Youngest Armored Battalion Commander

North of Rosenheim, at the boundary of the Ashen Forest.

A massive wave of steel was surging there.

Rumble, rumble-rumble—!

A deep, low vibration shook the earth. Dozens of tanks stood in formation, belching black exhaust.

"This is a pretty grim atmosphere."

The 1st Armored Battalion, under the 1st Armored Division—the Emperor's personal guard and the Empire's elite armored force.

Beside them, I could see mechanized infantry aboard half-track armored vehicles, along with the soldiers from the companies directly under my command loading supplies onto trucks. Gunter was barking orders at the soldiers in his booming voice, while Kurt hurried back and forth. Walter and Franz stood farther away, directing the operation, while in the distance Seraphina and Erika could be seen busily commanding the infantry battalions.

As I watched all that, I heard someone calling for me.

"Are you all set, Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger?"

It was Brigadier General Dietrich. Since I was commanding an independent combat group, we were effectively operating separately during this operation...