by Carlo Zen
As long as the numbskull captain who was supposed to be commanding, Thon, is MIA, she has no choice but to leave the troops up to Tospan, but…can he really command them?
For better or worse, he’s the type to follow directions; she knows that much. So she was convinced that if she gave clear orders, things would work out.
I thought he would do what he was told as a matter of course… But then Tanya realizes the truth.
If someone is too stupid to understand the orders, how do you command them? She never imagined there would be such a moron among the officer ranks. This is the definition of frightening.
The thought that pops into her head is to get rid of him.
On the other hand, even this guy is a precious human resource. Wouldn’t it be more productive to find a use for him? But considering the lost opportunity cost, maybe my only choice is to shoot him.
“…Colonel, I understand what you’re trying to say, but…”
“But you think there’s a limit on how courteous we can be to the unpredictable masses?”
“Please consider the stress on the men. Can we really expect them to smile and act like they would at home when they’re worried they could be shot at any moment?”
Her thoughts had nearly started circling, but now they snap back to reality. The question was asked with a sober expression, and she nods her understanding.
“Captain Meybert, that’s a good point, but…” She smiles. “That issue will be cleared up momentarily.”
“I beg your pardon, Colonel.”
“Yes?”
“Could you please define momentarily for me?”
I suppose it’s an artillerist’s instinct to request concrete numbers.
The attitude of removing any traces of confusion or doubt regarding your superior’s remarks is…actually one I approve of.
“That’s a good question, Captain Meybert.”
It’s infinitely better than subordinates who interpret things however they see fit. She’s even more thankful, after Tospan’s idiocy, that she can trust Meybert not to do anything stupid. Tanya gives him a clear response.
“More specifically, ‘right away.’”
“Huh?”
“Seeing is believing. Well, I guess in this case, it’s ‘hearing.’ That’s the end of this debate. Anyone who is free, come with me.”
From every single blankly staring officer issues the simple question, lacking so much as a hint of creativity or individuality.
“““Where?”””
“Isn’t it obvious?” Tanya smiles. She points to the living room they’re using as a dining hall. “Let’s turn on the radio. General von Zettour will be giving a delightful address at noon sharp. Oh,” she adds. “We can have lunch, too. Do you guys have time?”
THE SAME DAY, IMPERIAL OCCUPIED TERRITORY IN THE EAST
“This is Lieutenant General Hans von Zettour speaking on behalf of the Imperial Army.”
Distrust, suspicion, curiosity, or disinterest?
Most of the listeners were a crowd who had been told only that this address was an “important announcement.” But that was enough to get them to stop and listen.
It was no wonder. A lieutenant general from the Imperial Army, impressive in his type I dress uniform, was up on a dais surrounded by nationalist group leaders.
“Dear listeners, I have something to tell you: We are fighting together against a common enemy—that is, the red menace.”
So Zettour made his topic clear from the start. We, the Empire and the nationalists, are not enemies.
This prefatory remark made his position clear and plainly indicated where his speech would go.
Still, that much had been said numerous times in imperial occupied territory as part of their pacification efforts.
With such lukewarm remarks, he would never gain their trust. Which was why he carefully packaged the poison in pretty, empty words.
“What the Empire wishes is clear. All we want is peace and stability for our fatherland.”
People prioritized who was talking over what was being said. That was why Zettour made his appearance alongside the nationalist leaders.
To show people the sight of them standing together.
He inhaled, as if catching his breath, in order to create a pause. The moment he saw his words had sunk in, Zettour continued.
“The Empire does not wish for war. We—I do not wish for war. And yet the sad reality is that war continues. So I—we wish for hope. The Empire wishes for hope.” And he looked to the men behind him, as if talking to friends, as he continued, “Just like you, I am a person who wishes for peace and calm.”
The men nodded—slight motions, but they did nod.
And that was enough to serve as the trigger.
He was sure that the distance between the audience and him had shrunk.
“Peace! Peace! Peace! If not for the red menace, would any of us have taken up arms?” I’ll reach out to them like I’m discussing the truth with friends. “Truly, that is the fundamental reason we were forced to arm ourselves until today. For ages, nations have required border guards to protect their own from approaching evils.”
I’ll make this so lovely and sincere sounding that I even fool myself.
“We simply follow our proud, noble forerunners in this endeavor. We’ll continue fighting the threat of the red menace for as long as need be.”
So though he knew it was the work of the devil, he lit a fire of hope for the people who wanted to secede from the Federation.
