"Are we not going to charge today?"
"We don't have any ammunition."
The second day of the Battle of Josegrad was a defensive operation.
The first day's assault had almost left us with no ammunition. Without food, our bodies couldn't move properly, so we weren't in a position to go on the offensive.
"Supplies will arrive tomorrow."
"I really hope they do."
"What if the enemy attacks today?"
"We'll have to throw stones."
Mr. Gorski said that ammunition and food would arrive from Fort Rusovets tomorrow.
They will transport supplies from Fort Rusovets that have passed the safety checks.
So, today's offensive was put on hold, and we concentrated on defense.
"…Hey, Platoon 14 left their position to cut down some wood."
"What? Then we should too!"
"Wait, wait. We can't all leave our posts!"
Even though there were no orders for an assault, we couldn't just relax.
We had to quickly prepare for the freezing cold night.
Last night, many soldiers succumbed to the cold, and it was reported that entire platoons perished in areas where they didn't have enough fuel.
We were extremely lucky as we had plenty of material to burn, including trench posts and enemy corpses.
"We need to secure wood for tonight and, if possible, for tomorrow as well."
"But we can't leave the trench."
Even lighting corpses on fire didn't provide much warmth.
Properly securing firewood is a matter of life and death.
So, the soldiers set out to gather wood while on defense duty.
"Tombel and Gresh, leave the front line for now and return after securing some wood."
"Understood, Platoon Leader Gorski."
"These supplies are vital for our survival. I'm counting on you."
Gorski Platoon also dispatched part of our personnel to gather firewood.
Meanwhile, we left our empty guns behind, clutched our knives, and remained holed up in our trenches.
"The enemy is focusing on defense."
"They have no experience in launching assaults… Let's just hope they don't attack."
Fortunately, there were no enemy attacks that day.
Most of the enemy soldiers were not trained troops but conscripted young soldiers.
There were probably not many people who could imitate the role of an assault soldier, which requires experience.
"Actually, there's no need for them to forcefully attack us in the first place."
Currently, the situation is favorable for the defenders. We were depleting ourselves in the extreme cold, so there was little benefit for them to take risks and advance.
"Platoon Leader Gorski, we've gathered so much wood!"
"Well done, Tombel and Gresh!"
So, no combat occurred that day, and our platoon successfully gathered enough firewood.
With a larger fire source than the previous day, we were able to have a slightly warmer night.
Still, it wasn't a situation where we could sleep.
"What should we do with these charred corpses?"
"…"
Since we didn't have the strength to bury them, we threw them outside the trench and left them exposed to the elements.
I'm sure wild animals will eat them by spring. It would be good if we could bury them before then.
***
"Rations! It's been a while since I've had a meal!"
On the third day of the Battle of Josegrad, we were able to receive supplies.
The supplies from Fort Rusovets had actually arrived.
Honestly, I had suspected it might have been a ploy to maintain morale among the troops.
"Damn, it tastes awful… but I'm still so happy."
"Oh, I feel energized. I've never been so grateful for a rotten-tasting pickle in my life."
My first meal in two days was very delicious.
The canned soup warmed over the campfire heated us up from the inside out.
"Well, we've received food and ammunition."
"Yeah, so now…"
"Now then, let's head out."
Receiving supplies meant that combat would resume.
Having regained the minimum amount of energy, we fought off drowsiness and once again carried out an assault operation under General Blake's command.
"We need to reach the city by today."
"I want to warm up and sleep in a room with a roof."
"I'm done with these trenches."
Our morale on this day was not too low.
We'd be able to find a slightly better place to sleep if we could break through the trench in front of us and enter the city.
The soldiers made a desperate charge in search of a warm place to sleep.
"No good, run! Artillery fire is coming!"
"Dammit! Their defenses are too strong."
However, the results of the offensive that day were disastrous.
There is no way that soldiers who were exhausted in the freezing cold would be able to move properly.
Moreover, the enemy utilized artillery very effectively.
Explosions erupted the moment we attempted to charge, making it impossible to run carelessly.
"Ahhhh!!"
