Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Nobles Dyed in Darkness (4)
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At the temporary command post of the 1st Magic Battalion, four people were gathered together.
Lieutenant Colonel Riten, me, Fiona, and Leting had our heads bent close over the map laid out in the center.
Ah, of course, we weren't actually pressing our heads together.
Lieutenant Colonel Riten pointed to one section of the map.
It was our target location, a terrain that was disadvantageous to attackers in every way.
"As you can see, one side is dense forest, the other a hill. The forest is too thick to enter easily, and the hill is high enough that the enemy has likely seized the high ground."
"We can't launch a proper attack like this, can we?"
In modern times, we'd just call in an airstrike, but this was a medieval world.
And with magic in the mix, cannons alone had their limits.
The colonel nodded and pointed a bit to the side.
"See here? It's the only pass connecting to the flatlands. It's a little elevated, but still the most viable breakthrough point."
"I see. So, what's the current plan?"
"In simple terms, we punch through this pass. We'll pin down the hilltop with magic while shoving our troops through here."
It was a straightforward approach, but would it really work?
Wasn't this just throwing soldiers into the meat grinder?
Honestly, it didn't sit right with me.
Wouldn't cutting through the dense forest be better?
When I voiced that, Leting shook his head.
He spoke in place of the colonel.
"Sending troops through dense forest is tough. You never know where an ambush might come from, and if the woods catch fire, retreat becomes a nightmare."
That left the single pass as our only option.
I understood the battlefield and the strategy.
If I were just a soldier or in some other role, I might have followed along blindly.
But I was a staff officer, wasn't I?
Even as a parachute drop-in, I had to play my part.
So I stared at the map in silence, until Fiona spoke up impatiently.
"Teacher—no, Colonel! Just bombard them, I say! Even Sir Edn doesn't seem keen on this."
She half-rose, raising her voice.
Leting pressed down on her shoulder from beside her.
"Tch. Fiona, settle down. He came as staff officer from the start. This is par for the course."
"Ow, Leting! Don't interfere!"
The two started bickering.
Where was that polite greeting from earlier? They were arguing loud and clear.
No way they were real siblings, right?
I kept the question to myself to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Instead, I studied the map and started thinking for myself.
The colonel's plan wasn't bad, aside from the heavy soldier casualties it demanded.
The mages would provide rear support, leaving knights and regular troops to breach here.
But as a magic battalion, mages would be the focus.
"Lieutenant Colonel Riten. Have you scouted it yet?"
"We have, but that was two days ago. Things have probably changed."
"Then let's scout again. We can decide based on fresh intel—it won't be too late."
Our target was the golems and those weird flesh lumps.
They were likely the enemy's trump cards.
That's why the 1st Magic Battalion was operating as a special task force.
We needed maximum results with minimal force, right?
"You've got something in mind."
"Yes. We might even win this easily."
I didn't know much about the flesh lumps, but golems? I knew them inside out.
Weak points, design flaws, that sort of thing.
Soon, the recon team returned with their report.
The outpost was close, so they'd gone and come back in a single day.
And they brought great news.
"The golems are standing guard right now."
"All of them?"
"Yes. No rotations—just golems handling everything."
Wow, that was genuinely good news.
I let out a small chuckle, and the colonel urged me to share my idea.
So I pointed to a spot on the map.
"Mass-produced golems have an inherent flaw. If the specs are accurate, no amount of black magic can save them—they'll fall for sure."
"Oh? What's the flaw?"
The design flaw in mass-produced golems was instability.
Specifically, from using stones of varying sizes and shapes.
"Put simply, low durability. A direct hit from an explosion spell will shatter them every time. They weren't designed for war in the first place. Of course, it has to pack enough punch."
"Music to my ears. And we've got plenty of mages—bombardment it is."
The colonel said he'd scrapped the idea initially due to golem durability.
But if they were weaker than expected, it was worth a shot.
"We have to plan for failure, though. Got a backup?"
"Nope. I don't plan on failing."
