Chapter 3: Volume 4 Prologue part 2
3 months and 12 days after the outbreak of rebellion, Ra Shaia Alderamin Holy Army attacked from the north with a force of 12,000. In response, the Northern Defense Force selected 1,800 to form a rearguard unit from 8,000 remaining troops. 1 battalion of 600 men led by Captain Senpa Sazaruf carriedy out stalling tactics delaying duty at the warfront and retreated after 8 days of combat. Relieved by a unit that had been building a temporary fort in the rear.
22 days after the retreat, all Northern Defense Force deployed to the Great Alpatra mountain range withdrew. Until the end of the mission, 372 killed in action from rearguard units and 344 missing in action (majority is believed to be captured), 431 injured. Defensive actions continue in the southern part of the mountain.
4 months and 26 days after the outbreak of the rebellion, reinforcement of 10,000 from the centre arrived. In response, Ra Shaia Alderamin Holy Army stops all offensive and stands off with the empire from the strong points in the Great Alpatra mountain range. The Imperial Army decides taking back the territory at current state is unlikely and concentrates on strengthening the current defensive line along the bottom of the mountain.
28 days after the stand still, the line has been declared stable and withdrawal from the border is accepted. The "Northern War" started by conflict in the north is considered to have ended at this point.
Total mobilized troop - 23,720 from Northern Defense Force, 10,000 from centre to total of 33,720.
Total casualty - 4,617 killed in action, 2,091 missing in action, 7,176 injured. Estimated dead are projected to grow to over 7,000.
Remarks - Due to invasion of Ra Shaia Alderamin Holy Army, over 4,000 Shinak tribe refugees descend from the Great Alpatra mountain range. Temporary refugee camp built in the southern part of the north. Following the treaty with the Chief Nanak Dar, there is a need to appoint a permanent settlement .
"-- do you understand. This is the blood we spilled due to this war."
A tall and elderly officer with a fully buttoned up uniform smacked the papers he read with the back of his hand. The jade eyes glanced across the room.
"But what we need to discuss here is the cause for this blood spilt…"
Katvana Empire's Army General Tersingha Remion's slightly raised voice rang out with accusation. Despite being a wide room due to the surrounding stone wall, the interior felt heavy. There was one large table in the room with two Generals at the head, three lieutenant generals and the chancellor to the right and eight major generals along with four witnesses and their scribe to the left.
At the foot of the table was the trembling man surrounded by four soldiers with wind guns and receiving the gaze of all the generals, the commander of the Northern Defense Force.
"I will ask first. What do you think of this, Lieutenant General Tamutsukusuku Safida."
When called out, the parched lips beyond the unkempt moustache shivered.
"It's, it's not my fault…"
"Oh?"
"It was an unfortunate loss, but it's the result of my carrying out the duty as the commander of the defense force! For the empire, the Shinark tribe are like a parasite in the belly of the lion and it needed to be exterminated! I simply carried out my duty!"
After hearing a serious reply, General Remion's jade eyes had clear signs of contempt.
"... As the commander of the Northern Defense Force, your job was the maintenance of the peace in the north. Do you disagree?"
"O, of course."
"You just claimed you carried out your duty. With over 7,000 casualties and equally high body count with the Shinark tribe, do you still claim you have accomplished your duty of maintaining the peace?"
General Remion turned away from flabbergasted Lieutenant General Safida and looked towards the four lower ranking officers seated to the left.
"Lieutenant General you seem to feel that it's unjustified to blame based only on the results. Then let us look at the cause of it. That is why I called you four."
"... Yes, sir. I am prepared to answer any question you may have."
Captain Sazarf replied while being rigid with nervousness. The cleanly shaven face compared to all the shaggy stubble from the battlefield made him look younger than usual. The three who were sitting beside him, Ikuta, Yatori and Torway bowed towards General Remion as well.
"Then I will ask from the start, Captain Senpa Sazarf. First, why did the Shinark tribe rebel?"
"Under the orders of the Commander in the north, there were many oppressive policies directed towards the Shinark tribe. Increase in tax, restriction of trade, confiscation of the spirits and so forth. I believe that the situation simply blew up into rebellion."
"All those orders seem to be outside the jurisdiction of the military."
"The commander had a very good relationship with the high ranking officials in the northern provinces."
Captain Sazarf spoke coolly. The Lieutenant General himself remarked "Don't make things up!", but when General Remion glanced over, closed his mouth. The story continued without any more interruption.
