I have experienced many harsh and cruel battles throughout my military career.
The retreat through the mountains during the Sylph Offensive where we suffered from hunger and thirst.
The retreat from Marshdale where I broke through countless traps and enemy soldiers with Gomuji.
The escape near Noel where the young Lakya lost her life.
The Battle of the North where I survived through the sacrifice of Rodri and Senior Allen.
The brutal plundering incident by bandits in the peaceful village of Othello.
Each of these memories is so painful that just recalling them makes me want to tear my heart out.
If I had done more, maybe some lives could have been saved.
How can I atone for the people who died because of my lack of ability?
Every time I survived a battle, the number of days I was tormented by nightmares increased.
However….
If I were asked what the most horrific battle I have ever experienced in my life was… I would say it was the Battle of Josegrad during the Sabbatian Revolution.
Though previous battles were harsh and painful, they had meaning.
Senior Gray, Platoon Leader Garback, Lakya, Senior Allen, Rodri, Gomuji, and Kusha: all of them sacrificed their lives for someone else.
No one would deny the noble spirit of those who, as soldiers and parents, risked their lives to protect what was important to them.
On the other hand, the Battle of Josegrad had no such meaning.
Justice was with Remi's faction, who shouldn't win, while the government side, who shouldn't lose, had no righteousness.
Deceived by the beautiful words "equality," ambitious people intoxicated with justice simply squandered away lives in a pointless manner. That was all it was.
Therefore, even if one had fallen in that battle and died heroically, they would neither be praised nor remembered by future generations.
Many soldiers perished in Josegrad with great ambition and exceptional valor, but all of them were recorded as "merely casualties" in history.
One can't help but think there were better places to stake their lives.
Sylph fought for the former government side because she realized the revolutionary forces were heading towards hell.
After learning the reality of the Workers' Council, Sylph Nova resolutely declared:
"They are nothing more than bandits in disguise, unmatched in their crude and vicious nature across the entire Sabbath."
Remi Ulyakov… her ideology as the leader of the Workers' Council was extremely dangerous.
A society where everyone shares production responsibilities and distributes shared wealth without disparity between rich and poor.
In the Sabbath, where the gap between rich and poor was severe, it's a dream social structure.
Intellectuals who questioned whether such a society could truly be realized… were killed by the Worker's Council.
Sylph is said to have made the following prediction regarding Remi Ulyakov's ideas:
"If the 'fragile illusion like bubbles' created by that madwoman gained power, it would soon plunge the populace into the depths of misery."
Sylph foresaw all the tragedies that Remi's ideology would bring about.
"Hey, Elijah."
The corrupt former government army and the revolutionaries who have lost touch with reality.
No matter which side wins, there is surely no future for the Sabbath.
Even in such a dire situation, if there was any hope for the Sabbath, it would be…
"If I said I would take control of the military and seize power, would you follow me?"
"That…"
Sylph taking control of the Sabbatian Army herself.
"…It was just a joke."
However, Sylph Nova has no popularity. Even Sylph herself was aware of that.
It would have been difficult for her to rise to the top of the military through legitimate means, both due to her age and lack of popularity.
Yet, it was also true that the military valued her highly.
That was because Sylph's scores in victory rates, casualty rates, and number of days required in bandit suppression were overwhelmingly superior to other units.
The daughter of the hero Brustav Nova is unrivaled in military tactics and is a gifted woman with a lineage of geniuses.
Although she is still young and lacks ability now, she will surely be someone who will shoulder the future of the military.
Such was her reputation within the military.
Therefore, if she had been serious about devising a plan, it is possible that she could have achieved the goal of "removing General Blake and taking control of the military."
However, being born into a military family, Sylph lacked political know-how.
The skills she had learned until now were specialized in military matters. It would have been impossible for her to exercise skill as a politician.
So even if Sylph had seized power, she vaguely realized she wouldn't be able to manage well.
"I was only considering it."
"Sylph-sama…"
"I am not yet prepared to take on the responsibility of the country, nor do I have the courage to become a demon."
Moreover, if she had devised a strategy and seized power…
The path she would have taken would have been a bloody and brutal one.
