The Aging Youth's Battle for the World (Volumes 1, 2, and 3)

Author: Salen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Excerpt from the book: On May 20, Year 2109, Planes, Polyia Camp. At noon, the sun was scorching, and most soldiers were bare-chested, seeking shade under trees to cool off. They chatted aimlessly, leaning against their long spears, their expressions carefree, with almost no trace of war visible. The entire camp was immersed in a peaceful atmosphere, disturbed only by the occasional buzzing of mosquitoes that bit the soldiers' skin. "Honestly, I can't see the point of this war continuing," one soldier said, scratching himself. Another soldier slapped his leg hard, killing the mosquito that had bitten him. He pouted slightly, "Yeah! We've been besieging the Xingkang and the Four Princes' armies for over two months without launching any offensive. I wonder what General Polyia is thinking?"
"However, on days like this, training time is much less than usual, and the battles we fight are all trivial. It’s like warm-up before a sports event, yet we can enjoy more delicious and nutritious food than usual. Hehe, I’d rather never change and enjoy this comfort forever!" another soldier chimed in, looking noticeably younger than the first two.
"But this isn’t a sustainable path! Hmph, I guess you’re single, so you don’t have anything to worry about and can be so carefree," the third soldier said, looking at the young soldier with a hint of helplessness. "Like us, we just want to end the war quickly and go home! Ai, we’ve been away from home for over two months, and I don’t know how our parents and family are doing!"
"Yeah! When I left, my father was sick, and my wife was about to give birth. Only my mother was left, busy with everything," the second soldier said, his voice heavy with worry. "You think they might think I’m dead already?"
Indeed, it was very possible! Not only him, but perhaps my family would think I’m dead too! The young soldier thought, but said, "Don’t overthink it, it won’t happen!"
"You two are like elder brothers, and my thoughts are indeed different. I don’t like staying at home; my parents always nag, and it drives me crazy! It’s better here!" The young soldier said with a playful grin. After a pause, he added, "But if I go home now, I really don’t know what to do. I’m so lost!"
"You’re probably still too young to have gone through puberty," the third soldier said with a smile.
Perhaps it’s the generation gap between us, the young soldier thought, tilting his head and looking up at the third soldier. "Go to hell! But seriously, many of my peers in the camp are quite lost about the future, and more are unwilling to think about what might happen after the war. Instead, they get lost in it."
"Oh, oh, a lost generation," the second soldier said. "Actually, I’ve been through that too. It’s nothing unusual! But back then, I was just lost in the fog. Hmph, you’re more aware than I was back then!"
"How did we get onto this? Let’s get back to the topic! Personally, I think if we don’t want to eliminate the enemy, we should just let them go. But if we do want to eliminate them, it’s time for a fierce attack. War drains a country in many ways, and food is one of the biggest issues. There are also military supplies, horses, and so on. If we continue like this, our country will be severely weakened and take a long time to recover!" The third soldier said with a look of deep concern.
"I haven’t thought about that. I’m just waiting for General Polyia to give the order to crush Xingkang and the others!" The young soldier said, his expression slightly agitated.
The third soldier frowned, "Truly, youth knows no sorrow! Tell you what, my father was also a soldier. Even a slight noise at night will wake him up instantly—that’s the habit formed from being a soldier. And sometimes, he dreams of the people he killed, one after another, bloody and coming to demand his life."
"If you overthink things, don’t join the army!" The young soldier scoffed. "All I know is that going to war is to protect our homeland and kill the enemy. If my hands are stained with blood, I won’t be afraid, because I’m not killing out of personal vendetta. I’m doing it for my country!"
"That’s the right mindset. If you can’t kill on the battlefield, then damn it, someone else will kill for you!" The second soldier made a fearful face. "I cherish my life and don’t want to die."
"Is killing that fun? Although our army now has the upper hand and could crush them all, I still hope for a bloodless victory, with the enemy surrendering voluntarily." The third soldier said.
"What happens after the victory?" The second soldier thought for a moment and said, "That reminds me, Planes still doesn’t have a king. But after this war is over, everything should be settled."
"Some say General Polyia wants to declare himself king," the young soldier said, pondering. "But I don’t think it’s possible. General Polyia isn’t the type to crave power or usurp the throne."
"Hard to say. Although General Polyia is renowned and I admire him very much, such things aren’t impossible." The third soldier lowered his voice. "But I support General Polyia. No matter what decision he makes, I’ll follow him as always!"
"Indeed. The Princes of Planes now are all mediocre. None are truly fit to be emperors. General Polyia has both prestige and power. If he becomes emperor, it would be great!" The second soldier whispered.
"I’ve heard that General Polyia wants to make the Tenth Prince king!" The young soldier said.
"The Tenth Prince? Impossible! He’s too young, barely in his teens. A kid! How could he handle such a responsibility? It’s ridiculous! If he must be chosen, I think the Elder Prince is more likely," the third soldier said.
"The Tenth Prince is great! He’s kind, practical, and often travels incognito to understand the people’s needs. A teenager who has grown up in the royal family can achieve that? You think it’s easy? If he becomes emperor, Planes will surely flourish," the young soldier insisted.
"Good character doesn’t mean you can be emperor. My character isn’t bad, but no one is promoting me," the second soldier said, half-joking and half-serious.
"You? Forget it!" The young soldier scoffed. "Someone like you, always thinking about your family and overworried, how could you be emperor? An emperor should be selfless, not concerned with personal gain or loss."
"Selfless? Hmph, people like that are probably extinct in the world!" The second soldier deliberately put on a stern face, took out a knife, and swung it. "If you keep insulting me like this, I won’t hold back!"
The third soldier couldn’t help but laugh, "Haha, let’s just wait and see! These things are beyond our ordinary understanding!"
In war, no matter how urgent the battle, soldiers always have plenty of time to rest and chat. However, as decision-makers in an army, they generally don’t have it so easy. Although they don’t have to fight on the front lines themselves, they must give clear instructions to their soldiers. In victory, they can’t get carried away themselves and must keep their soldiers alert. In defeat, they must inspire their soldiers to regain courage and not give up. These tasks may sound simple, but they are far from easy to carry out.