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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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After that, there were no more attacks from Sonya Zeppelin.
Not only had she refrained from using magic, but the dense forest surrounding the cliffs also effectively concealed the smoke. The food situation wasn’t too difficult to manage either.
Perhaps it was fortunate that the desolate, snow-covered mountains, devoid of human activity, were teeming with edible wildlife. Some of the soldiers had grown up in the harsh northern regions, so they skillfully crafted traps and began hunting rabbits and deer.
Of course, carelessly using guns or magic ran the risk of alerting Sonya Zeppelin, so all butchering and cooking had to be done by hand.
Also, the 1st Squad members, led by Claude, discovered a stream near the foot of the mountain, providing a continuous supply of drinking water.
They also gathered edible plants like arrowroot and wild raspberries that grew around the area.
Despite the readily available food supply, due to the nature of the snowy mountains, quite a few soldiers exhibited symptoms of hypothermia. In those cases, by having them warm themselves inside the ‘Igloos’ devised by Bell Meyer, non-combat losses were minimized.
Just like that, 72 hours passed in the snowy mountains. As the thick morning fog lifted, and the bright sun rose beyond the towering peaks…
“Good work!!! Everyone!!!”
Sonya Zeppelin’s voice echoed throughout the snowy mountains. To be precise, it came from inside the bodies of the officers, including the platoon leaders. A small, dot-like magic inscription on the wrist. Analyzing the inscription revealed a very simple format that played a recorded voice at a set time.
Was it because the inscription was made by an Archmage that we didn’t notice it?
I finally realized that Sonya Zeppelin hadn’t been tracking our location simply through magic or smoke from fires.
‘…I thought it was strange that she pushed us into the snowy mountains without any countermeasures, but she had it all planned out like this.’
Our Sonya Zeppelin, always a step ahead. The Lieutenant Colonel must have bombarded the area with magic whenever there was any detectable magical energy or signs of a campfire.
Considering the ridiculous amount of effort we put into changing our operational boundaries and moving stealthily to conceal ourselves, only to realize we were already completely exposed… it was unavoidable to feel a sense of futility.
“The current time is 7:30 AM! This is to announce the official end of the snow mountain survival training! All members of the 8th Assault Magic Infantry Battalion are to complete their descent by 9:00 AM! That is all!”
Her cheerful voice was particularly irritating.
‘Later… When I achieve great merit and rise above Sonya Zeppelin, I will flick her forehead…!!’
I clenched my fists and made up my mind. “Definitely!”
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As soon as they heard the announcement that the training was over, the soldiers prepared to move faster than ever before.
“Damn it, I’ll never piss in this direction again.”
“The north is now a hellish land…”
The soldiers packed their belongings while spewing colorful curses. It struck me once again, whether it’s reality or this world, people are really all the same. I chuckled and looked at the lined-up troops.
“Everyone accounted for? Any injuries?”
“None, sir!!”
Thanks to the excellent leadership of the platoon commanders under my command, there were no casualties in the company. There were dangerous situations, like encountering Yetis, but the fact that there were no injuries was commendable.
“Good. However, the training isn’t over until we’re completely down, so don’t let your guard down and descend safely!”
“Yes, sir─!!”
“Then, let’s descend!”
At my command, the soldiers began to descend along the ridge in formation. Of course, there was no way there would be a well-maintained hiking trail in the Yeti-infested snowy mountains, so we had the squad members tie themselves together at the waist with ropes as a precaution.
It would be a bit unfair to get injured during the descent after enduring the hellish survival training.
‘It’s a relief they followed my orders well.’
It had only been two weeks since we met, and since the platoon leaders, except for Claude, were quite young, there was a high probability that they wouldn’t listen to orders.
But based on the results alone, the company members under my command were incredibly cooperative. Perhaps because we were close in age, it was easier for a friendly atmosphere to form between the platoon leaders and the soldiers.
‘It reminds me of when I was a company commander before.’
Although the situation, era, and methods were a bit different from back then… my mindset was completely different from those inexperienced days.
‘It’s nice.’
It seemed like I didn’t have to worry about disappointment here. There was no company sergeant major looking down on me for being a newly appointed captain, no battalion commander causing trouble, and no sergeants or corporals causing accidents while on leave.
‘If I had known how to deal with things wisely like now back then, would the results have been different…?’
The faces of those I had been close with seemed to flicker before my eyes.
Sir, you’re too by-the-book. We’re all going to leave in less than two years anyway, so shouldn’t you make the soldiers feel attached to the unit?
The Defense Security Command and regular field units are very different. You need to approach the soldiers first, sir.
‘I wasn’t good at that back then, but now I think I understand what they meant.’
I had already grabbed onto the golden lifeline called Sonya Zeppelin. The fact that the leader of a nation secretly came to meet her spoke volumes. Now, the people I needed to care about were not above but below me.
From Lumia to the lower-ranked soldiers whose names were fading from my memory. Only if they followed my orders and grew themselves could we save this precarious country. That stance hadn’t changed since I first possessed this body in this world.
Just look at our ragtag platoon members. Weren’t those who were always looked down upon now recognized as respectable platoon leaders by the soldiers?
