Chapter 88

This novel is a work of fiction. It is not related to any real persons or organizations.

"We are not subordinates to your ladyship. We have our own authority. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

On this day, in the command post established within the Fourth Division's garrison near Sapa, a tall man was raising his voice.

Despite raising his voice, he maintained a certain level of respect in every word, as he was facing not the former highest-ranking officer of this place, the Fourth Division's commander, Major General Isaki Genjin, but rather the newly arrived woman, General Asaka Ryouko, the proud head of the Japanese headquarters and a member of the royal family.

(Damn! This is tough!)

Not only was it difficult to raise his voice to a woman, but the fact that she was a member of the royal family was also a problem.

The man's name is Nguyen Luu In. He is the head of a noble family recognized by the Vietnamese Empire and one of the four generals of the Imperial Army.

Even he, with his distinguished lineage in Vietnam, was at a disadvantage when facing a woman who possessed the highest lineage in a nation with a 2000-year history.

Perhaps he should be praised for being able to muster his courage in front of someone even the emperor would be cautious about.

However, what he sought was not such an evaluation.

"We act according to our own principles and laws. There is no reason for you to interfere with us."

"That is true."

"Then there is no problem, right!"

"We will not interfere with how the Vietnamese army operates. However, whether we accompany you or not depends on the operation."

"That... No, that makes sense. Then, let me hear the outline of the operation."

"Of course."

(I must make this operation succeed at all costs!)

Nguyen was anxious. He feared that the glorious Vietnamese Empire would collapse if things continued as they were.

The reason he felt this way was one: the government had recently changed its treatment of the military.

Nguyen was not foolish enough to oppose the import of Japanese-made machines necessary for the battle against monsters, nor did he fail to understand the need to provide certain conveniences to Japan to prioritize the import of these machines.

However, if these conveniences meant cutting the budget already secured for the military to fund the maintenance of the expeditionary force from Japan, that was a different story.

As a citizen and as a nation, what is demanded of the military is to defeat monsters. However, it is not necessary for the nobles to do this.

For the expeditionary force, it might be a nuisance, but for the Vietnamese people and civil servants, foreign soldiers who fight silently and diligently are much easier to deal with than their own countrymen who are overly adorned, overly exploitative, overly arrogant, and do not go to the battlefield.

The nobles cannot tolerate this evaluation.

Their argument is roughly as follows:

They are not overly adorned or overly exploitative. The taxes they collect are used for infrastructure and the maintenance of the military. They are not arrogant for personal gain but to maintain the order of the military. They do not look down on those who do not go to the battlefield; rather, they show respect to those who fight for their lives on the battlefield and do not belittle civil servants.

From the nobles' perspective, they are simply doing what is normal and do not deserve criticism.

In fact, they are not doing anything that deserves criticism.

In a country that has become complacent in peace, it might be different, but in a world where conflicts are breaking out everywhere, there are very few who can enrich themselves. At least in the Vietnamese Empire, only the emperor himself can be said to live a life comparable to the nobility of Japan.

Then why do such opinions that particularly denigrate the nobility arise?

There are two main reasons.

The first is the propaganda of the Chinese Federation, which aims to collapse the imperial system and break the relationship between Japan and Vietnam.

For the Chinese Federation, which regards the republic as the ultimate system, the imperial system is an evil system that should be destroyed. Moreover, the Chinese Federation has a history of sending troops to annex Vietnam. At this point, Vietnam was already their country.

In fact, from the Han Dynasty to the present, Vietnam has been their country.

The reason is that Vietnam paid tribute in the past. If a country pays tribute, it is a vassal state. A vassal state is their country. This is a medieval way of thinking.

While it is difficult to understand the logic of denying the imperial system but imposing the relationships cultivated during the imperial era, one might think that all countries once conquered by the Mongols would belong to them, but that is not the case.

In any case, for the upper echelons of the Chinese Federation, Vietnam is their country, and it is unjust for it to be ruled by the emperor and the nobility. Furthermore, the Chinese Federation is currently being ravaged by monsters on a large scale.

Therefore, the expansion of territory was necessary.

The neighboring and vassal state of Vietnam was thus targeted.

Because it shares a border, it is easy to make contact, and the education of the citizens is not yet sufficient, making it easy to indoctrinate them.

Thus, they gradually spread anti-noble sentiments by spreading rumors and misinformation.

The second reason, which further fueled this sentiment, is the presence of the expeditionary force from Japan.

Nobles are recognized for fighting. Conversely, are the current nobles fighting? The answer is no. Clearly, the nobles are not fighting. In fact, they rely entirely on the Japanese expeditionary force.

There is no value in being a noble if one does not fight. This is the argument of those who advocate for the abolition of the nobility, and it has a certain persuasive power, spreading rapidly.

