Mein Krieg (Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil OC)

[Trunko]

Chapter 116: A true soldier never rests​

"Major Frederick König, Commander Orzak of the 203rd Mage Battalion, reporting. I'm back."

"Thank God you're alive, Major." replied the voice of one of our communications officers. "We were starting to think you were dead, and were about to report your loss."

"I thank you for your concern, soldier, but I'm not dead yet." I replied with a smile. "Where can I land?"

"On the deck, Major, at the stern. I'll let Major Degurechaff know you're back."

"Thank you. Major König out!"

As I approached the ship, a familiar smell of gunpowder and explosives reached my nostrils. The warships had stopped firing for several minutes now, yet the pungent smell of fired ammunition was still very strong. In a way, it reminded me of the Rhine front.

I wonder how Stauffer, Christel and Hana are doing right now. it occurred to me at the time. I wonder if they are still alive. And, if they are alive, who knows if they have moved on?

I landed on the deck of the ship. The moment my boots landed on the metal, half a dozen sailors stood around me, and looked at me with big eyes.

"What's the matter, sailors?" I said as I looked at them. "Never seen a Magical Aviation Officer?"

For a few seconds, no one said anything, just looking at me.

"No way!"

"Is that Major König of the Mage Forces."

"Wait… he's real?! I thought he was an actor in those film reels!"

"I cannot believe neither. He looks like just that…"

"What are you doing, you lazybones?" said at that moment a voice behind them, materializing in an officer of the ship. "Go back to your posts, and leave the Major alone! You're not in the Navy to hang around!"

The sailors quickly stirred themselves up, and quickly returned to their own occupations, leaving me alone with the Navy officer.

"Excuse me sir if I was late." he saluted. "Oberfeldwebel Anton Nostitz, at your service!"

"Major Frederick König, commander of the 203rd Mage Battalion." I returned the salute. "Have the mages in my unit come back on board?"

"Yes sir!" he smiled. "At the present time, they're sharing chow with sailors on the deck below. If you'd like to follow me…"

"I thank you for this thoughtfulness."

I followed the naval officer through a long corridor to the lower deck, at the end of which I came to a long and very spacious room, with five long tables, seated at which a large number of sailors were celebrating the great victory achieved today. And with them, the mages of the 203rd Battalion.

"Here's to the victory of the Motherland!" shouted Tragen at the top of his lungs, holding a pitcher full of alcohol in his right hand. Sitting on top of him, Viktoriya exulted in joy in turn, and stroked him amiably. It was deducible that the alcohol she already had in her system was acting as an inhibitor to her self-control.

"For the Motherland!" the sailors and the mages roared once more.

Silently, I approached the table, and began clapping my hands, producing a repeated rhythmic sound, to make myself noticed. Within minutes, some of the mages of the 203rd battalion heard the sound and, turning to see its origin, realized my presence and promptly stood at attention, quickly followed by the others.

"Looks like you're having fun!" I said, making my presence in the room official and no longer hidden.

Tragen turned around in turn, and his expression of joy turned in terror as soon as his eyes laid on me. He got up so quickly that Viktoriya almost felt on the ground.

"Major König, I mean, Sir!" Tragen said, saluting me, alongside with the rest of the battalion. "Sorry sir, we didn't mean to disrespect our uniforms or make a spectacle of ourselves. We were just..."

"I know very well what you were doing..." I said taking a couple of steps forward. "You were celebrating the happy outcome of the landing, of the operation the probable ever-closer end of the war. Personally, I have no objection to that."

"S-sir?"

"Second Lieutenant Linus Tragen?"

"Yes sir?"

"Where is Major Tanya Degurechaff? I do not see her among you…"

"Major… I mean, Sir!" said Viktoriya trying to fight the effect of the alcohol in her body and regain lucidity. "She... Major Degurechaff is currently on the bow of the ship. She is observing the outcome of the confrontation ashore."

"Very well. I need to go speaking with her. Until then, you have beer, you have fun, and you have company. Have fun and celebrate. That's an order!"

"Y-Yes sir!" some of the replied.

"What the hell, I cannot hear you!"

"YES SIR!" this time every mage of the unit roared at the same time.

"Very well! You can resume your entertainment!"

"Would you like me to escort you to the bow, Major?" Nostitz asked.

"No need for that. I believe I can find the bow of this ship. After all, bow and stern are at the opposite part of a ship; or has this changed?"

"No sir, this has not changed…"

"Very well. Now, if you would like to excuse me…"

I left the officer behind me and headed forward down the hallway. As I progressed, several sailors and naval officers crossed my path, but because I was of a higher rank than they were, no one wanted to stop me or even speak to me. They all stepped aside and saluted me.

Not that I cared. At the current moment, I only wanted to talk to one particular person.

Finally, after a few minutes, I reached the bow of the ship. From here, the course of operations ashore could be clearly seen: the Imperial landing troops had now occupied the town of Orse and almost all the main strategic points in the area, and it was now clear that the Entente troops remaining in the area were en route. Nevertheless, the latter did not want to surrender to the last, and continued to fight with the force of desperation. The bursts and the smell of death brought from the hinterland could be heard from a distance.

A wonderful show for a viewer of the unique kind.

"Quite a sigh, huh?" Tanya said to herself, without showing to have realized I was there.

"It sure is." I replied. "Almost better than the movies, don't you think?"

"Frederick!" she said, turning around and glaring at me. "And here I was hoping you'd been killed so you could leave me in complete command of the unit."

"Sorry to disappoint you, little Germanic tsundere." I said as I approached. "The enemy mage I attacked shielded me as we were falling, so I didn't get hurt. At least, me."

"What about him?"

"He broke his back and most of his legs. That, combined with the wound my bayonet caused him, doomed him to a slow and very painful death. I was with him when he expired."

"Don't think that makes me feel sorry for him," she said, in an ice-cold tone "He was an enemy, and would probably have liked to see us both dead. Nothing personal, but I would much rather have him dead than us. Especially after all we've been through."

"I wish I could say the same for him. It almost seemed like he knew us, that he had some kind of personal feud with us...."

"What? Why do you think that?"

"Because, from the tone he had and what he knew about us, it seemed like he knew us very well. Unfortunately, what I was able to ask him before he died didn't allow me to do much except speculate."

"Perhaps, he was just someone who had studied a lot about us, who had become informed and had been well briefed by his officers. After all, our existence isn't secret: I'll bet almost every major enemy of the Empire has a file on us."

"Possible, but I don't think that was the case." I said as I looked at the battle unfolding far away from us. "He really seemed to resent us, as if we were the perpetrators of his own personal drama. Perhaps we killed someone dear to him."

"Oh please." Tanya pouted. "Do you have any idea how this make things easier? We killed a lot of people in this war, if any of their close relatives or friends want to start a personal feud with us; they're going to have to stand in line..."

"It's true. Still, there was something familiar about him, like we really had fought with him before..."

"What else did you find out about him?"

"Not very much, honestly." I replied. "His name was Anson Sue, and he was an official mage of the magical forces of the Entente. I found this out from his identification card: I took the liberty of... inspect it, after he was dead..."

"Anson Sue?" Tanya asked. "Maybe I should ask a few of my acquaintances at Information Services to pay off an old debt. Something interesting might come up... anything else you found?"

"Just that he had a daughter, her name was Mary. According to him, she will kill all of us for what we did to him and their country…"

Tanya stopped to think for a moment, and then, she started laughing.

"Mary… Sue?" she said, unbelieving. "How can this be a real name?"

For a moment, I watched her, quite astonished. Could it be that Tanya, in her previous life of climbing the hierarchy and hard work, had had the opportunity to know the meaning of the term Mary Sue? This was something I never expected from her.

"Well, obviously in this universe it must not be such a ridiculous name. Or, Being X has a weird sense of humor."

And with that short, simple sentence, the desire to laugh died as quickly as it had begun. I had accidentally named our worst enemy, and it had brought back ancient but still painful memories.

"Indeed." Tanya said, focusing again on the battle which was ravaging in front of us. "How are the troops doing?"

"All smiles and shouts of victory. I caught Viktoryia busy canoodling with Tragen under the influence of the fleet's booze. I asked them where I could find you, after which I instructed them to continue their celebration and have fun."

She looked at me. "You ordered them to have fun?"

I smiled. "After all the training they've had to undergo in recent days, and after managing to complete a mission on the edge of the impossible, it's the least they deserve. On that note, I'm thinking of cancelling the training the day after tomorrow, and having a better ration served, to allow the soldiers to recover and regain strength, before..."

"Before the Battalion is split, is that correct?"

I smiled meekly. "Indeed. For the time being, they have allowed us to remain united, due to the need to keep the battalion's fighting efficiency high, but as soon as the Entente has surrendered, it is likely that we will be redirected to training camps in the western regions of the Empire, to organize the schism of the battalion."

"The Entente has not surrendered yet." Tanya replied sternly. "And, for my own, I am looking forward for the chance of being the effective commander of my unit, with no more your soft heart to stop me from doing what needs to be done."

"Likewise, I am looking forward to no more having to keep at bay your sadistic urges." I replied. "Although, I'm a little concerned about the overall fighting efficiency of the battalion."

"Why?"

"Because, as for now, every mage of the 203rd​ Mage Battalion is a veteran, who endured your bone-cracking training and a lot of fighting much more difficult than any other mage ever endured. Although this required a lot of effort, I must admit this had the undoubtedly effect to transform common level mages into highly efficient soldiers, capable of fighting in any weather condition, as today's battle has fully demonstrated."

"I'm glad you noticed the benefits of my training..."

"However," I said, stopping her before she could say more. "this created a long deficit of combat experience between our mages and any other mages, veteran or recruit, in the Imperial Army. If the Battalion is split up, in order to fill the ranks again we will have to accept a substantial percentage of young recruits, many of whom have never seen real combat and perhaps not even simulated combat. And if this happens, the combat efficiency level of the mages under our command may drop, by a lot."

Tanya looked at me for a few moments, before smiling back.

"I don't see where the problem is. If it is necessary, I will subject the new recruits the command assigns to me to new training to reform them into effective soldiers. Of course, if not enough soldiers reach the standards I have pre-set...."

I stopped cold, realizing what she was implying.

"You want to dust off the old trick!" I said indignantly. "You want to try to make sure that the new unit never reaches a level of efficiency where it can be deployed, in effect securing a new safe place in the rear!"

"Brilliant deduction, Frederick. And here I was beginning to think you really were as stupid as your actions would lead one to believe."

"Do you realize that if it didn't work the first time, there's no guarantee that it would work the second time?

"I have a strong trust in my chances." she replied. "By the way; nothing forbids you to do the same with your battalion. If we are lucky, we can land ourselves with a safe, comfy place in the Rear and there wait for the end of the war."

"Do you remember how it ended the last time we actually-"

"Excuse me, Majors?" a voice said, coming nearer.

I turned around, just in time to see an already familiar navy officer coming toward us.

"Oberfeldwebel Anton Nostitz!" I said, glaring at him. "What happened?"

"I am sorry to disturb you, Majors, but we have received a message from Headquarters, addressed to you."

Tanya nodded. "Please lead the way…"



The ship's communications room was not located, as one would have expected, at the top of the ship's central superstructure. Only the antennas were located there. Instead, the Communications room was located inside the ship, making it impossible for the enemy to hit it (and consequently cut off communications between the ship and the rest of the world) with a single, accurate shot. And inside, worked the communications technicians: three men in white uniforms, whose task was to ensure the connection between the ship and the command.

"Here you go Major." said the senior communications officer handing me the earpiece. "Use this."

"Thank you." I replied, giving a look at Tanya and Nostitz, who were waiting on the back of the room, and looking at me. "Hello. Major Frederick König, commander of the 203rd​ Mage Battalion. Who's on the line?"

"Major Frederick König, This is the Norden Central Command of the Imperial Army. First of all, we want to congratulate you and Major Degurechaff on the brilliant outcome of the operation. You have rendered great service to the Empire today. We do not hide from you that today's success may have contributed, in a decisive way, to the defeat of the Entente."

"Thank you sir…"

"However, we have received new operational orders from Strategic Headquarters. I am very sorry to have to request your action on such short notice, but..."

I remained silent for more than ten minutes while, on the other side of the communications, a simple HQ officer gave us instructions about a new operation in which we were to participate. Obviously, we would not have had to intervene immediately, as even at Strategic Headquarters they knew that every unit, after a great war effort, needed time and resources to return to full operational efficiency, but the simple fact that we were already called into action after such a short time made me think. Who could have come up with such an operation?

"Obviously, we need your input Major. Do you believe your unit will be able to go into action at the agreed time and place?"

"Indeed. At this time, the 203rd Battalion cannot go into action, however, I can assure you that we will be back up and running and ready for action on schedule. Obviously, we will need a considerable amount of supplies to..."

"I'm sorry Major, but we can't afford to send enough supplies at this time. If you need weapons and combat rations, borrow them or steal them."

I sighed. "Understood. Then, if you allow me, I will go making the preparative for the troops."

"Thank you Major and good Luck. Norden Central Command, out."

"So…" Nostitz dared to ask, once the communication was closed. "What did they told you?"

I ignored him. "Major Degurechaff, apparently our unit need to prepare itself for a new operation. The Norden Command wants us to be ready for a new operation, in three days from now."

"Three?" Tanya asked, dumb folded. "But…. that's impossible. We need to replenish our stock of ammunitions and of supplies before…."

"That's what I tried to tell them too." I replied, walking outside the communication room and toward the dining hall of the ship. "They told me in response that they have no supplies to spare, and, as such, we will have to gather them by any means necessary."

"That's great." she replied sarcastically. "And what kind of mission we will have to do, this time?"

"A repeat of our most resounding success. Remember Dakia, when we attacked the enemy capital?"

"Yes, but what this… oh no. they didn't. They couldn't…"

"They did, Tanya." I replied. "Strategic Headquarters want us to raid the Capital City of the Entente, three days from now."

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 117: The Mysterious Mister Sue​

Over the following days, reinforcements were funneled in to prevent the Entente from counterattacking effectively and destroying our beachhead. At first, it was infantry, with light weapons and equipment. Then the specialists began to arrive: sappers, to repair and put back into operation the few structures that the Entente had managed to sabotage before retreating; doctors and surgeons, to treat our wounded, military police, to keep the population under control and ensure Imperial justice in the occupied territory.

Then came the heavy armaments: heavy artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, trucks and other motorized vehicles, and the first tanks. Tanks in particular were a welcome addition, as they were perfectly suited to the flat, snowy regions that separated Orse from the Entente capital. For the moment the enemy (either by bringing in men from the Norden front or by putting the old and the extremely young into combat) had momentarily succeeded in stopping, at least for the time being, our advancing troops. However, it was clear that, the more time passed and the more time our armored and mechanized troops had to reorganize and resupply, the closer the Empire's victory at Norden became.

Finally, the air force began to arrive. First, interceptors and fighters, to secure the airspace around Orse from enemy bombers. After that came bombers. And with them other supplies of war material and subsistence, which we absolutely needed for our mission.

