Chapter 39
Rumble rumble rumble-!
A vibration like a herd of beasts running. Countless eyes gleamed in the darkness before dawn.
"Graaahhhh!"
"Kill the humans!"
"In the name of Lord Gromnar!"
Orcs poured out of the forest. They charged without hesitation. The orcs at the front broke through the palisade and stormed in, followed by thousands more pouring in like a flood. They shouted, tore through tents, and brought their axes down on the scarecrows.
"Die! …Huh?"
"Th-this is straw?"
"There's no one here either! The tent is empty!"
Confusion spread in an instant. By the time their main force had completely entered the encampment, the chaos had reached its peak.
"It's a trap! Everyone retreat!!"
An orc shouted, but it was already too late. A red flare rose from the ridge.
Fweeeee-!
The artillery barrage began. With a sound that seemed to tear apart the predawn sky, dozens of high-explosive shells rained down over the orcs' heads. Flashes from the explosions illuminated the darkness like broad daylight.
KRA-KA-BOOM!!
Thick armor was useless before such overwhelming firepower. Most of the orcs were blown into chunks of flesh that soared into the sky. Flesh rained down like a torrential downpour, and their screams were swallowed by the thunderous explosions.
"Open fire! Don't let a single one escape alive!"
No sooner had the bombardment stopped than every weapon of the 7th Regiment encircling the ridge opened fire.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! Ta-ta-tat!
Crossfire poured in from three sides. The orcs, trapped like rats in a jar, had nowhere to run. They milled about in confusion, tangling and falling over one another as a merciless rain of lead poured down upon them.
"Graaahhhh-!!"
Then it happened. A roar erupted through the hail of artillery and gunfire, overwhelming the entire battlefield. Every soldier's gaze turned toward it. Through the thick cloud of dust emerged an orc of unbelievable size.
The orc stood at least four meters tall, its entire body covered in dark-red steel armor. In its hands was a massive hammer as large as a human torso, and a crimson aura blazed around its head.
I immediately pulled out my binoculars and observed the orc.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Gromnar Ironfist]
[Rank: Grand Chieftain]
[Hidden Trait: Warlord - Inspires nearby allies and dispels fear.]
'He finally made his move.'
The grand chieftain of the Ashen Claw Tribe. Gromnar Ironfist. Gromnar was the one who had tormented the Imperial Army on the Western Front. The collapsing orc formation began reorganizing around Gromnar. He charged forward without hesitation, trying to break through the encirclement.
"Uh, uh…? He's coming at us?!"
Unfortunately, he charged straight at the 1st Battalion, where the 2nd Company was stationed.
BOOM!
The giant hammer bore down on them. The defensive line of the 1st Company, positioned to the 2nd Company's left, was breached in an instant.
"Graaagh!"
Every time Gromnar swung his hammer, Imperial soldiers went flying like bowling pins. The 1st Company—and perhaps the entire 1st Battalion—looked ready to collapse. Just as I realized that the encirclement might be broken, troops in black uniforms appeared, cutting through the forest. It was the detachment directly under regimental headquarters.
Fsssh! Whooosh!
Crimson flames erupted from one side of the forest. The flamethrowers carried by the headquarters engineers spewed streams of fire that danced through the air. Trees and orcs alike became entangled and burned alive. The acrid smell of charred flesh stung my nose on the wind. Even Gromnar stiffened for a moment before the intense flames.
"It's regimental headquarters!"
"The regimental commander is here! Hooray!!"
The soldiers cheered. I didn't miss the opening and targeted Gromnar's flank.
"Now! Concentrated fire!"
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! Ta-ta-tat!
Hundreds of bullets rained down on Gromnar.
Whoosh- BOOM!
At the same time, a chilling mana round from Seraphina's pistol slammed into the orc's chest, while machine-gun fire and grenades came hurtling in all at once. Every weapon in the 7th Regiment was concentrated on a single grand chieftain.
"Graaahhhh!"
Even so, Gromnar roared like a beast and stepped forward. Dark-red blood gushed through the gaps in his battered armor, but the madness in his eyes did not fade.
Gromnar summoned the last of his strength and moved his massive body. His target was… the 2nd Company. And among them, Seraphina, who stood at the front.
"Die!"
But Seraphina's mana round was faster. She pulled the trigger without hesitation.
[Status: Mana Reflux temporarily alleviated. Mana flow currently smooth.]
BANG-!
It was a clean shot. A silver-white flash shot straight forward and struck the center of his chest. His armor, already shredded by the concentrated barrage, could no longer protect him, and the bullet pierced through his massive body. It was a scene that made all my efforts with [Touch of Tuning] worthwhile.
"Kgh, urk……."
