The Empire of Reimia (3)

Still waiting for the holidays to end... Before sending them off, Latro decided to boost his comrades' morale: "So, guys, what's the deal? Are we going to let the empire down? Are we just a bunch of water beetles or some kind of Reiman rye and buckwheat troops? Are we not going to engage in battle? Did we sell our Reiman conscience for a few coins? No, I can see in your Reiman eyes that there's no salary involved here! We're not that kind of breed! We have a thousand-year-old, Reiman, imperial spirit. We have the strength of cedar trees running through our veins! A Reiman will fiercely protect his river, his meadows, and his plow! No one here will move a finger for frivolous gain, for lace, or for the sake of criminal bank accounts! Different motivations, different morals are at play here! Here, a Reiman respects the chain of command. We are small on our own. The dry wind could scatter us across the fields, and we could get lost. The Empress anchors us to the ground like an ancient oak with its roots. With the Empress, we can withstand any storm. And that's why we, in turn, protect her – from our side, with loyalty. If we see that the Empress is in trouble, we'll take off our last shirt and say, "Here, commander, take it!" We, the Reiman, won't be able to swallow a bite if our leader is in need! And whoever opposes our Empress, whoever stirs up trouble – we'll grab them by the neck and throw them into the well! Because trouble benefits the sly, the nimble, the sweet-talking, and the cunning. Those who are like a snake slithering into our bed. Those who try to fall into our porridge like a woodlouse from the ceiling. That's foreign to us! Our mother didn't tell us those kinds of stories in the cradle! We sang different songs in the army! Come on, guys, come sign the schedule! Tomorrow, we'll make a two-day forced march to the front. We'll provide porridge during the break, and the barrels will be delivered right to the camp – we'll be fed, and as for everything else, we, the Reiman, will endure, we will overcome, we will stuff it into our tobacco pouch, and we will smoke it during a break!"