Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur

**Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur** is the 12th volume of the Youjo Senki light novel series.

## Short Summary:

Loria loathes Zettour so much for countering his plan to get Tanya. He has no time left. The general is determined to become the enemy of the world in order to save the country. Tanya will be overworked to complete the secret plan. He will take appropriate actions while wondering where the true meaning of his words is. The wear and tear of soldiers is not good for imperial wars. Tanya is fighting while considering her safety. Zettour decided to take the enemy's combat abilities in a cheap way. And he plans a very nasty operation and put it into action. It is also his strength to have an understandable executor named Tanya.

## Summary

### Chapter 0 : Prologue

Loria remembers how recently, having received the news of the slaying of General Ruderdorf he only slightly regretted that the Commonwealth did not target the Imperial, who was really dangerous for him, Zetur. But turned out that this gave Zettur incredible freedom of action and he attacked Ildoa and dragged the Unified States into the war.
For the whole world, it seems that the Empire has gone mad: bent under the weight of the whole Old World, at war with it, Empire also adds Unified States, a load that will definitely crush it. And only Loria, with his innate meanness and cunning, is sure that Zettur does this on purpose. Specifically to put a spoke in the wheel of the Federation and personally to him and "his path to love".

### Chapter 1 : Enemy of the World

Next, Zettour meets with Counselor Konrad. Zettour considers Konrad a suitable person for his future actions and tries to win his favor. To do this, he tries to express his thoughts openly. In particular, he assures Conrad that despite all the benefits that he received after Ruderdorf's death, he was not the cause of his death, although really was preparing a assassination.
After a long conversation, they both realize that they have the same opinion about the future of the Empire and the desire to save it. They are ready to work together and in the end, Zettour explains his plan to Konrad: if the World wants to destroy the Empire, he will show that he is ready to take as many neighbors with him as possible. If the World wants to live, it must let Heimat live too.

Calandro came to meet with Colonel Allergen, planning to negotiate a ceasefire, but suddenly he runs into Zettour. Seeing the man responsible for the war in Ildoa, Calandro hardly restrains himself, because he understands that he has no chance: Zettour is guarded by his faithful hellhound — Tanya. But Calandro can't contain the question of why the Empire invaded Ildoa. Zettour is surprisingly frank in stating that he knows that the defeat of the Empire is inevitable. But the victory of the Federation will not give Heimat a chance for survival, unlike a war with the whole world. Therefore, he needed the Unified States to join the war. But Ildoa, with its agreement on armed neutrality with the US, prevented this, and only because of this he had to launch an invasion.
Further, Zettour announces that he is going to use the northern territory of Ildoa for the upcoming "battle against the whole world", but does not want unnecessary harm to Ildoa, against whom he personally has nothing, and in confirmation of this agrees to all the conditions of a week-long ceasefire brought by Calandro. Calandro hurries back to prepare a report to his superiors.

Tanya is amazed by Zettour's foresight, comparing the current situation with the WW2 and its impact on the subsequent Cold War between the USA and the USSR. He adds the US to the war as a future political counterweight against the Federation.
But Tanya is worried about their army's lack of strength. However, Zettour points out that Illdoa's remaining strength should not be taken at face value. Tanya is on guards against extensive defensive lines that will be effective even consisting only of assembled Ildoa reservists and conscripts, believing in the authenticity of 140 Ilodoan divisions, taught that the division headquarters was made for the post. But the Illdoan Army has prepared a large number of divisional posts without soldiers or weapons for high-ranking officers who want to remain in the army. Zettour says it will only be bullying the weak.

### Chapter 2 : The Stage

During the weeklong cease-fire, Tanya receives an order to support the 8th Armored Division under the command of Lergen. They discuss the current state of affairs, assign responsibilities for future operations, and discuss what their next orders might be. The situation on the battlefield is extremely ambiguous: although the advanced units of the Imperial Army have advanced far, the general situation of the army cannot be called anything but chaotic.
The situation is so strange that those who know Zettour inevitably begin to suspect that this is again part of his scheme. Especially considering that before the announcement of the cease-fire, the Imperial Army received an order to stop its offensive almost standing on the threshold of the Ildoan capital. Then, the ceasefire itself for a whole week, as if Zettour specifically invites his friends to come and bring their toys to play.
And then their orders arrive. The very moment the cease-fire comes to an end they must destroy the enemy's field armies at general offensive, completely crushing any forces that the US has sent. At the same time, clear and unambiguous orders are given for Tanya not to seize the Ildoan capital. Even with an indication of the maximum range she is allowed to approach to it. It is clearly visible that politics is in play.

