I Became a Witch and Started an Industrial Revolution

”And as for agriculture...”

”...let the Farmers’ Associations take the lead in consolidating villages and farmland under unified management.”

After thinking for a moment, Mitia continued,

”The comrades from the Farmers’ Associations will have to work a little harder. Recruit as many women comrades as possible for training in mechanized agriculture and related skills. They will become the backbone supporting future rural production and development.”

”Th-this...”

The representative from the Farmers’ Association wore a troubled expression but still nodded firmly.

”We guarantee that we will accomplish the task entrusted to us by Your Majesty. We’ll ensure every aspect of grain production is handled properly. Women can hold up half the sky as well!”

The military needed manpower.

Factories also needed manpower.

So where would that manpower come from?

Naturally, it could only be drawn from the existing rural workforce.

According to projected military expansion and industrial growth, the young and middle-aged farmers who currently carried the bulk of agricultural work would gradually be transferred into the armed forces and factories.

Moreover, that figure would increase rapidly as the war progressed.

Sooner or later, nearly all of the able-bodied rural labor force would be absorbed into the military-industrial sector.

As a result...

Women.

Teenagers.

And the elderly.

They would gradually become the primary agricultural workforce.

Since agricultural labor would increasingly consist of people with weaker physical capabilities, a decline in grain production was inevitable.

That was precisely why Mitia had proposed temporarily merging villages and implementing unified management.

In reality, she was deliberately leaving herself an opening.

If the day truly came when even larger numbers of young and middle-aged workers had to be drafted, then a centralized allocation and rationing system would immediately be introduced.

Most grain production would be requisitioned to support the military and military-industrial sectors first.

Food security was no trivial matter.

Neither was national security.

That was why Mitia instructed both the Farmers’ Associations and the Women’s Federation to begin preparing the rural population mentally in advance.

To put it another way...

Mitia was telling the farmers to prepare themselves for sacrifice at any time.

If the war proceeded favorably, things would naturally remain manageable.

But should the situation deteriorate...

The food allocated to them would gradually become smaller and smaller.

Eventually, surviving on nothing more than the minimum required for basic subsistence would not be impossible.

”That concludes the civilian sector.”

”Now then, how are preparations progressing on the military side?”

”Reporting to Your Majesty.”

”The first phase of equipment modernization for the Army’s frontline field forces has basically been completed.”

”According to the new standards, every infantry soldier’s primary equipment now consists of three major categories: weapons, protection, and fire support.”

”Our firearms remain the AK family.”

”Assault rifles.”

”General-purpose machine guns.”

”And sniper rifles.”

”All of them now uniformly employ newly developed armor-piercing rounds and tungsten alloy flechette ammunition.”

”As for protection...”

”Soldiers are now equipped with standard combat uniforms, integrated shield-and-ballistic tactical vests, and Mechanical Exoskeletons fitted with universal modular armor packages as their primary defensive equipment.”

”At the same time, radio communication systems have been distributed down to squad-level combat teams.”

”They can now directly request fire support from division headquarters or military command.”

”Signal communication vehicles will continue to be deployed at three hundred percent of the standard establishment as relay stations to guarantee uninterrupted communications.”

”Within the Joint Command of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, tens of thousands of comrades remain on standby at all times to respond to fire support requests from platoon-level field units.”

”The Air Force is currently equipping large numbers of fighter-bombers and medium-to-large gunships as quickly as possible.”

”As for the Navy...”

”We’ve adopted a parallel light-and-heavy development strategy.”

”While maintaining the original battleship construction schedule, all newly established shipyards will prioritize production of light destroyers and Seawolf-class submarines.”

”According to our naval charts, destroyer fleets will deploy extensive minefields fifty kilometers off the coastline of the Kingdom of Cabansia to interfere with and obstruct Allied landing operations on the Subcontinent.”

”At the same time, large submarine flotillas will be deployed throughout the outer-ocean ring routes and the circumcontinental shipping lanes to impose a naval blockade against every member of the Allied Nations.”

