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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Imperial Capital Hoenbaren.
As the end of the year was approaching, colorful lights were spread throughout the capital, illuminating the dark night sky.
Lovers strolled the streets laughing, and families out for a walk enjoyed the elaborately decorated houses, seemingly oblivious to the cold wind.
It was a peaceful and quiet night.
Even the soldiers of the Capital Defense Command, responsible for defending the capital, couldn’t help but relax in such an atmosphere.
So when an urgent report of a “coup d’état” came in from the Intelligence Command, it sounded not only sudden but also unrealistic.
“Rebel forces are advancing towards the capital? What rebel forces?”
The Capital Defense Commander, who had been spending time with his family, asked irritably.
“We’ve lost contact with the northern communication node! We’ve confirmed that communication has been completely cut off with several other units stationed in local areas as well!”
“Aren’t they just slacking off because it’s the end of the year? It’s just dereliction of duty.”
The fact that he was making such a ridiculous excuse as “dereliction of duty” was already indicative of how weak the Imperial Army had become.
For the Intelligence Command, it was exasperating.
“Commander! This is no joke. We’ve also lost contact with the Strategic Security Agency! You know what that means! The intelligence agency headed by Luthers Edan himself!”
The communication officer protested, pounding his chest, but he was met with only a sneer.
“The Strategic Security Agency? They’re just a battalion-sized armed force, what’s the big deal? If they’ve really started an uprising, their just digging their own grave. What could they possibly do with those numbers?”
“Capital Defense Commander!!”
“By the way, isn’t it the Intelligence Command that’s deliberately causing a commotion? You’re about to have all your real power stripped away by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so you’re probably trying to create a fake crisis to get some scraps.”
The reason for his particularly indifferent response was also because the Capital Defense Commander and the Intelligence Commander were political rivals.
The position of Intelligence Commander was once treated as the core of the military.
During the ongoing war with the Titans, the information handled by the Intelligence Command was the key to victory or defeat on the battlefield.
If one took the position of Intelligence Commander, equivalent to a Lieutenant General, promotion to the rank of General was all but guaranteed.
Rather, it was the Capital Defense Commander, who defended the capital, that was treated as a backwater position just a year ago.
This was naturally due to the positional characteristic of being in the rear.
It was only natural.
If the Capital Defense Command had to come to the forefront, it would mean that 70% of the Imperial Army’s strength in the front lines had been completely wiped out.
It would have been no different from the end of the Empire, the extinction of humanity.
So during wartime, the Intelligence Commander’s responsibility was higher than the Capital Defense Commander’s, and their treatment among the generals was not much different.
But now that the Titans had completely disappeared the positions of the two were naturally reversed.
President Mikhail began to quickly take control of the military under the pretext of being a victorious leader.
Whether revolutionary faction or imperial faction, the two commanders who didn’t belong to any faction quickly became the President’s biggest supporters.
However, between the command that guarded the capital where the President resided and the command that mainly dealt with intelligence gathering rather than combat, it was obvious where the President’s attention would be directed.
Moreover, the President had even created a new organization called the Strategic Security Agency under his direct control, further reducing the authority of the Intelligence Command.
In the power struggle within the military, the Capital Defense Commander gained an overwhelming advantage.
“And if you’re going to make such a report, follow the proper reporting procedures. Are you allowed to report directly to the head of another command, even if you’re a direct staff member? Report back to the appropriate department!”
The Capital Defense Commander hung up the phone irritably.
With that, they had squandered a precious opportunity to respond to the coup.
By the time the Capital Defense Command itself realized that something was going terribly wrong the vanguard of the coup forces had already approached the outskirts of the capital.
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“What on earth is happening…?”
Colonel Julia Anke was confused.
Originally serving as a regimental commander in the Eastern Command, after the President’s great purge of the Eastern Command, she was newly appointed as the commander of a guard regiment in the area between the capital and the east.
Of course, as the name “guard regiment” suggested, it wasn’t a particularly important position.
