The Trap Springs
“But the lieutenant occasionally shows flashes of brilliance. Not by chance, but like he's pulling out something he's been hiding.”
“Is that so? I've never really thought about it that way.”
Colonel Eden's talking about the System, with a high probability.
Play dumb, no matter what.
But what I'd overlooked was that he had senses sharp enough to detect lies like a polygraph.
“You'll need to work on hiding your emotions first, Lieutenant. And don't worry—no intention of digging into it.”
“Ha… haha.”
With nothing to say, I just gave an awkward laugh.
“Everyone has something they hide. As long as you're devoting that power to the Empire, you deserve respect.”
“Thank you for thinking that way, sir.”
Whatever the case, relief washed over me since he said he wouldn't pry into the System.
“You said earlier the sense of accomplishment came from Intelligence Command?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hm. Then I called you up here for nothing. No need to show it if you're already feeling it.”
“Pardon…? What do you mean.”
Large-scale enemy forces identified from east gate! All troops to battle stations!
WEEEEENG!!!
The blaring announcement hammered my ears as enemy forces charging from afar came into view.
BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!
The closer they got, the more overwhelming their numbers felt—easily over ten thousand by rough estimate.
“They… really came.”
Honestly, I'd half-worried the intel was wrong and they wouldn't show.
But they had come, in numbers beyond imagination.
“Watch closely with your own eyes, Lieutenant. See how your abilities change the course of this battle.”
When the enemy was too close to retreat.
BEEP!
Thousands of defenders and hidden cannons emerged from the now-silent walls.
“Wha—what?!”
The enemy panicked hard at the far-more-than-expected garrison.
But it was too late to turn back—they'd pushed too deep.
BEEP! BEEP!
“Fire! Annihilate them without letting a single one escape!”
“Fire!!!”
BOOM! BOOM!
Magic Bullets flew mercilessly, slamming into the enemy ranks.
Against such overwhelming firepower, they were helpless.
“What do you think? Of our joint creation, Lieutenant.”
Colonel Eden asked, gazing down at the crumbling enemy. I answered as if entranced.
“Fantastic.”
“Wha—what the hell is this?!”
Major General Almont's words failed him at the enemy's unexpected counterattack.
“The enemy's resistance is too fierce! Ladders won't get us up the walls easily!”
“I know that much! But how is this possible?”
The north gate assault had started just thirty minutes ago.
Naturally, enemy forces would concentrate there.
Even with some readiness maintained, this was excessive.
Which meant…
“They anticipated it? Or intel leaked. Damn it! How?!”
Even after slashing conference attendees post-Salt Castle failure, restricting operations—another leak.
Major General Almont's hands trembled.
“Deputy Commander! The situation's bad! Order a retreat first—”
Brigadier General Gal dmen uttered "retreat," twisting Almont's face.
“Retreat here and it's over!”
They'd pulled troops meant for the south wall.
Falling back now meant getting pushed from the south too.
Climbing Rimir Castle's walls again after exhausting everything? Impossible.
“But charging with just ladders is suicide!”
“Lose here, and we're all done! Push up no matter what!”
Defeat meant not just the end of his career, but losing everything built over thirty years.
“Give it everything! Over twenty thousand can't fail to take one wall!”
“U-understood!”
Brigadier General Gal dmen squeezed his eyes shut at the final commander's order.
Even amid this exchange, Magic Bullets rained nonstop from the walls.
BOOM! BOOM!
“Aaaagh! Save me!”
“How the hell are we supposed to climb?!”
“This is just telling us to die… damn it!”
“Can't do it! No way!”
Morale shattered under hopeless tactics with no future.
“We're dying anyway! Fuck this, you think our lives are worth shit?!”
“Not dying like this! My daughter's waiting at home!”
People before soldiers.
Few had patriotism to leap into fire pits.
“Wha—where the hell are they going?!”
“Die alone if you're dying! Block me and you're first!”
“You fucking officer bastards! There's a limit to playing along!”
Soldiers began deserting.
Not noticeable at first, but snowballing fast.
“Division Commander! Troops are deserting! The tide's too against us!”
Staff reported to Brigadier General Gal dmen.
