SWNOVELXO Chapter 175
―Tremble, tremble, tremble!
Could it be that the shaking over there is due to the cold?
Or perhaps it’s because they can’t control their body out of fear and pressure?
The representative stepping forward to request surrender is, as mentioned in the previous report, a girl in her late teens.
Not long ago, they proudly referred to themselves as a strong nation, the Dedorant, second only to the Empire.
However, now all that remains is a distant branch; a person close to a rural noble, not even royalty.
Those accompanying her are all individuals who have never even been part of the Dedorant Command.
“Please come this way.”
Only one person remained—Paelus—leading the surrender delegation from Dedorant.
Even though he could easily be branded a traitor to his ethnicity and kingdom, he fulfills his duty.
What he truly wanted was not glory or struggle, but mere survival.
“On behalf of Dedorant, I humbly request an unconditional surrender to the Chief of Staff of the Empire.”
“The most exalted being under the heavens, the lawful ruler of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor, will accept the surrender request from the Chief of Staff of the Empire, Kael Clausewitz.”
What follows is, as always, the typical proceedings from a surrender ceremony.
Prohibition of hostile actions. Full withdrawal from all territories occupied by Dedorant.
Prohibition of destruction in the region. Maintenance of infrastructure. Immediate release of prisoners.
Acknowledgment of our Empire’s control over all of Dedorant. Covering the costs incurred therein.
There were indeed numerous stipulations, but I will cut it down to this.
Honestly, there was no real reason to do this. Dedorant itself had already been completely wiped out.
It was, quite literally, a formal affair. But how many lives had been lost and injured for the sake of this formality?
A representative stepped forward to sign the surrender document, exchanging handshakes and bows.
The war that had persisted for over two years concluded in less than ten minutes of this signing ceremony.
“…”
After everything was over, I stared blankly at the sky.
How annoyingly clear it was; the fact was incredibly inconvenient.
*
The war was officially over. Now it was time to discuss returns, not advances.
And the very first thing I did was to send back the reinforcements.
“Thank you for your hard work all this time, Commander Bethel.”
“No, on the contrary, I was able to gain much experience by moving alongside the Imperial Legions.”
“The journey back home will be quite long. The Empire will provide various conveniences along the way, so please feel free to go. If we can meet again later, let’s do so.”
I first issued return orders to the alliance forces of Burgai, Kaden, and Polrand.
They had come from the opposite side of the continent. Even if they set off first, they could arrive last.
Perhaps there was a subtle burden stemming from the fact that their home country owed a debt to the Empire.
Even though it wasn’t their war, they fought as valiantly as the Imperial Legions, incurring significant losses.
“Commander Bethel.”
“Yes, Chief of Staff.”
“The Foreign Ministry will inform you of the details while passing through the Empire, but let me tell you ahead of time that the Empire greatly praises the courage of this eastern alliance. It was a great honor to have fought alongside you as enemies, and it is also a significant honor to have faced a common foe this time.”
Was it because of the unexpected praise? Commander Bethel and the subordinate commanders looked slightly astonished.
“…I am at a loss for words.”
“I have heard that the three eastern kingdoms have fully overcome the wounds caused by the heavy rainfall.”
“Yes, that is indeed fortunate. It was thanks to the Empire’s support in various forms.”
“The Foreign Ministry will also provide new responses regarding this matter.”
“New responses?”
“The debts that each kingdom owes to the Empire will be settled promptly.”
Then, the ones most surprised were the representatives from the three eastern kingdoms.
They asked me to repeat what they thought they might have misheard.
“As you heard. His Majesty the Emperor has decided that pressing those who valiantly fought alongside us in this war to repay their debts would be inappropriate. The Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Finance also agree with His Majesty’s intentions.”
Given that the three kingdoms have only just begun to recover, when could they possibly repay those debts? Pressuring them for repayment would only pour cold water on the warm relations they’ve built with the Empire.
Besides, shouldn’t we give those who came all this way and fought a fine gift?
There is such a thing as imperial pride; we cannot say, ‘Go back and repay your debts.’
This applied equally to Nobogord to the north and the kingdoms in the south that aided us.
There were reasons they had no choice but to send reinforcements to the Empire, even if it was part of a contract.
Regardless, they bled alongside us in this war, and if there was no reward, it simply wouldn’t make sense.
“Everyone has worked hard. The Empire will not forget the courage shown by the various southern kingdoms. Though your territories may be small, you have shown that your hearts are not small.”
“Your words only make us feel ashamed for not being able to help more.”
The southern kingdoms would share a pie based on their contributions.
Some would reap multiple benefits from maritime trade with the Empire, while others would gain various interests from Benito.
Next was Nobogord, but the situation here was slightly different from the previous two regions.
