“All right! Today marks the end of our schedule! It’s time to head back home…”
“…What’s with your faces?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“That’s right! It’s nothing, Colonel!”
“Hmm? You two look like you’ve just played with fire.”
“Anyway, if it’s nothing, that’s fine. Let’s head back now. To where we’re supposed to be.”
“Yes, sir. I’ve packed everything. Including yours, Colonel.”
“As expected of a captain! You really know how to impress.”
The deployment schedule to the Rhinehardt Empire, which had been ongoing since early September, concluded today. Sony Chepelin, along with Count Petrinant, completed the final improvements on Graf Petrinant, and as a reward, received an additional airship.
Once production at the factory was complete, it would immediately enter our battalion’s hangar. With this, the strength of the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit was further enhanced.
Furthermore, at the point when Captain Johannes and Dr. Mercedes Musk secured the local license for armored train production.
As soon as the development of the Grizzly 57mm Howitzer was completed, another round of cooperation with the Rhinehardt Empire would be initiated.
In this way, at least two armored trains could be secured before the war. This was a necessary weapon to withstand the initial onslaught from the Soviev Empire.
“Oh, that was fun, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I made many good connections.”
“I heard Captain Enok’s name all over the place recently. So, we decided to name the new Diabolus 3 the ‘Enok’!”
“…Please stop that.”
“Why not?”
As we chatted, we once again boarded the royal carriage heading to Okhraine.
Enok Revendale and his group safely returned to Okhraine after departing from the Rhinehardt Empire. The new recruits in the combat unit had finished their basic physical training and were left with only parachute training.
With both the battalion commander and the regimental commander returning simultaneously, the training could be accelerated.
While continuously mobilizing troops, digesting the training curriculum, and processing various administrative documents, they also maintained contact with their networks starting from Count Petrinant’s domain.
Thanks to their diligence in technology research and internal affairs, even the 57mm Howitzer that Enok Revendale had longed for was successfully developed on schedule.
“One, two, three, FIRE!!”
BOOM!!
The 57mm shell hits the hill, exploding with a crimson flame. Though the blast radius was not large, it was sufficient and more than enough for infantry use.
Enok asked the colonel who was observing the live firing next to him:
“What do you think of its performance, Colonel?”
“Is that a question? This thing is insane. I have never seen such performance in a cannon. If there were ever a world-class artillery, it used to be the Prü item, but it seems that day will soon belong to Okhraine!”
Colonel Jan Bloch, Chief of Ordnance of the Artillery Department at the Central Technical Education Research Institute, praised enthusiastically. Although the caliber was slightly smaller than modern mortars, the technology itself had been secured, making it possible to apply to 75mm field guns in the near future.
From Enok’s perspective, this could be considered a decent result. And the 57mm g*n was indeed primarily designed for anti-artillery purposes. The Soviev Empire had yet to fully modernize its artillery.
Given the country’s long-standing tradition of having a poorly developed economy, it was characterized by pouring all sorts of conventional firepower at the beginning.
A few cool shots from the artillery would surely make the advancing army dwindle like moths to a flame.
Moreover, while it might be relatively inefficient against entrenched enemies, it would be a highly effective means of attack against enemy artillery deployed in open fields.
“And how is the development of the infantry support mortar coming along?”
“It’s going very smoothly. In fact, it’s a front-loading design rather than rear-loading. We’re modifying an existing cannon to create it.”
“Good.”
After all, the most crucial weapon for Okhraine was one that could effectively project modern firepower.
The magic-infused artillery alone had limitations in terms of the amount of material it could handle.
The biggest advantage and disadvantage of magic-infused soldiers was that the subject performing the bombardment was human.
Unlike regular artillery, which can fire shells all day without any issues as long as the quantity is sufficient and the barrel is in good condition, magic-infused soldiers risk depleting their mana and becoming exhausted, leading to a significant loss of manpower.
This was one of the main reasons why magic-infused soldiers would inevitably decline in the future.
“By the way, Captain Enok, have you thought about joining the ‘Gygyeonryeon’? Colonel Viktor Zelenski seemed quite disappointed about it.”
“Haha… If I get the chance, I’ll go.”
“Right. Given your abilities, you might become a major in a few years. By then, you could serve as a staff officer here.”
Colonel Jan Bloch patted Enok’s back with a chuckle. Initially, he thought this newcomer had advanced to captain too quickly, but he turned out to be the real deal.
“Enok, you were the first to emphasize the importance of artillery in the Okhraine military. In future battlefields, artillery is the only way to survive, but these frontline commanders who don’t listen to anything but their own opinions are no better than fools.”
