Rimshell Is Simply Astounding
Rimshell Is Simply Astounding
The following day at noon, the streets of Lakedrapol were plunged into chaos.
The reason was that military vehicles were moving in formation behind light tanks along the roads.
While it was not uncommon to see soldiers striding through the streets after the city had been occupied, deploying light tanks was enough to instill a sense of terror in the citizens.
Citizens who had no idea what was happening inside the city could be seen staring blankly at the military column.
Inside a military jeep, liaison officer Rimshel, who had been watching the citizens, turned his head to the side.
There, Daniel was peacefully passing the time reading a book of poetry.
He was so utterly composed that it was hard to believe he was the man who had deployed troops into the city streets in broad daylight.
Rimshel, who found this absurd, hesitated before opening his mouth.
"......Major General Daniel, sir? How am I supposed to interpret this current behavior?"
"I'm not sure what you mean. Wasn't it you who visited city hall this morning and said you wanted to see how I manage an occupied territory?"
Daniel calmly turned a page of his poetry book and continued speaking.
"So I am merely showing you how I ordinarily manage an occupied territory."
"Sir? But mobilizing troops and marching them through the streets for no reason will leave a poor impression on the Republic's citizens."
"Lieutenant Colonel Rimshel. You seem to have a tendency to judge others carelessly. When did I ever say there was no reason for this?"
Tak! Daniel closed the poetry book and turned to look at Rimshel.
"Today, I mobilized troops to eradicate the remaining resistance forces in this city."
"......You mean remaining resistance forces?"
"Yes. Although most of the Republic's soldiers have surrendered to us, there must certainly be factions that haven't surrendered. We are currently on our way to deal with them."
At a point when nearly two weeks had passed since the occupation of Lakedrapol? Rimshel was dumbfounded but set aside his doubts.
The general before his eyes was Daniel Steiner, the one called a great commander.
Rimshel, certain that Daniel Steiner must surely have a plan, asked with eyes full of anticipation.
"I see. It appears you have information on the resistance forces, Major General Daniel, sir."
He had no such thing.
This whole act was simply meant to show Rimshel a spectacle of utterly incompetent occupation management.
Since he couldn't reveal his true intentions, Daniel nodded, putting on an air of gravity for no reason.
"Contrary to your appearance, you seem to have a decent head on your shoulders. That's a relief."
He didn't forget to be deliberately prickly.
Because earning Rimshel's dislike would increase the likelihood of a negative report being sent up to General Headquarters.
However, Rimshel, who had heard from Pelf the day before about the admirable tale of how Daniel 'cherishes his subordinates with the utmost devotion,' accepted Daniel's prickliness as a kind of human warmth.
"You are too kind, sir. If I were truly clever, I would have made colonel by now."
Thanks to Rimshel's joking without a trace of offense, Daniel was bewildered in real time.
'Why is he taking my remark as a compliment? I clearly insulted his looks, didn't I? How can he smile after hearing such awful words... Aha. He's just not showing his emotions because he's in front of a superior.'
Contrary to Daniel's expectations, Rimshel genuinely wasn't bothered at all.
Daniel, unaware of that, smiled inwardly, thinking that part of his plan had succeeded.
In the meantime, the troops that had been moving along the road veered into a side path.
The troops that had diverted onto the side path moved for about thirty minutes straight, heading to the outskirts of Lakedrapol.
It was an area lined densely with factories and supply warehouses destroyed by shelling.
Military forces entered an empty district where not even a human shadow could be seen.
Confirming that they had arrived, Daniel picked up the radio and pressed the transmit button.
"There will be enemy resistance forces in the destroyed factory complex. So encircle the entire area and ensure that not even a single rat can slip out."
A reply of acknowledgment came from the other side of the radio.
Rimshel, who had been watching the process from beside him, couldn't help but feel puzzled.
'Is he seriously saying that enemy resistance forces exist in a place like this?'
While the area had been collapsed by shelling during the Imperial Army's invasion of Lakedrapol, making it perfectly suited for hiding, there seemed to be no reason for the resistance forces to specifically choose this place.
Personnel who had been continuously residing in the city would have a high probability of hiding in intact locations by seeking the citizens' help.
Wasn't there a saying about hiding a tree in a forest? Rather than blatantly hiding in a place like this, using the basements of taverns or the homes of citizens would be far better.
'Unless they were personnel who had been outside the city and returned in a hurry.......'
After thinking for a moment, Rimshel shook his head.
What kind of lunatics would crawl back into a city occupied by enemy forces?
Thinking it was an absurd probability, Rimshel looked at Daniel with a troubled expression.
'If this turns out to be a futile effort, wouldn't it only needlessly stoke the citizens' anxiety? Major General Daniel Steiner might have no aptitude for occupation management after all.......'
Thanks to Rimshel's expression of distrust, Daniel inwardly cheered.
'Yes. That's exactly it! Report my incompetence to General Headquarters!'
Thinking that his reputation-lowering operation was progressing smoothly, Daniel struggled to hide his delight and raised his head.
