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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The battalion’s troops were deployed at the 18th Infantry Regiment’s garrison. Against the backdrop of white field tents flapping in the wind, the platoon leaders of our company, including myself, gathered.
We were there to receive the operation plan.
“Attention.”
“Attention!!”
We all echoed Captain Ardent’s command. The Captain, a stickler for formality, smiled with satisfaction and tapped the documents.
“I’ll quickly brief you on the operation. You’re all proper mage officers, so engrave these details in your minds instead of on paper.”
“Yes, sir!”
The other platoon leaders responded casually, as if it were nothing special. I was the only one who couldn’t smile.
“The objective of this expedition is to rescue Belgordo Fortress, about 4km from our current location. The force currently pressuring the fortress has been confirmed to be bandits who crossed the border from the Soviet Empire.”
It wasn’t surprising. Bandit attacks on military fortresses weren’t uncommon in Hearts of General. Whether in peacetime or wartime, they were like termites, plundering military supplies and gradually chipping away at the already insufficient forces.
That’s why, especially when playing as the Soviet Empire or the three Baltic nations, where bandit activity was high, issuing a ‘Suppression Decree,’ which drastically reduced bandit spawns, was standard procedure.
‘I don’t have the authority to issue a Suppression Decree yet.’
I clicked my tongue in frustration and focused on Captain Ardent’s briefing again.
“Their numbers are estimated to be around two hundred. The fortress’s outer watchtower has fallen, but the rest of the facilities are intact.”
“As expected. Even Belgordo wouldn’t fall to a few bandits.”
1st Platoon Leader, Krampus Adel, nodded in agreement. As the leader of the vanguard 1st Platoon, he was a Lieutenant with an air of seasoned experience.
“Therefore, we’ll spend a day reorganizing our troops and deploy all forces tomorrow morning at 6:00. Our 2nd Company will be responsible for magical support on the left flank of the infantry regiment. That’s all. Any questions?”
“No, sir.”
“Good! Then you’re dismissed. 5th Platoon Leader, stay behind for a moment.”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Ardent singled me out. I had a bad feeling about this. He waited patiently for the other platoon leaders to leave the tent, then pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket.
“Let’s have a smoke.”
Flick.
I quickly struck a match and lit the Company Commander’s cigarette.
“Phew… Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
“You’re quite quick and perceptive for a new Second Lieutenant fresh from the academy. 5th Platoon Leader, are you re-enlisting?”
“Absolutely not, sir.”
At my firm denial, Ardent let out his characteristic chuckle.
“Hehehe, just kidding. You arrived at just the right age, anyway. Even though our Principality is short on troops, we don’t force children who haven’t even had their coming-of-age ceremony into the military yet.”
Of course, that was only true until the war broke out. Once the world war began, the demand for child soldiers would surge in every nation on the continent.
“Anyway… the reason I called you separately is because there’s been a significant change in tomorrow’s operation.”
“May I ask what that is?”
“…We can no longer keep you as reserves. Your 5th Platoon will be responsible for supporting the far left flank.”
“Really?”
It was an unexpected answer. He had specifically come to me before deployment and told me that my platoon wouldn’t have a separate mission. I had expected rear support or reserve duty, but…
“Honestly, even the Battalion Commander seemed worried, but the 2nd Infantry Battalion, responsible for the left flank, strongly insisted on your platoon’s participation in the operation.”
Why? Of course, from the infantry’s perspective, they might not want to see the mage support troops idling around.
The Mage Corps was often perceived as a ‘safe and easy’ position compared to the infantry, who were exposed to enemy fire on the front lines.
I mean, even in reality, people constantly argued about which military occupation was tougher.
It was similar here.
‘But why my platoon? We only have three members, including the Platoon Leader, and Lockhart even warned them that there were problems.’
I was puzzled, knowing the full situation.
‘Well, I guess the Battalion Commander can’t defy the Regiment Commander. Especially since he’s the support unit Battalion Commander.’
Our Mage Battalion was purely a support unit in this operation, and the command and decision-making authority rested with the ‘18th Regiment Commander,’ the main attacker.
I figured that if the 2nd Battalion Commander requested it and the Regiment Commander approved, Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart wouldn’t have a choice.
“Anyway… since things have turned out this way, there’s something I want to ask of you.”
Even Captain Ardent was just a Company Commander. He had to follow orders from above.
“Try to keep Sergeant Lumia Blyue out of combat as much as possible. If there’s another ‘friendly fire’ incident like last time, it’ll be a disaster.”
“Friendly fire?”
“Yes. Don’t mention it to Sergeant Lumia. I’m telling you this because you have the right to know as her Platoon Leader.”
I finally understood why Sergeant Lumia Blyue had been reluctant to talk about the past.
‘Did she accidentally cause friendly fire with her magic?’
“Her magical power is top-notch. Honestly, she’s too valuable to be wasting away in a useless platoon like this. However…”
I casually continued Ardent’s words, white smoke escaping my mouth.