In the east, they needed depth. They didn’t have the leisure of being picky about how it was achieved. If Zettour wanted to go about it with clean hands, his only choice was to pray to God. Launching another counterattack would take time, so he had to dissemble for the sake of the Reich.
“But we have only taken up our swords to protect ourselves.”
Easy now. A breath and a moment of silence to make sure his words were reaching all his listeners. When the time seemed right, he began to say the words he had so carefully calculated.
“Of course, we want to run to the aid of our fatherland in crisis. But once peace is restored, all we wish is to lay down our arms and return home. I myself am a resident of the Reich who, like Cincinnatus, only wants to go home to his farm and till the soil of the Heimat.”
Dreams are pointless.
The soldier Hans von Zettour is smart enough to understand that he would probably never be permitted such stability—such peaceful, satisfying days.
Yet I’ll be that contemptible man who encourages those impossible dreams despite understanding their absurdity.
“And so I declare in the name of the Reich that we do not demand land; our earnest, heartfelt desire is to coexist with independent peoples who have their own land and sovereignty.”
The Federation was a multiethnic state where many peoples were gathered under Communism. But how many of them joined the Federation of their own volition?
How many were staying with the Federation because they wanted to?
The various peoples had tasted enough of the truth under this harsh rule—the truth behind the grand propaganda—to make them sick.
The reaction when they woke from the dream and realized the ideals they had been shown were beautiful illusions was extremely intense. Having been caught up in the great social experiment, the candid wish of these people was to escape the faded yoke of Communism.
So Zettour was able to speak with a kind of conviction.
“We have no intention of annexing the occupied territories. I understand the powerful love we all have for our homes.”
There was nothing false about this principle.
“…Who doesn’t have feelings about their fatherland?”
If there’s a crisis, I’ll go running. I’ve been prepared for that ever since I was commissioned.
“Who doesn’t have feelings about their hometown?”
Zettour knew it wasn’t for him to hope for a peaceful future when
this was all over. He was an adult whose efforts in this war had resulted in piles of young corpses.
Win or lose, he could only do his duty.
“Our home countries, our land, our hometowns…”
But he refused to regret it. He swore to defend the Empire, the Reich, the country he loved, to the bitter end. And to that end, he would fight, pouring the youths of the country into a war of attrition, that absurd waste of human life, and he would win.
What a fucked-up job.
To protect our country, we put the children we should be defending through a meat grinder.
How incredibly absurd. Children paying the price because the adults don’t have a plan! It shouldn’t be allowed. If there’s such a thing as purgatory, we’ll never find out. I’m sure we’ve reserved our seats on the express to hell.
“The people behind us, the future of our children, the stability of our nations—all this is on our shoulders.”
So Zettour raised his sonorous voice and appealed to the audience’s emotions.
Everyone wished.
They wished for their hometowns to be peaceful. They wished for the people to be at peace. And ultimately, they wished for a peaceful future for their children.
“Just like Horatius on the bridge, we know we must stand our ground. Our future isn’t so cheap that we would simply give it away to the red menace.”
So they wished.
“Today, as of this moment, I, as representative of the Imperial Army, declare the military district to be under civilian authority. I hope the future of the Reich and our good neighbors will be a bright one.”
Even Horatius didn’t defend the bridge alone. He had reliable friends standing with him. They must have known what their fate would be.
“My good neighbors, I have a favor to ask of you. The difficulties ahead are the same for both of us, so I urge you to please, for the children’s future, stand on the bridge alongside us. Friends!” he called to them. In front of their leaders, he acted as if he was one of them. “Please let us fight…for the future…”
I’ll trail off, overcome with emotion, and give them a good manly cry. With tears in his eyes, Zettour straightened up and looked around.
The venue was full of passionate stares focused on him. Until now, the audience had been silent, but here came a moan that couldn’t be put into words.
He had their emotions where he wanted them.
Looking around the room, he gathered as many eyes on him as possible, breathed deeply to steady himself, and traded his Logos for that ticket to hell.
I’ll go ahead and despise myself. Oh, Hans von Zettour, you’ve become an honest liar in the interests of your country.
“I cannot give you orders. And I can’t even really make a request and feel good about it. So as one of your neighbors, I suppose all that is left is to bow my head and hope.”
But that’s why I’m begging.
For the fatherland’s future.
“I beg you, as a good neighbor. I hope that as fellow warriors standing shoulder to shoulder on the bridge, and as brothers who will share the bread of peace together one fateful day, you will allow us to walk with you.”
Do these people I’m egging on know what’s in store?
