A few days later, I was called by Aria for a confidential discussion.
"…You've come, Touri. We don't have much time, so keep your questions brief."
"Ah, that…"
"Then let me explain the procedure right away."
Once I entered the room, Aria began to quickly explain her plan for my defection.
To sum it up briefly, the plan is for me to take Arunoma out when it's time to change guards.
However, I interrupted her.
"Captain Aria, I would like to remain in the military after all."
"…"
"For an orphan like me, the people who matter most to me are in this military. Including you, Captain Aria, my comrades are like family to me."
I declared this firmly while looking into her eyes.
"I see…"
"This is where I'll die."
Following Aria's advice, fleeing to another country is probably the right choice.
I am terrified of being killed, and I don't want to be involved in the war any longer.
How happy would it be to forget everything and live peacefully in another country?
However, when I think about running away… I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.
The faces of the many people who have helped me up until now keep coming to mind.
The reliable Senior Allen who I can always count on for advice.
The straightforward, kind, and slightly airheaded Verdi.
My subordinate, Cale, who supports me as a senior medic and respects me.
I am grateful to Director Reitalyu and Sergeant Major Zafqua who took care of me in the Southern Army.
…And, of course, Rodri, who always helped me.
If I abandon them and run away, I will be tormented by an unbearable sense of guilt for the rest of my life.
When I weighed my life against my feelings towards them, it was clear that they were more important to me.
"Aria, please leave me here. I will continue to heal my comrades' injuries until my last breath."
"…"
Abandoning them to survive would be more painful than dying.
I will choose to stay here and die with them.
"You're going to die."
"I know."
"Even if you survive here, you will have to fight against Flamel next. The war will never end."
"…Unfortunately, yes."
"I want you to live, Touri."
"I'm sorry…"
After I apologized, Aria sighed deeply.
I felt guilty for rejecting her kindness, but I had no regrets.
"…But I want to at least help Arunoma escape."
"Well, I'm working on that too. But he's stubborn and refuses to flee."
"I see."
"I can't tell him about the Flamer invasion either, and I'm struggling with what to do. That man believes his innocence will eventually be proven. …Well, he's not a spy, after all."
My remaining regret was Arunoma.
The plan was for me to help him escape, but he's too earnest to make it work.
If he knew that Flamel is attacking, he would surely decide to escape, but I can't let the guards watching the prison know about the Flamer invasion.
So, I'm at an impasse.
"For now, I have warned them not to torture him any further. Let's defeat the Sabbath first, and then we'll worry about it."
"Yes."
"You said you were staying of your own volition. Serve your country until your last moment."
"Understood, Captain Aria."
I saluted Captain Aria and said,
"I will serve you until the moment of my death."
"…I see."
Seeing her look away sadly, I replied cheerfully.
"Then, I will take my leave, Captain Aria."
"Right. Don't overdo it."
I then saluted Aria and left the tent.
"…Now then, I wonder which of us will die first."
As we parted ways…
I couldn't hear Aria's voice as she muttered softly.
***
On the day of the decisive battle.
Austin entrusted all of its the magic stones to Aria's unit.
"How's the preparation for the ships?"
"The transportation was completed safely."
"Good."
The plan that Bern had envisioned from the beginning was a surprise attack via the waterways.
With the military strength of Austin, it would have been impossible to break through multiple trenches head-on. The only viable approach to the bridge was through the waterways.
The idea was to destroy the bridge, causing chaos in the Sabbatian Army, and then slowly surround and kill them, trench by trench.
This was the scenario that the genius killer Bern wanted to create.
The Sabbatian side also anticipated the desperate attack via the waterway.
The other genius, Sylph, had repeatedly warned her father about the dangers of this.
When the Aria Magic Battalion launched the surprise attack on the Sabbatian stronghold near the Tar River, halfway between the northern bridge and the Sabbath's main camp, they likely smirked, thinking they had been expecting it.
Their reaction was incredibly swift.
They had already formed a doctrine to send backup forces to the point of the surprise attack.
