Chapter 13
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: First Battlefield (5)
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"Scatter the entire unit and take positions! Liaison soldiers, quickly familiarize yourselves with the terrain of your assigned sectors!"
At Lieutenant Ivan's command, the soldiers dispersed in a fan-like formation.
Even if they were muzzle-loading muskets, their accuracy was nothing compared to modern rifles.
It was already night, making it difficult to secure a clear field of view, and accurately aiming and taking out a target was practically impossible.
Therefore, forming a dense line of fire was essential. It was a matter of hitting something, even with a stray bullet.
Luckily, Lieutenant Ivan, who was in charge of on-site command, seemed to be an officer with considerable experience and knowledge in such tactics.
Even from my modern perspective, it was a decent unit deployment. His skill in appropriately positioning the liaison soldiers for rapid and efficient fire control was quite impressive.
'He's quite seasoned for someone who looks so young.'
Of course, the fact that a 'Lieutenant' was a company commander suggested that both the combat strength and size of the unit were considered second-rate compared to others.
That must be why I was assigned to the wing's edge, where we expected the fewest casualties.
"Do you think the enemy will make it this far?"
"Who knows. I'm not sure either."
When I asked, Lieutenant Ivan answered nonchalantly.
We had set up a temporary command post about 50 meters behind the frontline where the combat platoon was deployed.
Magic soldiers are, in essence, a role that provides rear fire support and engages enemy mages in anti-magic warfare.
After all, we had to react immediately to the orders of Lieutenant Ivan, the company commander, and we needed a broad view of the battlefield.
That allowed us to wait in a relatively safe location.
"It's not a main attack point where a fierce battle is expected, and even if a few bandits manage to escape, it won't be easy for them to reach the end of the encirclement line all the way out here."
That makes sense.
Although the fortress had fallen faster than expected, the objective of the operation itself had not changed.
To exterminate the bandit group that had attacked Belgorod Fortress.
And to rescue the remaining troops or recapture the fortress.
The reason a magic battalion was included for a simple bandit suppression mission was to prepare for the possibility that the fortress had fallen and been taken over by the bandits.
If they were to hold out in the fortress, the plan was to smash them with magic and recapture it cleanly.
"They said the scale was up to about two hundred. It's probably just a few who are fleeing after being attacked by the main force."
The aide standing next to Lieutenant Ivan added. She seemed to share the same sentiment.
"By the way, is your platoon made up of just two people, Lieutenant?"
She asked in a curious voice.
"Well, for now, yes. There are more, but due to certain circumstances..."
"Ah... My apologies. A magic platoon usually has about five. It's my first time seeing one with only two."
"There's no need to apologize."
"Aide, refrain from unnecessary chatter."
"Yes, sir!!!"
At the sharp command, she quickly snapped to attention.
They say judging by appearance is a science for a reason.
At first glance, Lieutenant Ivan was the quintessential by-the-book officer who looked tough as nails. He was surely far more rigid in personality than our Arendt Captain.
Still, his fundamentals were solid, so he would likely be promoted to Captain without issue.
It was at that moment.
Tang! Tang! A sharp gunshot was faintly heard from afar. A boisterous roar was mixed in intermittently as well.
"Company Commander! Gunfire from the front!"
As a liaison soldier who had been out front came running up in a fluster, Lieutenant Ivan extended a hand to stop him.
"I know. I heard it too."
He answered impassively as he loaded his pistol. The main force that had entered the fortress and the troops encircling the vicinity had entered combat.
"Transmit to each deployed unit. Do not be swayed by the situation at the front and respond calmly. Platoon leaders and senior NCOs must keep the positions of adjacent platoons firmly in mind when acting."
The more chaotic things become, the more anxious the soldiers at the front are bound to get.
Lieutenant Ivan issued an additional command to prevent any unfortunate friendly fire incidents caused by immature judgment.
"Glory to the Fatherland!"
As soon as the liaison soldier who received the order finished saluting, he ran back to the front line.
The probability of routed or fleeing bandits appearing has now significantly increased.
I should probably start preparing as well.
"Sergeant Bell Mayer, over here."
Magic soldiers are fundamentally required to handle all five elements, but in most cases, they have an affinity for a specific attribute.
One of the reasons Sergeant Lumia Blue was unilaterally excluded from this battle was because she was a red mage specialized in 'fire'.
However, Bell Mayer is a blue mage with a water element, the complete opposite of Lumia.
As it is a mountainous area, it's only natural that water is safer in many ways compared to fire, which poses the threat of conflagration.
"Activate."
Bell Mayer followed my command and opened her mana core. The mana that spread out in an instant wrapped around her body.
The thick scent of mana tickled my nose.
