Biyaltock Territory, North.
Once a fairly prosperous village, ‘Modor’ naturally became a ghost town after the mine was closed.
Without human presence, the village soon became a refuge for wanderers and a new den of crime for criminals who crossed the Calpas Mountains from Biyaltock and those from Okhraine.
Thanks to its direct adjacency to the resource-rich Calpas Mountains, bandits were able to grow into a significant organization within the Biyaltock Territory.
They now aimed to incorporate nearby villages into their sphere of influence, beyond mere sporadic raids on travelers.
Despite several attempts by the administrator and lord of Biyaltock to send punitive forces, their geographical nature as a former mining village made it impossible to penetrate, forcing them to retreat each time.
While local authorities continued their futile efforts, the pain inflicted on adjacent villages around Modor grew increasingly severe.
“Did you have fun today?”
“Actually, the thrill is fading. That girl doesn’t even resist anymore.”
The virgins from nearby villages, unable to provide crops or tributes on time, were regularly captured.
Though Falcon, at the bottom of the hierarchy, wasn’t involved in such acts, he believed that with a little more time, he could join in the fun.
“It seems we can extend our influence to the plains as well, not just the mountains.”
“I heard my elder brother mention that too. Considering the Biyaltock Guard is a disorganized bunch, they might be planning to seize a fortress. ”
“That sounds good.”
Killing—there’s an endless thrill in pulling the trigger at innocent people.
Bang, one shot sends them fleeing in terror, like frightened rabbits.
“Look over there, doesn’t it seem like only that spot isn’t visible under the stars?”
Falcon’s companion pointed at the night sky. It appeared something was obstructing it, but the dim moonlight made it hard to tell if it was just an optical illusion.
“Anyway, I want to catch a girl and relieve my thirst. Right, Cardirov?”
As usual, Falcon spoke crudely. But there was no response. Was he still staring at the strange night sky?
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Just as Falcon clicked his tongue and turned his head.
“Guh…!?”
A dagger pierced his nape. Without even a chance to scream, bl**d gushed out and he fell to the ground.
Before he breathed his last, all he saw were blackened demons covering his body.
Blink, blink, blink.
Three blinks. In the command room, watching the situation with the battalion commander and chief of staff, I nodded at them and said,
“The signal has been received, indicating the occupation of the guard tower.”
“Good. Now deploy the rest of the troops. If they’re bandits, not civilians, don’t waste effort trying to capture them alive. Just k*ll them all. They’re the ones raiding nearby villages and committing all sorts of crimes.”
Sony Chepelin spat out these chilling words without a care.
Modor Village, they said. Bandits had taken over, causing considerable trouble in the Biyaltock Territory.
As Sony said, there was no need to show mercy.
This final training exercise, the first real combat, was bandit extermination. Truly, this was a standard training process for Haotze-style units.
I saluted Sony Chepelin and approached the platoon members standing in two lines, waiting for the drop.
“Third Platoon has neutralized all sentries. First Platoon will now descend and sweep away all bandits! Reports suggest there may be innocent civilians mixed in, so be cautious during engagement!”
“Yes, understood.”
“Platoon, descend!!”
“Descend, descend, descend!!”
Following my command, the platoon members jumped out of the airship en masse. Along with Roxanna, who was in charge of supplies, and myself, we leaped toward the open sky with a large wooden crate.
Whoosh!
“Air control vertical! Featherfoot!”
The sharp wind quickly came under Roxanna’s control. Emitting green mana, we slowly descended below the village entrance.
With a weight close to several hundred kilograms, Roxanna, with her excellent affinity with the wind, was perfect for this role.
Although she seemed more interested in piloting the airship than transporting supplies.
As I unlocked the supply box, the military supplies inside spilled out. Along with minimal survival gear and rations, there were countless rounds of ammunition.
The platoon members distributed the supplies efficiently, communicating solely through signals.
‘The results of the training.’
I couldn’t hide my pride. Despite having met these unit members only a month ago, their performance already matched that of elite forces with decades of tradition.
