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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Damn it.”
That damned insomnia was acting up even on the battlefield. I should have gotten a prescription for sleeping pills.
After tossing and turning, I got up and went outside. It was a good thing that all my platoon members were women, so we slept in separate tents.
If we had shared a tent, none of us would have been able to sleep properly.
If the Platoon Leader was tired, at least the platoon members should be in good condition.
As I stepped outside, the flames from the torches, set up for visibility, flickered. It was a particularly moonless night, making the stars even more visible.
I rummaged through my pockets, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. Come to think of it, wasn’t a cigarette also a sedative? Maybe it would help me sleep.
“Inhale… Exhale.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled, a cloud of acrid smoke billowing out. The cigarettes supplied by the Ukrainian army tasted awful compared to modern ones, but… each puff calmed my mind.
‘Later… should I try developing flavored cigarettes? Seems quite profitable.’
War wasn’t the only thing you could do in Hearts of General. Even in reality, generals didn’t just command troops and fight wars.
During ceasefires that lasted for several years, or after a war ended, you had to manage the military’s internal affairs, dabble in civilian businesses, and fill the nation’s coffers in advance.
With that money, you could develop better weapons, expand factory complexes for weapon production, increase military spending, gather troops, and then start another war. That was the standard path to victory in Hearts of General.
‘Well, that’s for later.’
In the game, months would fly by, but now that I was stuck in this world, I couldn’t even fathom how many years it would take.
‘It’s a good thing I don’t have any family left. Even if I can’t go back, I won’t have any regrets…’
I briefly thought about reality. My 7-pyeong studio apartment. My gym membership card and shopping basket. My high-end desktop computer. And my army officer’s dress uniform hanging on the coat rack.
After being discharged, I had spent my life playing games, doing nothing else. That was how I managed to achieve 10,000 hours of playtime.
I had unintentionally re-enlisted… but I had often missed this familiar atmosphere.
‘Now that things have come to this, it might not be so bad to give up on clearing the game and just stay here forever.’
Just as I was puffing away at my cigarette, lost in thought,
“Wake up!! All troops, wake up!!”
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!!
Commotion erupted in the quiet garrison. A sharp bell rang repeatedly from the 18th Infantry Regiment’s building.
“Wake up!! Wake up!!! Emergency!”
I immediately threw my cigarette on the ground and grabbed a soldier running between the tents.
“What’s going on?”
Perhaps he had been on guard duty, as his hand, clutching the duty roster, was trembling.
“Belgordo Fortress has fallen!!”
The fall of Belgordo Fortress.
Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart Cromwell, the Mage Battalion Commander, jumped up from his seat as if having a seizure as soon as he heard the news.
“What?!”
He had just received a report from the reconnaissance unit that the fortress was safe. For it to fall to bandits in just a few hours was beyond comprehension.
Lockhart wasn’t the only one who couldn’t hide his surprise. The reactions of the senior officers of the 18th Infantry Regiment, including Colonel Alvin Nova, the Regiment Commander, were no different.
“What are you talking about?!”
“We just received a report from the reconnaissance unit stationed closest to the fortress! The western wall collapsed in an explosion, and bandits have infiltrated the fortress!”
“Damn it! Prepare for deployment immediately! We can’t let them get away!”
As soon as the Regiment Commander’s order was given, the signalmen frantically rang the alarm bells. Soldiers, officers, and non-commissioned officers alike poured out of their barracks.
It was complete chaos, but… fortunately, since the operation plan had already been disseminated, the soldiers of the 18th Infantry Regiment quickly grasped the situation and started forming ranks.
Lockhart Cromwell’s 3rd Battalion, scheduled to deploy with them, was no exception. Since the Mage Battalion had fewer personnel than a regular infantry battalion and simpler equipment, it was only natural that their formation was completed faster.
“All troops, carry out the operation as instructed!!”
The Battalion Commander’s voice boomed in the night, and the mage battalion members responded with a sharp salute.
“Glory to the Motherland!!”
The infantry regiment, also fully assembled, marched and dispersed in formation. The three Company Commanders lined up in front of Lockhart also left, leading their respective units.
