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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Company Commander Always Has a Plan
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The Company Commander always has a plan.
As soldiers, we are bound to fight once given an order.
Since I, too, fell into that 'soldier' category, I couldn't refuse the command.
Ultimately, I had no choice but to lead my company, which had arrived late, as the brigade's follow-up unit, advancing towards the enemy lines.
We moved forward through a dark tunnel, relying on flashlights, until we found a ceiling where light seeped through. Emerging from there, we found an enemy supply base spread out before us.
It was a huge warehouse-like place piled high with various supplies, and the Kingdom soldiers guarding it lay strewn about, cold corpses with bullets embedded in their bodies.
It seemed to be the work of the brigade soldiers who had entered first.
As I wrinkled my brow at the scent of blood, the company officers and soldiers climbed up one by one.
"Well, they certainly had a spectacular festival."
Lieutenant McKell was the first among them to speak.
I nodded vaguely, then stepped out through the wide-open warehouse door.
Instead of the dim artificial light, the vast sunlight illuminated everything brightly.
A quick glance around showed little difference from inside the warehouse.
All the Allied soldiers guarding the base were dead.
Meanwhile, there were hardly any Imperial Army soldiers' bodies to be seen.
Even if it was a surprise attack, I hadn't expected such a difference in skill.
It was almost enough to pity the Kingdom Army.
As I openly clicked my tongue, a 'BOOM!' of artillery fire echoed from not far away.
I turned my head to see a barrage of artillery falling on the city.
Fortunately, it wasn't indiscriminate shelling.
They were concentrating their attacks only on enemy military bases, so as not to cause civilian casualties.
This was proof that the current Empire was adhering to wartime international law.
However, whether the Imperial soldiers themselves would adhere to wartime international law was uncertain.
Beyond the open door of the supply base, I could see Imperial soldiers slaughtering Kingdom soldiers.
From several buildings, windows shattered, and Kingdom soldiers fell.
Even in urban warfare, they were suppressing the enemy almost perfectly.
'Is this truly the Imperial Army's elite, the Magic-Mobile Army…?'
As I was secretly marveling, a woman with light brown hair stopped beside me.
It was Priene.
"What a tragic sight."
I turned, wondering why she was suddenly spouting sense, only to find her in a reverent posture, as if praying to a god.
"They too must have been human once, you know. How could they not know that by holding hands with beasts, they too would become beasts? They deserve divine punishment, yet their transgressions are truly lamentable."
Right. Of course, you wouldn't say anything sensible.
As I gave Priene a disapproving look, Lieutenant McKell spoke up this time.
"I thought it would be an easy victory after hearing the operation briefing, but I didn't expect it to be so overwhelming. I almost feel guilty. It's like we're using violence against a child."
Sergeant Glendy burst into laughter at Lieutenant McKell's joke.
"A perfect analogy, sir! And to think of infiltrating by exploiting the enemy's supply route, Company Commander, you truly seem to see many moves ahead on the battlefield!"
"…I was just lucky."
"Hahaha! With such humility, how can I not respect you? By the way, are we joining the brigade soldiers now?"
Are they insane? Do they really mean to go into the thick of the enemy lines, where artillery is raging, and fight?
I turned, wondering if they were serious, only to see their faces filled with anticipation.
It wasn't just Sergeant Glendy; the other officers and soldiers also looked as if they were itching to fight right away.
Lucy, who maintained her expressionless face throughout, seemed normal by comparison.
'What a bunch of warmongers…'
It was enough to send shivers down my spine.
Everyone seemed to want to fight, but I'm sorry to say I had no intention of granting their request.
"We're going to the coast."
The coast? Priene opened her mouth, sounding confused.
"Captain Daniel? Aren't all the enemies concentrated on the front lines or in the city center due to our army's feint attack? The coast must be filled with evacuating civilians."
"…Surely you're not suggesting we attack civilians?"
What do they take me for, to ask such a question?
My decision to go to the coast was simply because I judged that the number of enemies there would be the lowest.
If combat was unavoidable, choosing the place with the least engagement increased the chances of survival.
Of course, if I explained this, I didn't know what kind of criticism I'd receive from these irrational warmongers, so I decided to just gloss over it.
"I have a plan, so just follow orders without complaint."
