"Sorry, everyone. I have an important matter to discuss. Could you all gather around?"
In the end, I agreed with Sergeant Gavel's proposal.
It was because I couldn't find any words to respond to his determination to face death for me.
"Everyone, assemble! Before we distribute the wine, I need you to listen to me for a moment."
"Huh?"
Sergeant Gavel, with me beside him, raised his voice from the riverbank.
Everyone in the company responded to his voice and gathered one after another.
"What is it, Vice Commander? You're not going to tell me there's no wine now, are you?"
"That's not the issue. It's something worse than that."
"Oh come on, what could be worse than having our alcohol taken away? Did the country fall or something?"
The soldiers' faces grew tense at his serious tone.
A nearby soldier cracked a joke, but Sergeant Gavel remained serious.
I stood quietly with my head lowered, standing behind him.
"You're getting pretty close, Infantrymen! It's bad news to match that."
"…Please spare me, what's going on?"
"After discussing it with Lieutenant Touri, command authority is being transferred to me."
"What the heck! That's the worst news ever."
The soldier who responded to his words looked up to the sky in an exaggerated manner.
"Then, does that mean it's going to be real combat?"
"Yeah."
The soldier's face turned pale, and he fell to his knees.
"The reason she was appointed company commander in the first place was because it was considered a good omen. I can't leave this emergency situation in the hands of a figurehead commander."
"…That's true."
Apparently, due to propaganda rumors, I had been considered a "figurehead commander" from the start.
In other words, I was an idol company commander chosen for my looks who had no command skills whatsoever.
Most of the soldiers likely thought that in real combat, Sergeant Gavel, who had received officer training, would take command.
"I just had a thorough discussion with Lieutenant Touri. She also agreed, so command authority has been transferred to me."
"Seriously…"
For those who believed this, having command handed over to Sergeant Gavel was tantamount to a death sentence.
The faces of the soldiers, who had brightened up at the prospect of getting wine, turned pale.
"Now, let me explain the current situation again! Austin is now in a state of existential crisis!"
"…"
"I want you all to stay calm and listen to what I have to say."
I felt as though I were standing on a bed of needles in the silence among the soldiers.
"I will explain the current situation—"
I continued to stand behind Sergeant Gavel and with my head down.
***
"—Huh?"
Sergeant Gavel explained to the soldiers:
The Southern Army has been defeated and Austin is in a dire situation.
In this situation, being ambushed by 20,000 troops from the Aerys Army would be extremely harsh for Austin.
Despite this, I had set a plan to withdraw after just one day of resistance.
Sergeant Gavel opposed this and argued that we should fight to protect Argalia, even if it meant risking our lives.
This was the story created between myself and Sergeant Gavel.
"The Southern Army lost? Didn't Austin have the upper hand?"
"What the… Is what you're saying really true?"
His story was enough to shake up the soldiers.
Faced with a harsher reality than they had imagined, cries of disbelief erupted from all sides.
"What happened to the Southern Army?! My brother is a platoon leader in the Southern Army!"
"That can't be… Lieutenant Touri, what he just said must be a terrible joke…!"
"I'm sorry. It's the truth."
"That's a lie!!"
The soldier who was most agitated by my words was the one with a penchant for running away.
Just as I had feared, he started making a fuss and confronted me with his face turning red.
"Have you been deceiving everyone until now? You brought us all the way to this dangerous place without telling us that we're in a losing situation!"
"…Yes."
"I wouldn't have followed you if I had known, you bastard! What do you think human lives are—"
"Stop it! Someone restrain that idiot!"
He lunged towards me and was quickly subdued by those around him.
I continued to watch him in silence, unmoved.
"I'm going back! That's right, everyone follow me! I'll take command from here. Leave these idiots behind!"
"Don't misunderstand!! Being a soldier means even dying is part of the job, and that's why we get such good treatment!"
"They've conscripted us and expect us to follow such reasoning? I won't follow! Only those who want to die should go ahead and die!"
…I could see spreading agitation among the surrounding soldiers at his outburst.
Perhaps they were starting to consider fleeing, stirred up by his words.
If we don't persuade and convince them quickly, the plan will fall apart.
"My mother will be left all alone if I don't go back! Everyone has important people they've left behind at home, right?!"
"Stop it, don't say any more!"
"Unlike that little brat, I have to survive! Anyone who wants to die should just die!"
But I couldn't find the words to soothe him.
Valuing your own life is the most normal sensibility one can have.
If they weren't soldiers, most people would likely agree with him.
"Obviously there aren't any soldiers who want to die!"
A yell resounded throughout the camp.
