episode_0014

Battles typically occur during daylight. It was common knowledge that nighttime combat, such as ambushes or night reconnaissance, was an unconventional method reserved for well-trained elite forces. So, it was puzzling why I found myself frequently engaged in nighttime battles.

As I crossed the 7th bridge, the Delpine River appeared, tinged crimson by the setting sun. The thought crossed my mind: was this battle also going to be a nighttime affair?

The only daytime battle I had participated in was the operation where we discovered the first illicit crate. It was a small-scale skirmish with the Moscovi Commonwealth forces in the dark forest. Lost in contemplation about why I seemed so intertwined with the night, I snapped out of my reverie at Cler’s command.

“Raise the flag higher!”

Our unit, dominated by magic infantry, lacked a military band and standard-bearers. Deploying magic infantry in non-combat roles seemed wasteful due to their small numbers. However, assigning regular soldiers without magical aptitude couldn’t keep up with the tempo of the magic infantry, resulting in a decrease in their combat effectiveness.

Consequently, the unit’s standards were usually kept safely in the barracks, but today was different. Naturally, the company’s objective had shifted from protecting the scouts to engaging enemy forces, hence the conspicuous display of our unit’s flag.

“Our unit’s standard looks quite impressive, doesn’t it?”

Sergeant Emma remarked, observing the standard held high by one of the members of A Platoon at the forefront. Against a blue background, a small white lily, the royal emblem, was emblazoned, accompanied by the number 1 in yellow, shaped like a lightning bolt.

“Being the direct command of the First Legion is quite a weighty responsibility, even with just the number 1 on the standard.”

Corporal Mia seemed to agree with Emma. The combination of the imposing number 1 and the royal lily emblem on the sizable flag was indeed a weighty symbol.

Before setting off, I couldn’t help but be surprised when I first saw the royal insignia on the unit’s standard. Placing the royal emblem on a standard? It wasn’t even a Royal Guard, let alone a unit established by a member of the royal family. But then again, were there royals in this unit? That wasn’t the case either. While pondering over what it all meant, the answer unexpectedly came from an unlikely source.

“I didn’t realize it was an insignia made by the royal family. When I was in the Royal Guard, I never heard of allowing the use of the royal insignia outside.”

Sergeant Kilian seemed to want to emphasize his connection to the Royal Guards with almost every word he spoke. As he said, the royal insignia is considered sacred and naturally reserved for use within the royal family. However, the fact that it was created for our unit meant…

“It’s probably a way for the Montuare family to exert influence over the legion they’ve created, wanting to implant at least one faction of the royal power. And if possible, they’d choose the most elite unit.”

As I spoke, all the members of the squad nodded in agreement. If someone were to ask whether it was okay to discuss such subversive matters among squad members, the answer would undoubtedly be yes. Based on my experiences with them over the past few days, it was clear that they were far from being the elite of each unit. Their skills seemed to be above average, but rumors of their lack of discipline leading to their transfer seemed to be accurate.

The relatively shortest bridge in the vicinity, Bridge 7, was quickly crossed. The sun had not completely set, so it was dimly lit, but it was enough to identify something approaching in the distance. Cler confirmed that all of C Company had crossed the bridge and began to move slowly. They anticipated no immediate combat. Their plan was to roam this area until they reached the range of our artillery unit, where they would clash with the Spearhead Battalion. If they didn’t encounter Sasha’s unit today, it would mean they had taken quite a long evening stroll.

He didn’t want to fight if he could help it. After all, Sasha’s unit alone was formidable, being the elite spearhead division. Even excluding the accompanying infantry division, their numbers were staggering. No matter how skilled the Madoboyung (마도보병) were in flying and long-range combat, overturning numerical superiority wasn’t an easy task. Perhaps if every platoon member had Cler-class magical affinity, it might have been different.

In front of Lieutenant Gerald, it seemed as though deliberately provoking a battle to repel the enemy was an easier choice than protecting the reconnaissance troops. However, it was simply a matter of having to choose the lesser of two evils. The sight of hundreds of Sasha’s spearhead soldiers, clad in black, scanning the thicket where the platoon members were hiding, was not the situation he desired. Even if the distance between them and the spearhead soldiers seemed to be hundreds of meters.

“I don’t see any signs of artillery fire, Captain Cler.”

“Unfortunately, that’s because it’s our allies’ artillery, so to speak.”

The spearhead soldiers seemed to be just within the precarious range of artillery fire. The issue lay in the fact that between the artillery unit and the spearhead soldiers, our Madoboyung were positioned. In the darkening setting, a hasty shot might lead to our valuable Madoboyung being swept away like bowling pins by our own artillery fire.

Thinking about how this situation came to be, it seemed to be yet another example of Sasha’s mercenary tactics. Perhaps Cler had fallen into the trap too easily. Like a shepherd dog herding sheep, the spearhead soldiers drove us, luring and seizing a very strategic position. Behind the platoon lay the Delphine River, and further back, an allied artillery unit rendered useless. In front, the spearhead division stood, while infantry units of the homeland army were positioned on the flanks. Although the distance from the infantry units was considerable, posing no immediate threat, the strategic positioning effectively blocked any escape routes.

The platoon numbered only sixteen. We remained scattered, crouching in the riverside thicket, maintaining a tense standoff. Sasha seemed content to establish an encirclement and remained still. Emma, who had sprawled out in the thicket, likened it to lying in bed with pillows on both arms and clapped her hands, remarking that it was a good idea.

“Wouldn’t it be better to escape through the river, sir? If we do it right, it looks like we could swim across.”

