Max Jaeger Never Rests

'It's the western ridge assigned to 2nd Platoon....'

Erika's 2nd Platoon alone would have a hard time stopping that many routed orcs. If things went wrong, the encirclement could be broken, resulting in heavy casualties.

I stared down at the radio for a moment, then shook my head. Communications were impossible right now. Ever since we entered the Ashen Forest, the mana the orcs had spread throughout it had rendered the radio useless.

"Lieutenant, is something wrong?"

As I deliberated, Hanna was the first to notice the change in my expression and asked worriedly. The smiles vanished from the faces of the platoon members, who had been reveling in our victory only moments ago.

I whispered so that only Hanna could hear me.

"Corporal Hanna, sense how many orcs are moving toward the western ridge."

I decided to rely on Hanna's [Mana Detection], whose range was longer than the minimap's. Of course, at this distance, the information it could detect would be extremely limited, but it was better than nothing.

Upon receiving my order, Hanna closed her eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened them wide in surprise.

"This...! I can sense a great many orcs. And... it seems like there's a battle going on...."

I thought for a moment. I quickly ran through the possibilities. 2nd Platoon was in danger. I had two choices.

Option 1: Ignore it. It was the most rational and safest choice. Our mission was already over. It had been a perfect success, without a single casualty.

Taking further action here would be little more than meddling. Whether 2nd Platoon was wiped out or not was a problem for Erika and Seraphina to handle. We only had to wait for the main force at the rendezvous point as planned.

'...But that's the kind of thought only someone who doesn't know this world's rules would have.'

If this world were nothing more than an ordinary game, I would have chosen option one. But I shook my head and erased that option from my mind.

This world was not merely a battlefield. It was a stage where an adult cheat mode called the [Harem Overlord Integrated Pack] had been applied. The key was not merely surviving, but maximizing my rewards.

I reviewed all my level-ups so far. Whenever I accomplished a military feat, my level rose along with a large amount of experience. The greater the military feat, the more experience I gained. From that perspective, 2nd Platoon's crisis was no different from a sudden quest worth running the numbers on.

The more military merit I earned, the more experience I gained. More experience meant higher levels, and higher levels meant more skills. In the end, it would all benefit me.

'It wouldn't hurt to create one debt.'

Erika's name carried weight too. She was the daughter of the prestigious Stahlberg family, one of the most prominent families in the Empire. Putting her in my debt would be worth more than mere experience.

Finally, I recalled how I had leveled up three times in a single go after my first experience with Hanna. The core rule of this mode was clear: I gained experience by conquering women.

Of course, I wasn't some woman-crazed pervert, and I wasn't chasing just any woman.... But if it was someone like Erika, I couldn't help nodding. Honestly, it was still hard to imagine that strong-willed woman pinned beneath me and moaning, but who knew what might happen someday? Debts like this would pile up one by one until they became impossible to ignore.

There were risks, of course. The members of 3rd Platoon were exhausted too, and casualties could occur in battle.

'But gains without risk don't exist.'

I recalled the size of the enemy force I had seen through the minimap earlier. If we struck their flank by surprise, we had a good chance of winning. I calculated that we could reap the greatest possible benefit with minimal losses.

Having made up my mind, I slowly rose to my feet. The eyes of the platoon members who had been resting focused on me.

"Rest is over. Everyone, grab your gear!"

At my shout, the platoon members jumped to their feet in surprise.

"Ah...."

"Damn... I thought we were done...."

"What on earth is he planning to make us do now...?"

The platoon members, who had thought the mission was over, began grumbling regretfully. Of course, I understood how they felt. As a Korean, I had completed my mandatory military service as a sergeant, so I wasn't unfamiliar with the life of a soldier. After finishing a job and finally sitting down to rest, being told to go do more pointless digging was enough to make anyone curse. But this was a situation where we had to move.

I looked over the grumbling platoon members. Dragging them along by force would only lower their morale, so I decided to give them proper motivation.

'Charismatic Speech.'

"Listen up, 3rd Platoon!"

Ding—

[The skill 'Charismatic Speech (Lv.3)' is activated.]

[It simultaneously affects multiple targets (members of 3rd Platoon).]

[Your voice is imbued with powerful charisma and persuasiveness.]

The shoulders of the soldiers who had been grumbling at my shout jerked. Everyone's eyes turned toward me.

"From this moment on, we're going to support 2nd Platoon!"

Murmurs spread among the soldiers.

"2nd Platoon...?"

"They should be blocking the western ridge...."

"Why are we supposed to...?"

I continued without hesitation.

"Why are we going to help 2nd Platoon? Good question. Then let me ask you this: How did we win today? What allowed us to destroy that enormous encampment without a single casualty?"

I met the eyes of each platoon member one by one.