According to the orders, Tanya begins an operation to destroy enemy mages. Using tanks from Colonel Lergen’s division, they set up a decoy operation. Tanya deliberately orders exude their mana signals in luxury to lure in enemy. But a problem is discovered: Because of Tanya's strict training course, her subordinates are not able to do anything badly. Only mages from the last replenishment, who have not completed the full course of Tanya's training, are able to fast ensure the leakage of a not completely hidden mana signal.
The mages of the 203rd battalion are slowly driving along the Ildoan road, betraying their presence to any observer in full confidence that in the clear sky of Ildoa they will have time to detect the enemy ahead of time. While Tanya is chatting relaxed with her officers, sipping coffee from a thermos, she notices a couple of patrol US mages in the height, marveling aloud at their rigid manner of flight, remembering how long ago her own soldiers behaved the same way and at the same time rejoicing to herself that, just as it was on the eastern front, a new an enemy who has entered the war and has no combat experience still shows carelessness.

According to the data received from the patrol in the sky, the commander of the unit, Corinth Regiment, determines that the enemy are elite Imperial Mages secretly moving with an armored division to penetrate the defensive line. Having advanced with his regiment to intercept the enemy on the way to the Ildoan capital, he, according to the textbook, makes a raid on the mages who ambushed on the ground.
Met with a volley of explosive formulas, the regiment is gaining altitude for coordinated firing, unaware that an experienced enemy knows exactly what actions are being taken in such a situation and how to counter them most effectively. The Imperials break out of the veil of their own explosions and immediately move into close combat.
The commander tried to prevent the regiment from falling apart and continue to reassemble and rebuild the regiment. Tanya, who hated the idea that the regiment would run away seems to have purposely kept their commander alive. Having approximately equalized the number of both sides, Tanya orders her subordinates to finish off the enemy by plunge onto them from above.

With a smile, Tanya slowly walked to Lergen. Lergen's subordinate seemed scared because he saw a little girl wet with the blood of her enemies, smiling from ear to ear. Lergen feels that he has become accustomed to the war because he couldn't instantly understand the feelings of his subordinate. Lergen and Tanya are arguing where Zettour's aim lies.
Lergen asked Tanya, who was present at the meeting between Colonel Carandro and Zettour, about her personal opinion. Tanya replies that Zettour is aiming for world peace. Lergen thinks to himself "What is she saying"? He gave Tany a dumbfounded look and she points out that if world peace isn’t possible, then Zettor's next best option was to watch the world burn to a crisp.
The realization hits Lergen: The idea behind Zettour's actions was to give the alliance of Ildoa and the Unified States a taste of victory after they stopped the Imperial Army's offensive on the capital. Lergen received an order from Zettour there.
It describes a very vicious operation. Ildoa has protected the capital. But the forces sent in to defend the it unable to retreat for political reasons. Zettour ordered a total offensive to destroy this field army. He is going sweep their glorious victory right from under their feet. Tanya feels that this is nothing short of mental torture. Lergen thinks that this exactly what had happened to the Empire.

### Chapter 3 : Appointment

It seems that the embassy call center agent doesn't understand what's going on and thinks it could be a phone prank. Zettour tells his true identity, feeling that the Embassy of the Commonwealth is no big deal. He unilaterally communicated his requirements and hung up his phone. The Commonwealth, which was foretold to seize the royal capital, must have been confused. This trick worked and the Imperial Army was free to move around inside the Ildoa.