Obeying the orders given to us by Strategic Headquarters, I had made contact with all commanders and military officers of the Imperial Army and Air Force in an effort to procure the necessary supplies for the mission. Since I did not want to be forced to "steal" them, I did my best to emphasize the importance of our mission and how, since we had no supplies of our own, we were forced to borrow those of others.

It was in vain. The Army had turned a deaf ear to requests to provide combat rations, equipment and especially ammunition to the 203rd Battalion, citing as an excuse the fact that the supplies available in Orse were reserved for soldiers fighting in the forward lines, and that the risk of an Entente counterattack was still too high to allow them to give us ammunition. This logic was a bit shaky, even according to our intelligence reports (which had judged the Entente to be "close to political and military collapse"), but the Army had brought in an officer of a higher rank than mine, and this had closed the matter.

The Imperial Air Force had been much more accommodating.

"We can provide you with the supplies you need," their representative had said over the phone, "But you will have to be patient to wait for new supplies to arrive along with our assault bombers: for the moment, we have too few resources to allow us to help you."

"I understand your reasons." I had replied. "However, let me remind you of the importance of our mission, which Strategic Headquarters itself has ordered us to accomplish within a few days. If we do not have the supplies, we will not be able to operate."

"I guarantee that by tomorrow night the supplies will have arrived. At least, that is, as long as those imbeciles in the Navy know how to do their jobs."

That means we will have supplies just in time to get into action, I thought bitterly, and that means the troops will not be able to train.

"Very well. I hope they will be on time too, otherwise I'll be forced to write down a report to explain Strategic Headquarter why we had to abort the mission and the causes of it."

"Do not worry Major, you have my word."

"Indeed. Thank you for your time."

I put the phone down, and rested my gaze on the gold deer watch I had placed in front of me. The phone call had taken a little too long, but I had succeeded in my goal.

Now, it was time for the hardest part.

Slowly, I got up from my chair in my office and headed for the door. As soon as I was in front of it, I opened it and stuck my head out.

It was not long before an unsuspecting soldier walked past me, my intended prey.

"Major?"

"Can you do me a favor, soldier?" I asked winking amicably. "Can you go find Major Degurechaff and inform her that I need to talk to her? It's a very important matter."

"Certainly... I mean, yes sir!" said the soldier boy, striding down the hallway until he disappeared from my sight.

I smiled as I closed the door and went back to my chair. While I waited for Tanya, I opened a drawer at the bottom of my assigned desk and pulled out a bottle of soda. Just to make my mouth taste good, I thought, before facing Tanya's acidity.

I was just pouring two glasses when I heard a noise that sounded like a growl mixed with thunder, coming from outside the door.

"Major Degurechaff" I said, pushing one of the two glasses right on the other side of the table. "Please, come inside!"

"Frederick!" Tanya said, slamming the door. "If you want to talk to me you can come and find me in person, don't send a measly little soldier to summon me as if I were any member of the battalion."

"What?" I replied. "And miss out on all the fun of doing it? I bet you'll have cussed a storm on him."

"I may have invented some new swear words as well." she replied walking toward me and sitting on the chair right in front of the table. "You wanted to see me for a good reason, or just to offer me a drink?"

"I have some good news for us and the battalion: I found the supplies we needed for our next mission."

"Well that's good news indeed!" she replied. "I was already beginning to think that we couldn't accomplish the mission, and I was thinking about what reasons to write in my report."

"Me too." I responded. "Were you planning to blame the lack of supplies on the Navy or the Army?"

"Neither one: I wanted to blame it on you."

"What? Oh, that's cruel!" I said, putting my hands on my heart as I was suddenly shot "I even gave you an early Christmas present!"

"And I am very grateful for it." she replied. "That is the best gun I could ever hope to; unfortunately for you, that is not enough to make me reconsider my plan to disgrace you in order to became the leader of the Battalion."

"Why you should do something like that, I can no more guess it." I replied, faking a face palm. "Our Battalion is going to be split once the war with the Entente is over, and we are both going to be commanding officers of our respective battalions. Why the hell should you need to disgrace me when you just need to wait?"

"Because, if you are disgraced and demoted, I will no more have to worry on you anymore. I will be free!"

"Likewise. Maybe I could consider framing you for treason and finding myself a better second-in command Nardak officer. Maybe Tragen or Viktoriya could be better Nardaks than you…"

We started to quarrel for a little while, insulting us the whole time, before the argument ended as it began.

"Nevertheless..." I said once the fight was over. "You did admit the submachine gun I gave to you is good. So, was it a good early Christmas gift?"

She smiled. "It's a very interesting weapon: it practically never jams, it has a much better shot and accuracy than our common combat rifles, and it's also high quality. I have to admit: it was quite a gift."

"So, I did well into taking it from the dead body of that Entente Mage?"

"Absolutely. Even so, I am no planning to thank you, especially considering you took one gift for yourself as well." she pointed to the golden watch.

"Indeed." I smiled sourly. "This is a very nice watch, don't you think? I mean, not even the best watchmaker of Berun could do something so precious and detailed at the same time. I must admit that the Entente's people know how to do watches…."

"Not everyone can do everything, Frederick: they can do better watches, and we are better soldiers than them…"

"Of course." I replied. "By the way, have you found anything about this supposed Anson Sue from your friends in the Intelligence Corp?"

"Not yet." she replied. "They found something, but nothing that could care for us for now. Want to listen?"

"Sure."

"Based on the little information I was able to gather, here is what transpired: Anson Sue, born September 18, 1895. Served with diligence and valor in the Entente Army, decorated on numerous occasions..."

"Very interesting." I said feigning interest. "Yet this does not answer the question I had asked: how did this man relate to us?"

"Well, I had to cough up several bundles to get those intelligence types to do the background check we wanted, but I found out that, apparently, our Mr. Sue was in command of the 5th Air Mage Battalion of the Entente Army at the time of the Norden Incident. Before you ask, that was the battalion that tried to intercept and kill us in the course of the operation."

"That's not possible." I said, widening my eyes. "That damn bastard was in command of the battalion that tried to kill us?"

"Indeed. He probably took it personally that we killed several mages under his command. That is why, when we met up again in Norden, he attacked us. To him, it had to be personal."

For a moment, I pondered the matter. Had it really been Fate that had caused us to meet again? On the other hand, someone far more powerful, and familiar to us?

And that wasn't the only thing I was worried about....

"Tanya?"

"What is it, Frederick?"

"The magical potential in a family, as it is genetic, can be inherited, remember? If one is a mage, his sons or daughters may in turn possess the magical potential...."

"I remember." she pouted at me. "Your point?"

"My point is, what if his daughter has the magic potential, the same as him? He said she would have killed us to avenge him. I mean, what if…"

"Oh no you don't Frederick!" she slapped me hard. "This is not the time to give in to irrational fears and possibilities that have not been confirmed! The mere fact that the man you killed has a daughter does not mean that his daughter, just because it is possible that she has the magical potential, will swear eternal vengeance on us and devote the rest of her useless life to hunting us down. That's comic book logic!"

"Y-you think so?" I said, putting my hand on the part of my face where she had slapped me. "I mean, it's still a possibility, and..."

"There's a greater chance that you and I will suddenly become faithful followers of Being X and address prayers to him from dawn to dusk, or that the Entente, in its current situation, will succeed in defeating us and conquering Berun! Seriously, Frederick: if all the family members of people we've killed in the course of this war decide to declare revenge on us and hunt us down, we'd probably have to fight the whole world."

I nodded, now feeling more relaxed. It was strange feeling relaxed because something that Tanya had said was right, however, I was happy that this had happened.

"Well, thanks Tanya, for putting my mind at ease. I mean, the way you see it…"

"Moreover, if this Mary Sue decides to follow the supposed heroine pact and try to avenge his late father, there is a bigger chance that she will focus more on you than me, because you were the one who killed him. therefore, I have nothing to worry about…"

"You are always the same, aren't you?" I replied with a stern look. "A sadistic loli with a very serious case of backstabbing disorder."

"And you will always be an idiot who cannot see the Truth of things and need someone to explain it to him…"

Suddenly, an evil idea started to appear inside my brain. It was sadistic, it was treacherous, and I loved it.

"Tanya?"

"Yes Frederick?"

"No training for troops today: tell them they can take the liberty of leaving, as long as they are back in time for the mission."

"What?" she turned around and yelled at me. "Are you kidding right? We have a very important mission upcoming, and we cannot allow ourselves to relax. The troops…"

"Were already grilled and harassed by you for almost a month before the previous mission, and I'm sure none of them will be able to forget the enormous training you subjected them to in less than 24 hours. In addition, I have a feeling that this will be a slightly more doable mission than the one we've already been through."

"However, this is a very important mission, and we can't take risks that..."

"Take risks? Tanya, we have known each other longer than we have been reborn in this strange world, and I can tell you that you are not pushing for the training to happen just because you do not want to run risks. You only want the training to take place to further grill the soldiers."

"Grilling and making sure the soldiers obey their discipline is the duty of an officer, I cannot allow…"

"Allow?" I said, focusing on her and giving my best evil glaring look I could even think off. "Let me remind you that I am the Battalion Commander, and until that changes, I make the decisions. Do you understand, Major Degurechaff?"

"Frederick, I…"

"Do you understand, Major?" I glared at her

She looked at me a couple more of seconds, almost frozen, before she let out a small sigh of disapproval. "Yes sir."

"Very well. Of course, it is not my intention to leave you empty-handed. Strategic Headquarters have requested a detailed and well specified copy of report on the events of the occupation of the Fjord and the neutralization of the Entente's coastal defenses. I want you to write it down."

"What? First you deny me the pleasure of making sure that the soldiers keep on their training pace, and now you are blocking me with a job you should do?"

"Consider this as a warning for the future, Tanya." I said, walking out of the office. "Next time you want to badmouth someone in face, make sure his ranks do not outranks yours."

"They doesn't!"

"They do."



The Battalion was happy to receive the news that the training for that day had been cancelled and that they could therefore consider themselves free at least for that day. I of course told them that the training had been cancelled because the supplies would arrive too late to carry out the training as planned, but the troops did not care much. All they cared about was the terrible training they had skipped, at least for that day, and the resulting free time they could use as they wished.

The mages of the Battalion were quick to organize themselves: some decided to make a trip to the occupied city, where the Army had started to install some food stores and warehouses, in the hope of being able to buy some extra rations. Others preferred to devote their time to writing letters home, addressed to their friends or family members, to let them know they were well and healthy. Still others decided to simply give themselves some rest, and stayed in their barracks to rest and chat. Tragen and Viktoriya, in particular, had decided to take a walk together, and although I did not want to put my finger on their personal affairs, I had decided to join them, perhaps thinking that walking and the fresh air of Norden might help me think better.

"Well, sir." said Tragen to my right. "I am relieved that you have allowed us a free walk today. Major Degurechaff can say what he wants, but the battalion really needed a break, even if it was momentary."

"Degurechaff is not the commanding officer. I am." I said, as I looked curiously at an old building, partially demolished, where the bullet holes in the walls could still be seen. "And it is I, therefore, who decides when the soldiers under my command can rest."

"In any case, I wanted to thank you too, sir. Major Degurechaff is an excellent soldier, but sometimes, he seems to forget that the mages under his command are still human beings."

"He tends to do that with everyone, I'm afraid. She sees the people around her as resources, not beings with personalities of their own..."

"Indeed." Tragen said, scratching his head. "Unfortunately, she is still of a higher rank than we are, and as such, we must remain silent and suffer in silence."

Tragen's words got me thinking. Perhaps, a more assertive open door policy might have had a greater impact on the mental and physical well-being of the troops? Further endearing me to their esteem and trust could have yielded very positive results.

"Tragen?"

"Yes sir?"

"Would you care to explain to me better what do you mean? I see a food store of the Army near: want to talk about this in front of a hot drink? My treat."

He smiled. And with him, Viktoriya too.

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 118: Keep Moving, Keep Shooting​

"Anything in sight?" I asked, while looking through my own binoculars.

"Yes, sir!" Tragen answered, to my left. "I see at least three defensive positions, with light artillery guns. No anti-air emplacements, but that doesn't mean anything: some could be hidden, or deployed nearby."

"Keep your guard up, men." I said, trying to address all the troops via the radio. "I'll remind you that we're not in Dakia anymore: unless the average IQ in the Entente has dropped like a stone, we're bound to find anti-aircraft emplacements and rapid response forces that-"

"Sir, visual contact with Entente anti-aircraft emplacement confirmed!" another mage reported, on the other side of the formation. "I see at least two machine guns and seven men on guard. Nothing to worry about, however, if they have a chance to contact their headquarters, we risk being discovered."

I nodded. "All units, let's move up in altitude to 10,500 meters. Try to keep out of their line of sight. Do not fire until further notice, or until you are certain we have been spotted. From now on, radio silence."

"Yes, sir!" the mages around me nodded, all outside of the broadcasting band.

We continued on, while the land below us became more and more distant and distant, almost a mirage half-hidden by the clouds. It was such a mesmerizing sight that I almost did not notice the heavy pat on my back.

"Frederick?" came my second's voice.

"Tanya." I replied, looking up at her. She still looked furious, and judging by her eyes, she seemed fully intent on spilling her anger on me. "What is it?"

"High altitude might keep us from being spotted by enemy ground forces, but in all likelihood they have radar and aircraft patrolsmonitoring the airspace." she said as if to chide me. "Don't tell me it hasn't occured to you."

"Actually, I had thought about it. Not just me: HQ, too. Why do you think we had to go into action tonight of all nights, with only three days' notice to prepare, and with the risk of finding ourselves short on supplies?"

"Because they wanted to pull off a stunt with little strategic but massive propaganda value as quickly as possible?"

"No. I mean, yes probably even, but the real reason is that this is a very special night. At this very moment, in fact, some specialized units of the Imperial Army based in Norden, in position both in Orse and in the southern front, are using some special jamming machines to 'jam' the enemy radars and make it impossible for them to locate our air forces."

"What?"

"Apparently this operation is more than just a mission for propaganda purposes: it is a test. The Imperial Army Command wants to test its newly developed electronic countermeasures, and the means employed to jam enemy tracking systems."

"And when did you discover this?"

"In Orse, when the supplies for our battalion arrived. Apparently, the Army deigned to send their own orderly to explain the situation to us and emphasize the importance of our mission. Remember the uniformed brunette I was talking to in my office?"

Tanya growled as the memory of that moment reasserted itself in her mind. "You mean the one I kicked out?"

I smiled. "It's not always a good idea to be authoritative with junior officers."

"Why, you! You could have informed me of that fact!"

"Certainly I could have. Nevertheless, what good would that have done? We're doing this mission anyway."

"You would have saved me the trouble of worrying all the time anyway. We've been in the air for almost an hour now, and I've been expecting enemy planes and mages to..."

"Sir!" this time it was Viktoriya, a couple of meters in front of us. "I see the capital. Three o'clock, about six kilometers away."

Immediately, I grabbed my binoculars and looked in the direction Viktoriya indicated.