A dictatorship based on military force. Young and virtuous as she was, she did not have the courage to walk such a demonic path.
"I cannot walk that path."
…In the end, Sylph couldn't defy the orders given.
She began the preparation for the march towards Josegrad.
***
The season was in the midst of autumn.
Although it was still autumn, the Sabbath was quite chilly.
I could understand Senior Allen's remark about his toes getting necrotic in the winter trenches with this kind of temperature.
We refugees were forced to live in camps, surviving by building fires in holes we had dug.
"We're out of water again! Who's on duty?"
"…I'll go fetch some for now."
This cold weather had many negative effects on life in the camp.
For example, since the temperature has dropped, people have often started skipping their water carrying duties.
"I've drawn some."
"Sorry, Aust. The guy on duty has a fever."
"I see. I'll go check on them later."
The long-distance transport work in the freezing cold was extremely tough.
People who managed to carry water in the summer started to shirk their duties once autumn began.
"Anita has already gone to check. So you, drink some wild herb soup. Here."
"Oh, thank you."
One thing we did to combat the cold was to start serving soup.
There were edible wild plants growing in the forest near the Othello Village camp.
Even without any seasonings, boiling the sour wild herbs gave the soup a subtle flavor.
The taste was… honestly, it was awful, but since it was valuable fresh vegetables, everyone endured it and drank.
"I don't like it…"
"…"
Sedol refused to drink the soup no matter how much I tried to persuade him.
I wanted to scold him for being picky, but given the taste, I let it go.
Even I hesitated to drink it. I would be troubled if forcing him to eat it made him develop a serious dislike for vegetables.
"Hey, Touri. You're leaving tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. I'll be apart from Sedol for a while."
Just as the cold weather began to set in, it was finally decided that I too would be called up to fight in the war.
The decision has finally been made to launch an expedition to capture Josegrad, the capital of the Sabbath.
"If we can suppress the enemy terrorist organization, I'm promised a reward that includes enough money to raise Sedol and a safe place to live."
"I see."
"But if I don't come back, please take care of Sedol. I've designated Anita as the recipient of my death benefits."
"Alright. Don't worry about this boy, go on."
Since life in the camp started, Sedol has become quite accustomed to Anita.
They were familiar from family ties with the Gomuji family, so he accepted her relatively quickly.
"…I'm sure I'll be worried about him even while I'm in service. He's all I have now."
"I understand."
"If it takes longer than expected, I'll write you a letter. Please take care, Anita."
"Healers don't really talk about 'taking care'."
Sedol has also gotten used to me being away for long periods of time now.
Whenever it was time to be called up, he would wave goodbye to me with sad eyes.
But the night before, he always climbed into my bed and slept closely with me.
"Make sure you come back safely."
Thus, while stroking Sedol wrapped in handmade winter clothes, the last night before departure passed quietly.
***
The next day…
"The occupation of the capital, Josegrad, by ruthless terrorists is a truly unforgivable act of violence…"
I was standing at the rear of Gorski Platoon, listening to the commander's speech.
His name is General Blake.
"We must defeat these traitors with unwavering justice. This is in the best interest of the Sabbath, and ultimately the world."
Even Sylph, who was in a position to directly command us, was standing behind General Blake.
For some reason, she looked a little depressed and lacking in energy.
"I wish you all the best. The future of the Sabbath depends on us!"
As General Blake finished his speech, roars of "Hurrah" and "Oraaa" rang out.
Reading the room, I also quietly said "hurrah."
Staying silent might've led to trouble.
"For the glorious future of the Sabbath, advance!"
Thus began the worst battle in the history of the Sabbath, the "Battle of Josegrad."
The beginning of this nightmarish battle, which is still remembered as the greatest tragedy of wartime, was so unexpectedly peaceful.
And in this battle, Sylph would once again display her exceptional tactical skills.
***
Between the Eastern Command Headquarters from where we departed and the capital, Josegrad, there were two defense bases set up.
These were constructed by the Sabbatian government to protect the capital against possible invasions from Austin.
Among them, Fort Putsu in the east was under the command of Eastern Command.
