The Aerys Army finally began their advance around noon.
After confirming this, we took our positions in the trenches.
"Lieutenant Touri. As of now, the Maeve Defense Squad will begin our mission."
"Please take care of it."
"It may be strange for me to say this, but I wish you luck. I believe you'll do well."
Maeve, wearing a cheerful smile, entered the fortress on the sandbank with his subordinates.
In the end, he never showed any signs of fear.
"Lieutenant Touri, I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."
"Corporal Ember… Thank you for your bravery."
"See you in paradise."
Just before heading to the fortress, Corporal Ember extended his hand for a handshake.
His hand was slightly trembling.
"We, Maeve Defense Squad, will embark on our glorious journey first."
"…Your efforts will be reported in full to the homeland. Please fight with honor in your hearts."
"Yes, with pleasure!"
After that, I received a piece of paper from each of them.
These were their wills. They had written their thoughts and wishes to their families on pieces of paper about half the size of a postcard.
"Please deliver this to my mother."
"Please tell them I fought bravely."
I packed 40 letters containing the soldiers' wills into my backpack.
I will be running with this bag on the final day.
"Please deliver our final hopes and wills, fortune-bringing commander."
One by one, I accepted the thoughts and resolutions of each soldier.
Carefully, to avoid wrinkling them, I packed each letter into my bag.
***
"Puku puk puku…"
"Nurse Argie has reported that the enemy is approaching."
"What, you managed to scout them out?"
Contact with the enemy occurred an hour later.
As they got closer, the equipment of the Aerys Army became more discernible.
"What the hell? Are these guys joking?"
"I've only seen gear like that in plays."
Among them, some were still wearing armor, wearing feathered hats, and carrying bows, like archers from the previous century.
There were even some soldiers on horseback with lances.
It seems they haven't fully modernized yet.
"But there are normal soldiers too."
"They're marching in step. Do they want us to shoot them?"
However, many modern units armed with rifles could also be seen.
These rifles aren't muskets but bolt-action rifles.
They must have shared modern warfare information with the Flamer army.
It appears that more than half of the enemy forces are troops armed with modern rifles.
"Still, the enemy's departure was late. I thought the battle would start in the morning."
"They were probably scouting us out."
"What? Has our ambush been discovered?"
"There's no way they wouldn't find out considering we occupied the fortress."
In fact, I had occasionally seen figures that looked to be Aerys' scouts since morning.
They were likely gathering information on our scale, formations, and the surrounding terrain.
"I wish they would start with a cavalry charge or something."
"They probably won't send out cavalry the valley's footing is poor. They'll likely come with riflemen."
"Yeah, you're right."
The performance of the enemy's guns is probably better than muskets, but they are probably about the same as our first-generation rifles.
They won't stand a chance against the state-of-the-art guns wielded by the Austin soldiers holed up in the fortress.
We set up numerous obstacles on both banks to conserve our weapons and ammunition.
On the first day, we plan to get through mainly with muskets and bows and arrows.
Even though we are only 150 men, it won't be easy to overrun us with this narrow valley and all these preparations.
The amateur group of Aerys soldiers would likely have trouble attacking.
"Rifle units are charging."
"Let them get closer! Shoot flaming arrows at the area where the riflemen are concentrated, ignite the gunpowder in their guns."
…There were people in the company who had experience shooting bows, so we made them temporary archers.
Most of the captured bows and arrows were unusable, so we wrapped them in cloth and oil to make flaming arrows.
I wondered how useful flaming arrows would be in the valley, but at least they were effective against the riflemen.
When their clothes caught fire, they had no choice but to jump into the river.
Their guns would become unusable if submerged, and if they were unlucky, they could be impaled by the swords we had placed on the riverbed.
Also, their gunfire was mostly blocked by barbed wire and trenches, and we took almost no hits.
In the early stages of the battle, we had the advantage on the defensive end.
The river was piled with the corpses of Aerys' soldiers, staining it red downstream.
"So far, so good."
"They won't be able to break through this fortification by force with their rifles."
For several hours after the battle began, we had suffered few casualties and only allowed the bodies of Aerys' soldiers to pile up.
It would be so much easier if this situation could continue for three days…
Of course, reality is never that kind.
"…The enemy is advancing their artillery units."
"Well, that's to be expected."
Naturally, the enemy also has magical artillery units.
