Do Your Own Revolution

#138

“I heard Lieutenant General Beckier’s explanation. The enemy’s strategy… is far more meticulous than I thought.”

Inside the Kalhyram Army airship, ‘Emperor’s Spear.’

With hydraulic devices and steam pipes attached throughout, this was the operation room prepared within the airship.

Shuffle shuffle

Documents and photos being laid out on the table one after another.

They showed Republic villages and cities reduced to ruins, covered in poison gas.

There were photos of civilians screaming as they succumbed to the gas, but that wasn’t my concern.

Erich, who had placed the photos across the tactical map, tilted his coffee cup and began explaining.

“Any cases of dispatching troops for pursuit?”

“Yes. But these madmen scatter poison gas randomly as they retreat. By the time the pursuit team arrives, the site has already become a contaminated zone.”

Answering Guille’s question, Erich fixed his gaze on the photos we had casually dismissed.

Civilians dying from inhaling poison gas.

A woman wailing while holding a baby with blackened skin, tumors blooming on her back.

Gritting his teeth, Erich continued his explanation while forcefully suppressing his emotions.

“…The enemy is suffocating the entire southern army group by repeating operations like this. And simultaneously, changes have been observed among the troops maintaining the southern front.”

At Erich’s signal, one of the staff officers approached and began explaining while pulling out photos.

“Until now, the Republic forces we encountered on the southern front had two objectives.”

First was the survival of defensive forces.

Second was the protection of civilians.

It was just as Lieutenant General Beckier had explained earlier.

“But now those defensive forces…”

“They’re preparing to go on the offensive by requisitioning civilian evacuation supplies.”

Along with the staff officer’s explanation, I examined the photos attached by the Intelligence Department one by one.

Armored infantry holding a gun to the head of a kneeling Republic army officer in a brown uniform.

The moment I saw the specially painted black armor plates and skull mark, I immediately knew who they were.

“Black Star Corps.”

“And there’s only one person besides Secretary General Vladimir who has the authority to command them.”

Clack

Setting down his coffee cup on the table, Erich immediately stated the enemy commander’s name.

“Lavrenti Kravchenko.”

Along with it came documents detailing his personal information and activities.

“Lavrenti Kravchenko. Birthplace unknown, age unknown. Dean of Westraine National University and professor of monster biology. Also a public speaker and theorist.” ṟ𝘢𐌽ó𝐁ÈⱾ

“He’s the one who elevated Vladimir, who had just entered Republic politics, to the position of Secretary General.”

“In other words, a kingmaker.”

Matt added, but Ortega, who picked up his personal file, muttered with a dubious expression.

“I saw him on the list of key Republic figures but… isn’t this bastard a scientist? How can a chalk-dusted academic command soldiers… and armored infantry at that?”

“He’s the one who handed the Republic to Vladimir. His abilities don’t matter.”

Saying this, Erich sorted out several photos from those on the table.

A group of people being taken away with black bags over their heads.

Judging by their luxurious clothes and lavish surroundings, they were definitely not ordinary Republic citizens.

“What’s this?”

“Photos taken in western Republic cities. High-ranking officials who opposed Secretary General Vladimir’s policies or denounced him. Their relatives.”

Erich’s subsequent explanation went like this:

After Kalinin, who served as the focal point of the anti-Secretary General faction, disappeared, the uninhibited Secretary General began a massive purge of generals belonging to the opposition faction.

The first to be expelled were those connected to Lieutenant General Rodion, who had been maintaining this southern front.

“Lieutenant General Rodion has high prestige among the soldiers and public recognition. With Marshal Kalinin dead, if you had to pick the person most likely to become the Secretary General’s competitor, he’d be the strongest candidate.”

“So they killed him for that? A general who’s been maintaining the frontline for so long, in the middle of a war?”

“They must fear losing power more than losing the war. We’re no different, are we?”

Guille shrugged and said.

“Think about the Knight Order and magic nobles. At least they’re fighting for power within the Republic army organization, but we’re completely every man for himself.”

“Ugh.”

“Considering the rituals those things performed, well, our Empire isn’t in a position to criticize these guys.”

Indeed, when thinking about what the Knight Order had done.

“They withdrew troops while the monsters were advancing, just to get operational authority from the Imperial Army, and even plotted behind the scenes to let the Revolutionary Army kill His Majesty.”

“The capital was breached once because of that. If we had slipped up then, we would have been completely finished, right?”

In the original story, we actually were finished.

I, the protagonist, starved to death in prison, and the world pretty much ended.

“But with this, we have a general outline of the enemy.”

However, we can’t just chat here.

After listening to my subordinate officers, I focused the scattered atmosphere back on me.

“The enemy commander is the Secretary General’s loyal dog, Dr. Lavrenti Kravchenko. And the enemy threatening us is the Secretary General’s guard, the ‘Black Star Corps.'”

I continued speaking.

“The enemy is pressuring the southern front while expending the southern army group that was expelled for political reasons. Meanwhile, they’re trying to find a breakthrough using shock tactics by deploying the Black Star Battalion and ‘Red Giant.'”

“If the enemy’s plan succeeds, the central army group, currently in a salient position, won’t be able to retreat in time. In the worst case, they could be completely annihilated while isolated in the Republic’s central region.”

The enemy had decided to sacrifice their own citizens and soldiers without hesitation.

Whether it was the right method was questionable, but its effectiveness was at least remarkable.

They had clearly made a move that could shake up the war situation.

“There are two ways we can stabilize the front: either withdraw the central army group, or destroy the Black Star unit.”

The former is the easier method, and the latter is an uncertain method whose success is hard to predict.

And the enemy’s intention was likely to make us choose the first method.

