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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“All troops disperse and standby! Signalmen, quickly assess the terrain in your assigned areas!”
At Lieutenant Ivan’s command, the soldiers scattered, forming a fan shape. Even breech-loading muskets couldn’t compare to modern rifles in terms of accuracy.
It was impossible to accurately aim and kill in the darkness, with limited visibility. Therefore, forming a dense firing line was essential. It was a matter of hitting the target with even a stray bullet.
Fortunately, Lieutenant Ivan, in charge of field command, seemed to be an officer with considerable experience and knowledge in such tactics.
Even from my modern perspective, the unit deployment wasn’t bad. He was quite skilled at strategically positioning the signalmen for fast and efficient fire control.
‘He’s quite experienced for someone who looks so young.’
Of course, with a ‘Lieutenant’ as the Company Commander, the unit’s combat power and scale felt like second-rate compared to other units.
That’s probably why we were assigned to the far flank, where the expected contribution was the lowest.
“Do you think the enemy will come this far?”
“I’m not sure.”
Lieutenant Ivan replied casually to my question. We had set up a temporary command post about 50 meters away from the front line where the combat platoons were deployed.
The Mage Corps’s role was rear fire support and engaging enemy mages.
We had to respond immediately to Company Commander Lieutenant Ivan’s orders and needed a broad view of the battlefield, so we could standby in a relatively safe location.
“This isn’t the main offensive point where intense fighting is expected, and even if some bandits escape, it won’t be easy for them to reach this far, the edge of the encirclement.”
That made sense.
Although the fortress fell faster than expected, the objective itself hadn’t changed: subdue the bandits who attacked Belgordo Fortress, and rescue the remaining troops or recapture the fortress.
The reason the Mage Battalion was included in a simple bandit suppression mission was to account for the possibility of the fortress falling into enemy hands.
If the bandits holed up inside the fortress, the plan was to bombard them with magic and recapture it.
“Since their numbers are estimated to be around two hundred at most, it’ll probably just be a few fleeing after the main force attacks.”
The Lieutenant’s adjutant added. She didn’t seem to think differently.
“Are there only two members in your platoon, Second Lieutenant?” she asked curiously.
“Well, for now, yes. There are more, but there are some circumstances.”
“Ah… I apologize. Usually, a mage platoon has about five members. I’ve never seen one with only two.”
“There’s no need to apologize.”
“Adjutant, refrain from unnecessary chatter.”
“Yes, sir!!!”
She quickly straightened her posture at the sharp command. As expected, appearances didn’t lie.
Lieutenant Ivan’s first impression was that of a strict, by-the-book officer. He was definitely more rigid than our Captain Ardent. Still, his fundamentals were solid, so he would likely be promoted to Captain without any problems.
Just then…
Bang, bang! Sharp gunshots echoed faintly in the distance. Loud shouts were mixed in.
“Company Commander! Gunshots from the front!”
As a signalman, who had been positioned ahead, came running back, Lieutenant Ivan raised his hand to stop him.
“I know, I heard them too.”
He replied casually, loading his pistol. The main force that entered the fortress and the troops surrounding the area had engaged in combat.
“Relay this to all deployed units: Remain calm and respond composedly to the situation at the front. Platoon Leaders and senior non-commissioned officers, be aware of the positions of adjacent platoons.”
As the situation became more chaotic, the soldiers on the front lines would inevitably become anxious.
Lieutenant Ivan gave additional orders to prevent any accidents like friendly fire due to misjudgment.
“Glory to the Motherland!”
The signalman saluted and ran back to the front lines. The chances of encountering retreating or fleeing bandits had increased. I should also start preparing.
“Sergeant Belle Meyer, come here.”
Although mage soldiers were supposed to be able to handle all five elements, they usually specialized in one.
One of the reasons Sergeant Lumia Blyue was excluded from this battle was because she was a red mage specializing in ‘fire.’
However, Belle Meyer was a blue mage specializing in water, the opposite of Lumia. Since we were in a mountainous area, water magic was naturally safer than fire magic, which posed a fire hazard.
“Activate.”
Belle Meyer activated her mana core at my command. The spreading mana instantly enveloped her body.
