Victory!

Decen 21, 1849 2:45Pm, Grazia, the capital city at the royal castle

"After the Germanians successfully breached the city walls, the King of Friedstein ordered all people to take up arms and fight for their country.

"Open the door, guard. Allow me to speak to my father," Princess Anna said.

"But Princess Anna, Your Majesty ordered us not to allow anyone to enter his room," replied the guard.

The princess clicked her tongue and drew her sword, pressing it against the guard's neck. "Listen, guard. You will allow me to enter, whether you like it or not."

The guard trembled in fear as the sword pierced his neck, leaving him wounded. "Fine. You may enter. Please don't kill me."

"Father!" Anna exclaimed as she entered the room. "We should surrender. We can't allow that many innocent people to die. Please, Father, let's surrender now. We have already lost."

"No! I will not allow it. We have not lost yet. It's do or die. All the civilians of this country should fight," the King insisted.

"But, Father, they are citizens, not soldiers. They are not properly trained to fight against soldiers," Anna pleaded.

"They are citizens of our country. They have an obligation to protect our proud country," the King declared.

Anna knelt before her father. "Father, I beg of you, stop this senseless pride and surrender now."

"No! Even if you kneel and cry in front of me, my decision will never change! Now get out of my room, as I have so many things to do," the King commanded.

"Father, if you will not change your decision, as the next in line for the throne..." Anna rushed towards her father and stabbed him with her sword, piercing his heart.

"Anna, why, you fool? I should have killed you when your mother died," the King gasped.

Anna cried, "I'm sorry, Father. I needed to kill you as it was the only way to save millions of lives."

Anna sheathed her sword and carefully arranged the scene to give the appearance that her father had taken his own life. She positioned his lifeless body near his own sword, creating the illusion of a self-inflicted wound. It was a somber and difficult task, but Anna knew that it was necessary to protect her people and prevent further violence.

With a heavy heart, Anna exited the room, her emotions weighing heavily upon her. As she approached the guard stationed at the door, she knew she had a difficult task ahead of her. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she spoke in a hushed and solemn tone.

"Go and inform the council that my father has tragically taken his own life," Anna commanded. "From this moment forward, I will assume responsibility for the affairs of the kingdom. Additionally, notify the royal guard to raise the white flag within the castle, symbolizing our surrender.

The guard's eyes widened in shock, his expression changing from one of duty to one of sorrow and disbelief. He struggled to find words, his mouth opening and closing as he grappled with the weight of the news.

"The guard, now composed but still visibly shaken, nodded in acknowledgement, yes princess! I am deeply sorry for your loss I will carry out your instructions faithfully."

"Anna walked to the hallway. While she was walking, she heard a loud volley of cannons outside on the streets. She looked out the window and was horrified at the scene."

"It's too late! No,

Decen 21, 1849 2:40Pm, Streets of Grazia, Capital city

The fighting has continued within the city streets and escalated into a full-fledged battlefield, with even the citizens actively participating in the conflict."

"Watch out for marksmen on the rooftops. Some of the civilians have joined the battle. What should we do?

"Captain, should we also engage the civilians who are joining the battle?" one of the privates asked Frederick, noticing civilians taking part in the fight.

According to the laws of war, specifically the Janks Convention, we are liable to shoot or kill civilians in war as long as they are armed. So, men, we have no choice. It's either kill or be killed. So fix your bayonet, but watch out for the unarmed," I said.

"Yes, I agree with the captain. It may be sad to kill a civilian who is fighting for their country, but we have no choice," Alaric said with a face of despair.

Fortunately, in this world, there are Laws of War that protect civilians, wounded soldiers, and prisoners of war. All human countries have signed the Janks Convention, which serves as a testament to their commitment to upholding these principles. However, there is one exception: the Kingdom of Liberte has not signed the convention. From the information I have gathered, some countries are opposed to the idea because they believe that the Kingdom of Liberté is not a human country.

"We are surrounded, so be vigilant for any explosives they may be throwing. Maintain your defensive position and continue engaging the enemy.

"This is hopeless. It will only lead to more casualties on both sides if no one surrenders. How can the leader of this country force untrained civilians to fight for their country?" I murmured.

"Frederick, there are too many of them. I recommend that we withdraw for now; otherwise, we will be surrounded by those guys," Alaric suggested as he saw numerous people charging at us without support from other regiments.