“Damn it!”
BAM!
He slammed the table amid worsening odds.
“Retreat now! Even if we reach the walls, we'll just get stabbed and fall!”
“Casualties are too high! Preserve forces while we can!”
“Relay to commanders: Priority shoot deserters starting now.”
“Pardon…?!”
Staff gaped at the unforeseen order.
“No retreat. That's the Deputy Commander's order.”
“The situation's coldly—”
Shing!
Brigadier General Gal dmen drew his sword.
“Didn't hear the order?! If you're so smart, tell the Deputy Commander yourself!”
The air froze at his execution-ready glare.
“R… relaying now.”
No one here was blind to this battle's end.
Yet they had to obey.
This was the army, after all.
“Company Commander, the gate opens soon.”
“Heart's pounding.”
Lt. Colonel Garen wheeled his fiercely snorting horse to face his company.
“Company, attention!”
“Attention!!”
Responses sharp as blades.
Though addressed to his company, the infantry battalion behind fixed eyes on him too.
“Never dreamed the enemy would reach the walls and give us this chance.”
He remembered the grim situation.
1st Company had been at the south gate then too.
“But unbelievably, opportunity knocked in just one day!”
All nodded in agreement.
“This is thanks to comrades who bled atop those walls. Now we harvest their sacrifice and toil. 1st Company!”
Lt. Colonel Garen raised his drawn sword skyward.
“Sir!!!!”
“Punish their invasion of Lycan Empire soil in His Majesty's and our comrades' name!”
GRRRR!
The gate, unopened since battle's start, split left and right.
“Charge! Leave none alive!!!”
Garen led, 103rd Battalion 1st Company charging behind.
“WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Their overwhelming momentum boosted general troops' morale beyond limits.
“We—we surrender!”
Slash!
“B-block them.”
Slash!
Aditz Empire forces, lines broken long ago, couldn't stop Lycan soldiers pushing in.
“Fight! Hold them back!”
Screaming officers.
Their actions had long crossed the soldiers' line.
“Want it that bad? Go fight yourself!”
“You're the ones getting us killed! Damn you!”
“Just die!!! We're dead anyway!”
Stab!
Furious soldiers stabbed officers blocking escape.
And Lt. Colonel Garen exploited this masterfully.
“Spare surrendering soldiers! Excellent work!”
“Yes, sir!”
His booming voice carried for all to hear.
Aditz soldiers' eyes shifted instantly.
“Wh-what are you thinking?!”
“Don't fall for enemy tricks! Fight to the end!”
Leap!
Garen's bold words vaulted him over dozens, landing before the colonel-badged commander.
“Wha—what?!”
Slash! Spurt!
One strike.
The commander's head hit the ground, blood spraying.
“Seek life, seek forgiveness? Prove your worth!”
Garen left room for choice.
In desperate straits needing unity, now fractured—battle over.
“Deputy Commander… retreat now.”
“Ha… hahahahaha!”
Major General Almont, unhinged.
He could see with his own eyes.
Lycan soldiers slaughtering his one-sidedly routed allies, marching toward him.
“It's all over. Everything's over.”
“Not your fault, Deputy Commander. The plan failed.”
Brigadier General Gal dmen consoled futilely, knowing full well.
No matter the plan, he and Almont couldn't escape blame.
They were repeated failure's generals.
“My recklessness killed tens of thousands. Too late for regrets.”
Almont sane now, but as he said—far too late.
“Order retreat now.”
“Retreat. Save at least one.”
Feeble order.
Even without, those fleeing already had.
“You too, Deputy Commander—”
“Division Commander, what's waiting back home?”
“Pardon…?”
“His Majesty won't forgive. Survive, and it's a wretched life.”
“Still, go and—”
“Say it's all my fault. Then you might just lose uniform and call it lucky.”
Shing.
Almont drew his sword.
“Deputy Commander…? You can't mean.”
“Farewell.”
“No!”
Stab!
Before Gal dmen could reach, the blade pierced Almont's own heart.
Spurt.
No doctor could save that wound.
Almont fled via death.
Gal dmen bit his lip.
“You coward!”