PUHAK!!
A gush of red blood spurted in front of Claude’s eyes. Clutching a straight wound on his neck, he collapsed onto the ground.
The sorcerers of Azoff.
Even after ten years, they were still revolting creatures.
The smell of blood, the stench of decaying corpses.
The twisted faith sensed from their vacant stares and the incomprehensible symbols and writings covering their bodies.
At least for Claude, there was no mercy left to offer them.
“Number 6 trench has been secured!”
“We’ve also captured the reserve artillery!”
As much as Claude was causing chaos, commendable results were steadily coming in from each platoon of the 1st Company.
“What about the 1st Platoon?”
“They cut off communications after declaring they’d capture the ballista battery.”
“When was that?”
“One hour ago.”
A prickling sensation ran through him momentarily.
After all, a ballista battery was nothing more than an old siege weapon slightly modified. At this point, with a major attack on the Azoff islands imminent, it was unlikely that many troops would have been stationed at a battery meant merely to intercept airships.
This place was frontline too, but it was somewhat distant from the main batteries positioned along the coast to intercept enemy landings.
They wouldn’t have diverted forces to something like a ballista when they could have fortified those defenses even further, right?
‘Hilton’s platoon should have reported capturing it by now.’
A fleeting thought crossed Claude’s instincts.
“…”
And another thing.
The old man of Alamuut wasn’t around.
The old man of Alamuut that Claude knew wasn’t the type to sit back and watch the battle unfold from afar.
He was a predator who roamed the battlefield like any other soldier, fearlessly facing down anyone who pointed a gun at him.
If Alamuut’s sorcerers were stationed here, the old man would undoubtedly be here as well.
Moreover, the idea of soaking the ballista triggers in oil and wrapping them with the ‘unquenchable fire’ spell was a strategy only the old man of Alamuut could have devised.
He was always Azoff’s wildcard, turning unfavorable situations into victories with unexpected attacks and strategies.
“The command’s order is…”
“For now, we’re to wait at our current position. They say we should close the distance between units first before continuing the advance.”
“How far have we advanced for that?”
“Already, 40% of Hill 921 is under our control.”
40 percent?
Claude didn’t like how the front line was progressing. Had it really been just a few hours since the landing, and already they had captured 40% of the hill?
At least what he had seen from above, the panorama of the hill was anything but lax.
There were trenches dug everywhere, and many parts had been fortified with stone walls or sandbags.
If it was going to be breached this easily…
There were only two possibilities.
Either the Azoff bastards prepared the ballista battery but failed to set up a proper defense line, or…
It was a meticulously planned trap.
“Bring me the tactical map.”
“Yes!!”
A soldier hurriedly pulled out the map from his gear. Claude quickly identified his location after examining the terrain.
Then, recalling his memory of the descent, he drew the trench lines on the map.
The vanguard, Claude’s 3rd Platoon, was in the center of the front line. The 1st and 2nd Platoons were expanding the line on the left flank, while the relatively thinner right flank was handled by the 4th and 5th Platoons.
“The right flank is actually more stable. If they want to catch us off guard, it’ll be on the left flank.”
In fact, the 1st and 2nd Platoons were essentially the main force of the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit.
After all, the 4th and 5th Platoons were closer to reserve status, and the role of expanding the area once Claude’s 3rd Platoon broke through the front line fell solely to the 1st and 2nd Platoons.
If the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Platoons suffered severe damage…
The combat capability of the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit would drastically decrease.
Besides, if it were the old man of Alamuut that Claude knew, he would surely aim for such a defeat.
Rather, by targeting and blocking the enemy’s main attack, causing the entire front line to waver.
In the previous war, the Okhraine army, which had pushed the enemies almost within reach, completely fell victim to that strategy, letting their enemies slip away.
Gritting his teeth, Claude recalled memories he didn’t want to remember.
“…Call the captain of the 2nd Platoon.”
“Huh? Suddenly, sir?”
“From now on, the 3rd Platoon will be commanded by the captain of the 2nd Platoon.”
In the midst of an ongoing battle, the battalion commander’s sudden statement greatly startled the soldier.
“What are you saying! What about on-site command!?”
“I’m going to support the 1st Platoon.”
“But aren’t they handling things fine over there? After all, they’re our elite…”
“How can you be so sure?”
The soldier closed his mouth.
Certainty was impossible. He wasn’t an excellent commander like Claude or Enok Revendale.
“Besides, headquarters said to stay put here…”
The moment he heard that,
Claude’s consciousness dredged up memories he had tried hard to ignore, buried deep in the dark recesses of his mind.
– Headquarters says to stay and hold the defensive line!!
– Then, what about our comrades?! What about Lilia??
– Don’t worry, Claude. Division 42 just sent word. They’re holding out fine. They’re one of our division’s elite regiments, after all.
A hollow lie meant to reassure himself.
– If we hold out a little longer, we can join forces with reinforcements and drive them back.
An inadequate hope clouding judgment.
– Th-then… please allow me alone to provide support!!! Commander!!!
– That won’t do. You’re the core of our attack. Creating a gap in our combat mage force during such a crucial moment would collapse the defensive line!
The ‘order’ stimulating his sense of responsibility.
Ten years ago.
Back then, it was the same.