Witnessing that was quite rewarding for me.
“Captain Enoch, it’s our turn to leave now.”
“Has the 4th Platoon also departed?”
“Yes.”
Even though the 72-hour survival training was over, the training itself hadn’t ended. Why was Hell Week called Hell Week? It was called Hell Week because the training was as harsh and difficult as the hell one goes to after death.
Life in the snowy mountains had been tough enough, but not even a week had passed yet. It was completely unknown what kind of training was planned for the remaining two weeks.
During this training period, my role as company commander was solely to unite our precious company members with one heart and one mind.
“Alright. We need to leave quickly so we can diligently participate in the next training session.”
I nodded to Lumia, who was standing next to me, and began to descend along the single-file line.
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The designated assembly point after the training was Mchensk, a border fortress adjacent to the Carpathian Mountains. I knew this place well. When I played as the Soviet Empire, it was one of the key points that had to be bypassed during the invasion of Ukraine.
Mchensk Fortress was the frontline fortress encountered immediately after crossing the Carpathian Mountains. And it was also the only defensive fortress established in the northernmost region.
Since the Kiyal River, which flowed from the mountains, blocked the path to the plains, the invading forces that entered along the Carpathian Mountains had to break through Mchensk to reach the plains of Ukraine.
A huge fortress that came into view as soon as you crossed the mountains. And a vast plain that unfolded beyond the fortress. It was a strategic point, obvious to anyone, so most players desperately tried to capture Mchensk Fortress. I did the same when I was a clueless newbie.
However, it didn’t take me long to realize that it was a foolish move. To reach Mchensk, you first had to break through the Carpathians. Even if you sent an elite division, their combat power would drastically decrease due to the geographical characteristics of the rugged mountains.
It was a demonic realm where monsters like Yetis roamed freely. It was difficult enough to survive for 72 hours with a small force, so establishing a division or corps-level base there to continuously attack the fortress was next to impossible.
Soldiers weren’t herbivores; tens of thousands of them couldn’t march while picking wild berries. That meant considerable logistical losses were unavoidable. Seeing a carefully nurtured elite division decimated by Ukrainian defenders who had the geographical advantage was heartbreaking.
So, from the time I started to understand Haoje, I never deployed troops to the Mchensk Fortress area. I finally realized that the more ripe a fruit appeared, the more likely it was to conceal a deadly poison.
Because of that past, Mchensk Fortress felt a little different to me. A magnificent star fort. The thick walls seemed sturdy enough to withstand hundreds or thousands of bombardments. And the defending soldiers had eyes like birds of prey.
‘This is why divisions get wiped out.’
The majesty of the fortress, which would make even Belgorod Fortress look like a mere watchtower, made me unconsciously agree.
“Captain Enoch Levandal, 1st Company.”
“You’ve worked hard during training. Come in.”
As the guard at the gate saluted, the massive gate began to open.
“Lieutenant Colonel Sonya Zeppelin told you to come to the special barracks on the east side of the fortress.”
“Special barracks… sir?”
“Yes.”
I felt slightly puzzled. Mchensk Fortress was practically a small city. If special barracks had been prepared inside the fortress, it meant we would be staying and eating here for at least a few days. Then, was this Hell Week training effectively over?
‘No, it was originally a two-week plan. Are we going to rest for about two days and then move to another area?’
As I headed to the location the guard had indicated, I pondered Sonya Zeppelin’s intentions.
“Uh…?!”
It was then that I heard Lumia’s surprised voice. I turned my head unconsciously, and a familiar woman was waving her hand. Before I could react, she rushed over and hugged me tightly. A fresh scent wafted over.
“Our remarkable junior~! Long time no see!!”
“Lieutenant Debra Bennett? No, what are you doing here…?”
“I’m not a Lieutenant anymore. Look here.”
Three diamonds. So she had been promoted after all.
“Captain Debra Bennett.”
“Yes, yes, that’s it. I heard Enoch was appointed as a company commander too? From platoon leader to company commander, that’s a super-fast promotion!”
“No, that aside. What brings you here, Captain?”
I was dumbfounded by the appearance of someone completely unexpected. Seeing me flustered, the Captain playfully punched my shoulder and replied,
“Why, of course, I transferred to the Central Education and Technology Research Center, didn’t I?”
“You did…didn’t you?”
“What do you mean, ‘didn’t I?’ You weren’t paying attention!”
“What I meant was, why are you in Mchensk when you went to Central Command with Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Zelensky?”
“I heard that the Ukrainian army has a new weapon here, and there was talk of incorporating my technology. I came here for testing and demonstration.”
“A new weapon?”
“Have any of you seen it before? I heard they are doing a test run right now, look at the sky!”
At her words, I raised my head, and a smooth, oval-shaped object was visible, bobbing above the roof.
“A balloon? …No, wait a minute.”
A huge, white balloon slowly ascending into the sky. It was something I couldn’t possibly not know.
“…Oh my god.”
Lumia, equally surprised, gasped, and the troops following behind let out a collective exclamation of wonder.
An airship. The epitome of terrifying aerial weaponry was spreading its wings towards the sky.
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