Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1422. Continental War (2)

I still remember the way Second Life Commander Jin frowned, probably recalling our conversation a few days ago.

‘Yeah, damn it, it made sense.’

If he had just taken a proper look at the map, he would have realized right away that the First Life Commander wasn’t in his right mind. The situation was soaked in his emotions. At a glance, it looked like the enemy was being pushed back by a red tide, and it was true that the Republic had secured the upper hand, but the frontline itself was a mess. In wars like this, winning battles wasn't the only thing that mattered.

If anything, the real work would begin after a victory. I was talking about stabilizing the situation after a battle. Sure, there were times when one had to pick up the pace because the circumstances demanded it, but this was nothing like the way Commander Jin usually operated.

His obsession with order didn’t stop at appearances. The map was disorganized, with scattered empty spots and inconsistencies that made it feel haphazard.

How were they even handling the supplies? How were they maintaining the lines? Humans weren't machines. It really did feel like he was treating the soldiers like disposable chess pieces. People like us had a bit of that tendency, and Commander Jin wasn’t an exception, but at the very least, he was the kind of person who’d oil a machine before it broke down.

I couldn't see that in First Life Commander Jin. He was fixated solely on efficiency, ignoring everything else. Four years wasn’t a short time, but even so, this pace of advance was abnormal.

The troops had to be at their limits. Even the forces that were supposed to be pulled back to manage the front were being thrown straight into combat. March, fight, march, and fight. Nothing else existed. Naturally, a question followed.

“What about the prisoners?”

“There’s no need to manage them,” Lee Chang-Ryeol answered.

“Meaning...?” I asked.

“They’re killing them all,” he answered.

“...”

“...”

‘First Life Commander Jin is definitely insane.’

“It’s not something that’s widely known, but rumors are circulating even inside the Republic. Especially the incident on the Letter Plateau, where ten thousand prisoners were executed and buried. Even the upper ranks of the Republic are openly disgusted by it,” he added.

“Ten thousand prisoners?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“They just killed them all?” I questioned.

‘He’s not sane at all.’

Sure, managing prisoners would take a huge amount of manpower and resources. Commanders at war sometimes wished prisoners didn’t exist at all, but reality didn't work that way. This continent was considered primitive in many respects, but it still had its own laws concerning war, and the continent wasn't in an era where one could completely ignore public scrutiny.

The first life was rougher and more brutal than the second life, but even then, doing something like this guaranteed condemnation from all sides.

‘And somehow, he went and pulled it off.’

“Let me get this straight. The prisoners didn’t rise up or anything, but they were just... executed and buried?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered.

‘Geez, the guy doesn’t even know the meaning of honor.’

“And the Republic troops just went along with it?” I asked

“They’re very firmly positioned within the Republic. There are rumors and complaints, of course, but his results speak for themselves. No one is directly challenging him. That said... the soldiers aren’t happy,” he explained.

‘Of course. How could they be happy? Morale takes a hit when you lose your justification. Killing and burying prisoners wipes out any moral high ground and forces troops to march like this. There’s no way this is normal.’

“The beheadings are bad enough, but I think the bigger issue is how he’s pushing the troops beyond their limits with potions and magic,” he added.

“This is outright madness. People are dying mid-march, and I don’t even want to think about what side effects those potions might have. This is not a game... What the hell are they even doing here? Ah! So that’s why we’re going to the Republic,” I said.

“That’s right. The fact that the Brigade is currently aligned with the Empire and the Union of Kingdoms is the main reason, of course. But right now, undermining the Republic from within will be far faster.

"Many people already have doubts about the current leadership, so whatever direction you choose, sir, I’m confident you’ll have more freedom operating here,” he continued.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but look around. Even though the three of us, me, Alps, and Lee Chang-Ryeol, were inside a Republic barracks, no one seemed to pay us any mind. They were all in proper armor, sure, but still... we received not a single glance.

‘Their eyes are dead.’

I had yet to return to my original form, so I remained short, but no one seemed to have noticed me, even though I was sticking out. Looking closer...

‘There are so many young recruits.’

I had seen plenty of such young recruits when I traveled with Big Boy in the first life, but seeing them like this was disorienting. I assumed First Life Commander Jin would be different, but no, there were even older soldiers among us.

Everyone shared the same vacant, exhausted look. Some were vomiting, probably from potion side effects. The weaker ones had already reached their limits. By no stretch could one call these people a triumphant force. Still, the barracks remained orderly. The soldiers were doing their jobs, the supply lines and weapons were managed efficiently, and the place had a cleanliness that almost felt compulsive.