As a blue light, faintly illuminating the dark night, shimmered before my eyes, even Lieutenant Ivan looked at Sergeant Bell with a slightly amazed expression.
And I was no different.
'Damn, I heard she had great endurance, but this isn't about endurance. Her mana quantity is just overwhelmingly massive.'
I had been reading nothing but books related to mana, magic, and magecraft for the past two days.
Since I had gained some knowledge, I could clearly understand just how absurd what Bell Mayer was showing right now was.
"Sergeant Bell, you are not to deploy any magic until I give the order."
"Understood."
She nodded and replied. I calmly observed the battlefield.
Bell's magic was truly the last resort of all last resorts. The infantry unit deployed at the front should be more than enough to handle fleeing bandits.
Tang! Tang!
Another sharp gunshot was heard. This time, it was closer than before. It was probably the 3rd Company, which was forming the encirclement nearby.
"It seems there are more fleeing enemies than we thought."
"It appears so."
Since even adjacent units had started firing, it was highly likely that enemies would flow this way.
'Still, this will be my first time experiencing actual combat. It's a bandit mob anyway, so it should be good for getting a feel for things.'
I had long since realized that the situation I was in was reality cloaked in the guise of a game.
But the given objective was in no way realistic.
The clear condition for this 'world' was to raise the Ukran Duchy, on the brink of collapse, into a great nation that would go down in history.
I, who had to achieve an objective that couldn't even be generously called 'possible', needed more experience.
This battle would likely be the first cornerstone for that.
"Company Commander!! Urgent report from the 7th Platoon, which is manning the first defensive line! A group, estimated to be the enemy, has been spotted 200 meters ahead!"
Soon, a different liaison soldier appeared, cutting through the darkness. The soldier was gasping for breath, as if he had been running around for a long time.
Because it was night, where it was difficult to secure each other's line of sight, the liaison soldiers, including him, were running themselves ragged.
"Permission to fire granted. From now on, each unit is to respond based on its own judgment!"
"I will relay that immediately!!"
Not long after he returned to relay the news, gunfire erupted from our position as well.
Tang! Tang!! Tang!!
'This feels just like being at a shooting range.'
A thought suddenly crossed my mind. It was only natural, as everyone was equipped with single-shot rifles.
The rifles equipped by the soldiers of the 18th Infantry Regiment were 'Summersfield' rifles, a basic model with very decent performance.
Their biggest advantage was the breech-loading system, which allowed them to be used even while taking cover or being concealed.
However, it didn't take me long to sense that something was wrong.
"The gunfire isn't stopping."
Our assigned mission was clearly to repel the remnants. Moreover, it wasn't just Lieutenant Ivan's company that had been given this task.
The wing's edge on the left flank.
While it was called the wing's edge, it was in fact an encirclement formed by two companies.
Even if they were considered second-rate troops within the battalion, a few panicked bandits shouldn't have been able to break through so easily.
Tang! Tang!!
Yet the gunfire didn't stop.
Shouts, gunfire, and screams coming from not too far away were all mixed together, making it hard to grasp the exact situation.
'This might be...'
It seemed I wasn't the only one who felt that something was off.
The moment my eyes met Lieutenant Ivan's, he shot up from his seat and asked me.
"Lieutenant Enok! Is there a magic spell that can illuminate the front?!"
"A spell to illuminate the front..."
I could easily recall a certain spell.
Flare.
A basic red magic spell that shoots fireworks into the sky, allowing it to function as a light source for a certain period.
In the game, it was a tactical magic spell that was often useful in night battles.
"Lumia! Activate the Flare spell!"
"Yes!? Th-the spell? But the Lieutenant forbade it—"
"I'm canceling that order! It's not a lethal spell anyway! Activate it now!!"
"Ah, uh..."
"What are you doing!! I said activate it now!!"
As she hesitated, I yelled at her sharply, and Lumia, startled, quickly deployed her magic.
The red mana that stretched out from her mana core created a round, sun-like flame.
"F-Flare!!"
Flash! With a blinding light, it shot up into the air. It shone down so brightly it was as if the sun had risen for a moment.
And then, the battlefield, which had been hidden in pitch-black darkness, came into clear view.
"!!!!"
It wasn't just one or two fleeing bandits. A group of dozens of heavily armed men was charging ferociously toward the encirclement.
No, they weren't even trying to flee in the first place.
The tip of the deployed wing.
A unit deployed thinly and widely.
Second-rate troops with relatively low proficiency.
They were trying to break through this spot, which could be considered the most vulnerable part of our formation.
They weren't in a panicked retreat; this was a sharp attack to break through our army's encirclement.
"Damn it! Sergeant Bell!!! Fire!!!"
"Understood! Water Burst!!!"
The moment the command was given, Bell's pre-prepared magic came pouring down.
The real battle had begun.