We continued marching for a week along the chilly road, with some members dropping out due to illness.
Although one member of Gorski Platoon had dropped out, we had arrived safely at Fort Putsu.
The history of this fortress is relatively old, and many old-generation weapons, such as stationary bow platforms, remain. From the outside, it appeared to be a stone fortress with a sense of history, surrounded by reeds.
Fort Putsu is an ancient fortress that has been renovated to withstand modern warfare.
"The fortress already has food supplies that will last several months. Everyone has done well. We can look forward to a rather lavish meal tonight."
"Is that so?"
General Blake had instructed the soldiers at the fortress to requisition supplies from the surrounding villages.
He must have wanted to advance the army as quickly as possible.
"Is it fair to expect some Vok?"
"Indeed. Tonight, we can afford to let loose a bit."
Mr. Gorski must have had some inkling that the Vok being served tonight was a result of looting.
He put on a strained smile and thanked us for following through the grueling march.
***
Well, things didn't work out that way in reality.
As Mr. Gorski said, the fortress was supposed to be well-stocked with alcohol and food.
That is, assuming the requisition from the villages had gone as planned.
"Why aren't the supplies gathered?"
"There has been a rebellion."
As expected, very few villagers accepted the military's requisition order.
The villages targeted for requisition had risen in arms, and the villagers had taken their supplies and fled in various directions.
"Why haven't you suppressed the rebellion?"
"We lack the manpower."
"So, you were planning to wait for our arrival to suppress it?"
"No, that's not the case either."
General Blake, upon hearing this, summoned and reprimanded the Lieutenant in charge of the fortress.
There were supposed to be 500 soldiers stationed at the fortress.
With that many soldiers, he presumably thought it would be possible to quell the rebellious peasants.
However, the Lieutenant, with a weary voice, said:
"…In this situation, the people don't have any resources. When you consider the loss of soldiers, medical expenses, and ammunition costs, it's bound to end in a deficit."
"…"
"Disease is also spreading, and chaos within the army is expected. I propose we retreat and shift our strategy to an offensive in the spring."
That is what he advised General Blake.
The Lieutenant was opposed to this operation from the start.
He thought it was impossible both in terms of time and resources.
"If we don't act now, the people of the capital will continue to suffer from bandits until spring."
"They didn't seem to be suffering that much."
Moreover, this lieutenant was not keen on attacking the capital in the first place.
He knew that Remi, who led the Workers' Council, was taking good care of the citizens.
"We have conducted reconnaissance in the capital. The security of the capital is being maintained. The situation is calmer than it was around summer when the citizens were still demonstrating."
"You… Are you defending the bandits?"
"…I'm just saying it might not be necessary to rush an attack."
Remi was protecting the people who had lost their homes, providing food distributions, and generally conducting quite good governance.
The security in the capital may even be better than it was during wartime.
The Lieutenant did not have any particular ill feelings toward the Workers' Council after learning about the state of the capital.
In fact, he was somewhat impressed by their actions.
"No more arguing. You'll be held responsible for your dereliction of duty."
"I believe I followed the orders given to me properly. Maybe the issue lies with the orders that were given."
The young lieutenant retorted with a hint of sarcasm.
Although he agreed with the Workers' Council, he had at least carried out the requisition as ordered.
He had fulfilled his duties. Avoiding combat with the rebellious forces was simply due to the risk of financial loss.
"You bastard… Are you shifting the blame for your own negligence?"
"Whoa, wait a second?!"
However, Blake was infuriated by the young lieutenant's words and immediately grabbed his gun.
The Lieutenant's face froze at the sight of the gun, and the surrounding soldiers began to panic.
"Please stay calm, General Blake. Do you intend to reduce our valuable commanding officers even further?"
"Stay out of this! Captain Sylph, you heard this man's nonsense, didn't you?"
"This lieutenant is just lacking in manners."
General Blake was a short-tempered man who hated having his plans criticized.
His pride as the commander-in-chief was strong.
Therefore, the Lieutenant's remarks were like touching a live wire.
"There's no strategic value in killing him here."
"It will affect morale if such a coward remains in the army!"
General Blake was already frustrated by the large number of deserters, supplies not arriving as scheduled, and the lingering epidemic.
Given the situation, he yelled out of frustration.
"General Blake, please calm down."
Unable to bear watching this any longer, Sylph tried to mediate and calm Blake down in an anxious tone.
She stood up for the Lieutenant and said:
"Your anger is understandable. I will give him a stern warning and ensure he demonstrates his loyalty to the Sabbath through his actions."
