Defense of Marshdale, Day 3:
Once again, the enemy began the day with a prolonged magical bombardment prior to advancing.
It appeared they had no intention of using any surprising tactics, instead opting for a steady, methodical approach.
"Ah, the outer wall of Marshdale…"
The young doctor was stunned, gazing at the collapsed fortress in the distance.
The bombardment from early morning had nearly leveled the outer fortifications.
In this condition, the walls could no longer serve as protection against gunfire.
Which means…
"It's only the third day, and one bastion has already fallen."
This marks our first defeat.
"Is it alright for a bastion to fall when the war has only just started?"
"It's not ideal, but let's be grateful no one on our side was harmed."
Fortunately, there are no troops defending the bastion, which the Sabbath forces are desperately bombarding.
That day, immediately after enemy artillery fire began, Major Renvel had already notified our allies to abandon the outermost bastion.
In other words, enemy soldiers continued to bombard the empty bastion with no defenders for more than half a day.
With the enemy squandering resources and our forces remaining unscathed, this tactical decision was clearly a win for Major Renvel… but still.
"Little Boss, aren't you afraid? Won't the enemy charge at us the moment we withdraw our troops?"
"I don't think they will. The enemy doesn't need to take such risks. They can meticulously occupy the stronghold through magical attacks without casualties."
"I guess that does make the most sense… It's the safest bet, after all."
From the enemy's perspective, what they have to do remains the same whether there are defensive forces or not.
They will continue methodically clearing the area with artillery to minimize their own losses.
Besides, they likely see no need to conserve the materials they've transported.
"Magic stones for bombardment are only valuable during wartime."
"Exactly, so there's no point in saving them up if the war's going to end."
This isn't the decisive battle of the war. In reality, the outcome was already sealed when the Western Front was breached.
Perhaps Major Renwell has a last-ditch plan up his sleeve, but realistically, this battle to defend Marshdale is little more than our final desperate stand.
The Sabbatian forces probably see it the same way. They would rather use everything they have at their disposal to bring the situation to a safe conclusion than suffer unnecessary damage during our desperate struggle.
"…So it's really going to fall."
The political value of capturing Marshdale is substantial.
Marshdale truly serves as Austin's "spiritual support."
If the Sabbatian forces take Marshdale, a fortress that has long been deemed "impenetrable," it will break the spirit of Austin's citizens.
Citizens with broken spirits are easier to govern for invaders.
"If we're unlucky enough to be captured, I imagine it'll be horrific."
"The Sabbatian forces are reportedly ruthless, even with women."
The invaders must use military force to subdue us. The fall of Marshdale is an ideal opportunity to achieve this.
Therefore, they will likely spare no effort in spending their resources to ensure that Marshdale is conquered.
***
The third day ended with the enemy securing the outer bastion.
For both sides, this was the expected outcome: Austin evaded the shelling without casualties, and the Sabbatians captured the bastion without losses.
Now, only two bastions remain in Marshdale.
If we don't take into account the careless charge on the first day, a bastion would be captured every two days at this rate.
"At this rate, Marshdale will fall within the week."
"Yes, most likely."
To what extent does Major Renvel understand the current situation?
If we're fighting hard to buy time for civilians to evacuate, are we being sacrificed here?
Or is he persisting because he still believes we have some chance of winning?
"It's a lost cause, isn't it? Shouldn't we just surrender?"
"The government is likely considering an unconditional surrender."
"I want them to hurry up and kneel down before the enemy's diplomats. It would be a waste to waste our lives until they surrender, wouldn't it? People are dying in vain."
"No, they're not wasted."
The young doctor, Cale, began speaking in a manner reminiscent of old Ward Supervisor.
Looking back now, surrendering as the Ward Supervisor had suggested may have been a better option.
Even if we hadn't surrendered, if we were successful in negotiating peace, Noel would not have been burned.
"We're risking our lives to protect the people behind us. As long as there are lives saved through our sacrifice, this fight has meaning."
"…I hope so."
Now we're fighting to prevent more villages from ending up like Noel.
Until the day the government finally decides to beg the Sabbath Federation for mercy, we will protect as many civilians as possible.
That is the duty of a soldier.
"If it comes down to it, please leave me behind and run away, Cale."
"I can't do that. You're younger than me."
"This is the role of a soldier. Undoubtedly, if evacuation orders come, civilian aide like Cale will receive priority. Please don't hesitate and lose your life in vain when that time comes."
With my hometown, Noel, gone and my family lost, all I have left are the title of soldier and the comrades I met in Garback Platoon.
Even if the war ends, there's nowhere for me to go back to.
"Even if I die, there's hardly anyone who'll be sad about it."
"Hey now…"
"I'm an orphan, and the orphanage I grew up in was burned down. At the very least, I'm in a lighter position than you."
Rodri might mourn if I die, but I know he'd move forward eventually.
That was the final lesson we learned from the late Senior Gray.
"…Don't ever say something like that again, Little Boss. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
"Sorry…"
Perhaps it was tactless to say "No one will be sad if I die" in front of a healer.
Cale was clearly angry when he heard what I flippantly said.
Of course he was. I would probably feel the same if a patient I was trying to save said something similar.
"I had a slip of the tongue. Sorry, I won't say something like that again."
"Listen, Little Boss. This is just an opinion—not mine, but a general one."
"Yes?"
"If a 15-year-old girl who says: 'No one will be sad if I die,' dies in battle, most adults will be heartbroken."
"…"
"Remember that very well."
Those words made me realize that I had been unconsciously taking my own life lightly.
Falling in Marshdale may not be meaningless, but that doesn't mean I can treat my life as something trivial.
"I'm sorry, Cale."
