EP.365
There are times in life when you desperately want to lend a hand to a cat.
There is a lot of work to be done, so it is a time when you need to save not only sleeping time but also eating time. For example, when I was a cadet at the Academy, it was a desperate and urgent situation like when the deadline for submitting an assignment was only one day, or two hours, left.
Nowadays, I too am short on labor and time, to the point where I would like to borrow the help of a cat, or even a baby mouse.
In such a situation, I quickly built a defense system for the castle wall and led only a small number of cavalry to Bastion Castle to save at least one more person to fight on the castle wall.
“Marshal, Marshal. Aren’t you in too much of a hurry? If you fall like this, you will die right away!”
As Anya, who is following behind me, said, if you drive your horse too quickly and fall, there is a high probability that you will die instantly or suffer irreversible serious injury.
I don’t have time to relax and take care of my life right now.
Because I had to make the men, even the boys and girls, who were part of the group of refugees fleeing through the castle gate, turn around and stand on the castle wall.
To do that, it was important to somehow catch them before they passed through the gate, and for that, I had to hurry and die.
If you miss this, your chances of winning will decrease significantly.
“Marshal, I can see it over there! “A group of refugees is just about to leave the gates!”
A sigh of relief came out of my mouth when I heard that it was not too late.
“Raise the black eagle flag, symbolizing the enemy. Stop the procession! “Hurry up!”
“…Do you plan to mobilize all the refugees as soldiers?”
I wanted to explain to you so you could understand why I’m doing this, but right now it’s more important to hurry up as much as possible.
“Hurry now! “I’ll explain later!”
“Yes, I understand.”
The 100 cavalry that followed me under my orders quickly blocked the refugees’ path.
When a nobleman, who appeared to be an officer leading the refugees whose way forward was blocked, tried to protest on their behalf, a black eagle flag with five stars symbolizing the enemy was raised.
“……Marshal? “Why is the enemy blocking our way?”
That one word caused a huge stir.
“If you’re a Marshal, there’s only one Marshal, Marquis Peter Yeager, right?”
“Why on earth is he stopping us from fleeing?”
“They took away all the young people from our village and gave us everything except the bare minimum food we needed to eat. “Have you come to beg us to die now that we have nothing left?”
They were people who would have supported me just a short time ago, but the moment they became refugees, they changed their minds and started pouring out all kinds of negative things towards me.
Some of the soldiers who saw this appeared to put their hands on the hilts of the swords on their waists, as if they thought they should execute some of them as an example according to military law… But now I am in a position to ask them
for a favor, and they are acting according to their legitimate rights. These are people taking refuge.
So, while sending hand signals to those who had reached for the sword to stop them, he got off his horse and quietly advanced to the front of the refugee procession.
“I am Marshal Peter Jaeger, commanding 600,000 soldiers of the Reich Imperial Army.”
Among those present, having seen and heard the marshal’s flag with five stars and the testimony of the officers and soldiers, there is not a single one who does not know that I am Peter Yeager.
When the Marshal himself came out and declared proudly, everyone’s attention was focused on me.
However, it was clear on their faces that their interest was not a good feeling for me.
With expressions filled with fear and resentment, the refugees cried out as if they were wailing towards me, who had blocked their path.
“Enemy, please do not block our path! We don’t want to die. “Please just let me go so I can live.”
“If we don’t evacuate, we will all be dead. “Don’t you know?”
“Why are you trying to prevent even lowly serfs like us, who can’t help in the fight, from escaping! Isn’t the Marshal someone who started out as a serf and worked his way up from the same status as us? “How can you be so heartless?”
When I heard those words, my heart broke as if it were breaking.
That’s because the people here are the ones who not only sent their sons who have completed their military service and are in the reserve forces back to the army where they might die at any time, but also gave everything they had when the empire conscripted war materials.
However, if I fail to defend Bastion Castle, the Empire’s second line of defense will be breached without any possibility, and the worst outcome could be that they and all the people of the Empire will be trampled and exterminated in the war… I am the
Empire . As an enemy of , I have no choice but to block their path and ask them to fight with me.