“The fact that the higher-ups aren’t taking any special measures despite her value means they’ve judged her to be more of a risk.”
“Exactly. As for Sergeant Belle Meyer, her condition seems good recently, so we can assume there’s no risk of a mana outburst.”
Mana outburst. A state where a mage loses control and indiscriminately fires magic at both allies and enemies.
It was a worst-case scenario, causing tremendous aftermath whether it happened on the battlefield or anywhere else. That was Sergeant Belle Meyer’s critical flaw.
“Are there any warning signs?”
“If her eyes lose focus and she freezes up, subdue her, even if you have to knock her unconscious. That’s the only way.”
I received invaluable advice from the Company Commander. I engraved this information in my mind more firmly than the operation plan I had just heard.
Keep Lumia out of combat as much as possible. Subdue Belle Meyer if her eyes lose focus.
It might seem excessive, but it was a way to protect them.
If a friendly fire incident or a mana outburst occurred during a regular operation, even Company Commander Ardent wouldn’t be able to easily bear the responsibility.
“…I’m seriously asking you this. This is an opportunity for you as the 5th Platoon Leader.”
“I understand.”
I tapped the ash off my cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray on the field desk.
“Leave it to me.”
Captain Ardent seemed quite worried. It was understandable. He had unexpectedly been handed a ticking time bomb.
But from my perspective…
‘This is even better.’
It was an opportunity from the heavens. If I successfully completed this operation, I could establish myself as someone firmly in control of the platoon.
I had no intention of screwing up this golden opportunity.
“Then I’ll go back and rest. I also need to discuss tomorrow’s operation with my platoon members.”
“Alright, good work. May your confidence lead to a successful mission.”
“Glory to the Motherland!”
“Glory.”
With a sharp salute, I left the Company Commander’s tent. The sky was painted with a red sunset. The eve of my first operation.
I needed to be thoroughly prepared. I had plenty of time. The deployment was at 6:00 am, so I could get enough rest, right?
…It didn’t take long for me to realize how naive that thought was.
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Dimitri, a soldier of the border patrol unit directly under the 8th Division of the Northern Corps stationed at Belgordo Fortress, gulped down the alcohol he had secretly stashed away.
Drinking during combat? It was absolutely forbidden, but there was no one to stop him, exhausted from two days of bandit attacks.
When he wasn’t even sure if he would see tomorrow’s sun, why would he fear a court-martial?
“Dimitri, give me a sip.”
The other soldiers felt the same. They had requested reinforcements, but it was unclear when they would arrive.
The carrier pigeons sent by the defense commander, responsible for the fortress’s defense, seemed to have died along the way, as none had returned.
The situation was nothing short of desperate.
“Damn it, what the hell is in this tiny fortress that they want so badly?” Dimitri cursed as he handed over his bottle.
Bandit attacks. Of course, they were a daily occurrence in the border region, but this was the first time they had faced such a fierce attack.
It had been two days since they started defending the fortress. The outer watchtower, which they had barely managed to hold, had fallen.
And the severed head of their comrade, who had defended his position to the end, was now displayed on the watchtower.
It was a vicious attack, completely different from the usual bandit raids where they would probe, get hit with a barrage of bullets, and flee.
“Don’t you think there are more of them than yesterday?”
“I thought so too.”
Something was strange. It was as if they were determined to capture this fortress.
“…Is it because of that? Didn’t a shipment arrive from the Lahit Principality the day before yesterday?”
“It’s just military supplies. Probably just cigarettes, uniforms, and ammunition. What’s there to steal?”
The Lahit Principality was one of the three Walter nations bordering Ukraine.
Since the Lahit Principality, among the Walter nations, maintained a particularly friendly relationship with Ukraine… supplies were often stored at the fortress for faster transport.
“The shipment is just a smokescreen. Listen. I don’t think these guys are just bandits. Don’t you think they’re spies sent by the Soviet Empire?”
“What? Why would they attack a border fortress? They can’t be thinking of starting a war, can they?”
“Who knows?”
The soldiers were just throwing around baseless speculations. Just then…
“Wait. What’s that?”
A soldier chatting with Dimitri pointed towards the darkness.
“Dimitri! Look at that! What does it look like to you!?”
“Ugh, what the hell is it?”
He took the remaining bottle, drained it to the last drop, and looked up unsteadily. Pitch black darkness, without a single moonbeam. A faint, flickering red light caught his eye.
“A circle…? Isn’t that a magic circle?”
But Dimitri never found out what it was. A barrage of flames erupted from the darkness, instantly turning him to ashes.
“Aaaaagh!!”
“Wh, what?! A mage!? There’s a mage among the enemies!!”
Just as the soldiers shouted in surprise,
BOOOOOM!!!
A tremendous explosion erupted, and the fortress walls, which had stood firm against several attacks, crumbled.
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