My life was made possible by the sacrifices of others.
I was kept alive by Salsa, Senior Gray, Rodri, and many others.
"I was taking my life lightly, I'm sorry."
"Alright."
I have to live. Even if I don't have a family, I can't just die. I need to repay the people who have helped me until now.
That's the only way I can atone for my fallen comrades.
***
It's been two days since the first bastion fell.
The capture of the second layer of Marshdale's fortifications began with a magical bombardment from the enemy.
"The fact that there was a day between attacks suggests that the enemy's supplies hadn't arrived."
"So they waited for the magic stones to arrive before resuming their attack?"
The Sabbatian side seems to be planning to capture Marshdale with as little damage as possible.
There is no way for infantry to counter long-range magical attacks.
All we could do was hide in the shadows, trembling, and praying to God that no artillery fire would come our way.
"…"
Despite how old its walls are, Marshdale was once said to be impregnable.
The enemy isn't underestimating us and is attacking steadily.
"Has the government announced its surrender yet?"
"It's been almost two weeks since the collapse of the Western Front. With the current state of affairs, it wouldn't be a surprise if a statement was made soon. I hope it's enacted before this place falls."
"Maybe the government is trying to be more aggressive and negotiate a peace agreement rather than an unconditional surrender."
Unconditional surrender would make Austin a colony, with its people reduced to slaves under Sabbatian rule.
The government was likely attempting to secure a truce that would allow them to retain some of their land and sovereignty.
That delay was probably what was holding up the end of the war.
"The southern regions have barely been touched, right? Can't they send us reinforcements?"
"If they did, the southern cities would be burned too, and Austin would be finished. A truce will likely mean ceding most of our territory, with only the southern areas untouched."
The only part of Austin that escaped the fighting was the Southern Front, which did not take part in the Sylph Offensive.
At the time, we didn't understand why the enemy hadn't attacked the Southern Front.
I figured maybe they were just wary of spreading their forces too thin or that the South lacked resources, so they ignored it.
I never thought the enemy commander would refuse the order to attack.
"The fact that we've been able to maintain the southern cities is our only hope at present. If the government is aiming for peace, that may be the land we're allowed to keep."
"Peace, huh…"
Although southern cities lack resources, they still have military strength and their citizens are safe.
This means that if a peace treaty is reached, it is also territory that Austin might be allowed to keep.
That is why the leadership does not want to mobilize military forces from the South.
"Well, if we could make peace, that would be best. Unfortunately, I don't think it would be accepted with the current difference in military strength."
"Maybe Major Renvel is planning to fight here to bring about peace."
"You mean we can stop the enemy's invasion here and bring about a peace agreement? Can we do that?"
"…I'm sorry, but I don't have much military knowledge so I don't know. What's going on in Major Renvel's mind is just my guess."
In fact, if you ask me whether we can maintain the front line at Marshdale, I can only say that it's impossible.
In the first place, all neighboring cities other than Marshdale have been breached.
Only this area around Marshdale is holding back the enemy's advance, but it is unclear how much tactical value it has.
It's not because our military strength is equal to that of the enemy, we're managing to hold them back because we're simply buying time.
If that bought time allowed civilians to flee, then laying down our lives was worth it.
"Is there any chance the enemy will find us too much trouble and bypass Marshdale altogether?"
"If they bypass us, we'll be free to disrupt their supply lines. They wouldn't give us such a chance."
"Right…"
One weakness of a fortress is its vulnerability to being bypassed.
Many armies in history have simply ignored formidable defenses, moving forward from another angle.
But for the Sabbath to do so now would mean leaving a hostile force behind their lines.
If that happens, we will gladly launch a raid from Marshdale and attack the enemy's supply lines. If we do it well, we can prevent the enemy from continuing the fight by making it difficult to resupply, and even force them to retreat.
"Besides, I'm sure the enemy would like to loot Marshdale."
"…From the enemy's point of view, Marshdale must be a valuable prize."
The possibility of them bypassing Marshdale was almost zero.
With Austin soldiers entrenched here, the enemy had no choice but to attack head-on.
Major Renvel likely withdrew here with that in mind.
"Excuse me, a message has come in. …Understood."
After the day's reprieve, the enemy's magical bombardment was brutal.
Our front-line defensive units sustained heavy casualties in no time and were forced to retreat.
"What's wrong, Little Boss?"
"The Major has issued a retreat order. We're abandoning the second bastion."
To hold the bastion any longer would mean annihilation, so the Major ordered a fallback.
"So, the bastion's fallen already?"
"We're ordered to retreat as well. Staying here any longer is too dangerous."
In just one day, the second bastion had fallen.
Our remaining defenses were now down to the third bastion and the city walls of Marshdale.
Although the defending side has the advantage in war, this is what happens when the difference in military strength is too great.
According to documents from that time, there were several thousand Sabbatian soldiers gathered near Marshdale. Marshdale's defensive strength at the time was only about 800 soldiers.
With injuries and losses over the past days, we'd lost around 20-30% of our strength by now. In essence, we were facing a nearly tenfold disadvantage.
Of course we couldn't win.
"In other words, it's come down to this…"
"Yes."
With the fall of the second bastion, our Frontline Medical Clinic had to be abandoned as well.
Soon, artillery spells and bullets will be flying at this location too.
"Urban warfare will break out in Marshdale."
And once the third bastion falls…
The enemy will advance into the city in an attempt to annihilate us.
The historic city of Marshdale will burn.
At this point, the Austin military had no way to stop it.
"…"
It was truly a relationship between hunter and prey. At that time, we all felt powerless.
Will any sort of miracle happen?
With this vague desire in my heart, all I could do was retreat into the city.