“As Marshal of the Empire, I also appreciate your dedication. However, I would like to ask you a favor. “I hope you will do your best to protect yourself and your family in order to protect the empire.”
At those words, among the many refugees, an older man who looked like he had eaten some ink came out and spoke.
“We pay 60% of taxes every year as required by the empire. Moreover, over the past few years, in addition to the prescribed taxes, there have been many cases where various foodstuffs, goods, and even cattle that were carefully raised in the village were mobilized for the sake of the empire. “We have already fulfilled our duty to the empire and contributed to it in abundance.”
“I admit it. If it weren’t for your dedication, wouldn’t I or the army I command have been able to do as well?”
“And now, everyone, from the boys of our village to the young men and those who have been discharged from the military, are holding spears and protecting that damned Bastion Castle for the sake of the empire. Do you know why?”
I couldn’t answer those words.
“It’s to protect my family. We are running away because these people who may die fighting on that wall want us, their family, to live. But are you now telling us to die together? Isn’t this too much? “Is this the path the people of the empire should follow?”
It is a statement that is close to a protest. Considering that this is a battlefield, it wouldn’t be strange at all to cut off the author’s head right away…
Instead of pulling out my sword, I just listened to all of his complaints in silence.
And when he stopped complaining, he said:
“Even if I had a mouth, what on earth could I say to you? That’s right, all of this happened because this damn Peter Yeager wasn’t enough. But what can you do? If you don’t stay here and fight with me, this castle will be breached. Then, your family and the young soldiers you love will not escape death, and you will all end up in the same situation later. But if you stay and help me, there is no way. So lend me your strength.”
Those complaining about my words stopped talking, and a small murmur arose among the refugees.
The existence of nobles, especially high-ranking generals with stars, is because they never say vulgar words in front of commoners in order to protect their honor.
Even though I used to be a commoner orphan, I am now a marshal and a marquis.
How could I, a privileged member of the top 0.001% of the Reich Empire class pyramid, admit to the immorality of a group of serfs and citizens and humble myself to ask for help?
I took a moment to catch my breath and shouted as if screaming.
“No, please. Let me be honest. It is only the people who are here now who can protect your families and hometowns. Instead, I, Peter Jaeger, dare to make a promise. I will cherish each and every life of you and those who remained on those walls. Even if I have to die, at least I won’t make it a useless death. “Rather than lose, I will definitely win, even if it means giving up my life.”
Then I bowed down.
The murmurs of the soldiers and officer refugees around me grew louder.
“Please entrust your dedication, courage, and sacrifice to me. Then, I will protect your families, neighbors, and even our homeland, the Reich Empire. Please give me one chance.”
As I said this, a murmur could be heard among the refugees.
“A man who is as good as the Marshal of the Empire is bowing down and asking for favors from us insignificant people…”
“He can apply military laws and such to commoners like us, kill a few people, and just force them into the castle.”
“I don’t know if what I’m seeing right now is a dream or reality.”
The refugees’ complaints quickly subsided as they were shocked that I had bowed down.
“Marshal, I will risk my life for you!”
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“I may not know anyone else, but I can trust Marshal Peter Yeager!”
At those words, everyone’s eyes, including mine, turned to that direction.
There were people there with their hands raised high and expressions full of determination.
The wind catchers I planted… or more accurately, they were all beings who would instill fighting spirit in their hearts and were like a spark of hope that would light up the Bastion fortress.
And the others I had prepared accordingly shouted in loud voices to fight with fighting spirit…
In the meantime, one boy, who looked to be about 15 years old when I entered the academy, came forward in front of me with his chest outstretched. .
A woman who looked like his mother or grandmother tried to stop the boy when he saw this, but…
“I will fight with you, too, enemy!” “I will fight to protect my family.”
…… The fire of fighting spirit was kindled in someone other than the wind catcher I had planted.
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