Chapter 9
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: First Battlefield (1)
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The moment I stepped out of the barracks and reached the first floor, the hallway was in an uproar. The sound of people shouting and soldiers in combat fatigues running back and forth.
My nerves tingled, standing on end.
A familiar sensation, yet one I could never truly get used to.
This was the real deal.
I instinctively headed back to my room. I had been discharged from the infirmary and immediately went looking for Bell Mayer, so I was still in my casual uniform.
I quickly changed into my combat gear and threw on my black coat. I didn't forget to strap my pistol to my waist.
As soon as I stepped out of the officers' quarters, I saw the personnel lined up by company, standing at attention in the training grounds.
After quickly locating Captain Arendt, I joined the formation of the 2nd Company. Lumia and Bell, who had already been waiting outside, waved me over.
"Over here, Platoon Leader!"
"What's going on?"
"A bandit gang."
The moment I heard that, I couldn't help but slap my forehead. The area around the Ukran Duchy was always like this.
As a nation located right in the center of the continent, the Ukran Duchy shared its borders with a total of six countries.
Aside from the Free Alliance Army, modeled after Prussia-France, and the Sovye Empire, modeled after Russia...
There was also the Reinhardt Empire and the Walter 3 Kingdoms wedged in between.
Having so many neighboring countries meant the border regions were extremely chaotic.
On top of that, it was a vast breadbasket with mostly flat terrain. It was the perfect environment for bandits and raiders from various countries to operate.
Naturally, this wasn't unique to Ukran; the Walter 3 Kingdoms, in a similar position, were the same.
Back when I used to play as the Walter 3 Kingdoms, I was constantly beating back bandits that crossed the border every other day.
The soldiers moved about briskly without showing any signs of panic, so it must be a fairly common occurrence, just as I'd expected.
"By the way, what about the other two?"
"Sergeant Claude is on leave in the city, so he'll join us later with the other personnel on leave."
Sergeant Lumia Blue answered my question. I noticed her silver hair, tied in a single strand, flowing from under her black combat coat.
"...Hmm."
"It can't be helped. As for Roxana, just consider her a non-existent member of the unit for now."
Well, considering she collapsed right in front of the battalion commander, I had nothing to say.
Just look at them now.
The magic soldiers surrounding us were giving me distinctly cold looks.
If it weren't for the strange rumors already spreading around, some of them who didn't believe the rumors would have already marked me as completely useless.
'They'd think I was useless even if I were them.'
I messed up a spell and blew a hole in a perfectly good barracks wall, then passed out the moment I was called to the battalion commander's office. It was basically like sleeping for two days straight and then waking up.
There's no debating it; I'm useless.
'Damn it.'
"By the way, Platoon Leader, are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine. The doctor's report said it wasn't anything too serious either."
"Hmm, you look fine to me too. You were even cracking jokes, right?"
That was the moment Bell chimed in.
"Platoon Leader Enok."
Arendt, who was checking the personnel, approached me. Glory to the Fatherland. As soon as our eyes met, I saluted, and the company commander returned it casually.
"How are you feeling?"
Of course, his first words were to check on my well-being.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"That's a relief... I was startled when I heard you collapsed."
"My apologies."
"You have to take care of your body. They said it was a stress-induced shock from overwork. You haven't been sleeping well lately, so it seems it wasn't just my imagination."
I was already painfully aware of that. I shouldn't underestimate the penalties.
If I were to just collapse like this on the battlefield, it would be hopeless.
Even if it was just the result of all the stress I'd built up, it also meant that once I pass a certain threshold, I could collapse at any time.
It's only been a little over a week since I entered this body...
But I felt the need to manage it much more strictly from now on.
"Anyway, your platoon won't be given a separate mission. You'll join the expedition, but I'll try to give you as much consideration as possible."
"There's no need for that."
"Don't refuse."
At first, I thought he was trying to make things difficult for me on purpose, but looking at his eyes, that didn't seem to be the case.
It sounded like he was genuinely concerned about his subordinate officer.
"I know you're working hard, so you don't need to go out of your way to prove it. Besides, we don't have much time, do we?"
I didn't answer. It wasn't something to complain about.
The platoon members were somewhat strange, and the platoon leader responsible for them had just woken up from collapsing.
On top of that, I wasn't an original member, but a rookie greenhorn who had only been assigned a week ago.
From Arendt's perspective, he couldn't recklessly send an unproven unit to the front lines.
If anything were to go wrong, the blame would fall squarely on Arendt's shoulders.
'I understand.'
From a general point of view, Arendt's words were a hundred percent right.
Moreover, even I don't properly know how the magic soldiers fight.
In the game, I could only ever see them from a bird's-eye view, so I was curious to see what it was like in actual reality.
'In that case, maybe this is a good thing.'
I nodded lightly and accepted Arendt's instructions. In the first place, I didn't have the status or ability to protest anyway.
"Thanks for understanding."
"Not at all. I should be thanking you for your concern, sir."
"At most, it's just a bunch of raiders messing around near the border. Once the operation is over, let's all have a drink together. Have you been to the unit's bar yet?"
"No."
When I shook my head, Arendt grinned, showing his white teeth.
"I'll be buying. Let's hang out. The other platoon leaders are all good people. You'll definitely get to know them quickly."
"I'll be waiting, then."
Captain Arendt gave my shoulder a few pats and disappeared to check on the other platoons.
Once the personnel checks for each company were roughly finished, Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart, also in full combat gear, appeared in front of the reviewing stand.
