Be Careful of One Officer?
Be Careful of One Officer?
The brigade, having completed the establishment of the bridgehead, advanced toward Penbark on Daniel's orders.
The advance was so smooth that Daniel, riding in a light armored vehicle, couldn't hide his displeasure.
'At this rate, I'm just adding another merit to my record...'
According to Intelligence Staff Officer Pelf, since they had successfully secured the bridge and established a bridgehead without taking any damage, they could cut the schedule by roughly two weeks compared to the initial estimate.
Thanks to that, Daniel Steiner felt a burning sensation in his throat.
'When the Chief of the General Staff hears this news, she'll keep rolling me out onto the battlefield.'
For Daniel, who craved personal peace more than anyone else, it was a future tantamount to hell.
'What should I do...'
How could he escape from this terrible reality.
He was pondering it, hand resting on his chin, when—
"Brigade Commander."
A dry, monotonous voice reached Daniel's ears.
When he turned his head, Lucy was blinking her red eyes.
"What does the Brigade Commander think the enemy will do now?"
Since it wasn't a difficult question to answer, Daniel immediately opened his mouth.
"They would have established a layered defensive line along the city's approach routes. They've probably requested reinforcements, so they'll try to buy as much time as possible with a delaying action in the meantime. It'll be troublesome, but we'll have to do our best to break through that defensive line."
"Is that so. If they've established a defensive line, they must have set up traps as well."
"Of course. Anti-tank obstacles or minefields..."
Daniel stopped mid-sentence and shut his mouth.
He thought this was it.
Daniel pulled out the radio and pressed the transmit button.
"All units, halt the advance."
Not long after Daniel's order, the speed of the tanks and vehicles gradually decreased.
Before long, as the lead vehicle came to a complete stop, the movement of the brigade ceased.
Amidst the slowly dying engine sounds, Daniel opened the armored car's door and stepped out.
While he was putting on his service cap and straightening his attire, Pelf, who had disembarked from a vehicle toward the rear, approached him.
Substituting a salute with a slight bow of his head, Pelf spoke.
"Brigade Commander. May I ask the reason for ordering the halt of the advance?"
It was too early to prepare for an encampment, which was why he asked.
Daniel's purpose was to buy time until the enemy reinforcements arrived at Penbark, but he couldn't say that outright. So, he spoke while projecting solemnity.
"Intelligence Staff Officer. Don't you find it strange?"
"...What are you saying is strange, sir?"
"The state of the road. It's clean. Far too clean. The normal thing would be to install obstacles and force the enemy to detour. Did we find any obstacles during our advance?"
Pelf, who had been thinking hard, shook his head.
"Indeed... there were none. There were a few fallen trees on the road, but they could be driven over with vehicles, so they couldn't really be considered obstacles."
"In that case, what do you think this means?"
"...Are you trying to say that perhaps the enemy is leading us to use the road?"
As Daniel nodded, Pelf had a quiet revelation.
"I see. There is a strong possibility they've buried anti-tank mines on the road."
"You saw right through it. Then you must also know what we have to do now."
"We must dispatch experienced scouts or tank crewmen and order them to detect any traces or signs of anti-tank mine burial. Because ensuring our army's safety is the priority."
Since that meant he could drag out the time, Daniel gave a satisfied smile.
"It's good that you're quick to understand. Immediately deliver the order to the Reconnaissance Company: assess whether there are traces of anti-tank mines buried on the road."
"Yes! Brigade Commander!"
Pelf answered energetically, turned around, and walked away.
Daniel, who had been watching Pelf's retreating figure, let out a sigh of relief.
'Good. With this, I can buy a few days.'
If he periodically ordered a halt to the advance and instructed them to search for traces of buried anti-tank mines, he could drastically slow down the march to Penbark.
'It's not an unreasonable order, so the soldiers and officers won't be able to object either.'
Who would dare object when it was about securing their army's safety?
At worst, there'd be only a few fragments of discontent.
Daniel was quite satisfied with his own plan, but that feeling didn't last long.
Because when evening came, the commander of the Reconnaissance Company, who had returned from scouting, reported to Daniel with a voice full of awe.
"Company Commander Ehiliam, reporting. I have confirmed signs of anti-tank mine burial at a point 2km from our current location. Part of the pavement surface has been artificially removed, and traces of camouflaging with fresh mounds of dirt were discovered. It is judged to have been laid by the enemy's advance engineer unit."
At the company commander's report, Daniel froze stiff on the spot.
On the other hand, Intelligence Staff Officer Pelf, who was beside Daniel, could not hide his excitement.
"Brigade Commander! The Brigade Commander's prediction was correct this time as well! A 2km point, you say...! If the Brigade Commander had issued the halt order just a little later, a disaster would have occurred!"
It wasn't wrong.
Though it was not what Daniel had intended.
After a moment of silence, Daniel immediately gave an order.
Since anti-tank mines had been discovered, he now needed to take things seriously for the preservation of his forces, too.
"The Reconnaissance Company will take a short rest and then search the nearby forest based on the location where the anti-tank mines are buried. If the enemy plans to carry out a delaying action, there is a high probability that a small unit is lying in ambush nearby."