It was right there, as she had said: the capital of the Entente, our enemy, the one who have started the war in a blatant (and idiotic) attempt to occupy our Norden territory and who, when we were about to crush it, had called the Republic to its aid and condemned us to a long and terrible war. They were the enemy, far more so than the Republic and Dakia.

I looked carefully at the buildings in the enemy capital: despite the obvious obscuration, I could almost make out the shapes of the buildings with remarkable ease: a great many were residential buildings, but there were also many larger buildings, no doubt factories or administrative buildings.

"Okay men." I said, signaling to the various squad leaders to approach. "Does everyone remember their designated targets?"

"Factory of war equipment and cannons near the river."

"Ministry of War of the Entente."

"Julupta Fort."

"Bridge of Komhi."

"Plant for the production of electrical energy."

"Very well." I said with a grin, before reactivating radio communications. "All units, you know your targets. As of this moment we have a maximum of twenty minutes before some Entente radio attaché intercepts our comms and raises the alarm. By then, we must have demonstrated to the Entente what it means to wage war on the Empire."

"Yes, sir!" the men roared, everybody hurrying toward their objective. Only the First Squad, with Tanya and myself stood in its position.

"I don't understand," Tanya said, once the other teams had moved away. "why do we have to stay in cover when we could strike back. If we have little time before the enemy locates us, we must make the best use of it and hit the enemy wherever we can. We could hit their government buildings!"

"I thought about that too." I replied, looking down at the still sleeping city- "Orders aside, this would be a perfect opportunity, and I hate to pass it up...."

"Then why?"

"Because we risk giving new impetus to their revanchist spirit: if we attack their government apparatus directly, and annihilate it, a new government would take power that could resort to indefinite and total resistance. We do not want this: we want to force them to a formal and honorable surrender."

"Indeed." she replied. "Still, I seriously hope the attack of tonight will be more than enough to-"

"Alert!" one of the mages of the other squad called out. "Major König, I see a batallion-sized Mage unit, heading in your direction. They do not look like they have intercepted you yet, but if you get to close, they will!"

Dammit! "What is their altitude?"

"Only 2,000 meters, sir. They're much lower than you, on patrol, possibly."

"Very well. To all units, continue with your mission, and alert me as soon as you are ready to fire. Tanya, can you see the enemy mages?"

"Very much so. It's just like he said: battalion-sized unit, in patrol on the airspace of their capital. I see them!"

"Do they look like they are aware of or suspecting our presence here?"

"Not for now…. I see they are stopping, and some of them are talking with each other. Probably, they are falling our EM interference."

I nodded. It was a question of a few seconds now. "To all unit, once the other squad attack, we strike the enemy's battalion from above. On my command..."

"Squad 5 ready!"

"Squad 3 ready!"

"Squad 2 ready!"

"Squad 4 ready!"

"ATTACK!" I yelled, as much as my lungs could allow me to.

It was a moment. For a few seconds, a few small flames of light flew across the dark night sky; a few seconds, and several buildings in the enemy capital caught fire, exploding in a multitude of primary and secondary explosions. I personally did not see the explosions (I would later have Tragen tell me about them on the way back), as my attention was focused on something below us at that moment. Rather, someone.

The mages of the enemy battalion must not have been veterans: when they heard the explosions, their first reaction was one of confusion, even panic in some cases: their superior officer had probably only been promoted because all his superiors were dead, and he did not really know how to maintain discipline except by yelling. His yelling had the desired effect: the soldiers focused their attention on him, and did not think to look up at all.

A few more seconds, then the mages of the first team pounced on the enemies. We were outnumbered, as usual, but the enemy mages (as I've already mentioned) were rather undisciplined recruits, while the Imperial mages I had under my command were all veterans and professionals. We would not have been in danger even if we were making forces triple in number.

The attack from above was swift and sudden: our bayonets slaughtered many enemy mages before they even realized they were under attack, while others were hit by the covering fire of other of our battalion's mages. I do not remember exactly how many, but at least a dozen enemy mages were killed in those quick, terrible moments.

It didn't take long for the survivors to take over and try to fight back. Unfortunately for them, as I have already said, they were recruits with no real combat experience, and they had not expected to be treacherously attacked. In other words, they were finished.

"All units come and bring us reinforcements!" I shouted into the radio as soon as I could. "We need to eliminate the enemy mages and get out of here!"

"Yes sir!" the other squad replied. "Reinforcements incoming!"

Meanwhile, all around me, the battle had become furious, and it was beginning to attract attention from below. I could begin to see the lights of the houses coming on, the sirens howling in the dark night, the searchlights and floodlights piercing the darkness, the light and anti-aircraft artillery pieces desperately looking for a target to shoot at.

"Tanya, what's the situation?"

"The Entente mages must be almost finished." she said in her classic tone. "These are many, but they don't even know how to fight! They're hardly capable of evasive maneuvers, let alone fighting on the move!"

"So the situation is good?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that..." she did, promptly shushing me. "Do you hear and see the sirens and searchlights below us? The enemy is now on alert, and it won't take them long to locate us. We need to get rid of these guys fast if we want to survive!"

I nodded, coming a few enemy mages wanting in my direction. Instinctively, I pointed my rifle, and fired.

The battle had been going on for ten minutes now, and it was clear by now that the Entente mages were in serious trouble. Not only were they outnumbered in quality and experience, but also in numbers (due to the many casualties they had suffered and the other teams that had come to our aid), and it was clear that, barring a sudden miracle on their part, they would soon be forced to retreat or be annihilated.

And as was often the case, there was no miracle to save them.

"To all teams, status report."

"This is Team 2. Enemy mages are interrupting the battle. I can see them falling back to their military fortifications."

"This is squad 4. Confirmed: the enemy mages are retreating. What do we do, pursue them?"

"No." I replied sternly. "We came here with one purpose: to bomb the capital of the enemy. Our mission is accomplished, now we can return to base. To all team leaders, disengage and follow me!"

"Yes, sir!"

A couple of explosions a few feet below me made me realize that the enemy was putting their long-to-medium range aerial artillery into action. We still had a few minutes before they adjusted their aim and could hit us.

"Be careful," I said again, into the radio, seeing the bullets and cannons firing below us. "the enemy has fielded heavy artillery. Try to avoid their shots."

"Sir!" this one was Tragen. "Those cannons could pose a serious danger to our ground forces. I request permission to make a grazing flight and bomb them."

"Permission denied." I replied quickly. "We have our orders to fall back and return to base. Besides, the enemy is now on alert, and will not be long in bringing in reinforcements."

"But sir-"

"Major Frederick gave you an order!" Tanya's voice thundered. "You'd better obey, if you don't want me to court-martial you for Insubordination!"

"W-well, yes sirs-"

Oh dear... I thought by myself. Tanya seems to be taking a liking to using her stripes, especially towards Tragen. I just hope this does not affect troop morale.

Maybe it was because of that that I took the radio again.

"Don't worry unduly about those artillery positions, Tragen: as soon as we have returned, I will take care to mark them in the report, requesting the intervention of our air forces and long-range artillery to destroy them."

"Well, that's a relief. Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me now Tragen. Do it when we're back on base, not while we're still in enemy territory and in danger of dying."

"Indeed. Still, thank you sir."

While the Battalion, having finished its maneuver to disengage the enemy, proceeded to move away in a southeasterly direction (in the direction of Orse) a thought formed in my mind: it was now a matter of a few days before the capital of the Entente would be occupied and, probably, when this would happen, the Entente would surrender, if it did not want to collapse politically. Nevertheless, and this was the question that had formed in my mind, what would happen to its remaining military forces that refused to accept surrender? Would they have continued to resist the Empire, despite no longer having a military industrial apparatus to support its war effort?

Probably so. I thought regretfully. In all likelihood they will turn to guerrilla warfare and attempt to transform themselves into a partisan liberation force. Alternatively…

My mind stopped cold, as another realization hit my mind. The enemy government had no reason to surrender. What if it simply retreated to some allied nations (like, the Republic) alongside with its remaining military forces and refused to surrender?

On the one hand this would have allowed the Empire to occupy the entire territory of the Entente and to exploit its resources as it saw fit; on the other hand...in all likelihood this would have obliged the Imperial Army to displace large contingents of soldiers (as was happening in these very days in the former Grand Duchy of Dakia) and this could have negatively affected its military forces, wearing them out and keeping many of them away from other important combat theaters.

I guess I'll have to include that in the report as well....

"Sir!" suddenly said Viktoriya. "I am receiving a message from HQ."

"What are they saying?"

"New orders. Apparently, HQ is ordering us not to return to Orse, but to proceed eastward and give support to Corporal Philipp Wassermann's troops, who are approaching an enemy ammunition depot. They want us to destroy the depot before the corporal arrives."

"Why don't they let the infantrymen take care of it?" Someone growled.

"Oh no: why bother the slow infantry?" said another in a sarcastic tone. "Let the battalion of the Empire's good mages take care of it: our motto is Anything you don't want to do, the mages will do for you."

"Anything you don't want to do, the mages will do for you!~" another one singed, evidently amused by the words. Before long, many others imitated him and began to sing along.

For ten to twelve seconds at the most.

"That's enough!" Tanya yelled, quickly shutting the mouths of everyone who was busy singing until then. "Let me tell all you fancy-assed mages something. The reasons for any orders given by a superior officer...is none of you-all business. You obey them. Our country is at war. You are soldiers, nothing' else! Am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir." someone of before replied, naturally scared

"Very well. Now, Major Orzak Frederick, I believe the Norden command wants us to do something."

"Indeed." I said at her, before turning to face the troops. "Change of plans men, let's go destroy an enemy depot…"

 

[lolpancaker]

So they didnt bomb Infrastruktur and changed thei target

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 119: On the Surface, the Deer Lives; Below Ground, It Dies​

The depot, I had to admit, was carefully hidden and difficult to locate. Evidently, the Entente had foreseen that Imperial forces would try to occupy or destroy it, and they wanted to make sure that we could not find it either from above, through recon by mages or planes, or on ground. The only way we would theoretically be able to locate the depot would therefore probably be by sending scouts and infantry into the area, right into the Legadonians' home turf.

"Nothing in sight?" I asked for the tenth or maybe it was the eleventh time, looking below me with my binoculars for any clue that might signal the enemy's ammunition depot. So far, nothing suspicious had been seen, which only added to my frustration.

"Nothing, sir." a mage of the 3rd squad replied. "No sign of the depot. There seems almost no sign of Entente troops."

"Keep watching." came Tanya's imperious order. "If command sent us here, it means the depot is around here. Keep your eyes open, and try to find it, at all costs!"

"Yes sir!"

I let out a gasp of frustration as I placed the lenses of the binoculars back to my tired eyes. Like a few minutes beforehand, there was nothing to indicate the presence of a secret ammunition cache: no artificial lights, no closed doors, no buildings in a condition to realistically hide a large amount of war material inside. Nothing but trees, snow, and a few animals accustomed to being active in cold climates.

"Hey!" made Viktoriya, a few feet away from me, smiling with joy. "Nice..."

"What do you see Viktoriya?" I asked her, approaching instinctively. "Any possible indication of man-made constructions in the area?"

"Oh. No, nothing sir." she made as if to apologize, lowering the binoculars. "It's just that..."

"What did you see?" I asked.

In response, she pointed in the direction where she had been looking just moments before. Quickly, I took the binoculars back and looked in that direction, and after a few seconds, I realized what she was looking at.

It was a pair of deer: one large but antlerless, indicating that it was a female; the other, a much smaller specimen, probably her cub.

"What? What's going on, Frederick?" made Tanya approaching me. I ignored her, continuing to watch the pair of animals from afar with my binoculars.

"There's a pair of deer a few miles away. A female and a cub, it looks like."

"What?" she said, turning to face Viktoriya. "We are not here to gaze all over the local fauna, Second Lieutenant Serebryakov! We are here to locate the enemy bunker, to capture or destroy it!"

"However, it is still a pretty sight, isn't it, Major Degurechaff?" said I, rushing to draw attention away from Viktoriya "A mother deer intent on nurture and care of her young cub, to slowly educate him about life. It almost looks like a picturesque painting."

Tanya gave me a look full of venom. In the meantime, Viktoriya, taking advantage of the fact that the attention was no longer focused on her, had taken the opportunity to move away from Tanya and get closer to Tragen. Maybe she hoped that he could protect her, in case Tanya would be angry with her again? I personally doubted it, but Tragen was still under my protective wing, and my rank was worth more than Tanya's.

"In any case," I said, clearing my voice. "I believe that if the depot is located here, it must be very well concealed and hidden to escape our aerial surveillance. Battalion, let us descend in altitude and land: perhaps on the ground we can find some more traces."

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Uh, sir!" said Tragen, coming close.r "Can a low-level Second Lieutenant like me ask a question, sir?"

"Well, yes. What is it Tragen?"

"Well, sir, I wanted to ask why Command wants us to locate and destroy this depot. I do not mean that we should not do it, of course: orders are orders. But why us? Why doesn't the command give orders to the infantry or our motorized forces to reach the position, find the depot and destroy it? Our battalion is an elite unit, and we should be reserved for the most important and dangerous missions, like the neutralization of Orse's anti-ship defenses that we performed. This time, however, the command seems to have given us a very normal and regular mission. And this is my doubt. For what reason is that mission so important and urgent that it requires our immediate redeployment?"

Tragen's question was not far-fetched: there was much truth in his words. Why redeploy one of the Empire's best and most valuable units for a seemingly insignificant mission? Tragen still could not figure out why, but I could.

"Anti-guerrilla."

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"Anti-guerrilla. Our mission is not directed against the Entente army, which is now defeated, humiliated and close to collapse. No, our mission is in anti-guerrilla function, specifically anti-partisan."

"Anti-partisan?"

"Yes. Follow my reasoning, Tragen: as you well know, by now the collapse of the Entente army is near, and when that happens, the enemy's government will have no choice but to surrender or flee, and abandon the nation's territory to our occupying forces. Should the former occur, the enemy's government, though humiliated and forced to accept our terms, will still be in place and will be able to aid us in the pacification of the region. But if the second were to occur, as I fear it will, our occupying forces would likely be dealing with guerrilla rebel forces intent on fighting our just occupation with violent acts. And this weapons depot, if there is one, could provide the rebels with a lot of weapons and ammunition."

"But how could the rebels take over? We have our troops there, in Orse who-"

"Our troops at Orse will not move before they are ready to occupy the enemy capital, Tragen. And in the meantime, the guardians of the depot may be complacent enough to supply the rebel civilians with arms and ammunition, at least in a desperate attempt to bleed us dry. That is why we need to find that depot and destroy it, as soon as possible. Do you understand now?"

"Well, yes, sir."

"Very good, Tragen. Now let's follow the others and descend, and finally find this damned depot..."

We landed on a small hill, little hidden by the surrounding trees. This position was optimal, as it would allow us to have a greater ability to orient and observe the surrounding area. Not only that, wherever the enemy appeared, we would see them from a great distance.

"Maybe it's better to split up." said Tanya looking at the surrounding area. "If we split up we can cover the same area in much less time, or a much larger area in the same time. Keep the radio channel open however, if you find the enemy take cover and call for reinforcements.

