Chapter 66
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Hell Week (2)
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Hearts of General is a strategic and tactical simulation game that deals with wars between nations, but the problem is that from the very beginning, there are no countries fighting each other head-on.
Generally, the time when war begins is around 4 to 5 years after the start of the game.
The player must start as a second lieutenant, so this is essentially a kind of constraint and a unique level design of Hwajoje.
Then, how can the player improve their stats and grow their unit during this time?
The most standard methods were to defeat bandit groups, or to be deployed to local skirmishes near the border to accumulate combat experience, and.
To hunt down neutral monsters, or rather, magical beasts and their nests, that were rampant all over the territory.
My initial plan was also to command a field unit, repel bandit attacks similar to the previous recapture of Belgorod Fortress, and slowly raise the unit's skills by taking care of the magical beasts in the northern regions.
But I never imagined that I would encounter one of the representative magical beasts, a Yeti, here—of all times, during Hell Week training.
"Graaaaaaaah!!!!"
"Kyaaaaaah!!"
Boom! The fist swung by the Yeti as it roared grazed Lieutenant Hilton by a hair's breadth. It was a monster with strength several times that of a normal bear.
Even if you protect your body with magic, you'd be lucky to only suffer serious injuries. Usually, it was a blow that would kill you on the spot.
"What are you doing!! Don't just stand there looking dumbfounded! Hurry up and get the lieutenant!!"
"Y-Yes!!!"
At my shout, a soldier nearby quickly rushed out and dragged Hilton away. Just as the Yeti was about to charge forward, two gunshots from behind drew its attention.
"Over here, you monkey bastard!! Are you starving because it's a snowy mountain? This side will taste better!!"
The soldiers began to taunt the Yeti, screaming curses. It seemed to work, as the creature turned its massive body towards the soldiers.
"Graaaaaaaah!!"
"Th... Fuck! You crazy bastard! I'm so fucking scared!!"
The soldiers, fearing it might charge, scattered behind trees. Swear words erupted from all over.
And that was understandable. The Yeti is a magical beast. And magical beasts generally engage in cannibalism. They are natural-born predators created to hunt humans.
Ordinary people are overwhelmed by mere bears or tigers, so there is nothing one can do against a real monster that crushes even those predators.
"Lieutenant Hilton Calia! Are you alright?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Get your act together and respond! This is a real battle!!"
A real battle.
At those words, the trembling eyes of Lieutenant Hilton changed in an instant. She sprang up from where she had fallen, and a magic circle floated into the air.
Grooooon— KWA-GWANG!!
A thunderous roar that echoed through the snowy mountain. Purple mana erupted and pierced the Yeti in the blink of an eye.
Intermediate purple magic, Lightning Sphere.
As befitting a lightning attribute with excellent penetration, it easily pierced even the Yeti's thick fur and hide.
"Kyaaaaaah!!"
However, that much firepower was not enough to take down the Yeti. Even as its body trembled from the electric shock, the creature roared ferociously at Hilton.
"Damn it!"
I couldn't just stand by and watch, so I immediately activated the core and cast my spell.
The Yeti is a magical beast that lives in snowy mountains. And creatures living in snowy mountains are invariably weak to heat.
"Blaze Ballista!"
The words I spat out became power, forming a giant arrow of fire. It took only a few seconds for the red mana to take shape and fly towards the Yeti.
As my body had gradually improved and I had learned how to handle mana more efficiently, I could now use intermediate magic without much trouble.
But Hilton, who should have retreated, was nowhere to be seen.
"...?!"
When I turned my gaze late, I saw Hilton charging at the Yeti even as the Blaze Ballista was being fired. Her movements unfolded in slow motion.
"Fuck!"
I realized it was already a lost cause rationally, but the magic had already left my hands.
KWAAAAANG!!!
With a massive explosion, a soaring flame engulfed both Hilton and the Yeti at once.
"Lieutenant!!"
Blaze Ballista is undeniably destructive magic. It's a powerful spell that, in proportion to its increased penetration, could kill an ordinary person instantly if hit incorrectly.
I prayed that I had at least avoided the worst-case scenario and rushed into the thick smoke.
"Lieutenant Hilton!! How dare you go in on your own without orders...!!"
I was planning to take her to Bell Mayer if she needed immediate healing, but the scene unfolding before my eyes was not like that.
Crackle, sizzle!!
Violent purple lightning writhed over the completely prostrate body of the Yeti. A foul smell of burnt flesh stung my nose.
And in front of it stood Lieutenant Hilton, crushing the Yeti's head with her military boot, wearing a cold smile.
"Did you see that just now?"
"Yes, I saw it clearly."
Soni Chepelin, who had planned the training, and Yozef Levandowski, who was also an evaluator for the training, stood at the summit of the highest mountain in the range.
It was the perfect location to observe the scattered companies using vision-expanding magic and to grasp the current deployment situation based on the signal devices attached to each commander before the training began.
