Chapter 72
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Train Like You Fight, Fight Like You Train (4)
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North of the Vialtok Fiefdom.
Once a fairly prosperous village, ‘Modor’ had naturally become a deserted village after the mine was closed.
With human traffic completely cut off, the village became a refuge for wandering vagrants, and eventually a new hotbed of crime where criminals from the Sovye Empire and the Ukran Duchy, who had crossed the Calpas Mountains for various reasons, swarmed.
Thanks to being directly adjacent to the Calpas Mountains, which were relatively rich in food supplies, the bandits were able to grow into quite a large organization even within the Vialtok Fiefdom.
They were now trying to incorporate not just passing travelers or sporadic raids, but even nearby villages into their sphere of influence.
Of course, the Vialtok administrator and lord had sent punitive forces several times, but due to the geographical characteristics of being a former mining village, they often returned without even being able to enter.
While the local powers were busy messing things up, the suffering of the villages adjacent to Modor grew day by day.
“Did you have some fun again today?”
“Rather, it’s getting less fun. That bitch doesn’t even resist anymore.”
It had become a daily routine for the maidens of nearby villages, who failed to provide crops or various tributes on time, to be captured and dragged away.
Falco, who was still at the very bottom of the ranks, wasn't in a position to partake in such deeds yet, but he thought that with a little more time, he too would be able to enjoy himself quite a bit.
“Shouldn't we start expanding our influence toward the plains area, not just the mountains?”
“Actually, the boss was just talking about that. Anyway, the Vialtok guards are a disorganized mob. It seems he's thinking of raiding and occupying a fortress outright.”
“That wouldn't be bad.”
The thrill of pulling the trigger on innocent people was something you could never get tired of.
After all, firing a shot and watching them run away in terror was just like watching baby rabbits.
“Hey, look over there. Doesn't it look like the stars aren't visible in that spot?”
Falco's colleague pointed at the night sky. It was certainly shimmering as if something was blocking it, but since the moonlight was particularly weak tonight, it might have just been an optical illusion.
“Ah~ forget about that. I want to grab a bitch and drain my balls quick. Right, Kadirov?”
Falco spat out his usual vulgar remarks. But there was no answer. Was he still staring at the sky, saying how strange it was?
“Why aren't you saying anything?”
The moment Falco clicked his tongue and turned his head.
“Ughk...!?”
A dagger was plunged into his neck. Falco collapsed, spewing blood without even having time to scream.
Before his breath completely left him, what he saw were demons stained pitch-black all over.
***
Blink, blink, blink.
A light flashing three times. I, who was observing the situation on the bridge with the battalion commander and the chief of staff, nodded to the two of them and said.
“Signal received. The guard tower has been captured.”
“Good. Now, let's deploy the rest of the troops. Since they're bandits, not civilians, don't bother trying to capture them alive. Just shoot them all dead. They're human scum who've been committing all sorts of crimes while raiding the surrounding villages.”
Soni Chepelin spoke the deadly words as if it were nothing.
Was it called Modor Village? I heard it was a place where bandits, who were causing quite a headache for the Vialtok Fiefdom, had taken over.
As Soni said, there was no need to show mercy one by one.
The final stage of training, and the first actual combat, was subjugating bandits. It truly was a textbook-style military training process.
I gave a crisp salute to Soni Chepelin, then approached the company members lined up in two rows, waiting to descend.
“3rd Company has neutralized all the lookouts. Our 1st Company will descend now and sweep away the bandits! There was a report that innocent civilians might be mixed in, so be careful during combat!”
“Yes, understood.”
“Company, descend!!”
“Descend, descend, descend!!”
At my command, the company members leaped out of the airship in unison. Finally, Roxana, who was in charge of equipment supply, and I followed, launching ourselves into the open sky along with a huge wooden box.
Whiiiiiing—!!
“Air Control Vertical!! Featherfoot!”
The sharply rising wind instantly came under Roxana's control. Emitting green mana, the two of us slowly descended to the entrance of the village.
It was a weight approaching several hundred kilograms. There was no one more suited for this role than Roxana, who had an excellent affinity with wind.
Although she seemed more interested in piloting the airship than transporting supplies.
As I unlocked the supply box, military supplies that had been sleeping soundly spilled out. Along with field packs containing minimal survival and food equipment, there were countless rounds of ammunition.
The company members distributed the supplies in an orderly fashion and communicated only with hand signals, just as they had practiced.
‘The fruits of training.’
I couldn't hide my pride. Even though I had only met these unit members a month ago, their appearance was already at the level of an elite unit with a tradition of over decades.
If you only consider the ambition and pride felt from their eyes, they would be even more impressive than the famous national gendarmerie troops.
