chapter_0197

196 – Be Careful of One Officer?

196 – Be Careful of One Officer?

Following Daniel’s orders, the brigade, having completed the establishment of a bridgehead, advanced towards Penbarch.

It was such a smooth advance that Daniel, riding in the light armored vehicle, couldn’t hide his displeasure.

‘If this keeps up, it’ll be like adding another achievement to my record…’

According to Pelf, the intelligence officer, they were able to shorten the expected time by two weeks because they successfully secured the bridge and established the bridgehead without any casualties.

Thanks to that, Daniel Steiner felt like his throat was burning.

‘If the Chief of Staff hears this, he’ll try to keep me rolling around on the battlefield.’

For Daniel, who yearned for personal peace more than anyone else, it was a future akin to hell.

‘What should I do…’

How could he escape this terrible reality?

It was while Daniel was pondering with his hand on his chin.

“Brigade Commander.”

A dry voice reached Daniel’s ear.

Turning his head, he saw Lucy blinking her red eyes.

“What do you think the enemy will do, Brigade Commander?”

It wasn’t a difficult question to answer, so Daniel immediately opened his mouth.

“They’ll have established a layered defense line along the city’s entry points. They’ll have requested reinforcements, so they’ll try to delay us as much as possible to buy time. It’ll be troublesome, but we’ll have to do our best to break through that defense line.”

“Is that so? If they’ve established a defense line, they’ll have also set up traps.”

“Of course. Anti-tank obstacles or minefields…”

Daniel stopped talking.

This was it, he thought.

Taking out the radio, Daniel pressed the transmit button.

“All units, halt the advance.”

Not long after Daniel’s order, the speed of the tanks and vehicles gradually decreased.

Soon, the lead vehicle came to a complete stop, and the brigade’s movement ceased.

As the engine noise slowly died down, Daniel opened the door of the armored vehicle and stepped outside.

As he put on his peaked cap and straightened his uniform, Pelf, who had gotten out of the vehicle behind him, approached.

Pelf, who replaced the salute with a slight bow, began to speak.

“Brigade Commander, may I ask the reason for halting the advance?”

It was too early to prepare for encampment, so he was asking the question.

Daniel’s intention was to buy time until the enemy’s reinforcements arrived in Penbarch, but he couldn’t say that directly, so he put on a serious face and opened his mouth.

“Intelligence Officer, don’t you think it’s strange?”

“…What do you mean by strange?”

“The condition of the road. It’s too clean. Normally, they would install obstacles to force the enemy to detour. Have we encountered any obstacles during our advance?”

Pelf thought for a moment and shook his head.

“Indeed… we haven’t. There were a few trees fallen on the road, but they were small enough for vehicles to drive over, so they couldn’t be considered obstacles.”

“Then what do you think this means?”

“…Are you suggesting that the enemy is trying to lure us into using the road?”

Daniel nodded, and Pelf had a small realization.

“I see. It’s highly likely that they’ve laid anti-tank mines on the road.”

“You see it now. Then you know what we need to do, right?”

“We must order skilled scouts or tank crews to detect traces or signs of anti-tank mine placement. Ensuring the safety of our troops is the priority.”

It was a way to buy time, so Daniel smiled with satisfaction.

“I like how quickly you understand. Immediately relay the order to the reconnaissance company to determine if there are any traces of anti-tank mines being laid on the road.”

“Yes, Brigade Commander!”

Pelf answered energetically and turned to walk away.

Daniel, watching Pelf’s back, let out a sigh of relief.

‘Good. This will buy us a few days.’

By periodically stopping the advance and ordering them to look for traces of anti-tank mine placement, he could significantly delay the time it took to advance to Penbarch.

‘It’s not an unreasonable order, so the soldiers and officers won’t be able to object.’

Who would dare to object to securing the safety of their troops?

At most, there would only be a few grumbles.

Daniel was pleased with his plan, but that feeling didn’t last long.

It was because the company commander of the reconnaissance unit, who had returned from reconnaissance in the evening, reported to Daniel with awe.

“Company Commander Ehriam, reporting. We have confirmed signs of anti-tank mine placement 2 km beyond our current location. Some of the pavement has been artificially removed, and we have discovered traces of camouflage with fresh piles of dirt. It is believed that the enemy’s advance engineers planted them.”

Daniel froze at the company commander’s report.

On the other hand, Intelligence Officer Pelf, who was beside Daniel, couldn’t hide his excitement.

“Brigade Commander! Your prediction was correct again! 2 km! If you had issued the halt order even a little later, a disaster would have occurred!”

It wasn’t wrong.

Although it wasn’t what Daniel intended.

After a moment of silence, Daniel immediately issued an order.

Now that anti-tank mines had been discovered, it was necessary to take it seriously to preserve manpower.

“The reconnaissance company will take a short rest and then search the nearby forest based on the location where the anti-tank mines were laid. If the enemy intends to conduct a delaying action, it is highly likely that a small unit is ambushing nearby.”

