After a day of rest in Marshdale, we resumed our march westward.
From what I heard, the Southern Army is advancing north at an incredible pace, destroying the Sabbath's supply lines along the way.
Their advance is faster than expected. There's a possibility we would not be able to join up with the Southern Army in time if we continued at this rate.
Since our allies were doing better than expected, Major Renvel was likely also pushing forward to avoid missing the opportunity.
"Let's set up tents around here for the night."
"Understood."
The day after the rest day, the platoon members were full of energy.
Personally, I felt great because I was able to sleep soundly.
With our energy restored, we set up a temporary medical tent on a plain about 10 kilometers west of Marshdale.
"…"
"What's the matter, Platoon Leader Touri?"
That night, the Renvel Army chose to camp on the plains to the north of Noel.
The Austin Army hadn't passed through my hometown, Noel.
Noel, after all, is not a village set up as a transit hub connecting larger towns.
That's why going through Noel would be a detour.
"No… It's nothing."
"I see."
To be honest, I was relieved when I learned we wouldn't be passing through Noel.
I wasn't confident I'd be able to stay calm if Noel was filled with the kind of cruel sights I had seen in other villages along the way.
I still struggle to keep my emotions in check.
However, I can't lean on others as I used to.
Although I am the youngest, I am now a platoon leader.
People already look down on me because of my appearance. I'll be treated like a complete child if I break down here.
If that happens, I don't know if my subordinates will follow my orders when the time comes.
That's why, as a platoon leader, I have to continue to grow mentally as well.
I no longer have Platoon Leader Garback here to punch me when I lose my cool.
***
"There aren't any patients coming in."
"That's a good thing, Little Platoon Leader."
On this day, we also had a rotation schedule in place.
In the first half of the day, a few soldiers with colds came to see us, but by the time it was my and Arunoma's turn to take care of the second half, the number of patients had stopped.
So for now, I let Lakya and Cale take a rest. Arunoma and I were chatting away together.
"Would you like another cup of coffee?"
"Yes, thank you, Arunoma."
To build rapport, I asked Arunoma about his background.
Arunoma traveled the world before becoming an actor, and it was through those travels that he learned about the cultures and traditions of various regions.
Inspired to share these experiences, he became an actor.
"After this war is over, I plan to quit being a soldier and go back to acting. My next play will be about a young medic surviving a fierce war."
"That's wonderful, I'd love to go and see it if I'm still alive by then."
"We'll survive. After all, I'm in this unit."
Saying this, Arunoma gave me a wink.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Characters around the protagonist are always protected by the gods."
At first, I thought it was a strange thing to say.
Apparently, Arunoma believes himself to be "the protagonist of this world."
That's why he declared that he will protect the people around him, and that they will also protect him.
"…Isn't that just something that happens on stage?"
"What's wrong with making reality the stage?"
It wasn't merely wishful thinking on his part, though.
Instead, it was something like a "pledge."
Arunoma sees his life as a play, and as its protagonist, he strives to act in ways that he wouldn't be ashamed of.
"I am the main character in my life. And you are the main character in your life, right?"
"That's right…"
"Then, as the protagonist, how should you act? Isn't it important to reflect on whether you're letting your thinking become distorted, leading you down an easy or self-indulgent path, or whether you're acting in a way unworthy of a protagonist?"
Since he is the protagonist of his own story, he can't live in a way that compromises his beliefs.
This way of thinking is at the core of Arunoma's character. No matter how difficult the choice may be, he would continue to tell himself, "It is the protagonist's decision to make that choice."
"That's why I always try to be attractive. A play without an attractive protagonist is boring, isn't it?"
It's a little eccentric, but there's a lot to respect in how he lives.
Arunoma's confidence is backed by the hard work he has put in.
Whatever he does, he gives his all, and I'm sure he will continue to succeed.
…If only it were in a world without war.
"Arunoma, I admire your noble spirit."
"Thank you."
"But I have one thing to say."
"…What is it?"
"Please, never think you can do everything. If the time comes, you need to prioritize your own life even if it means abandoning others."
When I heard this story, I felt a little uneasy about Arunoma.
With his strong ideals and sense of being the protagonist…
"I've known many people who died protecting others."
I somehow had a feeling that he would be like Salsa and do something reckless to save someone.
"…Alright, I'll be careful."
"Please do."
So I made sure to firmly remind him.
Arunoma is a dear comrade of mine.
Let's ensure he doesn't act recklessly and end up losing his life.
***
"It doesn't look like anyone else is coming tonight. How about we go to sleep?"
"Yeah, let's."
It was late at night, a time when most of the soldiers were wrapped up in their sleeping bags, breathing softly in sleep.
