My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 38Vol 2.

"For Whom Does the Nation Exist?"

Are you all well? Today, I am not well, which is why I have taken up my pen.

Due to repeated climate anomalies, the harvests have failed, and prices continue to rise. It is becoming increasingly difficult to fill our tables.

The government collects more and more taxes, while the village chiefs keep watch to ensure that the people do not flee. Rather than representing the will of the villagers, the chiefs silence our voices.

It is clear that the nation is going through a difficult time. However, the strange thing is that no one seems to care about the lives of the people.

The imperial family searches every corner of the villages, babbling about the "Second Prince’s army" and the "hetero rebellion." What they care about is not the starving villagers but the rebels who may be hiding among us.

Why has it come to this? I may be uneducated, but one thing is clear.

The imperial family does not care about us. What they want is to root out the rebels and ensure that their foundation remains unshaken.

Yes, "maintain." They only seek to maintain the current dire state of affairs.

So, I ask: for whom does this nation exist? While its people starve and die, how long will this state of affairs continue?

As Alexander read the proclamation, his body trembled with rage. Just as his fury reached its peak, a servant bowed deeply and spoke cautiously.

“There is more, Your Majesty...”

As the servant had said, the proclamation consisted of multiple sheets.

"For Whom Does the Nation Exist?"

The Emperor ascended the throne by killing his own younger brother.

With his brother’s blood staining his hands, what has he done since taking the throne?

Even now, he has failed to eradicate the remnants of the Second Prince’s army and is instead being dragged around by the ghosts of the past.

What accomplishments can he claim since his coronation?

He once declared war against the Kingdom of Butein, vowing to reclaim the Fleur-Rosen region. Yet, now he behaves as though he has completely forgotten about the war.

Because of this, the authority of the Emperor has plummeted, and the once-great reputation of the Adolph Empire continues to decline by the day.

An emperor bears the responsibilities of his title. However, the current Emperor has not fulfilled a single one of his duties.

If he fails to prove his authority, no one will recognize him as Emperor.

“This insolence!”

At last, Alexander could no longer contain himself and flung the proclamation away.

Even the commander of the Imperial Guard, who caught a glimpse of its contents, was too flustered to react.

“Y-Your Majesty, please remain composed! This is precisely why we must capture these treacherous traitors!”

“That’s right, Your Majesty! This must be the work of the remaining members of the Second Prince’s army!”

“The Second Prince’s army... No matter how many we capture, more keep appearing!”

Alexander’s eyes burned with fury as he roared.

“If you fail to root out every last remnant of the Second Prince’s army, I will see to it that you are severely punished! Leave no one behind—find them all!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The commander of the Imperial Guard turned pale but immediately knelt in obedience.

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As Alexander watched him, something crossed his mind.

“Ah, now that I think about it, you still haven’t arrested a single member of the Special Unit for Black Magic Investigation.”

“......”

The commander couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Alexander’s rage flared even hotter at his silence.

“How can you be so utterly incompetent?! Are you, perhaps, a spy for the Second Prince’s army yourself?!”

“N-No, Your Majesty!”

The commander of the Imperial Guard immediately prostrated himself, but Alexander’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.

“What have you done up until now? If you wished to step down from your position, you should have told me directly! To think that no one even realized the entire Special Unit for Black Magic Investigation was using false identities! How incompetent are the officials handling the paperwork?!”

“Y-Your Majesty.”

The commander felt that he had to say something—anything. If he truly had no results to present, the Emperor would strip him of his rank on the spot.

Fortunately, he had managed to obtain some information not long ago.

“Yesterday, we tortured a captured member of the Second Prince’s army and extracted the real name of one of the Special Unit members. If we track this individual, we should be able to apprehend the others soon.”

“Oh? And what is this person’s name?”

Alexander asked the question carelessly, as if it were of little consequence.

The commander of the Imperial Guard, adopting a serious tone, answered firmly.

“They said the name was April.”

***

"What Is This?"

A middle-aged woman living in the capital noticed a crowd gathering around a wall and approached out of curiosity.

“What’s posted there?”

The man standing beside her responded tersely.

“A proclamation. Looks like someone has finally broken the silence.”

A proclamation? She quickly scanned the contents with her eyes.

Just as the proclamation stated, life was becoming harder by the day. The streets were filled with starving children, and yet the imperial family only used political turmoil—speaking of the 'Second Prince’s army' and the 'hetero rebellion'—as an excuse to oppress the people further. ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Those who harbored rebels would face severe punishment, they warned.

To the common people, who were too preoccupied with mere survival to concern themselves with politics, the imperial family’s words were nothing but empty rhetoric that stirred anger.

But at last, it seemed that someone who shared their frustration had dared to put up this proclamation.

“You there! Step back, all of you!”

The city guards approached, dispersing the crowd and tearing the proclamation from the wall.