Zettour is conducting an inspection at the front line. He gathers the commanders and describes the current achievements of the Imperial Army. Zettour feels lonely that the officers who gathered don't understand the reality. The officers praised Zettour, who continued by saying that he believes in victory with no sense of crisis. Zettour laments the death of Rudersdorf, who could have shared the same feelings as himself.
The Empire seized an industrial area north of Ildoa and a large number of weapons. The Ildoa army is being forced into a situation where soldiers are present but have no weapons to equip. Zettour assures that victory is not far off. It remains only to defeat the troops defending the capital and capture it. After that, if the enemy takes the bait, Imperial Army will cause significant damage to the remaining enemy troops, even if after that it will have to give up the capital, because it itself is of no value to the Empire. But in fact his real only intention was to entangle the Unified States in this war to create a convenient, new enemy.
Thinking over the situation on the way back to the headquarters, Zettour remembers Tanya's trick with the announcement of an attack on the capital of Dacia and decides to repeat it to increase the chances of success. At headquarters, Zettour explains to Colonel Uger the idea of throwing the enemy into confusion with his strange call. Next, Zettour, who ordered a full-scale offensive, decides to head to the front line himself.

It was Tanya's troops that were chosen as his escort. Zettour nominated Lieutenant Grantz and his company, who worked with him in the east. With orders for the 203rd to destroy the enemy's field army, Tanya dislikes the decline in strength of the offensive and attempts to refuse the handover Grantz. Grantz respects Tanya as a gentle boss to her subordinates, he immensely moved by her efforts openly protests in front of her superior for the sake of her subordinate. However, Tanya's plea was not enough to change Zettour’s mind. Poor Lieutenant Grantz remains at the Zettour’s mercy.

In the Ildoan General Staff Office, Colonel Calandro has been desperately trying to warn higher-ups about the level of threat posed by the Imperial Army under Zettour’s command since his negotiations with Zettour. But he does not succeed. The Ildoan Army chose to defend what it thought needed defending, and both military and political reasoning supported this plan of action.
Meanwhile, General Gassman, who is entrusted with the overall command of the Ildoan Army, is considering the situation. Colonel Calandro insisted that the Imperial Army could prepare a frontal assault to capture the capital in order to bring confusion on a grand scale. But the General Gassman agrees with the assessments of US experts that the Imperial Army will prefer to bypass the bases and attack the field armies in order to isolate the bases, as it did in the east.

Tanya, ordered a full-scale attack on the enemy base. The enemy's defense is built solidly, but Tanya declares that this means little, since the Ildoans are inexperienced in battle and they went on the defensive after a series of defeats, which means their morale is low. In parallel with the offensive, they decide to use intimidation tactics making a broad attack and try to make the enemy think that they have a division-sized force.
During the offensive, Tanya is surprised that the enemy only shoots back with artillery, not trying to counterattack. Tanya assumes that the enemy may have locked itself inside the base and so decides to go on a recon in force. The 203rd battalion takes off from tank armor, rushing to enemy positions at low altitude and, without meeting sufficient resistance, unexpectedly successfully breaks through the first defensive line. After that, Tanya is surprised to discover that the Ildoan Army, which has not left the normal thought of not wanting to involve its citizens in the battle, their forces will stick to their defensive positions. With the arrival of a great opportunity, Tanya gladly instructed her troops to overrun the enemy. Then she reports to Colonel Lergen and requests him to break through enemy line and surround them.

Lergen's troops have begun to advance at full speed, they crushed the enemy's field army, reached the Royal Capital and began to engage in occupation.
On this occasion, Zettour went to the capital. He decided to get out of the car and take a walk in the royal capital. Lieutenant Grantz is in a hurry tells him that it is dangerous, and asks Zettour to stop. He argued that it was dangerous because the enemy was not completely destroyed. Zettour Admits that Grantz is a capable military man, but evaluates it as a failure as an officer. Grantz didn't understand the significance of what Zettour was trying to do. Zettour orders Grantz to stop fussing and pull a smile on his face, even if it's fake, after which he explains the reason for his bizarre behavior: to make the whole world believe in the majesty of the Empire, its power, and the menace it was.

### Chapter 4 : Temporary Visitor

Tanya, who found that her subordinates' knowledge was biased, decided to conduct military exercises on the front lines. The Kampfgruppe were poisoned by total war, which is unthinkable in common sense. They didn't think it was dangerous to do live ammunition exercises near the front line. But exercise did not satisfy Tanya. A mage, which was a messenger from high command with Zettour's orders flew to inform that Zettour has ordered Tanya to secure the area around the royal capital.
Worried about what to do with scarce troops, Tanya strives to understand the true meaning of Zettour words. She recalls that Zettour said he would not stick to the occupation of the royal capital. This leads to the understanding that the intention is to make a show for other countries. Zettour will orchestrate a crippling strategic attack. His main objective is riling up the Unified States media. For the best execution of Zettour 's idea, Tanya decides to make an attack on the US artillery position, then using their own guns and shells to fire at their own troops.