"Yes, sir!" the various squad leaders replied.

Teams 2, 3 and 4 went on patrol in the surrounding area, while, around us, squares 1 and 5 remained in place, guarding the hill. We did not know if the enemy was in turn keeping an eye on us, but if so, we did not want to be caught off guard.

At that time we did not yet suspect that the enemy's ammunition depot was much closer than we thought.

"Tanya?" I said as I cautiously approached her "Do you think we'll find the enemy's weapons depot?"

"If we find it?" she repeated almost in mocking tones "Frederick, never doubt the success of our mission. Our Battalion is the most highly trained and ready-for-anything elite unit in the entire Imperial Army. We have completed far more terrible and difficult missions. If that ammunition dump is here, we will find it! I'm sure we will!"



"To all teams," Tanya made after a good ten minutes. "report."

"Team 2. We have spotted local wildlife, but no sign of human presence. Some tracks in the wet mud, but could be human as well as some large animals."

"Team 4. Again, no sign of enemy activity: old trails, but they seem long unused."

"Team 3 here. We found traces of old quarters and buildings, but they seem long abandoned. No sign of the depot."

"Keep searching!" ordered Tanya in a voice full of authority. "I know the target is here: we must locate it, whatever it takes! Redouble your efforts!"

"Yes sir!"

While Tanya was busy managing the search, I was distracted watching the moon above us, which simultaneously illuminated the area and gave a spooky air to the forest around us. If I focused on it I could also see small dark objects flying in front of it: were they night birds? Or perhaps, enemy or allied planes and wizards?

I was so focused on thinking that as I walked without looking where I was stepping, I ended up tripping, and tumbled to the ground, my face in the fresh snow.

"Sir!" said Tragen, coming to help me. "Are you ok?"

"Of course Tragen, don't mind about me..." I replied with sarcasm. "I just fell face first into the snow!"

"Frederick!" Tanya reprimanded me. "Have you spent so much time in the air, you don't even know how to walk anymore?"

I was about to respond in rhyme, perhaps appealing to my rank to get her in trouble in front of the soldiers, when, perhaps out of impulse, I turned my gaze toward the spot where I was walking, and where I had stumbled. And it was then, that I saw what I had stumbled upon

At first glance it looked like something shiny, so I thought it might be a piece of ice or a ferrous stone, glowing under the moonlight. But after a few quick glances I realized it was a long, curved, smooth object. Something that could in no way exist except through the intervention of Man. A hook embedded in the ground.

"Tanya" I said getting back on my feet and approaching the strange object. "Look at this! What does it look like?"

Tanya followed the point indicated by my finger, and paused to look. In a few moments her listless expression became interested.

"It looks like... a hook."

"Exactly. But, what is a hook doing in a forest?" I said grabbing the hook and starting to pull with all my strength.

Thinking about it in hindsight, it hadn't been such a great idea. That hook might as well have been put in the ground for no reason, or maybe to hold down a tent in the past, and then it had been abandoned there. Or, in the worst case scenario, that hook could have activated an alarm sensor, or a land mine. In that case, however, it would have instead revealed a surprise.

The small hook held out for a few moments before being ripped off. And with it, much of the cover beneath came away, revealing not dirt and mud, but wood and steel.

"What the-" made Viktoriya, watching with trepidation.

"This is not a hill! It's the goddamned depot!" said Tanya, turning to look at the knoll we had been standing on to explore the surrounding area. "We landed right on top of it!"

"That's right!" I said with a smile. "Evidently the enemy was counting on the snow being enough to conceal them so that at first glance no one could tell. A brilliant and clever idea, I must say!"

"But not enough to stop us!" Tanya roared. "Second Lieutenant Serebryakov, Get in touch with the other teams and tell them to get back here as soon as possible! As for the rest of you," he said turning to Tragen and the other mages. "pave the way for us!"



It took several minutes, but eventually we were able to locate the entrance. This was actually a large iron door, set at an angle so as not to stand out to our eyes, and in turn covered by snowand grass-like covering. The door was sealed, but the guy who had built it had not thought to make the door only open from the inside. So, taking advantage of the lock, we set to work around it.

The door resisted for a long time, but finally its lock gave way and, having unlocked the access mechanism, we were able to open it. Inside, an exciting but also macabre spectacle awaited us.

Supported by an iron frame, a wooden cover concealed numerous reams of combat rifles, lined up in a capillary fashion and resting on top of as many crates full of ammunition. In one far corner, several barrels of fuel and gasoline were leaning against the wall of the shelter, while from the other corner, several medical kits and a larger barrel containing gunpowder were propped up. Here and there arranged around the room were numerous pistols and a basket full of grenades. In short, everything needed to arm and keep a small army fighting efficiently.

Nevertheless, of all this, it was what awaited in the center of the room that concerned me.

At the bottom of the storeroom lay a partially mummified corpse, wearing a uniform of a soldier of the Entente Alliance army. The body did not smell of decomposition, so I had to assume it had been dead for a long time, at least long enough for the cold, dry climate inside the bunker to naturally mummify the body. He did have a gun, but it was still holstered on his right side, so it was easy to assume he had not committed suicide. Lending credence to this hypothesis, his skull showed no signs of close gunfire. I approached, and examined the body. It was then that I noticed that his waist was very tight, and his muscles very withered. In a way, it was as if something (or someone) had sucked the life out of him.

"Damn!" Viktoriya said, looking at the lifeless body. "That was something I could have done without."

"War is war, Second Lieutenant." replied Tanya, walking past the corpse and start looking at the warehouse's substantial stockpile of weapons and ammunition. "You've already killed in combat: the enemy's deaths shouldn't impress you."

"Nevertheless," replied Viktoriya. "it's quite a sad image, seeing this soldier who had shot himself when…"

"It was not suicide." I replied.

"W-what?"

"No gunshot marks on the body," I said turning to look at her. "and nothing to suggest suicidal intent. So unless he had poison on him, I doubt it was suicide."

"B-but then what-"

"Frederik, come here!" Tanya called me from the end of the bunker. "I say we had just hit a jackpot."

Silently, I walked toward her, taking the paper she was offering, and immediately starting to read it. It didn't take long before I realized the importance of the paper in my hand.

"It's a complete and detailed list of everything that was stored here." Tanya said in a voice full of boast. "How many rifles, how much small arms and heavy weapons ammunition, how much fuel, how much powder, and everything else that was stored in here until a week ago. Judging from what I can see, I don't think there's much missing from the roll call."

"Ten with honors, Tanya," I said, smiling, "A commendable job. Well, I'd say it's time to get ready to destroy everything."

"Shall we take the stuff out and start dismantling it?" asked Tragen with a match in his hand to shine a light on himself.

"It would be pointless and take too long." Tanya said with an evil smile. "After all, our mission only said to destroy the enemy's weapons cache, but it didn't specify how."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"I mean," she did, moving to the side so that we could all see the barrels of gunpowder and gasoline behind her. "we have plenty of flammable and explosive materials on hand, and we are all equipped with a good supply of matches. Let's create a trail that will allow us to detonate it from a distance, and just blow it up."

I smiled.



Five minutes later, the fuel line in the snow was ready. Very long, and it went all the way to the grove, so even when it exploded we would enjoy good cover to protect us from the blast.

While the team was preparing the fuse, Tanya and I, along with Vitkroryia and Tragen (who was shining the light on us) were in the bunker, inspecting it for anything useful that we could take away as souvenirs. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that was useful: most of the rifles and pistols were old models, obsolete and unusable for the Imperial forces, which mostly used bullets from different manufacturers. In the end we only took the grenades, and a few other small items of common use that we found here and there.

"All set, sir." said Vitkoriya. "The fuse is ready: we just have to go out and blow it."

"Did you get everything that might be useful?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Tragen, you can throw down that match..."

"Ok..."

"...but put it out first!" made Tanya as her voice filled with horror.

"...oops."

 

[TerraBull]

My only comment is, too much Destruction.

If the Depot was Captured, Entire & Intact, HQ would have Commended them, possibly to Transfer them.

It is Idiotic. Worthy of a Dope Slap inHindsight.

 

[Trunko]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT​

Hello everyone, fellow readers. First, let me thank you for your feedback and constructive criticism: it is my goal to use the suggestions you leave me to gradually and steadily improve in my writing, and to continue to write chapters that will find your appreciation.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you a bad news: due to a problem related to the recent SufficientVelocity blackout, the draft of the chapter that was to be published this week was lost, before it could be sent to my editor for the appropriate editing and proofreading. I was only able to save the first part of the chapter, which is about 1100 words. Since it is not my intention to submit to your attention a partial and unedited chapter, I wanted to ask you the courtesy to consider this week as an "empty week", while the regular publication of the fanfiction will resume next week, on the same weekly day you are used to.

Please excuse me for the unexpected setback, but it was not dependent on my will. I, like you, was a victim of events. Nevertheless, I will try in every way possible to make up for what I can and to provide, by next week, a new chapter that may be of interest to you.

I wish you a cordial evening, and have a great time.

Kind regards.

Trunko.

PS: small question for all readers: what do you like, that you would prefer to be more present in the fic? And what do you like the least, and would you prefer it to be less present?

 

[A Truly Just Man]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT​

Hello everyone, fellow readers. First, let me thank you for your feedback and constructive criticism: it is my goal to use the suggestions you leave me to gradually and steadily improve in my writing, and to continue to write chapters that will find your appreciation.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you a bad news: due to a problem related to the recent SufficientVelocity blackout, the draft of the chapter that was to be published this week was lost, before it could be sent to my editor for the appropriate editing and proofreading. I was only able to save the first part of the chapter, which is about 1100 words. Since it is not my intention to submit to your attention a partial and unedited chapter, I wanted to ask you the courtesy to consider this week as an "empty week", while the regular publication of the fanfiction will resume next week, on the same weekly day you are used to.

Please excuse me for the unexpected setback, but it was not dependent on my will. I, like you, was a victim of events. Nevertheless, I will try in every way possible to make up for what I can and to provide, by next week, a new chapter that may be of interest to you.

I wish you a cordial evening, and have a great time.

Kind regards.

Trunko.

PS: small question for all readers: what do you like, that you would prefer to be more present in the fic? And what do you like the least, and would you prefer it to be less present?

Click to shrink...

You've got plenty of time to rewrite it, don't sweat it. See the Blackout as a blessing, you can make the chapter better than it could've been. Stay positive frosty.

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 120: United No More​

About a week passed since our mission, and although peace had not yet been made official by a formal surrender, the fighting in the Norden region was now almost over. A few weeks after our bombing operation, Imperial forces in the Orse region, brought in for this very operation, stocked with supplies, had launched their offensive toward the Entente capital. It had been an armored division, armed with medium tanks (suitable for the snowy plains of the northern region of the Entente territory); a motorized division to three infantry divisions, which were later joined by four more infantry divisions from the south. A fearsome force, well supplied and equipped, against which the enemy could oppose only seven under-equipped infantry divisions, reduced to almost half of the staff and heavily demoralized by the defeats suffered. It was clear as day who would win, and so it was.

Imperial forces, with a coordinated and violent pincer maneuver, surrounded and forced the surrender of what was left of the Entente army, and then on their capital. Attempts by a small handful of citizens to resist by building barricades and improvising a citizen militia were to no avail: the imperial panzers, having overwhelmed the meager improvised defenses, occupied the city in a short time and reached the palace of the government of the capital. Here, according to some rumors I had heard, the Entente government had tried to gain the sympathy of the Imperial soldiers in the hope of organizing "a peaceful transfer of executive powers". Stolid pops, how could they still believe that they had power with imperial armored forces parading through the main streets of the city? If nothing else, their decision to stay and not flee had provided the Empire with several valuable hostages.

After the fall of the capital and with the Entente army dissolved for all intents and purposes, what remained of the enemy's armed forces had quickly followed the same fate. The first to surrender was the Entente navy, which had assembled what remained of its naval forces and surrendered to the Empire in the Norden ports it now occupied. Shortly after, the air force, with no more fuel supplies, had chosen the same path and had surrendered itself into the hands of the Empire's soldiers. Only a few aircraft from some of the bases in the far north had abandoned the region and taken refuge in the Allied Kingdom.

Finally, and this was the news I had been eagerly awaiting, the Entente Magic Corps had also surrendered. I had not been able to be present, due to the various formalities of the Imperial army, but through some contacts of the Imperial army (and some small string that I had managed to pull) I had managed to learn some interesting details: above all, at the time when he had decided to surrender, only part of the remaining mages had accepted the idea. A good part (almost 40% of the surviving Entente mages) had instead fled to the Allied Kingdom, perhaps in a desperate attempt to continue the fight.

This of course, gave me pause: the Allied Kingdom was still neutral in the war, and yet, its position was still very ambiguous, according to some sources. In fact, the Allied Kingdom had taken in many fleeing civilians from the Entente, as well as part of its air and magic forces. Not only that: according to some newspapers that I had the opportunity to read, the possibility that the government of the Allied Kingdom would recognize a government in exile of the Entente had been aired for a long time. This had not yet happened, but nothing made it impossible that it could happen in the near future. Moreover, the Allied Kingdom's refusal to intern the Entente soldiers and mages who had found refuge on its territory: an attitude that could not but have ulterior motives.

"Still with your nose pressed into the paper, Frederick?" did an unequivocal voice. "Careful not to cut yourself with the paper."

"Tanya." I replied as I looked up from the articles in the paper. "I was beginning to feel good without your presence. May I know to what I owe this interruption?

In response, she smiled, approaching me with a letter already open, but with the unmistakable seal of Strategic Headquarters on it.

Silently, I squinted my eyes and grabbed the letter. I knew from experience that when Tanya smiled, it was never a good sign.

"What does this letter say?" I asked hesitantly.

"Read it, go ahead and read it." she did, as her smile slowly but surely turned into an arrogant grin of victory. "I think you'll like it...."

Although disturbed by the situation, I took the letter and began to read its contents. After a few short lines, I stopped, and looked Tanya straight in the eye.

"You couldn't have done this..."

"I did." she said. "Apparently, Strategic Headquarters greatly appreciated my report on the depot mission. Specifically, on how your protégé's action almost cost us our lives."

"Tragen did nothing but follow your orders when you ordered him to drop that match. You can't blame him for the unclear order. He carried out the order, without questioning it: that's what you demand of mages under our command."

"That is true." she shrugged. "However, that is not how I wrote in my report. And that's not how Strategic Headquarters now sees it. Did you read the rest of the letter?"

I did. It took a few lines for my blood to turn nasty, more poisonous than octopus venom. "I read it. So what?"

"And so, as you can read, our time with me as your subordinate is coming to an end!" she erupted, with a roar of victory. "Orders from Strategic HQ are that the 203rd Battalion will be taken back to training camps in the west of the Empire, where it will be divided into two battalions: I will be in command of one, while you will be in command of the other. In addition, HQ has agreed to my request to grant me first choice in the selection of mages for the composition of my battalion."

"And you, I assume, will use that benefit to choose most of the more experienced and combat-prepared mages, leaving the younger and more inexperienced recruits to me, right?"