“Indeed… you are never wrong. I will follow your orders!”

The company commander, who had answered energetically, was about to move to convey the order when.

“Brigade Commander.”

Turning his head, Daniel saw it was Lucy.

“If you allow me, I would like to help the reconnaissance company.”

“…The reconnaissance company?”

“Yes. I want to contribute to the force.”

Lucy’s eyes were filled with conviction based on intuition.

It was too serious a look to refuse, so Daniel nodded.

“If you wish, cooperate with them for this operation only. There won’t be any problems, right? Company Commander Ehriam.”

Ehriam looked troubled, but he couldn’t dare to disagree with Daniel.

“If it is an order, I will follow it.”

*

Meanwhile, on the high ground in the forest near the anti-tank mine placement site.

“Damn it…”

Bental, the battalion commander of the Penbarch defense unit, who was ambushing with about 300 troops, gritted his teeth.

‘The enemy reconnaissance unit has confirmed the placement site and returned. That means…’

It was the same as Daniel Steiner having found out about the anti-tank mine placement site.

From Bental’s point of view, it was absurd.

‘It’s only 2 km. If they had moved just 2 km more, those guys would have been blown to smithereens by the anti-tank mines…!’

The main point of this operation was to ambush and inflict damage on Daniel’s brigade after they fell into chaos immediately after stepping on the anti-tank mines, and then flee.

But Daniel Steiner, as if showing off, stopped the advance of all troops 2 km ahead and sent a reconnaissance unit to identify the anti-tank mines.

‘How did he find out? Is he really a god…’

Now, it was beyond fear and felt like helplessness.

As Bental was shaking his head, footsteps approached nearby.

Bental, casting his gaze towards the footsteps, could find his adjutant.

“…What is it?”

The adjutant paused for a moment before speaking.

“Battalion Commander, it seems the enemy has noticed our presence.”

“What?”

“An enemy reconnaissance unit, appearing to be company-sized, is coming this way. If we don’t retreat immediately, our position will be exposed to them.”

After discovering the anti-tank mines, they even figured out the ambush location?

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being played by Daniel Steiner.

‘But…’

It was good news that the friendly forces had identified the enemy reconnaissance unit first.

“If it’s company-sized, we don’t need to retreat. Launch a preemptive strike to inflict damage, secure prisoners, and retreat to the defense line.”

“But Battalion Commander…”

“Adjutant! Shut up and follow my orders! Do you think the Defense Commander will allow us to retreat without any gains? Unless we devour that reconnaissance unit…”

Bental stopped talking.

It was because the adjutant’s expression wasn’t good.

Not knowing why, he remained still, and the adjutant swallowed hard before speaking.

“Battalion Commander, instructions have been issued from the central command. They say to be careful of an officer with silver hair and red eyes in Daniel Steiner’s unit. It is said that an officer matching the description received from headquarters has been spotted in the enemy reconnaissance unit.”

“Huh? Be careful of an officer?”

“Yes. That officer is dangerous.”

It was beyond absurd and he couldn’t even laugh.

“Can just one officer overcome the difference in strength? Don’t say stupid things and follow my orders! If you continue to argue with me, I will consider it insubordination and punish you according to military law!”

Bental shouted, and the adjutant lowered his head in fear.

“I’m sorry! I will relay the order!”

The adjutant said that and left his spot.

Bental looked displeased at the adjutant’s back before letting out a sigh.

‘The central command isn’t in their right mind either. I can understand Daniel Steiner, but to be so scared of just one officer…’

Bental shook his head and took out a map from his pocket and unfolded it.

He wanted to double-check the retreat route, just in case.

As he was spending time like that, gunfire was heard nearby.

“It’s started.”

Bental, who closed and opened his eyes, put the map in his pocket and took out his pistol.

Taking a deep breath and turning his body, Bental moved towards the direction where the gunfire was heard.

─ Uwaaaaaaack!

The enemy’s screams echoed loudly in the forest that had turned into a battlefield.

‘They’re such fools. If they came to scout, they shouldn’t have been seen.’

Bental narrowed his brows and gripped his pistol tightly.

The gunfire continued to ring out, and the screams became more intense.

Bental, who was convinced of his side’s victory, smiled before suddenly feeling puzzled.

─ What is that! What is that!

─ Aaaaaaaack!

─ Retreat! Retreat! Get out of the way, you bastards!

The voice.

─ Don’t run away! I repeat! Don’t run away!

─ Machine gun! Shoot the machine gun! Quickly!

─ What are you doing, you bastards! Shoot! Hit them!

The increasingly clear voice made Bental stop walking.

Following that, ear-splitting screams echoed in succession.

Hearing that, Bental’s eyes widened.

He was so flustered that his mouth opened on its own.

‘This is…’

Because it didn’t sound like the enemy’s screams at all.