Judging by their eyes alone, they surpassed even the famous National Guard troops.
‘First Platoon left, Third Platoon right. Second and Fourth Platoons flank. Circle around and enter.’
Following my signal, the squad leaders dispersed. Even Bella Meyer, who feared descending, now took on the role of a squad leader in the operation.
“Let’s sweep them all away.”
“Agreed.”
I nodded at Roxanna, who was sorting supplies.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
The quiet village was suddenly engulfed in gunfire.
The equipment issued to the Eighth Assault Magitech Infantry Battalion consisted of the latest models produced by the Brettonian United Kingdom.
The Anfil M1 semi-automatic light rifle and Webley revolver. Among the eclectic mix of weapons used by the Okhraine Army, these were among the most advanced.
Thus, the bandits, equipped with third-rate Okhraine gear, were helpless against the onslaught.
“What the hell?! What kind of guys are these, firing bullets like crazy?!”
“These aren’t some crappy guards! Look at their equipment!”
The specialized parachuting suits for nighttime infiltration. The sight of soldiers in reflective helmets pouring relentless fire was overwhelming.
“Demons, demons have come!!”
“Gah…! Help me…!!”
Bang!
Rick Hanson, a soldier in the First Platoon, pulled the trigger, sending a bandit fleeing in panic tumbling forward.
Thump thump.
Rick felt his heart pounding. This was real combat. He had joined the newly formed brigade led by the famous Great Mage Sony Chepelin.
He never imagined he would find himself on a real battlefield within a month.
His muscles tensed, and each gunshot made his mind go blank, yet somehow his body kept moving, like a machine that once started would keep running.
Rick Hanson stepped over the fallen bandit and advanced.
Afraid, yet unafraid.
Shaking, yet steady.
“Ahahahahaha!!”
Caught in a bizarre sensation he had never experienced before, he charged forward, screaming loudly.
Crash!
As he kicked open the wooden door of a house, a bandit frantically loaded bullets and gunpowder into his rifle.
Rick Hanson, feeling the clear surge of fear, pulled the trigger.
But.
Click, click-click.
“?!”
Overwhelmed by excitement, he forgot to load the b*llet. Time seemed to freeze. During this moment, the bandit finished loading and aimed at Rick.
“d*e, you son of a b*tch!!”
With a scream like a d*ath cry, a chill ran down Rick’s spine. He tried to turn back and flee into the house, but.
Bang!
An impact like being hit by a hammer struck him. His legs gave way, and he tumbled to the ground.
Was he hit? Where was he hit?
“d*mn you!!”
Before he could think, the bandit lunged at him, axe in hand. In that slow-motion scene.
Bam, a gunshot rang in his ear. A red stain spread across the bandit’s chest, and a roar like a beast pierced his eardrum.
“Always check if your weapon is loaded! Don’t want to d*e, do you?!”
Reflexively turning his head, he saw clearly in the dark night sky, blonde hair.
The battalion commander, Enok Revendale.
Smoke faintly rose from the pistol in his hand. He had fired instantly.
“Captain Bella! There’s an injured person here! Gunshot wound!”
“I’m coming right away!!”
“Lumina, cover me! Spread the word to each squad leader! Let’s break through to the village hall!”
Even amidst the confusion, the battalion commander’s voice was clear.
Had he ever seen a commander personally directing troops on the battlefield? Rick Hanson searched his memory.
No, he hadn’t. Such commanders didn’t exist in the Okhraine Army.
When they rolled in during the drop training, he wanted to punch them, but on the actual battlefield, there was no one more reliable and steadfast.
“…d*mn, he’s awesome…”
Rick Hanson chuckled.
“Rick, Rick Hanson! Oh my God, you got shot in the b*tt?! Sergeant Ayden!!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Quickly move him to the rear! Start the surgery to remove the b*llet!”
Feeling a burning sensation rising from his buttocks, Rick looked up at the sky.
The dark sky was gradually turning navy blue.
As the gunfire slowly ceased.
Finally, dawn broke.