Of course, it was a place where a normal person would freeze to death in less than a few hours, with a wind so cold it could push away rocks.
But that was no threat to Soni Chepelin, a great mage.
Nor was it a threat to Yozef Levandowski, a trainee who had proudly earned the top spot in the elite mountain division of the Free Democratic Republic of Prussia.
"She dodged purely with physical ability?"
"Yes. Not only that, but she also drove an additional lightning bolt into the part where the Ballista struck. Even a Yeti can't withstand an attack like that."
The face of Major Yozef, who had been bleeding profusely just moments ago, was now more serious and sharp than ever.
The frail-looking demeanor was gone, and he had transformed into a seasoned chief of staff in no time.
"That's something. Where did you find a kid like that, Chief of Staff Yozef?"
"I found her while digging through disciplinary records. It seems she got into a fight with a civilian who came over from the Azov side just a few months ago and turned him into a cripple."
"Wow... That's brutal."
Soni Chepelin clicked her tongue and shook her head. Even though she was a great mage and would soon become a brigadier general, it seemed difficult to control such a person.
"It'll be a key point whether Captain Enok Levandel can control her well."
"Indeed. Well, if even the famous Claude Raine was made to behave, there's a possibility, isn't there?"
"You evaluate him positively."
The chief of staff slowly nodded at the colonel's words.
"Well... Still, she's a suitable lieutenant for the new branch of service, the Assault Mage Infantry. She's definitely not the type for command, but she fits perfectly as a frontline commander who gets deployed directly. A vanguard leader like that is absolutely necessary."
"Are you thinking of the local commissioning system as well?"
"Of course. We can't leave her as a non-commissioned officer forever. If we want more talented people to join, reducing the gap in ranks is also part of that, right?"
"The personnel officer coming in from now on is going to have a hard time."
At the summit of the high mountain, covered in thick white snow even in early summer, the two laughed leisurely and exchanged jokes.
"Well, it seems the situation is roughly settled, so shall we start firing some shells?"
"Please leave a适度 amount for the retreat route."
"Of course."
Tak. As Soni Chepelin snapped her fingers.
A terrifyingly huge magic circle unfolded in the sky above the 1st Company.
"Lieutenant Hilton Calia?"
I carefully reached out to the lieutenant who was standing still as if time had stopped.
She had been caught right in the center of the Blaze Ballista's range until just before the magic hit, yet there were no wounds left on Hilton's body.
It was only minor burns from the flames that had inevitably occurred.
The moment my hand touched Hilton, her rigidly standing body collapsed.
"She passed out...!!"
Perhaps Hilton had a similar tendency to me or Bell Mayer. After failing to control her mana and causing a rampage, she passes out?
'She's a total good-for-nothing from head to toe!!'
I could only resent the battalion commander and chief of staff who had handed over such troops as a lieutenant.
Does this make three people in the company alone who are at risk of a mana rampage?
However, right now, I didn't have the luxury to complain. I had fired several shots of warning bullets and used a powerful attack magic that would definitely be detected to deal with the Yeti.
'Soni Chepelin definitely noticed this fight. I need to pull the troops back.'
I could see it even without looking. Crazy shelling would soon rain down. Staying here any longer would be close to suicide.
With the help of a soldier who had just arrived, I hoisted Lieutenant Hilton Calia onto my back and shouted to the scattered squad members.
"Pull back the entire company's combat line, including the 4th Squad, to 500 meters to the rear! Move quickly!!"
"Yes!!"
"You two! As you move east, pass the news to the 2nd and 1st Squads that are deploying as well! 500 meters to the rear!"
"Understood!!"
The two soldiers, designated as runners, immediately ran towards the east without hesitation. Bell Mayer and Claude should be able to defend against the shelling on their own and safely retreat the troops.
The problem was us.
It was uncertain whether I could safely retreat the unconscious Hilton and the squad members under my command in a situation where concentrated shelling was expected.
Screeeech—.
As if to mock my thoughts, the sound of a magic circle unfolding in the air could be heard. Our position had already been discovered. Now, crouching down and huddling on the spot was safer than just standing and running.
"Everyone get down!! Prepare for shelling!!"
I desperately deployed a magic barrier just before the shelling began. As long as Soni Chepelin wasn't seriously trying to attack, we should be able to hold out somehow.
I deployed the barrier with the feeling of grasping at straws while looking at the rain of colorful magic.
And rising above it was a cluster of eight beams of light. Kwang! Kwagwang!! The Magic Missiles that shot out precisely began to intercept before Soni Chepelin's magic could even reach the barrier.
There was only one person in the company who could use such magic.
"Forming the Great Magic Defense Line!"
"Regular infantry, retreat to the back!"
Following the familiar voices of two women, the 3rd Squad leader with a cheerful smile appeared.
"Company Commander, I'm here to help!!"