Chapter 129 - A Burden Too Heavy (6)
"Check for casualties."
Ernest's first order was to assess the casualties.
Before anything else, he needed to know how many men remained in the company and whether they could still carry out the plan.
While Gustav—now leading the 1st Platoon in Ernest's stead—and Robert and Jonas were checking the wounded and the dead, Ernest scanned the overall mood of the company.
'Morale has dropped, but the sense of despair is still under control.'
Yurgen's death had a far greater impact on the 2nd Company than anyone could have imagined.
He was not just a company commander.
Both officers and soldiers alike had genuinely respected and trusted him.
Now that Yurgen was gone, the company was reeling, like a family that had just lost its head.
And yet, Ernest—who had already proven himself to everyone—was now leading the company.
They had also just repelled that damn "Star of Summer," and, with it, had managed to rout the enemy infantry that had relied on her to charge.
Now, Belliang's forces, even if they wanted to keep fighting, simply couldn't.
There were hardly any troops left at the next trench line.
In short, if nothing out of the ordinary happened, the remaining members of the 2nd Company might actually make it home alive.
Everyone was aware of this, and so, while Yurgen's death shook them, it wasn't enough to break them completely.
After all, they were still capable of fighting.
Ernest, however, felt a deep sense of disgust at himself for thinking that way so coldly.
Yurgen had just saved his life—and died for him.
And yet, Ernest couldn't even spare a moment to grieve.
All that remained of the 2nd Company now was barely forty men.
More than half had died or were too badly wounded to fight.
If the 5th Division had simply held the line, the 6th and 7th Divisions would have handled things just fine.
But because of what amounted to childish whining—not wanting someone else to get the credit—all these men were dying for nothing.
"The enemy is no longer capable of fighting. Their resistance will be half-hearted at best. Rest until the next charge order is given. If you need to, eat some food—but don't eat too much."
Ernest gave these orders in a calm voice.
The collapse of the Imperial Army caused by the "Star of Summer," and the Belliang Army's charge, were both over now.
Without the "Star of Summer," Belliang's assault was pointless.
In the end, the Imperial Army had wiped out the Belliang troops and retaken the trenches.
Now that the fighting was over, all that remained was the sound of rain, of weeping, and the groans and screams of those broken by pain.
Thanks to that, Ernest was able to give his orders without having to shout at the top of his lungs.
Thud.
After giving his orders, Ernest sank down onto the floor of the trench to rest.
Robert and Jonas trudged over and sat beside him.
"..."
None of the three said a word.
They just sat there, shoulders touching, staring vacantly at the muddy bottom of the trench—where blood and filth from the bodies clung to their ankles.
Isaac and Bruno sat slumped on the ground, staring blankly at the floor.
They too couldn't accept that Yurgen was dead.
Above all, as Baltrachers, they possessed the strength to fight the "Star of Summer."
If only they'd been a little stronger, none of this would have happened.
They knew full well how foolish that thought was, but it was hard to shake off the guilt and helplessness.
"…Report the status of the 2nd Company, and also check on the situations in the 1st and 3rd Companies."
Ernest, breaking the silence as a realization struck him, issued orders to the company couriers.
"And in addition, if possible, ask the 3rd Company to get the status of the 2nd Battalion and let us know."
"…Yes, sir."
The couriers, who had been resting on the ground, staggered to their feet and hurried through the trench corridor.
Not only the 2nd Company, but the condition of the nearby units needed to be understood as well.
After all, the 2nd Company wasn't fighting this battle alone.
Normally, this wasn't something for a platoon leader like Ernest to worry about—it should have been Company Commander Yurgen's responsibility.
But now, with Ernest acting as the Company Commander and leading the 2nd Company, it all fell to him.
"Senior Captain Isaac."
"…Just call me Isaac."
When the fighting stopped, Ernest addressed Isaac once more, this time more formally.
Isaac lifted his head weakly and told him to just call him by his name.
In any case, during the chaos of battle, they would end up calling each other by name anyway.
That had just happened a moment ago.
At this point, maintaining formality would only make things awkward.
"Yes, Isaac. Do you think… do you think the 'Star of Summer' will be able to return to battle?"
Isaac stared blankly at Ernest for a moment, his eyes distant.
He felt a pang of sympathy for Ernest; even now, he couldn't rest or allow himself to grieve.