While the Kampfgruppe is staging a traditional attack on an artillery position, the main part of the 203rd is raiding enemy gunners. After securing the guns, the last company brings their gunners by air. After a little preparation, they begin a storm of shelling.
A mages from the Unified States rushed there to the aid. In a battle of equal numbers, the 203rd clearly gains the upper hand. However, the enemy commander was unexpectedly capable, and remains persistent. Tanya, deciding to limit the bloodshed, offers the enemy leader surrender, though he continued to fight on nonetheless. As a result, the mages of the Unified States was annihilated.
Tanya’s unit calmly returned to the base. It was a perfect fulfillment of Zettour's request. That’s when a telegram arrives with fresh orders to prepare for redeployment to the eastern front.

Upon arriving at Ildoa, Lieutenant Colonel Drake was unexpectedly promoted. It is politically unforgivable that the highest rank within the multinational volunteer unit was Colonel Mikel of the Federation. He seems restless of being promoted for political reasons, but he hears even worse news.
Colonel Drake has been informed that the mages of the Unified States has been annihilated. Multinational volunteer unit, to which Captain Drake belongs to, was effectively the only only western forces that remained. The ambassador who brought him the story seems to be frustrated, Drake points out that his strength is too low for him to deal with the Imperial mage corps. But he assigned to do so out of necessity.

Meanwhile Zettour calls Lieutenant Colonel Ugar and announces that he will be promoted. It seems that Ugar thought that he would be removed from the post railroad and logistics manager and be in fact demoted, but he wasn't. Zettour decided to promote Ugar to a colonel to make a plan to shuttle the supplies needed for total war from the Royal Capital.

Tanya, would visit the Royal Capital of Ildoa to meet Zettour, to confirm plans to be returned to the Eastern Front. Lounge and the café of the hotel that currently houses the Empire’s command staff are overflowing with Imperial soldiers. There, she She meets Colonel Ugar again.
Tanya is pleased her acquaintance’s promotion. She was invited, by Ugar to drive to the Ildoa’s central train station. A train full of supplies was waiting for departure from the station. Here, Ugar teaches Zettour's overly vicious plan to Tanya. Zettour decided to evacuate the refugees from the north to the Royal Capital. Moreover, it seems that it is a voluntary evacuation of those who wish, removing potential partisans from the north. Tanya is surprised to find out that Zettour plans to put the burden of feeding refugees on the US supply line. Ugar seems to have felt that Zettour’s humanity is being lost in his strategic mindset.

### Chapter 5 : Hard Work

Tanya decided to lend an air fleet from Lergen. She is aiming for Ildoa's port facility and decided to destroy it via a paratrooper mission. The battalion is delivered to the sky above the port and makes an airdrop. There, Tanya felt unpleasant and gives instructions to fully use magic. The battalion was hit by intense anti-aircraft fire from the port facility. The idea is to grind the Imperials down with an overwhelming amount of force. Tanya has made a shift in her strategy, evading shots left and right with her ridiculous agility.
Tanya found that the US Army and the Ildoa Army had a weak sense of unity and collaboration between the two forces here in coordinating strategies was spotty at best. She took advantage of it and decided to destroy the port facilities with their bombardment. 203rd descend and move clinging to the ground. The enemy has fired an anti-aircraft guns horizontally to defeat the mages. The Enemies stunned by her maneuver fired as she intended. Avoiding shells seems easy for the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion. The port facilities are destroyed by the enemy's own bombardment. Enemies who realize that the number of friendly fires on their allies is increasing slow down the bombardment. 203rd uses this to attack enemy anti-aircraft batteries.
But there came an Alliance's mages led by Colonel Drake. Tanya recognizes Colonel Drake, as a pervert from the eastern front who tried use suicide-bomb tactics, and Lieutenant Sue, who does she find too cumbersome. Tanya sends Major Weiss to deal with Drake, while she and Lieutenant Celebryakov deal with Sue.
Lieutenant Sue withstands the full attack of Tanya and Lieutenant Celebryakov. Tanya is frustrated by the terrifying hardness of herdefensive shell. Tanya, who decided that they couldn't shoot her out of the sky alone, decided to add Lieutenant Grants' company in fray. Even after being attacked by the company Lieutenant Sue still in air.
Colonel Drake and his mages are desperately fighting off Major Weiss' company while the situation is gradually getting worse for the Alliance. But the situation changes when US marine mages arrive from the sea. The brave marine mages have begun firing on the 203rd. The Marine mages began to push and the Imperials are forced to begin an organized retreat.
Then Colonel Drake has been accused by the Imperial Army via radio. The Imperials seems to have been indignant at the Marine mages who uses buckshot ammunition against humans. Colonel Drake was confused.