”All merchant vessels and warships engaged in maritime trade will be sunk.”

Mitia listened quietly, nodding from time to time.

”Remember.”

”Don’t lay too many naval mines along our principal trade routes.”

”After all, we’re actually the side that depends more heavily on maritime trade.”

”We don’t want to end up trapping ourselves on the Subcontinent.”

”Using submarine forces to hunt across the open ocean, however...”

”...that’s an excellent idea.”

”Seawater naturally interferes with magical detection.”

”It’s the perfect hunting ground.”

”Submarine development must become a top priority.”

”Larger displacement.”

”Greater internal space.”

”Better living conditions.”

”Perhaps we won’t dominate the surface.”

”But beneath the sea...”

”...must become our domain.”

Ashadron gazed thoughtfully at the location of the Subcontinent upon the world map hanging on the wall before turning toward his adjutant.

”What do you think?”

”Should we attempt a decapitation strike?”

”At the very least, we ought to be able to destroy one royal capital.”

The adjutant studied the location of Sera on the map, pondering carefully.

After a long moment, he replied,

”I believe Your Excellency’s proposal is feasible.”

”However, considering we’re facing a deity, we need to give much more careful thought to our force composition.”

”Mmm...”

”You’re right.”

At the Allied conference, the emperors and kings of every participating nation approved the final resolution.

Based on everything Mitia had done to the various churches, nobles, magicians, and other privileged groups throughout the years...

She was officially declared an Evil God.

Given that this was an unprecedented Holy War against heresy,

Any territory associated with the Seris Alliance—

Provided it had already been occupied—

could be subjected to unrestricted measures by the Allied armies.

They were authorized to employ every necessary and unnecessary method imaginable,

using the harshest and most merciless means possible.

In particular, Alliance officers responsible for spreading heretical ideology,

members of the Social Party,

church clergy,

teachers,

students,

and similar groups—

were not to be treated as prisoners of war after capture.

They were to be executed immediately.

As for how civilians were to be handled,

Allied officers would follow the principle of the ”Three Non-Interventions.”

No investigations.

No interrogations.

No accountability.

Meanwhile, administration of occupied territories would be transferred directly to the Church Inquisition of each participating nation.

The Inquisition would then carry out the cleansing and purification of all heretics within those regions.

To quote the original words of the Wolis Emperor, the representative of the Allied Nations:

”This is a sacred and righteous purification.”

”A war in which noble pureblood aristocrats and the blessed races favored by the Goddess of Magic cleanse the world of a filthy collection of lowly mongrels.”

”Magic is the origin of everything.”

”And yet, hidden in the dark corners of this world are heretics who dare question its greatness.”

”These defeated wretches who fled from the Main Continent to the Subcontinent possess not the slightest respect for magicians.”

”They have blasphemed the great Mother of the World—the Goddess of Magic.”

”It is both our duty and our obligation to reduce such a filthy land to ashes.”

Upon receiving these directives, Ashadron naturally abandoned all restraint.

He drafted a comprehensive operational plan and distributed it to his subordinates.

Its central principles were straightforward.

Transport away everything that could be transported.

Remove every grain of food.

Not a single kernel was to be left behind for the Alliance.

Any Allied Nations soldier caught sympathizing with Alliance civilians would likewise be prosecuted for treason.

After all...

There was no point leaving anything behind.

Because after the Church Inquisition finished purifying the land...

There supposedly wouldn’t be anyone left to go hungry.

Pushing open the conference room window, Ashadron leaned comfortably against the frame, overlooking the darkening sky outside.

Surrounding the Flying Fortress were impeccably organized formations of Dragon Cavalry Legions standing guard.

Below them stretched countless ground forces beyond calculation.

Every soldier wore exquisitely crafted magical armor adorned with different insignias and patterns.

Even their magical beast mounts stood proudly,

their spirits high and their auras imposing.