Seeing that there were quite a few people ahead, the two of them waited aside for a while and started chatting.
"There seems to be more bad news coming from the front. The entire legion led by a certain viscount was wiped out on the battlefield."
"Oh, it looks like some more wounded will be sent back, and then many of us will have to go to the front again."
"Maybe you won't see me next time." Lige lowered his head, knocked the dust off his feet, and mocked the increasingly uncomfortable situation.
"Why, you want to escape?"
Tulon said jokingly that in the Crimson Empire, being a deserter on the battlefield is the most shameful reputation. Even beggars on the street can laugh at and humiliate such a person. If the other party still wants to resist, they will be attacked in various ways.
The empire was founded on military merit, and its cultural tradition particularly despised deserters and cowards. In various dramas, these deserters often played the role of clowns or the final footnote of the villain.
The praise of bravery, glory, and justice was an enduring theme within the empire. Boys yearned for the heroic knights in stories and legends, and girls dreamed of the dashing knight riding a white horse to greet them.
This is why, even now, many people still reluctantly persevere. Saying that you are afraid or dread war will lead to ridicule and bullying.
This is especially true for nobles who value reputation and glory. After years of propaganda and generations of narration and teaching, many nobles naturally believe that the battlefield is glorious, and even if they fail to win, they cannot become a despised deserter.
Relying on this steadfast tradition, the empire's army continued to move westward, continuously engaging in brutal battlefields.
If, if there had been no Clancy, and if it had been the Seven Kingdoms of Xuehua, this expedition would have been successful. And they would have been praised by future generations as brave and glorious.
Unfortunately, the current Starlight Alliance, with Clancy as its core, is not the former Seven Kingdoms of Xuehua.
If they cannot win, they will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history and be mercilessly ridiculed.
At this point today, although more and more people realize the difficulty and slim chance of victory, the empire still reluctantly maintains the idea of maintaining war.
Even if we cannot win, we must defeat the opponent.
With this idea in mind, the emperor discussed with many nobles and started a new round of conscription.
Perhaps they themselves did not realize that they were actually panicking about defeat.
The experience of seeing the blood-stained blades made many nobles and imperial soldiers on the front line gradually realize what a terrifying group of opponents they were.
They seemed to have an almost fanatical belief, were fearless, strictly disciplined, and would fight to the death. They stood on the ground like steel pillars, and every step forward would encounter layers of obstacles.
Thinking back to the countless bodies that fell in this war, if they failed here, the outcome would probably not be as simple as returning to the old border line between the two sides.
The greater the fear, the more united the empire became. More and more conscription teams were touring the provinces, and some conservative aristocratic families were forced to use their best efforts and start thinking about how to survive this protracted war.
With the organizational ability and fighting spirit that Clancy had demonstrated in the past two years, it seemed that it would not be difficult for him to lead the army into the empire to fight. However, if such a thing happened, the land, wealth, resources, etc. of many nobles would disappear.
Some far-sighted individuals began to call for a moderation of the offensive, calling for a peace agreement with Clancy, but such voices were quickly drowned out.
Although many people died in the war, it was impossible to ask these nobles to give up their interests and lands. Wouldn't it be a waste of their efforts and become a joke?
So in the end, neither side had room to back down.
"When will it end? I kind of want to go back to my hometown. It's probably the season when dandelions bloom. Yuna from the neighboring village often comes to our village with her mother to pick wild vegetables at this time." Lige used his arm to slightly block the sun in the sky.
"Keep your voice down. If you say that, people around you will report you." Tulon put one hand on Lige's shoulder, telling him not to show that he wanted to desert.
"Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. I guess everyone thinks the same."
"Relax, man, maybe the future won't be so bad. We might win someday," Tulon said comfortingly.
"Have you heard that the iron warrior has now led the army to victory on the flank, and the emperor has even sent an envoy to commend him."
"Are you talking about Darcy? She's indeed an idol to many people, but such a genius is so far away from a nobody like me that she can't inspire me at all."
Under the gloomy sky, the two chatted casually until they fetched water and finished their business, then they slowly returned to the tent.
After the Empire's army fought a series of battles in Crania, many people, like this soldier, gradually lost their initial enthusiasm and became silent. The blood they saw every day and the fallen companions all stimulated their anxious nerves.
It is wonderful to gain wealth and land after victory, but the cruelty of life and death on the battlefield is also horrifying. They come only for profit and naturally do not have the firm fighting will of the Clansian soldiers.
After suffering a series of heavy blows and tortures, the Empire's offensive slowed down, and more and more nobles on the front lines began to protect themselves and fight passively. They preferred to occupy land and hold it, rather than launch a rapid attack.
During this year, the situation on the battlefield began to change, and the empire gradually shifted from an offensive to a defensive stance.
The capital of the Crimson Empire, Titaneia.
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