I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 191

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 191

A voice mixed with excitement.

When General Gering, who heard those words, turned his gaze beyond the city wall, the soldiers of the Raikhan Empire were indeed showing their backs as they retreated.

“Kahahaha!!! Are there really such stupid bastards! Pour the magic shells on them! Kill even one more!”

It could be seen as cruel, but the opponent was the enemy army.

Reducing their numbers was the commander’s duty, and as soon as the order was given, magic shells flew and struck their targets.

“Lieutenant Colonel Baren, it’s not over yet, but this is a great victory.”

At General Gering’s words, Baren also found it hard to hide his excitement.

“Congratulations. The enemy’s morale will hit rock bottom from now on.”

Not a single casualty occurred on our side.

In contrast, the Raikhan army suffered thousands of casualties, concluding the first battle.

* * *

Bang!!!

The Crown Prince, who had thrown his chair aside in the command post barracks, struck the desk with his fist.

“What… what on earth is this, what on earth is happening.”

The start of battle.

Naturally, he knew the early stages would be a difficult time.

However, even as time passed, there was no reversal.

In front of Belzium Castle’s solid walls, all that could be heard were only the screams of allied forces.

“Your Highness, the operation we prepared… has been read by the enemy.”

Major General Gadus and General Koppen bowed their heads.

The Crown Prince glared at them both with bloodshot eyes.

“Where did the problem arise.”

“The positions of the cannons that should have kept the walls in check were completely anticipated. Moreover, not only were the defenses more thorough than expected, but our troop deployment concentrated on the south gate was also seen through.”

“So, you’re saying we’re now dancing in the enemy’s palm?”

Originally, attacking in siege warfare was already a difficult position.

But when every single method was anticipated and countered.

It was all too natural that there was no answer to be found.

“We must revise our strategy, reorganize our formation, and try again.”

“Now… you want to do this one more time? Do the soldiers look capable of it?”

Without going out, without seeing, he could tell.

Morale had already hit rock bottom.

The shadow of defeat had completely dominated the military camp.

“But Your Highness! We cannot retreat here. Didn’t we prevent losing large numbers of troops through quick withdrawal?”

At Major General Gadus’s words, the Crown Prince frowned.

“What did you prevent! The soldiers’ corpses are now piled up like mountains in front of the city gate.”

Though an exact count hadn’t been made, the casualties easily exceeded four digits.

If they had shed at least that much blood, they should have gained something to rationalize and give meaning to it.

Without inflicting even the slightest damage on the enemy, the Crown Prince had no room to step back at all.

“Your Highness! You must steel your resolve.”

“I’ve already steeled my resolve long ago! But does the enemy’s walls open just because I steel my resolve?! You all open your eyes and go out to see reality!!!”

The Crown Prince couldn’t contain his anger and shouted.

Heavy silence fell over the conference room.

“Let’s talk again in an hour. In the meantime, assess the damage situation, and General Koppen, reexamine the strategy and bring a definite plan.”

“Yes… Your Highness.”

After hearing General Koppen’s response, the Crown Prince grabbed his coat and left the barracks.

* * *

“Ugh.”

“Please stay still.”

Captain Aisa pressed a bandage against my arm that was bleeding from a blade cut.

“Has it stopped?”

“For now, yes. I shouldn’t overexert myself… but there’s no choice given the situation.”

“Right. Thanks for helping.”

The medical team was in chaos right now, so I was just going to roughly bandage it myself.

If you could call it lucky, Aisa noticed and helped me.

“What on earth were you thinking… running further into that hell.”

“What was I thinking? I was trying to survive. If I had hesitated there, we would all have been dead.”

It wasn’t bragging, but I acted crazy and held the soldiers’ spirits together so they moved in unison even when the retreat order came.

If not for that, the chain of command wouldn’t have been properly transmitted, leading to chaos with people tripping over each other.

‘Thanks to that, our survival rate is higher than other battalions, but should I be happy about this?’

Nearly a hundred casualties had already occurred.

Honestly speaking, my mental state is a bit shattered right now.

‘I sent soldiers away without gaining anything.’

It wasn’t just soldiers who died either.

I heard that one squad leader each from the 1st and 3rd companies is missing in action.

“Still… I’m glad you returned safely.”

“I’m the type with a somewhat tenacious life. Anyway, you can stop helping now. You must be tired too, so rest a bit.”

I put back on the leather armor I had taken off and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“To the medical tent. I need to check how many wounded there are.”

They’re probably quite short-handed right now.

Still, I received first aid training at the training camp, so if I go, there should be something I can help with.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Let’s do that.”

I stood up with Captain Aisa.

We headed straight to the medical tent.

“Aaaahhh!!!”

“Bear with the pain! We have to remove the shrapnel for you to live!”

A soldier who was dragged in with magic shell fragments embedded in his flesh.

However, that was relatively minor in some ways.

“Damn it, prepare for amputation here!”

“You’re… you’re going to cut off my arm right now…? Don’t lie to me!”

