Norden I 1

***

NOVEMBER 4, UNIFIED YEAR 1924, ENTENTE ALLIANCE DEFENSE MINISTRY, PERSONNEL OFFICE 2

A man in the Entente Alliance Army’s type II dress uniform was receiving a new rank insignia from his superior officer in the Army Personnel Division, who wore a smile plastered over his face like a mask.

“You’ve been promoted. Congratulations, Colonel Anson Sue.”

“If I’m getting promoted after suffering such a loss, our country must be at its end.” He didn’t fly into a rage at the state of things, but neither did he bother to hide his murmurings. He simply expressed his sentiment before he realized what he was saying.

Normally, an officer of his rank shouldn’t have talked like that. But the miserable situation of the Entente Alliance created a peculiar atmosphere in which Sue’s bitter comments could be excused.

Their defeat was all too clear. The kind of fall that was guaranteed to come. Of course, there was still some hope.

But in a room full of people who understood their circumstances and could see where they were headed, optimism was in laughably short supply.

“Now then, here’s your new insignia. We expect a lot out of you, Colonel.”

And that was why the people who fully comprehended the gravity of the situation were already exhausted. Their hearts were long spent from the intense rage they felt.

“The fatherland is in crisis. I have to hope you’ll do your duty as best you can. That’s all.”

“There is no greater happiness than to be entrusted with the fatherland.”

“Excellent.”

They did nothing but exchange set phrases. Probably the only thing on Sue’s mind as he delivered his stirring lines in monotone, like a sutra, was simple contempt for formalities. Since the leadership’s choices have been so grievously bad, aren’t the duties we soldiers can actually fulfill rather limited?

It was for that reason that Sue was miserable. His only reaction to the impassioned commotion caused by mobs of citizens frantic to save the nation was the extreme fatigue on his face.

He saluted according to protocol and left the room with a gait that grew even heavier when he saw the excited young volunteers, brimming with love for their country, forming up before marching out. They’re so innocent… Eager to go to battle, but what can they even do when they finally arrive?

“How disappointing. What awful luck to have been born in a country that can only ask its youths to die for it.”

A patriot would cry. They were supposed to protect their fatherland; they should have been proud of it. Instead, their nation had committed a grave mistake, and now it was ushering young people down a path that promised death. Though he could have sworn he was emotionally spent, he found tears blurring his vision.

“Colonel Sue?”

While trying his best to keep up appearances in response to concerned voices, in his heart, with a hint of resignation, he made a vow. If I’m going to send them to their deaths, then the least I can do is fulfill my duty as best I can, too. The commitment to self-sacrifice stemmed from his sense of responsibility and fate as a leader.

If the youth are going to sacrifice themselves for the fatherland, then there at least has to be someone to accompany them down that path, an adult who will fall beside them. He was grimly determined. How could I let them die alone?

Even so, as the young men paraded proudly down the road, he couldn’t stand the sight of the anxious-looking women carrying children in the crowd of people bidding them farewell. Thinking of those who were left behind, he prayed for salvation and nearly cried out. Anyone, anyone at all, please end this nightmare…

If there was a hope he could cling to, it was that the Republic or some other great power would maybe, just maybe, show up in the nick of time to save them. Then the Entente Alliance might have a chance to escape total collapse. But can it really? Having thought that far, Sue sneered at the futility of clinging to a wish that couldn’t even convince him.

He knew they were well and truly cornered, with no way out.

They were supposed to protect their fatherland, but it was already ticking down its final days little by little, like an hourglass. In the future lay inevitable ruin.

Facing downfall, he could only stand still, tormented by a sense of helplessness. His resolve to share the fate of the fatherland was unwavering. Nonetheless, when he thought of what hardships would befall the people when they lost their home country, he could only shed tears of grief.

Wait. It must have been the workings of fate that made him realize something at that moment: Just because a country was destroyed didn’t mean its people had to be. If they couldn’t protect their homeland, they at least had to let its citizens escape. Even after the state was broken, mountains and rivers would remain. Yes, countries fell, but they were made up of people. Perhaps they would have a chance to rebuild their broken home. If they saved the people who would become the seeds, they could dream of a day when the field of the fatherland would bloom once more. It would be a difficult journey. Times would be hard. But this wouldn’t be the end. There was the hope of rebirth.

A homeland is more than territory; as long as home existed in the hearts of its people, this wasn’t the end.

He had to help as many fellow citizens escape as possible. Surely that was the great cause worthy of dedication for a soldier of a failing nation. No, it was the one and only way of sacrificing oneself that a soldier who had sworn to protect the fatherland could be proud of.

“Here it is. Yes, I found it!”

With a shout so full of hope and purpose you would never have thought the speaker had been on the brink of despair just moments earlier, Colonel Sue made a vow. I’ll never let anyone destroy thee, O Fatherland.

This country was his family’s home. He was a father, even if he hadn’t been around his child much. Though he regretted that, and it was a bit late to start caring, he swore to leave his wife and daughter a future. Though it was immodest, he wanted to be glad he could use the military connections he hadn’t paid much attention to until that moment.

Meanwhile, the new Entente Alliance councilors, with traces of difficult-to-conceal resignation and contrition in their gloomy expressions, groped for a way to flip the hourglass back over as time slipped away.

Nobody had foreseen the start of open hostilities with the Empire. Everyone present had been appalled upon hearing the news. “Why has the fatherland done something so reckless?” When they came to grips with reality and left by the wayside ideologies and the illusion that this was the way things should be, it was clear that the Empire was going to pulverize the cheeky little contender snapping at it.

