Original subtitles

Late November, Unified Year 1926

Nothing but ammo.

Not nearly enough stuff for daily life.

I was hoping for some socks, at least.

We work directly for Strategic HQ, and this is all we get.

That tells you everything you need to know about the Eastern Front.

What an awful sky.

This story is a work of fiction. People, organizations, locations, laws, names, etc. have no relation to any real-life counterparts.

Sorry I'm late.

It's rare for you to invite me to go drinking, though.

I actually found something interesting.

Start it up.

What a surprise.

It reminds you of the days with Regiment Commander Laudon.

Brings you right back to those days in hell, right?

Yeah.

I can feel my back soaking with sweat.

It wasn't just used in place of a wake-up trumpet.

It was for food, baths, even the toilet.

I don't know how I made it through.

I never would have without you there.

That goes for both of us.

I was told they stopped making these.

I found it at a flea market.

They didn't let it go for cheap, though.

It's a small price for a chance to look back on those days.

That's right.

I'll leave it here. Come listen any time you want.

I think I'll do just that.

Episode Two: A Strange Friendship

It's been over 30 years, huh?

Time does fly, doesn't it?

Sure does.

But we don't have time to reminisce upon the good old days.

That's right.

Zettour, you and I have known each other for eons.

As an old friend, I want you to give me your honest opinion.

Winter came too soon.

Quickly eliminating the enemy's field army is impossible now.

We should rebuild our lines.

So we have to be prepared for insults from the incompetent, huh?

The problem is what happens when spring arrives.

Are we assuming we'll resume the offensive?

It's the only way forward.

The Empire is just barely managing to keep itself supplied.

And that's assuming it uses every possible resource.

Blood continues to flow, even now.

And yet...

Our future is not totally hopeless yet.

Allied Kingdom Capital: Londinium

Now, how's our new friend, the devil, working?

Ideally, they and the Empire slaughter each other.

The Federation is... struggling.

They'll be bringing back the mages that they purged, it seems,

but they won't be able to take advantage of numerical superiority.

And so...

Let's use that volunteer army.

We'll be able to make it look like we're working with the Federation,

while getting the same intelligence we would if we were spying on them.

Federation Capital: Moskva

Are you sure about this?

Of course.

Sending forces to the volunteer army is just what we need.

I'd rather have the Allied Kingdom

working for us as an ally than being our enemy.

We'll need a propaganda strategy from now on.

Thankfully, we're at war with the Empire, the collective enemy of the world.

We need to show everyone that the Federation are the good guys.

So we'll pick someone appropriate for the task.

Yes. Someone loyal to the party, and idealistic, should be in charge.

And someone charismatic should be the mage.

Understood.

Of course, right?

That's the army that saw the fairy!

Don't worry, I'll catch you soon!

Jeez... the brass are pushing dealing with their friends onto us.

Multinational Volunteer Army Battalion Leader (Allied Kingdom Citizen) Lt. Colonel William Douglas Drake

I apologize for keeping you waiting.

Federation Political Commissar Attached to the Multinational Volunteer Army Lt. Liliya Ivanovna Tanechka

I am Liliya Ivanovna Tanechka.

This is Colonel Mikel, a Federation mage.

Multinational Volunteer Army Federation Commanding Officer Colonel Mikel

I am a political commissar and a lieutenant in the Federation Army.

I'm just a flunky, you could say.

I'll look up what "flunky" means in Federation language later.

I'm Lieutenant Colonel Drake, with the Allied Kingdom's 42nd Aerial.

We're glad to meet you, Lieutenant Colonel Drake.

On behalf of the party,

I give my deepest thanks to your unit's sacrifices and contributions.

I'm sure my fallen comrades will appreciate that.

Um...

Unified States Volunteer Lt. Mary Sue

Are you a Federation Political Officer?

Lieutenant Sue?

I'm Lieutenant Mary Sue.

I've heard that political officers give advice on aspects of military life.