"It'll probably be difficult. Even if she somehow recovers from her physical wounds, she's likely hit her mental limit."
Isaac kept his tone as even as possible, for Ernest's sake.
"It was practically a miracle that she managed to escape at the end. At the very least, I don't think we'll see her again today."
"Bruno, do you agree?"
"…I'm not sure. I was sitting down, just trying to focus on the Balt Wind."
"But I think Isaac's assessment is probably right. He's definitely more accurate than I am…"
Bruno tried to speak as usual, but his voice grew quieter and quieter toward the end, until it was almost a mumble.
"I'll try to conserve Balt as much as possible. The enemy's strength has been significantly reduced, so let's focus on saving our power and minimizing any further complications."
"Yes."
Rather than use Balt for offense, Ernest decided to use barriers and the Balt Wind in localized areas.
Isaac and Bruno were both exhausted.
If he sent them into the attack now, they'd have a hard time reacting if something went wrong.
They had to use Baltracher as carefully as possible to minimize any more casualties.
A short time later, the couriers returned with updates on the situation.
1st Company was in no better shape than the 2nd.
But 3rd Company had taken a devastating blow.
Dozens of soldiers had fallen in an instant to the 'Star of Summer,' and two Baltrachers had also lost their lives.
Then, during the Belliang Army's subsequent charge, both the Company Commander and the Deputy Company Commander—the 1st Platoon Leader—were killed.
3rd Company was now under the command of its 2nd Platoon Leader, with fewer than twenty troops remaining.
Morale had hit rock bottom.
"3rd Company says they're willing to come under the command of 2nd Company. What should we do?"
"Let's do that. Any word on 2nd Battalion?"
"They're still assessing the situation."
"Tell 1st Company that we're going to move right to fill the gap left by 3rd Company."
"Yes, sir."
Ernest decided to bring the remnants of 3rd Company under his command and move north to close ranks with the allied forces.
There could be no gaps in their formation.
They had to stick as close together as possible.
Not only would it be dangerous if the enemy broke through, but having their flank protected by allies would also help ease the soldiers' fear.
"…Damn it."
As he was slowly leading 2nd Company northward, Ernest suddenly let out a curse.
"Report the status of the company to the command post. Let them know that the Company Commander… has been killed in action and that I've assumed acting command, the number of casualties and remaining troops, that we'll be combining with 3rd Company, and that we're moving north to re-form the line."
"Yes, sir."
Ernest remembered that, caught up in dealing with the immediate chaos, he hadn't reported to the command post.
He hurriedly gave instructions to the courier, then looked around, grabbing a rifle from the hand of a corpse lying on the ground to check its condition.
Right now, Ernest didn't have a single piece of equipment on him.
His rifle, helmet, and breastplate had all been destroyed by the Star of Summer.
His dagger was left stuck in her arm when she escaped, and the damn Nail Clipper Knife had been knocked away by telekinesis.
"Platoon Leader. Take mine."
As Ernest was searching the bodies, Kol approached and spoke to him.
No matter what, it wouldn't do for Ernest, the Platoon Leader and Acting Company Commander, to scavenge weapons off a corpse for himself.
"Forget it. Your helmets are all too big for me, and the breastplates are too small—I can't use them."
"…Must be nice to have a small head and be tall."
"Ha…"
Exchanging this kind of pointless banter, Ernest made a sound that was something like a polite laugh.
He searched the fallen for a rifle with a bayonet attached and grabbed two daggers; he also managed to find a helmet and breastplate in decent shape that fit him well enough.
The armor was a bulky type meant for soldiers, but simply having armor on at all brought him a sense of relief.
He felt almost no discomfort at using a dead person's belongings.
Death's shadow loomed too large and dark for such scruples to matter.
2nd Company absorbed the remaining troops from 3rd Company and moved to link up beside the 2nd Battalion.
However, the 2nd Battalion was in even worse shape than the 1st Battalion, so honestly, having them as neighbors wasn't much comfort.
The 1st Battalion still had enough of 1st and 2nd Companies intact to continue fighting.
But the 2nd Battalion had suffered such devastating losses from "Star of Summer" and the enemy's charge that even when they combined all remaining soldiers, there were fewer than eighty left.
Besides, all the Baltrachers were dead, so by the Imperial Army's standards, the battalion was effectively annihilated.
If the 1st and 2nd Companies of 1st Battalion hadn't reacted in time, a single "Star of Summer" would have left them in the same state as the 2nd Battalion.