Though the gears of destruction had ground to a halt briefly due to the Republic’s surprise attack, the situation had definitely not improved for the Entente Alliance. On the contrary, the Principality of Dacia, after their warrior’s fanfare that sounded like music to the councilors’ ears, had been wiped off the map in the span of a few months.

The overwhelming military might of the Empire and the pathetic final days of the upstart challenger… To anyone with a heart, this was a nightmare come to life for the Entente Alliance.

In the midst of all that, the new councilors, despite their fear, were doing everything they could think of to maintain the front and continue the resistance.

“Now then, I’ve got some good news for you, gentlemen. It’s only a stopgap solution, but we’ve begun coordinating with our allies.”

As he read the announcement to the other nine councilors in the meeting room, Foreign Affairs Councilor Abensoll was a little excited by the first good news in a long while.

Diplomacy had fallen into chaos ever since the war started, but he finally received a favorable reply. Ever since the Republic had entered the war, he had been going around apologizing to all their allies and begging for assistance, and finally someone replied. The Republic had stepped in, fearing the collapse of the Empire’s encirclement following the Entente Alliance’s reckless move, but between the stalemated front and a huge number of casualties, its attitude rapidly soured to the point that the Republic barely even gave the Entente Alliance the time of day after Dacia got involved, addressing them with openly cold contempt.

What the nation wanted to say was clear: “Your heedlessness is the cause of this catastrophe.” A Republican diplomat had made that remark to Abensoll under the influence of alcohol, but those words said it all.

“That’s fine, but all the Republic really hopes for is someone to lessen their burden on the Rhine front, no?”

Because they knew exactly what the Republic was truly after, what should have been good news instead left the ten councilors in a hollow mood with low expectations. At most, the Republic hopes to take some of the heat off themselves by having us continue fighting on a second front, they thought.

“Councilor Cazor, your apprehension is reasonable, but the Republic is worried about a repeat of Dacia.”

“You mean they’re worried that if we fall, the Empire will turn its full energy on them? I see. Well, isn’t that a wretched thing to hear.” Army Councilor Cazor shrugged, seeming offended at being treated like a second Dacia, but his arguments weren’t very persuasive given how much he had hoped the Grand Duchy’s entry in the war would lessen the Entente Alliance’s own burden.

“Councilor Abensoll, surely that isn’t all?”

“No, excuse me. In addition to the Republic, it appears the Commonwealth will send over some manner of assistance. At least, there is consensus among the great powers that they would like to stop us from being completely annihilated.”

Foreign Affairs Councilor Abensoll had trailed off, but at the urging of an older councilor, he presented some good news about a sympathetic neutral power’s foreign policy.

The Entente Alliance would receive a helping hand from another nation, in addition to the Republic, that wasn’t happy with the prospect of the Empire expanding its influence. The Commonwealth, known for its excellent naval forces, was concerned by the Empire’s sudden expansion on the continent, so it had decided to take the first step toward joining the battle. Its plan was to maintain the balance of power—not much more than an excuse, but that was why they could be trusted from a realpolitik standpoint.

“Ohh, the friendly Treaty of Londinium again? Though we’re the ones who broke it…”

Despite thinking it was probably a good thing, there was no way anyone present could be genuinely happy to accept the help. Any member of the Entente Alliance leadership who was familiar with how the other powers felt about them, given that they had broken the treaty, could understand that the Commonwealth had offered half as an insult.

“So what are our options?”

“After analyzing the Dacian War, the Republic told us they worry our rear regions are under-protected.”

Unlike the Republic, forced into a head-on clash with the Empire, the Entente Alliance was using its topography and climate to maintain its front. But in reality, what allowed the Entente Alliance to just barely hold was that the Empire didn’t consider it a serious threat and was treating it as a side project.

“…I’m envious of countries that have power to spare. We’ve got nothing left.” The interior councilor commented on the disparity in national strength, which was truly massive.

In fact, simply going at it with just one of the Empire’s army groups required the majority of the Entente Alliance’s resources to maintain the troops on the front lines.

“For now, we have mage units stationed to fend off any attempts at incursions in the rear. They should at least be able to handle most things before it becomes a serious problem.”

The Entente Alliance was on guard against surprise raids deep in their territory, but so far nothing major had come up—one of the leadership’s few comforts. The most they expected was a gamble by an imperial cavalry brigade to destroy Entente Alliance railways or an airborne operation by a handful of aerial mages. The Entente Alliance’s quick response division had been successful in repulsing everything that had come before with their mages, so they were fairly confident they could fend off most invasion attempts.

“The Commonwealth says they’re anxious about an imperial naval assault.”

“A seaborne invasion? I don’t mean to be master of the obvious, but couldn’t we just attack them once they make landfall?”

Foreign Affairs Councilor Abensoll himself was dubious, but the Commonwealth was seriously concerned the Empire would try an amphibious assault, and its officers were unanimous in voicing the warning. “I understand your country’s situation, but your coasts are wide open.”

“If our main forces are all tied up, even a small amphibious landing force could prove catastrophic.”

Abensoll had no choice but to warn his colleagues with a measure of anxiety that if invaders met no resistance when they made landfall, then it would open up the Entente Alliance to a thrust from behind and bring their whole country down.

“Councilor Abensoll, the Republican Navy doesn’t have the power to put a stop to that. And might I remind you we only have two capital ships ourselves?”

But he still managed to feel hopeful.

“That’s no problem. This is confidential, but the Commonwealth is already monitoring the Empire’s navy. The Republican fleet is apparently ready to deploy if need be.”

Which means…

“Gentlemen, time is key. We need to buy time.”

“We must ask the other powers to intervene. It’s utterly shameful, but we have no choice. In the meantime, let’s do our best.”