9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 131 - Another World Military Commander (3)

“Ah, it’s cold here even in summer.”

I muttered while warming myself by the fireplace.

Cool weather even in summer. If you went into a slightly shaded area, you might even see your breath.

Still, after Captain Himmel had lit the fire and left, the ornate room decorated with gold leaf quickly became warm with cozy heat.

Colin trudged over and collapsed flat in front of the fireplace. I too leaned against Colin’s massive, fluffy body and closed my eyes.

This was Cofen, a small city just three days’ journey from Orhim, the capital of Batalland.

More specifically, the mansion of some noble who had fled quickly.

We commandeered it without hesitation and made it our headquarters command room.

Looking out the window, there would be the cityscape, collapsed and broken into a mess. Soldiers walking around controlling civilians and posting notices everywhere would be visible as tiny figures.

It had taken just two weeks to get here.

The march was basically fast, but after seizing the railways, we could move much more swiftly.

We had neutralized major cities and punched through an advance route in an instant.

Of course, Batalland hadn’t just stood there and taken it, so we fought three considerable battles.

After that ridiculous rout in Revik Province, the Batalland forces seemed to have realized that we had thrown courtesy and everything else out with the dishwater and wouldn’t hesitate to engage in merciless slaughter.

Judging by how they started fighting more efficiently and practically.

But it was already too late.

They had made a critical misjudgment. That was…

“They thought these 100,000 men were all there was.”

I sighed and muttered.

Piriririk!

Piriririk!

The sound faintly audible from outside the window. The siren signaling curfew in the occupied territory was wailing.

At the same time, someone knocked on the door.

“Commander, this is the Deputy Commander.”

“Right, come in.”

I straightened my disheveled hair and sat up. Soon after, Lieutenant General Rudolf Eisler appeared with a file folder in hand.

“Long live the Great Supreme Leader! Commander, we’ve received a telegram from headquarters.”

“Long live the Supreme Leader. Thank you, Lieutenant General.”

The telegram’s contents were simple.

「5th Corps arrival scheduled」

I held back a laugh that wanted to escape.

‘Coming again? Again?’

The 3rd and 4th Corps had already joined us. All day long, trains had been running, transporting soldiers from Schufaben to here in Batalland.

Each corps consisted of about 50,000 soldiers.

Under the 1st Field Army Command, which oversaw the western front, at least 10 corps—that is, 500,000 men—were assigned.

Already half of them, 250,000 men, had been deployed. Now they’d probably rotate with the remaining half, fighting in shifts.

On top of that, the 2nd Field Army’s 300,000 men were deployed to the eastern front toward Rubellia.

But since initially 100,000 men were sent to the western front and 300,000 to the eastern front, they naturally assumed the east was the main invasion route.

That they’d try to conquer Rubellia first.

It was natural that Batalland’s side, already confused by the king and prime minister fighting, couldn’t respond properly.

They never even dreamed I would be assigned to the western front.

‘I didn’t know either.’

Originally, the names and ranks of high-ranking officers going to war were supposed to be clearly disclosed to the entire continent, but ‘despicable’ Schufaben hid and concealed until the very end.

So Batalland had no choice but to be blindsided.

I learned later that Lieutenant General Eisler had also been valedictorian at military academy and was a genius directly entrusted with the 1st Field Army by the Supreme Leader. Captain Alina Himmel had told me.

Anyway, fighting on two fronts with 800,000 troops deployed—it seemed like Schufaben had mobilized its entire standing army.

It must be quite tight.

‘Ugh, what kind of commander doesn’t even know the total troop strength.’

I made a self-deprecating joke as I went outside headquarters with Lieutenant General Eisler and Captain Himmel.

The city was turning red with the glow of sunset. And the sound of fierce wind from the distant sky.

“They’re coming.”

“I have eyes too, Captain Himmel.”

“My apologies.”

“No, I was joking.”

Against the backdrop of the sunset, twenty-five dragons flying gracefully was truly a magnificent sight.

Among them, how many dragons and pilots had participated in that day’s massacre at Cortana?