No matter how powerful a Baltracher might be, it was possible for a single person to wipe out two entire battalions.
'The chances of her being a Master Baltracher… are just too low'
Ernest considered the possibility that the Star of Summer might be Master Baltracher.
But he quickly realized the chances were extremely low.
The Star of Summer was certainly a formidable Baltracher.
However, her combat efficiency was so monstrous that it came at an unsustainable cost in Balt.
Most importantly, if she truly were Master Baltracher, Belliang would have already reversed the entire battle situation, boasting a Balt Battery supply rate rivaling that of the Empire.
"She's probably just overwhelmingly strong, that's all."
The Star of Summer wasn't strong because she was born special; rather, she was special because she was overwhelming in strength.
That might sound like a minor distinction, but in reality it made all the difference.
"You can't judge everything by the Baltracher rank system set by the Empire. And the Empire's methods for training and using Baltrachers are far too standardized."
Ernest noted how "mechanical" the Empire's Baltracher training and deployment really were.
If the Empire would just open the way a little, perhaps they too could foster Baltrachers as powerful as the Star of Summer.
There might already be soldiers like that among the Imperial Army's Baltrachers—even if they themselves didn't realize their potential, and were simply serving as regular Imperial Baltracher troops.
Or perhaps such people already died meaningless deaths on the battlefield.
"Damn it. This isn't what I should be thinking about right now."
Ernest forced himself to return to reality.
The situation was so exhausting and painful that his mind kept drifting elsewhere.
Right now, he had to command the 2nd Company in Yurgen's place, and on top of that, he was responsible for the 3rd Company as well, since both the Company Commander and Deputy Company Commander there had also fallen.
'I feel like I'm going to throw up'
Ernest's stomach churned and his head spun.
He felt like he might collapse and vomit at any moment.
With just a single word from him, the 2nd and 3rd Companies would fight for their lives.
Nearly sixty people's lives hung on whatever commands he gave.
Among them were his friends, Robert and Jonas.
From now on, everything was Ernest's responsibility.
Yurgen, who once shouldered it for him, was gone.
Ernest struggled not to show any sign of unrest.
If he looked shaken now, the soldiers would start to waver too.
Being a Platoon Leader had already been heavy enough, but the weight of being Company Commander was on an entirely different level.
He felt like he might snap and break, but he gritted his teeth and endured. There was no choice.
"Company Commander. …Oh, no… 1st Platoon Leader."
A courier who had been sent to report to the command post came running back, looking for Yurgen—then, startled, he corrected himself and called out to Ernest.
"Report."
Ernest spoke in a calm, measured voice.
He was so composed that anyone watching him from the side would have been bewildered.
Unbeknownst to himself, Ernest had started to imitate his father in this moment that had become too much to bear.
"I have finished my report. The Battalion Commander, Sir, has ordered us to stand by until the next charge is ordered. And…"
The courier seemed slightly relieved by Ernest's steady demeanor.
He trailed off for a moment as he delivered Battalion Commander Levin's message.
"…He regrets the loss of the Company Commander, and he said he trusts the 1st Platoon Leader to do well and will leave full command of the 2nd Company in your hands."
"Did he say anything about the 1st or 3rd Companies?"
"Nothing specific."
"Understood. Good work. Get some rest."
"Yes, sir."
Ernest responded with the dry tone of a withered tree as he organized the situation.
He spent a brief moment gathering his thoughts, then glanced around.
"Robert."
"…Yes, Ernest."
Robert, trying hard to suppress his frustration, looked up at Ernest.
"I'm going to talk to Ferdinand for a moment. If anything happens, you'll take command of the company."
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"..."
Robert glanced anxiously around him, looking lost.
But now, if acting Company Commander Ernest had to step away, the only officers left who could take command were Robert and Jonas.
"…Alright."
Robert nodded, seeing no other choice.
There was no way he could tell Ernest he couldn't do it right now.
He knew he too was at his limit, but not quite as much as Ernest or Jonas.
Even as a Platoon Leader, Ernest had already been carrying far too much on his own—because he was just too capable to be left alone.
Now, as acting Company Commander, he had to lead the 2nd Company.
Ernest was so cornered that he found himself once more imitating his father—even though he had tried to stop.