A gush of black blood spilled from Gromnar's mouth. The massive body of the orc grand chieftain slowly tilted backward.
Thud-!
Gromnar fell. At that, cheers erupted.
"We killed him! We got the grand chieftain!"
"Waaahhhh!"
"Long live 2nd Company! Long live the 7th Regiment!"
The orcs lost their will to fight after losing their leader. They threw down their weapons and scattered, but the regiment, which had already completed the encirclement, hunted them down one by one. It was no longer a battle, but a one-sided mopping-up operation.
I pushed through the cheering soldiers and approached Gromnar's corpse. Seraphina was already standing in front of it, breathing heavily as she looked down at the fallen giant.
"……."
Faint smoke was still rising from the barrel of her pistol.
"We did it, Captain."
When I approached, she slowly turned her head.
"…I see. Lieutenant, thanks to you… we truly won."
She staggered a step toward me and placed a hand on my shoulder. It seemed the strength had left her legs.
"Captain, are you all right?"
"…I'm fine. I just… felt dizzy for a moment."
'Status Analysis.'
[Status: On the verge of mana depletion. But there is no rebound from Mana Reflux. Mana flow is clear.]
[Emotion: Deep trust and dependence on the man named Max Jaeger.]
Fortunately, the treatment's effects had lasted through the end of the battle. She was merely exhausted now. I supported her and helped her straighten up.
Soon, footsteps came from the other side of the forest. It was Colonel Karl von Dietrich, the regimental commander, along with the headquarters soldiers. The colonel's eyes gleamed the moment he saw Gromnar's corpse.
"Hahahaha! Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"
He forgot all decorum and laughed heartily. After lightly kicking Gromnar's corpse, he looked back and forth between Seraphina and me with a satisfied expression.
"To turn the enemy's trap against them and wipe out their main force in one stroke! In all my years in the military, I've never seen such a perfect encirclement-and-annihilation battle!"
"It was all thanks to your bold decision, Colonel."
Seraphina gave him the credit. The colonel seemed pleased by her words and stroked his beard.
"Modest as ever. It would have been impossible without your 2nd Company's efforts. And, Lieutenant Jaeger."
The regimental commander's gaze fixed on me.
"That strategy you proposed. It was absolutely brilliant. Even the capital brass won't be able to keep their mouths shut when they see this report."
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Karl von Dietrich]
[Status: Extremely elated]
[Emotion: Intoxication with victory, pride in the capable subordinates who had paved the way for his own advancement]
I read his desire and gave him exactly the words he wanted to hear. Getting ahead was no different from knowing how to play the game.
"All this glory was possible because of your bold decision to attack rather than retreat, even in a moment of crisis, Colonel. We merely moved as your sword."
"Hahaha! You even know how to flatter. Yes, you're right. Retreating is for cowards!"
The regimental commander was in the best of spirits as he patted me repeatedly on the shoulder.
"Spread this to every unit! The Ashen Forest belongs to the Empire! From now on, this forest will become a massive salient on the Western Front, a wedge driven into the enemy's heart! And all the credit belongs to our 7th Regiment! Tonight, we all drink a toast to victory!"
Waaahhhh!
The soldiers' cheers shook the forest. I quietly smiled amid the uproar.
Now it was time to settle accounts.
*
Once things were under control, the regiment quickly moved to take control of the forest. The remnants of the Ashen Claw Tribe, now without their leader, were nothing more than a rabble. The mopping-up operation proceeded with almost anticlimactic speed.
I led the exhausted soldiers back to the encampment. Now that the tension had been released, the soldiers sank down in the trenches or embraced one another, sharing the joy of victory.
"Wow, we survived…."
"We actually got that monster!"
But I had no intention of joining their celebration. I still had something more important to do.
"Gunther, take care of the cleanup. I'll be inside for a moment."
"Yes, sir! Go in and get some rest! Lieutenant Jaeger… no, Captain 'Jin' Jaeger! We'd all be dead without you!"
"Heh."
Gunther saluted crisply. I let out a hollow laugh at his ever-improving flattery, then entered my tent.
Swish.
The moment I lowered the tent flap and entered my private space, cut off from the outside world, I let out the breath I had been holding.
"Whew…."
Fatigue came crashing down on me. The mental exhaustion was greater than the physical. I had spent the entire day wrestling with hordes of orcs, maneuvering around my superiors, and tuning Seraphina all at the same time. It was only natural.
But the real thing was just beginning. I calmed my racing heart, filled with anticipation, and stared into empty air.
"……."
As expected, it did not appear immediately. I simply waited.
Eventually, a notification window appeared.
Ding-
Along with a clear sound that rang through my mind, long system messages poured down before my eyes like a waterfall.
[Battle settlement begins.]