She smiled again, with a grin that would have made a hyena die of envy. "That way, I can finally demonstrate my solo leadership skills, without you getting in my way at every turn. You've been a ball and chain since it all started!"

"Thank you just as much." I replied angrily, as I finished reading the letter that sanctioned Tanya's (temporary) victory. "Let me remind you that the orders are not immediate: we still have a few days, before we set off back home."

"Only a few days, Frederick." she replied. "And then, I will finally be free of you!"

"The feeling is mutual…"

"I know." she replied.



"Sir, may I speak with you?"

"Well, yes, Tragen." I said trying to conceal my anger as much as possible, not with him, but with myself. "What's going on?"

"There are rumors circulating among the troops, which I feel like needing to confirm. According to those rumors, the battalion is on the verge of being redeployed to strategic reserve on the Rhine Front, and... being divided, too."

I looked at him with big eyes. It was just for a couple of moments, but we have known each other from so long, he realized it without even the need of some words from my part.

"It is true, right sir?"

"Yes, Tragen, it is." I said, showing the defeat on my face. "Apparently, Major Degurechaff used the little accident that "happened" during the destruction of the enemy's depot to boost her own plans and convince our superiors that the Battalion have to be split in order to double our efficiency and being useful in more missions. Also, since the Strategic headquarter had entrusted Major Degurechaff with first choice in the selection of the mages, she will be the one to choose the most veteran ones, while I will be stuck somewhere with a bunch of young recruits trying to nurture them into acceptable fighters…"

For a couple on seconds, no one said a word. Then, suddenly, Tragen tried to spoke back again.

"Sir, I… I want to excuse myself for the terrible result of my action during the attack on the deposit. It was my action that put you and Major Degurechaff in life danger, and that served as the right excuse for major Degurechaff to prove to Strategic Headquarter the need to split the battalion in two. As such, I willingly resign myself to whatever punishment you want me to endure…"

"Tragen-"

"I know I made a big mistake, and therefore...."

"Tragen?"

"If you will accept my official resignations-"

"Tragen!" I yelled, stopping him before he could speak again. His eyes, until a moment before full of shame towards himself, were immediately filled with a new emotion: amazement.

"I don't blame you for what happened."

"S-sir?"

"You were merely a pawn in Major Degurechaff's dirty power games. You took what happened and used it to give power and force to his claims. In any case, I don't think what's going to happen is too bad."

"But, sir! The battalion will be split!"

"Indeed." I said, flashing the most benevolent smile I could put on my lips. "And that means that Major Degurechaff will have command of one, while I shall retain command of the other. No one, as of yet, has spoken of punishing me or demoting me in rank, let alone being ordered to take disciplinary action against you. And, seriously speaking, I was beginning to get tired of having to share command of the unit with Major Degurechaff. With the battalion divided, I will be the commander through and through, no longer having to share command with anyone else."

"So, sir, you are saying that… you are not worried about what is going to happen?"

"Of course I am worried." I said, this time sincerely. "However, worrying is not going to magically resolve anything. We had better think rather of what to do, for when the battalion is divided, and how to organize ourselves."

"Ourselves?" Tragen asked, dumb-founded. "Are you saying that-"

"Yes Tragen. No matter what happened, I still want to keep you as my second-in-command."

"Sir..." Tragen said, and his uneasiness turned quickly in happiness. "I-it would be an honor"

"Indeed." I replied. "Now, I advise you to calm down and don't think with too much fear about what lies ahead: I assure you, the game is not over...."

"Indeed. Thank you sir."

As Tragen walked away in the direction of the dorms, I thought calmly about what he had said: dumping Tragen might have been the most immediate and seemingly logical choice, but it would not have brought me any permanent benefit. On the contrary, keeping him in my ranks would ensure me a person I could trust, who would in fact act as my bodyguard and as the most faithful executor of my orders.

I can't send you to court-martial, I thought as Tragen vanished from my sight, I still need you for my plan...



A few days later, we received orders to return to Imperial territory. Our Battalion then took its place on a transport ship, which would take us back to the heart of the Empire. Although the level of security was quite low (due to the capitulation of the Entente) the ships were still under escort and we too, therefore, made the return journey escorted by two destroyers.

I personally kept thinking that we would have done it faster if they had allowed us to fly the return trip, but the army command had specifically forbidden any magic unit to make its transfers by magic flight without prior authorization. The reason was simple: the high poppies of the army didn't want to risk a formation of Imperial Mages, flying over Empire territory, being mistaken for a formation of enemy mages and promptly shot down by mistake. Mages were still a rare elite, after all.

Throughout the trip, the troops remained calm, although they were very demoralized by the news of our impending split: many of the mages in the battalion, in fact, had long established friendships, strong emotional ties or real relationships with other members of the team, and the idea that a simple stroke of a pen could divide them was reason enough to make them fearful of the future and very nervous.

Only one was happy about the upcoming split in the Battalion.

Ever since she had arrived in my office to wave the official news to me that Strategic Headquarters had finally approved the split, a kind of perverse, sadistic happiness had appeared in Tanya. As time passed, he seemed to almost count down the minutes and seconds until she could assume her own independent leadership.

Maybe that was why she did not realize what I had been thinking.

If Strategic HQ would give Tanya permission to select the most veteran and experienced mages to form the backbone of her unit, it was unlikely that she would remain in reserve in the rear for very long. On the contrary, it was very likely that Strategic HQ, once the two battalions were established at full strength, would send the most experienced unit (i.e. Tanya's) first into some military operations, albeit low-profile ones. Conversely, I-

My mind stopped almost for a moment as an evil grin appeared on my lips.

Using the excuse of inexperienced recruits, I could extensively extend the time before the battalion was again deployed into action. And for as long as the battalion was not deployed again, I could enjoy a sweet period of peace and security in the rear.

Silently, I too began to count down the time until we arrived at boot camp.

 

[ComradeH]

I kinda expect Fred's plan to backfire. As in Tanya suddenly has a moment of clarity and start picking the new recruits, leaving the elite for Fred.

 

[Lone Courier 6]

I kinda expect Fred's plan to backfire. As in Tanya suddenly has a moment of clarity and start picking the new recruits, leaving the elite for Fred.

Click to shrink...

I think Fred has a plan for either scenario.

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 121: Arrival, Reunions and Hot Chocolate​

"Welcome back to the Zugspitsche Training Camp, Major König." a young officer greeted me with perfect discipline. "Lieutenant Nils Gerster, of the 2nd Infantry Regiment "Nassawber" of the 34th Division. I have been authorized by Strategic Headquarters to be of support to you during the arrangement of your unit in anticipation of the future split, and to supervise the transfer of recruits. It is my honor to be able to be there to welcome you, sir."

"Likewise." I replied with a small smile, while, all around us, soldiers were starting to get out of the transport trucks. "It's good to be home again, in the Empire."

"Sir, if I may... my brother was in the forces in the Norden front. For his part, I would like to thank you and all your men for what you have done for the Empire: without your help, we might still be a long way from the enemy capital, and the Entente would not have surrendered."

"I am pretty sure that, in the end, the strength of the Imperial Army would have eventually defeated them. Our Intervention… just made their downfall quicker."

It was then, as we were talking, that I noticed that the boot camp had changed a lot since the last time I had set foot there. When Tanya and I had left for Dakia, the training camp was little more than a steppe-like plain with a few buildings and a few shacks where soldiers could rest when they weren't on duty or in training (i.e. rarely). Now, however, a large concrete wall surrounded the entire area, manned by numerous anti-aircraft artillery positions, machine guns and cannons. One of two things could be: either the Imperial Army's military engineers had a lot of time and money to waste, or the small training camp had become as important as the level of fortifications that now defended it. This of course would have made our training camp a military site of high importance to the Empire.

"I'm sure of it, sir. Please follow me."

As soon as the gate began to open, I could see with my own eyes the rest of the architectural evolution of the area. The building development of the base had not been limited to the outer defenses: inside the wall there were now numerous buildings, enough to house ten times the number of mages that made up our battalion. In the center of the base, in what had once been an old civilian building converted to military use, there was a large, flat, rugged-looking building, like a bunker, to which was attached a massive radar equipment, most likely used to detect any approaching enemy aircraft. And here and there, arranged in a harmonious order among the buildings, other anti-aircraft emplacements, barracks and other buildings whose functions were not yet clear to me, but whose usefulness I would have plenty of time to discover in the days to follow.

"I see our engineers have been keeping busy." I said as I surveyed the base around me. "When we were training the unit, this place looked more like a desolate steppe than..."

"Yes sir, we were told it might surprise you." Gerster replied as they walked in the direction of the command building. "It's all thanks to Colonel von Rerugen: apparently it was he who convinced Strategic Headquarters that this location is equidistant enough and safe enough from our borders to serve as the main training base for the Magic forces of the Empire. Therefore, as soon as it was possible, the base was expanded and upgraded to handle more mage recruits. I'm sure you won't have any difficulty finding enough mages to fill the ranks of the battalion again, once it's split up."

I looked at him, glaring.

"Sir, I did not meant to-"

"How do you get to know this?" I asked, putting on my best rude commanding officer tone. "Who informed you that our battalion will be divided?"

"The base commander, of course: she informed me about the matter and asked me to reassure you about it. I didn't know that... was this supposed to be a secret?"

"I'll let it pass this time." I said, as to reassure him. "However, I would like to share some words with the commanding officer of the camp. Can you please take over the redeployment of the Magic Battalion in my absence?"

"Y-yes sir! It would be an honor!" he saluted.

He left, and I was left alone. I looked at the huge building in front of me for a moment, and prepared to enter. I didn't notice the person approaching behind me until she put her hand on my shoulder.

"Excuse me, Major König?" came a voice that I did not recognized at first.

"Yes, and who are you supposed to-"

I turned around, and came almost face to face with a girl with short blond hair, brown eyes and in a black uniform who identified her as a member of the Imperial Mage Corps.

"Hana?" I said aloud, without realizing it "Hana Lindemann?"

"Captain Hana Lindemann, sir." she replied, her lips turning into a blow-wide smile as she saluted me. "I am happy to finally meet you again."

For a few moments, I said nothing, while many questions appeared inside my brain. However, it took a few moments before one of them could reach my mouth, and come out.

"How?"

"How did I end up here, sir?" she said with a chuckle. "I simply saw your enlistment poster, the one you made to convince the best mages to enlist in your unit. Of course, I immediately applied for a transfer as soon as I could. And not just me..."

"What do you me-"

"Frederick!" came another female voice from inside the building. "The rumors were true: you actually came back here!"

"Christel?" I said, more amazed than before.

"Yes Major." Hana replied. "Christel, I believe you should, ahem, present yourself…"

"Oh right!" she said, saluting me in turn. "First Lieutenant Christel Heider, at your service sir!"

"You saw the poster and decided to enroll here too?"

"Indeed, sir. Hana was the one to show it to me, and as soon as I finished reading it, I realized it was the path I needed to follow. How is Tragen. I cannot see him…"

"Is he-"

"No." I replied, stopping them before they could make the wrong assumptions. "He is still alive. In fact, he's at the gate with the other members of the batallion. I am sure you can go meet him once-"

"Tragen is alive?!" this time was a male voice. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe it Stauffer!" Hana replied. "Tragen was always a tough guy. If anyone has a better chance of surviving this war, it's him."

"Stauffer?" I looked puzzled both at him and at Hana. "Did you show the poster to him too?"

"Hana showed the poster not just to me and Christel." Stauffer replied. "He actually showed it to quite a few people who she believed could be good additions for the Special Mage Unit. She said the best mages of the Empire ought to serve where they can do best, and I pretty much agree with her."

"You made propaganda of the propaganda?" I asked, looking at her.

"It was the least I could do for you and the Fatherland, sir." she replied. "On the Rhine Front, even the best mages can die of something trivial as a bullet, while here they can be employed for the most important missions and battles where their presence can truly make a difference. And, for some of us, it did."

"No doubt. I'd like to stay and talk, but I have an urgent engagement: I have to talk to the person in charge of the camp, to discuss with him some very important issues. Is he in?"

"No." Hana said. "The boss isn't in her office right now. However, you can ask directly what do you need to ask: she, or better, I, can listen to what you want to say, very carefully."

"You are the one in charge?" I asked dumb-founded.

"Well, yes, sir." she said with a full grin. "Strategic Headquarters entrusted me with the training of new mage recruits. So, if you have any questions you want to ask, you can ask me anything. Of course, I have so many things to ask you in return too…."




"I cannot believe this is actually happening." Tragen said, still in disbelief. "I mean, the members of our old unit and our commander, all here gathered just like the old times…"

"Yep, this is quite marvelous, isn't it?" I replied, taking another sip of my chocolate. We were currently in my former office (now Hana's office, as my mind not stopped me remembering it) and I was happy to see that no matter how many changes the base had undergone, some things remained the same as I had left them. "But more than anything, I'm amazed at the way you've managed to run an entire boot camp. It seems like only yesterday you were a young sergeant under my command, and now..."

"I am now in command of the most important and well-defended training camp in the entire Empire! And all because I read that propaganda poster of yours, sir. Considering what I gained from it, that's something I have to thank you for...."

"We all do, sir." said Christel, smiling at me. "Life in boot camp is much easier and full of satisfaction than life on the Rhine front. As much as I don't regret fighting for our homeland, I don't hide the fact that having the opportunity to sleep in real beds and to eat hot, cooked food every day makes military life much more bearable."

"Just to ask." I said looking at both Stauffer and Christel. "What do you guys do here at boot camp?"

"I'm the quartermaster." Christel said. "I try to make sure we never have a shortage of what we need to keep the soldiers' training active."

"And I'm a logistics officer." Stauffer added. "Basically, I'm in charge of keeping existing buildings at full efficiency, and if necessary, we're in charge of building new ones."

"Indeed. I saw you did a great job into turning the small training ground into a very useful base for the Empire. I am sure Major Degurechaff would appreciate what you have done as well."

An unnatural silence fell over the room as Hana, Christel, and Stauffer's eyes grew large. I could almost sense the fear in their minds as their faces turned white.

"Degurechaff... Is she alive?"

"Yes, Christel." I said, taking small sips of the chocolate. "She is now Major Tanya Degurechaff, and until today she has been the second-in-command of our Magic Battalion, with me as her only superior."

"Why until today?" asked Christel.

Tragen huffed as his eyes filled with anger at himself. "During our last operation I... made a big mistake in the course of the mission that almost cost Major König, Major Degurechaff and Second Lieutenant Viktoriya Serebryakov their lives. Although they all escaped without a scratch, Major Degurechaff used that incident to request the division of the unit from Strategic Headquarters, which, although it had been in the air for a long time, had not yet received official confirmation. Which means that in a few days the 203 Magic Rapid Intervention Battalion will be dismembered in two, and divided into two battalions that will be subsequently reshuffled and..."

"Tragen, I think they already know the rest." I said, with a friendly face "And don't keep blaming yourself. You know what Major Degurechaff is like: she'd be able to use any foothold to achieve his own ends..."