…It was from Nauman, who is usually so easygoing.
"Corporal Naumann?"
"Soldiers always have a gun hanging at their waist. If you really want to die, you can always shoot yourself in the head."
"Wh-what is it…"
"There shouldn't be any soldiers who wish to commit suicide."
Naumann raised his voice and glared fiercely at the soldier.
His angry voice caused the surroundings to fall silent.
"From what I've seen, all the soldiers who were trembling in the trenches saying 'I don't want to die' went to the battlefield with their lives on the line."
"…Why?"
"Why, you ask? Because they were brave. They had something they wanted to protect even if it meant risking their lives!"
The veteran soldier, with wrinkles on his face, suddenly pressed the barrel of his gun against the soldier's cheek and furiously shouted.
The sheer intensity of his anger left everyone present speechless.
"Anyone who wants to die should just die? How much more do you want to mock the pride of soldiers before you're satisfied?"
"Ugh…"
Nauman continued in a cold voice.
"The Austin of today exists because those guys who were shivering in the trenches and saying, 'I don't want to die,' risked their lives."
"But…"
"You can think whatever you want, but I won't stand by when someone insults their pride."
Nauman is the oldest soldier in this company.
He is a man who has spent most of his life on the battlefield.
His words carried weight.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, Sergeant Gavel. Please continue."
"No, thank you, Corporal Nauman. You've helped me a lot. You there, I'll let the incident with Lieutenant Touri slide, so calm down and sit."
"…"
"To tell you the truth, I don't want to die either. I've never had a girlfriend, drunk alcohol, or smoked a cigar. There are still many pleasures in life I haven't experienced."
"Vice Commander Gavel…"
"But there are people I'm willing to risk my life to protect. I may be a coward, but I'm a soldier. That's why I've resolved myself to die fighting here in Argalia."
After Nauman's words quieted the soldiers, Sergeant Gavel continued his speech.
Sergeant Gavel, with a defiant smile, held up three fingers in front of the soldiers.
"Three days. Austin will be saved if we can hold out for three days. That's what General Staff Headquarters expects."
"…Three days?"
"Yes. To achieve that, every soldier needs to have the determination to keep on biting at the enemy even if their arms are shot and their legs get broken."
Hearing the number three days, the soldiers looked around nervously.
They look worried, wondering if this number of people will be able to hold out for three days.
"You guys can be as scared as you want. Even if you cry like a baby or piss your pants because you're scared, as long as you don't run away from your post, that's all that matters."
"…"
"In exchange, I will protect Austin and your families. That's the only reward I can offer."
"…"
"And so, let us etch our bravery into this land for all eternity. After the war, our names will remain as a monument as heroes."
…I was supposed to say those words.
I am the company commander. I am the one who came up with the plan.
"Let us create a miracle in Argalia with everyone here!"
As Sergeant Gavel finished those words…
With my face down, my tears wouldn't stop flowing and countless drops spilled down my face.
"At the very least, the troops holed up in the fortress on the first day are certain to be wiped out. We'll make it voluntary. Anyone who thinks they are brave enough to do it should step forward."
"Wiped out…"
"In return, leave the care of the surviving families to me. With my grandpa's authority, I'll have General Staff Headquarters prepare the highest compensation possible."
Pathetic.
Embarrassing.
I had decided that this time I would behave in a way befitting a commander.
But right now, I feel like a baby being carried on Sergeant Gavel's back.
"Lieutenant Touri…"
"Well, this is the kind of story that made our Company Commander cry and become useless. So, I took command."
"I see. Well, it's a tough operation for Lieutenant Touri."
"Yeah, this girl was originally just a medic."
I couldn't respond to Sergeant Gavel and Nauman's light banter.
I just quietly let out a sob.
"From here on, stay with me and follow me to hell."
Next to me in my pitiful state, Sergeant Gavel had a manly look on his face.
***
Perhaps influenced by the speeches of Sergeant Gavel and Nauman, the soldiers did not flee but instead agreed to stay and fight.
…Sergeant Gavel deployed the soldiers according to the instructions I had given him beforehand.
"I'm sorry Maeve, but you're going to have to die today. I'll be following shortly, so wait for me."
"Can't be helped! Damn it, leave it to me, you idiot."
The combat zone for today was a kilometer from Fort Argalia.
This area had a river with a sandbank where an old fortress remained.
The fortress walls had been repaired last night by Nauman and his unit.
If the enemy were the old-era Aerys Army, it might be able to show some defensive capability.
"Wow, this is a pretty nasty position. This should buy us quite a bit of time."
