A small unit, seemingly on a power reconnaissance mission, was stealthily approaching from the foot of the mountain where Godo Fort stood. Promptly, Captain Dumble raised his sword.
"Suppressive fire! Don't let the enemy come out of the forest! Commence bombardment!"
"Suppressive fire!"
"Suppressive fire!"
The NCOs shouted as the artillery fired their cannons. The ammunition was a large pellet called "grape shot." Even compared to shrapnel, it was much bigger than musket balls and had tremendously greater destructive power.
As expected, the professional artillery was accurate, forcing all enemy soldiers hiding among the trees to retreat. Some may have been killed. Still, victory rarely came from artillery fire alone.
After several rounds, it seemed they had roughly gauged the enemy's position. Now, the enemy was approaching, hiding behind the terrain's elevations, scattered and dispersed. Facing many small units with only a few big guns was tricky.
The only option left was to shoot with rifles, but the enemy was still a bit far.
Lieutenant Colonel Althea shouted, "First Squad, hold fire! Out of range! Stay concealed until the enemy fires back!"
A good decision. Even though it was their first time, they were dependable.
Meanwhile, the musket soldiers of Zephyr Fort's garrison—who should have been veterans—were not moving well.
"Hey, wait! Hold your fire!" an NCO leading about thirty infantry shouted. One soldier had already fired ahead of the command.
Infantry line tactics depended heavily on timing; if soldiers fired on their own initiative, it put commanders in a difficult position.
Since this fort had never been on the front line before, the lack of combat experience and training was clearly affecting them. Not very promising.
"Enemy! They're coming!"
"We know! Refill your magazines quietly!"
The grizzled middle-aged NCO with a beard wore a sour expression.
No one from the 6th Special Task Brigade had fired yet. They hid behind their rifle sights, clutching their guns and awaiting orders.
It seemed the Lieutenant Colonel's choice of personnel was spot on. Everyone remained calm for their first deployment.
Soon, intermittent gunfire began—the sound of bullets hitting the wall. Musket rounds were heavy and powerful, their impact thunderous.
"Hya!?"
"Wow?!"
The girls of the 6th Special Task Brigade crouched low, nervous but none tried to flee. All were watching the Lieutenant Colonel—and also me.
Both the Lieutenant Colonel and I seemed calm, so everyone looked reassured.
Meanwhile, the guards at Zephyr Fort moved awkwardly. It was their own fortress—they should guard it properly.
But their awkwardness wasn't just due to inexperience; something felt off. I couldn't quite figure out why.
Then the Lieutenant Colonel murmured, "Second Lieutenant, it looks like the morale of the fort's garrison is on the brink of collapse. Is this a problem?"
Surely not...?
Upon closer inspection, the soldiers were indeed jittery. They spilled gunpowder, forgot to hold their lances properly, and seemed completely unsettled.
Even though the battle had just begun, it was unlikely they would be in such disarray so soon.
"Impossible" was a forbidden word, so I reconsidered and thought of possible factors. I advised my superior. "The fall of Godo Fort might have significantly lowered morale. For this fort, which is secondary, after the stronghold's fall, there's no reason to fight."
"I see. To us, it's just a fortress, but to them, it was mental support and a reason to fight." The Lieutenant Colonel nodded and gave me a grin.
"Maybe I should have prepared a disciplinary team for them?"
"Your Excellency's kindness is appreciated."
Indeed, if a disciplinary team had been watching with guns behind them, desertions might have decreased dramatically.
It was impressive that the Lieutenant Colonel could casually make such a joke. This was her first battle, right?
However, Hannah was frightened. "The conversation between Lieutenant Colonel and Second Lieutenant is too scary..."
"War is a frightening thing. Even I am trembling inside," the Lieutenant Colonel smiled and said, "But thinking of the soldiers on the front lines, I have no right to be afraid. You don't either, Hannah."
Indeed. As commanders, we had the authority to order actions that might lead to soldiers' deaths. The soldiers had no choice but to obey.
"I... I understand!" Corporal Hannah hurriedly saluted.
Lieutenant Colonel Althea was surprisingly reliable, so this should be okay. Her leadership was far stronger than mine.
That said, the issue lay with the defenders at Zephyr Fort.
"Your Excellency, I would like to observe the condition of the soldiers over there."
"Understood. Come back as quickly as possible. It's unsettling to go alone."
Well, if you're that calm, that's impressive. Saying you're uneasy but still laughing.
I admired the Lieutenant Colonel's boldness a little, then headed toward the infantry of the defense squad.
About thirty infantrymen were stationed at ten gun slits. The loaders and shooters all had frightened faces.
This wouldn't do. If anything happened, these guys would run away immediately.
"How's everyone doing?" I smiled at them. The soldiers of the defense squad nodded with anxious expressions.
"Ah, you were the one drinking tea on the wall earlier..."
"Rest time is for resting, after all."
I nodded calmly and peeked into a nearby gun slit.
"Nice weather. Oh, quite a few are coming."
"I-It's dangerous, Second Lieutenant!"
