On that day, our understanding of warfare changed forever.
Waiting in the trenches, fearing magical attacks that could strike at any moment, engaging in a modern war of endurance.
The enemy's strategist, Sylph Nova, made us realize such things were nothing but child's play.
In retrospect, the Sylph Offensive was undoubtedly the "correct answer to winning the war" on the Western Front.
It can be said that there was no other strategy that could have broken through the front lines.
At the time firearms had only just been developed and both countries were still in the process of figuring out how to use these extremely lethal weapons efficiently.
Each side understood and feared the power of guns, which prevented them from adopting bold strategies.
That's precisely why her strategy cut so deeply.
This strategy of a simultaneous multi-point breakthrough, devised by the young Sabbatian genius Sylph Nova, was a revolutionary tactic that completely overturned the conventional wisdom of trench warfare.
This idea, which was the complete opposite of the single-point breakthrough tactics that were mainstream at the time, offered an unprecedented level of surprise.
As a result, the front line that had held both sides together for 10 years was broken in just a single day.
For better or worse, this tactic greatly advanced the nature of warfare. Over time, it was modified and continued to be applied as one of the standard strategies in trench warfare even after the war.
It was, without question, a groundbreaking strategy for its time.
And on the first day of Sylph's offensive, we in the Garbak Platoon found ourselves in unprecedented peril.
"Platoon Leader! There are enemies to the rear…!!"
"…"
Several hours after the battle began, our allied units to the left and right had been annihilated, and we were completely cut off.
I managed to survive thanks to the Platoon Leader's superhuman strength, but injuries and deaths were beginning to occur within the platoon.
In a situation where we were surrounded by enemies on all sides, even the best units would inevitably face destruction.
I'm sure even Platoon Leader Garback must have been prepared for death.
"Kill, violate, and ravage! Get revenge for the grudges we've held all these years!"
The enemy soldiers at this time charged us with terrifying spirit.
They ruthlessly trampled through Austin's territory, tearing apart our bases like ravenous beasts.
Just as our comrades were killed by Sabbatian soldiers, they too have had their comrades killed by us.
Fueled by the hatred of seeing their comrades slaughtered, they pursued us with relentless vengeance.
"Why isn't Command giving us any orders?"
"How much longer are we supposed to fight here?"
Despite the extreme circumstances, Austin Command remained motionless.
Overwhelmed by the unprecedented speed of the Sabbath's advance, communication was in disarray, and Headquarter's functionality had paralyzed.
In fact, there were reports such as "There are no abnormalities on the front lines. Reports that all front lines have been broken through are merely rumours." This false information contributed to the confusion at headquarters.
The Headquarters located in the rear city was unable to detect this false information from the enemy.
"Are they telling us to just die like this?"
On this day, no orders were given to the soldiers on the front lines for more than 24 hours.
As a result, many of Austin's soldiers were unable to retreat and were either killed or captured.
Amidst all this confusion, the order was given to Garback Platoon to retreat five hours after the battle had begun.
Our front-line commander, Major Renvel, initiated a withdrawal on his own initiative and without authorization from Headquarters.
While this decision was later praised, given the circumstances at the time, it was a cowardly move worthy of a court-martial.
It was thanks to his bold decision that I managed to survive.
However, even on this front, it took five hours for the order to retreat to be given.
This delay indicates how much Major Renvel struggled with his decision.
In those five hours of hesitation, the enemy had already advanced into our territory, blocking our retreat.
While we clung to survival in our forward trenches, the neighboring villages were already falling into enemy hands.
***
With our Garback Platoon in such a desperate situation, the only way we had left to survive was to keep running.
"If we can outpace the enemy's line of advance, we'll be safe. Run with all you've got; anyone who can't keep up will be left behind."
With that said, the Platoon Leader took the lead, drew his sword, and began to sprint as usual.
The area around the trench is a plain of pitch black soil.
There was no cover in sight, only a few scattered temporary warehouses.
"Our first goal is to reach the forested area. It's only a matter of time before we're killed if we keep running across this open field."
The plains that formed the battlefield on the Western Front extend for more than 10 kilometers behind the trenches.
In other words, we had to run over 10 kilometers while fully exposed to enemy fire from both front and rear.
"Do not engage the enemy; if you have time to stop and shoot, keep running instead."
"Yes, sir."
"If you get shot, give up. We're leaving anyone behind who can't continue."
Platoon Commander Garback briefly gave his orders.
At that moment, I think he glanced sharply at me and Rodri.
