The Colonies That Cried For Independence

After some time had passed and it was nearing December, we announced that the three nations had signed an “Economic Cooperation Treaty,” almost as if we were openly declaring that we were in a cooperative relationship with one another.

Literally speaking, it established a framework for cooperation exclusively among three countries: the Polia Kingdom, the Noma Empire, and the Moria Empire.

This was a move that excluded the Magnia Empire. Yet the Magnia Empire showed no reaction to the signing. Perhaps countless countermeasures had been discussed behind the scenes, but none of them would have been able to resolve the situation created by the three nations’ cooperation.

Many people reacted as though they had never expected such cooperation. At the same time, many also realized the true intent hidden within it. These three countries were trying to check the Magnia Empire. It also became clear that the two empires were attempting to grant the Polia Kingdom substantial benefits.

The contents of the Economic Cooperation Treaty were, quite literally, structured to be extremely advantageous to the Polia Kingdom. Not only did it specify that the top priority for reconstruction would be construction companies affiliated with the Polia Kingdom, but it also revealed that tariffs would be drastically reduced.

It was the sort of condition that was practically a funneling of benefits, showing just how desperately the two empires had tried to persuade the Polia Kingdom.

Amid these circumstances, the world began to heat up with the drive for reconstruction. In truth, with peace finally arriving after five years, everyone had to quickly calm the nerves that had been on edge from war.

Even in this moment, tens of millions of soldiers were continuing the process of returning from former battlefields back to their home countries. The number was so immense that it was expected to take more than a year just to send them all back.

Because the resulting expenditure of funds and food would be enormous, every nation had no choice but to move swiftly to repatriate its troops. Along the spiderweb-like railways that connected each country, trains packed with soldiers moved day after day.

On the soldiers’ faces, joy had filled them at the fact that this hellish war had finally ended. At the same time, they were brimming with the desire to hurry home into the warmth of their families’ arms.

In reality, those waiting to go back simply waited quietly for their turn. From the outset, the fact that they would no longer be heading to a battlefield that meant death was more than enough to make them happy beyond measure. As long as they could go home, they could wait without doing anything.

In the midst of this bustling continental situation, the Polia Kingdom spent its days in the same peace and calm as always, as if it were peacetime.

Pullea, the capital of the Polia Kingdom, the king’s office in the royal palace.

“Can you see this? The empires and kingdoms that promised independence have all shown that they intend to refuse independence now.”

Before him sat Viscount Rubingston, along with Marquis Norwen, the chancellor. As he showed them the documents containing the newly arrived information, Ian spoke. The two of them responded as though it was an outcome they had expected.

“They won’t be able to abandon the colonies. Especially now that they’ve expanded their colonial territories further, it will be even more so.”

“That is correct. They can’t afford to give up the resources, and they need funds for reconstruction as well.”

“How do you think the colonies will respond after being refused the promised independence? Wouldn’t they see it as betrayal?”

Even during the war, they had thrown around all kinds of promises as if scattering them, in order to conscript troops. But now that the war was over, they looked as if they intended to wipe their mouths clean and pretend nothing had happened. It would only be natural for the colonies to be furious.

“They may show large-scale movements for independence.”

“With the empires and kingdoms weakened right now, they may not be able to respond properly to such colonial movements.”

At those words, Ian nodded as though he agreed. Those who had just ended a war had absolutely no room to start another one now. However, there were still countries that had room to spare.

“But the Magnia Empire, and we as well, still have plenty of room.”

“Then you mean they could request that our side suppress the colonies’ seditious movements?”

“Hm, that may indeed be the case.”

“But if we do that, wouldn’t that mean we—who have maintained neutrality until now—are intervening in a war?”

At the chancellor’s negative-sounding words, Viscount Rubingston shook his head as if to deny it.

“If we were to send a suppression force, realistically the troops we could mobilize would be around one hundred thousand at most. Can colonial manpower block a regular army, even if they try?”

“Didn’t you see it in the Great War? In war, numbers can never be ignored. Especially when many among them have experienced war as well.”