"The distance is far. The bullets are weak."
If it looked like I was about to be hit, the 'Grim Reaper's scythe' would warn me, but for now, there were no warnings. It was a relaxed situation.
Anyway, in this world, if I die, so be it. I had already died once.
The enemy's bullets hit the wall with a dull sound, but it was weak. At combat distance, musket balls made much louder sounds.
I turned and smiled at the soldiers who looked like they were about to die.
"Are you afraid of the enemy, gentlemen?"
The soldiers looked at each other; some silently nodded.
I nodded as well. "Being afraid of the enemy is a sign of a good soldier. I'm scared too!"
"No way, you're definitely not scared..."
"You totally look like a war fetishist."
Someone whispered between two soldiers, but I pretended not to hear it.
"But from our perspective, even the scariest enemies are afraid of us!"
Everyone looked like they were thinking, "Really?" No, the enemy was also risking their lives, after all.
"Think about it. The enemy just fought a fierce battle at Godo Fort and is exhausted. Just when they thought it was over, now they're up against the famous and invincible Zephyr Fort defenders."
"Is it really famous?"
"No?"
"Of course. I was with the 5th Division until recently, and it was famous even there."
That was a lie. I had never even heard the name.
Then I heard the soldiers' faces brighten a bit. I could hear whispers.
"Wait, could it be that this place is actually pretty impressive?"
"Now that you mention it, it does seem that way..."
I seized the opportunity to press the point.
"Of course. The 6th Special Task Brigade is coming to our aid after all. This is a crucial position connecting the impregnable Godo Fort and the imperial city's road. We have to defend it at all costs."
I praised them just enough to give them a reason to fight. They needed a reason.
I added a little spice. "If we let it fall after borrowing a hundred soldiers from other brigades, the whole army will mock us. We'll be known as 'all bark and no bite'!"
Schwider was not my mother tongue, but I had learned a lot of slang during my time on the streets. I knew exactly which words hit the mark.
The men of Schwider had an unnecessarily high sense of pride, so this kind of provocation worked well.
As expected, their expressions tightened. This was going well.
"Second Lieutenant, we're no weaklings!"
"Yeah! We're a bunch of fearless warriors!"
They talked big.
I nodded and smiled, satisfied.
"Right? I don't want to die either, so I thought carefully about which fort's reinforcements to join. And well, I suggested Zephyr Fort to the Brigade Commander."
It was completely made up, but the soldiers went "Wow..." in admiration.
"That's a good decision."
"Well done, Staff Officer!"
I lightly raised my hand in response and then looked back at the girls of the 6th Special Task Brigade.
"Our brigade's girls, aren't they cute? They're all here because of various circumstances. If their strength is as good as the rumors say, we won't let them die."
At my words, the defenders' breathing grew heavier.
"Leave it to us!"
"We'll massacre those Brugge mountain monkeys!"
Good, good. This should be fine.
I patted the surprised Non-Commissioned Officer on the shoulder and grinned.
"We'll draw out their reconnaissance thoroughly before striking. We'll hit them hard with the first attack and make them hesitate. Follow my orders for shooting."
"Yes, sir!"
The Non-Commissioned Officer saluted, and I started walking.
Now, will we be able to fight with this?
Notes:
• Godo Fort - A stronghold located on a mountain peak, west of Zephyr Fort. It serves as a border guard base and has the capability to provide fierce bombardment in case of an attack. Located in the Empire.
• Dumble - Male. Garrison commander of Zephyr Fortress. Experienced and cautious. Wears standard officer attire. Initially skeptical of the 6th Special Task Brigade but is persuaded by Euner's demonstration. Becomes more cooperative afterward.
• Althea - Colonel Althea Medelin. Female. Brigade Commander of the 6th Special Task Brigade. Young woman in her twenties with long black hair. Noble from the Medelin family, a rival to the Litreille clan. Professional and disciplined, yet approachable. Holds a high rank despite her age, indicating exceptional ability. Relationship: Superior to Euner Krombelts, welcomes him to the brigade.
• Zephyr Fort - A rear outlying castle located in the border region. It is part of a network of fortresses designed to prevent enemy encirclement. The brigade is deployed here to reinforce its defenses. Securing a 'hotel' for accommodation was a significant achievement, given the challenges of field camping.
• Hannah - Hannah Heiden. Female. A Corporal in the 6th Special Task Brigade. Her appearance is tall with broad shoulders and a reverse triangle athletic build. She has a confident and assertive demeanor. Her relationship with Second Lieutenant Krombelts is initially formal but becomes more respectful after recognizing his rank. She is strong and capable, easily carrying heavy luggage.
• Schwider - The country where the story takes place. It is ruled by nobility, with the 'Five Royal Families' holding the highest status. The language and culture are distinct, with a strong emphasis on class and accent.
• Brugge - A neighboring territory with mountain troops that pose a threat to the border. The enemy's strength and intentions are unknown, but they are the primary target of the brigade's deployment. The border with Brugge is a contested area where hundreds of lives are lost for minor territorial gains.