The reason why artillery was not deployed from the beginning was probably because the armies of the previous era tended to underestimate artillery fire.
To them, artillery fire is for "breaking through castle gates," not for attacking the enemy.
They likely underestimated our small numbers and chose to launch a rifle charge.
However, our trenches are strong. The difficulty in overcoming them must have exceeded their expectations.
"They are preparing to fire. Should we retreat earlier than planned?"
"No, it will take time to set up the magic circle. They can't fire right away. Don't panic and focus on defense."
A charge by the Aerys' Army will not be able to break through our fortifications.
This is because there is a huge gap between us and them in terms of gun performance and tactical know-how.
To break through our lines, the enemy has no choice but to use artillery.
…I had hoped they would hold off on using artillery for at least a day, but they didn't.
"For now, let's concentrate on maintaining our defense, Sergeant Gavel."
"Yeah."
"We should retreat under the cover of night to make them waste their ammunition."
I anticipated the actions of the Aerys Army at night.
They'll likely bombard both banks while launching a night attack on the fortress.
The artillery of this era is inaccurate, meaning they can't precisely target distant positions.
If they aim at the fortress, many shells will fall into the river and become duds.
They'll probably ignore the fortress and focus their bombardment on the trenches on both banks.
How will they then attempt to take the fortress?
It is likely that they will launch a surprise attack under cover of darkness.
The antiquated Aerys Army will likely be better at melee combat than gunfights.
The visibility is low at night, which nullifies the range advantage of Austin rifles.
Our trenches would be bombarded, and the fortress would be attacked at night.
This is the Aerys Army's strategy I had predicted.
"The enemy's assault stopped as soon as the sun began to set."
"…It looks like the bombardment is about to begin. Please have all soldiers on both banks retreat."
The enemy will likely spend the entire night meticulously bombarding both banks.
We will withdraw our troops from the trenches under the cover of darkness, allowing us to rest in the meantime.
…This buys us half a day.
However, the soldiers defending the fortress cannot retreat with this strategy.
Our retreat will be discovered If the enemy breaches the fortress and finds it empty.
To maintain the illusion that we are still holed up in our trenches, the soldiers in the fortress must continue to resist until the end.
***
There are forty pieces of paper in the backpack I'm carrying.
This stack of papers is stored together in a small pocket.
…As we withdrew the soldiers, amidst the sounds of bombardment, I could hear battle cries and gunfire coming from the fortress.
They were adhering to the plan, engaging the Aerys forces without retreating.
Maeve and Ember were fighting valiantly according to my strategy.
Until the last man fell, they were buying us another day.
Am I going to have to carry "this?"
Do I have to carry the letters that are piling up every day in a backpack?
Do I have to run back carrying 150 pieces of paper the day after tomorrow?
"Lieutenant Touri, what should we do about tomorrow's formation?"
"…Please give me a moment to collect my thoughts, Sergeant Gavel."
"Ah, I understand."
I felt the urge to vomit, but I managed to hold it in.
Crying and screaming won't change anything.
I must use the lives that everyone has entrusted to me in an appropriate manner.
"Let's retreat about one kilometer for now. We will be digging new trenches. Please inform everyone to prepare shovels."
"Understood."
After conveying this to Sergeant Gavel, I gave a small salute in the direction of the fortress.
Toward the small fortress in the middle of the sandbank, where the sounds of roars and shouts still echoed.
***
"Did everything go as planned on the first day?"
The trenches on both sides of the river suffered no casualties that day.
As planned, the only casualties were the 40 people, including Maeve, who had volunteered to defend the fortress.
"…Corporal Nauman, may I have a word with you?"
Tomorrow, we will need to desperately defend the six trenches set up in front of Fort Argalia.
Since Sergeant Gavel and I will be providing support from the rear at Fort Argalia, I must leave frontline command to Nauman.
"Ah, Lieutenant Touri. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes, I wanted to discuss the briefing with you."
I called on him to hold a briefing.
I planned to explain the command procedures for the next day along with Sergeant Gavel.
Sergeant Gavel and I will be going over tomorrow's command procedures.
"Okay, let's go."
"Thank you very much. …If you have written a will, I will take it."
"Oh, that's fine."
Nauman stood up with a resigned expression and scratched his head, showing a sad smile.