"I can't believe it..." said Hana, her tone testifying to her difficulty. "Major Degurechaff… is here?"

"Not yet, Captain." I replied. "Major Degurechaff stopped along the way to discipline some soldiers who she said had violated Military Regulations. She'll be here in a couple of hours at most."

At those words, a vague sense of dread spread through the room. Hana was breathing hard, and Stauffer had begun to fidget nervously. Could it be that they remembered Tanya and her draconian methods? Almost certainly.

"In that case, I think it would behoove us to prepare for his arrival." Stauffer said, making to get up. Christel's quick hands, however, stopped him before he could complete his action.

"We still have two hours before Major Degurechaff arrives, Stauffer, and it will take us a short time to give our subordinate officers their orders. I believe we have time for another chocolate... and a few more questions."

Stauffer smiled, quickly imitated by Hana. A soldier came out, bringing orders to bring us all another hot chocolate, and we resumed our discussion.

"So, within a few days your Battalion will be divided and both you and Degurechaff will be placed in command of respective units?"

"Yes: tomorrow the battalion will be officially split, and from that moment on, Degurechaff will officially stop being my subordinate and become an independent officer. From then on, our main task will be to replenish the ranks of our respective battalions, selecting mages in training at this camp. Obviously, since Major Degurechaff is the one who has been granted the privilege of early selection, she will be able to choose the battalion mages who will remain with her well in advance, and which ones will switch with me instead..."

"What? This is absurd!" Stauffer slammed a fist on the table. "She will have free rign to pick and choose as she pleases with no regard for balance!"

"Unfortunately, this is the case. This is precisely why I wanted to ask you for a few favors..."

At those words, Stauffer, Hana, and Christel listened attentively and silently. Tragen, too, straightened his ears.

"As you could easily have guessed, Major Degurechaff is exploiting a whole series of frauds and loopholes to put himself in a superior position to me. I still do not understand the ultimate goal, but it probably has to do with showing off at my expense in front of the strategic headquarters, and consequently putting me in an inferior position for the future. That is probably why she is going to use her connections to secure the most skilled mage-soldiers in the battalion: she wants to secure a large superiority base to operate from in case of future missions. To remedy this, I wanted to ask if it would be too much trouble to ask you for a privilege agreement to train the troops I will be commanding..."

"Meaning?"

"First choice for equipment supplies and in the selection of field soldiers to be included in the battalion. While I don't think this will fully offset the advantages that Degurechaff will undoubtedly be able to get assigned, it could be a great way to-"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"What is it, Stauffer?"

"Now that I think about it, there are some other ways we could help you regain the lost ground versus Degurechaff: if I may suggest, we could delay and postpone all the supplies she will need for…."

"No. That won't happen."

"Why?"

"Because we are currently in the middle of a war, Stauffer, and Degurechaff, for better or worse, commands an elite unit of the Imperial Army. What would happen if, due to a lack of supplies, Degurechaff's battalion failed to complete a mission that Strategic Headquarters assigned to you? What if that mission was of the utmost importance to the Empire's war development? I don't want to take responsibility for a defeat!"

Stauffer stopped cold, as my words sank into his brain. He was realizing what I meant to say, and it was a spectacle to see.

"Sir- I am sorry- I was not thinking that-"

"Stop with the excuses: you are a soldier of the Imperial Army. We have no time for melodrama here."

"Yes, sir."

"Excuse me?" came a voice from outside the room. "I have here five hot chocolates for Captain Lindemann..."

"Bring it inside, soldier." Hana said.

The door opened, and a girl dressed in a military uniform entered.

"Here is your chocolates, sir… Frederick?"

"Hello, Elsie." I said, smiling in her direction while the other people in the room gaped and remained open-mouthed. "Would you like to come inside?"

 

[ivanacco1]

My only comment is, too much Destruction.

If the Depot was Captured, Entire & Intact, HQ would have Commended them, possibly to Transfer them.

It is Idiotic. Worthy of a Dope Slap inHindsight.

Click to shrink...

I agree , an entire supply depot specially with fuel in there(weapons and ammo are useless due to design differences) would be extremely valuable, specially knowing that there will be a blockade in any moment.

 

[ComradeH]

"You made propaganda of the propaganda?"

Click to shrink...

Put this lady in charge of propaganda department. Everyone can write cheesy propaganda, but to turn chessy propaganda into functional propaganda for a bunch of hardened and cynical soldiers? IT takes talent.

"No." Hana said. "The boss isn't in her office right now. However, you can ask directly what do you need to ask: she, or better, I, can listen to what you want to say, very carefully."

"You are the one in charge?" I asked dumb-founded.

"Well, yes, sir." she said with a full grin. "Strategic Headquarters entrusted me with the training of new mage recruits. So, if you have any questions you want to ask, you can ask me anything. Of course, I have so many things to ask you in return too…."

Click to shrink...

She is lucky that she is an acquataince. If that is someone else, Fred would have no problem chewing her out for leaks

You know what Major Degurechaff is like: he'd be able to use any foothold to achieve his own ends..."

Click to shrink...

That should be her, yes?

"First choice for equipment supplies and in the selection of field soldiers to be included in the battalion. While I don't think this will fully offset the advantages that Degurechaff will undoubtedly be able to get assigned, it could be a great way to-"

Click to shrink...

So Tanya has first choice in picking the officers and NCOs to build her batallion, but Fred wants first pick in choosing specialised supply and grunts?

"Here is your chocolates, sir… Frederick?"

"Hello, Elsie." I said, smiling in her direction while the other people in the room gaped and remained open-mouthed. "Would you like to come inside?"

Click to shrink...

I vaguely feel some problems coming from this direction

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 122: The Longest Step​

"Are you alright Elsie?" I asked her as soon as we were out of Hana's office.

"Yes, Frederick, I mean sir." she said trying to greet me and catch her breath at the same time.

"Oh, stop with the titles. As long as there is no one else present, I am simply Frederick, the boy you grew up with at the orphanage."

"Oh sure." she said, trying desperately to calm herself down. "You're Frederick... the boy who was adopted by a wealthy family... and who now commands the elite battalion of the Empire's magical forces... and who is now my commanding officer... Oh my…"

"Elsie, calm down." I said trying to take as brotherly a tone as possible. "The last thing I need is for you to freak out in the middle of our conversation. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir, I mean Frederick." she replied, straightening herself up. "Do you need me to help you with something?"

"Actually, now that I think about it, you could be of considerable help to me." I said, placing a hand under my chin and assuming a thoughtful expression. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Why?" she asked, as the shock from earlier gave way to consternation and bewilderment. "What could a Major in the Imperial Army possibly want to know from a simple sergeant like me?"

"Well to be honest... Wait a second, Sergeant? You're a sergeant?"

"Yes Frederick!" she said greeting me again. "You are looking at Sergeant Elsie Schulze, promoted a month ago for dedication to her job and meritocracy in the Imperial Army."

"I'm happy for you, Elsie." I said smiling. "In any case, what I wanted to ask you was nothing more nor less than your personal opinion on the current state of the camp, the officers, and your fellow soldiers."

"Why?" she asked. "Did you not just receive an elaborate and complete analysis from your former NCO and now officer in commander of the whole camp? Why you would need to ask the almost exact same thing of a lowly sergeant like me?"

"Because a senior officer does not always have a true view of the state of the troops, let alone their morale. Underestimating these factors can lead the commander to several dangers, such as a low combat efficiency of the troops, low morale and, in the most serious cases, the threat of mutiny. This is something I learned and took into account on the Rhine front, where to avoid it, I had instituted an open door policy towards my subordinates. This way, I could avoid the pitfalls of other commanders while also maintaining a positive bond with my troops, thereby avoiding any feelings of resentment towards myself."

And at the same time accumulate valuable information that I could later use to win their esteem, secure their loyalty to me, and further my own plans. I thought with a grin. However, it was not necessary for Elsie to know these things, so I did not say anything about what I was thinking.

Elsie frowned, thinking hard about my words before responding.

"I understand what you mean. I can tell you whatever you want to know. But not here, not now. Come to shack 105, in a couple of hours: it's the one closest to the cafeteria building. Jacob and Reiner will be there with me, too, if I can convince them."

And with those words, Elsie walked away, while I stood watching her until she turned around a corner and disappeared from my sight.

"Poor naive girl..."

"Who, sir?"

My fright was such that I almost took off. Immediately, I turned around, and found myself face to face with Tragen.

"Tragen!" I said, as I tried to regain control of my heart. "Didn't I tell you to announce your presence before scaring me like this? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I beg your pardon sir." he said, looking down at me. "It's just that Hana, Christel and Stauffer were worried about the long time he was spending outside, and asked me to go check on him to see if he was okay."

"Not a problem that would require armed reinforcements, Tragen: that girl is an old friend of mine, who grew up in the same orphanage as I. She is here because I, during my last stay at the capital, convinced her to enlist. I just wanted to ask her how she was doing in life under the military."

"I understand, sir. I too have personally invited some of my close friends and acquaintances to follow the same path as me and enlist. While I don't regret pushing them down this path, even now I worry about them, and whenever possible, I try to make sure about their health conditions. In any case... why do you think I'm naive?"

"Oh, I wasn't referring to her." I said, lying through my teeth. "While we were talking, another female soldier came by and..."

"I understand, sir, and I apologize for my assumption. Would you like to follow me back inside the office?"

"All right, but I can't stay for too long. In less than an hour, I have to greet Major Degurechaff upon his arrival at the camp, and then... I have a small appointment..."

"Would you like me to accompany you, sir?"

"That's not necessary, Tragen. However, I do have a small personal favor to ask of you while I'm busy...."



A few hours later, as punctual as a Swiss watch, what was left of the 203rd Mage Battalion reached the camp, and with them arrived Tanya. I knew that things would get hot the moment she arrived and I was not disappointed.

It was not hard to find Tanya. It was enough for me to follow her shrieking.

"Move, move you lazy bastards!" she yelled as the soldiers hurried out of the transport trucks. "Devil strangle you, are you all asleep? Don't snore! Last one out of the truck; I'll have him whipped!"

"Ever harsh with your victi- erh, subordinates, Tanya?" I said, making my presence known to her and the soldiers. "Seriously, you will pop a vein if you keep scowling like this..."

"Major Frederick König." she said, turning around to face me, glaring, while the others hurried to salute. "May I know what brings you here? This isn't your unit anymore, you should remember that..."

"I do remember, indeed." I said, flaunting confidence. "I arrived before you, and I took advantage of your absence to get acquainted with the commander, to make sure of the allocation of manpower, quartering, and the organization of the next division is all good and proper. I thought you would be pleased to see proper supplies and meals secured for an entire batallion of mages."

"Indeed, but only because it assures me a good deal of independence from you. And after today, I won't have to worry about such frivolities."

"By the way, how was the trip?" I asked, trying to hide my discomfort. "The soldiers you wanted to punish... How much did you give them?"

"Twenty days' confinement and I marked their names for the official report. I intend to ask Strategic Headquarters if I can send them home with a dishonorable discharge."

"What? Just because they sang on the truck?"

"Not just because of that. They disobeyed my orders when I told them to be quiet, and that alone would be reason enough for them to be shot. However, I decided to be kind, and limit my punishment to dishonorable discharge - I'm sure their families won't be at all happy about that."

"But these are still veterans, who have fought with courage, duty, and dedication. They endured your training regimen, they fought under the insignia of the 203rd in both Dakia and Norden. They have contributed to the grand victory at Orse Fjord, where we could have failed within seconds, they have endured hunger, discipline, weather, and sickness. And now, you want to send them home, just because you're disappointed in their behavior?"

"They disobeyed my orders!" she repeated, in an even more venomous tone of voice.

"Only because your orders were absurd!" replied I, hardly noticing that I, too, was raising my voice. "You ordered them not to sing, only because you had the power to do so. You ordered them to limit their water consumption, when our supplies were limited, and then scolded them for a lack of cleanliness. You even nearly blew up at Tragen, one of our most decorated subordinates and right hand men, just because he and Viktoryia-"

Two quick hands pushed me backwards, so that almost I fell backwards onto the cold, hard ground.

"You can no longer speak to me as if you were my commander. I have obeyed you and listened to you up to this moment only because you were my duplicitous commander, my superior officer by wills other than my own, but now it is all over! I no longer have to listen to your complaints, let alone obey your orders. Now, you and I are equal, and as such I no longer have to listen to what you say!"

"Oh, I see." I said as I recovered my posture. "Yes, indeed it is true: you no longer have to obey my orders."

"And sure. So-"

"However!" I said as I took a step forward, and poured on her the most wicked and evil look I could conceive. "You are obliged to respect a peer officer who, unlike you, enjoys the trust and respect of his own troops."

"Meaning?" she almost laughed. "The will of the troops counts for nothing! I don't give a damn what the soldiers may think of me, as long as they fear me!"

"And that's where you're wrong." I answered her, as my anger and the pain of before joined in an explosive mix. "A commander who doesn't enjoy, if not the trust, at least the respect of his soldiers, who doesn't know how to recognize their merits as well as their faults, who doesn't know how to use any other words but reprimands and corporal punishment, and whose solidity of position is based only on his military ranks, is not a commander for his troops, but only an officer. And a bad officer to boot!"

For a few seconds, a tension-filled silence fell over the space as the soldiers looked at us with fear-filled eyes. After all, it was understandable: it was not often that two officers squabbled, moreover in public and in front of their eyes.

"Frederick, are you crazy?" Tanya yelled at me. "Do you want me to report you?! When they hear what is happening here, you-"

"They already know." said Hana, appearing in that exact moment, and carrying a small piece of paper with her. "And they're not at all happy that you ordered soldiers to be punished for ridiculous crimes, let alone all the background on the issue."

"Hana?" made Tanya look at her with big eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the commanding officer of this training facility, Major Degurechaff. And as much as your superior rank compels me to give you the respect that is due any superior officer, that does not prohibit me from reporting on what I see and hear, especially if it breaks regulations. In that regard, I have something here that should interest you, Major Degurechaff: an urgent message from HQ. Read it carefully, I'm sure you'll enjoy it..."

Tanya took the paper from Hana's hands, and immediately began to read it carefully. In no time at all, her face contorted into an expression of anger and dismay combined together. I could see her hands shaking as his eyes scrolled over the paper with orders written on it.

What could be written on that paper? I wondered doubtfully as I looked at the faces around me. The battalion were puzzled, and somewhat astonished, since they probably did not know what to think. Only Hana had a cocky expression on her face, typical of someone who has come to dictate terms.

"Impossible." said Tanya, barely holding back her anger. "Strategic Headquarters authorized me-"

"New orders with new dispositions, Major. As the commanding officer of this facility, I have a direct line of communication with Strategic Headquarters. And while I do not like to avail myself of this privilege, I will not hesitate to do so if it allows me to avoid abuse and unnecessary punishment."

Tanya read the paper once more, and then shredded and crumpled it, throwing it on the ground. Her anger had now turned almost completely into rage, and I could almost see smoke coming out of her ears.

"This isn't over!" she said as soon as she found the words "I'm tying this one on my finger. All of you are going to pay for it! Especially you, Frederick!"