In truth, I had no plan.
I just uttered "plan" because it was a magic word that could quell the dissatisfaction of my unit members.
As expected, Priene and the other officers saluted me, indicating their understanding.
'Good.'
Now, I could leave the war to the brigade soldiers and just kill time by the sea.
"All personnel, immediately follow me to the coast."
Hiding my true intentions, I calmly gave the order and started walking.
*
"The front line… the front line has been breached!"
"Contact with the city's central army has also been lost!"
News of defeat reached the ears of Rapunae, the Division Commander of the Kingdom Army's Armored Division, who was fleeing.
He had somewhat expected it, but he hadn't thought the city would fall so rapidly.
Rapunae clenched his teeth and glared at the radio operator.
"Order them to hold their positions as much as possible and withstand the Imperial Army's attack."
"But that would mean heavy casualties…"
"It's an order! Don't you understand that if we buy time to escape, we'll get another chance!"
Major General Rapunae's theory was that soldiers could be conscripted at any time, but if the military leadership was annihilated, it would be difficult to fill their void.
However, that theory was a kind of defense mechanism, formed to justify his own escape from the battlefield in an emergency.
BOOM—
The ground shook from an artillery blast, and his legs swayed.
Rapunae, who almost fell, barely regained his balance and continued walking.
"Damn it! How much further do we have to go?!"
As Rapunae pressed, a field officer beside him spoke up.
"Just around the corner, and we'll be at the rendezvous point! The evacuation ship is disguised as a fishing boat, so it should be safe from Imperial attacks."
Rapunae nodded at the officer's calm explanation.
The Imperial Army adhered to wartime international law, except in special cases.
That meant they wouldn't attack civilians, and if they joined the civilian evacuation convoy disguised as a fishing boat, escape would be easy.
"But, Division Commander. Are you really going to evacuate?"
The Kingdom Army, having lost its leadership, was like a candle in the wind.
The officer said this out of concern, but Rapunae was only angered.
"The moment we were surrounded, we already lost the war! We were barely maintaining our lifeline because the supply lines were intact, but they reversed that and stormed in! Do you see any chance of victory!?"
"There's no chance of victory, but we could fight to the death…"
"Don't talk nonsense! Not retreating from a losing battlefield is something only an utter fool would do!"
Of course, Rapunae's retreat didn't include his soldiers.
"…Understood."
The officer, realizing he couldn't change the division commander's mind, simply fell silent.
Rapunae glared at the officer once more, then turned the corner, and could see the coastline stretching out beyond the alley.
Just a little further, and they could board the evacuation ship.
Rapunae and his group, who thought they were finally safe, froze the moment they stepped out of the alley.
"Huh?"
They had encountered an Imperial Army unit in black uniforms.
The number of Imperial soldiers was about 200.
The gold insignia of a national commander on the chest of the Imperial officer leading them shone brightly in the sunlight.
Seeing that, Rapunae swallowed hard.
The number of elite soldiers Rapunae had brought for escort purposes was barely over 50.
He had been concerned that a larger number would increase the chance of detection by the enemy.
In any case, if they engaged in combat now, it would just be a pointless death.
'But…'
How on earth had that man set up a position here?
It was only natural for Rapunae, who hadn't even exchanged communications out of concern for interception, to be dumbfounded.
The thoughts in Daniel's mind, leading his company, were not much different.
'…Why are the military brass of the Armored Division here?'
Daniel, who had simply come to the coast to avoid combat, couldn't understand it.
However, his soldiers didn't seem to think the same way.
Click—
The Imperial Army soldiers simultaneously raised their rifles, aiming them at the military brass of the Armored Division.
Sergeant Glendy also aimed his rifle along with the soldiers and said,
"Company Commander. Was this what your plan was aiming for? At this point, it's beyond admiration; it's terrifying."
Daniel felt equally terrified.
The thought of accumulating more military achievements made him sigh, but he couldn't show it.
"Capture those men."
Daniel narrowed his eyes sharply at the military brass of the Armored Division, who hesitated.
"If anyone resists, you may kill them."
At Daniel's cold words, the Kingdom Army soldiers lost their will to fight and one by one dropped their rifles.
Their actions were an admission that Nordia had fallen.