chapter_0222

221 – Descend

221 – Descend

Having subdued Kaimborett, Daniel Steiner relentlessly questioned him about the human experimentation Count Caledra had conducted in Penbarch.

Left with no choice, Kaimborett readily answered Daniel’s questions.

Daniel documented and recorded these facts before ordering a soldier to deliver the materials to headquarters.

This information was essential to completely crush the Allied Nations’ will to fight.

Having finished his work, Daniel Steiner sighed in relief, thinking that all that remained was to deal with the temporary division abandoned by the Allied Nations.

He anticipated an easy victory, as the Empire’s Magic Mobile Corps brigade would soon join them.

However, war always held unexpected variables lurking beneath the surface.

Four days later, at dawn:

“Allied Nations movement detected! They are advancing towards Penbarch at full speed! Damn it! Impact is approximately 30 minutes away!”

As the liaison delivered the news, the operations command post bustled with activity from early morning.

Upon hearing the news of the Allied Nations’ expected advance, staff officers flocked to the command post all at once.

Staff officers, some not even properly dressed, exchanged glances and engaged in serious conversation.

“What is going on? Shouldn’t the enemy division normally arrive here by noon tomorrow?”

“You are not wrong. Even based on a forced march, they should arrive sometime after noon tomorrow. In that case…”

“It seems they reduced their sleep time after a forced river crossing and continued to advance. It appears the enemy commander is determined to fight a quick battle.”

As the staff officers were silenced by the sudden enemy attack, the door to the command post burst open.

Daniel Steiner entered through the open door, and the staff officers lowered their heads in unison.

Ignoring them, Daniel Steiner walked to the head of the table and frowned.

“I heard the enemy has launched an attack. Is that true?”

Pelf, the intelligence officer, nodded at Daniel’s question.

“Yes, sir. The enemy division is advancing at a very rapid pace, likely aiming for a quick battle. The estimated time to impact with the first defense line is approximately 30 minutes.”

“…It seems the enemy commander is not a complete fool.”

He must have realized that the longer they dragged it out, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.

Though somewhat taken aback, Daniel Steiner calmly continued.

“What about reinforcements? When will Brigadier General Heinrich’s Magic Mobile Corps arrive?”

“We have informed the Magic Mobile Corps brigade of the situation, but they say it will take at least a day to reach Penbarch. Therefore, we have no choice but to delay their advance as much as possible.”

“A day… We’ll have to manage somehow. Muster the reserves. We must form a blocking line as soon as the first defense line collapses.”

Seeing the staff officers nod, Daniel Steiner took a low breath.

“I will go to command the front lines, so the staff officers should control the citizens and check the command post’s wired network every 10 minutes. Also, while I am gone, reflect the positions of all units on the map in real time. Understood?”

“Yes! Understood!”

After hearing the staff officers’ response, Daniel Steiner left the words ‘I trust you to handle it’ and left the command post with the radio operator.

Daniel Steiner, about to leave the mansion, paused.

A woman with light brown hair was leaning against the wall, humming a tune.

“…Lieutenant Frien?”

Hearing Daniel Steiner’s voice, Frien straightened her posture and turned to face Daniel Steiner.

“Brigade Commander. I’ve been waiting.”

“Waiting? For me?”

“Yes. I have an urgent request. It’s not like I wanted to eavesdrop, but…”

Frien gave an awkward smile.

“The current situation is a bit unfavorable, isn’t it? So, I came to see you because I wanted to help.”

“You are already providing a lot of help, so there is no need for you to step forward…”

“Not that kind of help.”

Frien interrupted Daniel Steiner and paused for a moment before opening her mouth.

“I want to be active on the battlefield now. I want to be helpful to Brigadier General Daniel Steiner not just from behind, but also from the front. I also want to see the results of my efforts.”

“…The results of your efforts?”

“Oh, come on, Brigade Commander. Surely you don’t think I enjoy torturing people, do you? Do I look like such a ruthless person to you?”

To be honest, he had considered whether she might have a bit of that inclination.

As Daniel Steiner remained silent, Frien puffed up her cheeks sullenly.

“That’s too much. I’m a delicate woman, you know? Even I get hurt when I’m faced with people screaming and cursing? Nevertheless, the reason I continued to torture them was…”

Frien moved closer to Daniel Steiner.

At a distance where their faces were close, Frien quietly continued.

“It was to improve my skills and be helpful to you, Brigade Commander.”

Frien’s hand, moving upwards, lightly touched Daniel Steiner’s chest.

“Helping you, Brigade Commander, is how I affirm myself.”

Frien remembered.

The time when Daniel Steiner had told her that her dark magic was a blessing, not a curse.

When everyone else was calling her a witch or a child of Satan, only Daniel Steiner had not.

‘This insensitive man probably doesn’t know how much comfort that one word gave me…’

Frien smiled faintly, withdrew her hand, and took a step back.

“So, please allow me to be active on the battlefield. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

He couldn’t refuse her after she had said so much.

Daniel Steiner took a low breath.

“Alright. I permit it. However, if you think it’s dangerous, retreat to the rear at any time.”

Frien nodded, having heard Daniel Steiner’s permission.

As if to say not to worry.

*

One hour later, at the first defense line:

3rd Company, Infantry Battalion.

