How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World -
Chapter 486: Big and Beautiful (1)
The more I talk about South Korea, the more misunderstandings arise, so I’ve decided to just leave it buried for now.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890It’s kind of funny how some people imagine Korea like it’s straight out of a dystopian novel. If they ever heard a description of Somalia, they’d probably faint.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Sure, South Korea has its issues, but even the world’s strongest nation, the United States, is riddled with problems—starting with racism and cities that feel straight out of a dystopia.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890The respect shown toward soldiers in the U.S. is unmatched, but if you look closely, you’ll see there are plenty of problems. If their treatment was awful on top of that, there would’ve probably been a real uprising.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Because the U.S. plays the role of global police, they frequently send troops overseas—and if a war breaks out there, soldiers can lose their lives.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890They don’t visit high schools and advertise enlistment for no reason. For soldiers, “honor” is as important as life itself, and the fact that they receive proper treatment in return is what draws them to enlist.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Still, it’s much better than South Korea. After all, this is a country that pours 1,000 trillion won into defense alone.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890I heard from my father that the Minerva Empire is also pouring funds into defense. Though it’s currently a peaceful time, they still allocate about 30% of their budget because of devil-worshippers.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890And that’s because Minerva has a strong economy. In other countries, it’s as much as 50%.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890 I think South Korea’s defense budget was about 10% of the total, which is strangely high. AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Back in my active duty days, the rations provided to me alone were enough for ten adult males. Even you eat like three portions in one meal.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Ah.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890The economy is partly to blame, but the real issue lies in the very nature of knights.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890A knight is a soldier who uses mana, and mana isn’t free.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890You can accumulate it through breathing, but the easiest and most efficient method is eating. In other words, calories are mana.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Just as ancient humans on Earth evolved to store calories to survive, humanity in this world seems to have undergone a similar process.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890So the amount a knight eats in a day would leave most people speechless. Even I eat three portions per meal.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890And if you ask why I eat so much even though I’m not a knight… I’d have to say it’s because nighttime activities are so exhausting.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Wait, you had to eat ten people’s worth of food a day? That’s surprisingly similar to me.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“If you pour out mana recklessly, the amount you use is terrifying. The key is to compress it so it doesn’t leak out. That way it’s not only stronger but also more efficient.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Can Adele do that too?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“No. I’d need serious focus to do it. To do it like breathing would take years of training.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“…..”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890I looked up at my father with sparkling eyes. He seemed a bit embarrassed and cleared his throat.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Anyway, the amount of food a knight eats is insane. If the supply line gets cut during a war, it would be a disaster.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“If the supply line gets cut, the commander has only two options: retreat safely or charge with a final blow. A wise one would choose the former. Even if the final blow succeeds, they’d have to pull back due to lack of supplies.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890No matter the era, supply lines are critical. Even Napoleon was defeated by Russia’s scorched-earth tactics, and Nazi Germany fell partly due to logistics.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890People are often too dazzled by flashy battles to realize it, but the easiest way to destroy an army is to cut off its supply line.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890You’d start swearing just after skipping one meal—imagine going without food for days.
Tanks and cars without fuel are just hunks of metal. But knights are people—they die. AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890
“Did your world also have generals who ignored logistics and got totally wrecked?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Plenty. Too many to name.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Cao Cao from Romance of the Three Kingdoms was infamous for plundering supplies. Ma Su disobeyed orders, camped in the wrong place, and got his supply line cut—Zhuge Liang had to execute him.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Korea’s victory in the Imjin War came thanks to Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s victory at the Battle of Myeongnyang, which completely shattered Japan’s supply lines.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890World War II… well, everything boils down to Japan’s Mutaguchi Renya, our very own independence activist (sarcastically). And he left behind some “gem-like” quotes too.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Before I was reincarnated, Russia was losing badly to Ukraine because they neglected their logistics.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“How about you, Dad? I heard the supply situation was bad during your time.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“It wasn’t that the supplies were bad—it was the routes that were fragile. The beastmen raided them whenever they got a chance. I don’t know who’s in charge now, but I heard everything is clean and smooth. They’re even building new outposts and have hot water now.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“That’s a relief.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Apparently, that person is Marshal. We still exchange letters. The reason Marquis Matthius treasures him is because his logistics work is just that good.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Artillery was literally a dream and an ideal, and his true talent lies in logistics. That’s why the marquis covers for Marshal even when he steps out of line.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890I wonder what he’d think when he becomes the George Marshall who managed to supply even ice cream to a million troops.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“By the way, does your book also have cases where wars are lost because of logistics? I heard it’s based on real wars.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890While I was chatting with my dad, Adelia couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked a question.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890She’s probably wondering, since war seems about to break out in Blood and Steel.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Adelia is more of a frontline knight than a commander, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t received training.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890I heard that when cadets at the academy are assigned to protect a supply line, they’re drilled to defend it with their lives.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890They even run simulations assuming the line is cut. As expected of Halo Academy, which produces elite officers—it covers a wide range of military science.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Adel, there are all kinds of people in the world. The place I came from was no different.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890I looked at her curious face for a moment and then chuckled softly.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Seeing that, she got even more intrigued. She glanced at me shyly, her sky-blue eyes sparkling with deep curiosity.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Hmm… now I’m even more curious. Could you tell me just a little?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“I’m intrigued too. We’ve lost countless times here because of supply failures, but I’m curious—how did your world fall apart?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Even my father, apparently piqued with interest, asked me that. I considered their request for a moment.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890There are countless cases of defeat due to supply issues. But cases where the war was lost because supplies were completely disregarded? Surprisingly rare.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Take the Battle of Stalingrad—the Nazi German supply lines were stretched too thin, but it’s not like they ignored logistics from the start.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890On the contrary, they tried everything to keep the supply lines going. It’s not even a secret that things like condoms and shower gear were included in the supplies.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890The Battle of Imphal keeps coming up because they didn’t consider logistics at all. So…