"It was because 1st and 4th Platoons held them at the front, while 2nd Platoon cut off their retreat and trusted us! This wasn't a victory won by us alone! 2nd Platoon is fighting right now. This is no time to sit around and rest!"

I didn't stop there. I tossed out the most realistic bait of all.

"And don't forget. What follows a great victory? A reward! A hefty bonus personally awarded by the regimental commander, and sweet leave, are waiting for you!"

[The skill 'Charismatic Speech' has been successfully applied.]

[3rd Platoon obeys your command, and its dissatisfaction is greatly reduced. Morale has increased significantly.]

The effect was immediate. The eyes of the grumbling soldiers changed in an instant. Their obvious fatigue and dissatisfaction vanished, replaced by burning ambition, camaraderie, and desire for the bonus.

"...That's right! While we were setting off bombs and heading back, the men from the other platoons have been risking their lives!"

"If we go help now, won't our contribution become even greater? Since we're doing this, we might as well hit it big!"

"Bonus! Leave! Let's go, you bastards!"

The mood changed in an instant. Sergeant Gunter shouted in a booming voice.

"Everyone, follow the lieutenant! Anyone who drags his feet will run laps around the parade ground after the battle!"

"Hoorah!"

I nodded in satisfaction.

"Good! From this moment on, we're supporting 2nd Platoon. Move to the western ridge at maximum speed. Don't fall behind!"

"Yes, understood!"

No one questioned my order anymore. We readied our rifles once more and started running.

Hanna and I led the way. Even as we cut straight through the forest, we periodically checked my minimap and Hanna's ability to guard against any possible threats.

As we drew closer, the situation on the western ridge began to appear on my minimap as well. It was far from good. The green dots were gradually being pushed back, while the red dots were steadily, if slowly, approaching the defensive line. At this rate, 2nd Platoon's defensive line would be breached or suffer serious casualties.

From that point on, I used the minimap to calculate the optimal route. Thanks to that, 3rd Platoon reached the western ridge with considerably less difficulty. By then, the clear sounds of gunfire and screams had reached our ears.

"It's right ahead! Pick up the pace!"

We charged up the final slope in one burst. From the ridge, we looked down at the battle unfolding below.

As expected, 2nd Platoon was on the verge of collapse. Using thick, sturdy shields as cover, the orcs were launching wave after wave of attacks through a hail of bullets.

"Damn it, the bullets aren't getting through! Do something about those shields!"

"Grenades! Don't we have any grenades?!"

"Damn...! We used them all earlier! There aren't any left!"

The soldiers hid behind trees and rocks, poking their rifles out with looks of despair. Wounded men lay groaning in various places.

"Medic! Take a look at Felix here! He took an axe to the shoulder!"

"I can't move my arm either! Someone stop the bleeding...!"

Erika stood at the center of 2nd Platoon. Her red twin tails were a mess of dirt and sweat, and her uniform was torn in several places. Holding a pistol, she was shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Don't retreat! Hold the defensive line! They're just stragglers! Kill at least one more of them!"

But her shouts failed to reach the soldiers, who were paralyzed with fear.

'If we'd arrived even a few minutes later, this would have been a catastrophe.'

I clicked my tongue inwardly. Erika's eyes blazed with stubborn resolve. In this situation, it would have been better to retreat and preserve their fighting strength. But was her pride clouding her judgment? Erika was unable to make a rational decision.

'Is she planning to get all her subordinates killed?'

Frowning, I unleashed [Status Analysis] on each orc approaching the defensive line.

'Status Analysis.'

[Name: Urdarim]

[Rank: Warrior]

[Name: Turbak]

[Rank: Ax Thrower]

[Name: Morlimdor]

[Rank: Shieldbearer]

Information windows flashed before my eyes without pause. Axemen, throwers, warriors, shieldbearers—the information on every kind of orc taking part in the battle unfolded chaotically. Most of it was useless. I frantically moved my eyes from side to side, repeatedly opening and closing useless windows.

And finally, I found him.

[Name: Gortus]

[Rank: Centurion]

[Status: Leading the charge. Positioned behind the shield wall, convinced of its own safety.]

'...That's him!'

It worked. I had finally found the key. That centurion was the linchpin of the attack.

"Klaus!"

"Yes, Lieutenant!"

"At eleven o'clock, the one wearing the horned helmet behind the shield wall! Can you see him? That's the one! Blow his head off!"

"Understood!"

Klaus took aim, then fired at once.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out. The bullet struck the horned-helmeted orc leading the formation squarely between the eyes. The huge orc collapsed, and a crack suddenly appeared in the orcs' solid shield wall. We did not let that opening go to waste.

"Charge! Hit their flank!"

At my command, the members of 3rd Platoon burst forward as one, spraying rifle fire.