The only people active at this time were the night shift personnel from our medical platoon and a few soldiers who were on patrol.
"Alright, let's get ready for bed."
Our medical unit had set up our tents at the very rear of the Renvel Army's position, in a safe zone guarded by Verdi Company.
In addition to us, many units with non-combat personnel were stationed in this rear position.
It seemed our enemies had anticipated this.
"…Hmm? It sounds like there's some commotion outside."
"Did something happen?"
It was 2 a.m..
Except for a few soldiers patrolling with torches, the pitch-black plains were shrouded in darkness.
"An explosion? Did someone step on a trap…?"
"No, this is artillery fire! Everyone wake up! We're under attack!"
The sound of a magical attack gouging into the earth rang out, a sound that had been heard so many times on the Western Front.
I immediately ran outside the tent and saw a rain of fire falling down from the night sky.
The flames were descending directly on our position.
"Everyone, take cover! Move outside the range of the enemy artillery!"
I immediately raised my voice and woke up the whole unit.
This time, the enemy chose the Aria Battalion as their target for a surprise attack.
Perhaps the Sabbatian commander read that the supply and medical units, which were the lifeline of the Renvel Army, were stationed at the rear of Aria Battalion.
"This… This is artillery fire?!"
"Noooo! We're all gonna die!"
This perfectly timed ambush threw our half-asleep unit into total chaos.
Due to the darkness of the night, we had no sense of direction, and soldiers scattered in panic, many being burned alive.
The surrounding area had been thoroughly scouted, so where on earth were the Sabbatian forces hiding when they suddenly launched a surprise attack?
In reality, the Sabbatian Army led by Sylph had been boldly hiding among the undulations of the plains.
Near Noel, there is a hill.
The hill had a steep incline, and its shadowy areas allowed a unit of soldiers to lie in ambush.
It was a famous tourist spot known to the people of Noel as "Dandelion Hill," a place beloved by locals, and it was said that the view of the meadow below from the hill was beautiful…
Anyone who is not familiar with this area wouldn't know about Dandelion Hill, nor would they immediately notice the deep hollow on the back side of the hill.
After analyzing the terrain of Dandelion Hill and our projected route of advance, Sylph Nova proposed that they hide their troops here.
This location would be immediately compromised if scouts climbed the hill, and conversely, there was a high risk of being shot from the top of the hill, so the other commanders strongly opposed the plan.
However, with Sylph's confident statement, "It's okay, the Aust are all fools anyway," the operation was forcibly carried out.
Most likely, Sylph had already anticipated that we wouldn't pass near Dandelion Hill.
"Everyone, wake up! We need to get out of here right now!"
While Arunoma shouted in panic, grabbing his gear, I observed the falling artillery magic and quickly calculated the attack's direction.
"Southwest. The enemy is firing from the southwest!"
"Everyone, retreat! Put distance between us and the enemy!"
"Run north!!"
Eventually, Verdi's voice cut through the darkness, giving clear orders for a retreat.
With those swift commands, we could finally make a proper withdrawal.
"Everyone, fall back! Head northwest! Move quickly!"
"Aaahh! What is this! What's happening?!"
"Those who just woke up can leave their belongings behind. Lakya, hurry!"
After ensuring everyone in the platoon was awake, I led the way.
I wanted to ensure no one ran in the wrong direction in their half-awake state.
However…
"What are you doing, Odie?!"
"S-Sorry! My… my legs gave out."
Not everyone in the medical platoon managed to run.
A nurse, Odie, panicked, fell on her bottom, and was unable to get up.
If this continues, Odie will be killed in an explosion.
───Should I go back and carry her? No, that would be suicide.
───If I abandon her, Odie won't survive.
───First, I should calm her down and…
I considered various ways to help Odie in those split seconds.
But no effective solution came to mind.
Those few seconds of thinking in silence probably worsened the situation.
"Oh, for crying out loud!"
Before I could say anything, Lakya had turned back and was already running to help Odie.
"Wh-What are you doing—"
"Come on Odie, stand up! We're running!"
There was no time to stop her.
Or maybe I could have if I weren't too flustered to give clear orders.
"It's okay, we've been forced to run much harder before."
"Oh, thank you, Lakya."
"It's fine. Now, let's go!"
Odie expressed her gratitude to Lakya with tears in her eyes.
And then, right when Lakya helped the nurse stand up…
"Eh…?"
Suddenly, they were engulfed in a torrent of flames.
Lakya and Odie were turned into burning corpses, rolling away into the darkness like discarded cans.
───The sizzling sound of burning flesh filled the air.
"Ugh, L-Lakya—"
"Run!!"