"Indeed... you are absolutely correct. We will follow your orders!"
It was the moment when the company commander, having answered vigorously, was about to step away to relay the orders.
"Brigade Commander."
Wondering who it was, he turned his head to find Lucy.
"If you will permit me, I would also like to assist the Reconnaissance Company."
"...The Reconnaissance Company?"
"Yes. I wish to contribute to the fighting strength."
The gaze of Lucy as she spoke was filled with certainty born of intuition.
It was a look far too serious to refuse, so Daniel nodded.
"If you wish, you may cooperate, limited to this operation. That won't be a problem, will it? Company Commander Ehiliam."
Ehiliam wore a troubled expression, but he couldn't bring himself to offer a differing opinion to Daniel.
"If it is an order, I will comply."
*
Meanwhile, the high ground of the forest near the anti-tank mine burial point.
"Damn it..."
Battalion Commander Bental of the Penbark Defense Force, who was lying in ambush leading about 300 soldiers, gritted his teeth.
'The enemy reconnaissance unit checked the burial point and returned. That means...'
It was the same as saying Daniel Steiner had figured out the location of the anti-tank mine burial.
That was absurd from Bental's perspective.
'It was just 2km. Just 2km more, and those bastards would have been wrecked by the anti-tank mines...!'
The gist of this operation was to launch a surprise attack to inflict damage and then flee, right after Daniel's brigade fell into chaos from hitting the anti-tank mines.
But as if to show off, Daniel Steiner halted the advance of the entire force 2km ahead, sent a reconnaissance unit, and identified the anti-tank mines.
'How on earth did he figure it out? Is the bastard really some kind of god...'
He now felt a sense of helplessness beyond fear.
As Bental was clicking his tongue, the sound of footsteps approached from nearby.
Bental, who threw his gaze toward the footsteps, discovered his adjutant.
"...What is it?"
The adjutant hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Battalion Commander. It appears the enemy has, after all, caught on to our presence."
"What?"
"An enemy reconnaissance unit, which appears to be company-sized, is heading this way. If we don't retreat immediately, our position will be discovered by the bastards."
First the anti-tank mines, and now he had even grasped their ambush position.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being toyed with by Daniel Steiner.
'But...'
The fact that their own forces had identified the enemy reconnaissance unit first was good news.
"If it's company-sized, we don't need to retreat. We'll launch a preemptive attack to deal a blow, secure prisoners, and then fall back to the defense line."
"But, Battalion Commander..."
"Adjutant! Shut up and follow my orders! Do you think the Defense Commander will tolerate us retreating without any gains? Without at least gobbling up that reconnaissance unit..."
Bental stopped mid-sentence and shut his mouth.
Because his adjutant's expression was not good.
Not knowing why, he stayed silent, and the adjutant swallowed dryly before speaking.
"Battalion Commander. A directive came down from Central Command. They said to watch out for one officer with silver hair and red eyes in Daniel Steiner's unit. It's been reported that an officer matching the description relayed from above has been sighted within the enemy reconnaissance unit."
"Huh? Watch out for one officer?"
"Yes. That officer is dangerous."
It was so ridiculous that he couldn't even laugh.
"Can a single officer possibly overcome a difference in military strength? Quit talking nonsense and follow my orders! If you keep talking back to me, I'll consider it insubordination and punish you according to military law!"
As Bental shouted furiously, the adjutant bowed his head in fright.
"I apologize! I will relay the orders!"
Having said that, the adjutant left the spot.
Bental stared disapprovingly at his adjutant's retreating figure, then let out a sigh.
'Central Command isn't in their right mind either. Maybe if it were Daniel Steiner, but being scared stiff of a single officer...'
Bental shook his head vigorously, then took out a map from his breast pocket and spread it open.
He was going to double-check the retreat route, just in case.
While he was spending his time like that, the sound of gunfire rang out from nearby.
"It's begun."
Bental closed and reopened his eyes, pocketed the map, and drew his pistol.
Taking a deep breath and turning around, Bental stepped toward the direction where the gunfire came from.
— Uwaaaaak!
In the forest that had turned into a battlefield, the screams of the enemy echoed long.
'Stupid bastards. If they came to reconnoiter, they shouldn't have let themselves be spotted.'
Bental furrowed his brow and gripped his pistol tightly.
The gunfire continued to ring out, and the screams grew denser.
Confident in his own forces' victory, Bental smiled, but then he suddenly felt a sense of doubt.
— What the hell is that! What the hell is that!
— Aaaagh!
— Retreat! Retreat! Get out of the way, you sons of bitches!
The voices.
— Don't run! I repeat! Don't run!
— Machine gun! Even just blast a machine gun! Hurry!
— You sons of bitches! What are you doing! I said shoot! I said aim!
The voices, which were becoming clearer and clearer, made Bental stop in his tracks.
Right after, ear-splitting screams rang out in succession.
Having heard them, Bental's eyes widened into circles.
His mouth fell open on its own from sheer shock.
'This is...'
Because no matter how he heard it, those were not the screams of the enemy soldiers.