“Did you get some rest?”
“Even if I had to sleep, it’s better under a roof. I feel much better now.”
The third platoon leader laughed as he woke up after resting inside the cave.
For two weeks, Erwin Ruth, with his usual cool personality, had managed to build some camaraderie with Lumina Blue and Roxanna Elrim.
They were now at the point where they could exchange light-hearted banter.
“Where is Captain Enok?”
“He said he would go inspect the first platoon. The fourth platoon needs to relieve the third soon.”
“He really works hard. He’s completely different from the previous captain who only ate, slept, and fought.”
Erwin said with sparkling eyes.
At first, he was disappointed by the captain’s seemingly gentle appearance, but upon learning that this captain had achieved a special promotion within just one month, turning him into a legendary mage officer, his feelings evolved beyond mere respect to veneration.
And then there’s Sergeant Claude, the war hero, the killer of thunder!
How could Erwin not recognize the captain when even Sergeant Claude acknowledged him? Erwin was ready to humbly follow any order given by Enok Revendale.
Of course, as long as it was based on proper rules and correct judgment.
“Haha… Captain is indeed an impressive person.”
Lumina replied with a faint smile when suddenly, a gunshot echoed.
Bang—!!
The heads of the three turned simultaneously towards the direction of the sound. It was westward. Sergeant Hilton Callia, who led the fourth platoon, was in charge of that area.
The gunfire didn’t stop after one shot.
Bang! Bang!!
As more shots followed, it became clear this wasn’t a simple accident.
“Captain Erwin! Immediately gather your platoon!”
Lumina was the first to act. As the acting adjutant in Enok’s absence, she needed to make quick decisions.
Next was Roxanna. She sensed the distinct flow of mana following the gunfire.
“Adjutant! Moving the troops might be too late! They’ve used magic. Surely the battalion commander’s bombardment will fall here!”
“…!!!”
Lumina hesitated for a moment.
Sony Chepelin’s bombardment was relentless. Even after two years in the military, Lumina had never seen such a sight.
Thanks to the defensive magic deployed by the mage soldiers and their rapid maneuvers, they had minimized the damage.
But in their current state, engaging in combat with offensive magic, they were highly likely to be overwhelmed by the bombardment. There could even be casualties.
“Captain Erwin, once you’ve mustered your platoon, head west immediately! We’ll move first!”
Whether this decision was right or wrong was uncertain. But compared to the possibility of the battalion or the fourth platoon being wiped out, this was definitely better.
Do your best with what you can.
This was the mindset of an adjutant as emphasized by Lieutenant Enok Revendale.
Lumina believed this was the best course of action she could take.
“Understood!!”
Erwin Ruth rushed into the cave and shouted loudly.
“Everyone!! Move faster!! Our allies are about to be exposed to enemy bombardment!! We need to prepare with sheer determination!! I’ll give you five seconds!!”
To muster the troops in just five seconds seemed impossible, but Erwin Ruth and his third platoon actually managed it.
Fully equipped, the third platoon emerged from the cave.
“Advance quickly!!”
“Forward!!”
It took only a few minutes for them to catch up with Lumina and Roxanna, who had already moved down.
“Oh.”
Joseph Lebandovsky observed the battlefield and genuinely admired it.
Though the power was only a fraction of what Sony Chepelin could unleash, purely in terms of firepower, it was no laughing matter.
A poorly deployed second-grade magical barrier wouldn’t even fully block the damage.
If they couldn’t even set up a barrier, a single infantry platoon without resistance to magic could easily be rendered combat ineffective.
A Great Mage is inherently such a formidable existence. That’s why they’re called ‘One-Man Corps’ in the outside world.
However, the performance of the first platoon under attack exceeded Joseph’s imagination.
Under the second-grade defense barrier deployed by the platoon leader, they launched offensive magic to weaken Sony Chepelin’s attack.
Even if the strength was sapped, intercepting a Great Mage’s attack was no easy feat.
‘Roxanna Elrim mentioned it. She said a Mage Sickness patient isn’t inferior to a Great Mage in magic. And she was right.’
Next was the swift reaction of the third platoon, which was waiting in the middle. Their speed was remarkable. Faster than anyone could have imagined, considering they had just been resting.
Although Lumina’s judgment seemed appropriate, coordinating troop movements based on that judgment was far from easy.
A clear smile spread across Major Joseph Lebandovsky’s face.
‘It’s only been two weeks, yet the coordination is excellent.’
Initially, he had been slightly worried about appointing a newly graduated lieutenant as the first platoon leader.
But he realized his concern was unfounded.
Not just Joseph, others felt the same. Directly attacking was Sony Chepelin. Watching the first platoon’s response in real-time, she jumped with joy.