"…"
"It would be unwise to lose a valuable commander right now. Would you please let me take responsibility for him?"
She unusually bowed her head as she spoke.
"…Hmph."
Due to the rare sight of the arrogant Sylph bowing her head and pleading,
"Alright, I'll sheath my weapon. But make sure to properly train him, Sylph."
"Thank you for your kindness."
General Blake, still irritated, let the Lieutenant off.
The exhausted young lieutenant was deeply relieved to see the gun lowered.
"…"
He then received a small wink from Sylph, which made him blush.
***
As a result, in the end, we, the Sabbatian government forces, were forced to capture Fort Rusovets without having gathered sufficient resources.
We had only enough food for about half a month. We also don't exactly have an abundance of magic stones, weapons, or ammunition.
The situation was quite precarious for an assault on the fortress.
On the day we arrived at the fort, we were not given the lavish meal promised by Mr. Gorski; we were simply handed the usual rations.
…Even though we were about to head to our deaths, there wasn't even any alcohol served with the food at the fortress, our final resting place.
The morale of the Sabbatian Army at this time was at rock bottom.
"Are we really going to attack the fortress like this?"
"Maybe we should reconsider."
This was suggested to General Blake by many of the lower-ranking commanders, including Mr. Gorski.
Most of the soldiers realized that this plan wasn't going to work.
"I think it will be tough with our current supplies."
"Enough. Our enemies are not regular troops, so they should be quite vulnerable. If we capture this fortress, we should be able to replenish a lot of food and ammunition."
"…"
Only General Blake was confident about this operation.
However, in reality, even General Blake himself had a premonition of failure.
But, having boasted so grandly, he could not choose to retreat.
It was essentially a matter of pride.
"Sylph, I have high hopes for you!"
"…I'll do my best to meet your expectations."
Sylph sighed as she watched General Blake's stubborn attitude.
***
It's been two weeks since we left the fort.
Finally, we found ourselves approaching Fort Rusovets, the gateway to the capital.
"Tomorrow is the day of the offensive. We must challenge the great Fort Rusovets with all our might."
According to reconnaissance reports, Fort Rusovets was surrounded by multiple layers of fortifications, with enemy troops densely stationed.
Moreover, the enemy's morale was high, with the Workers' Council side apparently elated, shouting, "We're going to create a new society."
"The future of the Sabbath depends on your performance. This is the important first battle to reclaim the capital from the bandits."
"Hurrah…"
"I expect you to fight bravely."
This is my first experience fighting with such low morale among the troops.
The members of Gorski Platoon, who were giving out weak battle cries, had already given up hope.
"Get plenty of rest tonight."
"I'd like to confirm which unit will be the vanguard tomorrow."
"I don't know. Well, I don't think there's a better unit out there than us."
"That's true."
In most previous missions, Gorski Platoon was usually placed on the front line.
Even though he is injured, there was no way they wouldn't use an ace from the East-West War.
In other words, leading the charge against the countless enemies is our role.
"…Sigh. If I had fallen ill on the way and been abandoned, would there have been a chance to survive and return?"
"I wonder what happened to Zaramazov."
The anxiety of a commanding officer is transmitted to their subordinates.
Even General Blake, the highest commander, foresaw failure, and this ominous feeling spread to the front-line commanders. Mr. Gorski himself, though not showing it, seemed to have an air of resignation, thinking, "We're probably going to lose."
"Don't worry. Fortunately, our superior officer, Sylph, is wise. She'll work something out."
"I'm not sure how reliable that brat really is."
"She always comes up with the most ridiculous plans."
It looks like Sylph is still disliked by her subordinates. No one seemed to have much faith in her except for Mr. Gorski.
I have a faint hope that the monster Sylph Nova might be able to do something about this battle, but…
It's a completely hopeless situation for the soldiers who don't have faith in Sylph.
"Well, it is what it is. As soldiers serving in the army, our lives belong to the country."
"Does dying here really benefit the country?"
Faced with such disheartened soldiers, Mr. Gorski could only offer a tired smile.
***
That evening…
"Hey, Touri. Sylph is calling for you."
"Me?"
I was thinking about getting some sleep early to prepare for tomorrow's battle when I received a call from Sylph.
I don't think I did anything in particular that would cause problems.
"Is it an interrogation?"
"No, I think she just wants someone to talk to."
"Really?"
"That girl often suffers because of her age and attitude. It looks like Sylph has a lot on her mind, and she might be looking for someone her own age to listen to her complaints."
"Ah, I see."
Mr. Gorski said this with a wry smile.
Well, the Sabbatian military certainly does seem like a stressful place to work.