‘Damn, this is creepy. These soldiers are moving like emotionless machines. I’m sure they mixed something into the potion.’

Of course, not everyone was like that. There were groups chatting here and there, and some had probably just arrived at this battlefield.

“Is the rumor true?”

“The rumor about how the Commander has gone insane?”

“Shh! Keep your voice down.”

‘So people are talking about it.’

I heard voices from the other corners as well.

“Does that even matter? We’re just flies to them. The fact that we’re still alive is a miracle. The war’s going their way anyway, so what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know, damn it. I don’t even know if this is right.”

“Yeah, I agree with that. The higher-ups are saying the same thing. All that talk about honor, justice, none of it matters anymore. Just look around. Is this really our Republic? Kids running around as soldiers... They draft anyone who can lift a sword, and the homeland’s in bad shape, too.

"Supplies, weapons, hell, they’re even melting down farm tools... What’s the point of this war? In the end, it’s us who die, and there’s no damn new world coming.”

“...”

“I don’t even know what the higher-ups are thinking, and honestly, fighting for ideology doesn’t even feel real anymore. Damn it.”

“Still... he’s the Commander...”

“Commander, my ass. Don’t expect that crazy bastard to do anything for you. Does he really care about the Republic or its people? We’re just pawns on the board he set up.”

‘His support ratings must be tanking.’

“Damn... that devil.”

‘At this point, he is the devil.’

“Hey, move.”

“Hey! Follow me!”

In the chaos, a group of soldiers was bustling about. One of them, clearly higher in rank, was gesturing aggressively in our direction, leaving us no choice but to move. Hundreds of people were heading toward an open space not far from the barracks.

Even before we got there, a foul stench struck us.

Alps couldn’t help but cover her nose.

‘Damn.’

A massive pit stood before us.

“Shit... shit... ugh...”

“Move them quickly!”

We saw soldiers tossing bodies into the pit.

‘Wow, so it’s true.’

Unsurprisingly, their expressions were grim. Like Chang-Ryeol, quite a few people had their faces hidden behind masks, but those masks barely concealed the twisted, strained features beneath.

Whether they were casualties from a previous battle or prisoners of war, it didn’t matter. However, the latter seemed unlikely to me. Some moved mechanically, as if desensitized to the scene, while others shuffled along, tears streaming down their faces.

One was vomiting off to the side, while another cursed constantly under his breath. I had seen some bizarre sights across the continent, but nothing quite like this.

Sure, I’d seen bloodier, more grotesque scenes before, but those were just pools of blood and gore; this felt different. It was the atmosphere.

The pervasive sense of despair and helplessness made the place so unnerving. Sure enough, I saw Alps gagging and retching. She wasn’t inexperienced, but even she couldn’t get used to this.

“What are you doing?! Move faster!”

“O-okay!”

“The orders are to finish this today. There are no breaks, so keep moving.”

‘Damn, they think using a mage’s magic is a waste. Just have a mage cover this, why are we doing it ourselves?’

“Hey, you!”

‘Ah... not again.’

“Yeah, you! Move faster!”

“She’s still just a child.”

“There are no children here. Everyone is a soldier of the Republic. Move them over here immediately.”

I grunted alongside Alps while carrying a corpse and noticed Commander Jin wasn’t anywhere in sight. He talked about joining the field, showing up when needed, but the moment he saw us in these clunky soldier armors, he disappeared somewhere.

He didn’t want to waste his time on menial labor, and perhaps he was stewing in anger alone. Had he actually decided to beat First Life Commander Jin to death?

‘It’s possible.’

He probably decided it was better to erase him from the world than to watch this scene unfold.

“Mr. Chang-Ryeol, do you know where Commander Jin went?” I asked.

“He said he has something to check on and will join later,” Lee Chang-Ryeol answered.

‘It can’t be, right?’

With so many troops in the area, finding him would take a whole day, but I had my all-seeing Telescope. The other units and camps weren't much different from this one, but my eyes were fixed on the biggest, most ornate barracks.

It was obviously where the Republic’s top dogs were staying.

‘Oh, what the hell. Isn’t this First Life Commander Jin’s barracks?’

I peeked inside, but the place was disorganized. It could be called "neat" in a way, but it hardly seemed like a space where First Life Commander Jin would stay.

‘Wait, maybe this really is his barracks.’

In the corner, a broken chessboard and random junk caught my eye.

“...”

“...”

I saw him staring at a model map, looking completely deadpan.

— Boring.

— It’s a boring... war.