KWAANG—

A sandbag emplacement exploded, swallowing a machine gun nest.

Ramho, a radio operator who was passing by the machine gunner, was caught in the explosion and collapsed to the ground.

Gunfire and shouts were exchanged around him, but he couldn’t hear them properly.

His eardrums must have burst, as he could only hear strange buzzing and a repeating high-pitched ringing.

“Shit…”

He opened his mouth to curse, but the words didn’t come out properly.

His mouth felt dry, as if it was full of sand.

Ramho spat out what might have been saliva or phlegm and raised his head.

Amidst the thick smoke, he could see the silhouette of a person.

As he approached, he saw a comrade bleeding with a torn abdomen.

“Hey!”

The man’s breathing was ragged, having been hit in the abdomen by a high-explosive shell fragment, making him look miserable.

“Hey! Can you hear me!?”

He grabbed the man’s shoulders and shook him, but the man was only panting in a panic.

Thinking there was no hope, Ramho abandoned his comrade and moved on.

His intention was to retreat to the safest place possible and then radio headquarters.

Normally, he should have radioed immediately after the enemy attack began, but in the face of survival instinct, the ironclad rules of the military were not so important.

“They’re coming! Those bastards are coming!”

“Hold them back somehow! There are only three enemy tanks in this direction!”

“Anti-tank gun! Bring the anti-tank gun, you bastards!”

As the ringing began to subside, the sounds of gunfire and shouting returned.

Everyone was panicking and floundering, as they had not expected the enemy to advance so quickly.

‘Shit…!’

Ramho cursed inwardly and quickened his pace.

He didn’t know how many enemies had attempted to break through in this direction, but at this rate, they might all be annihilated.

As Ramho was running to retreat to the rear, he heard something whizzing past.

Before he could turn around, a high-explosive shell exploded.

KWAANG!

A tremendous blaze and wind swept through.

Ramho, who had fallen sideways against his will, heard ringing in his ears once again.

Having dropped his helmet, Ramho groped the ground in his confused state.

As Ramho desperately moved his hands to find his helmet, thick blood flowed down his mouth.

Only then did Ramho realize that something was wrong with his body, and he looked down to see a fragment embedded in his side.

“You shi…”

His voice trembled.

Looking around, he saw other soldiers also injured by shrapnel, rolling on the ground and screaming.

Ramho, who was unknowingly sobbing, took off the radio he was carrying on his back and took out the transceiver.

Since he couldn’t run away in this state, he decided to fulfill his mission as a last resort.

After checking the communication frequency, Ramho pressed the transmit button on the transceiver.

“Headquarters, this is 3rd Company, 1st Defense Line. Headquarters, respond…”

After a crackling noise, headquarters responded.

— This is headquarters. What’s going on?

What’s going on, you shit. Ramho cursed inwardly and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Currently engaged with the enemy at the 1st Defense Line. Three enemy tanks identified in the 3rd Company direction. Damage to the defense positions. Many casualties. Support needed…”

Ramho stopped speaking.

Black magic, from an unknown source, had begun to seep into his side where the shrapnel was embedded.

“What is this…”

Just as he was wondering what it was, a sweet singing voice began to be heard.

Turning his gaze to the source of the singing, Ramho could see a woman slowly walking among the fallen soldiers.

She looked holy, with her eyes closed and her hands clasped together, singing a sacred song.

Behind the woman, black magic was formed like a halo.

‘Am I already dead?’

Ramho, who was stunned by the bizarre sight, felt the pain in his side gradually decreasing.

Startled, Ramho looked down and saw the black magic healing his wound.

As the wound began to heal rapidly, the shrapnel also pulled itself out.

Having witnessed the bizarre phenomenon, Ramho looked at the woman again.

Wherever the woman passed, black magic bloomed like flowers, healing the fallen soldiers.

At first, only one or two people got up, but the number began to increase exponentially.

Ten, twenty, thirty.

Finally, Ramho gaped blankly as he watched nearly forty soldiers recover from their injuries and rise to their feet.

‘This is…’

It was a miracle.

A miracle arranged by heaven for the Imperial Army.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain this amazing phenomenon.

As Ramho was staring at the woman singing on the battlefield as if possessed, he heard a radio transmission.

— 3rd Company? How many casualties have occurred? Is support needed? 3rd Company?

Ramho held the transceiver without taking his eyes off the woman.

“There are no casualties. Here…”

Ramho, who had been frozen as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, swallowed hard.

Admiring, he finally found the right word to describe this strange phenomenon.

“Saintess.”

Conviction settled in Ramho’s eyes.

“A saintess has descended here.”

Author’s Note

Thank you, Cabbage Tree, for the 400 coin donation! Heoeok… Teacher, such a large sum of money…! I don’t know what to do, especially since you said it was fun! Thank you so much! I will do my best to make sure you can continue to enjoy it!

Thank you to all the readers who read my work!

I’m really sorry for being late… I don’t know what I ate wrong yesterday, but I had a terrible stomachache and couldn’t come to my senses…

I was wondering if I should take a break, but I just thought I’d endure it with my willpower and completed one chapter…!

I would appreciate your understanding with a generous heart… ㅠㅠ

Then I’ll see you again tomorrow…!