“Of course. But can those with such a weak foundation keep holding back a regular army that brings tanks and fighter aircraft to the front?”

The situation in the Old Continent and the situation in the New Continent were entirely different. In a place where only basic infrastructure existed, they likely would not have much industrial capacity to keep producing weapons continuously. In the first place, trying to hold out to the end against a regular army fielding tanks and fighter aircraft might have been nearly impossible.

“In any case, all of this depends on Your Majesty’s choice. I don’t think you need to decide immediately.”

“That is true. Still, what do you think, Your Majesty?”

At the chancellor’s question, Ian appeared to ponder for a moment, then nodded and spoke with a positive expression.

“Frankly, I don’t think there’s any reason to refuse.”

“Is that so…?”

“I expected you would think that way.”

It was an unexpected reaction from the chancellor, while Viscount Rubingston looked as though he had assumed Ian would decide this way. Ian, too, could not help but feel that this decision was something he had no choice but to make.

‘Now that we’re in a cooperative relationship with the two empires, I’ll have to step forward.’

With an Economic Cooperation Treaty already in place, if the empires wavered over their colonies, it would not be good for Polia either. Moreover, another problem remained: too few people had real combat experience.

Of course, there were those who had experienced war by going as volunteers, but compared to the empires, Polia’s experienced personnel were inevitably lacking in absolute terms. In particular, they were still in a state where they had not properly established military doctrine for tanks and fighter aircraft.

From the outset, it wasn’t as though they would mobilize tens or hundreds of thousands. Even if they pushed themselves, if they deployed less than two hundred thousand troops, they would likely be able to repel them sufficiently. Of course, it was ethically something they should not do. But if ethics had been the priority, they would not have sold weapons during the Great War in the first place.

“Deploying troops to the colonies won’t be bad for us. And we won’t need to mobilize only our own forces.”

“You mean you intend to mobilize troops from elsewhere? But no one has any leeway right now.”

“They’re in the New Continent, aren’t they? The countries that can mobilize troops for us.”

“There’s no way such a place exists—ah! Are you referring to the Vincent Kingdom and the Rubid Kingdom?”

Two kingdoms existed that had split away from the Polia Kingdom’s colonies and become independent. They were kingdoms founded by Ian’s elder brothers, connected to him by blood. Come to think of it, they had declared independence in June of 1913, so it was already their third year of independence.

In truth, three years after a founding was an extremely short time. They likely had not even properly established their foundations yet. Internally, they could only be in a chaotic state. Borrowing their troops—was that really possible? That was what the chancellor could not help but wonder.

“I know neither kingdom has any leeway. In terms of troop numbers, they probably only have a few tens of thousands at best.”

“Is there any need to borrow troops from them?”

“Wouldn’t it at least reduce our losses, even a little? And if we push, they could draw out even more troops.”

“Would they mobilize troops to that extent?”

“We’ll have to make it so they have no choice. I heard there’s still nowhere producing proper profits, and their economy is in a dreadful state.”

“That is certainly true. I received reports that they are barely keeping the economy going with only the facilities that existed from the colonial era.”

On top of that, they had to hand over resources to the Polia Kingdom every year at cheap prices, so there was no way they could grow properly. But precisely because of that, it became an even better situation to draw them in.

“Even if they’re small, shouldn’t they enjoy some degree of war boom, too?”

“Do you mean you intend to receive supplies from those kingdoms?”

“The standards for bullets and shells will be the same anyway, so they should be able to handle supply sufficiently. Especially if the empires also move proactively, won’t they become greedy as well?”

They might not be able to gain immediate profit, but if they took commissions from the empires and kingdoms and conducted a sweep operation against the colonial resistance alongside the Polia Kingdom, they would later be able to secure the funds needed to grow their economies. They wouldn’t receive it right away, but they would gain a future in which growth was possible.

‘For us, it’s good because we gain a shield, and even better because we gain a supplier.’

He believed they would have no choice but to accept. Just as he was thinking that, he heard the chancellor speak.

“If they step in, it will certainly reduce our burden. However, if the Magnia Empire also tries to act proactively, what happens then?”

