9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 158 - The Crack (2)

Eisler lifted his heavy eyelids.

The familiar military barracks ceiling came into view. After tossing and turning, he confirmed the aching pain in his shoulder and back.

“Ugh…”

He slowly sat up. Given that it wasn’t as painful as he’d expected, he must have been lucky. His shoulder had probably been cleanly pierced through.

“Are you awake?”

A familiar voice came from the corner of the barracks. Commander Lucas Redan was leaning against the wall in a slouched posture.

“Let’s have a talk.”

The commander brought over a simple chair and placed it beside his cot. He plopped down heavily and stared intently at Eisler.

“How much… time has passed?”

Eisler cleared his throat and asked in a slightly hoarse voice. The commander pulled out his pocket watch from his uniform and looked at it.

“Exactly 8 hours and 32 minutes have passed. Since you fainted, that is.”

A cold wind struck the tent walls of the barracks and passed by. Hearing the sharp sound, it really seemed the sun had set.

“The private is—”

“Dead.”

The commander’s voice was cold.

“His thigh was torn open and one hand was completely blown off. Even if we’d operated on the spot, we couldn’t have guaranteed his survival.”

“…”

Eisler’s Adam’s apple bobbed significantly. Something like a strange lump was boiling up from his chest.

“Deputy Commander, do you know how much your reckless and foolish actions delayed our march?”

“My apologies.”

At the commander’s rebuke, he bowed his head deeply.

“It was an obvious tactic, Deputy Commander. A scheme to spread fear and drag down our army’s pace. And you fell for it hook, line and sinker! What good does it do to play along! Just to save one measly private, you completely ruined Supreme Leader’s grand plan! The enemy must be laughing right now, don’t you think?”

“I’m sorry.”

Eisler had nothing to say even with ten mouths. The commander’s thunderous roar continued.

“They are pawns on a chessboard! Beings who must crawl when told to crawl, and bark when told to bark! Why? Because that’s how we can win this great war! Because that’s how we, they, and all the citizens of Schufaben can become happy! Because they enlisted knowing this!!!”

The commander’s heavy breathing could be heard.

“Deputy Commander, I heard you were valedictorian of the military academy.”

“That’s correct.”

“Yet your head doesn’t work when it comes to handling emergency situations? Tell me, what should you have done?”

“Send a messenger to the commander and halt the march. Use artillery to project firepower at the enemy’s hiding place, or send cavalry to neutralize the enemy’s fighting spirit through mobility. Judging by the interval between gunshots, the opponent is one person, or at most two or three, so they would likely retreat rather than fight many soldiers.”

“You know it so well, so why!”

Bang!

The commander struck the table beside the bed in fury.

“Why did you do such a foolish thing!”

“I don’t know either!”

He shouted loudly. Before he knew it, the corners of his eyes were trembling.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry, Commander.”

Silence flowed.

Eisler slowly lifted his head, then froze his expression.

The commander.

Was leaning back with his hands covering his face.

He wondered if it was an expression of despair, but he could see the corners of his mouth curled up between his fingers.

“…Deputy Commander.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“You really can’t be a villain.”

The commander lowered his hands and grinned at him once more.

“You must think I’m a traitor.”

“No, sir.”

“No need to deny it. I can see it all in your eyes. Refusing Supreme Leader’s orders and burning the strategic resource canil was an act of betrayal from the start. Insubordination deserves immediate execution. But you know, Deputy Commander.”

His eyes grew heavy.

“Why do you think Supreme Leader kept me in position? Why didn’t he call me back to the homeland for execution, but instead sent me to the eastern front?”

“…”

Eisler was speechless.

He had never thought about it.

Never been curious about it.

That wasn’t permitted behavior for a soldier.

To harbor doubts about Supreme Leader’s judgment, to raise objections, to draw arbitrary conclusions.

But.

The moment the commander touched on it, like a dam bursting, the questions he had been suppressing came pouring out.

‘Why?’

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Why on earth?

His face flushed red.

Anger at himself for daring to think ‘why?’

Shame at himself for only now thinking this natural ‘why?’