Then, Tanya turned and walked off into the distance, moving away from me, Hana, and the rest of the 203rd's mages in large strides.

"Hana?"

"Yes sir?"

"What was written on that paper?"

"New orders from up high, regarding the splitting of the battalion. As soon as I had a chance, I asked the base radio station to get in touch with HQ, and informed them of what had happened and what Major Degurechaff was preparing to do. Fortunately, Colonel Von Rerugen understood the situation, and immediately provided me with the method to contain the danger and at the same time, help you."

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean that, now, Major Degurechaff will no longer have the first pick of the soldiers for the batallion, but you."

And in doing so, I thought with resignation. you have completely destroyed my chances of staying in the rear, training the recruits. Now, it's probably back to the Rhine for me. Maybe, come to think of it, I should have left you there...

However, the words that came out of my mouth were quite different.

"Thank you, Hana." I said, with a fake smile. "That... Is very kind of you."

"Nothing but duty, sir." she said as she saluted me. "It is my duty as a camp officer to make sure that the soldiers I have responsibility for are provided with officers and commanders worthy of the name. Moreover, not only was I able to help you and your soldiers, but I was also able, in a perfectly legal manner, to get back at Major Degurechaff, if only a bit. I've been hoping for an opportunity like this for a long time..."

Why, you did! Why?

I couldn't know it, but somewhere beyond the physical world to which I was shackled, a powerful extradimensional entity was laughing at me...











Hi everyone, beautiful people

It is me again, Trunko. I apologize for the interruption but I have a communication to make, at least in respect of you.

I wanted to inform you that starting next Monday, May 3, 2021, I will be away from home for a while as I have agreed to participate in a Workaway experience of the approximate duration of 2 weeks, which will be followed some time later by another Workaway experience, this time in Spanish territory. If you do not know what Workaway is, I'll explain it in a few words:

The Workaway is a very interesting and cost-effective way to travel in an alternative and unique way. Workaway volunteers are expected to contribute to their host's projects with a pre-agreed amount of time per day in exchange for lodging and food, which is provided by their host. It is a very useful way to learn new languages, as well as to develop new talents and make cultural exchanges between the respective traditions.

Why am I telling you this? Because the Workawayers who have accepted me as a volunteer have revealed to me that they do not have a stable Internet connection, and therefore, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to continue publishing future chapters of the fanfiction even when I will be away from home.

Obviously, it is my goal to be able to continue to write and publish future chapters on a regular basis if it is possible. However, should I not be able to maintain this goal, you will be informed why.

I apologize for the interruption and thank you for your attention.

Best regards, Trunko.

 

[Random Shinobi]

I'm not quite sure why you make Tanya so hardcore disciplinarian. In Canon she habitually cracks jokes with her subordinates, but I cannot see this version of her doing so. And while she did occasionally go overboard with the whip, she never did so constantly and many of those instances were because she got high on the Type 95.

 

[NuclearBird]

I'm not quite sure why you make Tanya so hardcore disciplinarian. In Canon she habitually cracks jokes with her subordinates, but I cannot see this version of her doing so. And while she did occasionally go overboard with the whip, she never did so constantly and many of those instances were because she got high on the Type 95.

Click to shrink...

Personally, and I say this as the editor, I think it's an effect of having Fritz (Frederick) around.

In canon, she pretty much experienced time and time again, that she was the most competent person in her sphere and that she effortlessly manipulated others (or at least she thinks she did) barring the few major incidents that steered the plot. This, in canon, lead her to be far more confident in herself and her position, leaving her enough wiggle room to loosen up a bit.
Not here, though. The one person she's had to deal with in two lives now, the polar opposite of her pre-reincarnation life (laid-back humanistic artist type as opposed to the near-sociopath HR manager) was there for the entire time.

At first she could get him to play along and keep him on a leash, but as time went on, he began to drift outside her gravitational pull, dragging several pieces on the board with him. To add insult to injury, this "lesser" person, whom she had pegged as a fool and pushover before, has been proving to be a near-match for her (or at least it appears so as Fritz has had equal amounts of planning and luck on his side), getting in her way more and more.
Not only that, but the entire Gegenbauer subplot has also affected her on a deep level, adding quite a bit of deviation from canon. It's safe to say that she's feeling a not insignificant amount of envy towards Fritz for inheriting a massive pile of wealth that he will be able to rest on the moment he leaves the military for any reason. Whereas in canon Tanya was alone and only really had her position in the military as a safety net.

Here, though she has her olar opposite who managed to gain the exact kind of thing she was borderline praying for, but is "wasting it" by being in the military, being in the way of her career ambitions and not devolving into the same thing she is. No wonder she's acting resentful.

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 123: Separation​

"Mages of the 203rd Battalion!" Hana shouted at the top of her lungs. "Atten-tion!"

The men immediately stuck their chests out, trying to appear more confident and secure than they actually were. They all knew that the 203rd Battalion would be split up today and that they might lose sight of friends, comrades, or even possible lovers, but none of them wanted to look distressed. Military etiquette and code demanded that soldiers in the Imperial Army face all the news they received (especially the nastiest and most unwelcome) with proud imperial stoicism.

"Major Tanya Degurechaff and Major Frederick König." Hana continued, repeating the words she had already rehearsed and rehearsed to exhaustion. "Silver Wings of the Imperial Magic Aviation will speak to you now."

I looked to my right, in the direction of Tanya. It was time. Silently, she took a few steps forward and took Hana's place in front of the microphone. The eyes of the entire Battalion were now focused on her.

"Soldiers!" she thundered, slamming her fist down on the small podium in front of her. "Today is the day you have been waiting for, ever since you received your official confirmation. Today, the 203rd Battalion will be officially divided."

A murmur ran through the troops. Tanya was saying something obvious, which hinted that what she would say next would be anything but predictable.

In my head, I tried to analyze the situation. It had been a few days since Hana had made the bad joke (aimed at Tanya, but which had also affected me) of approaching the Strategic Headquarters to have a more "fair" and "deserving" redistribution of soldiers, and I had expected that Tanya would react aggressively, perhaps even with threats and violence. Instead, to my surprise, and with mine also that of Hana, Stauffer, Tragen and the others, Tanya the following day seemed to have forgotten the matter completely.

She had not written any complaint reports to Strategic Headquarters, nor had she requested any disciplinary action against me, Hana or anyone else. When we met, outside of official military work, he had a neutral attitude toward me: he did not show that he considered me a friend, but neither did he bombard me with insults. She hadn't shown anger even when she and I had had a little meeting to divide the battalion equally, splitting up the experienced soldiers and the recruits.

Another person would have assumed that something in her had changed; I, on the other hand, having known her for a long time now, could guess what was really going on.

Tanya, like a poisonous rattlesnake, wanted to hit me treacherously in. For now, she wasn't showing her anger towards me, perhaps in an attempt to make me lower my defenses, or to stall me while she prepared a blow that I couldn't avoid in any way. But I knew, and I would have to be naive not to know, that as soon as she was able, she would strike hard.

But from where?

"I know that some of you will be unhappy with that choice, as it will force you to part ways with your comrades in arms, the men and women with whom you are accustomed to sharing cots, sharing food, enduring training, and fighting side by side against the enemy. But it's a logical choice, one that Strategic Headquarters itself wanted: that, to me, is an easy reason to proceed. For that, I will now read a list of names: all mages of the 203rd Battalion who hear their names, please arrange themselves to my right."

I gulped. Maybe she wanted to catch me off guard by taking the initiative? Nevertheless, how?

Tanya began to declaim some names, and the mages called moved to the right. As was easy to imagine, Viktoryia was one of the first people to be called.

"Klemens Lehmann, Marvin Hattenberger..."

As the Battalion's members were called up, they moved to the right, looking with an expression of regret at their friends, comrades, and bunkmates who would most likely move on to the other battalion.

"…Hugo Waibel, Wilhelm Stettin…"

For the moment, the split was happening without too many incidents: Tanya would take many experienced officers, but also many young reinforcement recruits who had recently arrived. It appeared clear that neither Battalion would be stronger or more versatile than the other at first.

"Alois Hannig!" Tanya said for one last time. The mage called heard her words, and silently moved to reach the right side.

I nodded, looking at all the Imperial magi that Tanya hadn't called, and who would consequently be the backbone of my new battalion. There were plenty of young soldiers, but there were also a few seasoned veterans whom I already had good confidence in, or could easily ingratiate myself with my open-door policy. In short, the situation was not optimal, but it was far from disastrous.

"All those who have heard their names will remain in the 203rd Battalion and will be the new fulcrum upon which the most powerful and versatile unit in the Empire will be built. Congratulations! As for the others…"

Tanya's glare now moved toward the remaining soldiers.

"I believe this is time for Major König to address you."

Tanya moved from her place in front of the troops, and I moved in. The soldiers in front of me looked quite demoralized, and I had to cheer them up, somehow."

"Mages of the Empire," I said, in a thunderous voice. "Soldiers of the Fatherland. Friends. Comrades. It is my great honor to be here today and to be able to speak to you face to face. You are no longer soldiers of the 203rd Battalion, but that does not mean that the Empire has forgotten about you. Starting today, you will be part of a new mobile unit of the Imperial Magic Aviation, whose job it will be to fight with honor in the bravest and most important battles of the Empire's War. I know that many of you are tired and demoralized, and I don't want to ask more of you than any of you can give. However, I do have one question for you: are you soldiers of the Empire?"

For a few seconds, no one said anything. Then, a murmur interspersed among the ranks, a generic "Yes."

"What the hell, I can't hear you!"

"Yes sir!" this time, a general choir echoed.

"Are we fighting a terrible war to defend our Motherland, the Empire, from the evil aggressions of our enemies?"

"Yes sir?"

"Let me remind you, all of you: we were together when we were training here, at the formation of the unit; I was with you when we had our baptism of fire in Dakia, I was with you when we fought on Norden and scored an almost impossible score against the Entente alliance, giving their military a decisive blow. Have you forgotten it?"

"No, sir!"

"Then don't forget that you are- were members of one of the elitist unit of the Empire, and that your enemies trembles when they hear your name. Do not forget that you made the impossible possible, and you can do that again! Only one enemy of the Empire is still standing, and that is the treacherous Republic. An in-name-only democratic government, actually ruled by a plutocracy of evil bankers who want to capitalize on our land by right of conquest. A nation of abject, hypocritical speculators who want to profit from our blood, our strength, our fortune, and the fertility of our land. They demonstrated this amply when they intervened against us when the Entente attacked us, and they still demonstrate it today, despite all their efforts to appear as the attacked. Our task is to bring justice and to avenge the blood of all the soldiers of our army, who fell in the attempt to defend our nation so that their sacrifice will not be in vain. Therefore, today, on this field, I am pleased to officially confer upon you the rank of 205th Magical Assault and Rapid Response Battalion, authorized directly by the Strategic Headquarters."

"Long live the Empire!" someone shouted from inside the ranks. "Long live the 205th​ Mage Battalion!"

I smiled as I waited for the silence to take over before I started talking again.

"I am well aware, as you probably also know, that we are a long way from the end of the war. In all likelihood, we are not even close to the beginning of the end. In order to reach Victory, when the enemies of the Empire will collapse under our blows, we will still have to walk a long path made of blood, toil, sweat, and tears. For this reason, I want to offer each of you, a choice..."

Suddenly, the eyes of the remaining mages grew large and their ears almost perked up as they hung in my direction, waiting for what I would say.

"If any of you do not feel you are ready to die in the name of the Empire, please step back. I will not blame you for your choice, nor will there be any retaliation against you or your families, but I want to be sure of you: if you stay in your place, and agree to serve in the 205th Magic Battalion, I will never ask less than the maximum your bodies can bear, you will not be able to retreat back, and you will not have another chance to come home. Remember the manifesto that prompted you to enlist: we promised you starvation wages and a life full of danger, and that is what you will get. If you don't want to face that, take a step back. Now."

For a moment I feared that, after such a speech, most of the remaining mages would walk away and I would be left with just a few men, too few to officially kick off my Magic Battalion. On the one hand, this would give me more time to get organized, but I would still have to rely on a few scanty recruits, too few to ensure an effective battalion. And in any case, with the new arrangements, I could not have taken advantage of these deficiencies to remain in the rear.

Some of them huddled together, some looked at each other's faces, and some moved their knees nervously. Nevertheless, none of them took a step back.

Either they are braver than I suspected, or the propaganda is more effective than I thought, or they fear there will be consequences if they refuse. I thought.

"And so, you have chosen." I finally said, after a few more seconds. "You have chosen a path made of blood and tears, but no less glorious. Welcome, comrades and brothers, welcome to 205th Mage Battalion!"

"Long live the Empire!" the men shouted at the top of their lungs, this time in unison. "Long live the 205th Mage Battalion!"

I smiled again, but this time it was a sour smile.

"I expect to see all of you tomorrow morning at boot camp to begin the new training and organization of the battalion. Until then, at large: Break ranks!"

The men gradually began to disperse, while I, having finished my speech, turned to Tanya. She glared at me, and with an ill-concealed sense of superiority.

"And so... It's done," I said, looking at her. "From now on, our paths are separate again, perhaps forever."

"As your former subordinate officer, this doesn't bother me one bit," she said, ice-cold. "And, personally, it's better that way for me. I no longer have a ball and chain on my metaphorical foot."

"That's the Tanya I know," I replied, equally cold. "Tell me, what made you keep your true nature hidden until now?"

"I wanted to make sure that you and your old subordinate, now commander-in-chief of this facility," she made as she looked at Hana, who was conversing with other officers a few meters away. "didn't have any opportunity to interfere. I agreed to share the experienced soldiers with you equally and to take part of the less experienced ones only as a last kindness, but now it's over. As of now, we are no longer allies. We are now rivals."

"Rivals?"

"I mean," she gave a hawkish look. "that up to this moment, since we were in the same battalion, we were obliged by necessity to divide our successes and failures equally, with the result that each of us could not have what he was justly entitled to. But now, though we are still soldiers of the Empire, we are in two different units and it is here that our different qualities will be able to show off."

I nodded. It was a bitter pill, but it was true. However, Tanya had forgotten to mention a few other details.

"That does not imply that you are necessarily the best. I may be the one to have the most personal and career success."

"You're kidding, right? You would have died at least a dozen times if I hadn't been there to help you, you brat. But now your life is no longer my business. See you around, sailor boy."

With that said, Tanya turned and walked away from me. In a way, I felt like I was at a watershed in my life: was I really no longer going to have anything to do with Tanya? Only time would tell.

"Sir?"

"Hana?"

"Did something happen? With Major Degurechaff, I mean. She didn't look all that happy."

"We just said our goodbyes and wished each other luck." I lied. "Of course, Major Degurechaff has strange ideas for saying it her way."

"I understand sir. So, I guess both you and Degurechaff will need new recruits to replenish the ranks, right?"

"Correct."

Hana smiled. "I took the liberty to prepare a list of about 50 candidates who might be ideal for you. It's in my office. With your permission, I would like to submit it for your consideration."

