episode_0004

The vanguard is a unit that departs ahead of the main force to secure the crossing and handle any obstacles that may hinder the main force’s movement, or report back to the main force if unable to do so. Our group of four has been assigned the role of the vanguard for the 93rd Independent Guards Battalion, but we’ve ended up isolated and unable to move.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Sergeant Jang was just torn apart by those things. Alphonse doesn’t look like he’ll last much longer either. His defensive spells were reaching their limits. Claire was pouring magic into her officer’s saber, fiercely cutting down the creatures. It seemed more effective than magical shooting, especially against human opponents.

I had long given up on magical shooting and had attached a bayonet to my musket, using it instead. Thankfully, even without any magical enhancement, it was somewhat usable. The problem was that while I was contemplating this, Alphonse met his end, and now all the attacks around us were focusing on Claire and me.

“Marianne!”

There was no time to respond. Damn it, how many crises have there been since I took this position? Claire didn’t seem to expect an answer as she continued.

“I’ll clear a path, so head straight to the battalion and report the situation! Everyone except the magic soldiers should retreat outside the city!”

It was clear that regular infantry would suffer too many casualties facing them. Jang and Alphonse had already proven that the magic soldiers wouldn’t last long against these creatures. As I pondered this, Claire’s words about clearing a path echoed in my mind.

“Aren’t you coming with us, Lieutenant?”

“Tsk! Someone needs to stay behind to lure them, don’t they?”

“But…”

“Marianne, Magic Sergeant! Even now, my magic is slowly diminishing! The sooner the sergeant brings the battalion, the higher my chances of survival.”

In response to the firm words from her, there was no room for further argument. Struggling, Claire nodded and reinserted her saber, raising her musket. The range of her defensive magic expanded greatly, causing the small monsters around them to retreat. Then, the magical stone of the Charville musket emitted an extraordinarily bright blue light, unlike anything seen before, and soon…

Thunk!

A straight line of blue light shot out in the direction where B Platoon had come from. It felt like something akin to firing a railgun. The small creatures at the entrance we had come through were neatly taken care of. Was it possible to have such precise magic shooting? I couldn’t help but think that maybe God had mistakenly given Claire the magical aptitude that should have been mine.

“Run!!”

There was no time to hesitate. As we started running, the momentarily open path quickly became covered with a fast-moving black wave. Gritting my teeth, I glanced back briefly only to see the faint image of Claire amidst the black waves.

Damn it. Cursing inwardly countless times, we headed towards the entrance of the main Marque base. When B Platoon entered Marque, the numerous crowds we saw had all seemingly disappeared, leaving no one behind except for the unfortunate few who lay dead.

But it was strange. Even if I sent B Platoon as a vanguard, the rest of the main force, including the training battalion and infantry division, should have been visible. The mystery was soon solved. On the outskirts of the city, that is, without entering the city, numerous frontline infantry and artillery were holding the defensive line. Why aren’t they coming inside?

“Is Marianu Madohasa the only survivor?”

“Not yet, huff… Inside, Lieutenant Claire is holding the line alone. Please, come to our rescue…!”

“Why did you run away alone, sergeant?”

What’s he talking about? After catching my breath, I looked up at Captain Erdua. His expression didn’t seem like he was joking around.

“B Company encountered an unidentified entity during their reconnaissance mission and were immediately surrounded, engaging in a defensive battle. I rushed here as a messenger, as Lieutenant Claire, the leader of B Company, opened a path for me! Why aren’t we entering the city?”

A colonel, presumably the commander of the infantry division, was seen standing far behind Major Eduard. He was likely the cause of this situation. Even Major Eduard didn’t seem pleased with the current state of affairs.

“The civilians escaping outside the city have a rough idea of the situation. It’s also possible to consider that the annihilation of A Company by the Moscovian Republic is related to that absurd rectangular object. However, that’s precisely why we have no reason to enter the city.”

“Major!”

“The citizens have already evacuated outside the city. It’s standard procedure to retake the city safely after sufficient forces have gathered, as ordered by Colonel Auguste Montuaire over there. It’s unavoidable, sergeant.”

Auguste Montuaire… Whether he shared the same surname with Claire or if they were relatives was not important.