Perhaps he was trying to warn us, who have a bad habit of instinctively helping our comrades.
"If we're not going to fight back, will we throw away our guns and ammo?"
"You idiot, don't throw away your weapons! We won't be able to get any more supplies from now on."
Platoon Leader Garback scolded Corporal Verdi for asking such a question.
We only have enough ammunition for one battle.
Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary fighting, they did not allow a return attack.
"Listen closely. The packs on your backs are your lifelines."
"…Understood."
From now on, ammunition is a valuable resource.
In the future, if we ever find ourselves in a situation where we have to break through enemy lines, we will be helpless without bullets and grenades.
This is why we had to conserve everything we had.
"We'll head in the direction with the fewest enemies. Allen, you lead the way."
"Yes sir, Platoon Leader."
Perhaps there was also the judgment that engaging would only make us more noticeable and vulnerable to enemy fire.
All we could do was sneak around and run, praying that we wouldn't be shot by enemy soldiers nearby.
Thus began Garback Platoon's hellish marathon.
***
The Sylph Offensive took place in early autumn.
As a pleasant, cool breeze blew across the plains, we marched through the noise of hell, fearing the bullets flying around.
Stopping was out of the question in the open plains where visibility was high. We kept running without pause on the first day of retreat.
With Senior Allen's guidance, we made sure to avoid the nearby villages as much as possible, so fortunately we didn't encounter many enemies.
Most of the enemy troops were occupied with seizing military outposts or occupying nearby villages. All we encountered were a few sporadically patrolling recon units.
In the end, the only people we came across on our retreat were scouting forces on sporadic patrols.
"Stay close behind me."
"Yes, sir!"
During our retreat, Platoon Leader Garback's [Shield] was truly dependable.
Unlike my feeble version of it, his [Shield] was solid enough to deflect bullets.
I've been training for about half a year now and have improved a little, but I still can't make as strong a [Shield] as Platoon Leader Garback.
"Touri!"
However, even the Platoon Leader had a limit to what he can accomplish.
For example, even with a solid shield, he couldn't intercept a thrown grenade in mid-air.
Normally, the scout, Senior Allen takes care of the grenades, but…
"Got it, [Wind Cannon]!"
Now that Senior Allen has taken the lead, I'm in charge of the anti-air defense.
This magic spell called [Wind Cannon] is one that anyone can easily fire as long as they have magical power and a magical tool called a wind gun.
The wind gun was standard equipment for scouts and also issued to First Class Infantry with magic.
Ordinarily, as a medic, I wouldn't be issued any weaponry…
"Hmph, you should also train as a scout. It won't hurt."
…But due to the Platoon Leader's usual power harassment, I had been trained by Senior Allen on how to use the wind gun.
It was thanks to my wide field of vision and reaction time that I achieved the second-highest score after Senior Allen in anti-grenade training.
I have plenty of unpleasant memories involving grenades.
Such experiences may also have contributed to my heightened sensitivity to grenade attacks.
After seeing these results, the Platoon Leader requested that I be issued a wind gun, meaning I also became responsible for handling grenades.
To be honest, I also wanted a real gun in case of an emergency.
Unfortunately, I wasn't granted permission to carry one.
The reason given was that, "Medics are not permitted to engage in combat," according to military regulations.
The reason such a rule exists dates back to the time of cavalry battles.
When heavily armored knights, rarely suffering fatal injuries due to their defense, were the most formidable force on the battlefield.
There was apparently a general who planned to train heavy cavalry consisting only of users of healing magic in order to create an immortal army.
However, the result was disastrous.
Healers, being largely unaccustomed to the frontlines and often pacifists, fell victim to traps and were easily buried alive in pitfalls.
As a result, the valuable healers of the time were entirely lost, and the battle ended in a bitter defeat. Since then, General Staff has prohibited medics from engaging in combat.
Due to the influence of the times, I was not allowed to carry a gun.
However, a "Wind Gun" is simply a magical tool that generates a blast of wind. Its main purpose is to intercept grenades, so it is classified as a defensive tool.
Although it looks like a gun, there's precedent for medics in defense units being issued it, so I'm allowed to carry one.
That's how I came to possess a wind gun.
Incidentally, the wind gun has no killing power. It simply generates a strong gust of wind.
At close range, it could be used to throw an enemy off balance, but that's about it.
Rather than going to the trouble of firing such a tool at an enemy, it would be a hundred times more effective to shoot a real bullet.
***
And so,
While fending off the occasional grenade or bullet, we retreated from the Western Front toward the southeastern forested area.