"So, is it safe to assume the oppressive policy resulting from Lieutenant General Safida's commands are one of the main causes for this rebellion?"
General Remion continued onto the next story after looking at the four witness nods.
"Then, onto the second question… The 3,000 casualties that occurred until suppression of the Shinark tribe was complete. What was the cause for this casualty?"
Captain Sazarf glanced over and Yatori stood up. A brave voice listed out the cause.
"I will answer in place of the Captain, sir. The greatest reason for high casualty amongst the mobilized troop was due to inferior planning from the start.The attack into Great Alpatra mountain range despite the Shinark tribe occupying all advantageous positions, overextending the supply chain by marching too far away from each other, and the rigid command structure not allowing troops to retreat from a position increased the casualties. But most of all, there was improper preparations for altitude sickness--"
Lieutenant General spoke outraged at the list that was flowing out endlessly.
"S, shut up! What does a mere junior officer know of strategy!"
"Lieutenant General, I allowed her to speak. Do you believe you have the authority to reprimand her?"
General Remion made the issue clear and continued on with "also".
"Thanks to the mere junior officers as you called them, the Northern Defense Force escaped annihilation. Do not forget that… Lieutenant Yatori Igsem, you may sit."
After making Yatori sit, General Remion shifted his gaze towards the black haired boy.
"Lieutenant Ikuta Solrock, I will ask the third question to you. After the rebellion, you were attacked by Ra Shaia Alderamin Holy Army that had crossed the Great Alpatra mountain range from the north. How did this happen?"
Ikuta rose from his seat to answer with a slightly lazy expression.
"-- I do not know enough about diplomatic issues to speak about it, but I can only talk about the situation on the ground. The Ra Shaia Alderamin Holy Army cited the Northern Defense Force's abuses against the spirits as the casus belli."
"Did it appear to be a legitimate excuse in your eyes?"
"For examples in the war, there were definitely occasions of soldiers applying unnecessary violence against the spirits. I was part of the attempt to diffuse the situation so I can speak confidently on this issue."
"And before the war?"
"I had witnessed confiscated fire spirit and wind spirits stuffed in the 1st Northern Military Base jail. The spirits had not received any sunlight so they were mostly incapable of moving."
"Hmm, that seems to match up with Captain Sazarf's testimony as well. Lieutenant General Safida, I heard that you commanded to confiscate the spirits. Is that true?"
"I, I didn't order that! It wasn't me! My subordinates did that on their own."
After hearing him trying to shift the blame, Ikuta could not hold it anymore and let out a sneer.
"Who was the one who said something about needing to exterminate the parasite in the belly of a lion."
"You bastard!"
General Remion stared down Lieutenant General Safida from standing up in outrage and turned his jade coloured eyes to Ikuta.
"Lieutenant Solrock, refrain from unnecessary remarks. If this happens again, you will be removed from the proceeding."
The boy who had his back pinched by Yatori only appeared remorseful on the outside. General Remion's eyes stayed briefly on his son before moving over to Lieutenant General Safida once again.
But, Lieutenant General, there is a lack of consistency in what you have been saying. You claimed the Shinark tribe was a parasite and you were simply exterminating them, but claiming the confiscated spirits were something your subordinates did on their own. Do you believe that kind of argument would work here?"
The Lieutenant General tried to open his mouth to make more excuses, but pressures from all sides prevented him from doing so. The generals seem to be silently saying don't show any more ugliness.
"Then let us summarize the story until now. First, the reason for the Shinark tribe rebellion. This was due to an oppressive policy led by Lieutenant General Safida. Second, the large casualty until the end of the suppression. This was due to inept strategy from Lieutenant General Safida. Third, the cause for attack from the Ra Shaia Alderamin Holy Army. This is because he gave them abuse against the spirits due to Lieutenant General Safida's policies."
Lieutenant General Safida understood after General Remion started to talk in definitive terms. It was not a court martial anymore. The generals had already confirmed the evidence. But there was no need to bring in witnesses if that was the case.
"You abused the Shinark tribe without any reason, let soldiers under your command die without reason and invited in the enemy with your ignorant actions. They are all your crimes.
Rewarding those who performed exemplary and punishing the guilty. The war criminal Tamutsukusuku Safida is sentenced to death in front of all those attending here. That is why we have opened this cumbersome process."