"Driver. Stop the vehicle. I shall also participate in the search."
He figured that personally wandering around the factory complex and failing to find anything, let alone resistance forces, would make him look even more incompetent.
*
Meanwhile, in an abandoned factory in Lakedrapol.
"What about the guns and explosives? Are they sufficient?"
Inside the abandoned factory with its doors firmly shut, about thirty Republic soldiers were conversing while relying on lamplight.
"The personnel who entered through the sewers brought some grenades and a few guns, but it's not enough. The explosives are also woefully insufficient for blowing up city hall."
"This is a disaster. At this rate, we won't be able to kill Daniel Steiner. More importantly, what about the company commander and the other personnel? Are communications still working?"
"Yes. It's somewhat inconvenient, but there's no problem with communication. It would be easier if we all acted together, but I'm not sure why the company commander insists on this method."
Just as the squad leaders were voicing their complaints, the platoon leader who had been listening nearby clicked his tongue openly.
"Have you already forgotten that it was thanks to the company commander's foresight that we were able to enter this place without being detected by the Imperial Army?"
"Ah. We didn't mean it that way......."
"Enough, save your excuses. This is not the time to be arguing over such trivial matters. Bear in mind that the future of this Republic depends on our performance."
The squad leaders, who had been listening, bowed their heads in acknowledgment.
The platoon leader, who had been eyeing the squad leaders with disapproval, walked toward a wooden crate placed on the floor.
He knelt on one knee and opened the lid of the crate, revealing various firearms and grenades that had been smuggled in.
"......Some of these firearms aren't even military issue. I see hunting shotguns too."
"The villagers gave them to us when we said we were going to avenge our fallen comrades. They said they hoped the revenge would succeed."
Though about half had been taken by force, that wasn't what mattered now.
The more means to fight, the better.
"Still, this isn't enough. By now, 2nd Platoon should be approaching the mayor to secure his help, so let's wait here for a while."
"......Will 2nd Platoon be able to obtain the mayor's cooperation?"
"Of course. The mayor of Lakedrapol is a patriot. Can't you tell from the fact that he keeps refusing even as the Imperial Army constantly pressures him to play the role of a puppet?"
Indeed, someone of the mayor of Lakedrapol's caliber could be trusted.
He was a man who did not even hesitate to donate his own wealth for the Republic.
It was the very moment when they thought everything was proceeding according to plan.
"Platoon leader, sir!"
A soldier who had been on radio watch came running.
Seeing his startled expression, the platoon leader furrowed his brow.
"What is it? If you need to use the restroom, I told you to go in shifts, didn't I?"
"That's not it, sir! They're saying the army is currently encircling the entire factory district!"
At the radio operator's words, silence fell over all of them.
The soldier polishing his boots while spouting dirty jokes, the soldier absorbed in cleaning his firearm, the soldier secretly eating from an opened military can—all of them stopped what they were doing and raised their heads.
In the midst of the shock, while no one could speak, the platoon leader laboriously opened his mouth.
"......What the hell does that mean? Are you saying Daniel Steiner even knows we're here? We left no traces when entering the city, so how on earth did he track us?"
The radio operator had no answer to give.
Because the radio operator also had no idea why the Imperial Army was surrounding the factory district.
So, while he stood there gasping for breath, the sound of tank treads rolling could be heard from outside the factory.
As the Republic soldiers stared at the firmly shut entrance in the stillness, the sound of treads grew increasingly clear.
At last.
Kwaang!
The tank rammed into the factory entrance, and the iron shutter that had been blocking it flew away like a sheet of paper.
Beyond it, Imperial Army soldiers entered in succession.
The soldiers, who had intended to check the interior like any other factory, discovered the Republic personnel disguised as civilians and hastily raised their rifles.
"What the fuck! There are unidentified civilians positioned here!"
"They're not civilians! Those bastards have guns!"
"It's the resistance! Everyone stand by in ready-to-fire posture!"
Instantly surrounded, the Republic soldiers froze, unable to even think of how to respond.
The platoon leader, likewise dumbfounded, watched as a general entered the factory, the sound of his clicking boots echoing.
On the chest of the general, who had entered with the hem of his cold-weather coat fluttering, the White Dragon Medal of Military Merit flaunted its presence even in the darkness.
"Daniel Steiner......."
The platoon leader, realizing who the opponent was, muttered through clenched teeth.
Judging by those cold eyes, there seemed to be no way to escape.
As the platoon leader despaired, liaison officer Rimshel stuck close beside Daniel.
Seeing the firearms scattered about nearby, Rimshel's eyes went wide.
"Judging by the types of firearms, they're Republic soldiers! To think these bastards were hiding in a place like this!"
Exhaling a hollow breath as if in disbelief, Rimshel turned to Daniel, his gaze filled with respect.
"I can't help but be amazed. Major General Daniel, sir, did you not precisely predict that they would be here? How you saw through the enemy's psychology is simply astonishing."
Hearing Rimshel's nonsense, Daniel groaned inwardly.
'......I saw through the enemy's psychology?'
Not even remotely.