For his friend's sake, Robert forced himself to his feet, gathering what little strength he had left, and began taking care of the company members. Jonas was completely out of it, as if his spirit had left his body.
"Jonas."
Ernest called out softly to him. Slowly, Jonas looked up at his friend with hollow eyes.
"It's okay. We're going to make it back alive. So hang in there."
Speaking gently, not imitating his father but just as the friend Jonas knew so well, Ernest reassured him before hurrying off down the corridor to talk to Ferdinand.
"..."
Jonas stared at Ernest's back for a moment, then dropped his head again. He breathed raggedly, then struggled to his feet and leaned against the wall.
He couldn't just sit there. His friends were trying so hard, and doing nothing felt unbearable. He had to do something—anything.
"Ferdinand!"
Having crossed over to the 1st Company's side, Ernest called out to Ferdinand in a loud voice.
"I'm here!"
The answer came right away.
While Ernest waited among the 1st Company soldiers, Ferdinand squeezed his large frame through the cramped corridor and approached Ernest.
"I'm now in command of the remaining forces of the 2nd and 3rd Companies together."
Ernest spoke in a flat tone.
Ferdinand's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he made no comment about it.
"That reckless enemy charge just now made the battle situation clear."
Ernest said this calmly.
Both sides had suffered heavy losses, but Belliang's losses were much greater.
More precisely, the impact on their fighting strength was far more severe.
Even with equal losses, Belliang's combat capabilities dropped much more.
That was to be expected, given the difference in the number of soldiers and weapons, and especially considering the presence of the Baltracher.
On top of that, since the 'Star of Summer'—a force that was practically cheating—is no longer able to fight, at least in the battles for this forest, the Imperial Army now clearly holds the advantage.
"I don't intend to build up more losses with any more reckless attacks."
"If orders come down, we'll have to attack."
Ferdinand immediately countered Ernest's statement. Ernest nodded readily, accepting his point.
"If we receive orders, we'll attack. I'm not saying we won't, but we should try to preserve our forces as much as possible."
"...Understood. We'll do the same."
After thinking for a moment, Ferdinand nodded at Ernest's calm words. The reason Ferdinand agreed with Ernest's decision was that he believed it was exactly what the 1st Battalion needed right now.
If they fought recklessly here and took additional losses, the 1st Battalion would once again be devastated and rendered unable to fight.
Preserving the 1st Battalion's strength as much as possible and maintaining their combat readiness was the better long-term strategy.
Above all, victory was within reach even if the 1st Battalion didn't overextend themselves.
Simply minimizing risks and steadily pushing the enemy back would be enough to win.
That was clearly the best way forward at this point.
"..."
"..."
Ernest and Ferdinand looked at each other for a moment. It seemed as though they both had something to say, but neither could speak.
"Prepare to charge! Prepare for a charge!"
Urgent shouts rang out.
In the end, Ernest turned and returned to the 2nd Company, while Ferdinand also went back to command the 1st Company.
"We're not about to make any reckless charges!"
While everyone was tense and on edge, Ernest's lightning-like voice thundered through the trench.
"This battle is already won! Rushing into a charge now and taking any more unnecessary losses would be sheer stupidity!"
Ernest's voice was so loud it was almost inappropriate; not just the 2nd Company, but even soldiers in the 2nd Battalion nearby could hear him.
"We're moving forward slowly and securing our safety as we go! Don't think about killing—think about pushing them back! Don't forget! We're not fighting to kill the enemy—we're fighting to secure the forest!"
It wasn't the sort of thing a mere platoon leader, acting as a stand-in, should have been shouting—not even the company commander himself. But since Levin Ort, the battalion commander, had explicitly said he would leave the decision to Ernest, there wouldn't be a problem.
Of course, if the battle situation hadn't turned so much in their favor, Ernest wouldn't have dared say such things so openly. Some lunatic could have interpreted his words however he liked and accused Ernest of disobeying orders—raising a huge fuss.
That was exactly why Yurgen, following orders, had no choice but to lead them in that reckless charge.
But now that the tide of battle had shifted, it was fine. No one would think that someone in a battle they'd practically already won would suddenly become so scared they wouldn't want to fight.
Everyone could understand—no risk of misunderstanding this time—that Ernest just wanted to see their victory through safely.
"All we have to do now is push the enemy out and make it home alive! Don't think about anything else!"
Ernest shouted this with determination. Faces that had been filled with despair now sparkled with hope.