Of course, Nguyen and others also have their arguments.

First, Vietnam does not have the weapons to fight monsters. There are no bullets to shoot monsters. While small monsters can be dealt with using conventional weapons, specialized weapons are needed for medium and larger monsters, and Vietnam does not have them.

Moreover, Vietnam did not have the foundation to produce these weapons domestically.

Until recently, they were trying to create a production system by disassembling and analyzing imported weapons. However, this only resulted in inferior versions of outdated models. It would be faster and more efficient to buy them.

For this reason, the only company currently manufacturing original machines in Vietnam is one owned by the imperial family under the pretext of preserving domestic technology.

This inevitably means relying on imports, but the current situation is that the weapons called "machines" are not even meeting the domestic demand in Japan, the exporting country.

Therefore, Vietnam can only import a limited number of machines: five Kusanagi-type, five Yatsufusa-type, and ten Yui-type machines per year.

Moreover, these machines are prioritized for the emperor's direct command, so it is extremely rare for them to be allocated to the nobles.

In fact, as the head of a noble family and one of the four generals, Nguyen's direct command has only a few Japanese-made machines.

How can one fight with such limited resources? If the opponent were human or small monsters that can be defeated with conventional weapons, it might be possible, but not against medium or large monsters.

As combat specialists, they were aware that participating in battles would only be a hindrance, which is why they deliberately avoided it.

Ironically, this led to the criticism that they "only fight weak opponents," which was the result of propaganda by those who wanted to bring down the nobility.

Realizing that the domestic atmosphere was turning against them, Nguyen finally decided to take military action.

(I can understand that, too.)

Asaka knew that behind this decision, there was material aid and the loan of machines from the Chinese Federation.

(The Chinese Federation has several objectives. First, to curry favor with the military and create a rift between us.)

This is already happening, so it is futile to be wary now.

(Next, to test the performance of their own weapons.)

This is straightforward. They do not want to be noticed by the monsters or the demon race.

(Then, to divide the country.)

First, if Nguyen achieves military success.

Even the Chinese Federation would not be pleased if a noble like Nguyen achieved military success.

However, if they can plant seeds of doubt in the emperor's mind, it might be different.

By praising a noble who has achieved military success and worsening the relationship with the emperor, they can then have the noble overthrow the emperor and be killed by another noble.

By making the country a mess, activists supported by the Chinese Federation will rise to power, laying the foundation for a republic. At this point, it would be almost the same as a vassal state of the Chinese Federation.

Creating a rift and leading to a split has been a common practice in China since ancient times.

After that, it is a standard tactic of communists.

If Nguyen fails, the anti-nobility sentiment in Vietnam will resurface.

By weakening them and then inciting a revolution, they can annex the country afterward.

Either way, the Chinese Federation will not lose.

(There is nothing we can do about this. What is important for us is what comes next.)

"Indeed, we do not have the authority to interfere with your country's military actions. So, how far do you intend to advance, General Nguyen?"

"Hmm."

Currently, there are no large-scale monster groups in Vietnam.

Ultimately, to fight monsters on a scale that would allow a triumphant return, it is necessary to go abroad.

The problem lies here.

"General Nguyen?"

"...... Ideally, Hunan. The ideal target is Changsha. Even if we cannot reach there, we can liberate a significant number of humans. Of course, if we suffer unexpected damage, we will retreat."

Asaka, who did not try to dissuade him but explicitly stated that they would not interfere with the Vietnamese army's movements, was surprised for a moment but then restarted when called again. He honestly pointed to the original target.

(As expected.)

Changsha, the final target of the Vietnamese army led by Nguyen, is a city that prospered as the provincial capital of Hunan and a city that Japan and China once fought over.

The problem is not its history but its location.

Currently, the Chinese Federation maintains control over only about half of the East and South China regions, while Hunan, classified as part of the West China region, is completely under the control of the demon race.

Is it possible to capture this area? It is impossible.

If the goal is set high, there is no problem.

The problem is that the Chinese Federation's intentions can be seen behind this statement.

What does this mean?

"Can you maintain it?"

"...... Perhaps not with our own strength."

This is it. No matter how much they achieve, if they cannot maintain the captured city, they will have to retreat.

In that case, what happens to the resources spent on the expedition?

The upper echelons of the Vietnamese Empire are not so naive as to allow a plan that wastes resources from the beginning.

This means there must be some way to make it work.

"Where will the resources needed for the expedition come from?"

"We will prepare several months' worth here. The shortfall will be covered locally."

"Locally? Do you think the demon race will have surplus food for humans?"

"..."

The demon race does not respect the human rights of the people under their control.

They are likely to keep them in a state of barely alive and working.

Stockpiles? It would be a mistake to think they exist.

