Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Summer Grand Offensive
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“Supreme Commander!”
“Sir!”
Various figures kept flooding into the Supreme Commander's office.
Their ranks differed, what they carried differed, but the news was all the same.
“Koenihesen forces have broken through the border!”
“Our expectations were completely off. They didn't come through the southern plains but along the northern mountains.”
“Our troops were there but failed to defend and retreated. The front line has expanded!”
“Breaking news! Enemy forces spotted in the south too! They're attacking across the entire front!”
This was different from before. It wasn't targeting a single strategic point.
The enemy was charging madly to collapse the front line itself.
They unleashed prepared magic all at once and surged like a flood through the broken formations.
Many must have died. They surely suffered horrific casualties.
How could they prepare something on this scale so quietly?
There had been signs. The intelligence arrived late, but it had come.
Everyone had already sensed the ominous atmosphere and was preparing.
Yet things had escalated so urgently because the assault far exceeded expectations.
“Supreme Commander. This offensive is no ordinary one. It seems...”
“Indeed. The Koenihesen bastards have staked their fate on this push.”
If successful, they could force the front line completely backward. It would open the door to a counteroffensive.
Once it expanded into imperial territory, our side's bleeding would intensify.
But if the offensive failed, they could no longer play the aggressor.
They would become defenders, forced to protect their homeland.
And it was clear they wouldn't launch anything like this again.
“Our casualty scale?”
“Most frontline divisions have suffered heavy casualties. No total wipes yet, but the losses are severe enough that holding positions on-site will be difficult.”
“1st Cavalry Division?”
“Dispatched to the front line a few hours ago.”
Tap tap—
At that news, I tapped the operational map in front of me and sank into thought.
With the front line in retreat, even cavalry would struggle to make its mark.
Cavalry needed to charge and split the enemy in half, with infantry pushing through the gap.
They could fight independently, of course, but that would rack up excessive losses.
Cavalry forces were vital above all. Once lost, they were hard to recover.
‘My brother knows that full well, yet he still moved to the front...’
There was a unit that hadn't received the retreat order in time. One place holding its ground amid the collapsing line.
My brother must have heard and pushed forward to extract them somehow.
Final orders came from here, but field judgments could override them.
To him right now, securing a retreat path for friendlies took precedence over pulling back.
In that case, trusting the field commander's decision was the right call.
‘It had been quiet for a while, but I never imagined they'd prepare a counterattack of this magnitude.’
We'd lost the first move. Even without intel, we should have anticipated it.
It drove home once more just how formidable the Koenihesen were.
They'd suffered so many defeats, yet they still held this level of strength.
I'd thought their veterans were mostly depleted, but they'd hidden elites away.
As expected from the foes who'd once devoured the imperial army. Strong and ruthless to boot.
“Prepare the pre-planned secondary defense line. Recover retreating forces as much as possible. Maintain existing divisions where feasible; if not, pull them to reserves and prepare separately.”
“Yes, Supreme Commander.”
“We must hold Porantino Hill and the Neus River area at all costs. If it falls, the surrounding direct territories and noble lands will be defenselessly exposed to the Koenihesen bastards.”
“Understood, sir. We'll prepare immediately.”
No one showed fear or panic despite the unanticipated massive assault.
They simply focused on their duties, striving for the greatest victory with the smallest sacrifice.
“Whew.”
After drafting the order declaring total mobilization for the Allied Forces.
I leaned back in my chair, contemplating the horrific battles to come.
Many would die. Even more would be wounded. This damned war.
It wouldn't end until one side—Empire or Koenihesen—perished.
I'd thought their attack scale and frequency had dropped lately. Then this grand offensive.
They must want a definitive end to the exhausting stalemate too.
Either we get pushed back, or they overextend. One or the other.
Suddenly, the sons of the Empire at the foremost lines came to mind.
They had to pull through. Return unharmed.
I had to send them safely back to their families' arms.
Today, the Supreme Commander insignia felt crushingly heavy.
“Fuck... fuck! What the hell is this?!”
“Snap out of it, Enter. You wanna die too?!”
“Damn it! Weren't the Koenihesen on their last legs?! Then what...”
They were dying off. That much was true. But there was such a thing as class.
If Koenihesen were total idiots, would the Empire have been pushed back half a century ago?
Enemies at the capital's doorstep, briefly knocking on the gates of ruin?
My grandfather hadn't earned the unprecedented rank of 'Field Marshal' for nothing.
The Koenihesen were still strong. Not as before, but strong nonetheless.
If they ignored the aftermath, they could hammer the imperial army without mercy.
And we were experiencing the results firsthand.
“Richi!”
“Ari! You hurt?!”
“Nope. Fine. But... casualties are pretty heavy. What do we do?”
We'd moved to the front to rescue infantry that hadn't retreated in time.
Not the whole division at once—we'd split into appropriate battalions.
Even so, our force was sizable enough to fight if we encountered the enemy.
But the Koenihesen were no pushovers.
They'd already broken through the front, infiltrated the rear, seized key passes, and lay in wait for us.
They were convinced the Empire would come to rescue its own.
Battle was inevitable, and the rescue op failed.
Instead, our 5th Cavalry Regiment—rushing to their aid—took heavy losses.
Pure cavalry, no infantry support, not even on open plains to build speed. The price was inevitable.
It wasn't that our regiment fought foolishly. The Koenihesen fought too damn well.
Even their fragmented small units moved with perfect coordination, strangling our forces.
No matter how fiercely we fought, the front had collapsed—no reinforcements.
In the end, we couldn't even recover our casualties properly and had to withdraw.
“Never saw this coming. We always said Koenihesen were finished.”
Ari bit her lip, unable to hide her frustration.
“Deep down, I thought it'd be easy. They're this strong—I'm pissed at myself for underestimating them.”
“Everyone did. We paid the price. Just don't do it again.”
The ones left around me were my platoon and the company direct under Erwin.
In the chaos, we'd been separated from Erwin—his fate unknown.
Enter had somehow rallied his subordinates and brought them to join us.
“Platoon leader. What now?”
There were other officers, but the NCOs reached me first.
Even those who'd been bypassed were inwardly awaiting my word.
Even in this mess, that damned Reinhardt name. That war hero bullshit. What a burden.
What should I do? What was my duty right now?
I calmed my pounding heart and coldly assessed the situation.
Combat wasn't my calling. That was for Erwin.
So, what I needed to do now was...
“...For now, tend to the wounded and scout the surroundings. We need to gather as many remaining troops as possible.”
Our forces were scattered. Normally, we'd fall back to the rear for regrouping.
But the Koenihesen offensive had overwhelmed even the rear.
Crazy bastards. Utterly insane. Nothing else explained it.
With their remaining forces, couldn't they just stalemate and negotiate?
Sudden all-in, dumping everything their nation had into this?
No wonder the Empire was getting pushed. Even Father and Brother couldn't handle this.
‘But it's not all bad. These guys overextended hard.’
High risk, low return. Or a solo game of chicken.
That summed up Koenihesen's Summer Grand Offensive perfectly.
The Empire was reeling from the blow now, but we'd recover eventually.
Balance would restore, dragging us back to tedious stalemate.
But Koenihesen had thrown in their souls. They couldn't attack again.
That was why Erwin would become a hero.
Just thwart one enemy offensive properly, and the momentum would shift to the Empire.
“Richi! Company commander! Erwin's back!”
Right on cue. The man who'd grab Koenihesen's ankle—no, sever it clean off—had arrived.