Headquarters ordered them to stay and defend the line, and while they engaged in meaningless push-and-pull, his unit was surrounded by Azoff and met a terrible end.
Finally, when they managed to push the front line with subsequent reinforcements,
Claude rushed back to where his unit had been stationed only to find his wife lying naked, trapped in a trench.
Lilia.
The mage officer of the 3rd Battalion responsible for the left wing of the annihilated 42nd Regiment.
Her chest…
It looked as if her heart had been forcibly extracted while she was alive, leaving behind a grotesque gaping hole.
“Claude, I’ll be waiting for you. Come back safely.”
That was the last conversation Claude Rain ever had with his wife.
Had the higher-ups allowed Claude to depart back then…
His wife might have survived.
She wouldn’t have met such a disgraceful and horrifying end at the hands of the Azoff bastards.
Moreover,
Those damn officers were problematic too.
Division 42 requested reinforcements multiple times.
They sent carrier pigeons and messengers,
But the upper echelons, who had already written them off, intentionally ignored their requests for help.
Yes.
While the Azoff brats were problematic,
The brain-dead officers were equally troublesome.
All of them were responsible for Lilia’s death.
The malice that had dulled over time began to resurface in Claude’s mind.
Back then, he was just a sergeant. As a soldier-turned-sergeant, he had no power, but things were different now.
He was a company commander with discretion over his subordinates.
What if he issued orders?
Claude, who had spent his life tormented by guilt,
No longer cared about tomorrow’s reprimands on today’s battlefield, which he intended to use as his grave.
“Shit.”
“Huh?”
“Shit, I mean. Anyway, I’m going alone.”
There’s no time to report to higher-ups and wait for their response.
If this feeling turns out to be a false alarm, it’ll just be a scolding.
However, if it’s not, Claude would lose someone else he cared about again.
Besides, Hilton Callia.
She was in the 1st Platoon.
Because of her youthful appearance and twisted nature,
Claude paid a bit more attention to her than others.
Was it because she reminded him of himself?
Or was it for some other reason?
Whatever it was, losing Hilton Callia would definitely make him unable to forgive himself.
Being praised as a war hero and the “Executioner of Thunder” didn’t compare.
Saving someone he cherished was more valuable.
Wouldn’t it be better to guide a young person with a bright future rather than clinging to his broken self?
Anyway, a life destined to crumble.
Claude had no reason to cling to lost meaning.
“I’ll temporarily transfer command to the captain of the 2nd Platoon. You stay here. We need someone to relay messages at least.”
“Commander!!!”
The still-sharp intuition warned of an ominous future.
With things as they are, wasting even a second was unacceptable.
Leaving his subordinates behind, Claude immediately dashed toward the front line.
*
“3rd Platoon commander suddenly left the front line alone! He said he’s going to check on the 1st Platoon…”
“On the 1st Platoon?”
BANG!
I quickly ducked into the trench as a nearby shell exploded.
Perhaps the approaching forces weren’t getting good angles, but the Azoff artillery positioned on the high ground kept relentlessly pounding my headquarters.
“Now, isn’t it the time for the central 3rd Platoon to push back the enemy, yet the most important company commander has abandoned his post?”
Judging by the circumstances, it doesn’t seem like a routine inspection.
After all, at this point where we’re actively pushing forward, it’s ridiculous for even a company commander to conduct an on-site inspection.
“What should we do?”
Perplexed, the messenger from the 3rd Platoon asked. I closed my eyes briefly to think.
A picture of the overall battlefield formed in my mind. The partially unsecured ballista battery.
The 1st Platoon rushing ahead from the central front line to suppress the battery.
And Claude Rain, who left the front line alone to rescue the 1st Platoon.
“…”
The Captain Claude Rain I know was impulsive but never acted like this on the battlefield.
At least not since he fully adapted to the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit.
Claude Rain never once revealed his rebellious nature.
Yet, here he is disobeying orders during this critical moment against the Azoff bastards?
Not good.
The premonition was far from positive.
“Lumina, what troops are available under direct command at the moment?”
“Bella Meyer’s medical platoon.”
Technically, a mix of blue mages and medics. Even though it’s called a “medical platoon,” its combat ability shouldn’t fall behind other platoons.
“You, what’s your name?”
“Yuta!”
“Good, Yuta. Pass this to the 2nd Platoon currently commanding the 3rd Platoon: The entire 3rd Platoon should move to the location of the 1st Platoon to support Claude Rain.”
“Understood!!”
Upon hearing my orders, the messenger immediately sprinted towards his unit.
“Lumina, maintaining the central front line will be handled by our direct command battalion.”
“Huh!? Then who will command the headquarters?!”
My words caused Chief of Staff Eisen Huber, who had been resting against the trench, to jump up in shock.
“Lumina, tell Bella Meyer to advance her platoon 1500 meters forward.”
“Understood!”
“Colonel!!!”
“Please, Chief of Staff. Consider this an opportunity to gain command experience.”
“What nonsense!!”
Though the agitated voice of Lieutenant Eisen Huber reached from behind, moving swiftly was priority now.
Whether my premonition was correct or a misjudgment,
We’ll only know after the bombardment on this accursed hill ceases.
The acrid smell of blood and the scent of sulfur were horribly vivid throughout the battlefield.
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