“That’s how you’ll survive. Or would you rather just die like this?!”

“When… when I return to my hometown, I have to farm, with a body without an arm.”

“You have to live first!”

A soldier who couldn’t accept reality.

However, the current situation wasn’t leisurely enough to wait for him to prepare mentally.

Crack! Crackle!

Radical treatment including amputation performed right on the spot.

Just watching made my palms sweat and forced me to squeeze my eyes shut.

“C… Company Commander.”

Just as I was about to turn around, realizing this wasn’t a place where someone with mere first aid training could help, a familiar voice called me.

“Private Chandler…?”

Private Chandler, who had competed with me in skills during the last mock battle training, was lying there with bandages wrapped around his entire body.

“I’m glad you look alright.”

“No…”

‘You fool, you’re the one who doesn’t look alright.’

I don’t know who’s worrying about whom right now.

“Haha, please don’t look at me like that. Even though I’m badly injured, it’s at a level I can recover from.”

He answered as brightly as possible, but his body was anything but fine.

‘Still… it doesn’t seem like anything was severed or cut off.’

There were many soldiers around who had lost body parts, so I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.

But what’s fortunate is fortunate.

“Yeah, you did well.”

“No sir. It’s all thanks to you, Battalion Commander, that I managed to come out with my life intact. I’m truly grateful.”

“What did I even do.”

“When I was lost and disoriented, I heard your voice, Battalion Commander, and came to my senses. After that, I followed you and barely managed to survive.”

At those words saying he survived thanks to me, my constricted breathing eased slightly.

“I’m glad I could help. I should have moved faster. Then you wouldn’t have gotten hurt like this.”

“I’m satisfied just being alive.”

Private Chandler struggled to lift his head slightly and met my eyes.

“Battalion Commander.”

“Speak.”

“Even though I can no longer go into battle, please make sure to capture Belzium Castle and get revenge.”

Eyes filled with a mixture of anger, sadness, and various other emotions.

It didn’t take long to realize that this emotion came not from his own injury, but from the grief of losing comrades.

“Don’t worry. Belzium Castle will eventually be ours.”

Contrary to my true feelings.

I had no choice but to lie to Private Chandler.

“Of course, not getting injured yourself is the top priority.”

“I know. So you just focus on recovering. Are you married?”

“Not yet, sir.”

“Then you need to take even better care of your body. Rest.”

“Yes sir.”

Private Chandler couldn’t raise his hand, so he only saluted verbally.

After taking one last look at him, I left the barracks.

“It looked like 3rd Company had quite a few as well.”

I asked Aisa, who came out a little later than me.

“Yes, there are a considerable number of seriously wounded.”

“Phew, what’s going to happen from now on.”

Honestly speaking, even if we went again now, I don’t think we could get over the city wall.

‘Our strategy was completely read.’

Of course, the strategy itself wasn’t particularly complex or difficult.

But the detailed aims and specifics within it.

That was the point, and it was countered with uncanny precision.

‘Is there a spy in the command post.’

The first thought that naturally came to mind was an internal enemy.

Given how things turned out, I think the possibility is high.

The problem is… even if we look for them now, it’ll only make the atmosphere worse.

‘It seems right to retreat from here even if we have to give up a few fortresses.’

No matter how precious and valuable a fortress is, it can’t be more precious than the lives of 70,000… no, now 60-something thousand men.

‘Should I go and suggest it.’

I don’t know what I’ll hear, but wrong is wrong.

‘Being called a disloyal subject is better than dying from a stray magic bullet.’

However, I didn’t need to go all the way to the command post barracks myself.

“Lieutenant, do you have a moment.”

“Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince rode up right in front of me.

His expression was far from normal.

‘This person… has lost it.’

From his eyes to his entire demeanor.

To put it somewhat dramatically, he was just a broken man.

“Yes, I have time.”

“Then let’s have a chat for a moment.”

At the Crown Prince’s words, I turned my head to look at Aisa.

“Go to the barracks first.”

“Yes.”

After sending Captain Aisa away, I mounted a horse tied up nearby and followed the Crown Prince.

“Are you injured anywhere?”

“I’m fine except for a slight wound on my arm.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Unlike usual, a heavy silence followed his brief response.

The horses continued galloping during that time, and at some point we had completely left the military camp.

“Your Highness, isn’t this area a bit dangerous…?”

“It’s fine. The enemies are inside the fortress anyway, and I brought escorts, didn’t I.”

At the Crown Prince’s words, I turned my head and saw several unidentified figures following us.

‘Imperial Knights.’

With those people around, we could consider ourselves almost absolutely safe.

“Yes, I was overly worried. I apologize.”

“Don’t worry about it. After what just happened, it would be stranger if you weren’t concerned.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand dismissively, then turned his gaze toward Belzium Castle.

“Lieutenant.”

A voice that sounded incredibly heavy and weary.

I was about to respond to his call, but the Crown Prince spoke first.

“I don’t know if continuing here is really the right thing to do.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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