Military Parade Of The Polia Kingdom

-“A ship mounting cannons on land has appeared?!”

-“A colossal tank that smashes through trenches at once—bullets don’t even work!?”

-“What on earth is this iron-clad monster? What has the Doicheun Empire built?”

-“The Doicheun Empire announces its new weapon is a tank called ‘Gangria.’”

-“Fronts collapsing in an instant—territory of the Moria Empire and the Noma Empire is being invaded. Reports say they’re even rapidly breaking through into the lands of the Northman Kingdom to the west.”

-“Are ‘invincible trenches’ now a thing of the past? Perhaps tanks are the very ground weapon that will rewrite the flow of battle!”

As March began, the Polia Kingdom stayed on high alert, watching the continent’s situation as constant reports came in. Since a shift in the course of the war could end the export boom, everyone was busy gathering information.

It was baffling that a war which had dragged on so long could change so completely with the appearance of the new weapon called the tank. Would the war really end within the year? And if so, what would become of the piles of munitions still stacking up?

What they once worried couldn’t be produced fast enough might soon become a stockpile problem. Amid domestic anxiety and concern, some rejoiced that this accursed war might finally end.

Meanwhile, the Polia Kingdom was preparing a military parade—a show of force meant to display power at home and abroad. Preparations had begun late last year, and now, on March 3, the capital Pullea was abuzz as the parade was about to start. People embraced the spectacle with enthusiasm.

The world was at war, and everyone knew that remaining neutral amid such clashes was possible only thanks to the deterrence of a strong military.

Of course, the Polia Kingdom had always been a naval power; its army had never been famed for brilliance—merely competent. Expectations were modest.

In the grandstands set up at the vast plaza in the capital sat King Ian, his fiancée Princess Adrina, his mother, and his younger sister Charlotte.

Key ministers were also present, all there to view the parade. The mood was bright; everyone was eager to see how well the event had been prepared.

“Have you ever watched a military parade in the Empire?”

“Yes, I have. Not often, but every few years they always hold one.”

So that was expected. She’d even attended a naval review before; of course she’d have seen a parade. In truth, this one was smaller than an imperial parade—where the Empire might march over a hundred thousand troops, they were fielding at most fifty thousand.

“You’ll also see something you haven’t seen before.”

“Something I haven’t seen? What is it?”

“It’ll spoil the fun if I tell you now. Take a look when it appears.”

“Very well. I’ll watch when it shows up.”

“Haha, you’ll be surprised.”

“Now I’m curious what it could be. By the way, when do we start?”

“Very soon.”

Ian’s mother and Charlotte watched with soft smiles—the two conversing looked awfully cozy. At last, things felt as if they were falling into place.

Naturally, they were thinking, the wedding should come quickly. Unaware of their thoughts, Ian chatted with Princess Adrina and then glanced toward the ambassadors seated to one side.

Most faces, save for a few, were not cheerful. The Doicheun Empire and its allies looked pleased, while envoys of the two embattled empires did not. Given how badly they were faring, there was little to smile about.

He wondered what faces they would make soon. It would be worth seeing.

‘We’ll know for certain in a moment.’

As he thought that, the parade was about to begin. Far from the royal dais, several thousand troops stood in square formations, rifles shouldered.

Their bearing was crisp. Training had begun in November, and after four months of preparation, every movement came naturally.

The army had trained hard to make a strong impression on the public. With preparations complete, a massed military band—hundreds strong—struck up drums and brass and moved forward.

The cadence for the march rolled out in steady waves. The prepared soldiers began to move—step, step, step—boots striking the road in unison.

Thousands advanced in long files, an impressive sight. Citizens lined the boulevard, cheering and applauding.

“Wow, amazing!”

“Whoa, not bad at all!”

“Look at that—every step perfectly in sync.”

“So cool!”

“They look so stalwart—so reassuring!”

Waaaaa—!

Spurred by cheers and praise from every direction, the soldiers marched with even greater vigor along the main boulevard. Faces peeked from building windows to watch.

Up on rooftops, crews filmed the event from various angles. After the ranks of infantry, artillery rolled into view.

Field guns towed by military trucks appeared—75 mm ‘Raunt’ guns, the same type active on the great war’s fronts. Various sizes of howitzers followed.

Though their range was shorter, their larger calibers delivered tremendous destructive power—an impressive sight that drew gasps.