I ran so hard I thought I was going to die, and it was already dark by the time we reached the forest.
Here, we could finally catch our breath.
There's no need to worry about being sniped within the forest, and even if we did encounter the enemy, Platoon Leader Garback is invincible in close combat and would be able to handle it.
"Platoon Leader Garback, here's the damage report…"
"Only two? Not bad."
However, before reaching the forest, we lost two members of Garback Platoon.
One was killed by a bullet to the head after carelessly exposing himself in the trenches.
The other was shot and killed while running far outside the Platoon Leader's [Shield].
These two were new recruits assigned to our platoon as replacements a few months ago.
Since there had been no battles in recent months, this retreat was effectively their first combat experience.
It's said that new soldiers are most likely to die in their first battle.
It was simply unfortunate for them that their first battle was so harsh.
On the other hand, the only casualties were the two rookies.
This is all thanks to Senior Allen, who skillfully led the troops to an area with fewer enemies.
"We can't see any signs of the enemy now."
After the platoon retreated into the forested area, we continued our night march without encountering the enemy at all.
We had been on guard for ambushes in the woods, but it seems those worries were unfounded.
"It doesn't look like there are any signs of pursuit into the forest."
"No one wants to die in a winning battle."
From the enemy's perspective, there's little reason to pursue us into the woods.
If it comes to guerrilla warfare in the forest, even Austin's depleted forces still have a chance of victory.
It would be far more worthwhile to occupy or destroy some facility than to risk a dangerous pursuit of a few fleeing soldiers.
This is very much appreciated for us who are currently in retreat.
"…What do we do from here, Platoon Leader?"
"We'll head straight through the forest and aim for Marshdale."
The Platoon Leader set Marshdale as our retreat destination.
This city serves as a supply point on the Western Front and is also a fortified city, making it suitable for defense.
It's also a nearby city to my hometown, Noel.
"Marshdale holds a substantial amount of wartime supplies. It's likely to be a primary target."
"Major Renvel has issued the order for everyone to head for Marshdale. The Major will likely retreat there as well."
The enemy soldiers are well aware that there are abundant supplies in Marshdale.
Undoubtedly, the Sabbatian forces will attack with the momentum of their offensive.
"What if we arrive and find it already engulfed in flames?"
"Marshdale won't fall before we get there. Just as our ammunition is limited, the enemy needs to resupply to continue fighting."
"I see."
"We're in a race against time. The Major wants us to get to Marshdale and fight before it's taken."
The distance from the Western Front to Marshdale is about 40 to 50 kilometers.
If we move across open ground, we should be able to arrive within two days.
However, navigating through the forest while being wary of the enemy will likely take longer.
Still, the enemy's marching speed should be slower than ours.
They must also establish supply lines and remain alert as they advance and occupy villages, while we simply need to escape, which makes our marching speed completely different.
Even if they disregard their supply lines, it should take them at least four to five days, and typically about a week to advance.
Given a week, we should definitely arrive at Marshdale before the enemy even while marching through the forest.
"What do we do about food and water during the retreat…?"
"Get it from the forest."
"…Of course."
The problem is, humans can't function without water.
If it comes down to it, I carry some saline solution for cleaning in my backpack, but…
We weren't prepared for a multi-day march.
"Don't worry, a person won't die even if they go without food or drink for a few days, Corporal."
"No, lack of water is serious… There's a risk of dying from heatstroke."
After taking a breather in the forest, Corporal Verdi seemed to fully grasp our situation and went pale.
Our ammunition is nearly depleted after five hours of defending the trenches.
In such a state, we must march through a forest inhabited by beasts and pests.
"All we can do is hope we find a river or a spring."
"…"
"Oh, and don't waste any urine from now on. Apparently, you can drink it."
"..."
The enemies on the battlefield are not just the soldiers wielding guns.
The weather, terrain, beasts, insects, hunger, and thirst—everything bares its fangs at us.
From the day the Sylph Offensive began, we found ourselves fighting these dangerous enemies for some time.
"Allen, I leave the navigation to you."
"Yes, Platoon Leader."
Among all that we lack, the one fortunate thing is that we were issued a compass as standard equipment for scouts.
Thanks to that, we were able to head to Marshdale without getting lost even in the forest with poor visibility.
In the end, we will embark on a hellish march that will take us five days.
And I will come to realize that the front-line trenches I once thought of as hellish were actually a wonderful environment where food, clothing, and shelter were guaranteed.