Chapter 21: Sworn Never to Be a Slave of a Fallen Nation!

“Silence, boy! What nonsense is this? Of course we can defeat them!”

“Those Black Eagle devils are nothing but vile invaders. Evil invaders are bound to fail!”

No sooner had the soldier finished speaking than the men around him burst into laughter, and some quick-tempered ones even moved as if to strike him.

The young man trembled in fear, realizing that his questions were dangerously sensitive.

Frankly, if Andrei had drawn his pistol at that moment and executed the soldier on the spot for undermining morale, no one would have argued.

Yet Andrei restrained the furious comrades and instead approached the soldier with a serious expression, asking, “Soldier, do you truly believe we can win against them?”

Seeing the soldier too scared to speak, Andrei patted his shoulder gently. “Don’t be nervous. You have my permission to speak your honest thoughts.”

Perhaps it was Andrei’s youthful face that inspired some trust, or perhaps the soldier was emboldened by the fact that his commander neither threatened him with death nor showed anger.

He spoke with a hint of despair, “Sorry, sir, I don’t know. I really don’t.”

“I enlisted just two months ago, trained in the rear, when suddenly an urgent order came down, and I was assigned to your unit.”

“The war has dragged on this long, and all I hear are bad news. The enemy has terrifying weapons, while all we have are rifles.”

“I don’t know if we still have a chance against the Black Eagle Empire.”

The troops around fell silent after hearing him. His words voiced the doubts festering in their hearts.

After all, apart from a handful of seasoned NCO veterans, this unit was composed entirely of fresh recruits, bewildered at the war’s outset.

To be honest, more than one had soiled themselves out of fear when faced with the enemy’s dreadful war machines.

If it weren’t for witnessing elite enemy soldiers and their war machines fall under Andrei’s command...

And the inexplicable morale that kept their will unyielding, compelling them to obey his orders and keep fighting—they might well have broken down by now.

Unbeknownst to Andrei, his leadership skills, though rudimentary, were the glue holding this unit together.

But surveying the doubtful looks around him, he knew their spirits wavered.

Truth be told, he wanted to curse the heavens—he had no clear understanding of his own situation.

Suddenly thrust onto this battlefield, if not for his ability to summon players, he might have collapsed already.

Yet Andrei understood that as their officer, he could not falter now. He had to say something to rally their spirits.

Clearing his throat, he scanned the faces around him and said:

“Soldiers, my brothers, I know you share the same question. At this point, I won’t lie—I don’t know if we can win.”

“But winning or losing, we have no choice—we must win, because we cannot afford defeat!”

Raising his voice, clenching his fist, he cried out:

“Soldiers, you’ve seen the invaders’ atrocities—I won’t say more! But I ask you this: Are you willing to lose this war?”

“If we give up, if we surrender, perhaps we might spare our lives under the enemy’s bayonets. But then what?”

“The Black Eagles invade our homeland not as saviors, but as tyrants. They seek to enslave us, to make us bow like dogs beneath their feet!”

“Imagine, if one day, our descendants kneel in the streets, unable even to glance at the Black Eagles, and when their children ask what happened, they will sneer and say:”

“‘Child, don’t look at them—they are nothing but slaves of a fallen nation, pitiful wretches!’”

The phrase ‘slaves of a fallen nation’ cut deep into every soul present; their eyes changed instantly.

But Andrei did not pause. With fervor, he shouted:

“Tell me, will you let your children be called slaves of a fallen nation?”

“Will you allow your wives and sisters to be violated, your children beaten and abused, your parents slaughtered by the enemy’s blades?”

“We have no choice now. We must win! If we want to hold our heads high and remain human, victory is our only path!”

“Answer me—what will you do next?”

Andrei did not expect his spontaneous speech to have such an effect.

No sooner had he spoken than the crowd erupted in cries:

“Keep fighting! We will not be slaves of a fallen nation!”

“Drive back the invaders! Let them pay blood for blood!”

Even the players seemed infected, joining the chorus.

Andrei nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly noticed a soldier at the rear carrying a red banner emblazoned with a golden eagle.

Though the banner’s Romanesque style left him uncertain whether it was a national or military standard, he strode forward, seized the flag, and raised it high above his head, waving it vigorously.

“Soldiers, you see this banner! Follow it forward!”

“We are free men, not slaves of the Black Eagle Empire. We will show them this banner is stained with blood!”

“From now on, I will personally carry this flag. If I fall in battle, do not let it touch the ground. We will hold it high and fight to the last man!”

“Even if we all perish, we will make the enemy know that neither we nor our homeland will ever yield!”

As his voice fell, a thunderous cheer rose around him.

Hearing this fierce war cry tinged with the spirit of the Russki, a faint smile tugged at Andrei’s lips.

Though still bewildered by his situation, it seemed he was doing well enough.

From now on, if he wanted to survive, he had to lead these men forward—on the battlefield, only the brave endure to the end!