9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 152 - Necessary Evil (9)

“Storms are coming!

Blizzards are swirling!

Even in the blazingly hot midday,

Even in the frost-bitten cold nights,

Charge forward!

Charge forward!”

The resounding army song drowned out the artillery fire.

The brown-haired youth, a private who had just turned twenty, felt his chest swell with overwhelming pride as he opened his mouth wide.

Back in his hometown village, he had been so tone-deaf and rhythmically challenged that he was known as a laughingstock with no musical talent whatsoever. Yet somehow, the army song flowing from his mouth now hit every note and beat perfectly.

He had dreamed of becoming a singer, but gave up due to his catastrophic lack of skill and enlisted in the military to defend his country.

Starting with the ‘Kruger Youth Corps,’ he was well-versed in organized life. He had dreamed of becoming a hero from a very young age.

However, for the past five months, he had been steeped in tedium and boredom.

As a machine gunner’s assistant, he carried heavy ammunition instead of the gunner, his senior, marching every time, but they rarely had opportunities to distinguish themselves.

The enemy was always weak, and if they just endured the painful marches, vast territories on the map would be colored with Schufaben’s hue.

Newspapers and magazines constantly ran stories about heroes who had distinguished themselves on the battlefield, but they were always distant from his unit.

Here in Pontinell, where they now stood, he had witnessed the spectacle of ten thousand people dying and disappearing with explosive sounds.

It was the only incident where he could feel the atmosphere of a real battlefield. But even then, he was waiting in the rear and couldn’t properly grasp what was happening.

After that, the legendary Ferint appeared and resolved all combat. Regular infantry couldn’t even plant flags in the city.

But now it was different. Now they were going to engage in real ‘battle.’

Thanks to the injection he received this morning a few hours ago, he didn’t feel nervous at all. Rather, he felt as if he was flying through the sky, elated and excited.

The stimulant that supposedly eliminated fear and gave courage seemed remarkably effective.

He matched his steps with his senior beside him and opened his mouth wide again.

“Hahaha! Hihahahaha!”

Instead of the army song, convulsive laughter burst forth.

***

“Ahhhhh!”

“Ugh!”

The castle sent out more and more mages. Hundreds of them simultaneously attacked Ferint and the infantry.

However, the limitations were clear.

Time. Time was the problem.

No matter how many mages there were, they couldn’t kill all the infantry. Even squeezing out all their strength, overwhelming attacks could harm a hundred thousand and terrify the remaining hundred thousand—that was the limit.

But those people seemed to have no intention of being terrified whatsoever.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Huhahahaha!”

“Hihit! Hihihit!”

The infantry charged while making bizarre laughter. If the mages hadn’t been floating so high, they would have noticed how grotesquely distorted their expressions were.

They continued moving even when lightning struck right in front of them, even when their bodies caught fire, even when their limbs were torn off and half their faces blown away.

Moreover, Ferint would pop up from somewhere if you let your guard down for even a moment.

“Ugh!”

Another corpse crashed down among the soldiers. Of course, no one was frightened.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

As they approached Hakleon castle, the infantry began running while cheerfully shouting. Following their superiors’ orders, they spread out widely and opened fire on the barrier.

Ratatang! Ratatataang!

Machine gun positions were set up here and there, and gunfire rang out. Those who weren’t machine gunners also took up rifles and began unlimited firing. Their gear was packed full of ammunition.

Countless bullets and shells pounded the barrier. Endlessly, truly endlessly.

“Hahaha! Hahahaha!”

The brown-haired young man burst into mad laughter. He could feel the ammunition belt in his hands rapidly shortening.

Bang! Baaaaang!

Another explosion sounded nearby. Hot air suddenly enveloped his body. A mage in the sky had succeeded in casting a spell.

Blood and flesh splattered onto the youth’s shoulder with a wet smack. When he glanced to the side, he saw his gunner, who had been shouting and firing the machine gun continuously, now slumped forward with his head hanging down.

When he reached out and tapped him, a handful of flesh fell away, revealing a sunken, swaying face.

The youth shook his head and pushed the gunner’s corpse away with force. Then he grabbed the machine gun instead. The machine gun was already covered in dried blood.

The youth fumbled around his waist and pulled out a new ammunition belt. His hands trembled as he loaded the belt into the machine gun.

The surrounding scenery was reflected in his greatly dilated brown pupils.

Pools of blood and body parts scattered everywhere, soldiers laughing maniacally while shooting guns and throwing bombs.

The youth lowered his head to look down at the muddy ground.

The snow that had accumulated deep enough for feet to sink into had already melted completely. The youth’s face was reflected in the pooled water.

Spinning eyes and a mouth stretched wide in a grin.

“…Hihit!”

The youth made a hiccup-like laughing sound.

Flash!

His vision flashed white as a massive lightning bolt struck nearby. The shock shook his body and his fragile skin burst, blood seeping out. However, the youth grinned and began turning the machine gun handle.

***

The last mage died.

The city had sent out over a thousand mages in three waves, but they were all ultimately annihilated.

Crack!

An ominous sound came from the barrier.

Baaaaang!

Clang!

When yet another barrage of shells struck directly, the barrier shattered with the sound of breaking glass.

Damier didn’t miss that moment.

He ran across the sky and leaped over the castle walls. Without properly looking at the chaotic cityscape, he headed for the center. The other Ferint did the same.

He didn’t know the layout inside the castle. There was no way he could. But there was no need to know either.

The presidential palace was in chaos. People trying to escape and people trying to defend were mixed together, making it hard to tell who was who.