I smiled, this time genuinely. "Thank you very much, Captain Hana. I knew I could rely on you. I guess I'll have to repay this favor of yours in some way..."

"Well, Major, if I'm being honest, there is one thing I would like to ask you. It is a relatively harmless matter, but I would very much like to have your answer to it."

"What is it about?"

"A few days ago a representative of the Imperial Navy arrived, and he started asking some strange questions regarding the employment of mages in a naval aviation context, and said to thank you if I saw you. When I asked him what he meant by that, he simply said that the Navy wanted to thank you for an idea. Can you explain to me what that is?"

My heart almost stopped as some of the memories from before the Battle of Orse Fjord re-entered my mind. It couldn't have been about that, could it?

"Sir? Are you all right?"

"All right, all right. It's just... maybe I'd better explain the situation in private, would that be okay?"

"Absolutely no problem sir. Please, follow me to my office."

 

[ComradeH]

"A few days ago a representative of the Imperial Navy arrived, and he started asking some strange questions regarding the employment of mages in a naval aviation context, and said to thank you if I saw you. When I asked him what he meant by that, he simply said that the Navy wanted to thank you for an idea. Can you explain to me what that is?"

Click to shrink...

Now, as a youth of the 21st century, we know what this means: Carrier-based battle, which is the core of the US Navy doctrine (which is also the largest and deadliest navy of the world, at the moment). Things would be... interesting. Fred and his men will be transferred to the Navy soon?

Anyhow, where did you hint it in the past chapters?

 

[Trunko]

Anyhow, where did you hint it in the past chapters?

Click to shrink...

Before the Battle for the Orse Fjord. Do you remember, when that navy officer came to Frederick?

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 124: The Revolting People​

In the days following the painful split of the Battalion, both Tanya and I set out to rebuild our respective units.

The first step, of course, was to replenish the decimated and thinned ranks, and to do that we needed volunteers. In this regard, I had an advantage: thanks to my strategic alliance with Hana, I could access the camp's confidential list of mages' personal profiles, and from there, search for the members I felt were best suited to reinforce the unit. The next step would be to convince them, if they did not already want to, to join the battalion.

With Tragen's help I had selected about thirty mages who, in my opinion, represented the best options to reinforce the 205th Mage Battalion. I was helped in this by the information Elsie had given me during some of our meetings: the general character of some mages, their personalities, their personal stories and their families, or lack thereof. For example, there was one mage, an orphan like Tanya and I, and because of that he was a possible good resource in my opinion, as he had no family to whom I would have to write a letter of condolence in the (very likely) event that he died. Another mage, who had a good level of magical power, had known relatives outside Imperial territory and this was a sufficient reason to take his candidacy with caution: in war, the enemy had no qualms about using any weapon to win, especially their own family members.

In any case, within ten days of the unit's official split, the 205th Mage Battalion was fully formed: 65 combat mages (i.e., five more than the required 60), divided into six teams of ten mages each and a small subgroup of four scout mages. However, since almost all of the team leaders I knew and liked had stayed with Tanya, I had to promote and select new team leaders who could manage the individual battalion groups.

The first company was commanded by a fairly-experienced officer named Oliver Leitgeb: like me and Tragen (who had now become a captain and the direct liaison NCO between me and the various squad leaders), Leitgeb was a veteran of the 203rd Battalion. He had fought under my command in Dakia and Norden, under the orders of Matheus Jonah Weiss of the Second Company, and although he had never displayed any particular heroic actions, he was a loyal and determined soldier who did not stop fighting until he received orders to do so. This good record had convinced me to promote him up to the rank of First Lieutenant, and to place him in command of the 1st Company of 205 Battalion. The official purpose of this grouping was to be the "backbone" of the Battalion, and to act as a front line and open combat unit, and for this reason, almost all of the most veteran mages who remained under my command were in this squad.

The second company, on the other hand, was under the command of a mage known by the name of Ella Baumer. I remembered her well, as she was one of the first volunteers of the 203rd, but she had been fooled by the holographic trick and had been sent back to her unit of origin (and still felt a certain degree of hostility at the thought). According to what Hana had told me, Baumer had practically begged for a chance to join her training camp, and in the months she had been there, she had given a great demonstration of flying and combat skills, superior in some cases even to her male counterparts. I had confronted her head on: I had offered her the chance to be promoted to First Lieutenant and to command her own company, asking for her total dedication to the cause and promising her zero tolerance for mistakes. She knew that if she accepted, the first time she made a mistake she would be dishonorably discharged or worse, but she did not hesitate. Her company (which she had partially put together herself) was composed of mages I did not know (including many female mages) but of whom she had guaranteed me a high level of effective combat. Their job was to break through, encircle enemy forces, and provide rapid fire support.

The third company, in turn, was under the command of Magnus Metternich, a young scion of a wealthy Berun family and the only company commander in the battalion to be a first lieutenant before my arrival. Elsie had told me a lot about him: the rumors running through the camp were that he was the semi-legal son of Jannick Metternich, a prominent Berun shipowner, and Miss Svea Kieber, a former secretary of Jannick's who had become in time first a mistress and then a wife, before being dismissed following an unclear scandal. The boy had grown up far from his family, due to his partial illegitimacy, and far from family affections. For this reason, he had enlisted in the army: to prove his worth as a man and as a citizen of the Empire, and to take revenge on those who had mocked him. However, according to some of those rumors, his appointment as First Lieutenant was not due solely to his military valor, but was also due, in part, to pressure from his family. This had exacerbated the young officer's desire to prove himself, so much so that even he had not needed too much effort to be convinced to join the 205th Magic Battalion. To him I had assigned only recruits, and the implicit task of turning them into combat-ready soldiers capable of defending themselves. The third company, theoretically, was supposed to have a support function, but I hoped that, with time and proper training, it could become an equivalent unit.

The fourth company was commanded by Maximilian Nadelmann, a veteran mage from the early stages of the war in Norden, who had been wounded in combat during a mission and had been sent to a healing camp. There, he had seen the propaganda poster that Tanya and I had made and had decided to join our unit. He had arrived late to join us before we left for Dakia, but it had allowed him to become one of the most trained and prepared soldiers in the camp. Many recruits wanted to have him as a confidant, and because of this, Maximilian was the most informed of what was going on, always. At first he had been reluctant to join the 205 battalion, but I had appealed to his patriotic instincts and he had eventually accepted. He too commanded a unit composed mostly of young recruits, and led them like a wise shepherd. If there had been a charisma contest, Maximilian would have won with flying colors. The fourth company had a supporting purpose.

The Fifth Company was led by a female mage named Katarina Engelmann. She was a very powerful mage, but also very shy and reserved, not speaking except when a superior asked her questions. From what I had been able to learn from Hana and others, she had grown up in a very religious household, where she was taught not to speak unless questioned. Because of this, despite the fact that life in the military offered her a much freer life than she was used to at home, her behavior was always fearful and cautious. She was a good mage, but she was not the type to take calculated risks without a specific order about it. Under her command were six male and four female mages, all of whom had a good degree of training before I arrived.

Finally, the Sixth Company was under the command of a young officer named Ulrich Lettmann, who had the reputation of being better at training soldiers than leading them in a battlefield. For this reason, I had put him in command of a unit that, although it had an official support purpose, was nothing more nor less than a strategic reserve, whose only purpose was to collect the soldiers destined to fill the gaps in the other companies. A strategic reserve, in short, whose destiny was to empty its ranks in order to fill the ranks of the other companies.

For the same reason, I had agreed to place Elsie, Jacob and Reiner in the sixth company.

Although I worried about them, and part of me would have liked to leave them at boot camp in relative safety, the idea of having them close by, in a reserve unit not intended for active combat was heartening. All I had to do was make sure that Sixth Company never saw any real war action, and everything would be fine.

But as always, while I was making plans and preparing strategies, someone else was playing tricks to screw up my plans...



"A rear area has been cut off?" I asked with curiosity.

All around me, the other officers in the room simply remained silent and focused on the young attendant who had arrived to bring us the new operational orders. He had shown up about half an hour before, and had delivered a folder of operational orders from none other than Strategic Headquarters. I had speculated that this might be an important matter, but not that critical.

"Y-yes, Major König. According from what intel we were able to gather, Pro-Republican partisans behind our lines started a popular uprising in the city of Arene, which we had occupied last year. The local garrison and military police forces were overwhelmed by the spontaneous town rebellion, and were unable to prevent the rebels from capturing several city nerve centers."

I nodded, and looked at the map once more. Arene was a very important city for the Empire's war effort: although it had no captured Republican factories or military production facilities locally, it did have an excellent railroad network that allowed for the transfer of supplies and war material from our factories and production facilities to the front lines. Losing such a supply network would have meant a severe blow to the staying power of our troops, all along the Rhine front.

"The rebels are already taking control of the local railroads as we speak," the attendant said once more. "and they are straining our supply lines."

"How in Heaven's name could this happen?" Hana fumed, glaring at the attendant. "I thought our Secret Service were always on the alert to prevent such events from happening!"

"Well, that is correct, Captain. However-"

"The Imperial Secret Service aren't even capable of finding their own backside without outside help." said Tragen, who up to that point had been silent listening, leaning against the wall "They screwed up, and now they'd like the Army to clean up the mess they caused."

"Captain Linus Tragen, with all due respect-"

"Enough!" I yelled, and immediately silence fell on the room. "This is not the place nor the time to quarrel. While we are busy arguing with each other, the rebels in Arene are quickly gaining the upper hand against our forces and probably undermining our entire war effort. I am sure that once this... disaster has been resolved, Strategic Headquarter will devote itself to establishing responsibility for the event, but for now that does not matter and only wastes our time. Can I ask you a question, soldier?"

"O-of course, sir"

"Have you told anyone else about this?"

"Just you and Major Degurechaff, like ordered. I informed her first just because she was the first one of you I could find."

"And how… did she react to the news?"

"She… took it well. She already alerted her Battalion to be ready to move to Arene to assist in the anti-partisan operations…"

Throwing a bomb into the room would have caused less panic. Immediately, all the other officers stood up full and shouted.

"What?"

"This cannot be!"

"Major Degurechaff is moving her Battalion before reorganization has been completed?"

"It's impossible."

"Oh, this is quite possible, once you get to know Major Degurechaff for enough time." I replied, rising to my feet. "Tragen, what is the status of the 205th Battalion?"

"Pretty good, sir." he replied. "We've completed basic for the new mages and in a few days we'll be able to get into some more challenging training missions."

"Cancel all training missions, and put the Battalion on alert. We will also be going to support the Imperial forces currently engaged in Arene."

"What?" said Hana, stunned. "Sir, you can't be serious: your unit's training is not complete. Nor is the equipment you have sufficient for such an undertaking."

"The men will complete their training with a baptism of fire. As for the training... Christel?"

"Yes sir?"

"Can I count on your help in requisitioning everything my battalion might need for this operation?"

"But, Sir... Frederick!" said Christel. "The camp's supply stores are barely sufficient to allow us to continue with our daily training. If we agree to resupply you, we will be forced to discontinue many exercises until the next resupply from Berun."

"It will be worth it if we can recapture Arene and reconsolidate our supply lines." I said. "Besides, Strategic Headquarters itself has ordered us to participate in the operations to recapture the city, and I believe their orders take precedence. Don't you think so?"

"Sir." Tragen made, stepping forward. "As your second officer, I must express my opposition to that decision. That we must help is beyond question, but many of the troops have not yet reached a sufficient degree of training to be deployed on the battlefield. We would be in danger of having many casualties."

"We'll have a lot more if the supply lines collapse, and we'll be forced into a retreat," I said, in a stern tone. "I know, it's not a decision I take lightly, but we have to do it. We must take action, for the good of the Empire."

"I continue to have doubts concerning your decision." Hana said, looking at me. "However, your words have a point: I will give the relevant orders and permissions to give you all the material support you will need."

"Thank you, Hana."

"Don't say that, Major." she said. "I'm only doing this for old times' sake, from when you were our commander, and because it's for the good of the Empire. You just have to promise me one thing in return?"

"What?"

"Crush those rebels!"

"We will, Hana!" Tragen said promptly. "We will!"

"Good." replied Hana, now smiling slightly. "I'll make all the arrangements to help you as much as I can. Major Frederick?"

"Yes, Hana?"

"I need to ask you one thing before you go. Can you stay here for a moment?"

"Of course. What is it?" I asked as Tragen and the others left the room.

"I wanted to ask you, about that mage you met and talked to, when you came back here. Elsie Schultz, that is her name, right?

My heart almost did a thump. Had Hana noticed Elsie?

"Yes, that's her name."

"What is your connection to her?"

"She was a friend of mine when I was still living at the orphanage, Hana." I said. "I was the one who convinced her to enlist, along with some of our other friends."

"Oh, she's a distant friend of yours, like Major Degurechaff, then?"

"Tanya is not my friend."

"I apologize. I just wanted to ask, because I noticed that you also listed her name among the soldiers in your battalion."

"I want to keep an eye on her, to protect her."

"May I give you some advice, Major?" said Hana. "If I were you, I'd leave her here a little longer."

"Perhaps that would be a good decision. But I'd rather have her close by so I can make sure she's okay."

"At your own risk, sir."

 

[LonewolfCharlie]

This is where the hell begins

 

[NuclearBird]

This is where the hell begins

Click to shrink...

It's War Crime Wednesday, after all...

 

[ComradeH]

I'm betting Tanya playing the lawful evil like the canon. Maybe she is even better prepared this time (with a recording orb and expecting Republic spies in the region). Her actions are... not ethnical, but every military commanders (even of Republic) find no fault in her reasoning and actions.

Fred, meanwhile, I'm expecting him to use his sheer charisma to win the battle. He lands in front of a rebel group, let them shoot him (and fail to get a scratch), then throws down a captured Republic spy, along with the confession that the rebels are "disposable assets". Then:

Gentlemen. Ladies. You have two options. Or you surrender to me, and I promise, in the namesake of the Dragon, that you would be treated to the best of our capability, pending on your cooperation, of course. Or the other option, you keep fighting and none will survive. You have two minutes. The clock starts now.

Click to shrink...

 

[Random Shinobi]

In any case, within ten days of the unit's official split, the 205th Mage Battalion was fully formed: 65 combat mages (i.e., five more than the required 60), divided into six teams of ten mages each and a small subgroup of four scout mages. However, since almost all of the team leaders I knew and liked had stayed with Tanya, I had to promote and select new team leaders who could manage the individual battalion groups.

Click to shrink...

Sixty? Also, that squad size is pretty non-standard. A normal Imperial battalion has only 36 mages (3x squadrons of 12 mages each). The canonical 203rd was a reinforced battalion with four squadrons (48 mages).

I'm betting Tanya playing the lawful evil like the canon. Maybe she is even better prepared this time (with a recording orb and expecting Republic spies in the region). Her actions are... not ethnical, but every military commanders (even of Republic) find no fault in her reasoning and actions.

Click to shrink...

Tanya didn't give the order to destroy the city, nor was she even in the chain of command.

Now that the Empire is apparently sending 125 mages to take care of the problem, I don't think they will even have to burn the city.