After the battle Tanya sent a sarcastic telegram. She thanked the mages of Commonwealth for contribution to the destruction of the port facility and transport ships and says that she wants to help people who deserve it to receive Imperial awards for it. Colonel Drake is beginning to doubt the sanity of the Imperial Army.

### Chapter 6 : Logistic Warfare

Preparing for the war, US were well aware of the importance of logistics and prepared an impeccable supply system. Even taking into account the loss of the Ildoan northern industrial zones and the need to fully equip their army, the US believed that this would only slightly reduce the assistance they provided to other allies, Commonwealth, the Free Republic, and the Federation. And even the possibility of providing food to the population of territories that they may temporarily occupy in the future was not considered a problem.
However, the Empire's seizure of critical storages of the staple grains in the north with the simultaneous mass sending of refugees to the south caused a gradually growing shortage of food. The peak of the food shortage occurred just at the time of the arrival of the main US expeditionary forces, creating the appearance for the world that this is the US cause of the food shortage. Compelled by public opinion, the US was forced to take over the provision of food for the entire southern Ildoa, which overloaded their logistics. This deprived the expeditionary forces of the ability to launch a counteroffensive against the Empire.

Meanwhile, in the Federation, Loria is trying to convince his Party comrades that Zettour's Ildoan campaign is designed to worsen the Federation's situation by depriving it of foreign supplies by opening a second front. And also that, preparing for the inevitable defeat of the Empire, Zettour is preparing to set US, the future liberators of Ildoa and the saviors of their population from starvation, to the whole world as the main contributor to the war in order to deprive the Federation of its "legitimate victory".
Loria are proposing to launch a winter offensive to regain the leading role.

When most of the Imperial units left the Royal Capital, Tanya, who remained in the rearguard, decides that it will be more advantageous to speed up her own "swift retreat should the enemy attack" by deliberately luring opponents to the city.
Having warned the remaining forces in the capital, Tanya goes to attack the nearest US Marine base.

Lieutenant Sue learns that the US Marines have been attacked and informs Colonel Drake that she is ready to move out as reinforcements. Drake tries to reason with Sue, explaining that they are a reserve, and until a request for reinforcements has been received from the Marines, they cannot move on their own initiative. Annoyed by Sue's "righteous zeal", Drake yells at her "The army is not a place to play heroes, understand, if you can't, get out of here."
Upon hearing this, Lieutenant Sue decides to do just that and calls out to her fellow volunteers and decides to sortie. She was told to go out, so she was going out, acting like a child. Sue's speech seems to have touched the hearts some of her peers and with them she took flight.
Tanya’s batalion were planning to withdraw, so they ran away pretending to be afraid after firs clash with Lieutenant Sue. Lieutenant Sue chase after Imperial mages until finds herself in the sky above the city. She went over the Royal Capital and find out that there is no Imperial Army. She delighted to have "liberated" city. Believing that the empire is evil and must disappear from the world, she put the Unified States flag on the Royal Capital of Ildoa, now confident that Empire’s end was nigh.

The loss of the Royal Capital was reported to Zettour, who was chatting with Counselor Konrad. Counselor Konrad thought it was strange that the Alliance forces were caught in Zettour’s trap. He replies that they wanted to believe that "Justice will prevail over the evil Empire". Which is why they fooled themselves and fell for it.
And if the world so desperately desires to be fooled, then Zettour shall fool it.