The commander looked at him and burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha! Why indeed, Deputy Commander! Because Supreme Leader cares for me that much! Because he trusts my abilities! Isn’t that obvious! Hahahaha!”

Is that so.

Is that it.

Is that all?

While Eisler was lost in confusion, the commander, who had been laughing heartily for a while, suddenly stopped laughing completely.

“…It was Benjamin.”

“Excuse me?”

“The dead private. Benjamin Grief. That was the name of that kid.”

“…”

“As you suggested, we poured down shells. And I had the mages search for traces, but as expected, no corpse or anything was left. They must have escaped long ago.”

“I see.”

“I’m planning to hold a simple funeral for the victims. After that, we’ll need to advance carefully. So we don’t lose even one more soldier.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Yes, Deputy Commander. Now get some rest. We can’t do anything until you recover quickly.”

The commander patted his uninjured shoulder and left the barracks.

Eisler lay still and stared at the ceiling again.

The questions filling his chest were still swirling. His heart felt like it might burst, so he cautiously let them out.

“Why?”

***

A funeral was held to honor the ten victims, including Private Benjamin Grief.

In the snow-covered wasteland, the military chaplain recited a memorial address. The victims’ bodies were placed in long bags instead of coffins and sent back to the homeland.

And we had to set out again.

Snipers are formidable opponents.

They kill their targets quickly and accurately without revealing themselves.

They can neutralize an army in an instant by eliminating key figures like generals or staff officers, or they can delay advances by using the fear of never knowing when or where bullets might come from.

If you ask why such a tremendously advantageous position didn’t exist until now, well.

Perhaps it was because warfare up to now had been too ‘gentlemanly.’

It’s a tradition that had been maintained even after the empire fell a thousand years ago.

Invading armies must declare war with ‘legitimate’ justification and sufficient time. Surrendered prisoners, especially nobles, are not killed but treated with utmost courtesy, and the people of occupied territories are not tormented.

Defending armies likewise, when their lord died and they became unable to fight, would accept new masters according to custom rather than resist desperately and stubbornly.

Two hundred years ago, Schufaben’s mad king shattered tradition by waging indiscriminate war, but since the king was brutally murdered shortly after and the war ended, it failed to cause much of a stir.

‘But now it’s different.’

From the moment Schufaben’s army launched a surprise attack on Cortana, they essentially declared they wouldn’t observe manners and propriety in war.

And other countries were gradually becoming accustomed to such methods.

I couldn’t help but admire Queen Marianne’s approach.

She employed every possible method to delay Schufaben’s advance and drain their strength.

We couldn’t help but be sick and tired of the snipers, landmines, barbed wire, traps and pitfalls that appeared whenever we least expected them.

I deployed several times more scouts than usual. I scraped together every mage in the army to clear away the magical fields that Rubellia had set up.

Even though they’d be back the next day anyway, I made them fight this invisible battle every day. Whether the mages’ complexions grew paler by the day or not, I kept pushing precious mana stones on them.

The mages under my command are at best 3rd grade, usually 5th grade, but even that level was a godsend.

Of course, there were sometimes magic-using snipers who concealed their presence, causing us losses.

Good heavens, such high-level personnel.

Thanks to this, our march speed became slower than a turtle’s pace.

Even to march just 100 setins, I made them eliminate all risk factors before moving.

Pouring down bombardments with enough firepower to level a mountain just to catch one sniper became routine.

When we crushed them with such overwhelming firepower, the soldiers’ fear subsided somewhat, but I could feel their hatred and malice toward Rubellia’s army growing.

It was late winter. This year brought particularly harsh cold, and frigid winds were still howling through the border regions.

Just as we had finished setting up camp and preparing for sleep, Deputy Commander Eisler came to see me.

“Commander. I have urgent news to report.”

Ah damn, I’d already put on my pajamas.

“Come in.”

I had no choice but to throw on my uniform jacket and call out, so Eisler entered with proper courtesy.

“Long live our Great Supreme Leader!”

“Long live the Supreme Leader. Deputy Commander, how are you feeling?”

“Thanks to your concern, I’m recovering quickly.”