We didn't need to capture it, and its 500 defensive soldiers were to join the capital assault unit.
The problem was the fortress located near Josegrad – the Fort Rusovets, which was under the command of the Capital Headquarters.
This fortress was a strong defense facility, considered a spiritual stronghold for Sabbath people, similar to Marshdale for Austinites.
Normally, it would take several months to capture, but taking that long would push us into winter.
I wondered how we would manage it, but…
"Attacking a fortress sounds difficult, but currently, amateurs are occupying Rusovets. It'll be easier than taking candy from a baby."
"Oh, how brave."
General Blake reportedly confidently said this to government officials.
"If possible, I want to capture the fortress before winter. We'll advance first and capture it."
"…Alright, I leave it to you."
"Captain Sylph, please follow leisurely from the rear."
"Well… I'm counting on you, General Blake."
If things go as expected, there are only two months left until winter sets in.
By this time, General Blake had made some forced marches to take the fortress of Rusovets.
His plan was to capture the fortress before winter, spend the winter there gathering supplies, and then invade the capital in the spring.
"Advance with all our might! We will retake our capital!"
"Um, General…"
"What is it?"
Although she was aware that this was an insane plan, Sylph did not object to this forced march.
The longer it takes to capture the capital, the more plundering will occur in the surrounding villages.
A forced march would be well worth it in terms of reducing civilian casualties.
However…
"Since this morning, about 13 soldiers have gone missing. They are most likely deserters"
"Execute them immediately if you find them."
As expected, this resulted in many deserters.
The soldiers who deserted here either fled to their hometowns or surrendered to the Workers' Council.
***
Furthermore, there were other casualties among soldiers besides desertion, and the most common of these was…
"Mr. Gorski. It appears that Private Zaramazov has reached his limit."
"…I'll carry him."
Zaramazov, who had been serving with the Gorski Platoon at the young age of 17, fell ill with a high fever due to overexertion.
"Mr. Gorski, has the proposal to halt the march been accepted yet?"
"No. I'll try again."
"Please."
Unfortunately, an epidemic began to break out at the Sabbath at this time.
Austin was one step ahead when it comes to medical technology. Treatments such as antibiotics and intravenous fluids are not available in this country.
I myself was in a situation where I didn't know when I would catch the virus.
"Let's wrap a thin cloth around Private Zaramazov's mouth. If he coughs, it will surely spread to you, Mr. Gorski."
"I'm sorry…"
This disease was very difficult to handle, and it had a strong infection and toxicity like that of influenza.
If it worsened, it could cause pneumonia and kill patients within days of onset.
It was predicted that there would be heavy casualties even before the battle even began if we continued the forced march any further.
I repeatedly suggested to the higher-ups through Mr. Gorski that we should stop the advance and focus on treatment, but…
"Orders came from above."
"What were they?"
"The order is to throw away the sick because they are a source of infection."
"…"
"We're leaving Zaramazov… behind."
The military higher-ups instructed to abandon soldiers who could become sources of infection and continue to advance.
General Blake was determined to complete the capture of the fortress before midwinter arrived.
"Who's going to look after him after we leave him?"
"…"
This year's epidemic seemed to be more severe than last year's.
It was expected for epidemics to occur within the military every winter. This year was no exception as a virus spread throughout the army.
Historically, this was the "Chaim Flu" pandemic caused by demons, but this year's virus had also caused severe pneumonia.
"Please don't leave me behind. Please don't abandon me…"
"…"
Zaramazov, a new recruit, is begging from behind Mr. Gorski, coughing up blood and gasping for air.
…It's not hard to imagine what will happen if he's abandoned in such a situation.
"It's an order… Forgive me, Zaramazov."
"Platoon Leader…!"
Mr. Gorski dropped Zaramazov off on the side of the road, left him with a few days' worth of food, and continued on.
If he recovers, Mr. Gorski would order him back to Eastern Command.
"I don't want to die. Please, Platoon Leader…"
With the recruit coughing violently and crying, we in the Gorski Platoon could only bite our lips as we marched forward.
Along the side of the road we were walking…
"…"
One by one, Sabbatian soldiers were lying motionless, like signposts.