Jan Bloch, who had earned the nickname “Bull,” didn’t hold back with his harsh words.
“They just drink and party with female soldiers and know nothing about troop deployment or strategy. I almost lost my mind working under such idiots!”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Enok Revendale chimed in, listening to the colonel’s complaints. While the language was somewhat harsh, it accurately reflected the reality of the Okhraine military.
“At least I have such a reliable junior officer! Oh, since there’s still plenty of time, let’s go to a bar I know well! I’ll buy the drinks!”
“I’d be happy to accompany you.”
“Hahaha! When it’s time to play, play, and when it’s time to work, work! Right?”
Enok Revendale, who had always been resourceful, continued to expand his influence within the Okhraine military, especially among those associated with the central command.
And whenever one side became prominent, the reaction would inevitably come back.
As the number of favorable views toward Enok Revendale within the military increased, so did the number of hostile views, growing thicker over time.
“A warm tea has been prepared. Take a moment to rest. I also brought last week’s Wilson Times weekly magazine.”
“Thank you, Lumina.”
As soon as I entered the office, the silver-haired aide greeted me.
Since the misunderstanding that day had been resolved, there was no need to blush and run away like a teenager anymore.
Still, it was impossible not to be conscious of it. I tried not to show it as I sat down and picked up the teacup.
The fragrant aroma of black tea tickled my nose.
“Lumina, take a break too. There’s no schedule today, is there?”
“No, sir. I have a new recruit counseling session scheduled. I’m working with Captain Bella Meyer. I also need to select personnel for the newly established platoon and inform the personnel department.”
“Oh, I see.”
Thinking back, she was right.
With so much work lately, I had momentarily forgotten what Lumina’s duties entailed.
“The 4th Platoon will be led by Captain Eugene. The 5th Platoon will be commanded by Lieutenant Erwin Ruth.”
“Eugene and Lieutenant Erwin, not bad.”
Erwin Ruth, being someone who had been in our platoon, was well known for his capabilities. Despite having an overly cautious nature, he was a very stable leader.
The newly formed 4th and 5th Platoons, essentially reserve units, were excellent choices as leaders for reserve platoons that might be deployed in urgent situations.
Captain Eugene Gilbert was a non-commissioned officer who had served under Major Nikolai Hilbert of the 2nd Platoon.
Originally a sergeant, his experience as a senior soldier was evident due to his relatively older age compared to other platoon leaders.
He was remembered as one of the best non-commissioned officers in terms of pure tactical skill, second only to Captain Claude Rain.
He had actually served as a scout leader in the Limansk Armory and calmly responded during a mutant attack, minimizing casualties.
Like Erwin Ruth, Eugene was a good choice as a commander for a reserve force that needed to preserve its strength as much as possible.
“Now we finally have a full battalion.”
I glanced outside. The forest, which had changed colors, was gradually revealing its bare branches. The soldiers’ uniforms, compared to a few weeks ago, had become noticeably thicker.
With the new recruits fully adapting to the unit, winter was approaching.
“We should check for any bandit groups or monster nests in the vicinity of the central area soon.”
“Real combat experience is important.”
Excluding those who had left due to injuries or minor issues, over 90% of the newly recruited soldiers had completed all airborne training.
Now that they had received ample training, it was time for them to be deployed in actual combat, as per the tradition of the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit.
“I hope this operation will be larger.”
“We should test the 57mm howitzers deployed on the newly acquired Diabolus.”
“Yes.”
“Enok, impressive.”
“Hehe…”
Lumina teased with a smile. Sony Chepelin wouldn’t listen to anyone anyway. She had insisted on naming the third Diabolus airship acquired from the Rhinehardt Empire after Enok.
If it were shot down, she would probably lose sleep over it.
Still, the prospect of providing some level of fire support before the troops were deployed was quite appealing.
The aviation unit members were also delighted to learn they could operate cannons besides just waiting in the air.
“Now, we should request further modifications…”
At that moment,
DING DING DING DING DING DING!!!
A sharp alarm rang out. My body reacted first. I immediately stood up and looked at Lumina.
“Do we have a planned training session?”
“No…?!”
CLUNK, BAM!
Just as I was about to check what was happening, the door to the office burst open, and Chief of Staff Joseph Lebandovsky appeared.
“Captain, we need to prepare for immediate deployment. There’s an emergency request for assistance from the south!!”
“Emergency… request?”
Before I could react, Joseph added seriously,
“The Arzoff scoundrels have launched a massive invasion of the Quernen Province.”
“Excuse me?”
“Two coastal cities have already fallen, and a general mobilization order has been issued to all battalions under the Special Response Brigade. Hurry up and prepare!”