"Rather, won't it be necessary to distribute food to the people who have been captured by the demon race?"

"..."

Liberating humans captured by the demon race.

This is the highest moral ground.

However, the problem is what to do with the liberated humans.

Up to a million people. At the very least, tens of thousands of refugees.

It is impossible to bring them all to Vietnam.

"...... Here."

When asked how to deal with these various issues, Nguyen pointed to the Chinese Federation on the map, somewhat hesitantly.

"I see."

Before Nguyen came to Asaka, an agreement had been made between Nguyen and the Chinese Federation: in exchange for the Vietnamese army receiving machines and resources, they would hand over the liberated humans and cities to the Chinese Federation.

This would allow the Vietnamese army to advance without worrying about their rear. Nguyen would gain military achievements and fame. The Vietnamese Empire would gain a favor with the Chinese Federation and possibly money and resources through negotiations. The Chinese Federation would gain land and labor without fighting.

It is a perfect plan where no one loses.

Except for the fact that such a convenient plan is unlikely to be realized in reality.

Whether they can win or not is not the question. Telling a military person that would only make them emotional.

Therefore, Asaka decided to approach from a different angle.

"Let me ask you one thing. You said you would retreat if there were casualties, but what if there are no casualties by the time you reach Changsha? I would advance as far as possible and then cut off the supply lines, surrounding and annihilating the isolated forces."

"!"

This is a scorched earth strategy. Given the nature of the operation, it would cause significant damage to the land and its inhabitants, so a conscientious ruler would avoid such tactics.

However, the demon race is not human, and they are not bound to the land. Therefore, they would not choose a strategy to maintain the land.

Of course, they would not be pleased to have their "pasture" destroyed. However, if it could drag the enemy into hell, they would gladly sacrifice it. That is the nature of the demon race.

In fact, at Imphal, the third division led by Major General Muroguchi was lured into hell.

At that time, it was not a scorched earth strategy but a trap, but the actions were not much different.

Even a non-strategist like Asaka can think of this.

The demon race, known for their malevolence, would certainly notice it.

"...... I appreciate you making me aware of this possibility. I will re-evaluate the details, so I will take my leave for today."

"Yes, I understand. Please take care."

"Thank you. Then, I will go."

Asaka held back a sigh as she returned the salute to Nguyen, who was leaving.

(No, it won't work.)

Nguyen said he would re-evaluate the details but did not say he would withdraw the plan.

Of course not. The plan is already in motion. His visit was just to fulfill a duty.

(He probably wanted to involve us in the battle, but...)

It is obvious that Asaka is not the type of commander who would rush into battle for glory.

Moreover, provoking a royal family member from another country would not end well for Nguyen.

Therefore, he had already given up on involving the expeditionary force.

"Oh, he's already gone?"

Asaka, who was feeling frustrated in the face of the impending defeat, was addressed.

"I confirmed he had left before coming."

"I won't deny it."

The man who received a resentful look from Asaka was a middle-aged man, slightly short and slender but exuding a menacing aura, like a Japanese sword.

This man, who gave off an atmosphere reminiscent of a katana, was none other than the former highest-ranking officer of this place, the Fourth Division's commander, Major General Isaki Genjin.

Of course, no matter how menacing his aura, to Asaka, he was just an unsociable junior.

"Isaki, don't you think you have a bad personality?"

"There are no commanders with a good personality. I don't know about the First Division, where good manners are required."

"...... Well, that's true."

"Besides, isn't this a matter for the headquarters?"

"...... That's true, but..."

Military personnel should not get involved in politics. While it is not said that they should not, it is a fact that they are required to focus on defeating the enemy on the battlefield rather than considering political matters. This is especially true for division commanders who command tens of thousands of troops, and the trend is strong that they should not look at politics.

Therefore, as Isaki said, matters involving politics are the responsibility of the military administrators in the home country, that is, the head of the headquarters, Asaka.

Even if she was sent as a punishment, the fact that Asaka is a royal family member and the head of the headquarters does not change.

(But I don't think it's right to throw everything away.)

If Isaki had been dealing with Nguyen, it was highly likely that Nguyen would have pressured him to have the expeditionary force accompany them under the pretext of supporting local allies. In fact, they would have been forced to accompany them.

In that case, the extent of the casualties that would have occurred during the retreat is unimaginable, sending a chill down one's spine.

"We will not accompany them, but we cannot refuse to support them."

"Yes, if they are wiped out, we will be next."

"...... It's a hassle."

"That's your job."

"Ha."

The command post was filled with a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

At this point, neither Asaka, the military administrator, nor Isaki, the tactician, believed that the offensive operation planned by Nguyen would succeed.

It was a checkmate situation.

However, with a high degree of flexibility, there might be a chance to save both sides...

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