The response from the Sabbath was immediate.
The seemingly thin trenches along the riverbank were actually a trap to lure us into a counterattack.
The trenches that looked shallow were in reality incredibly strong.
The trenches were twisted like waves, and the places that appeared thin were actually where the firepower was concentrated.
If the assault troops charged recklessly, they would have been hit by concentrated fire and evaporated on the spot.
However…
"There's a massive amount of traps set along the advance route!"
"We can't deploy soldiers!"
Due to Bern's repeated surprise attacks, the patrolling Sabbatian soldiers between the two bridges had been reduced.
At that moment, the traps set within the trenches were activated, hindering the movement of the Sabbatian soldiers.
This was where the preparation of the devil Bern, who reduced the patrol soldiers and created a gap for the infiltrating saboteurs, paid off.
"Now is the time to show the pride of Austin's soldiers!
The trench assault was a race against time.
Bern spared no effort in deploying elite units like Captain Aria and Sergeant Major Zafqua.
"Secure the trenches!"
"Support the advance of our allies!"
The first to do so was the result of an elite assault unit called the Leidelt Platoon that remained in Austin.
"The Austin Army has captured the riverbank trenches!"
Within an hour of the surprise attack, Austin successfully secured the riverbank.
"Recapture the trenches! Don't let the Austin forces get the ships though!"
"It's impossible, their defenses are incredibly strong…"
After securing the trenches, Zafqua's unit showed an impenetrable defense until Aria's unit transported the ships.
The rumors that they could even repel artillery fire proved true, as no bullets reached Aria's unit while Sergeant Major Zafqua was guarding them.
"They're going to reach the river!"
"The bridge… The bridge is going to be destroyed!"
The Sabbatian Army, thinking they had set a trap, were instead the ones caught.
They used the waterway as bait, only to have the enemy swallow them up whole.
"Captain, what a beautiful view."
"Yeah, visibility is great. This will be a fine voyage."
Later, I heard that Aria's unit boarded the ships not in military uniforms, but in ceremonial attire.
…In this world, ceremonial clothes are funeral attire.
Major Renvel complied with Aria's request to face their once-in-a-lifetime moment not in dirty military uniforms, but in splendid attire.
Enemy infantry lined up along the riverbank.
Their mage unit desperately tried to bombard Aria's fleet from the land.
Despite their desperate resistance, Austin's ships were not unscathed.
Several of the military vessels sank to the riverbed due to Sabbatian artillery fire.
However, the artillery of this era was not accurate enough to hit moving ships.
Only a few ships were sunk before reaching the bridge within range of the artillery.
"Alright, we've arrived at the party venue."
"Let's liven things up, Captain Aria."
The reason why Aria's unit was chosen for this suicide mission was simple.
With war with Flamel looming, why did they sacrifice elite Aria's unit, which included their valuable ace?
It was because her mage unit was far superior to the others in Austin, and more than anything else—
"I see a bridge approximately one kilometer ahead."
"Alright, first shot."
The long-range sniping ability of Aria's unit was head and shoulders above both armies.
"The first shot deviated 130 meters to the southwest by 32 degrees."
"30 seconds until the second shot. The expected distance the ship will move in that time is about 80 meters."
"Understood. Raise the elevation angle by 3 degrees and reduce the magic stone by 10%."
Artillery requires rapid, precise calculations and delicate angle adjustments.
In this world, technology for precision artillery fire had not developed. The effective range for magic artillery was limited to the distance that could be seen by the naked eye—a few hundred meters.
The length of the fuses was not standardized, and the time to fire could be off by fractions of a second.
So, how did they manage long-distance artillery strikes under such conditions?
Each artillery commander adjusted the amount of magic stones and the firing angle based on "experience."
Therefore, the range and precision of artillery fire depended greatly on the skill of the commander.
"I'll hit it next time."
It was clear that it would be difficult to survive even if the attack was successful.
To be honest, Austin probably didn't want to carry out an operation that would result in the loss of Aria's unit.
