EP.94
At those words, Anastasia did not show any sign of disappointment, but nodded and spoke as if it was natural.
“Even if we are the warrior chief of the Kergit tribe, we dare not decide on the treatment of those who surrender without the chief’s permission. Therefore, even if you lose a war and become slaves, it is a grave crime to make them slaves without the permission of the chieftain. So even if you killed Khan, I know that you cannot decide how we will be treated.”
If it were officers from other empires, they would have said something after seeing the comparison between the emperor and the northern barbarian chieftain.
In any case, they both have the common characteristic of being the highest power figures of a group.
The analogy she gave shows that she is well aware of her current situation.
“But the Emperor of the Empire will not be able to ignore Colonel Jaeger, who killed the evil Khan who threatened the Empire from the North. Moreover, high-ranking people will not listen very seriously to the story of a single tribal leader. “They are probably busy dealing with the surrender of many tribes besides us and the prisoners who followed Ludvik.”
As she said, the Northern Command, including Count Benner, and His Majesty the Emperor must be worried about how to disperse the many prisoners throughout the country.
Even if a tribal leader asks to improve his value and treatment, there is a high possibility that he will not even be considered, let alone accepted.
So, do you plan to negotiate with me, who has the reputation of killing the Khan, and then make me report my opinion of her to Count Benner or His Majesty the Emperor?
Beyond being bold, this is almost a genius insight.
“Okay, I can’t decide on the treatment of the Khergit tribe, but I can at least give my opinion. “Okay, what do you want?”
She spoke confidently, as if she had been waiting for these words.
“The people who came with our tribe are trying to defect to the empire.”
“Isn’t it natural that we’ve come this far?”
“To be precise, we will give up all the land we own and live where the empire tells us to live. Rather than simply becoming northern people who serve the empire like other tribes, they become like those who farm and hunt in the empire. “I want to become a citizen of the Empire in the true sense of the word.”
When most barbarians, or even northerners, defect to the empire, it usually happens in this way.
A tribal leader with his own territory leads his tribesmen to visit the commander of the Northern Army, who acts on behalf of the emperor of the empire, and reports the size and location of the tribe.
Then, a part of the Northern Army is sent to the place reported by the tribal leader to confirm the location of residence, area size, economic power, and military power.
If a problem arises in the North, a pledge is written pledging to cooperate with each other and a pledge to establish a minimum level of cooperation is written.
After receiving a royal decree from His Majesty the Emperor, the tribe officially became Northerners belonging to the Empire and was treated as having come under the Empire’s control.
The problem is that we are not directly managing the barbarians who surrendered.
They are unstable people who can betray or stab the empire at any time if their moves are wrong.
“Why do you think the empire will purge those who surrendered?”
“I don’t doubt the Empire. However, I think the emperor would rather have us living somewhere else than those who are anti-peasant and pastoralists remaining in the north.”
“It would be best not to show any suspicion towards Your Majesty. “I don’t know, but other officers won’t stay still.”
I said that, but honestly, since the dangerous force called Ludvik has disappeared, we are now virtually at the border with Sweden.
Since they have surrendered, they may not kill you carelessly, but since they never know when they might betray you, they will gradually try to weaken you.
Or, for the safety of the empire, they could pick up on minor issues and eliminate entire tribes one by one, like Joseon and other countries did in the past.
“I will be careful.”
I nodded my head in agreement and asked her to properly evaluate her value.
“If you are simply defecting and living on the frontier, it is enough to swear allegiance to the Empire and occasionally provide soldiers when needed by the Northern Army. However, if you want to become a citizen of the empire, you must also have obligations. Anastasia Kergit, what obligations do you intend to take on?”
Well, in fact, from the perspective of His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire, even if the chief of the Kergit tribe goes out in front and says this, he is doing everything he needs to do.
‘When the evil Ludvik was defeated, we who lived in the north came here hoping to become subjects of the empire under the protection of His Majesty the Emperor.’
In this way, the Reich Empire gained a reputation not only among the empire but also among countries such as the Francois Republic as a great country that succeeded in reforming even the barbarians.
And, starting with these people, His Majesty the Emperor would like to have more barbarians become fully naturalized subjects of the empire, so he will consider allowing them to live in fertile and good territories.
The bold and wise blonde-haired beauty in front of me doesn’t seem like the kind of person who can be satisfied with that much.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have risked everything to come here.
“We will become subjects of the Empire and serve Your Majesty the Emperor. Our warriors’ families will plow the fields on the land designated for them and have children and raise them. “Children born on the lands of the Empire will work for the Empire based on the knowledge and memories passed down to them by their parents who raised horses and livestock in the North.”
Plowing the fields is a way of saying that one will obey the order of the empire, and this is the work that the children that the woman said wanted to do.
This probably means that you want to become a professional engineer who teaches how to raise livestock.
“In addition, the warriors I brought with me can ride horses and ride 100 kilometers a day, and on the battlefield, they can disrupt the enemy camp by shooting arrows from a distance that the enemy cannot reach. In other words, they are all the best liaison soldiers and the best archers. So, Your Majesty will definitely need us.”
I know very well the power of barbarian cavalry.
Especially if you are lightly armed and move around the battlefield shooting arrows and running away, you won’t be able to catch up with them.
Considering that I had no choice but to fight while getting hit by arrows, and because of them, I was in trouble several times when I fought Ludvik.
Even now, I’m shaking my head, but it would be a huge benefit to welcome those cavalrymen to our side.
“I agree to some extent with what Lord Kergit said. However, the people living in the empire’s territory can be considered for each tribe to live in the same village as much as possible. The warriors may be completely scattered and receive orders from officers from other empires or warriors from other tribes.”
Honestly, these are things that every noble in the empire is prepared to endure.
As proof, in the unit where I work, there are actually heads of families who inherited the title of viscountess at a young age.
The soldiers from each territory were mixed together.
Among the soldiers under my command, only about 30 came from my territory.
However, if you cannot accept this and say that unlike the imperial system, we are one tribe and want to continue serving in the same unit.
Although it is understandable emotionally, those who do not completely obey the imperial system cannot be admitted into the army.
Also, it is dangerous to gather cavalry in tribal units in the first place.
When Anastasia said this, she looked serious for a moment and thought about it before answering.
“I came prepared. But if we endure that, will you be able to accept us all as subjects of the empire?”
Although I do not have the authority to decide on their treatment, I honestly say that I am willing to accept this, and even His Majesty the Emperor and competent Prime Ministers will not necessarily treat them differently.
On the contrary, there was no doubt that the people living further up in the north would be hospitable to the Kergit tribe in order to make them defect even if it meant making them feel bad.
So I decided to give her assurances without exceeding my authority.
“The principles of the empire are truly simple. Anyone who has obligations as a citizen can enjoy the rights that a citizen should have.”
Of course, class discrimination and such also come into play here.
She smiled brightly and nodded, seeming to understand the meaning of my answer.
“If there’s anything else you want, tell me now. Although I cannot be sure that it will be accepted, I can at least convey it.”
So she and I talked all night about the treatment of the Kergit tribe and their party, and the next day, Anastasia went to the Northern Army headquarters under Count Benner’s orders to be reviewed for their future treatment.
On the way, I told him that he would like to fight under the person who killed the Khan, but among the more than 300,000 imperial troops, there was no way he would be assigned under my command
. The unit was able to return to headquarters.
“Now this damn expedition is really over. “I don’t need anything, and I just want to serve in a warmer place.”
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