"This army will truly be finished if our commander, Sylph, loses her temper. Please go and chat with her. You're holding the future of the entire army in your hands."
"Seriously?"
Is the fate of the entire army hanging in the balance on a mere chat?
"By the way, this is an official order. You can't refuse; it's part of your duties."
"Is this really within the scope of a medic's duties…?"
"Not really. But I suppose relieving someone's stress falls under the domain of an 'entertainer.'"
"That's true."
Hmm, so this is a request for me as an entertainer.
If that's the case, I don't mind accepting it.
"Either way, I can't defy a summons. I'll go, Mr. Gorski."
"Great. Glad to hear it."
Thus, I found myself being summoned by a troubled Sylph.
Though I don't have any puppets, I can still entertain with whatever was at hand.
"Leave it to me. I'll do my best to lift Sylph's spirits."
"Yeah, I'll leave it to you."
***
"Actually, forget the performance. I'm not in the mood for that."
"…"
I headed towards Sylph in high spirits, but my performance was promptly rejected.
I was quite disappointed.
"So, what do you want from me then?"
"I'll open a bottle of Vok. I'd like some company."
With that, she seated me on a simple stool and placed a glass on the table.
I guess my role is to keep her company while she drank.
"Well, just relax. Try this bacon; it's delicious."
"Uh…"
Maybe Sylph sees me as some sort of companion.
There's a difference between an entertainer and a companion, though.
"Now, Touri. Do you know this game?"
"This is… chess, isn't it?"
"Oh, so you do know it?"
Without caring about my slightly irritated look, Sylph placed the chessboard on the table with a thud.
It was a board game of Western origin that also existed in my previous life in Japan.
"Do you know the rules?"
"No, not really…"
Chess exists in this world too. The rules are even quite similar to those in my previous life.
Even though it's a different world and the culture is different, someone, somewhere, will always come up with the idea of board games.
"Then I'll teach you."
"Okay."
Sylph began giving me a beginner's lesson on chess.
She mentioned that chess was a hobby of hers and that she often played with people like Elijah to unwind.
However, Sylph is so strong that the people nearby are no match for her, so she had been looking for new challengers.
"I thought you might provide a decent challenge if trained."
"Why me…?"
"Why? It's just for fun."
I didn't have much experience playing these types of board games.
I preferred games that were more flashy and exciting.
"This piece is called a pawn…"
"Got it."
But was I really summoned just for this?
Just because she wanted someone to play with, she called in a low-ranking soldier and made them play with her.
…This would be a case of power harassment in modern Japan. Although, there doesn't seem to be such a concept in this world.
"…For now, just respond appropriately to me. I'll speak in a low voice so make sure you listen carefully."
"Huh?"
"We're going to discuss the fortress assault. Relay the information I'm about to give you only to Gorski."
As I was feeling increasingly disillusioned, Sylph whispered while glancing around.
Looks like there was another purpose behind this.
"Well, I'm sure you've guessed it, but we'll lose if things continue like this."
"…Is it alright for you, a Captain, to say something like that?"
"Everyone already knows it."
Sylph looked like she had a headache and continued the conversation in a low voice while continuing her chess commentary.
I see. She's using me to relay secret orders to Gorski.
"So, do you have any plans to overturn this defeat?"
"Yes… The details are written in this secret letter. Hand it to Gorski and have him burn it immediately after reading it."
Sylph pretended to hand me a chess piece and instead placed a small note in my hand.
I took it and casually slipped it into my pocket.
"Blake will be angry if he finds out that I've been acting on my own. If possible, I'd like to convey the plan to Gorski without anyone finding out."
"…So that's why you called me?"
"You don't have any connections with Blake, right? You're also on good terms with Gorski. You're the perfect person to deliver the message."
"I see."
"Everyone will think I've just been enjoying a drink with a fellow young female soldier. Blake will have no idea I'm plotting something."
Sylph and I moved our lips in whispers as we set up the chess pieces on the board.
I understand now why I was chosen.
"Please just pretend that I acted based on my judgment on the spot. It should be portrayed as 'the fortress soldiers were inexperienced and thus easily conquered,' as Blake predicted."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Yes. If I were to take command directly and anger Blake, it would truly spell the end for the Sabbath."
Sylph said this with a tired smile.
If she says so, then it must be true.
"Now, you'll also have a role to play, Touri. Well, first of all…"
Sylph held up the pawn piece and thrust it towards me.
"Why don't you take on the role of the key player in your unit's victory?"
"What…?"
She casually mentioned it as if it were a trivial matter.