Once I finally recovered, the only command I shouted was to run.
"If you don't want to end up like that, keep running!"
"Hii…!!"
I led the charge, running straight ahead.
In the dark of night, trembling from the continued enemy artillery fire raining down, I kept running desperately.
"Just another 100 meters and we'll be out of range! Do your best!"
Looking back, everyone except for Lakya and Odie were following closely behind.
Everyone was running as if their lives depended on it.
"Over here, medical platoon! Take cover at the bottom of this hill!"
"Lieutenant Verdi!"
Verdi had already gathered the surrounding soldiers and withdrawn, securing terrain that would be suitable for hiding.
I followed his instructions and led the entire medical platoon to safety.
"Touri Medical Platoon, reporting in."
"Alright, my company will guard the Touri Medical Platoon. Keep an eye out for enemies in the surrounding area!"
We successfully retreated to Lieutenant Verdi's location.
***
The damage from the night bombardment seemed to be quite severe.
"How many have gathered?"
"About 120."
"I see…"
In addition to the infantry led by Verdi, the force consisted of 120 people, including many non-combatants such as laundry soldiers and supply troops.
This was the total number of soldiers who had successfully fled from the artillery fire to join Verdi.
Of course, no matter how long we waited, Lakya and the others never came running.
"It looks like we're out of range of enemy artillery fire…"
"It'll be bad if the enemy's mage troops advance, Lieutenant Verdi."
The enemy bombardment continued.
Ahead of us, explosions and flames erupted, gashing holes into the plain.
It will be impossible to return and check on Lakya.
"What will we do, Lieutenant Verdi?"
"Um, well…"
Verdi was frozen in place, sweat pouring down his forehead.
That's because our current situation is extremely dire.
The enemy had launched a bombardment to isolate us from the main force led by Captain Aria.
We found ourselves alone, with enemies lurking on all sides.
"Wh-What about the communication? Don't we have any communication devices?"
"We have one. But if we use it, there's a risk of being detected by magic."
"Ugh…"
Currently, Lieutenant Verdi is the highest-ranking officer among the 120 present.
Everyone here has to act under his command.
"Lieutenant Verdi, we should make contact with Aria Battalion as soon as possible."
"Warrant Officer Faris…"
Among the 120 people present, Allen Platoon weren't here.
Were they also killed?
…No, I'll think about that later.
Right now, we have to focus all our efforts on solving the immediate problem in front of us.
"The enemy is firing from the southwest, which is how we got separated from the main force."
"That's right."
"So, we should make a large detour to the north and avoid the enemy, then rejoin the main force."
Seeing Verdi freeze up, Warrant Officer Faris offered his suggestion.
Although Verdi is a company commander, he is still inexperienced as a commander.
It was not uncommon in the military for a senior soldier with a lower rank to take effective command in such situations.
"We'll scout ahead. Lieutenant, please follow after we confirm it's safe."
Warrant Officer Faris's suggestion made sense.
By distancing ourselves from the enemy's artillery while making a slight detour, we could aim to reunite with our allies even if it meant taking a longer route.
───But something inside me screamed that Warrant Officer Faris's proposal was dangerous.
At first glance, heading north to escape seems like the right choice, but I have a feeling that such actions will play right into the enemy's hands.
"That's certainly true. Well then, as Warrant Officer Faris suggested, let's take a detour north and─"
"…Umm. May I offer my opinion, Lieutenant Verdi?"
"Oh? What is it, Touri?"
At this moment, I was oddly calm.
I had just caused the deaths of Lakya and Odie through my own indecision.
Normally, it wouldn't be strange to be in shock, lost in despair…
"Going north might look safe at first glance, but it could lead to total annihilation."
"…Oh? What do you mean by that?"
"Yes, I'll explain."
My heartbeat quickened, and my mind was completely clear.
It was the same kind of exhilaration I had felt when I was fleeing with Gomuji in Marshdale.
"Lieutenant Verdi, we should avoid the bombardment and head towards the southwest straight into where the enemy is lurking."
Looking back later on…
In my past life, I loved this feeling, which is why I immersed myself in FPS games.
The tension of not knowing when you'll be killed.
The exhilaration of figuring out how to escape, how to act in order to survive.
I loved this sensation so much that I couldn't stop playing FPS games.
"What…?"
"I am in my right mind. There's no time, so I'll explain briefly."
This is my only strength.
In a desperate situation, I could calmly find the path that had the highest chance of survival.
It wasn't a skill of the strong who could defeat enemies with ease, but the technique of the weak who fear death and run away.
In this world, I can't defeat enemies.
But when asked how to survive in such a life-or-death situation…
───In my previous life, I had been stronger than anyone in the world.