“Slave…” Upon seeing this, Dingle became somewhat lost in thought and unconsciously murmured to himself.
Looking back at the empire's conquests over the years, before Emperor von Palen ascended the throne, the Federic regime, led by the previous emperor Federic, is now recognized as a national disgrace. Under the oppressive power of the Kosovo Empire, they not only failed to lead their people in resistance, but instead retreated and became the lackeys of the Kosovos. However, such an attitude was seen as weakness and incompetence by the Kosovos, and the common people were almost equivalent to lowly slaves without any personality in their eyes.
If it weren't for Emperor von Palen the Great holding military power at that time, and several high-ranking generals in the coalition forces forcefully overthrowing and subsequently swiftly and thoroughly purging the Federide faction, then today, the continent of Salisno might no longer have the Kingdom of Golt, but rather a slave district of the Kosovos.
It can be said that it was Emperor von Palen's ascension to the throne that transformed a people who should have been enslaved into fighters for freedom, and through a series of conquests, they unprecedentedly ruled the entire continent of Salisnor, becoming the sole empire.
“We fight for our nation, yet General Dylan now sees us as slaves in this war…” Dingle chuckled self-deprecatingly, but inwardly he had to agree with this assessment.
In today's view, after establishing the Delta Federation and ruling the continent of Salisno, what should have been done was to maintain the stability of the empire and further enhance its national strength, so that the common people could have a better life. However, the current policy is to seek more territorial expansion, which is why today's disaster has occurred.
To some extent, the Kosovo rebels who always tried to overthrow the regime seemed to be right. General Dylan had previously refuted this and appeared particularly angry when the topic was brought up. Now it seems that he was just hiding his true thoughts at the time, or perhaps he had always been a staunch supporter of Emperor von Palen. Thinking of this, Dingle sighed bitterly and continued reading.
"The term 'slaves of war' is not something most people would agree with, especially in the military. I have reason to believe that those high-ranking officers who risked their lives for the empire and now wield great power would be furious about it. Some of the old guys might even punch me in the nose, grab my collar, and spit in my face. Don't doubt it, they really would, because in the past, I was probably one of them."
'But when it comes to the army and these high-ranking generals, one must mention the true core of the Imperial Army. No matter which unit in the Empire, or who commands it, from top to bottom, everyone always supports only one person—our Majesty Emperor von Palen.'
"He was the liberator who led our nation out of the mire, the fighter who brought us freedom, and the greatest hero of this land, without exception."
"In fact, as I write this, I'm recalling the days when we fought alongside him. Back then, we lacked weapons and food, while our enemy had a massive army and abundant logistical support. Compared to them, we were like a bunch of farmers rushing into battle with shovels. Yet, we still possessed formidable fighting power, stemming from our will."
"Do not yield, fight with a brave heart, not for yourself, but for our entire nation. We may die, but our nation must endure forever. Fight with this will, and in the future, our country will sweep away all!" On the night of the Emperor's coronation, he uttered this oath before all in St. Marienplatz.
"From that day on, I witnessed something I had never seen before. Men and women alike were all doing the same thing, giving their all, fighting for our nation. That's why we won those seemingly impossible battles that followed."
"Those were difficult times, but lately, I often find myself reminiscing about them, and at night, I even find myself longing for those tough yet beautiful days."
"I always remember sitting wearily in the trenches after we won a battle, drinking the Kosovois left behind by those idiots who couldn't brew a single drop of alcohol. They were as stupid as pigs, but we always drank it with relish because it was our spoils of war. We were driving the enemy out of our territory, and we had won another battle."
"In the early stages of the war, the Emperor fought alongside us on the front lines. Back then, he wasn't as serious as he is now; he was quite lively. He was always running through the trenches, excitedly patting each soldier on the shoulder and shouting, 'Guys! Well done! We've won another battle! We're so close to total victory! If we win another one tomorrow, those bastards will be completely driven out of our territory in less than six months!'"
'He always said that, almost after every battle. He seemed tireless, always full of passion. But at the time, I didn't agree with him. The Kosovois had sent so many troops to occupy our territory; how could we possibly drive them out in six months? That was simply unrealistic.'
"You know what happened next. Just like the Emperor said, we actually did it. My God! Looking back now, it's unbelievable. If we had to do it all over again, I don't think we could do it again, but in those difficult times, we really did it."
"It wasn't until much later that I finally understood why the Emperor tirelessly traveled to everyone's side, conveying to us that the dawn of victory was just around the corner. He inspired us all with his will, which is why we were willing to risk our lives and win those seemingly impossible battles."
'I truly, truly miss those days, those guys who fought alongside me—they were all amazing. I also miss Emperor von Palen, who was always so passionate, patting us on the shoulder and leading us to fight for our nation.'
'It's said that when people are dying, they always reminisce about the past, and I think that's definitely true.'
Upon seeing the last word of this passage, Dingle noticed that the word was very blurry, as if it had been written with water droplets that had been wiped away.
But what could that be?
Dingle pursed his lips, gripped the letter tightly with his fingers, raised his head and took a deep breath. Then he opened the tightly closed window a crack, and only when the cold wind blew across his face did he feel his mind calm down a little.
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