“Are they crazy?! What did they do? Blocking my spells with Magic Missiles?!”
The hit rate wasn’t 100%. Out of ten spells, they failed to intercept half.
But the fact that they intercepted half was surprising.
Even the attacks they failed to intercept were blocked entirely by the magical barriers deployed by Enok Revendale and Lumina Blue.
“Where did they come up with this idea? Enok?”
“I don’t know. But it’s undeniable that it’s fantastic.”
“I told you! This platoon isn’t one to sit still!”
Originally, Enok Revendale was meant to be a bait to persuade him. After placing him, he planned to just leave him in a corner.
The most extreme method was to select a platoon to forcibly drop and push him in.
Ultimately, Sony Chepelin formed the battalion. The upper unit of the 8th Assault Magic Infantry Battalion—the Special Response Brigade—is also led by Sony Chepelin.
Who would dare oppose her?
But reading through the platoon members’ files, Sony Chepelin felt a strange feeling.
These aren’t things to be left alone.
So, she boldly assigned them to the first platoon. She wanted to see firsthand why Lieutenant Enok Revendale cherished this platoon.
The result exceeded Sony Chepelin’s expectations.
After giving them a thorough test, Sony Chepelin stopped casting spells non-stop from the magic circle.
“Chief of Staff.”
“Yes, Battalion Commander?”
“Don’t touch them anymore. I’ve seen enough.”
“I agree. The only issue is their survival for the remaining 36 hours.”
“They’ll manage. Do you think they’d fail just because of that?”
“Then, shall we target the second platoon next? They’re eating now.”
While one doesn’t disturb dogs while they eat, that rule applies to dogs. Since this is a simulated battle, there’s no reason to care about meal times.
“Fine. Getting bombed while eating is realistic enough.”
“Understood.”
Sony Chepelin turned around and moved towards the position where the second platoon was stationed.
It didn’t take long for relentless bombardment to reach there too.
Whew.
I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks to having a backup position prepared in advance, it was a fortunate turn of events.
Even though the cave wasn’t as cozy as a proper fortification, its location prevented fierce winds from attacking from all sides.
“The, the, sorry…”
Of course, the captain of the fourth platoon, the root cause of all this, was completely devastated.
“It’s all my fault.”
“No, Captain Hilton did her best…”
Just as I was about to offer comforting words to her, who was self-criticizing to the point of losing her mind, Erwin’s sharp command rang out.
“Cut it out! What are you talking about, Captain! Why blame yourself for your mistakes! The problem lies with that clueless Yeti!”
“Y, yes?”
“Since Demons are enemies of humans, if we hadn’t acted, they might have eaten passing travelers!”
Erwin added, placing a hand on Hilton’s shoulder.
“Well done.”
“…Yes, Captain Erwin is right. Captain Hilton did well. You handled troop control excellently.”
“Really…?”
“Yes, but if you encounter such Demons again, report it to the platoon leader immediately. Then the entire platoon can adapt accordingly.”
“Understood.”
Captain Hilton had a strikingly bold first impression, but in reality, she was quite passive.
Of course, I had already checked her traits in the personnel management system. Reading her transfer records and disciplinary reports confirmed she had a dual personality.
Just moments ago, during the battle with the Yeti, she nearly lost her composure when the term ‘real combat’ was mentioned.
‘A crazy war enthusiast and a Berserker? How interesting.’
Actually, nothing was interesting… But what could be done? Since she was already assigned to the platoon, I had to see it through to the end. Even when she was initially placed in a low-performing platoon, I somehow brought her this far. Who knows how Captain Hilton will grow, as Sergeant Claude said.
“Grrrk—.”
“Oh.”
Lumina’s stomach made a loud rumbling sound.
“I’m so sorry! My hunger suddenly struck as soon as I relaxed.”
“I feel hungry just hearing that.”
“Ugh…”
I laughed seeing Lumina’s face turn red. Bella, who was teaching igloo-making nearby, and the gathered soldiers, started laughing heartily too.
“We still have over thirty hours to survive here. Let’s go hunting some wild animals.”
Since we’re backed against a cliff, there shouldn’t be a big problem even if we light a fire.
“I saw some bindweed roots earlier. If you clean the dirt and eat them, they’re quite edible without cooking.”
Claude said, sitting against a large tree. Those roots the first platoon members were chewing on earlier were bindweed.
“Alright. Then let’s scatter and regroup here in exactly thirty minutes.”
“Yes!”
“Can you move, Lumina, even though you’re hungry?”
“O, Captain!”
I threw a light joke, causing Lumina to scream in shock, and the exhausted soldiers’ expressions brightened significantly.
Right, prioritizing the safe completion of the training comes first.
With that thought, I stood up.
