SWNOVELXO Chapter 167
The secret supply depot was completely destroyed by the Empire.
Not everything was lost, but two out of five exploded, meaning nearly half of the supplies were gone.
The Dedorant’s resource situation had long been at its limit.
Originally, the war was supposed to end last year.
They had expected to negotiate with the Empire and take a few years off to regain their strength.
Afterward, when the Empire once again sought to hold them back, they would strike back decisively.
If they managed to win significantly against the Empire, the North, South, and East would recognize the change and rise up.
This was the most ideal future the Dedorant Command had envisioned.
However, that future was now no more. It had long since fallen to the ground and shattered.
Their army was torn to pieces, and nearly half of their territory was occupied by the Empire.
Above all, they had lost their king who had led them, making the situation even worse.
“We must solve the food issue right away.”
“Soldiers on the frontlines are starving. If we can’t even provide them with food while their morale is already low, I assure you they will surrender en masse just like they did in Benito.”
“Solve hunger? That sounds nice. It’s an excellent point. But how will we resolve it? Our stockpiled supplies are nearly depleted, and the supply depot has been completely destroyed, losing what little we had.”
“We can’t bring supplies from Atria or Benito like before. Now, our Dedorant must overcome this harsh period on our own.”
They extinguished the immediate fire by broadening the age range for conscription.
They rifled through every warehouse of Dedorant and gathered supplies from the DeGale occupied territories.
But what about food? There are people who need to work in the army right now.
Even if the remaining ones frantically farm and produce, it would be impossible to meet the current demand.
“At this point, there are two methods. We cry out for sacrifices from the Kingdom People and simultaneously seize everything in the DeGale occupied territories.”
They would tell the Dedorant Kingdom People to reduce their meals from three a day to two. No, to one.
By sending the remaining food to the army, they could manage to last until next year.
Moreover, if they clean out everything from DeGale, the quantity would increase even further.
After all, if Dedorant wobbles, there will be those who rise again as resistance forces.
They can’t afford to focus on that; they need to make sure those folks pick up farming tools instead of weapons.
It’s about getting them into the fields to avoid starving to death rather than reclaiming the country.
“Good. Immediately announce across Dedorant. The Deo Ethnicity has always lived in a harsh land, so they can get by on just one meal a day. Each region should proceed to gather food accordingly.”
Gruber, temporarily filling the seat of Cassius II, issued the order immediately.
He thought that even if his king were present, he would have come to the same conclusion as now.
“No meals shall be allowed in DeGale, not even one a day. Make sure to seize everything. Even the food meant for the children and the elderly. Even the acorns meant to feed livestock. All of it!”
If they lose, the DeGale occupied territories would cease being occupied.
They wouldn’t be able to hold on to it anyway, so they might as well burst it now while they can.
And shortly after, protests from the Kingdom People of Dedorant began pouring in.
“No! If you take this, what are our families supposed to eat?!”
“There are no able-bodied men at home, just women, children, and the elderly! To expect us to subsist on one meal a day with no strength or capability to farm?!”
“Isn’t this Dedorant?! Why is the Deo Ethnicity taking from their own people?!”
In response to the backlash, the Dedorant Command decided on this answer.
“The greatness of the Deo Ethnicity begins with obedience to commands handed down from above. Even now, thanks to the many loyal subjects who faithfully executed the commands of the late King, many tasks could be accomplished.”
“O Deo Ethnicity! Let us view this as a temporary march through difficulties, for we shall ultimately achieve the final victory! Let us see this as a brief sacrifice for future glory!”
The news from the frontline was so distant, and the power of the Dedorant Command was right in front of them.
The nobles of each region, having succumbed to that power, began sending food as fast as they could.
Thanks to this, the Dedorant Army could somewhat mitigate the damage caused by the loss of two supply depots.
This was all a mortgage on the entire future of Dedorant, nonetheless.
Still, Dedorant kept a measure of nobility. There was no added cruelty or violence.
However, DeGale was not Dedorant. It was land occupied by them through force.
“If you take this much, we will all starve to death tomorrow!”