Teams of two also marched with machine guns, one across each man’s shoulder; there were many such teams. As the army asserted its presence with a proper march, Polian hearts swelled with pride and confidence.

Then a buwoong—the hum of engines—rose from the sky. The air force’s mainstay, the Dragan fighters, roared overhead along the parade route.

No fewer than two hundred fighters had been mobilized. Ten-plane elements flew in file like flocks of migratory birds, filling the sky—a grand spectacle.

Vwooom— vwoom— vwoooom—

People cheered even louder, faces tilted to the sky. The army looked splendid, but so did the shimmering procession of aircraft.

Among the crowd were many children. Some would dream, upon seeing this, of becoming pilots who soared through the sky.

And in all likelihood, a few of those children would indeed fly someday. As the air display drew awed sighs, a different sound began to prickle at people’s ears.

“Huh? What’s that noise?”

“A truck?”

“Louder than a truck, I think.”

“To me it sounds like a tractor.”

The first to spot it wore startled looks. Rolling along the broad, still-unpaved stone boulevard with a growling grrng came something that made everyone gape.

“An automobile made of iron?”

“No—that’s a tank, isn’t it?”

“You mean the kind the Doicheun Empire uses?”

“No way—does our Polia Kingdom have tanks too?”

“It looks a bit different. There’s something like a cannon on top.”

“A tank—how incredible!”

What emerged was indeed a tank—specifically, a model with a rotating turret. Its tracks looked a bit large for the hull, but it was unmistakably a tank.

Named ‘Frei,’ it was ordered into development by Ian after seeing a tractor while building a landfill site in the past. Many designs had been drawn up, and at Ian’s insistence on a rotating turret, development proceeded until this tank was completed.

Though lighter than the Doicheun model at 15 tons, its speed was therefore considerably higher. Its main gun, while not very long, was a 40 mm tank gun, and it mounted a single 8.1 mm light machine gun.

The crew numbered three: one driver, one turret gunner, and one loader/machine-gunner. Ten of these tanks rumbled past in a line.

Skreek, skreek. Skree-eek—

The tracks’ metallic screech set hearts thudding—then the crowd found its voice and erupted. Newspapers had sown fear with images of the Doicheun tanks; people had worried that, once the war ended, those weapons might be turned upon them.

Seeing that they too possessed tanks filled them with pride—and relief.

Back at the plaza, where the tanks had not yet arrived, the marching troops were just entering, wheeling along the curved route and saluting the King on the grandstand.

Ian returned the salute. With fighters streaking overhead and troops parading below, he felt for a moment as if he stood inside a film.

‘So, this alone doesn’t shock them.’

He glanced sidelong at the ambassadors; he looked forward to their expressions changing soon. After the infantry came the guns—parade business as usual.

For now, he thought; the next thing will be different. The distinct clatter of tank tracks began to reach the ears of many, and heads turned, searching.

Then the first tanks appeared at the plaza. Ambassadors shifted in their seats—especially those of the Moria and Noma Empires, who reacted most strongly.

“Th-that’s a tank, isn’t it?!”

“How can that be here?”

“So, the Polia Kingdom has already developed tanks?”

“It looks a bit different, but…”

“If it’s here now, does that mean they were already developing them earlier?”

Shock rippled through the delegation. Two reactions quickly emerged: displeasure from the Doicheun side, and delight from the Allied side.

These tanks had the potential to swing the battlefield’s newly shifting tide once again. Princess Adrina recalled Ian’s promise of a surprise and, realizing he’d meant the tanks, spoke with widened eyes.

“So this was what I was supposed to be surprised by?”

“Indeed. Well? Surprised?”

“Yes—very. I didn’t think another country would have developed them already.”

“Development had been underway for some time.”

“Then the first tanks might not be Doicheun’s at all, but the Polia Kingdom’s?”

“Most likely. We even have records of the development process; history will record our tanks as the first.”

“Wow, amazing. I never imagined you were developing such a thing.”

“We must lead in something, mustn’t we?”

As he spoke, the tanks trundled past. Though classed as light tanks, they moved faster than expected—nothing “lumbering” about them for a so-called first generation.

So the power of magic really can provide that much auxiliary force.

He didn’t know the details, but with the aid of designated magic circles, engines achieved better efficiency.

‘Once the parade ends, every envoy will be clamoring to buy them.’

And just as he predicted, the moment the parade concluded, ambassadors from every nation hurried to seek audience with Ian.