Meanwhile, the fleeing soldiers began hearing stories about the Resistance.
They distributed land across the region, liberated farmers, and gave ordinary people better lives.
The Resistance included not only fighters, but also ordinary people who had once been just like them.
These people fought for their own survival and freedom, not in service to some Feudal Lord perched high above them.
The Resistance championed equality and justice, calling for the overthrow of aristocratic rule and opportunities for everyone. Such ideals stirred longing in many soldiers.
Quite a few soldiers began discussing in secret, "Why can't we join the Resistance? They're helping us, giving us land, letting us live better lives. Why should we keep laying down our lives for those Feudal Lords?"
More and more soldiers realized that they had gained nothing from the war.
What the Resistance offered was a fairer world—a chance to fight for themselves, rather than sacrifice their lives for those rulers.
People began to question, "If we all join the Resistance, why should we keep fighting for the Feudal Lords?"
As these doubts fermented, more and more soldiers chose to leave the Five Nations Allied Army.
This sentiment spread especially quickly among units composed of commoners.
Many soldiers laid down their weapons during battle and actively sought out the Resistance to surrender. The Resistance did not reject these newcomers. Instead, they accepted them and gave them new identities and beliefs.
"We're not fighting to throw our lives away for others. We're fighting for ourselves, our families, and a fairer future!" a soldier who had defected to the Resistance declared loudly after joining. More soldiers began following their example, and this wave of defections spread like wildfire through the regions liberated by the Resistance.
Severe divisions began to emerge within the Five Nations Allied Army.
Soldiers