Damier passed them by. He could hear shouting from behind, but no one could catch him as he swept past like the wind.

Damier found the president’s office and finally stopped walking. He could see people screaming in panic.

He drew his sword from his waist. When he swung the sword once, a sharp explosive sound rang out as the sword energy flew forth, destroying the magically protected door like a storm.

The room was full of nothing but glittering golden decorations, with only one person visible.

“…The president. Where is he.”

“Waaaaah! Ahhhhh! Please spare me!”

A man—whether a presidential palace employee or some madman who had snuck in during the chaos—was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Damier approached him and struck his back with the sword handle. With a gasp, the man staggered and collapsed.

With the screaming gone, he could hear calm breathing in his ears. His own faint breathing.

“President.”

His monotone voice scattered. The fallen man trembled while covering his head.

Ten minutes later, the president hiding in an underground bunker had his throat cut, and thirty minutes later, the prime minister trying to secretly escape the city was stabbed through the chest and died.

A large Schufaben flag was raised over the presidential palace. Damier gripped the flagpole and looked down at the city.

At the castle interior that had become hell, though no one had died.

It was a perfect victory.

***

Hakleon had fallen.

Civilian casualties were minimal. The hungry and exhausted residents had quickly lost their will to resist.

What resistance there was amounted to a small number of Hakleon residents who came with guns and knives to face the invaders after the gates were destroyed.

People so emaciated they had no strength, who looked like standing was a miracle in itself.

Even they gave up and laid down their weapons when they saw the Schufaben flag raised over the presidential palace.

Most residents had already fled the city anyway, and more than half of those remaining had locked their doors and lay still as if dead.

As I had expected.

I had tried to delay the general assault as much as possible. The more the residents starved, the more their strength waned, the fewer casualties there would be on either side.

Even if that process meant a few more deaths from starvation.

‘That was probably for the best.’

I sent a telegram to the homeland reporting the fall.

While waiting for casualty reports to be compiled, I handled troublesome cleanup tasks like collecting corpses and distributing bread to appease the residents.

Well, I just sat quietly in the temporary command post issuing orders while Deputy Commander Eisler actually ran around doing everything.

Working frantically, night fell.

“Ugh, I can’t put it off any longer. Right, Colin?”

“Woof!”

While using one of the numerous rooms in the presidential palace as an office instead of the destroyed executive office that Ferint had smashed.

Outside the window, the cold moon hung high in the sky. Frowning at the chilling moonlight, I muttered, and Colin gave a short response.

“Alright, let’s go then!”

Despite my spirited exclamation, my steps were sluggish as anything. Moving listlessly, I called for Captain Alina Himmel.

“Captain Himmel, sorry to call you so late.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Which hospital currently has the most wounded gathered?”

***

“Uwaaaaah!”

“Kill me! Kill me!”

“It hurts, I can’t breathe!”

“Huuuuuaaaah!”

The scene at Hakleon’s largest university hospital was hell itself.

What good did it do having over two thousand beds here when over twenty thousand wounded came from the infantry alone? And that wasn’t even the final count.

So patients overflowed from hospital rooms to corridors.

Not only the lightly wounded, but those with serious injuries too—as long as they were conscious, they were pushed out of beds to lie on thin blankets on the cold floor and endure.

This wasn’t just here—all the hospitals in Hakleon and even the hastily set up field hospitals were the same.

“Painkillers! Are there no more?!”

“Hurry up! Haven’t you finished disinfecting yet?”

“Doctor, we’re out of bandages, so I tore up sheets…”

“Don’t hesitate—stop the bleeding first!”

Doctors and nurses ran around frantically.

Our military doctors weren’t the only ones—medical personnel hastily conscripted from this city were also working desperately to save even one more life.

From their perspective, these patients were just invading soldiers.

I slowly walked through the wards.

I waved dismissively at people who hesitated and watched me nervously.

“Don’t mind me and keep working. Just treat me like I’m not here.”

“B-but Commander.”

“Do as I say… no, do it.”

“Yes!”

The hesitant military doctor quickly ran toward the next patient.

I took in the sight of each wounded soldier.

Most had lost limbs or suffered internal organ ruptures, but there were also soldiers who looked fine on the outside.

Then 99 percent of them were suffering from serious canil aftereffects.

The battle lasted eight hours, and the soldiers took two doses of canil.

They should have been pulled from the front lines much earlier, but those who couldn’t feel pain and fought to the end failed to treat their wounds in time, leading to amputations or death.

Among the wailing soldiers, I asked.

“Is this a necessary evil? Deputy Commander.”

Eisler said nothing.

The same firm gaze as always. But with a subtly averted look and tightly pressed lips.

I didn’t press him further. There was no need to.

Moving slowly, before I knew it, it was past two in the morning.

“This is the last room.”

Captain Himmel’s heavy voice reached me. Along with it came heart-rending wails.

“Ahhhhh! It hurts too much! Please cut off my leg! Please!”

“Just hold on a little longer. The pain will subside soon.”

The sounds of a wounded soldier weeping and pleading, and a military doctor calmly comforting him.

Huh, this sounds familiar somehow.

I blankly opened the door.

“Ugh, ugh…!”

“Sigh…”

I could see a young soldier gasping and foaming at the mouth before fainting. The military doctor who had been supporting him let out a tired sigh.

I slowly approached and tapped his shoulder.

A man with platinum hair and a freckled face that looked kind turned around.

Here, in this horrific battlefield, moreover with me as the commander.

Someone I never thought I’d encounter was there.

“…Richard?”

The military doctor smiled with a bewildered expression.