Soon after, the dragons landed on the half-destroyed road instead of a runway.

I walked toward the pilots, who were removing their goggles and dismounting to the ground, with a bright smile.

“Finally here! Aren’t you the famous Blue Eagles!”

When I called out cheerfully as the tremendous earth-shaking subsided, the pilot who had been riding the frontmost dragon came forward and saluted.

“Long live the Great Supreme Leader! Pleased to meet you for the first time, Commander. We are the 3rd Flight Squadron of the Schufaben Air Force! I am Squadron Leader Captain Tim Belf.”

“Nice to meet you, Captain Belf.”

I smiled and shook hands.

“Any problems getting here?”

“We fought one small battle, but we handled everything. It seems even the air force units from the south have been summoned to Orhim.”

“Hmm, I suppose so. They must be desperate to defend the capital. Good work.”

Though I might be one of only five people holding the rank of General in Schufaben, I couldn’t treat dragon pilots roughly.

Schufaben had about 500 registered dragons, and most of them belonged to the air force.

Born into a family that owns a dragon? Inheriting that dragon yourself? Then you must enlist in the air force without exception.

Unless you sell the dragon or have a sibling enlist instead.

Dragon pilots formed squadrons of five, and five squadrons made one squadron.

So there were only 20 squadrons total. One squadron had been dispatched to the eastern front…

‘Expensive personnel indeed.’

I shook hands and exchanged greetings with each pilot. A peculiar thing was that they all introduced their dragons.

“Captain Tim Belf! Riding Silver Dragon Elkanshter!”

Like that.

And another person who caught my attention—no, who I couldn’t help but notice—was…

“Second Lieutenant Ian Keller! Riding Green Dragon Elizabeth!”

Second Lieutenant Ian Keller, whom I was meeting after such a long time, his face red with a confused expression…

“First Lieutenant Maximilian Fisher! Riding Silver Dragon Sonya!”

And Oscar’s brother was there.

***

That night, around midnight when the moon was hidden in clouds, someone knocked on the office door.

“You called for me, Commander.”

“Ah, you came. Have a seat here.”

Second Lieutenant Ian Keller hesitated before politely sitting at the table I indicated.

“It’s been a long time, Second Lieutenant Keller.”

“Gak!”

Ian, who had been nervously drinking tea, choked and spat out the tea.

“I’d like to have a drink, but we have a lot to do tomorrow. Please understand.”

“Cough! Cough! Please, please speak informally.”

Did I tease him too much?

I chuckled and sat across from him, nodding.

“It’s been a while, Ian. You should speak casually too.”

“No, Commander.”

“I told you to speak casually.”

“Yes, no, okay, alright!”

An unswallowed sigh escaped his lips.

“It really has been a long time, hasn’t it? First time seeing each other since the tavern burned down.”

“Y-yeah, that’s right.”

“We had chances to meet, but we never quite connected. Still, you seem to see Oscar often?”

“Uh, sorry. You’ve already become such an important person that it was a bit…”

Ian scratched his head awkwardly.

“I heard updates through Oscar though. I’m glad things worked out well for you! I never thought you’d become a commander.”

He laughed emptily.

This was the first time I’d seen Ian so nervous. Is this the pleasure of power?

“How’s Elizabeth doing? I saw earlier that her scales still have that lustrous shine.”

“Ah, I specially ordered custom-made scale oil for her this time. How to make it is, you take olive berries and…”

Ian immediately began chattering with sparkling eyes. I made appropriate responses while getting lost in other thoughts.

I learned through Oscar that Ian hadn’t participated in the Cortana bombing.

Out of just under 500 dragon pilots, only the 30 with the most outstanding loyalty were selected for the bombing. So it was probably natural that Ian wasn’t chosen.

Ian was someone who had no particular interest in anything other than dragons, flying, and card games.

‘Should I try gambling?’

Unfortunately, there wasn’t time now. I couldn’t do as I pleased. I wasn’t in a position to refuse life-or-death gambles.

“Ian.”