You see, our unit's fallen are buried in this land...

Lieutenant, we discussed this.

But they need to rest in their homeland!

Please, allow them to be buried in their homelands.

Everyone cares for their homeland.

Right?

I know exactly how you feel!

If you'll let me, I'll help you in any way I can!

R-Really?

Lieutenant Sue, may I call you Mary?

Of course!

Thank you.

Call me Liliya, too.

Would you please be my friend?

Yes, I'd love to.

I'll help you prepare the memorandum.

Yes, please do.

Your lieutenant friend works fast.

I'm sure you've got it tough, Colonel.

She's better than most, actually.

She is? You're joking.

It's impossible to believe she's one of my country's political commissars.

Well...

I don't know what to say to that.

But it's not good news.

These harassment attacks get worse by the day.

Why do the Federation soldiers go along with all these reckless attacks?

What did the MP interrogators learn?

The prisoners all said the same things.

The sort of stuff you'd expect to hear from any communist sympathizer.

I guess that's Commies for you.

It looks like their "noble ideals" have spread

throughout every inch of their territory.

You really do hate communists, don't you?

I've been like that since my past life.

Um...

I read the reports too.

They all seem so identical, and filled with prejudice.

What do you mean?

I interviewed several of them myself.

This is the report.

Come to think of it,

the lieutenant's family fled the Federation during the revolution.

It's good to have a living speaker of Federation language.

All of them except the political officers

expressed a sentiment of estrangement from communism?

Yes.

More specifically, a lack of support for their superior officers.

And it seemed like those voices were absent from the final reports...

Officer, can I get a smoke?

I'm an aerial mage. Regulations say I can't smoke.

Tobacco ruins the lungs.

No lighter then, either?

Correct. My apologies.

Major Weiss is an old hand at this.

Tell me... Why do you people—no.

Why do you fight?

Why do we fight? We fight for ourselves, of course.

We're fighting for a better future.

A better future?

If we beat you, our society will get a little better, right?

Let me ask a different question.

Why do you believe that fighting us will make your society better?

Because you believe in communism?

I believe in it about as much as you do.

A very witty answer.

Listen, you're an idiot, right?

Is there anyone who doesn't love their homeland?

Unconditionally.

Am I wrong?

Let me confirm. So you're fighting for your homeland, then?

I heard that imperial soldiers were smart.

But you're no better than the political commissars.

Listen, you...

We fight for our homeland.

Do you need a reason beyond that?

And if we can win some glory for ourselves,

those fuckers in the party will actually listen to us for once.

"Is there anyone who doesn't love their homeland?"

That's what he said, right?

Yes. Exactly those words.

Fuck it all.

That explains why their morale's so goddamn high...

Lieutenant Colonel?

Don't you get it?

We thought we were fighting communists,

but we've been fighting nationalists!

If anything, the way we're doing things now is making them stronger!

Imperial Strategic HQ

I'll put this in simple terms, sir.

We've killed too many of them.

I'm surprised to hear you say that.

I had thought a war like this one

would be decided by who built the bigger pile of corpses.

You're correct.

But if we can defeat the enemy with words, not bullets...

Words are far cheaper.

But that's gotten us nowhere.

We have saboteurs in the field conducting anti-communist propaganda efforts.

And it's gotten us nowhere.

Let's change our methods, then.

Please throw ideological attacks into the garbage can.

Excuse me?

Logic isn't what we need.

Sir, what's important is the emotions of the masses.

Our propaganda efforts must not demoralize the enemy.

Instead, we must work to split them apart.

Our enemies aren't fighting out of loyalty to the party.

They take up arms and fight for their homeland.

Oh, the results of our interrogations are here.

Our MPs came into this with too many preconceived ideas.

I hate the damn Commies myself,

so I let myself be blinded, too.

It's not ideology that keeps our enemies in the fight, but nationalism.

Which means we have to split the communists apart from everyone else.

So we should "divide and conquer" in regard to the Federation's nationalism?