"Tombel!"
An artillery shell landed near Gorski Platoon. One of our comrades was hit directly by the explosion and perished.
I was knocked down by the ground shaking, and for a while, my ears rang and I felt sharp nausea.
I wonder if this was the first time since the Western Front that I had been subjected to close-range artillery fire.
The entire platoon would have been wiped out if the artillery fire had deviated just three meters to the right.
"Hmm. Let's retreat for now. Everyone, fall back!"
"Y-Yes, understood."
In the extremely cold temperatures, the interception of artillery fire, gunfire, magical traps, and barbed wire was extremely fierce.
Even Mr. Gorski, who had overwhelming assault power, struggled against such strong defenses.
In the end, we couldn't even run halfway through the trenches and had to retreat to our original trench.
"The artillery fire is too intense."
"The enemy's artillery positions are nearby. They're aiming very accurately."
The main players on the battlefield are the magic artillery troops. Platoon Leader Garback had mentioned something like that.
No matter how skilled an assault soldier is, a direct hit from artillery means instant death.
I felt like I understood a bit more of what he meant.
"…It's impossible. We'll stop here for today."
In the end, we were unable to secure any new trenches that day.
We faced the end of the day having retreated to our initial trench.
The enemy was not vulnerable enough to be overpowered by a charge.
Upon reassessing the enemy's defensive network, it turned out to be quite solid.
Barbed wire and magical traps were installed seamlessly between the trenches, guiding us into concentrated kill zones if we tried to avoid them.
The trenches were arranged in a fan shape around the artillery positions, making it easier to receive magical artillery support.
Although the enemy is said to be amateurs, the formation was clearly constructed by professionals.
"The trench is harder than I thought. I can't find an opening to break through."
"At the very least, the person in charge of setting up the defense is a professional soldier."
Mr. Gorski lamented the solid construction of the enemy's defenses.
And it was no wonder. The enemy commander was actually General Truk from the former Sabbatian Army.
He was a veteran military officer who had been a frontline commander in Southern Command and had experienced trench warfare in the East-West War.
He was a commander who was particularly skilled at defensive battles, and this battle was a perfect display of his abilities.
Although the enemy soldiers were amateurs, their commander was a veteran among veterans.
"Even when it looks like there's a weak spot, the response is quick. Reinforcements arrive immediately."
"This is bad. We'll lose if the front line gets bogged down here."
The enemy remained steadfast and continued to fend off our assaults.
They remained in the trenches, drawing us in, shooting, and immediately sending reinforcements if we managed to breach.
They faithfully adhered to the basics of trench warfare.
It was a perfect display of General Truk's prowess in defensive battles.
"…"
That day, the government forces suffered significant casualties without capturing even a single trench.
The number of dead over the course of the day was about 1,500, and with the wounded, it reached nearly 5,000.
So many soldiers lost their lives, yet the front line did not budge.
***
"Survived again, huh, Aust-chan? You're lucky."
"Likewise."
Each night, the number of soldiers in Gorski Platoon dwindled.
Gorski Platoon had been composed of 20 members when we left Eastern Command. Now, only 11 remained.
Half of the comrades with whom I shared a glass of Vok with before our deployment were already dead.
"My best friend Tombel died today. I'm feeling lonely, so would you stay and listen to my silly stories tonight?"
"I don't mind. You were best friends with Private Tombel?"
"Yeah, we became best friends the day before yesterday. The day before that, my best friend Arizonov died, so Tombel became my new best friend."
"You looked quite happy when your best friend Arizonov died because you had more rations."
At night, we survivors began to chat quietly among ourselves.
With temperatures so cold that sleeping could mean death, we couldn't afford to fall asleep.
Lying down would be suicidal because it would drain your body heat. We had to keep sitting and warming ourselves by the campfire, or we would freeze to death.
"Tombel was a really funny guy. He repeated the same joke three times in one night."
"Was it the story about the monkey stealing his sister's pound cake?"
"Oh, Aust-chan was listening too. I wasn't laughing the second time, but when he repeated it the third time, I couldn't help but burst out laughing."
