Chapter 75: The Field Marshal
“…How should I put it…? More than anything, I find myself truly grateful—from the bottom of my heart—that Brigadier Willard is on our side.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
It had been one surprise after another, but fortunately, none of my misunderstandings had led to any fatal mistakes.
Better to take it as a blessing that I’d realized it now, rather than later—when it might have cost lives.
“Haah…”
A quiet, indescribable sigh slipped from my lips.
And in the very next moment, a sharp knock echoed through the room.
“What is it?”
General Newsbeck’s gaze shifted away from me and toward the door.
So—it had come. The true purpose of today’s meeting.
I rose from my seat as well and stepped behind her, taking my place as her subordinate.
“The Marshal has arrived.”
“Very well. Let him in.”
At her command, the soldier guarding the headquarters opened the door.
“You’ve come.”
Through the doorway stepped a single man.
“Marshal Carland.”
He was the de facto head of the Lunoa Kingdom’s military.
And the very same man who had commanded the disastrous defeat on the western front.
“Address me properly…! To think you would summon me here at your convenience, General Newsbeck—who do you think you are? You should have come to me!”
The moment he entered, Marshal Carland began complaining, his voice laced with indignation and wounded pride.
“Hmph.”
General Newsbeck merely scoffed, dismissing his outrage with a cold snort.
“The fact that you came here obediently at my command already tells me everything I need to know.”
“…”
“His Majesty the King has summoned you. You’ll be surrendering those rank insignia soon enough.”
“…Tch.”
Her words struck hard—unyielding, merciless.
Marshal Carland bit down on his lower lip, his expression darkening as his gaze fell to the floor.
“For a man of your rank to show up at the front lines in the first place was a mistake. You clung to the western theater to preserve your standing, didn’t you? Had you remained in the capital and fulfilled your proper duty as Marshal, even someone as incompetent as you might have held onto your position a little longer.”
“Victory in the west… that is where the glory of the Lunoa Kingdom lies!”
“And yet you lost. That makes your argument rather pointless.”
Exactly.
Just two more years—that was all I needed.
If the western front had remained locked in stalemate, we could have continued crushing the Rosha Empire, leaving no opening for other nations to intervene. Then, at the end of it all, we could have secured a white peace through diplomacy.
But now… all of my plans had been reduced to nothing.
“A defeated man like you no longer has the right to speak. You’ve lost a strategic stronghold, after all.”
“…”
Marshal Carland lowered his head, falling into silence.
“Your honor has fallen to the ground. You’d do well to start thinking about how you intend to survive in the rear.”
“G-General Newsbeck…!”
As if delivered a death sentence, her words forced him to lift his head again.
But the expression on his face was twisted—an unnatural, almost desperate smile. And when he spoke her name this time, it carried an unfamiliar politeness, dripping with thinly veiled desperation.
“Don’t try to curry favor with me now. It’s unbecoming.”
General Newsbeck cut him down instantly, her voice colder than steel.
“Tch! You’re just a woman—who do you think you are!? With an attitude like that, no wonder you’re still unmarried!”
“—Hk!”
“…Ah.”
Oh no.
That was nothing more than a petty, worthless insult—yet somehow, it landed perfectly.
A direct hit.
General Newsbeck… does want to get married, after all.
“…Ooh…”
“General Newsbeck, there’s no need to take that to heart.”
“Ooh!”
“You are an exceptional individual. You’ve achieved greatness as a soldier and earned countless accomplishments. Words like that aren’t worth your attention.”
“That’s right! I have Brigadier Willard, after all!”
“…Hm?”
Wait.
Didn’t that… sound a little strange?
“What do you mean, ‘words like that’!? Brigadier, how dare you twist my words—!”
As I tilted my head in confusion, Marshal Carland cut in from the side, his voice rising again in agitation.
“Marshal Carland. What is required of you now is the provision of information. We have already received the necessary documents. Now that you have formally handed over command to General Newsbeck, you should promptly answer His Majesty’s summons.”
“A mere brigadier dares speak to me like that—! Who do you think you are!?”
“Do not forget that I am a member of the Willard Marquisate, Marshal Carland. Or would you also like to lose your place within the Carland Ducal House?”
“…Ghk.”
The Willard Marquisate and the Carland Ducal House were on close terms.
No—more accurately, the balance of power favored us.
The Willard family had extended considerable loans to the Carland house; in practical terms, we held the upper hand.
“I suggest you take your leave, Marshal Carland. Thank you for your service.”
“…This… this wasn’t how it was supposed to be… I was going to win in the west… become a hero…”
At my words, whatever strength remained in him seemed to drain away. Marshal Carland collapsed to his knees, crumpling like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Take him away.”
I gave the order to the soldiers waiting outside the room.
“Stop this—!? Let go of me! Do you have any idea who I am!?”
Gripped under both arms by the soldiers, Marshal Carland was dragged out of the room, shouting and struggling in a most undignified display—his voice echoing down the corridor long after he was gone.