Serving as a second-tier regimental commander in a guard regiment essentially meant that promotion to general was out of the question.
However, after the sudden discharge of her particularly close subordinate, Lea Gilliard, and the cold purge that swept through the entire Eastern Command, Julia had lost most of her affection for the military.
Promotion and such, at this point, didn’t matter anymore.
As she was adapting to her new post in such a state.
“Colonel, a visitor has come to see you.”
“A visitor?”
Julia tilted her head at her aide’s words.
A visitor in the middle of the night?
Was there anyone who would come to see her, a colonel in charge of a backwater guard regiment?
In fact, she had no acquaintances.
If it were near Branberg, she would have known many people, but here, practically closer to the capital, the only people she knew were her unit members.
Julia gathered her things and stood up.
She was about to leave work anyway.
It was obvious that if someone of her rank as a regimental commander stayed at the base, it would only make things harder for her subordinates.
“…You!!”
However, the person who came to see Julia was none other than Lea Gilliard.
Her former subordinate – or rather, close younger sister – who had disappeared leaving only a letter, was standing right in front of her quarters.
“It’s been a while, Colonel.”
“Lea!”
She hugged Lea tightly.
She hadn’t seen her even once since that day.
More than anything else, she felt joy at seeing her.
Lea hugged Julia back.
After embracing silently for a moment.
“About that time… I sincerely apologize for leaving without a word. I’m sorry.”
“Really… Do you know how worried I was? What on earth happened!”
But Lea just showed a bitter smile.
She moved away from Julia slightly and took out a small USB from her pocket to hand over.
“What’s this?”
“I’d like to talk and catch up with you, but unfortunately, we don’t have time for that.”
“What? No- Wait. I was about to leave work anyway, so just a moment…”
Julia couldn’t finish her words as she made eye contact with Lea.
Her eyes were still shimmering golden as always, but Julia could sense something different.
Instead of the gentle and soft aura she used to have, there was a hard and cold gaze in her eyes.
How could she know?
That she was a soldier who had risen after countless deaths and miserable ends over a span of more than several decades.
And that now she was working with Charlotte Evergreen, who had the highest bounty in the Empire, carrying out underground work for the coup.
The Lea Gilliard before her was no longer the intelligence officer Lieutenant Lea Gilliard who used to act spoiled under her.
“…Lea.”
“Everything you’re curious about is in there, Colonel. And… I know I’m being shameless, but may I ask you for one last favor?”
“Just say it.”
Julia nodded.
“Soon, an army will arrive at the regimental checkpoint. Please don’t stop them.”
“What? What do you mean by…”
An army arriving at the checkpoint?
She hadn’t received any notification of special training schedules.
Besides, what kind of mobile training would be conducted in the dead of winter?
Unable to comprehend the situation even after hearing it directly, Julia blankly stared at the USB in her hand.
“If everything goes well, Colonel. Let’s talk again when that time comes.”
“Lea, wait…!! Tell me more details…!!”
Julia, who had suddenly been handed a bombshell, tried to grab Lea, but she disappeared from Julia’s sight in an instant with the help of an optical camouflage suit that was distributed only to a select few even in the military.
However, there was no time to sort out the confusing thoughts about why Lea was using such a precious military item.
“Co-Colonel!! So you were here! We tried contacting your quarters but you didn’t answer!!”
“1st Battalion Commander? It’s your day off, what brings you here…”
“An unidentified armored unit is rapidly moving westward about 20km away! We’ve tried to make contact, but they’re not responding!”
“What…?”
Julia looked at the USB in her hand.
“Wh-What should we do? Should we stop them? I’ve already ordered the troops to issue anti-tank weapons just in case…”
“Wait. Just wait a moment. 1st Battalion Commander, gather all battalion commanders and staff officers at the regimental headquarters right now.”
“Ah, y-yes! Right away!”
The battalion commander, his face pale, quickly disappeared.
Julia could only bite her lip hard.
“What on earth is happening today…?”
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[I see incompetence runs wild in every army not just real ones]