The strong scent of magic tickled my nose. As the blue light gently illuminated the dark night, even Lieutenant Ivan looked at Sergeant Belle with a hint of wonder.
And I felt the same.
‘Damn, I heard she had excellent Endurance, but it’s not that she needs to conserve mana, she just has an overwhelming amount.’
I had been reading books on magic power, mana, and magecraft for two days straight. Having gained some knowledge, I could clearly see how absurd Belle Meyer’s display was.
“Sergeant Belle, you’re not to cast any magic until I give you the order.”
“Understood.”
She nodded in reply. I calmly observed the situation. Belle’s magic was the absolute last resort. The infantry deployed at the front should be enough to handle fleeing bandits.
Bang! Bang, bang!
Sharp gunshots rang out again. Closer this time. Probably the 3rd Company forming the encirclement nearby.
“It seems there are more fleeing enemies than expected.”
“It appears so.”
Since even the adjacent unit had started firing, there was a high chance that enemies would flee in our direction.
‘So this is my first real combat experience. It’ll be good practice since we’re up against bandits.’
I had long since realized that the situation I was in was reality disguised as a game. But the objective given to me wasn’t realistic at all.
The clear condition for this ‘world’ was to establish the crumbling Ukraine Principality as a great nation in history.
To achieve this impossible goal, I needed more experience. Perhaps this battle would be the first stepping stone.
“Company Commander!! Urgent report from the 7th Platoon holding the first line! Enemy group sighted 200 meters ahead!”
A different signalman appeared, emerging from the darkness. He was breathing heavily, as if he had been running for a long time.
Since visibility was limited at night, signalmen like him were running tirelessly.
“Open fire. From now on, each unit will respond based on its own judgment!”
“I’ll relay the order immediately!!”
Not long after he ran back to deliver the message, gunshots rang out from our side as well.
Bang! Bang!! Bang!!
‘It feels like I’m at a shooting range.’
The thought suddenly came to mind. It was only natural since everyone was equipped with single-shot rifles.
The rifles currently equipped by the 18th Infantry Regiment were standard Summerfield rifles with decent performance.
Their breech-loading mechanism was their biggest advantage, allowing them to be used even while taking cover.
But it didn’t take me long to sense something strange.
“The gunshots aren’t stopping.”
Our mission was to suppress the retreating enemy. And it wasn’t just Lieutenant Ivan’s company that was tasked with this mission. The far left flank.
While it was called the flank, it was effectively an encirclement formed by two companies. Even if they were second-rate troops from the battalion, they shouldn’t have been easily breached by a few panicked bandits.
Bang! Bang!!!
But the gunshots didn’t stop. Shouts, gunshots, and screams mixed together in the distance, making it difficult to grasp the situation.
‘Could this be…?’
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who sensed something was wrong. Lieutenant Ivan and I made eye contact, and he jumped up and asked,
“Second Lieutenant Enoch! Do you have any magic that can illuminate the front?”
“Magic to illuminate the front…”
I easily recalled a spell.
Flare. A basic red magic spell that launched a flare into the sky, providing a light source for a certain period. It was a tactical spell I often used in night battles in the game.
“Lumia! Cast Flare!”
“What?! M, magic? But you forbade…”
“I cancel that order! It’s not a lethal spell, is it! Hurry up and cast it!!”
“Uh, well…”
“What are you waiting for!! Cast it!!”
As she hesitated, I yelled, and Lumia, startled, began casting the spell. The red mana emanating from her mana core formed a round flame like the sun.
“F, Flare!!”
Flash! With a bright flash, it soared into the air. The light was so bright, it was almost like the sun had risen.
Then, the battlefield, hidden in the darkness, became clearly visible.
“!!!!”
It wasn’t just one or two bandits retreating. A group of dozens, heavily armed, were charging towards the encirclement. No, they weren’t even retreating.
The edge of the spread-out flank. Thinly spread troops. Second-rate soldiers with relatively low proficiency.
They were trying to break through this area, the most vulnerable part of the formation. It wasn’t a retreat, but a sharp attack aimed at breaking through our encirclement.
“Damn it! Sergeant Belle!!! Fire!!”
“Understood! Water Bomb!!!”
As soon as my order was given, Belle’s prepared magic poured out.
The real battle had begun.
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