‘1st Platoon, 3rd Platoon, left flank. 2nd Platoon, 4th Platoon, right flank. Bypass and enter.’
As I gave the command with hand signals, the platoon leaders of each platoon scattered at once. Bell Mayer, who was particularly afraid of descending, was now proudly carrying out the operation as a platoon leader.
“Let's wipe them out completely.”
“Let's do it.”
I nodded as I looked at Roxana, who was organizing the supplies.
Boom!!
Boom!! Boom!!
The entire village, once silent, was instantly covered in gunfire.
***
The equipment supplied to the soldiers of the 8th Assault Magic Infantry Battalion was the latest standard-issue equipment produced by the Bretten Allied Kingdom.
The Anfil M1 bolt-action light carbine and the Webley revolver. Among the weapon systems of the Ukran Army, which used a mix of Western and Eastern weapons, these were the most advanced.
Therefore, the bandits, who were equipped with what was essentially the Ukran Army's third-rate gear, could only be helplessly overwhelmed.
“D-damn!! What the hell are those guys, firing bullets like crazy!”
“They're not some lousy guards! Look at their equipment!!”
They were wearing infiltration suits specially made for night operations. It was only natural to be overwhelmed by the sight of soldiers wearing shiny steel helmets and mercilessly pouring out bullets.
“Demons, demons have come!!”
“Ghk...! Save me...!!”
Boom!!
As Rick Hanson, a soldier belonging to the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company, pulled the trigger, the bandit, who was fleeing in a panic, tumbled forward.
Thump, thump.
Rick felt like his heart was going to burst. It was a real battle. He had volunteered to join the brigade newly created by the famous Grand Archmage, Soni Chepelin. But he never imagined he would be dropped into a real battlefield in less than a month.
His muscles were clenched tight, and his mind went blank every time a gunshot rang out.
But strangely, his body didn't stop. It was like a machine that, once set in motion, would keep running until the end.
Rick Hanson stepped on the body of the fallen bandit and advanced forward.
He was scared, but at the same time, he wasn't.
He was trembling, but at the same time, he wasn't.
“Uraaaaaaah!!!!”
Captured by a strange sensation he had never felt in his entire military life, he let out a high-spirited shout and charged forward.
Kwaang!
He kicked open the wooden door of the house in front of him, and there was a bandit, frantically stuffing bullets and gunpowder into his gun.
The emotion of fear was clearly etched on his face. Rick Hanson immediately pulled the trigger.
However.
Tick, tick, tick.
“...?!”
He had been so excited that he had forgotten to load the bullet. It felt as if time had stopped for a moment. In that gap, the bandit finished loading and aimed at Rick.
“D-die, you fucking bastard!!”
Along with a shout that was almost a scream, a chill of death pierced Rick's spine. He belatedly tried to turn his body to escape the house, but.
Boom!!!
An impact, as if his head had been smashed with a hammer, surged through him. His legs went limp, and he rolled on the floor.
Had he been shot? Where was he hit?
“You fucking bastard!!”
There was no time to think about such things. The bandit pulled an axe from his chest and charged. The moment a scene like slow motion began to unfold.
Taang, a gunshot rang out in his ear. A red bloodstain gushed from the bandit's chest, and a roar like that of a beast plunged into his eardrum.
“Always check if it's loaded properly!! If you don't want to die!!!”
When he turned his head reflexively, there was a head of blonde hair visible even in the dark night sky.
The company commander, Enok Levandel.
A faint wisp of smoke rose from the pistol in his hand. He had fired at that very moment.
“Platoon Leader Bell!! There's a casualty here! A gunshot wound!”
“I-I'm coming right now!!!”
“Lumia, cover me! Relay to all platoon leaders! We're pushing through to the village hall like this!”
Even while he was dumbfounded, the company commander's voice came through clearly.
Had he ever seen a commander directly commanding troops on the scene? Rick Hanson searched his memory.
No. There wasn't. After all, such a commander didn't exist in the Ukran Army.
When he was going through the descent training and being treated like hell, he really wanted to punch him, but now that he was actually on the battlefield, there was no one more reliable and trustworthy.
“...Damn, he's so cool...”
Rick Hanson burst into a grin.
“Rick, Rick Hanson! My god, you got shot in the butt!? Sergeant Aiden!”
“Yes, Platoon Leader!”
“Move him to the rear quickly!! We need to remove the bullet first!!”
Feeling a burning sensation slowly rising from his butt, Rick Hanson looked up at the sky.
The sky, which had been pitch black when he was deployed, was gradually turning a deep blue.
Along with the gunshots that were gradually ceasing.
Dawn was finally breaking.