Chapter Forty-Four: The Funeral

Solemn and heavy music drifted over the grand square of Istanbul, a place once reserved for the magnificent festivals of the Morris Empire. Now, it had been transformed by the Elven Empire into a square for parades and funeral ceremonies. Rows of elven soldiers stood in silence at the square's edge while several elven priests chanted requiems for the elves and centaur warriors who had perished in recent months. Among the bodies being cremated lay the very deputy who had proposed the encirclement to Marshal Aldo Jitt when it all began.

During the months of suppression, countless human resistance fighters had fallen, yet unrest in the Istanbul region only grew fiercer. Marshal Aldo Jitt realized that, in Istanbul, the elven army had become the target of universal hatred.

Enraged, Marshal Aldo Jitt stripped the deputy in charge of the campaign of all rank and sent him to the front lines as cannon fodder. The deputy did not disappoint his superior—within less than a month, his corpse was carried back.

Marshal Aldo Jitt stood by the window in his office, gazing at the square where the funeral ceremony was underway, pondering his next move.

In these few months, thousands of soldiers from the Elven Empire had been lost in the efforts to pacify Istanbul. Even if the number of human heads taken was dozens of times greater, was it justifiable to trade the lives of noble elven soldiers for the lives of lowly, innumerable human peasants? Unless Marshal Aldo Jitt had lost his wits, he would never allow such a situation to persist.

Yet without suppressing these human guerrillas, supplies could not be secured and the army would remain bogged down in Istanbul, making any thought of conquering humanity impossible.

Both personal sentiment and pressure from the homeland made it clear that Marshal Aldo Jitt could not afford to be delayed here any longer. If the stalemate in Istanbul dragged on for years, he could already sense his successor waiting in the wings.

He could only hope that those officers fighting on the front lines might have some useful advice.

Withdrawing his gaze from the square, Marshal Aldo Jitt ordered his aide to summon Lieutenant Colonel Gist.

Soon enough, Lieutenant Colonel Gist, impeccably dressed, arrived at the supreme command center of the two-hundred-thousand-strong army—the marshal’s office. Over the course of the campaign, Gist had won remarkable distinction, beheading tens of thousands of humans. The name “Butcher of Humans” was now infamous throughout Istanbul, and his military rank had risen by one grade. His partner, Marido, also benefited from Gist’s success, earning a promotion to lieutenant colonel—a fact that only drew the two closer, for Marido was well aware whom he had to thank for his advancement.

Gist’s achievements caught the attention of Marshal Aldo Jitt, who, desperate for solutions, hoped that this distinguished subordinate might offer an unexpected insight.

“Marshal, Lieutenant Colonel Gist reporting to you,” Gist said, standing at attention and saluting loudly.

Appreciating Gist’s disciplined bearing, Marshal Aldo Jitt nodded.

“Lieutenant Colonel Gist, you have acquitted yourself well in the fight against the human guerrillas. Do you have any valuable insights to share?” Marshal Aldo Jitt asked directly.

To have the marshal himself seek advice from a mere lieutenant colonel was an extraordinary opportunity. If he answered well, promotion and reward were surely within reach. Gist, quelling his excitement, organized his thoughts. Having battled on the front lines, he was well aware of the campaign’s shortcomings. The resilience of the humans had convinced him that appeasement was futile; the purpose of the campaign was singular: to safeguard the supply lines. That, he would emphasize.

“Marshal, in truth, we do not need to kill every dissident. The human population in Istanbul, though not large, still numbers in the millions. Their antipathy toward us is profound, and peaceful coexistence is nearly impossible. However, we need not concern ourselves with them. Our sole imperative is to ensure the security of our supply routes, thereby greatly reducing the territory we must control.

“Of course, the guerrillas will harass our supply lines. But we can construct numerous hidden strongholds along the entire route, establishing a network of small defensive posts. Each post, manned by only a few dozen or perhaps a hundred soldiers, can withstand attacks by thousands. With enough posts in mutual support, any attack can be met by quickly dispatching messengers to neighboring outposts for aid. If the enemy force is small, nearby posts can respond swiftly; if large, the resistance’s movement will be slow, and we can easily assemble our main force to crush their core units.

“At regular intervals, we should build large bastions, each garrisoned by an infantry regiment. The resistance groups in Istanbul are fragmented; any force able to muster several thousand is already among their elite. With one regiment, we can secure hundreds of miles around each bastion.

“Our supply route should have small posts every three miles, larger ones every ten, and major bastions every hundred. In all strategic locations, we should construct secret fortifications to prevent guerrilla ambushes, ensuring that the entire line is reinforced and unbreakable. All our forces can then be withdrawn to the positions we must defend, leaving only expendable human slaves to build these posts and bastions.

“To eradicate the guerrillas completely, we can destroy all human cities, towns, and settlements outside our defensive perimeter. Those who defect to our side can be sent respectfully into the Elven Empire, while the common humans are reduced to slaves for the construction efforts. With sufficient manpower and resources, the initial defensive network can be completed in a year. In three years, the supply system of Istanbul will be impregnable. Even if a regular human army attacks, they will break their teeth upon our fortifications.

“Of course, this approach has a drawback: the entire social structure of Istanbul will collapse. Apart from human slaves and a few key mines, nothing else will remain. Our ties to the human world will be irreparably severed. But given the current state of relations between the Elven Empire and the humans, what difference does it make? Why not see it through to the end?” Gist explained with confidence.

This method was promising. Progress might be slow at first, but once the defensive network was complete, the guerrillas could be left to wither on their own. If every city in Istanbul were razed, how could the human resistance hope to survive? This Gist was indeed a talent; perhaps putting him in charge would yield even better results.

Marshal Aldo Jitt regarded Lieutenant Colonel Gist with satisfaction. Yes, a promotion to colonel and responsibility for establishing the initial defensive ring would be fitting. If he truly succeeded and kept the supply lines open, would making him a general not be justified?