Beeep—! Beeep—! Beeep—!
The order to charge was given. A sharp whistle pierced the air.
"Isaac!"
"Yes!"
Instead of immediately giving the order to charge, Ernest called for Isaac.
Isaac created a narrow Balt Shield just outside the trench.
"Gustav! Regulate your speed as you charge!"
"Yes!"
At Ernest's command, Gustav led the 1st Platoon out of the trench.
Bang! Thud!
Even as enemy fire struck Isaac's Balt Shield, the 1st Platoon exited the trench with remarkable composure. They stayed safely behind Isaac's shield, waiting until all their allies were up and in formation before moving forward.
Only after the 2nd Platoon, the 3rd Platoon, and the remnants of the 3rd Company had successfully gotten out of the trench did the 2nd Company begin its charge.
"Charge! Charge!"
"Waaaaah!"
"Bruno! Switch in!"
Once the charge was underway, Ernest rotated Isaac out and brought Bruno in.
Rather than exhausting a single Baltracher, it was far safer to have them take turns.
This way, they could prevent any one side from becoming completely incapacitated.
The 2nd Company charged forward with a cry, yet kept their composure. If enemy resistance had been fierce, they would have needed to cling to the trench as quickly as possible, but the Belliang Army's resistance was almost negligible.
The 1st Company also charged steadily toward the enemy trench line, and the 1st Battalion reached the very edge of the next trench line without taking any casualties.
"R-Run for it!"
"Aaah!"
"No! Don't run away! I said fight!"
The 1st Battalion didn't fire a single shot. It was difficult to shoot while maintaining the Balt Shield. But upon seeing this, the Belliang Army panicked and began to flee in a frenzy.
Ironically, it would have been better for the Belliang Army if the 1st Battalion had opened fire.
Then, the shields would have dropped, and at least Belliang would have witnessed the Imperial Army falling under their bullets.
But instead, the 1st Battalion didn't fire once—and didn't allow a single casualty either. As this daunting force advanced in unison, the Belliang soldiers felt as if they were throwing stones at a castle wall.
If there had still been a battle-ready Baltracher among the Belliang Army, she could have shattered the Balt Shield at once and turned the situation around.
But now, there were no Baltrachers left capable of fighting for Belliang.
In the end, the 1st Battalion reached the third trench line without a single loss, managed to leap inside safely, and took cover without incident.
Bang! Thud!
A man who had stayed inside the trench fired at the 2nd Company with a determined look on his face. The bullets were stopped by the barrier.
"For Belliang!"
Wearing an ornate red officer's uniform, the man, bayonet fixed, charged the 2nd Company alone.
Bang!
The 2nd Company members who hadn't yet entered the trench fired down at him from above.
The Belliang Army officer, having chosen to die honorably in battle rather than retreat, collapsed helplessly onto the mire at the bottom of the trench. It was hard to tell whether his red officer's uniform was being soaked with blood.
What was clear, however, was how the mud splattered and dirtied it.
"Waaaaah!"
While not to the same extent as the 1st Battalion, the other Imperial Army units also succeeded in capturing the third trench line with minimal losses.
Beeeeep—! Beeeeeep—! Beeeeeep—!
This time, they weren't given a chance to rest as the order to charge rang out again.
The 2nd Company left the trench once more and began another safe charge using the same method as before.
"It's over! It's all over!"
The soldiers running at the front shouted in triumph.
What they saw wasn't a new trench line, but the backs of Belliang Army soldiers who had thrown away their weapons and were now scrambling to escape through the trees.
"Slow down!"
The enemy trenches had ended. Now, all that remained was to advance slowly, securing their safety as they went.
The 2nd Company reduced their speed, and, just in case, they also deactivated the Balt Shield.
"Spread out and move forward slowly!"
The battle was effectively over.
Ernest decided to move forward cautiously without taking unnecessary risks.
Ferdinand seemed to think the same way; the 1st Company also switched to a dispersed formation, conserving the Power of Baltracher. Looking around, Ernest could see all the surrounding units were doing the same. No one wanted to act recklessly and end their victory on a sour note, now that the fighting was finished.
Beeeeep—! Beeeeeep—! Beeeeeep—!
Just then, another round of whistle blasts signaling a charge rang out from the rear.
Everyone—not just Ernest—flinched and turned to look behind them.
There, the regimental flag was fluttering majestically and proudly.