There was no way it would fail.
The golems were the real threat; the flesh lumps were just annoying.
No way a battalion full of mages would lose.
His eyes widened at my confidence, then he burst into laughter.
"What spirit! Truly praiseworthy!"
"Right? I'll take that as a compliment!"
Fiona cheered, while Leting looked a bit exasperated.
"Fiona, don't take it as a role model. Ahem. Anyway, I'll relay the orders."
The plan simplified from before, but survival odds went up.
And so, execution day arrived.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The extermination operation of the 1st Magic Battalion, with Edn attached, began.
Lieutenant Colonel Riten shouted at the two safest positions.
"Everyone, charge!"
Mages, knights, and soldiers climbed the hill and pushed inside.
A place they couldn't have entered due to the golems before.
But Edn's strategy worked like a charm.
Direct hits from explosion magic sent them crumbling helplessly.
Golems hit by mere shockwaves stood firm, proving direct hits were key.
"All mages in melee range, stick to them! Knights, handle the flesh lumps!"
Troops split efficiently at the colonel's command.
Mages gathered mana again and smashed more golems.
Knights and regulars tackled the disoriented test subjects amid the blasts.
The dark blue-robed figure watched the scene and gestured.
"We've been had. At this rate, capture's just a matter of time."
"What? Don't talk nonsense! Why are we losing to those things?!"
Phillips was baffled, but the robed figure shook her head helplessly.
If they hadn't been surprised, black magic would've shielded the golems.
If no surprise, there'd have been countermeasures.
But now, golems fell before any response.
Too late, mana crystals overloaded in a futile spasm.
Most crumbled under direct explosion hits.
The robed figure couldn't stop it.
"Archers picked off before nocking arrows. Soldiers slain before donning armor. Knights struck before swinging swords—what can you do?"
"That's..."
"That's our situation. I knew the golems were weak, so I prepared black magic countermeasures. But they hit before I could activate them."
Phillips despaired at her words.
She just smacked her lips in regret.
The golem countermeasures needed her personal activation.
Constant upkeep would've drained their mana nonstop.
In short, prolonging operation time became their poison.
"Anyway, time to retreat. Eighty percent of golems are wrecked, the rest aren't functional. The test subjects... they'll be mopped up soon."
If there'd been more knights or regulars than mages, maybe different.
But reality was the opposite.
With their trump card neutralized, time for plan B.
As the two moved to flee with mixed emotions, the colonel leaped in instantly.
Boom!
"Where do you think you're going?"
Years of experience let him anticipate and block their escape.
He grinned, baring yellowed teeth, making Phillips freak out.
"H-Hey! Do something!"
"...You fight too."
Sinister darkness rippled from her hand.
Vast mana writhed from his.
Phillips panicked between them, then hastily drew his own mana.
Lieutenant Colonel Riten declared to the pair.
"Struggle all you want. It'll do you some good."
Clenching his fist and tensing his legs, his muscles bulged.
He leaned forward and vanished in an instant.
"Wh-where—."
"Tch! What a pain...!"
Phillips didn't notice, but the colonel reached from behind.
The robed figure sensed and scattered darkness, but too slow.
Bang!
"Gah! Guh...!"
"One down."
Phillips hit the ground without resistance.
The colonel dusted his hand and turned to her.
"I said run."
"That's what I'm doing!"
She unleashed darkness everywhere, snuffing the light for a moment.
The colonel thrust his mana-wreathed fist straight ahead.
Space warped briefly, followed by a delayed shockwave.
Boom!
The enveloping darkness yielded to his mana and vanished.
But the dark blue robe was gone.
She'd slipped his senses and escaped.
He smirked in admiration.
"Even in my old age, she slips away. Maybe it's time to retire?"
He glanced at his scarred palm.
A groan from below snapped him back.
"Yeah, yeah. Hurts, doesn't it? Still better than later."
The colonel grabbed Phillips by the scruff and strolled off casually.
The operation was wrapping up.