Episode 58
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 58
Evan checked the paper listing the names of the men in his three units. The nation of Lune was currently occupying Roteneisen, and they would undoubtedly be prepared for today’s raid. Evan gave a short command to the adjutant assisting him.
“Our focus will be on breaking the enemy's formation. Once their lines are broken, spread a false rumor that an order to retreat has been given.”
Gilbert, who had been nodding along, asked for clarification.
“It’s a raid, sir. Will they even be in formation?”
“It’s a raid in name only. The enemy is already expecting us, so it will be no different from a full-frontal battle.”
His only job today was to take Roteneisen. Once he did, Ian would deploy his army to maintain the front line that had been pushed back. With that in mind, it was better to scatter the enemy forces completely.
A grin spread across Gilbert’s face as he spoke cheerfully.
“Ha! So this god-awful war is finally ending!”
“Nothing is over yet.”
It wasn't the first time he'd received such a blunt reply, so far from being intimidated, Gilbert just kept smiling brightly. Evan found himself letting out an involuntary chuckle.
Of course, he immediately hardened his expression as if it had never happened. With a playful look, Gilbert teased him.
“No use hiding that smile, Your Excellency. I already saw it.”
“Sir Windleton.”
His tone was a warning, but it was softer than usual. Gilbert beamed and replied.
“Yes, sir. I’ll stop now. Once this damn war is over, the Commander-in-Chief can finally get married, and the Vice-Commander can—”
“Ah, I told you to stop.”
“Yes, yes.”
Evan burst out laughing again, amused by the audacity of his younger adjutant, and picked up the sword that had been leaning against the wall.
He walked out of the barracks and stood before his soldiers, their tension palpable. With a stoic face, he spoke.
“Today's battle can end this war of attrition.”
“Sir!”
“The enemy soldiers are exhausted. On top of that, word has already spread that Löwe has seized victory.”
Evan paused, observing each soldier’s expression before continuing.
“That means many of them will flee at the mere sight of our fierce charge. So feel free to press the attack aggressively. Understood?”
“Sir!”
A thunderous reply came back. He spotted one soldier who, seemingly relieved, was chuckling with the man next to him. Evan’s brow furrowed.
“The war is not over yet. Refrain from any rash actions.”
Gilbert gave an awkward laugh and spoke cautiously.
“If I may be so bold, sir, perhaps you could let them relax a little? We never know when we might die…”
“No one dies today.”
Evan cut him off decisively, then raised an eyebrow and repeated for emphasis.
“Today, at least, no one dies.”
He wanted everyone to survive to see the end of this war and, at the same time, the beginning of the lives that would follow. He had thrown himself into this war in the first place because he wanted to see an end to the meaningless deaths.
Seeing the soldier’s bright face turn serious again, he continued.
“The 1st Unit will approach from the east, the 2nd from the west. While the enemy concentrates its forces on those two fronts, the 3rd Unit will break through the center with me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t let your guard down until it’s over. Now, to your positions.”
Watching the soldiers move in perfect sync with his commands, he glanced at the sun with a numb expression. 4 p.m. Two hours until sunset. The end of the war he had so desperately longed for was at hand, yet he felt no joy.
He just consciously repeated the thought. It’s not over yet… The plan was perfect, and barring some act of God, victory was certain. But he was worried that if he, the commander, showed any sign of joy, discipline would crumble.
A bitterly cold winter wind brushed against his cheek. He quickly joined the 3rd Unit and quickened his pace. A red sunset bled across the sky, falling over the heads of the soldiers marching in formation.
*
By the time they reached Roteneisen, the sun had already dipped below the mountain ridge. A faint crescent moon shone alone in the deep blue sky. Evan stopped abruptly, frozen by a strange chill crawling up his spine.
It’s too quiet.
According to his calculations, he should have been able to hear the sounds of skirmishes from the east and west. But the area was unnervingly silent. Was it already over? Was the garrisoned army so weak that three units weren't even necessary?
The soldiers, startled by their commander’s sudden halt, began to murmur. Evan remained rigid, his mind racing.
I can’t hear any footsteps. It’s not just that our allies haven’t arrived; I can’t hear the enemy either.
For a moment, he considered retreating. Normally, he would have calmly sent a soldier to scout the situation, but a strange premonition of danger began to take hold.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow with a composed expression, Evan tried to calm his pounding heart.
Just then, something moved in the darkness.
“On guard.”
The words shot out, a reflexive habit. The soldiers near Evan all froze and raised their weapons. He, too, drew his sword.
The faint moonlight reflecting off the cool, silver blade illuminated his face. His eyes glinted coldly as he shouted.
“Identify yourselves.”
“…”
“Failure to comply will be met with force.”
There was no reply. Gilbert gave him a look, signaling his intent to attack. For a moment, Evan hesitated. Attacking was the obvious course of action, but a nagging premonition held him back.
Why? He couldn’t say. A strange anxiety simply rooted his feet to the ground. But logically, attacking was the right move.
He finally nodded, giving his permission. The soldiers aimed their rifles at the figures in the darkness and pulled their triggers.
Bang! The sound of gunfire echoed. But that was it. They were bewildered by the deathly silence that followed. There were no screams, no sounds of anyone falling. Evan checked the position of the muzzles.
“…Did they miss?”