However, there was no other unit in all of the Austin Army that could carry out long-range artillery fire from a moving, unstable ship like Aria's unit could.
To date, the longest range of long-distance bombardment that Captain Aria had achieved in combat had been 1083 meters.
In other words, she could hit a target up to one kilometer away if she had stable footing.
For the mages of that era, such a distance would have sounded unbelievable.
Yet, at this moment, Aria…
"Second shot, fire."
"…Hit confirmed."
"Good."
She successfully executed a long-distance bombardment of approximately 870 meters, hitting the bridge guarded by the Sabbatian forces perfectly.
This single shot caused part of the bridge to be damaged, with a 10-meter section collapsing.
"That level of destruction can easily be repaired. Prepare the third shot!"
"Roger."
The bridge was sturdily built, and the first shot wasn't enough to completely destroy it.
However, Aria, perhaps having anticipated this, remained unfazed and ordered the third shot.
"Captain Aria, you seem to be in a good mood."
"Yeah, I feel fantastic."
She showed remarkable composure and resilience even as enemy resistance became increasingly intense. This was the hallmark of an ace.
Aria carried out a total of eight magic artillery shots while watching her comrades' ships sink one after another.
Of these, three shots hit their targets perfectly, and as a result—
"…I couldn't prepare a wedding dress, but this attire should be suitable enough to meet him."
"I think it's beautiful, Captain. That man really is lucky."
The bridge that the Sabbath had carefully defended collapsed n just a few minutes after Aria's surprise attack.
At the same time, the ship carrying Aria sank to the bottom of the river.
The Tar River's current is swift, making swimming impossible.
As they were carried away, the debris from the collapsed bridge lay sharp and exposed in their path.
The elite mage unit that Aria had trained, one of the best in the entire army, had accomplished this incredible feat, only to be cast into the river along with their commander.
The soldiers, unable to resist the current, collided with the debris from the bridge they had destroyed, losing their lives.
However, not a single member of the unit showed any signs of regret on their faces.
Among the bodies, there was a female officer wearing a particularly beautiful dress.
She wore a brand-new ring on her ring finger, and it is said that she had a face as if at the pinnacle of happiness.
***
Thus, although the plan deviated significantly from the original, Austin's Army claimed victory.
The collapse of the main bridge marked the defeat of the Sabbath.
Originally, Bern had planned to take more time and not sacrifice Aria.
However, he was forced to implement a bold strategy due to limited time and resources, even using Major Renvel's beloved daughter as a sacrificial pawn.
Nevertheless, the fall of the bridge was a result that matched this enormous sacrifice.
"Now, what do you think the Sabbatian soldiers, who have lost their retreat route due to the sudden surprise attack, will do?"
"…They will likely rush to the northern bridge."
The Austin Army, which had magically brought down the great bridge, now only needed to crush the fleeing Sabbatian soldiers.
"We've already blocked most of the retreat routes leading to the northern bridge. It'll be easier than twisting a baby's arm to annihilate the enemy."
"…What about the soldiers who were guarding the northern bridge? Is there any way to ensure they don't escape?"
"It can't be helped if they run away. Trying to get everything would be greedy."
However, this plan allowed the soldiers guarding the northern bridge to move freely.
There was a possibility that the enemy would simply retreat, or that they would attack from behind the formation we had set up to block their retreat.
"Well, in this situation, I think there's a 90% chance they'll flee… But we've taken measures just in case they come from behind, so don't worry."
"…I see. Then we've won, haven't we?"
"Yes, victory is now certain."
Bern was full of confidence as he declared his success.
Hearing what he said, the staff officers relaxed their cheeks, and even Major Renvel, who had been silent the whole time, let out a small sigh.
"…I have a report that the soldiers guarding the northern bridge have vanished."
"Ah, so they ran away after all."
"It was a splendid strategy, Captain Bern."
Major Renvel expressed Captain Bern's achievement in a low voice.
In order to achieve this victory, he let his precious daughter, whom he raised with great care, die.