But even as the paper was removed, the words had already burned themselves into her mind.

“Yes, this country must change.”

Muttering to herself, she slowly made her way home.

“How’s the proclamation?”

“The guards are tearing them down, but many people have already seen them. Some even seemed to sympathize.”

“Really? Well, it doesn’t matter. We can always put up more at night.”

Hearing Karon’s response, I answered with a pleased expression. If there was one thing I excelled at, it was stealth. Slipping out at night to post proclamations was nothing difficult.

“But are people really supporting it?”

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“Well, for now, the majority seem neutral. Life has been hard, but nothing too drastic has happened yet.”

“That’s fine. Just gaining their attention is enough.”

Of course, a single proclamation wouldn’t be enough to move public sentiment. If that were the case, the Second Prince’s army would have succeeded long ago.

But if we continued putting up proclamations, distributing books that could change people’s perspectives, and—most importantly—if one decisive event occurred to shift the tides...

That would be when the revolution truly began.

A decisive event to sway their hearts...

Yes, that event would be enough. Though in order to create it, we’d have to provoke the Emperor appropriately...

“Benny.”

For that, we had already prepared our key player.

When I called her name, Benny nodded with a bright smile.

“Yes, the letter arrived just a while ago. They’re ready.”

To provoke the Emperor, we needed to meet him.

And among us, there was only one person with a status high enough to request an audience.

Benny’s father, a three-star general of the Border Defense Army.

***

At that moment, Alexander wanted nothing more than to throw everything aside.

The ministers, pretending to be respectful while continuously grating on his nerves, offered solutions to the proclamation incident.

“Your Majesty, we must establish a new institution to manage public sentiment. A department dedicated to gathering and addressing the voices of the people would serve as a bridge between the imperial family and the citizens—”

Some ministers merely sought to create a new agency to secure themselves a high-ranking position.

“Your Majesty, we must rule with an iron fist! Find those responsible for these proclamations and punish them severely to set an example!”

Others simply called for crackdowns, proposing extreme measures.

“Your Majesty, I believe I may have identified the group behind this—”

Still others, under the guise of assisting, were merely using the incident to frame their political rivals.

Their endless demands made Alexander’s head pound.

“Hah...”

As he exhaled a deep sigh, one minister suddenly spoke up.

“Your Majesty! The Empire is currently in turmoil due to internal enemies! At times like this, an external enemy is needed. Declare war on the Kingdom of Butein!”

...Not all of their suggestions were entirely unappealing.

War. It was a tempting idea.

Though the Second Prince’s rebellion had forced him to abandon the plan, had he not initially sought to wage war against Butein upon ascending the throne to establish his achievements? A victorious war would restore public favor and legitimize his rule.

The Kingdom of Butein had long been at odds with the Adolph Empire, engaging in a continuous cycle of territorial conflicts.

Shifting public focus outward during times of internal strife was a fundamental governing tactic. Alexander began to seriously consider the idea.

First, I must assess our chances of victory. We have the hetero soldiers, but whether they will fight obediently remains uncertain...

He decided to summon the commander of the Border Defense Army.

After concluding the court meeting, he called for a servant to fetch the commander.

But just as he was about to give the order, a servant hurriedly approached.

“Your Majesty, a lieutenant general from the Border Defense Army has requested an audience. Will you receive him?”

“Oh! Yes!”

It wasn’t the commander himself, but for a high-ranking officer to request an audience at this timing was a remarkable coincidence.

After a short wait, the man who had requested the audience entered the reception hall, bowing deeply as he stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, I am honored to be granted an audience.”

Meanwhile, the man known as Jaiden—the father of Benny—was tense.

The Emperor was an absolute existence. Even as a three-star general, he could not easily request an audience, making this a nerve-wracking moment.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I have come to speak regarding the proclamations—”

“The proclamations! Those damned proclamations!”

The mere mention of them made Alexander clutch his head in frustration. His ministers had spent the entire meeting earlier droning on about them, leaving him exasperated.

Sensing the Emperor’s foul mood, Jaiden remained cautious but did not falter.

“Your Majesty, I have a surefire method to restore public favor.”

Alexander, who had been massaging his temples, lifted his head slightly and spoke in a more serious tone.

“What is it?”

“Your Majesty, the contents of the proclamations can be summarized as follows: The people demand improved living conditions and for Your Majesty to achieve a great accomplishment.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that. So, do you have a good idea?”

“Yes, in truth, the people’s lives are not as dire as they claim. They are merely being swayed by shallow proclamations and voicing complaints. However, if Your Majesty were to accomplish a feat of undeniable greatness, they would soon forget about these proclamations and sing your praises.”

“Then what do you propose I do?”

“That is simple.”

The moment had arrived. Jaiden’s heart pounded, but he controlled his expression and voice, speaking with a steady tone.

“A war against the Kingdom of Butein.”