Although the alliance of the three kingdoms from the east fought valiantly, the true backbone remained the Imperial Legions.
However, the Atria front had been clearly led by Nobogord from the beginning.
As a result, their losses were greater than those of the other two regions, particularly the ratio of fatalities.
“…Hence, the Empire will engage in further discussions with Nobogord to provide corresponding compensation. Lady Charlua.”
“There’s no need for you to take care of us. We are quite satisfied having completely wiped Atria off the charts. Hehe.”
“Still, if you send us off empty-handed, it would tarnish the Empire’s pride.”
The Empire has surpassed being merely the continent’s big brother; it has now become the pinnacle itself.
For them to fight and bleed alongside the Empire and receive nothing in return?
The people from Nobogord could rightfully criticize the Empire, but the Empire’s own people could just as easily criticize the Empire first.
“Hmm. Well then, should I give you a hint regarding what my country desires?”
“I am all ears.”
“Nobogord wants to station troops in the Atria region and manage it directly, at least to some extent. This is not merely the opinion of the Demon Tribe Council, but also the public sentiment within Nobogord.”
“Hm. Stationing troops in the occupied territories of Atria.”
This is a matter with clear benefits and drawbacks.
First off, for the Empire, deciding not to send the army back home and instead station them in the conquered land is a boon.
The soldiers who have endured more than two years of hardship must be sent home first.
After all, even if the war has ended, the military budget continues to leak ruthlessly, we can save what little we can.
However, placing the management of the conquered territories in the hands of another nation will inevitably increase their influence.
The main players in this war are the Empire, and the one proclaiming victory is also the Empire. It has to be so.
Compensation for losses can be provided in plenty, but sharing the proclamation of victory is simply not permissible.
“That matter is likely—”
“Yes, it will likely need further discussion with the Empire. Nobogord knows full well that it cannot simply act on its desires.”
The world indeed witnessed how the Empire fought and showcased its might in this war.
And the new weapons and magic introduced were clearly visible to all.
Even if the Empire must take a breather after this war,
No one will dare to provoke the Empire’s anger again.
The issues with foreign nations have largely come to an agreement.
Beyond this point, it’s work for the Foreign Ministry rather than the Chief of Staff or staff office like myself.
Next, I had to select which legions would return to the Empire first.
“Eastern 3rd Legion, 7th Legion, and 12th Legion. You are to return to the Empire first, together with the allied forces of the three eastern kingdoms.”
The first choice is, of course, the Eastern Legions. The reason is simple; the journey is too far.
A force of nearly 60,000 cannot use the teleportation magic circle, so they must travel the long way on foot.
If they set out any later, it’ll be the turn of the new year before they make it home.
“And as for the legion participating in the return ceremony, it should be the 1st Legion.”
This legion fought most fiercely from the Western Legion. They were those who chose to isolate themselves in Setongrad.
They fought so fiercely that their death toll was 1.5 times that of other legions, but their injury rate was lower.
What does this mean? It means they fought on until they suffered fatal wounds.
“Kael Clausewitz.”
“Y-yes, Chief of Staff!”
“I want you to return first to the mainland alongside the 1st Legion.”
“Me? Alone? But Chief of Staff, you…”
“It is better for the most courageous legion to be accompanied by the most valiant knight at the return ceremony. If asked which legion fought the hardest in this war, it would be hard to pin down an answer, but if the question is which knight was the bravest, the answer is clear.”
She had completely obliterated Atria’s knight order from the north.
When she clashed with the enemy in the field, she melted them away without a trace.
Kaya’s exploits could easily earn her the title of a deity during this war.
Such a person has no reason to stay here now that the war is over.
She should be sent back to receive cheers and applause from the Empire, then sent home.
“The remaining legions will maintain their positions and focus all efforts on stabilizing the occupied territories. I understand that the soldiers are itching to return home. But the war doesn’t end just because the battles are over. We must prevent a war from ever happening again.”
There are many who have lost in wars because they mismanaged the conquered territories.
I want to ensure that the grasping fools of this Empire do not belong to that category.
A full-scale start towards stabilizing the former Dedorant region.
And there I witnessed yet another infuriating spectacle.
“What is this?”
“They say it’s the remnants of an attempt to carve the eternal struggle of the Deo Ethnicity across the entire city. The Empire was to begin construction once negotiations with Dedorant were initiated.”
At the onset of the war, they were dreaming grand dreams, thinking they had the advantage and were preparing to build an enormous city.
According to the people from the former Dedorant region, they intended to name it ‘Deomania’.
Having heard this, I immediately used magical communication to contact the mainland.
“Please increase the fury of the Empire just one notch more.”
Such garbage is too disgusting even to clean with my hands.
Since it’s not even a city where people live, let’s just blow it away.