“I don’t know, sir. I’m sure my aim was true…”
Evan checked the distance to the enemy. Were they out of range? This was the problem with firearms. If only they were more advanced. He sighed.
“For now… let’s approach slowly.”
At his command, the soldiers of Löwe gripped their swords and began to advance toward the enemy.
Evan strained to count the number of figures moving in the darkness. It was a small group, not even the size of a single unit, and they were walking slowly toward them.
He tried to make out the faces of the soldiers, visible only as silhouettes. If he could see their features, he could tell if they belonged to Alea or Lune.
His eyes, now accustomed to the dark, scanned the faces of the distant figures. In that instant, he froze at the bizarre sight that met his gaze.
The figures walking toward them had no faces. As if someone had been sculpting a statue from clay and simply mashed the head, the place where features should have been was just an empty void.
Worse, they weren't carrying any weapons—not even swords, let alone guns.
“Wait, sto—”
Clang! A strange sound, like a sword striking rock, echoed out. Evan immediately looked up at his soldiers who had charged the enemy.
Despite the sword slicing nearly halfway through its neck, the enemy was unharmed. It slowly turned its head and stared down at the blade embedded in its flesh.
It had no eyes, but he knew instinctively that it was analyzing the situation.
The soldier, aghast that the enemy stood there calmly instead of writhing in pain, watched as its arm morphed into a sharp blade. The neck, which had been nearly severed, squirmed and reattached itself.
“Your Excellency, something’s wro—”
“Retreat!”
But it was too late. The enemy’s arm, now a sharp sword, began to mechanically slaughter Löwe's soldiers.
Evan hastily snatched a rifle from a subordinate next to him and, with sweaty hands, aimed at the unidentifiable foe. A shot rang out, but the bullet was swallowed with a squirm by the creature’s massive, clay-like body.
His mind went white. No weapon could damage it.
It was pandemonium, with men trying to flee and corpses with severed necks rolling on the cold ground. Biting his lip so hard it bled, Evan immediately issued the retreat order.
With such a disparity in strength, there was no chance of victory.
Just then, with a loud boom, a section of the ground caved in. Evan furrowed his brow at the sound, something he had never heard in his life.
An explosive? Impossible. It can’t be. There was no way an explosive existed that he didn't know the sound of. Had a new weapon been invented in that time? Not to his knowledge. A novel feeling washed over him, and he froze.
An immense terror surged through him, as if he were facing an absolute being, so powerful he could never hope to win. He was overwhelmed by the premonition that nothing he did could change the situation.
No, I can’t show weakness. He seized control of his wavering mind. Using his sword for support, he stood and dashed forward. Shoving an ally out of the way of a piercing blow, Evan slashed off the opponent’s arm and muttered with a cold, expressionless face.
“Neither Alea nor Lune.”
Up close, it was clear. He didn't know what the enemy was, but it certainly wasn't human. A body without even a uniform, and a face that was an empty void.
He was just as confused as anyone, but he was the one in charge of this battle. He gritted his teeth, fighting to keep his composure. He didn't know what was happening, but the enemy must have been responsible for collapsing the ground. They had no intention of letting them go.
A chill ran down his spine. This unknown entity intended to kill every last one of them here.
His face grim, he ground his teeth and swiftly blocked an attack aimed at another soldier, then slashed the enemy diagonally. The writhing body went still. Realizing the enemy was now in a state where it couldn't recover, he commanded.
“I’m rescinding the order. We will not retreat. We attack. If they’re living beings, they must have hearts. Aim for that.”
If the enemy was bent on slaughter, they would surely hunt down anyone who fled. Fighting gave them a better chance of survival than running.
Perhaps because of the explosion, a constant ringing filled his ears. He shook his head lightly to clear it, but the sound only grew louder.
It was then that Evan realized what he had mistaken for tinnitus was a real sound. A bizarre noise he had never heard before. It sounded like an animal, but it was too artificial for that…
Amid the chaos, he quickly regained his composure. Even an unreal situation could be solved if he could find its cause.
The direction of the sound, a strange vibration he could feel through the soles of his feet. Anticipating the next attack, he yelled at the soldiers on his left.
“Get back!!!”
CRASH! The ground split open once more, creating a deep, dark chasm.
Thanks to his warning, most of them managed to get away. Only two soldiers fell. Their screams echoed up from the pit-like abyss below.
Evan squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and scanned the battlefield. From the utter chaos, he managed to discern a single pattern.
“Everyone, get behind me.”
“Sir? But—”
“Now!”
He had realized something when he saved his man earlier. The enemy, while mechanically slaughtering his soldiers, strangely seemed to avoid him or become powerless whenever they faced him directly.
This explosion had also avoided him. He didn't know why, but to protect the remaining soldiers, he had to be at the front. He couldn't afford to lose any more men.
“Retreat without me. I’ll hold them here.”
“What? No! Your Excellency, what will you…?”
“It seems they’re only trying to eliminate the pawns, leaving me, the commander, alone. I’ll create some distance and rejoin you.”
Pushing away Gilbert, who clearly thought the plan was impossible, he gave a firm command.
“Retreat. I’m transferring command to you until I rejoin the unit.”
The hesitant adjutant, his reluctance plain on his face, led the remaining soldiers away. Evan stood his ground, facing the bizarre soldiers, and was puzzled when they showed no sign of action.