Chapter 172: National Pride

Take pride in your nation.
Be proud of defending your homeland.

It’s a training session common to any military.

Truly a ritualistic tale indeed.

Sitting here for hours listening to such talk, it’s only natural to wonder, “Why on earth am I here?” as weariness creeps in.

Regardless, Cain, who recently joined the 30th Division, was quite the patriotic soldier, boasting proudly of being part of the imperial army.

Well, that’s not too strange.

Isn’t it only natural for a soldier to have strong patriotism?

‘Though it seems a bit different in places like the Kingdom.’

That’s just their strange situation.

With a conscription rate of 95%, they drag in anyone who’s male—regardless of ability—and even folks who can’t serve due to disabilities are thrown into labor for the nation.

Moreover, instead of earning respect, such soldiers are often ridiculed…

There’s no way common sense could prevail in such an abnormal nation.

Thus, generally speaking, it’s only natural for soldiers to take pride in their work and their country.

Especially in the case of the imperial army, it’s even more pronounced.

‘What’s there not to be proud of?’

Strict meritocracy. The treatment given to elites is mind-blowing.

But it’s not just the elites who get good treatment.

While the salary for ordinary imperial soldiers can’t exactly be called “abundant” in polite terms, profits are not just about what’s visible.

A simple tweak here and there can feel like money grows on trees.

After all, it’s fellow imperial soldiers who mete out punishment for any wrongdoings.

There’s no petty, small-minded jerk who’s going to point fingers at a comrade earning their daily bread through “creative means,” so there’s no need to be cautious.

Economically speaking, there’s no better option than joining the imperial army.

‘And how about the external perception?’

If someone thinks the world has gotten too harsh, just put them in an imperial uniform.

Then the whole world would become extraordinarily friendly!

Cain couldn’t even remember the last time he bought anything with his own money.

Once clad in that uniform, everything comes with a constant 100% discount. With just a few coughs, shop owners practically swoon and thank him, even giving him money.

Of course, it’s not exactly an act of respect for soldiers but rather one born of fear of retaliation…

But who cares? The results are fantastic; what does the process even matter?

With the imperial army’s standing soaring, so too did the pride in the empire rise endlessly.

‘Frankly, the empire is already a nation worthy of pride, regardless of military background.’

Scale, tech, military power.

There isn’t a single area where they fall short compared to other countries. Just having that is satisfying enough.

In fact, the empire was only getting stronger.

The Emperor’s heir, Prince Renya, is nothing short of a perfect leader.

Setting aside trivial issues like poverty alleviation or human rights, the best part is the imperial army’s welfare policies.
– “I will shift training to a self-regulatory system. For dignified soldiers of the empire, managing themselves should be easy, right?”

The previously grinding training sessions became normalized with just one word from him.

Sure… there might be a minor issue of a little belly coming in and a forgetfulness in mana control, but who cares?

Now they can laze around all day and still get paid without fail. What’s even the point of worrying?
– “From this moment, we’ll abolish the tax system.”

Following up with the second normalization.

No longer needing to worry about having their precious paycheck robbed. What they earned is entirely theirs.

Though there’s a minor question of how to deal with the suddenly vanished taxes.
– “That’s not your concern. As someone who thinks of the empire above all, I’ll handle it, so just focus on that.”

Since he said that, there’s certainly no real worry. It’s been a year since taxes were abolished, and nothing’s gone wrong so far.

Even if there are rumors about the nation secretly selling valuable resources to foreign kingdoms or neglecting the empire’s decay on purpose to worsen conditions.

A few rebels shout such conspiracy theories, but Cain wouldn’t fall for that nonsense. He couldn’t afford to fall for it.
– “I see the potential in you. I’ll be your backing.”

A genius hailed as a promising talent.
Renya and his prince kicked out Chrome, who supposedly made a pact with the Spirit King at just nineteen, choosing him instead, who scored a 12 in written and 22 in practical exams.

Thanks to that, he reached his current position barely two years after entering the 30th Division.

But the idea that he would intentionally ruin the country…
That’s just absurd!

It’s an undeniable fact that the empire is a great nation and will only become greater. That’s completely clear…

‘Except for one little hitch.’

The idiots dousing cold water on the empire’s prosperity.

The terrorists keep crawling out like cockroaches. In other words, the Black Fangs.

Despite the Emperor himself taking care of those dirty scoundrels, they remain disturbingly active.
‘For the empire’s development, those human scum need to be eradicated once and for all.’

This was a task he had to accomplish to repay the Emperor’s grace and to make this great nation even greater.

Therefore, he spared no effort in handling those lowlifes.

Until now, most of the results have been minimal, but divine intervention might’ve struck, for he recently achieved significant outcomes.
– “That, that guy’s back! The leader of the Black Fangs has resurrected!!!”

Someone testified as a mining camp manager who survived an attack by the Black Fangs, proclaiming the resurrection of their leader.

Had he been an ordinary fool, hearing this would have stunned him enough to report it to his superiors, but the elite he was…

Dead men do not simply come back to life! Such nonsense couldn’t possibly happen in reality.

It had to be a high-level ploy.

To reinvigorate the declining Black Fangs after losing their leader, Ian, they devised a scheme to draw in the scattered followers.

Cain, with his sharp intellect, immediately caught onto this fact and sprang into action.
– “W-What on earth is going on! This is not a lie! I really saw that guy!”

He stubbornly denied being a Black Fang spy. But unfortunately for him, the empire’s tech is second to none.

With the superbly functional search engine Geegle, clicking him a few times yielded an avalanche of information, like his comrades’ names and addresses flowing out like a flood.
– “…W-What the heck is that supposed to mean?”
– “Denying won’t help. Your comrade Endy has already spilled everything.”

The Black Fang members babbled about Endy, that maniac who tried to drown someone because of a petty chess game balance…

Looking at them, Cain couldn’t help but be surprised.
Was there really a strategic thinker amongst the Black Fangs?

The one person they most thoroughly wanted to eliminate was hiding behind the facade of a mining camp manager, easily escaping suspicion.

Regardless of how they flutter around, as terrorists, they simply can’t measure up to the empire’s power…

Yet that stealth must be acknowledged at the very least.

And that’s a far more painful issue than he thought.

Despite being worthless terrorists, it’s ridiculously clear that they could vanish from history in an instant under the empire’s overwhelming power.

Yet those vile, insect-like beings seem to know that, cleverly evading the empire.

For Cain, whose fervent patriotism drives him to repay Prince Renya’s grace quickly, it was truly a regrettable situation.

However, regrettable as it may be, he simply couldn’t think of a sharp enough tactic to lure them out.

It was at that moment, mired deep in thought.
“Th-The Black Fangs!!!”

The voice ringing in his ears, and he could feel thousands of footsteps shaking the ground. Usually a scenario to be wary of with fear rising.

However, a smile crossed his lips instead.

How could he not, seeing those fools humbly marching towards death?

The excitement was uncontrollable. Looking at the approaching forces, Cain murmured softly.
“It’s time for an extermination.”