"I found it amusing."
I exchanged muttered words with the Sabbatian soldier, who wasn't a close acquaintance.
I remember that this man had a foul mouth and had spoken rudely to Sylph, which resulted in him being banned from drinking.
He wasn't exactly someone I got along well with.
However, I conversed with him as if we were old friends.
"Aust-chan, your sense of humor is outdated. I can't believe you find that joke funny."
"Do you have a funnier joke?"
"Yeah, let me tell you something special. It's a story about my sister…"
"Is it the story about your sister's boyfriend being locked up in the zoo because he looks too much like a gorilla? This is the fifth time you've told that joke."
"It's still funny even if it's the fifth time, right?"
The man's face showed an awkward expression at my unenthusiastic response.
…He was trying to tell me a joke. Should I have forced myself to laugh?
"I'm sorry for killing the mood."
"No, no… Aust-chan, you really don't laugh at all."
Now that I think about it, I hadn't laughed much since joining the military.
If this had been a gathering at Othello Village with Gumoji and the others, I would probably have laughed even at the fifth retelling of a joke.
Unfortunately, my facial muscles no longer moved properly on the battlefield.
I found it difficult to laugh amidst the smell of burning flesh, iron and gunpowder.
"I apologize if I offended you… but I'm not the type of person who can laugh on the battlefield."
"Hmm?"
"Before joining the military, I used to laugh quite a lot. Since becoming a soldier, I've become unable to express my emotions well."
Really?"
I made an excuse and apologized to the soldier in front of me.
It was true that since participating in the Western Front, my emotions have slowly disappeared from my face.
I was never a particularly cheerful person, but recently I have become even more sullen.
When I apologized, the foul-mouthed man gave me a sly grin and said:
"Well then, I'm going to tell you a hilarious new joke that will make you laugh. Since you challenged me, you better not laugh."
"…Oh, really?"
"If you laugh, you get a penalty. Well, how about I take your rations tomorrow?"
"Sure, that's fine with me."
"Alright then."
I couldn't just go to sleep, and I wasn't good at chatting away, so I listened to the soldier's jokes all night.
He told me an endless series of jokes that weren't particularly good or funny.
It was a somewhat effective way to stay awake, but in the end, I didn't laugh once.
***
The morning of the fourth day.
"Suppress the enemy artillery positions."
On this day, we finally received orders from our strategist, Sylph Nova.
The orders were simple: "Head straight for the artillery positions once you break through the trenches."
"Breaking through the trenches is impossible in the first place."
"What are our artillery doing?"
"They're apparently unable to move because they've run out of magic stones."
It looks like from today onward, Sylph will be in command…
However, the order felt like an impossible task. The members of Gorski Platoon felt something along the lines of, "If we could do it, we would have already!"
"Damn that little brat. I'll make her the butt of a joke and marry her to a monkey."
"You'll get reprimanded again."
"They're not even giving us any alcohol."
However, this was an order given by Sylph. There must be some strategic purpose behind it.
We are infantry on the front lines. All we can do is trust the orders of our commander.
"Should we head towards the artillery positions?"
"No, it's going to be difficult as we're moving at an angle. Let's continue with our frontal assault as usual."
"I agree."
Once again, we found ourselves engaging in combat across the trenches in the freezing cold.
***
In the end, was our only effective tactic a frontal assault?
No, in reality, Sylph had been steadily preparing a strategy from behind the scenes.
It just took four days for the plan to bear fruit.
"Hmm… the enemy is quite noisy."
"There seems to be some commotion."
On this day, Sylph's first strategy finally started to take effect.
Even though it was right after the assault order was issued, the enemy city was starting to become chaotic.
"There's the sound of combat coming from the enemy city. Could it be infighting?"
"What?"
"It seems the enemy is in disarray. This might be a good opportunity."
As we stuffed the warm rations into our stomachs, we continued to observe the enemy's increasingly frantic movements.
***
Sylph's tactic was a surprise assault using sleds on the Volga River.
Every year, the Volga River freezes over as winter arrives, forming a thick layer of ice on its surface.