“If we withdraw the central army group, the front that’s maintaining the offensive will become fixed. The advance will stop, and a drawn-out war of attrition will begin.”

What the Empire must avoid most.

And simultaneously, the situation the enemy wants most.

“If we don’t want that, there’s only one way. We have to find and kill that giant.”

That’s why we came here.

“Enemy location?”

“Last observed here, in the Larian Plains. But as always, they withdrew quickly with the infantry. All that’s left are corpses.”

The enemy left no footprints or any traces to deduce their movement path.

It was truly a situation where the phrase ‘appearing and disappearing mysteriously’ fit perfectly.

“So finding them is the problem… Do we have a method?”

“Yes.”

A very simple method.

As I said this, I activated my magic circuit.

“I made a request to the Intelligence Department. To track down Lavrenti Kravchenko. That madman’s whereabouts.”

Unlike ‘Red Giant,’ which is an emotionless machine, Dr. Lavrenti is a living human.

Moreover, he’s not a trained soldier, but someone who rose to that position through political interests.

No matter how meticulously he can plan operations, he lacks the basic qualities of a soldier.

“And because of that, Intelligence Department was able to locate him even before Red Giant.”

Women under 18 being transported to the front lines during the war.

Expensive alcohol.

High-purity drugs not available on the market.

When we tracked these three things, we quickly caught his trail.

“And this place where we are now is Dr. Lavrenti’s hideout. The enemy’s supply base.”

“…Huh? Wait. Here?”

Just as Ortega, who had been quietly listening to my words, asked again, our airship swayed heavily once.

“Landing preparations complete-!”

Soon, a thunderous voice came from the airship deck.

The officers, sighing, began gathering their weapons and equipment, while Ortega looked at me with an expression saying ‘Now?’

“What are you looking at?”

Watching the scene with a pleased smile, I said to Ortega.

“Jump.”

***

“Air raid alarm-! Air raid alarm–!”

“What were the observers doing?! Why is an enemy airship above our heads…!”

“The anti-aircraft guns aren’t working! There are high-ranking mages aboard-!”

A mining town in the southern region of the Westraine Republic.

This place, which looked like nothing more than an abandoned village, transformed into a fortress the moment the sirens sounded.

Anti-aircraft guns and field artillery revealing themselves as camouflage nets were removed, along with heavily armed soldiers.

However, what descended upon them were three fully armed five-stroke mages and one seven-stroke mage.

“Targeting guidance?”

“Eugene’s handling it. He said we should handle the bombardment since we need to conserve magical power.”

“First he tells us to come back alive, then he pushes us to the brink of death. Ready!”

The rifles of the three who raised their magic circuits simultaneously ejected their cartridges.

Magnificent magical power flowing through blood vessels with the trigger pull.

Feeling this, the three activated bombardment formulas, searching for areas where troops were concentrated.

“Fire.”

Boom boom boom boom–!

Dozens of light beams spread with the short command. Then explosions.

It was impossible for the Republic army, composed of non-awakened individuals, to stop them.

Slam-!

“Dr. Lavrenti!”

Thump, thump.

Before they could even feel the intermittent vibrations, a Republic army officer with an urgent expression flung open the door.

“The enemy mages have detected this bunker! The local defense forces will within 5 minutes…!”

“Shh-“

Though the soldier called out urgently, Dr. Lavrenti smiled while putting a finger to his lips.

“Don’t raise your voice, Vadim. I’m brewing newly acquired coffee, and at this rate, I won’t be able to brew it properly.”

“Wh-what?”

A luxuriously decorated private room, and coffee brewing in one corner.

The scene was so contrary to the chaos outside that the soldier momentarily forgot what he was even doing.

“Eugene Lorentz. I didn’t expect you to find us this quickly.”

He had vaguely noticed being tailed.

He was just thinking he might need to cut back a bit on his usual indulgences, but to think they’d already be right at his doorstep.

Frighteningly fast and precise actions.

However, Dr. Lavrenti, who had leisurely brewed his coffee, sat down and leaned his nose toward his creation.

“Good.”

The doctor enjoying the subtle rising coffee aroma.

Before his eyes lay complex mechanical devices.

What appeared on the round disk located in the center was the magical power reaction of those currently raiding the base.

And there was a massive chunk of magical power approaching this way.

“Welcome. Petrenko.”

Just as Dr. Lavrenti muttered this while looking at the mechanical device.

“Hey, Eugene…!”

“Seeing it in person… this is no joke.”

The trio looked up at the sky and swallowed dry saliva as they saw the shadow approaching them.

Rumble

Ten airships floating in the sky.

A massive shadow slowly approaching this location, suspended from anchors mounted on those airships.

Seeing that majestic sight adorned with golden curtains and decorations, Eugene tightened his grip on his pistol.

“They said there were no traces like footprints, so this is how it was moving?”

The moment Eugene spoke through gritted teeth.

Clank-!

The anchor breaking with a chilling mechanical sound.

It rose once in the air, then fell straight toward the ruins of the burning village.

Boom—!

Red Giant landing on the ground with a thunderous sound.

Colossus.

The two eyes of the massive steel giant, head bowed, slowly met Eugene’s gaze.

“…As expected.”

The familiar magical power felt from within.

Having roughly grasped the situation, Eugene spoke to the three people gathered around him.

“You remember the orders I gave?”

For the next 3 weeks.

During that time, while facing this massive giant…

“Let’s absolutely not die. Both sides.”

Rumble—!

As if understanding those words, dozens of mana cores installed in Colossus’s heart began resonating.

Tremendous magical power incomparable to the capital Viselgrad.

And at its center, someone’s massive malice churning.

The battle between the mages in formation and the steel giant began.

The Republic’s murky sky was soon covered with red flames and the sound of gunfire.

Hi everyone, I've completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price!