“Yeah?”

“The Cortana bombing. Did you participate too?”

Ian’s face instantly hardened.

Seeing his rigid expression, I felt somewhat relieved.

“No. But I wish I had gone. Following the Supreme Leader’s command, it was an act that raised the prestige of our Blue Eagles—”

“Shut that mouth.”

When I cut him off coldly, fear appeared in Ian’s eyes.

“I, I am an honorable member of the Schufaben Air Force, with loyalty to the Supreme Leader that surpasses anyone—”

“I said shut up!”

Bang!

I slammed my fist hard on the table.

I felt like I could see roads soaked in blood. My right cheek began to itch.

“That was a horrific crime. A despicable massacre. I’d prefer such things not happen in my theater of war.”

“Lu, Lucas.”

“What? Are you going to report me?”

Ian couldn’t meet my eyes and hung his head.

The sight of his muscular body trembling was incongruous. Ah, terror politics drives people into such corners.

I rubbed my aching hand and lowered my voice.

“I have a request—no, as your commander, I have an order.”

“……”

“The operation the day after tomorrow—is it just bombing Orhim’s royal palace and parliament?”

“According to the squadron leader’s briefing.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Why…”

“Bombing.”

At the short answer, Ian covered his eyes and sighed deeply. A moment of silence passed.

“Understood.”

He quietly nodded.

***

After the 5th Corps joined us, a march plan was established. The target was Orhim, Batalland’s capital and largest city.

In the northern summer weather that didn’t feel like summer, scouts were dispatched.

We hadn’t yet seized the railway toward Orhim, and the march route had an enormous forest spread across it.

“Commander! The scouts have returned. They say the forest path is too narrow and will slow down the soldiers’ movement.”

At Eisler’s report, I laughed carefreely.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Everything is according to the Supreme Leader’s brilliant plan.”

“Yes! That’s right!”

Of course, Kruger hadn’t predicted this exact situation. It was simply written in the orders.

“If the march is delayed due to forest…”

When the Deputy Commander sent word to the rear, the enormous forest soon began burning fiercely. Flocks of birds squawked and fled to the sky.

‘This is going to mess with my mental state.’

I looked through binoculars at the smoke billowing up ahead and the flames burning like mad, muttering to myself.

With a fire this big, it would definitely be visible from Orhim. It might even spread along the connected forest all the way there.

‘Kruger, this…’

I wanted to curse him as a simple-minded bastard, but knowing it wasn’t true, I just quietly swallowed it.

“I’ll get some sleep, so report when the flames die down.”

I returned to the office with an easy-going attitude. Being a puppet commander was quite convenient at times like this.

***

“Will you be alright?”

Before closing the box lid, Captain Himmel asked. Was the worry I faintly sensed in her blunt voice just my imagination?

“Captain Himmel, you should have said that yesterday. When I explained the plan.”

“I’ll correct that.”

“Never mind, I was joking. Drop the worry and stay alert. It’ll take two days for the forest to burn completely, but if there are any unexpected situations, handle them well.”

“Understood.”

Captain Himmel sealed the box.

‘Damn, I’m going to get claustrophobia.’

Touching the sturdy iron walls of the box, I quietly curled up.

Soon the box was lifted with a jolt and I felt precarious swaying. For a moment, nausea rose up, but I had to desperately hold it back.

If I vomited in this cramped space, imagine the smell.

And how much time passed?

A whisper-like sound came through.

“…cas? Lucas? Are you listening? Over.”

I took out the voice transmitter from inside my jacket and muttered.

“I’m listening. Over.”

“Good. I’m currently flying toward Orhim at the rear of the squadron. Everything is going according to plan. Over.”

“Right, am I properly attached to Elizabeth’s belly? Be careful not to accidentally drop me to the ground. Over.”

“Got it. I’ll contact you again if there are any changes. Over.”

“Message received. Over.”

The transmitter went quiet again.

In a few hours, we’d arrive at Orhim. And I’d see clearly what happens.

‘Looking forward to it.’

I forced my lips into a smile.