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“There are so many cases where things fell apart because of supply issues. But there are even cases where they didn’t consider supplies at all…”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Didn’t consider supplies? What, they expected people to eat grass when they ran out of food?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890My father responded with a dumbfounded voice. His expression said he couldn’t quite believe it.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Yes.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“…?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890And that was the right answer, surprisingly. My short reply made both my father and Adelia tilt their heads in confusion, as if replaying what they just heard. I barely suppressed a laugh at their reactions.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890In the meantime, my father, taken aback by my clear answer, stammered a bit as he spoke.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Wait… Isaac? I was joking, you know…”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“But it’s true. They literally told them to eat grass and keep advancing.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“If there was plenty of edible grass around… No, still. There must’ve been people allergic to grass or something…”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890My father scratched his temple in confusion. It was clearly such an absurd story that he had trouble processing it.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890But the area they were supposed to march through during the Imphal operation wasn’t just a regular forest—it was jungle. Often called a “green desert” despite being an ecological treasure trove.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“And to make matters worse, the area they had to pass through was a jungle.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“A jungle? But if it’s a jungle, couldn’t they just hunt? I’ve heard all kinds of animals live there. Though of course, not planning for supplies in the first place is a huge mistake.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Unexpectedly, my father reacted as if it might be manageable. I tilted my head, but then remembered he’d served in the north, so it made sense.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890He likely only had a very basic idea of what a jungle was—just like people who know nothing about it.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890As I was about to explain, Adelia’s jaw dropped in disbelief and she urgently asked:
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“A jungle? As in, completely green everywhere?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Huh? Sounds like you know something about it?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Of course I do. I took an exam there back when I was a student. And you’re telling me they marched through a jungle without any supplies? That’s basically telling them all to die.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Adelia’s incredulous explanation made my father look over at her and ask:
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Is a jungle really that harsh? Wouldn’t knights like us be fine?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Knights like Baron and me, yes—especially in small numbers. But for regular soldiers, it’s a completely different story.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Everything you see is dangerous. There are plants that give you rashes just by brushing against them, and frogs so poisonous that touching them stops your breathing. Everything around you is a threat.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“So it might be even more dangerous than the cold north. And to go through that without supplies…”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“That’s insane. It’s beyond just pushing your troops into hell—it’s like kicking them in.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890My father nodded as if he finally understood. Then he turned from Adelia to me and asked seriously:
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Didn’t that commander get executed by his own men? If it were me, I would’ve beheaded him and retreated on the spot.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“The chain of command was way too strict for that. Instead, he acted like he’d done nothing wrong.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“What kind of dumbass does that?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890The kind that sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War, dear Father.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890I glanced between my father and Adelia, who were both having their worldview shattered, and sipped my tea calmly.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Bzzz—
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890That’s when a familiar vibration reached my ears. I knew that sound well. It was the noise made when teleporting items from the mansion to the dormitory.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890That’s how I’d been receiving everything I needed.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Same goes for manuscripts. I hadn’t needed to send any lately since I was on a break, so I hadn’t touched it in a while.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Hold on. I’ll go get it.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890As soon as the item arrived, Adelia moved quickly to grab it. She seemed delighted by what she brought back.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890A neatly wrapped, rectangular object. My personal art slave… no, illustrator, Karls, must have sent me a canvas.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890After taking the canvas from Adelia, I carefully began to unwrap it. As I did, both my father and Adelia fixed their eyes on me.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Whoa… as expected, he’s good.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“What is it?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Can we take a look?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890As I genuinely admired the painting, both of them eagerly asked to see it. After admiring it for a while, I placed the canvas on the table.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“What the…? This guy looks like Hitler, and this guy is…?”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Never mind the people—what is this? It looks like something you told us about before…”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“Exactly. It’s that thing.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890The subject of the painting was simple. Though poor Karls probably had a rough time drawing it.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“This one is Hitler, the guy in uniform is Heinz Guderian. And this is…”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890Hitler and Guderian.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890“And those are the ‘tanks’ being produced in a factory.”
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890They’re watching as massive, beautiful tanks roll off the assembly line.
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890‘Even though they’d get wrecked by Poland too.’
AnotherRandomStringWithNumbers1234567890There’s still a long way to go before the monster of monsters—the Tiger tank—makes its debut.
★★★★★
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