There was no one who objected to the list of crimes that was read out. In the silence of the trial that was decided from the start, General Remion finished his role as the master of the ceremony looked towards another general seated beside him.
"Marshal, please deliver the verdict according to the military law."
With a nod, the owner of spiky red hair stood up. Standing over six feet tall, rock hard muscles that had no faults and sabres and main gauche were at least two sizes bigger than Yatori's that did not come off even in front of the king.
It was Katvana Empire's Marshal, Solbenares Igsem. But people who called him by name were few. Except when looking back in history, the title Marshal only referred to him in the country.
"Effective immediately, Imperial Army Lieutenant General Tamutsukusuku Safida is relieved of his duty as the commander of the Northern Defense Force."
The Lieutenant General's teeth clattered. The Marshal's words were as good as if it was transcribed on a board of iron.
"You are hereby demoted to rank of private, and stripped of all medals. Safida family's wealth will be confiscated, except for the minimal amount of salary, and will be awarded to the wounded and the family of the deceased."
For anyone who was in the military, they would know that the verdict was a final decision that could not be overturned.
"And, Private Tamutsukusuku Safida --"
In front of the incarnation of the law himself, there was no mercy. Thus.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Tamusukusuku Safida, now demoted to a private and waiting for execution stood up from the chair and shouted. The soldiers tried to restrain him, but the resistance was strangely fierce. It very much resembled a dying animal's final resistance.
"Mercy! Please, Marshal, your honour. General, your honour. Please, mercy! I don't need any rank or medals! I don't care if it's a private or a janitor! Please, not my life!"
"The verdict is final."
"No! I don't want to die. I'm not going to die! W, w, what is death?! Is it dark?! Is it cold?! Or is it an endless silence?! Or is where you go determined by good and evil you do like the priests say? Then will I be going to hell?"
General Remion who felt it was foolish to even feel contempt at Safida's ugliness wrapped his hand around his forehead. Marshal Igsem did not show any interest like he was looking at a rock on a side of a road.
"Someone, someone help me! Anyone, anybody…"
When the generals remained silent, Safida looked around everywhere in hope of salvation and finally looked towards his former subordinates seated on the side.
".. If it's you! Yes, you…!"
Safida dragged the soldiers who were trying to restrain his arms to where Ikuta and others were sitting.
"Please, I beg you! Please help me....! You all are heroes. You are the Empire's saviours! If it's from you all, even the Marshal won't ignore it!"
When he begged pathetically, Torway turned to look away from him. Yatori kept her silence. Ikuta yawned and rubbed his eyes. Only Senpai Szarf smiled bitterly and spoke.
"... Commander, your honour. I don't think you hold that position anymore but I will call you so… For me, I heard many other shouts similar to ones you made. Countless comrades died shivering in the same fear you have. Some leaving a family behind, some leaving a lover behind. Everyone is leaving behind something in this world…"
"I was wrong! I'll pay for it no matter what, so…!"
"Please stop. I don't know anything difficult about paying the price for it or whatnot. I just… want you to do your duty as the commander who was responsible for the war."
Captain Sazarf spoke while maintaining his smile.
"The one who commanded the operation is responsible for the operation. Even an idiot like me knows the military's principle. So, Commander, your honour… you cannot avoid this. Even if that principle sentences you to death as the Marshal said."
The Captain paused to stand up slowly and bowed his head.
"I beg you - die cleanly… So even one more comrade who passed before us can go to heaven, and for us, who will follow after can go to a better hell."
Safida lost his words. Captain Sazarf's gentle voice had something special that could even silence a man begging for his life at the edge of death. Even generals who considered him a mere Captain pulled at the edge of their clothes.
"Enough. Take him!"
On General Remion's command, even the soldiers lost their sympathy. Restrained on all fours and gagged to prevent anymore attempts to beg for his life, he was dragged out like a cumbersome piece of luggage. The door closed with heavy thud and General Remion started talking as silenced descended once again.
"... I hereby close the court martial of Imperial Soldier Takutsukusuku Safida. We will hold a strategic meeting. Except Captain Senpa Scarf, all witnesses are excused… you all have worked hard to respond to the summon."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
yoloswagftw
yoloswagftw -I have kept this judgement scene completely the same with some gramatical fixes here and there from the translation. I believe that this passage perfectly conveys the feeling that the author was going for in the first place and therefore should remain in the story untouched.
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