“…If you go into the river in this weather, you’ll die from cardiac arrest. And is it normal for a unit to suggest desertion to the commander?”

The cold in the black forest wasn’t as severe as winter, but the Delphine River wasn’t exactly easy to swim across. Having surrendered once before, I knew that giving in again would increase my chances of survival rather than jumping into the river. However, the Sasha’s Spearhead Battalion, to the other Frankian Kingdom soldiers, was a ruthless reconnaissance unit, known for ruthlessly hunting down scouts, so they wouldn’t surrender easily. I raised my head slightly and focused my sight forward. What was blurry began to magnify and sharpen, seeming to have improved significantly compared to when I used it just a week ago in Saint Marg.

“!”

I saw Sasha. I saw the spear attached to her black spear. It was definitely the uniform I wore when I escaped from Saint Marg. She knew I was in this unit. Suddenly, chills ran down my body. Surrender was no longer an option. Having fled once, I couldn’t predict what hell awaited if I surrendered again.

While I was struggling with indecision, there was a change in the formation of the Imperial Army. The infantry units that had been blocking the sides spread out to create a path. Not only me, but Claire also noticed it, looking bewildered. Why were they opening a path? I stayed still for 1 or 2 minutes, thinking it might be a trap, but the gap was widening.

“Lieutenant Claire! Over there!”

From the 7th bridge where the company crossed, and from the 8th bridge to the right, our infantry units were also crossing. In response, the infantry units on the sides of the Empire changed positions. It was visible, and then I began to hear the marching song as the infantry units advanced.

Sasha wasted too much time trying to pull me out. To rescue the elite mage infantry company, the command decided on a large-scale nighttime battle and immediately put the plan into action. Once it was clear that Cler was safe, she gathered the members of the company and ordered them to head towards Bridge 7.

“Company, form up! Move out at double-quick!”

I wondered if it was necessary to form up before moving out. I asked if we could just reinforce our strength and then break away at full speed. But Cler, who had received officer training, had a different perspective.

“We’re withdrawing from the battlefield, so to speak. It’s what you might call a retreat. When it’s at the level of a company or larger, even when retreating, it has to be done in an orderly manner. That’s the only way to minimize casualties.”

I thought this was something typically done when retreating with the enemy right in front of you, but watching Sasha’s spearhead division, it felt like they could close the distance in no time and stab us with their spears. So, I didn’t have much to say about Cler’s opinion.

When we were about halfway to Bridge 7, we saw the infantry division across the bridge forming up after crossing. At first glance, it looked like more than two divisions, and one infantry division was crossing the bridge. There would likely be a similar force on Bridge 8, so there were two divisions gathered here alone. Many soldiers were still gathering on the bridge. It seemed like we wouldn’t be able to cross the bridge for a while.

Boom! Crash!

“Artillery fire! Take cover! If you move recklessly, you’ll get caught in a major mess! Keep advancing as you are!”

The shells flew in from the direction of the Moscovian Empire’s army and hit Bridge 7 directly. There was no dramatic collapse of the sturdy stone structure. I definitely didn’t see any heavy artillery in Sasha’s unit when I was captured. This was a light field gun used even within infantry divisions. Despite being lightweight, it was more than capable of turning people into minced meat.

[Across the River]

To cross over to the other side of the river, the densely packed advancing infantry were disappearing, leaving only elongated bloodstains on the bridge. The left and right sides were blocked by the river, and the rear was blocked by friendly forces. In this situation, with no choice but to close their eyes and pray, they had to quicken their pace and cross the bridge.

The unit that had already crossed the bridge had suffered minimal casualties. Initially, the enemy forces were not their target. The tightly packed targets on the bridge were their objectives. With one barrage, the shells swept through, blowing off the calves of all the infantry positioned on the bridge seven times.

“This, this is…”

Clare, like me, could only gape at the sight. Did Sasha calculate this as well? No way. If that’s true, the infantry division deployed here might dissolve into nothingness helplessly. Have we recklessly walked into a trap set by Sasha?

The last infantry unit crossing the seventh bridge was now in disarray, retreating chaotically. It was an inevitable result, given that no one had safely crossed the bridge after the lightweight artillery bombardment from the country began. Even the two units that had already crossed seemed to be wavering. A similar situation would likely be unfolding at the eighth bridge.

Thud—thud-thud—

Belatedly, our artillery unit began shelling, but it was too late. Judging by the rising dust clouds, their aim was off. Sergeant Wigo, who had been quiet until now, spoke calmly.

“It seems our artillery is firing somewhat haphazardly wherever they see fit. On the other hand, the enemy’s bombardment was precise. They must have targeted the bridge from the start and had their artillery specifications prepared days ago. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have hit so accurately.”

“If what Sergeant Wigo says is true… then we’ve fallen into their trap.”

My amateurish plan to lure out and repel the enemy forces while holding up a conspicuous flag had gone awry from the beginning. The location I had chosen to fight was the very place Sasha had decided to fight, and I had not only fallen into the enemy’s trap but also into the clutches of our own forces.

The artillery fire from the enemy forces ceased. It was unclear whether they had run out of ammunition or had simply deemed further shelling ineffective, but during this time, the platoon was able to rapidly approach the bridge.

The sight on Bridge 7 up close was horrific. It was littered with pieces of flesh and human remains. In stark contrast, the infantry division’s marching song was lively. Two divisions that had already crossed the bridge were advancing.

At this, Akmun Clair drew her saber and shouted, “Platoon, stick to the left of the division! Advance!”