“You promised you’d at least let us survive, didn’t you?! This means you’re saying we should all die!!”
“What is this madness?! We agreed to not touch us in exchange for not helping the resistance forces! Breaking promises like this—what are you doing?!”
As this backlash continued, Dedorant immediately deployed soldiers to deal with the DeGale occupied territories.
They were not mere conscripts; they were seasoned troops who had been fighting the Empire until now.
It was just a matter of quelling the resistance of the locals in DeGale, who could be regarded as mere civilians.
“Cut down anyone who does not submit!”
“Kill them all, regardless of rank, if they do not cooperate!”
Just recently, the various nobles of DeGale, considered collaborators and granted safety, could not escape the terrifying grasp of Dedorant.
They had their wealth, and nearly everything they possessed, taken away.
It was unjust. But there was nothing they could do. The remaining ones were all those who had collaborated with Dedorant.
No, even those who hadn’t cooperated had remained silent about their actions all this time.
To resist now was beyond their capacity.
Above all, the current Dedorant was filled with monstrous beings without a backup plan.
If they fought back without any preparation, they could be completely wiped out.
The already starving DeGale could not bear this level of demand.
“I’m hungry. So hungry…”
“Please! Just something for the child to eat! Please!”
“I’m sorry. We don’t have anything left to eat. We haven’t had a piece of bread or even a potato since three days ago.”
The once prosperous DeGale turned into a hellish land in just a month.
“Chief of Staff, we’ve received urgent reports from Ross Tanika.”
“What is it? Is Dedorant attacking themselves?”
“No, it’s far more serious.”
Ross Tanika. The far western edge of the continent, where they won’t let go of Dedorant.
At the war’s start, Dedorant had dedicated quite a bit of military resources to that front.
But now, they were only maintaining their forces to prevent Ross Tanika from going on the offensive.
From the perspective of the Empire, they could be considered a bona fide ally.
In reality, they were receiving our supply support and were still fighting against Dedorant.
One downside was that their military strength was far too weak.
So they often came off as overly dramatic, and if that’s the case again…
“Dedorant is laying waste to the DeGale occupied territories.”
“What on earth do you mean? Aide.”
“They’re reportedly sweeping up everything usable for food from DeGale. Not just the normal DeGale Kingdom People, but even those who had cooperated with them. The people of DeGale won’t even be able to eat tomorrow.”
Managing the public sentiment of a territory obtained by force is essential for future endeavors.
If they’ve gone through all the trouble of winning a war, how disappointing would it be to lose stability in that land afterward?
In the past, the Empire strictly forbade pillaging occupied territories for that reason.
And Dedorant had also shown a degree of humanity when they first took DeGale.
Yet now, they had cast even that away. They had just given up completely.
What remained for them was a desire to sink alongside our Empire.
This news was also brought up in the command meeting of the legion commanders I preside over.
“Those bastards are preparing for the final battle, having completely given up on DeGale. In that case, the impact of the supply depots being destroyed won’t last long.”
“Just because we’ve plundered, that doesn’t mean it’s over, right? We need a place to store it and go through a process of preserving it for the military.”
“Chief of Staff, how about leading the charge with the War Wolves and storming their castle at once? If we drag this out, we may not reach the Royal Capital before winter.”
Let’s speed up the advance. The opinions of the legion commanders converged on that.
I thought so as well, so I issued the order promptly, and the Empire’s spear surged towards Dedorant.
In the process, another shocking piece of news reached us.
“Chief of Staff, the number of Dedorant defectors asking for protection due to looting has skyrocketed recently.”
“Looting? Aide, I’ve expressly forbidden local plundering. Haven’t I emphasized that if anyone gets caught, it’s the legion commander’s head on the line?”
“Th-that’s not our side!”
“Then what? Nobogord? Or the Eastern Alliance?”
Had these bastards lost their fear because they’d been with the Empire for over two years?
I held the command, so what the hell were they doing—
“Neither. It’s Dedorant.”
“…What nonsense is this?”
“Our own troops reportedly rushed in and took all the food. They say they can’t live anymore and are pleading for protection from the Empire.”