People often enjoy fishing or skating on this ice during peacetime.
Sylph utilized this frozen river as a path for the troops.
"Now is the time to charge! Our allies are infiltrating and creating a diversion within the enemy's city!"
"What?!"
Sylph gathered soldiers skilled in handling sleds, equipped the front of the sleds with iron shields as weights, and sent them sliding down from upstream on the river.
There were no trenches on the river, so the sleds advanced unchallenged.
The surprise unit, sliding silently from upstream, managed to enter the city of Josegrad across the waterways with their momentum.
"Seize the opportunity to assault. Follow my lead and charge at the signal!"
To execute this surprise attack, Sylph had divided the troops and moved those adept with sleds to a higher part of the river.
This relocation took four days.
"Mr. Gorski, I have a report. There are some enemy trenches where movements are disorganized."
"Hmm? Where, Touri?
"Right ahead, the enemy's deployment is sparse, and the armored soldiers are fewer. They might have repositioned their armored troops to the rear. It should be easier to throw grenades now."
"…I see, that's a good opportunity!"
Trenches quickly become vulnerable if an enemy gets behind them.
Because it is designed to specialize in defense from the front, it is particularly vulnerable to attacks from the side and above.
"Now, charge!!"
Trenches that have been breached from the rear are weak.
We were full of enthusiasm and charged forward, thinking that this was our chance at last.
***
Thus, Sylph Nova's clever plan was successful.
The enemy was thrown into disarray and the command structure was in chaos, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Well done, Sylph. That was truly impressive!"
"Thank you."
Sylph herself was quite relieved at the success of the operation.
She was aware that morale was low and was secretly worried that the entire surprise unit might all flee.
She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that their pride as soldiers prevailed.
"The right flank has apparently taken the enemy's second trench."
"I see. That must be Gorski Platoon. We should push forward from here."
"However, the central forces encountered resistance and were repelled."
"Even though they've been taken from behind, the enemy won't crumble completely all at once. The enemy will collapse if we can take control of even one trench."
"Really?"
At this point, it was almost certain that victory was within reach. Sylph was confident that capturing even a single trench would mean success.
And she knew there was a platoon led by an ace capable of achieving that.
It is in these situations that an "Ace" truly shines. They are the ones who secure crucial opportunities and bring about results that determine the outcome of the battlefield.
Indeed, only those who can single-handedly influence the battlefield are granted the title of ace.
"The enemy forces in the center are charging towards us."
"Hmm? What did you say?"
"They're panicking after being flanked. Just repel them calmly."
Here, Sylph made just one small miscalculation.
While Gorski's successful assault seemed to have secured the operation, unfortunately, there were also outstanding individuals among the enemy.
"One of the enemy's assault units have breached our trench."
"…What?"
Yes.
Despite being an inexperienced young commander with barely any combat experience, they managed to—
"The enemy unit is heading straight towards this command post."
"Wait, what?!"
"Somehow, the enemy knows the location of our command post!"
"Ugh, get ready to intercept them!"
The enemy also had a brave and capable platoon leader amongst them who would likely earn the title of ace in the future.
This platoon advanced with tremendous force, breaking through our defensive lines and closing in on the command post.
The enemy, with an almost instinctual grasp of the situation, charged towards the command post where General Blake was stationed.
"Notify the central forces to cease their attack and counterattack! Order them to eliminate the invading enemy unit from behind."
"Please wait, General! The troops near the center are needed to breach the trenches. Redirect the reserve forces to intercept."
"It will be too late by then! What will we do if the enemy reaches here?"
This reckless enemy assault was incredibly intense.
Although it was only one platoon, their breach through the center almost completely halted our invasion operation.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Breaching the trenches will be extremely difficult if we miss this."
"But we cannot allow the command post to be attacked. Losing command will lead to the army's collapse."
Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Sylph wanted to use the reserve forces to handle the situation, but General Blake immediately decided to withdraw the central forces and order a swift encirclement and annihilation of the enemy ace platoon.