"I think we should. I noticed that we are the only regiment fighting in this area, and I should make a report to General Schmidt about the best approach to make the civilians surrender," I suggested.

"Men, let's withdraw to the gates for now," I commanded.

******

Colonel Becker!

yes Sir General Weiss.!

"I noticed some of our forces are retreating. What is happening?" General Weiss Inquired

"According to the report from the soldiers, sir, the civilians are joining the battle, making it difficult for them to capture the city,"

"What is this? I heard civilians are joining the fight?" General Schmidt asked.

"General Schmidt, sir!" I saluted to General Schmidt.

Captain Frederick of the 20th Mage Marksmen regiment, I presume. What do you want?

Sir, the civilians have joined the fight. What should our next course of action be?

Yes, I know, Captain. I just heard it from Captain Weiss and Colonel Becker as well. The question is, are they armed, Captain?

yes, sir. They are armed with swords, and some of them have muskets and explosives.

Well if they are, Colonel Becker!

Yes Sir!

what are the situation.?

Just as the captain said, some civilians are joining the battle, and our men are having difficulty.

Well, if they are truly willing to die for their country, Colonel, bring the Feuerdonners inside the city. We will force them to surrender.

Yes Sir!

As for you, General Weiss, please instruct our men to withdraw from the streets and gather here at the gates. Captain Frederick, form a defensive line and ensure no enemies can approach this area.

Yes Sir! I replied

What is the general trying to do? don't tell me he plans to bombard the city to force surrender. But what about the innocent civilians who will be caught in the bombardment? This is...

"What did the general say, Frederick?" Alaric asked.

He said that for now, we will form a defensive line while he prepares the artillery.

What will he do with the artillery inside the city?

"For now, Alaric, don't ask questions. Just follow the orders," I replied.

Minutes passed while we defended the assigned area. General Schmidt announced that the Fuerdonners had arrived. He then made an announcement via the Crystal, amplifying his voice for all to hear.

"People of Friedstein, surrender now. We do not wish for further bloodshed, and we will ensure proper treatment according to the Janks Convention. If no one surrenders, we will be forced to take action," General Schmidt's voice echoed through the Crystal, reaching the ears of the city's inhabitants.

After General Schmidt's announcement, there was no sign of surrender from the people of Friedstein. So he decided

Men, form a line and await my command. Prepare to load the Fuerdonners. We have given them a chance to surrender, but since they have not complied, all civilians are now considered armed according to the Janks Convention. We are allowed to shoot them as long as they are armed, ensuring there will be no trials as we are following the laws of war.

As I noticed Alaric attempting to talk to General Schmidt to cease the bombardment, I interjected, "Alaric, don't! If you do that, we could be in the firing squad for disobeying orders."

"But Frederick, some of them aren't armed!" Alaric exclaimed, expressing his concern.

"I understand your concerns, Alaric, but unfortunately, it seems that there is nothing we can do in this situation,"

"Alaric returned to his position, nodding in despair. I understand him, but there is nothing I can do in this situation. After all, this is war, and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made."

"General Schmidt ordered all troops to fire, thus the buildings in the city were destroyed, landmarks were destroyed. Civilians caught in the firing, it feels like we committed genocide. The firing did not stop for two minutes until we heard a voice."

"I am Anna Krumanov, heir to the throne of Freidstein. I am announcing that my father, the king, died by suicide. As the heir to the throne, I will assume command of the kingdom. I urge all the people to cease fighting the enemy and surrender. As for the enemy, look to the castle: you can see the white flag waving, indicating that Freidstein is surrendering."

After the announcement, a girl on horseback is approaching us with her guard. She has red hair, and her eyes are blue.

"Who is the general leading the troops?" she asked with a determined expression.

"General Schmidt, step forward, and General Weiss as well," "I presume you are the voice we heard a while ago, Princess of Freidstien. I am General Schmidt, and this is General Weiss of the 15th Germanian Army Regiment. We both lead the army."

"I am here, Generals, to announce the surrender of Freidstein and express our readiness to sign the peace treaty." Princess Said

Great, Princess. For now, we will occupy the city for two days while our country prepares the treaty to ensure the prevention of any rebellion.

"I understand. Please ensure the treatment of wounded civilians. Have a nice day." The princess left afterward.

General Schmidt announced the victory, and all the soldiers cheered. Meanwhile, I did not feel any joy in winning, knowing that we had taken many lives to achieve this victory. The same sentiment weighed heavy on Alaric as well.