That's the pain.
When the war reaches this point.
Even the pain has become numb.
When Alexander heard the news of his father's death, he felt a numb sense of unreality, as if it was nothing at all.
Yes.
It doesn't matter anymore.
The death of a father is difficult for a son to bear.
But in a war where hundreds of thousands of people have died, hundreds of thousands of people are too large a number, so large that ordinary people have lost their concept of the number. A person has changed from a life to just a number. Countless people die around Alexander every day, to the point that even Alexander has become accustomed to it.
But he is not called Alexander now.
After his father died.
He should be called King Alexander I of Serbia.
It is still raining in Serbia.
Alexander did not stay in the command room. Marshal Putnik was in charge of the command. He was only in his teens. He was not a genius and he could not command a war of this level in which several armies were to destroy a country.
But he is the king and he has to be responsible for Serbia.
Even in military uniform.
Alexander didn't look like a soldier either. He left the command room alone and came to the eaves behind the command room. He looked like a scholar with glasses on, and his lips were pale. He hadn't eaten for more than a day.
All supplies in Serbia were in short supply, and as the king he had to lead by example.
He looked up at the dark sky.
It is still raining in Serbia.
Alexander hates rain.
Just as Arabs hate sand.
The Arabs wanted an oasis, the Serbs wanted clear skies.
"Your Highness... No, Your Majesty, please eat something."
The young soldier came to Alexander and handed the corn in his hand to Alexander who was sitting on the ground.
Alexander took the corn, but did not eat it.
"Thank you, what's your name?"
"Marko, the messenger. Marko Petrovich."
Looking at the sad-looking soldier.
Alexander smiled.
"Let me tell you some good news. The news from the UK says that we are the most powerful army in Europe and also the most equal.
We have no distinction of ranks as in other European armies, and only our officers shake hands with the common soldiers."
"Great, Your Majesty, does this mean that aid from Britain is also arriving?"
silence.
Speechless silence.
France has already sent a batch of aid. Without this batch of aid, France and Serbia would have no way to fight back.
Attack, now Britain and France are busy with their own affairs and have no spare energy to support Serbia.
For Serbs
They have done almost the best they can and they have won every battle they can.
Even so.
They still can't win.
"Marco."
"Um?"
"Do you think I would be a good king?"
"Your Majesty, you are certainly a good king."
Alexander shook his head.
"A good king should ensure that all Serbs have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear. He should ensure that his army has sufficient uniforms and boots instead of asking soldiers to bring them from their homes. He should ensure that his army has sufficient artillery instead of waiting for assistance from other countries. Such a king has accomplished nothing."
"Your Majesty...I don't quite understand what you mean."
The soldiers were actually able to guess what Alexander meant.
But I don't want to admit it.
Alexander continued to ask.
"Is it meaningful to resist?"
"Of course resistance is meaningful! Your Majesty, we are fighting for Serbia's freedom and dignity. If we can accept losing our freedom and dignity, then why can't we accept losing our lives? Just because we are weak, do we have to accept Austria's slavery? There is no such reason. Our resistance has not failed, and our struggle will continue. Your Majesty, even if we fail, my son and my grandson will never stop resisting!"
The soldier roared at Alexander.
but.
I could clearly feel the trembling in the soldier's voice.
He is afraid.
Fear that Alexander would really surrender. When the war reached this point.
They can't stop.
For this war, which lasted for several months and in which hundreds of thousands of people died, if Alexander had chosen to surrender at this time, then such long suffering and the death of so many Serbs would have become meaningless.
Soldiers cannot accept surrender, once they surrender, they will lose everything.
They could only keep going.
Even if there is hell ahead, I will not look back.
Alexander, on the other hand, was indifferent.
"Marco, can I ask you a question?"
The soldier took a deep breath.
"Please ask."
"In the distant past, in an orphanage in Serbia, there were several children and two nuns.
There was a severe famine. The local nobles told the nuns that they would be given food if they were willing to become their mistresses.
One of the nuns chose to leave her own food and chose to die with dignity, and one of the nuns died for her children.
They became mistresses of nobles. Who do you think is greater between the two of them?
"I am not qualified to judge a mother."
The attack has been going on for half a month.
Even now Serbia shows no signs of being able to capture Belgrade.
Britain, France and Russia were all so busy taking care of themselves that they had no spare capacity to support them.
Now.
All it takes is one thing to go wrong.
Then the Serbian offensive would collapse completely.
In fact, Alexander knew it very well.
Serbia was about to collapse, and so was the Austro-Hungarian Empire's Fifth Army. But what did it matter if the Austro-Hungarian Empire's Fifth Army collapsed? It was just a heavy blow to the aging empire. As long as they recovered, they could launch another offensive against Serbia.
What's more, there was a behemoth behind the Austro-Hungarian Empire staring at them, and any grit that slipped through their fingers was enough to crush them to death.
If Serbia can't hold on first.
What awaits Serbia is the destruction of its country.
The Serbian cabinet and the military were arguing fiercely. Prime Minister Pasic, who had originally advocated war, had become a conservative, and Foreign Minister Jovanovic, who had originally advocated negotiations, had become a war advocate. The war had changed too many people, and no one could make a final decision.
Everything requires Alexander to make the final decision.
Alexander was at his wit's end.
Now he is the king of Serbia and he must be responsible for the whole of Serbia.
His father became a hero in Serbia.
Then he needs to bear the sins of Serbia.
Alexander stood up and looked towards Belgrade in the distance.
This rain.
It's time to stop.
"My soldiers, I beg your forgiveness. I humbly beg you to forgive me for being such a bad king."