Eisler’s stoic attitude hadn’t changed at all. He didn’t avoid me like before either. I left him alone.

“That’s fortunate. What’s the matter?”

“We captured a sniper a little while ago. The mages discovered her during night patrol.”

I thought for a moment.

‘A rookie? If not that, then…’

Or…

“What would you like to do?”

Eisler asked cautiously.

“We need to interrogate her. Bring her bound. Don’t harm her unnecessarily.”

Shortly after, the person dragged in was a tall, slender woman. She was about my height.

‘Snipers should be small for advantage. They need maximum concealment and cover.’

The woman looked pitiful. Her face was bruised and bloodied in several places, and her fingers were wrapped in bandages as if broken. One eye was so swollen she could barely open it.

When I stared at the woman, Eisler bowed his head.

“My apologies. Despite my warnings, it seems the soldiers on guard laid hands on her.”

It’s difficult for soldiers not to hate enemy snipers.

The fear of never knowing when or where bullets might come from. Hatred toward enemies who fight cowardly from safe hiding places.

Since they rarely face each other directly, they’re deprived of the chance to feel their opponents’ emotions and realize they’re ‘human just like me,’ which might spark sympathy.

So if they capture a sniper who failed to escape in time, they inevitably want terrible revenge.

Even if it’s not the perpetrator who killed their friend.

Compared to her mangled face, her clothes were just dirty with dust and blood, but remained intact without tears.

‘At least that’s fortunate.’

I almost let out a sigh of relief. Seeing this aspect of war was nothing but bitter, but at least the worst hadn’t happened.

Eisler tied the woman to a chair and left the barracks. I looked at her from across the table, then reached out and removed the cloth gag from her mouth.

“Hah! Heok, heuk… Kek!”

The sniper gasped for air, then immediately writhed in agony. Because I suddenly stuck my finger in her mouth to examine her teeth.

“Mmph!”

“Sorry, just cooperate for a moment.”

I apologized dryly in Rubellia’s language while probing her mouth.

Behind her molars, there was an object caught on my finger. A small pill in capsule form.

I tossed it far away and looked at the sniper, whose face was completely twisted.

“Why didn’t you commit suicide?”

“Hah…”

“Biting down on poison and committing suicide the moment you’re captured should be your duty. Were you simply scared? Or.”

I met the eyes of the woman whose hands were bound, unable to wipe away her flowing saliva.

“Do you have other intentions?”

“…You really are the commander.”

The sniper opened her mouth with a completely calm voice as if nothing had happened.

“You’re as sharp as I heard. And you speak our language fluently.”

She nodded slightly.

“I brought a message from Her Majesty the Queen. If you’ll listen, won’t you untie these bonds?”

I untied all the ropes.

After stretching her stiff joints and leisurely eating bread and water, saying she was hungry, she whispered quietly.

“You’re doing well. Take care of yourself.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yes.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. It felt like receiving a grandmother’s heartfelt words to her grandson.

“Tell her this in reply. The war won’t end until at least summer.”

“Understood.”

“Be careful not to get caught on your way out. Oh, and there’s something I want to ask.”

I hesitated briefly. It was just a very short moment.

“How many have you killed? Our soldiers.”

“…”

The woman blinked.

“Fourteen.”

“…I see. Go safely.”

The sniper disappeared in an instant.

I punched my own cheek hard enough to bruise, then collapsed to the floor.

At the loud crash, Eisler came running in.

“Commander! What happened?”

“Ugh…”

I clutched my throbbing head and writhed on the floor.

“The sniper attacked me and… ran off. Didn’t you see her?”

“I’ll organize a search party immediately.”

“Please do.”

While innocent soldiers wandered around all night, I lay in bed waiting for sleep that wouldn’t come.

The sniper was never found, and the next day we set out again.

***

The grueling march was over.

After taking nearly two weeks to break through a distance that should have taken five days, what we faced was.

“Queen… is she a genius? Or does she have geniuses working under her?”

I muttered while peering through binoculars.

Hundreds, thousands of trenches.

Those terrible pits, barely visible to the eye, were scattered throughout the vast border region.

It was the beginning of a new kind of warfare that had never existed in this world.