"Men! Once again, a bandit group from beyond the Sovye Empire has invaded our borders!"
So this time it's the Sovye Empire side.
As a nation modeled after Russia, the Sovye Empire boasted an extremely vast territory and a harsh environment.
A vast territory and a harsh environment.
With such a large land, the central government's influence doesn't reach every part of the region, and with the harsh environment, they are constantly struggling with food shortages.
A perfect breeding ground for bandit gangs.
Especially the Ukran Duchy, with its vast breadbasket, becomes a periodic feast for bandit gangs to plunder.
The battalion commander put strength into his voice and continued.
"They moved systematically in the dead of night, broke through the border guards' security, and are currently surrounding the 'Belgorod Fortress' in the northeast, laying siege!"
"Therefore, our mission is to annihilate the damned bandits besieging the fortress! And to save Belgorod!"
"As always, we'll pour magic down on their heads and turn them to ash! Understood!"
"Yes—!!!"
The personnel gathered at the reviewing stand shouted in unison. Even though it was an urgent dispatch, their morale seemed to soar to the heavens.
They knew it too. No matter how systematically a bandit gang moves, they are still far inferior to a regular army.
In Hearts of General, magic soldiers are treated as a type of strategic weapon.
If you disregard external factors like support and terrain, the fact that a single magic battalion can be compared to a single infantry regiment speaks for itself.
They are that much of an elite unit, boasting tremendous firepower. It's even overkill against a bandit gang.
"Then all units! Deploy!!"
The moment the battalion commander's order was given, the personnel quickly boarded the carriages that were waiting.
"Let's go, Platoon Leader."
It had been a week since I, Enok Levandel, an officer in Hearts of General, was possessed.
I, who couldn't even properly handle a Fire Ball, was heading to the battlefield.
"We've captured the watchtower on the outskirts of the fortress. This is the loot we got from there."
A scrawny man dumped a pile of guns he was holding in both hands onto the floor. There were a considerable number of them, and they were in excellent condition.
At the sight of the gleaming weapons, a man who had been sitting in a corner of the tent stood up and approached.
"...Is this what you wanted?"
A thick, hoarse voice, as if he'd smoked dozens of cigarettes in a row. And a rugged face to match.
Tartuk, the leader of the western faction.
The chief of the bandit group currently crossing the Ukran Duchy's border to attack the fortress.
Tartuk picked up a rifle and examined it from various angles, then handed it to a man standing silently in a corner.
"Well... it's not like our guys are short on weapons. This much is plenty, isn't it?"
"This is just about the right level."
The man nodded and took the rifle.
It was an undoubtable Sumfield Rifle. It even had a stamp indicating it was officially produced by the Breton United Kingdom.
On the surface, the Duchy had maintained a neutral or pro-imperialist policy, so importing Western bloc standard weapons was unwelcome news for the Sovye Empire.
"So they're testing the waters between the West and us. Handing out new weapons like this to the front lines."
Even though it was just a mutter to himself, Tartuk felt as if he was being overwhelmed.
Even though he was the leader of a lawless criminal group that would commit crimes at the slightest provocation, the man in front of him was someone he couldn't easily defy, even for him.
The man was an inspector dispatched from a special agency called the 'Intelligence Directorate.'
The agency had the deadly nickname of the Empire's Guillotine, and the man was practically an envoy sent directly by the Emperor.
Even Tartuk couldn't carelessly mess with him.
No— he couldn't even think of messing with him... He had nearly wet himself the first time they met.
Even though Tartuk was skilled in killing and pillaging, he could never approach the 'dangerous' aura the man exuded.
That was the kind of man he was.
"Comrade Tartuk."
"What is it?"
"How long do you think it will take to capture the fortress?"
"Hmm... Their resistance is fiercer than I thought. They should just surrender quietly. What's the point of defending a remote fortress?"
"I'm asking how long you think it will take."
The man cut off Tartuk's grumbling. Despite his massive build, Tartuk's voice shrank to a whisper as he answered.
"...Just give me one more day."
"Good, one day. From today on, I won't be visiting you. But remember, we aren't just letting you go."
A threat laced with intimidation.
Tartuk had to nod vigorously to prove his loyalty.
"Of course!! H-how could I not know that? Don't worry, comrade!"
"I heard you were a 'warrior' known for your ferocity. We are trusting you with this task. You must not fail."
Normally, as the leader of a group, he shouldn't be showing such a servile attitude, but he had long stopped caring about his subordinates' gazes.
His own life was on the line, so what else could be important?
"Well then, I'll be heading back. I hope to see you back home in a day."
"Th-thank you! I will definitely complete the task!"
"I'm counting on it."
The man lightly lifted a finger, and the weapons scattered on the floor floated into the air.
As the man left the tent, five associates waiting in the dark bowed their heads in unison.
Magic soldiers personally trained by the Empire's Guillotine.
They were nothing more than scraps that barely made the cut, not even first-class, but they were too valuable to lend to rootless bandits.
"Have you all received the orders?"
"Yes, Inspector Comrade."
"For now, focus solely on securing the 'relic' stored in the fortress."
"Understood."
The man who seemed to be the leader answered with a glint in his eyes at the inspector's words.
They had been forced to use the bandit group for 'diplomatic' reasons, but in the end, as long as the result was good, that was all that mattered.
"I wish you good luck."
The high-ranking inspector of the Intelligence Directorate, acting on the Emperor's orders.
Egor Ivanov said.