No, "conquer" is something our military no longer has the strength to do.

What we need is someone we can outsource the work to.

A friend in need.

An interesting proposal.

But at my age, it's not easy to make new friends.

But there's a famous diplomatic phrase.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Are you saying you have an idea as to who this friend could be?

Of course.

National councils in the occupied regions on the Eastern front are ideal.

If we work with them, we should be able

to decrease the number of guerrilla attacks on the Eastern front.

Sir, it's possible for us to make friends!

We lost another supply truck?

Yeah, it got attacked.

We'll have to drink water to fill our bellies.

I heard someone on one of the patrols died a suspicious death.

And a story about the well being poisoned, too...

Help yourself.

What's wrong? What happened?

N-Nothing...

I'll say this just in case.

You are to strictly obey international law when dealing with the locals.

Even if something happens, deal with it appropriately.

E-Even now, we have to treat them like we do when stationed back home?

I'll be honest. We're at our limit.

I understand how you feel, to a degree.

But soon, you'll have nothing to worry about.

Federation Territory Imperial Occupation Area

Now, on behalf of the Empire,

I, Lieutenant General Hans von Zettour, will give a speech.

I say to all of you listening to this...

that we, the Empire, want one thing.

Peace.

I want peace for my homeland, just as do you all.

Peace, peace, peace.

If it weren't for those accursed communists,

would we have taken up arms? Would you have?

We have simply taken up the sword to defend our homeland.

We promise that when peace is achieved,

we will lay down our arms and return to our beloved homeland.

We have no intention of absorbing territories we occupy.

Our greatest desire is to co-exist with independent peoples

who have their own territories and governments!

Is there anyone who doesn't love their homeland?

Is there anyone who doesn't love their home?

We beg you...

As good friends,

like Horatius at the Bridge,

please allow us to walk alongside you!

Truly, a wonderful person as an individual,

and a monster as part of an organization.

On behalf of the Empire, I announce today...

that we will turn our military-controlled areas over to civilian rule!

May light shine on the future of the Reich,

and its good friends!

What a con artist.

I'm sure he's got a special room waiting for him in hell.

Allied Kingdom Embassy in Moskva

To new friends!

To glorious cooperation between our two armies!

We'd love to open a second front,

so that we can show the Empire what good friends we are!

Of course. But our homeland is in the midst of a vast air war...

Comrade Secretary, we have a problem!

The Empire... has joined forces!

They've joined forces with the ethno-nationalists!

They've started the process of creating temporary governments

and transferring power within their territories!

The enemy of the world...

The Empire... has made friends!

Thanks to him, the Empire may live to see another day.

Now, if only we had a friend who was more useful at ending the war...

Oh, Lieutenant Colonel!

There was coffee on the resupply list!

What? Really?

Yes. The lowest grade of the stuff, though.

I won't ask for much in these circumstances!

Caffeine!

Mehr Licht, as they say.

Allow me to prepare you some coffee...

Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel,

and sweet as love!

Thanks.

Thinking back, this was all thanks to my talented second officer.

I've known her since the battles of the Rhine,

but it feels presumptuous to even call her a mere friend now.

Who else have I known that long?

Not you! Fuck you!

Lieutenant, what is that damn doll doing here?

It was in a home we occupied.

I thought it was cute.

Throw it out!

Throw it out this instant!

Ildoa Kingdom Army Command

They've set up national councils for self-rule in Federation territory?

Our allies are big believers in Raison d'État, I see.

I hope they're as willing to listen to us, since we're their friends as well.

Um, why don't you attend the prisoners' interrogations, too?

I'm surprised.

As long as you've been here, you're still saying that?

Look at me.

Look at me!

They'll think I'm just a little kid!

Am I supposed to look up at them during the whole interrogation?

It'll look like I'm a lost kid at the police station!

A-Apologies!

I'll get a kid's high chair, then!

No!

Next Time Well-Intentioned Mediator