“Wouldn’t the Magnia Empire have to manage its own colonies? And the colonial regions it seized from the Doicheun Empire this time will likely be full of problems as well.”

“True. The Doicheun Empire must have brought back troops on a large scale by overreaching with the fruit called ‘independence,’ so they would be feeling wronged as well.”

They held an enormous amount of territory, and many people lived there. And since the existing colonies also could not avoid being influenced by the idea of independence, Magnia likely would be too busy managing and suppressing its own colonies for a while to have any leeway.

‘In the end, we’re the ones with the most room to spare.’

War was bad, but if necessary, it was something that had to be done. Thinking like this made him feel that his values had changed a lot. In the past, he often believed there was no need to spill blood, but now he had no hesitation about it.

‘It’s not because I absorbed the White Crystal, is it?’

He suspected it a little. Still, for now, he believed doing what benefited the country came first. Establishing military doctrine, yes—but large-scale troops gaining real combat experience, and the interests they would acquire afterward, were not necessarily bad either.

“Viscount Rubingston, focus on gathering information about the New Continent. And Chancellor, prepare the necessary munitions and ready the troops going forward.”

“As for munitions, we already have a fair amount stored. But how many troops should we prepare?”

“Start by preparing around thirty thousand troops. Make it so they can depart at any time. Also, prepare about one hundred tanks and about eighty fighter aircraft.”

He intended to prepare this as a first wave, then prepare more later. Of course, he was proceeding with these preparations even though nothing was confirmed yet.

If no one ended up asking the Polia Kingdom for help regarding colonial matters, then since the troops would already be assembled, they could simply conduct a large-scale training exercise.

But there was no such thing. Just as the reports indicated, problems began to occur more and more in the colonies of each nation. In many places, calls grew louder for independence to be granted as promised.

In fact, these demands inevitably grew larger because the Vincent Kingdom and the Rubid Kingdom had boldly declared independence three years ago.

World Era 1916, December 25

Beyru, the capital of the Vincent Kingdom.

In a reality where the building that had once been used as the Governor-General’s Office was converted into the royal palace and used as such, an emergency meeting had no choice but to be convened after news was delivered through the Polia Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Around ten people were seated, and all of them could be called the true powerholders of the Vincent Kingdom. The reason they had gathered was none other than a request sent from the Polia Kingdom.

“Borrow troops to suppress the colonies—how is this something that benefits us?”

King Vincent, who sat on the throne, looked like he had lost quite a bit of weight compared to before. With far too many things to manage after independence, the weight had naturally fallen off him.

“First of all, we can say it benefits us. Although the request came from the Polia Kingdom, this is effectively a request from the empires and kingdoms as well.”

“So they lack the leeway to dispatch forces here immediately, and they want to borrow our troops.”

“That’s correct. Of course, the main force will be the Polia Kingdom’s army. Our troops will only be able to play a supporting role and fill out the numbers.”

“Then isn’t this something we don’t have to do?”

At King Vincent’s words, Duke Gwens shook his head. In his view, this was a tremendous opportunity for the Vincent Kingdom.

“This will be a major chance for us to leap forward. The Polia Kingdom has enough leeway to pay us early, and even if the empires can’t pay immediately, we’ll be able to receive plenty later. If we help with this and succeed in suppressing them properly, we’ll be able to continually secure the financial power to develop going forward.”

Duke Gwens’s words were extremely reasonable. The others, too, had grasped the core of the matter, so they could not help but show excited expressions as they thought of it as an opportunity. On the other hand, King Vincent felt that while it was an opportunity in many ways, it was also a difficult task.

“There will be those who want to resist. What should we do about them?”

“We must offer compensation sufficient to prevent them from opposing. To do that, we’ll need to negotiate early with the Polia Kingdom. Through them, we must secure not only funds but also food.”

“Negotiation… then we’ll have to bow our heads first.”

It was humiliating, but he could no longer bring himself to feel anger toward his younger brother Ian, who had already become the King of the Polia Kingdom. He only felt displeased at the idea of bowing as an elder brother.