanted to be lenient, you should have done that from the beginning. At this point, is there any reason for our empire to show mercy to Dedorant? Unless they ask first, of course. ]
The Crown Princess is right. There’s no reason for that. This all started because of them.
At this point, it’s too late for them to be whining and begging for their lives, given that they’ve already uttered such nonsense.
If the empire were to quietly attack as usual, a misleading message might be conveyed.
[ We received a report from the Ministry of War. At this rate, the war may not end even after this year. ]
This time, Paelus, who surrendered, has promised to share the location of Dedorant’s secret supply depot. Considering that, the timeline might be shorter.
[ Do you think they would surrender just because they’re a bit hungry? ]
“…While I doubt the soldiers would, I believe it’s not the case for the command. ”
Right. If they were the kind to surrender just due to hunger, they would have done it long ago.
They might even be willing to hoard every last potato from the civilians.
They could plunder the occupied DeGale territory even if it meant letting them starve to death.
Desperate fools are ready to do anything.
[ Progress hasn’t been completely stalled. I’ve heard the Ministry of Magic has reached some of the pre-established goals. However, the magic’s stability is precarious, and there’s a risk it could explode during casting. ]
“So the remaining target is to ensure stability rather than just power.”
[ I will ensure it’s completed before winter. Until then, I’ll have them burst through all their defensive lines, making sure the enemies gather to protect the royal capital. Chief of Staff. ]
*
The extraction of impurities and processing of waste in Benito is proceeding smoothly.
Initially, there were many issues, but it seems to have significantly decreased by now.
They’ve probably realized that sticking with the empire means a much better chance of survival.
As for Atria… sigh. I hardly wish to speak of that. Those damn fools.
Even with Charlua relentlessly working hard and our Kaya tearing everything apart like a true beast,
How is it that not a single one of them wants to discuss a proper surrender?
According to the few that did surrender, Dedorant has completely cut off all their sprouts of resistance.
They’ve been forced into a situation where they cannot help but fight against the empire.
Moreover, the soldiers even believe the empire is made up of demons with horns on their heads.
“What on earth have you all been doing?”
“…I have no words.”
Paelus, who has agreed to disclose the secret supply depot, is turning red.
It seems he feels some shame for the situation created due to Dedorant.
“Cough, cough. As I mentioned before, our Dedorant’s supply depots are currently in five main locations. They may have constructed more, but considering the current conditions, that seems unlikely.”
“What about the possibility of them relocating the supply depot?”
“I can’t completely rule it out. However, it’s unlikely they would do so easily. Unless Dedorant is out of the battlefield, any movement would now be detected by the empire’s scouts.”
That’s a valid point. With the royal capital so close, we’ve increased the number of scouts.
While it’s feasible to hit defensive strongholds and castles, tracking Dedorant’s every move has become an easy task now.
“Originally, it was planned to place them in various strongholds and castles, but there were concerns that retrieving them would be challenging, and supplying them could risk opening doors and endangering the castles and strongholds.”
“So you secretly created supply depots near the castles and strongholds, huh?”
“We must proceed carefully. Inside those depots are our elite troops, the ones most intoxicated by the glory of the Deo Ethnicity.”
That’s a given. Would I place unreliable and incompetent people there?
I’d be glad to know that there are elite troops present. I’m excited to finally get in on the action myself.
“Sir Chief of Staff, you really don’t have to step in personally.”
“I just want to see the situation in more detail. Legion Commander.”
“While I can’t argue with that….”
In ancient times, wasn’t it said that Cao Cao personally moved to loot Yuan Shao’s grain stores?
The enemies must be desperate too, so it’s necessary to raise morale for our empire.
Of course, I have no intention of fighting with a sword like Meng De. The strategist can just observe from behind.
“Um, Aide.”
“Yes, Chief of Staff?”
“Do you think the Princess will let me off easy when she finds out about this?”
“…You must realize I cannot prevent her.”
How tragic. Even our loyal aide admits he cannot stop her!
But it can’t be helped. I’ve come this far without telling the Princess.
She likely has already gauged the situation by now, but what can I do!
After sitting in the rear for the past year, as my father said, I’m just itching to do something!
“Our goal is not looting but complete destruction. We will use surprise and fire simultaneously, so let every commander ensure their soldiers stay vigilant to avoid confusion.”
After providing the general directives, I leave the specifics to the Legion Commander.
With this one attack, we need to wipe out both supply depots.
We’re dealing with folks who have no intention of surrendering, so we must starve them out.
“We will commence the attack.”
As the Legion Commander departs, I glance over at Paelus beside me.
He pretends to act indifferent, but he can’t shake off his bitter expression.
No matter how mad they’ve become, they’re still Dedorant soldiers, so it’s understandable they wouldn’t feel good about it.
“Commander Paelus, let me make one thing clear, this isn’t your fault. If there’s any blame, it lies with those madmen who refuse to acknowledge their own defeat and limits, simply wishing to die.”
With my little consolation, Paelus gives a shy smile and thanks me.
And that day, our imperial army succeeded in burning down two of Dedorant’s secret supply depots.