Maybe they think they do. But without having seen all the corpses of children or having heard the now all-too-familiar wails of the bereaved, it may not even be possible to understand.
As a good individual, I grieve so much: Is this all really necessary?
As an evil member of an organization, I accept it: yes.
We must hold the defensive lines until road conditions stabilize. That’s what the General Staff decided. Regardless of my own opinion, the orders came down.
It was possible to object and counter until the decision was made, but…once a major policy was decided, there was no longer any room for debate. The only thing to do was carry it out with all one’s might.
I’ve got to execute, thought Zettour self-deprecatingly.
With this ineptitude, I couldn’t find any other way. Lieutenant General Hans von Zettour, feeling deeply alone, could only snap bitterly.
So hell begets hell. Fuck me.
(The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Volume 5: Abyssus Abyssum Invocat, fin)
Afterword
To everyone who picked up Volume 5, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. To the heroes who bought all of the volumes through 5 at once, nice to meet you. I’m Carlo Zen.
This came out later than planned, but I would appreciate it if you would believe me when I say, “I wasn’t slacking off! I was doing my best!” …There’s going to be a manga and a TV anime!
By the powers of a great many people combined, plans for a manga (Chika Tojo’s doing it!) and anime are in the works.
Back in 2013 when I said how brave Enterbrain is, I never dreamed all this would happen.
So you’re a hero of heroes, huh, Enterbrain…?
No, maybe I should have foreseen it to some extent. Every time I had a meeting with them, I did sense this pretty heroic aura.
Yes, it was…a peaceful holiday afternoon. When I lumbered out to an event—a meeting—what I saw before me was a café where sophisticated people drink tea.
It was a cheerful meeting. After having the “Do a bit more xx; make it xx” (censored) conversation, we discussed the manga, the anime, my new book, and whatnot.
If you’re not going to call that heroic, then what will you?
And so, though I can’t quite believe it, there are manga and anime projects starting up…I think? I’m reflecting on how lucky I am to have the support of so many people.
And now I must extend my thanks once again to everyone who has helped me out.
A warm thank-you to Tsubakiya Design for the design, Tokyo Shuppan Service Center for the proofreading, my editor Fujita, and to the illustrator who always does such wonderful illustrations, Shinotsuki.
And of course, my gratitude goes out to you, the readers supporting me. I hope to see you again next time.
January 2016 Carlo Zen
1 partisan In this context, it means combatants who are not regular enlisted soldiers but members of an irregular militia. Whether they should be referred to as a resistance, terrorists, or freedom fighters is an extremely sensitive issue, so I won’t deal with it here.
2 Grouchy Marshal Emmanuel de Grouchy was Napoleon’s last marshal! The last marshal! It has such a cool ring to it. Except for the part about how he was appointed only because there was no one else…
He was a general who had forces during the Battle of Waterloo but failed to act on his own discretion (meaning he didn’t make his own call and take the optimal action).
One hundred percent adherence to orders isn’t right. What’s right is accomplishing the mission the orders are asking you to. He’s a classic example to bring up during such discussions.
By the way, he was also one of those unlucky types who was actually surprisingly talented but got pummeled in the history books for that one failure.
3 Davout Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout is known as probably Napoleon’s best marshal.
Not only did his military prowess make Napoleon envious, he displayed prodigious talent in many fields including government and organizational management. Aside from the things that made him a bit too cutthroat of a boss—his uncommon strictness and adherence to the rules, his uncompromising separation of public and private spheres, and his excessive belief in meritocracy—he was perfect.
4 Desaix Like Grouchy, he was on an operation with a detachment, but…when he heard the cannons of the Battle of Marengo, he acted on his own discretion, and his name went down in world history.
Under Napoleon, who was on the brink of defeat, he dashingly rushed forward, shouted, “There is yet time to win another battle!” and charged into the enemy forces. He was a great general who saved Napoleon from defeat and died himself in battle.
5 Pearl Harbor “Let’s cross the entire ocean and attack the U.S. Pacific Fle
et at their base!” is easy to say, but actually doing it is nuts.
6 Scapa Flow Scapa Flow is a natural harbor and was a base for the Royal Navy. It was into that well-protected harbor that the German Navy’s U-47, commanded by Günther Prien, penetrated during World War II. It got past the lookouts and sank the battleship Royal Oak that was anchored there. Captain Prien’s greatest enemy wasn’t the Royal Navy’s warning screen, however, but his own boat’s torpedoes. He fired seven at the anchored ship, but five of them malfunctioned… He was furious and said it was like having a “dummy rifle.”
7 Luftwaffe The German air force during World War II.
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