The Major's feelings were likely complex, but he chose to praise him as a commander.
However…
"What…? The soldiers disappeared?"
"What's wrong, Captain Bern?"
For the first time, Bern Valou looked flustered upon hearing this report.
"Wait a minute, what do you mean? Did they ambush us from behind or something?"
"No, they vanished from around the bridge."
It was the first time that Lieutenant Colonel Henri, commander of the Southern Army, had never seen such an expression on Bern's face before.
Until now, he had always been calm and composed, maintaining an attitude of "everything is going as planned."
He couldn't have imagined this man sounding so flustered.
"What's going on? Didn't you plan for them to retreat?"
"…The number of soldiers defending the northern bridge is estimated to be in the tens of thousands. There's no way they could cross that narrow bridge in such a short time."
At this moment, Bern Valou realized that the enemy had made an unexpected move.
If the main bridge were lost, a competent commander at the northern bridge would likely order the retreat immediately.
This is because if the Sabbatian forces were to retreat, it would take them a considerable amount of time to cross the bridge.
Therefore, they should start the retreat as soon as possible to save as many Sabbatian soldiers as possible.
Alternatively, they might move south to secure a retreat route, aiming to support the retreat of their allies.
This would be a strategy aimed more at prioritizing the retreat of high-ranking officers, rather than just saving ordinary soldiers.
However, if neither option was chosen…
What strategy would the Sabbath take as a third option?
***
At the same time, in the northern part of the Tar River.
"I warned them to be careful of surprise attacks from the waterways. What is Father thinking…"
She had raised her voice at the General Staff, insisting on holding the northern bridge.
Her concern was that a surprise attack using the waterway was highly likely.
She, Sylph Nova, was dispatched as a staff officer to the northern bridge under General Brustav's orders, with the instruction, "Since you've said so much, prove that you can protect it yourself."
"We've lost. The Sabbatian Army has lost the strategic value of holding the riverbank. We have no chance of winning anymore."
"Hey, Staff Officer Sylph, don't say such irresponsible things. Think of a strategy to turn things around."
"There's no way to turn it around when there's no chance of winning."
Even after being yelled at by Commander Kitabashi, Sylph remained unfazed as she kept a frustrated expression.
"Well, if there's anything we can aim for, it's a draw."
"A draw?"
"Yeah, just think back on our past achievements. The enemy's land is a burnt wasteland, and the resources Austin's Army is currently using are nothing but the dregs."
Bern had anticipated this move but had dismissed it as a possibility, saying that he "didn't have the resources to take care of it."
Sylph proposed the move Austin feared most.
"Put yourself in the shoes of the Aust. They're launching such a large-scale offensive, and the core of their defense forces are on the front lines."
"…"
"In that state, how many soldiers can they really allocate to defense?"
Yes.
The moment when Sylph, the girl hailed as a "genius" realized that Sabbath had been defeated…
"If we destroy and seize all of the enemy's resources from now on, Austin will lose its ability to continue the war. Then, our homeland will be secure."
"Oh, I see."
Even though it put herself at risk, she proposed a surprise attack on Austin's military resource warehouse.
"For the sake of our homeland, let's do it."
"We'll teach them a lesson!"
A proper commander would never abandon the retreat route and leave the bridge.
That would be a betrayal to the main force of the Sabbatian Army, which had begun retreating to the only safe route, the northern bridge.
Even if they acted independently, it would at least be to support allies or with immediate withdrawal.
Losing the bridge meant losing the only safe crossing route left for the Sabbatian Army.
It was unimaginable how much this would lower the soldiers' morale and crush their spirits.
But Sylph discarded safety and supporting her allies, instead planning a charge into the enemy's rear.
"Now, let's turn this defeat into a draw."
This was her nature, or perhaps her bad habit.
As a strategist, Sylph often ignored the well-being of her own forces and instead focused on causing damage to the enemy.
She chose to abandon the main force, including her father, to ensure mutual destruction.
Perhaps Sylph, like Bern, was a war fanatic with a twisted mind.