"…I don't have anyone to send it to."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
No one to send it to…
His words made me feel uneasy.
I'm sure he said before that he has a wife and a daughter.
He has bragged about his family to me many times.
"Umm, aren't you going to send it to your wife or daughter?"
"I can't send it."
I was so curious that I couldn't help but ask.
Upon hearing this, Nauman averted his eyes and said:
"I haven't heard from my wife since the Sabbatian Offensive last year."
He said this with an indescribable sadness on his face.
"My wife is a very diligent woman. Whenever I sent her a letter, she would always reply within a month."
"…"
"But whether she forgot in the chaos or if she's in a situation where she can't write, I've sent letter after letter since last year, but none have come back."
"That's…"
"She must be busy. That's the only explanation."
Nauman's voice was hoarse as he made this assertion.
I had no words to respond to his intense distress.
"This year too, I sent my daughter a present. As per the Lieutenant's recommendation, I bought her a Flamer doll."
"…"
"I wanted to know if she liked it. Anna is of age now, so the doll might be a bit childish. But there was nothing else I could get on the battlefield."
"…"
"I want a reply. Any kind will do, even complaints about the gift. I want to see my wife's handwriting."
…Almost all of Austin's villages were burned down during the Sylph Offensive.
Almost no one survived except those who lived near the capital.
In that case, Nauman's family likely…
"But even the letters I sent come back to me."
"…"
"The doll and letter I sent the other day were both rejected with a note saying the address no longer exists."
Nauman handed me the blank will and said:
"This will probably just be returned as well, won't it? Then there's no point in writing anything."
"Nauman…"
"There's nothing left for me, Lieutenant. Nothing at all…!!"
He cried bitterly, his teeth chattering.
"Ah, how pathetic."
Not knowing what to say to him, I just stood there and stared at Nauman.
He eventually forced a grim smile and spoke with self-deprecation.
"Lieutenant Touri, somewhere in my heart, I believe that my family is still alive. I can't shake the thought that they might have survived through a series of miracles."
"That's… There's certainly a possibility…"
"That's why I don't want to die."
Nauman laughed, his face as pale as death.
"…Even with all this, I still don't want to die."
"…"
"It's laughable, isn't it? Despite this dire situation, I reported to the military that I wanted to go back home to find out if my family was safe. But in the end, I wasn't granted any leave."
Nauman held a photograph of his family in his hand.
It was a picture of a bright-eyed young girl being held by Nauman.
"I don't want to die without even knowing whether my family is safe or not… I made such grand statements, and yet, I might not even have a family to protect. I'm just overwhelmed with regrets!!"
"…"
"It's pathetic, but there's nothing I can do. Lieutenant, is there really no way? Are we really going to have to die here, just like the Acting Company Commander said?"
He clutched my shoulder with tears streaming down his face.
His desperate cries left me unable to respond.
"Will I never be able to see my family again?"
Nauman, the oldest here, older than Maeve, cried openly, his face smeared with tears and snot.
He didn't try to maintain any dignity.
"…I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I said something unpleasant."
"No, it's…"
"I just lost my composure. We were discussing tomorrow, right? I'll prepare right away."
After a few seconds of eye contact, Nauman turned away with an embarrassed expression.
"I'll go ahead and wait. Take your time to calm down."
"Yeah, sorry."
I could no longer bear to watch him like that.
I started walking towards the tent, as if trying to escape.
***
I feel nauseous.
Only I'm in a safe position while everyone around me faces death.
I am repulsed by myself, who can only drive all the surrounding soldiers to their deaths.
And above all, what's truly abhorrent is…
The thoughts I had after hearing Nauman cry earlier.
────Ah, I'm glad I don't have to die.
Such a despicable thought crossed my mind.
Listening to Nauman's true feelings about not wanting to die…
I found myself relieved that I alone can return alive.
"…"
I can't believe my heart.
I feel disgusted by my own nature.
To think that when faced with someone crying out in such a tragic voice.
What a wicked thing that is.
I've never thought of myself as a good person, but I never imagined I was this vile.
"…"
Is it really okay for someone like me to survive?
Should a person as worthless as me be allowed to live?
I staggered, biting my lip, and was heading toward the tent—
"Hey, what's with that face?"
"…Sergeant Gavel."
Sergeant Gavel, who was also walking along the riverbank, grabbed me by the shoulder.