"Hahaha! Let's give those little bastards of Aerys a taste of their own medicine."
Forty volunteers came forward to defend the fortress, even though it was predicted that they would be annihilated.
Among them were people like Corporal Ember, who declared, "I am willing to sacrifice my life for my country."
Others were reluctant, saying, "If I'm going to die anyway, I'd rather my family receive more compensation."
Knowing that they would never return alive, they shared a toast of wine with their comrades and gazed off at the distant sky.
"Leave command of the opposite shore to me, Touri. I'll take charge of this side of the river."
"Understood, Acting Commander Gavel."
The command of the forty volunteers in the fortress was left to Maeve
Sergeant Gavel and I positioned our forces to block both sides of the river.
"How much of the barbed wire should we use?"
"Use it generously. The first day's defense is crucial."
"Got it."
Both banks were heavily fenced with barbed wire and loaded with magical traps to ensure they could not be breached.
With support from the sandbank, it should be difficult for the old-era soldiers to break through this position.
…However, we couldn't set up many obstacles on the sandbank due to the river.
The enemy would likely focus on the sandbank from a certain point onward.
"Stick swords into the riverbed! Don't step on them yourself!"
"Reinforce them with stones and gravel after placing them in the riverbed."
At Nauman's suggestion, we stuck captured swords into the riverbed.
After making holes in boards to pass the swords through, we used stones to secure the boards in place, making them stand upright.
The river in the valley is quite shallow. Even though I'm short, the water only comes up to my knees.
"Hey there! The swords are sticking out!"
"Whoa! That was close, I almost stepped on one."
The swords in the riverbed were hard to see due to the reflection of the light, and one could accidentally step on them if they weren't careful.
It could be fatal if someone fell and got impaled by a sword.
The enemy would be focused on the fortress, so they would likely neglect their footing.
Even if they accidentally get scratched, they will be forced to retreat because the bleeding will not stop in the water.
It was a particularly insidious trap, typical of the veteran Nauman.
"My trap is really hard to see. How about that? Impressive, isn't it?"
"You're amazing. I too…"
The soldiers were busily setting up traps in the river, almost like they were enjoying a game.
The Aerys Army had yet to show any signs of advancing.
…It was a relief they were waiting. The more time we had for battle preparation, the better.
"Hey, Lieutenant Touri."
"Maeve."
As I was helping set up the traps on the riverbed, Maeve spoke to me in a low voice.
He has a very serious look on his face.
"There's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Were you the one who came up with this plan?"
"…"
My face involuntarily stiffened when he whispered that into my ear.
The large man looked down at me, staring me straight in the eyes.
…How did he figure it out?
"I feel bad for the kid, but… I don't see him having the guts to sacrifice his life for his country at this critical moment, nor the talent to save it."
"…"
"Given what I know about your 'true nature,' it's unnatural for the command to shift to that kid at this point."
Maeve asked me seriously.
I hesitated for a moment on how to respond to his question, but…
"…Indeed, I have decided to have you all sacrifice your lives and die here fighting."
"Hmm."
"However, it's also true that this is Sergeant Gavel's plan. He volunteered to take on the role of the commander who will die in battle to allow me to escape as a messenger."
Today, Maeve will remain in the fortress until he is killed in battle.
I can't lie to a soldier who is prepared to do such a thing.
"I see! So that's what you're planning. Then it's not like that boy is stealing the credit."
"…He stood at the forefront for my sake."
"Is that so? Well, I misjudged him! The kid's got guts after all!"
After hearing my explanation, Maeve slapped me on the back with a cheerful voice.
"If that's the case, then I can't call him a kid anymore. He's a real man now."
"What do you mean by 'real man?'"
"I used to look down on him as just another rich kid, but… If he's willing to sacrifice his life for his country and for a woman, then he's a real man."
Maeve then glanced over at Sergeant Gavel, who seemed busy giving orders, and smiled.
Did something happen between the two of them?
"I'm sure Lieutenant Touri has noticed, but that guy has feelings for you."
"Eh?"
"You didn't notice? …Oh, never mind then."
Maeve looked around and then whispered in my ear.
"When you send him off, at least give him a kiss on the cheek. I'm sure he'll give it his all to the point of dying.
"…"
"I wish I could have given you this advice closer to that time, but I'm going to die today. …Being a soldier is truly a cruel profession."
After whispering that, he gave me a wink.
"…Aren't you afraid of dying, Maeve?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Then why are you so calm?"
"Do I look calm?"
Maeve scratched his head for a moment in response to my own trembling question.
"Men tend to be pretty good at putting on a brave face."
He then tousled my hair affectionately.