Indeed, the army would have fallen apart if the command post had been hit by this future ace platoon.
Thus, General Blake's decision was not incorrect.
"You have to take risks to win, or it will be impossible!"
"It's too dangerous!"
However, Sylph knew very well that if we missed this opportunity, we would never be able to take Josegrad.
A surprise attack using sleds could only work once.
The surprise attack force will be suppressed if it takes too long to break through the center.
It was now or never.
"The enemy is most likely an ace unit. If we recall the reserve forces, we won't make it in time!"
But General Blake seemed certain of something.
He ordered the central forces to withdraw and to rapidly encircle and annihilate the enemy ace unit that had broken through.
***
"Look, the enemy has already reached this point."
Perhaps it was because he was a cowardly man that he was able to sense something.
The speed of the enemy's advance was astonishing. If the reserve forces moved as Sylph had wanted, it would have been too late.
Had they gone with Sylph's gamble, the command post would have been destroyed.
General Blake's cautious strategy turned out to be correct.
"That's the enemy commander."
"Wow, what an infuriating face he has."
The young commander who achieved this swift breakthrough with fierce determination lay dead, having turned the snowfield red with his blood.
This man, with his extraordinary talent and potential to become an ace, destroyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of the Sabbatian government forces at the cost of his own life.
His name would not be recorded in history, nor would his achievements be praised. He was killed due to General Blake's cowardly command.
"Okay, okay. That was a close call, I broke out in a cold sweat."
"…"
At the same time, Sylph was certain of the Sabbatian government forces' defeat.
Whether it was bad luck or fate, the withdrawal of the central forces meant the battle lines were likely in disarray.
Even if they attempted to invade again, the central trenches were probably under enemy control.
Sylph's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had been thwarted by the actions of a single platoon.
"…We've lost."
"What are you saying, Sylph?"
"Today was our last chance to retake Josegrad. Beyond this, only further casualties will result. I recommend retreating, General Blake."
Sylph Nova suggested this to General Blake.
She had come to realize that the day had finally come to pay for this reckless campaign.
"No, we were still dominant today. If we take our time we should have a good chance of winning."
"Today was the last day we could fight with the advantage. We have already lost too many soldiers."
At this point, the campaign to capture Josegrad had caused too many casualties.
Approximately 50,000 soldiers had been mobilized from the Eastern Command for this operation. Nearly half of them were already dead or had deserted.
"It's time to withdraw."
The soldiers' morale was low, and people were freezing to death daily.
Logistics were being handled with difficulty, and despite the damage, there was a situation where resources were just barely sufficient.
But her desperate plan was thwarted by the future ace, and the Sabbath's proud genius was finally left with no options left.
No matter what they did, there was no hope of victory. Anything further would only deplete the soldiers with no chance of success.
"…Is it really impossible?"
"General, you know that best yourself."
"I had hoped to hear another brilliant idea from you."
"I apologize for my lack of ability."
Having been firmly told this by Sylph, General Blake bitterly bit his lip in regret.
He himself had felt that this operation was doomed from the start.
After experiencing the immense damage from the forced march, he had come to recognize the recklessness of it.
"So, there are no more plans?"
"Yes. My goal was to take control of the western part of Josegrad today and seize the enemy's abundant magic stone supply."
Sylph did not want today's offensive to fail.
If they failed here, they would be left without ammunition or magical stones, and the soldiers would freeze, leaving them in an untenable situation.
The Sabbatian government forces had to reach the city by today at all costs.
"General Blake, prepare for a full retreat. The forces on both the left and right flanks are still on the offensive, so give them permission to retreat."
"…"
It was the unknown ace unit of the Workers' Council that brought about this defeat.
Sylph urged General Blake, glancing sideways at the ace's accomplished face.
"…"
"General!"
But General Break continued to hesitate, even at this point.
Seeing his agonized expression, Sylph tried to pressure him with a firm tone.
"Ah, Captain Sylph, we have a report from the front! Gorski Platoon has reportedly captured the enemy's artillery positions and part of the city."
"…"
Upon hearing this report, Sylph fell silent.