Their current opponents were just bandits. No matter how they managed to cause an explosion and capture the fortress, now that the reinforcements were deployed, they were as good as dead.
The difference between having mage support and not having it was like night and day.
“I expect to hear news of victory by dawn,” Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart muttered.
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“Second Lieutenant Enoch, your platoon is temporarily assigned to the 4th Company. The commander is Lieutenant Ivan.”
While we were moving towards the fortress, I received a scroll with a small operation map drawn on it from Company Commander Ardent.
The words “Operation Plan” written in large letters caught my eye.
‘Is it okay to hand over something this important right before deployment…?’
It was absurd, something unimaginable in modern times, but… considering this was a world without proper communication methods, where messages were delivered by pigeons or runners, it was understandable.
We were practically being deployed on an emergency basis.
“Since you’re on the far flank, you won’t have to directly engage the enemy.”
“Still, just in case, if we do provide magic support, what kind of magic should we prioritize?”
“Refrain from red magic as much as possible. I heard the trees in the forest are highly flammable.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
‘This means… I should just tell Lumia to stay put.’
Lumia, already anxious, and specializing in red magic, would have to be completely excluded from this battle.
Of course, this was only if combat was unavoidable. If the enemy didn’t attack, there would be no need for Lumia to use magic.
“Company Commander, I have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“I heard the fortress was breached. What exactly happened?”
Belgordo Fortress was one of the areas I vaguely remembered.
It was a frontline fortress bordering the Soviet Empire, the first to be attacked whenever I played as the Soviet Empire. Due to the steep terrain, it was small, and with only one decent supply route, it had the worst possible defense conditions.
The fact that the Ukraine Principality hadn’t expanded or reinforced the fortress, instead using it as a forward observation base… was proof that they didn’t consider it important.
But that was only against a regular army.
‘It shouldn’t have fallen to bandits so easily.’
Even a shabby fortress still had real walls surrounding it.
Unless they used ladders to scale the walls, siege weapons to break down the gates, or mobilized mage or artillery units for bombardment… there was no way a group of bandits could capture a fortress through conventional means.
Just looking at Belgordo’s layout on the map, it was definitely not a size that could be taken by bandits armed with melee weapons or outdated guns.
“I haven’t received the details, but the reconnaissance unit reported observing an explosion. The bandits must have had portable explosives.”
“The bandits are excessively armed.”
“Indeed. Anyway, I’ll be relying on you on the flank. Let’s have a drink together after we successfully complete the mission.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Ardent gave me a grin and left to relay the operation plan to the other platoon leaders.
Watching him jogging away, I realized… how advanced modern technology was. This world was set in a time before electricity, let alone electronic communication.
For me, who had enjoyed the conveniences of 21st-century civilization without a second thought, this was one of the hardest things to adapt to in this world.
I could have communicated with the Company Commander in real time if I had a signalman by my side.
Still, the sight of dozens of soldiers advancing with torches in hand was quite a spectacle.
A spectacle before a potentially fatal battle against bandits? It felt somewhat surreal, but what could I do? Losing my sense of reality on the battlefield wasn’t new.
Well, as the Platoon Leader, I had to relay this information. I slipped back and approached Lumia and Belle, who were walking at the rear.
“Sergeant Lumia Blyue.”
“Yes, Second Lieutenant.”
It was still deep into the night, long before dawn, but Sergeant Lumia’s brilliant silver hair was still clearly visible.
“You’re forbidden from using magic in today’s battle, Sergeant. Even if you encounter the enemy, only use your sidearm.”
“Yes, I underst… What?! Could you repeat that?”
“Sergeant Lumia, you’re forbidden from using magic.”
“Wh, why?”
She asked back, startled. Did she really not know?
I held her gaze without answering. As if understanding the implication, she quickly averted her eyes.
You know why, right?
Even without me asking, Lumia nodded and replied, “Yes, I understand.”
Even if she couldn’t earn merits, I absolutely wanted to avoid another ‘accident’ and being dragged in front of the Battalion Commander.
Even if Lumia felt disappointed, it couldn’t be helped. She would surely understand.
…Probably?
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