“Isn’t it possible for our battalion to make a solo entry? After all, we are part of the Independent Alert Infantry Battalion!”

“It’s regrettable, sergeant. Your battalion has been temporarily reassigned to the 13th Infantry Division. Therefore, you must follow my orders.”

Colonel Auguste, who had been standing behind Major Eduard for quite some time, suddenly interjected and came up beside them. He appeared to be in his thirties, not much different in age from Major Eduard.

“Is it not tactically unsound to funnel so many troops into such a confined space just to capture a single magical infantryman, sergeant?”

It wasn’t an incorrect statement. They must have had some understanding of the small, attacking entities at Saint-Marc by now. It was evident that sending regular infantrymen into the complex urban area, rather than magical infantry, would result in significant casualties.

There was no need for further words, nor was there time for them. Even if I had to go alone, I had to re-enter the fortress of Saint Marguerite. I saluted roughly to Colonel Auguste and turned around politely.

“I am Marian Roche Mado, Second Lieutenant of B Company, 1st Training Battalion, 93rd Independent Alarm Troop. I will enter Saint Marguerite alone to rescue our isolated allies.”

Colonel Auguste’s voice, which seemed to be lingering behind me, came through.

“Lieutenant, you understand that this action is naturally a solo mission.”

“I understand.”

“If you proceed, there will be no support for our allies. And if you return alive, you know that insubordination awaits as a consequence, right?”

“….”

It was an unprecedented situation for a newly graduated lieutenant to defy the orders of a colonel. Certainly, until I finished training school, my goal was to live comfortably by making some progress. Surely, by making this choice, I would step back from achieving success, but I had no choice. I couldn’t just abandon Claire.

Without saying another word, I ran straight into the city. I had delayed too much. It was a road I had already passed once, no, twice, and with the enhancement of my body using magic, I could swiftly pass through the frequency. As I approached the central square of Saint Marguerite, small entities appeared again. However, unlike before, the majority of them were already dead. I heard the sharp sound of bullets hitting the defensive spells. Claire was still alive.

Her defensive spell flickered as if it would go out at any moment. Her body was covered in wounds, some of which seemed to have penetrated deeply. Her officer’s saber lay broken on the ground, and she leaned against a dead-end wall, weakly brandishing her gunblade. I almost saw Claire turn into a corpse if I had been a few minutes late. Fortunately, the number of small entities had decreased significantly, enough for me to handle them alone.

“Lieutenant Claire!!”

Claire, who had already given up, brightened at the sight of me. How relieved she must have been to see a savior in a situation where she had resigned herself to death.

“Marian! But what about the rest of the battalion…?”

“I’ll keep an eye on the city until it’s a bit safer.”

The small creatures, dwindling in numbers like receding waves, didn’t pose much of a threat, especially to the magic-infused soldiers. After sweeping away the stragglers – which took quite some time – Claire leaned against the wall, having exerted all her remaining strength, and sank down wearily.

“Experiencing magical exhaustion twice in such a short time is a first for me.”

Claire weakly chuckled, leaning on me. Helping her up felt almost like lifting someone who could barely stand on their own. The square was littered with the bodies of security guards and the small creatures, dark and crimson, seeping moisture through my leather boots. Finally, I could turn my gaze towards the sea. The warships anchored at the port had long been engulfed in flames, some completely sunken. The burning warships and the black cubes bathed in the white moonlight remained as they were when they first landed on the sea.

Boom!

A sharp impact shattered the silent scene. A projectile had struck the cube precisely, easily dozens of shots. As it was not the era of high explosives, no flames erupted, but the massive kinetic energy contained in the projectile delivered a tremendous impact to the cube.

“It’s quite impressive to hit so accurately.”

The overwhelming spectacle demanded attention. Purely physical bombardment had its own kind of elegance. Despite the continuous barrage, I tried to leave behind the bombardment and escape into the desert, but it wasn’t easy to pick up speed while supporting Claire. It was an impossible feat based on my original stamina, but with the use of body reinforcement techniques, it was a simple matter. I heard Claire muttering something from behind. It seemed preserving the dignity of an officer was still important.

“I’ll set you down near the unit.”

“Got it,” Claire said, completely relying on me. At that moment, I realized I needed to set her down quickly. Her weight pressing against my back was quite noticeable.