Weiss toddled after his superior as she swaggered ahead with tiny steps, a renewed sense of respect for her in his heart.
After she directed him to smile, he realized, whether he liked it or not, what kind of face he must have been making, although a more normal part of him still insisted that expecting someone to smile in a situation like this was unreasonable.
He understood it was necessary. After all, the troops had been scrounged together on the fly. They needed to avoid the kind of facial expressions that might stir up unease among the new officers and men. But still…
“Weiss, don’t raise your voice too loudly. The men are watching,” said Lieutenant Colonel Degurechaff softly, with a casual air, as she continued to gaze at the encampment, speaking to Weiss without looking directly at him. “The preparations are going terribly. As bad as the Federation-style mage training might be, our rookies fare no better as infantry. Is that what has you looking so dour?”
“Yes,” agreed Weiss. He was working at getting himself back under control, but she had hit the nail right on the head. “There are already trenches that the Federation Army holding garrison dug to protect the bridge. They are quite impressive, I thought we might be able to use them, however…”
They had only just captured the bridge. Despite what they had been told in the briefing, it sported extensive defensive installations. It should have been a good thing that defensive positions were in place. It was a resource Weiss would have loved to have repurposed. But his superior officer clearly understood the issue.
“You mean they are too impressive to be defended by our mages alone. The existing trenches are too extensive.”
Weiss nodded in total agreement.
“You’re right. These trenchworks are too big. Without experience in trench warfare, I doubt our troops will be able to hold them… And the majority of the mages most definitely do not have such experience.
“At this rate…,” said Weiss fearfully.
But his superior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Degurechaff, sounded slightly surprised. “You have thoughts, then.”
“Hrm? No, nothing specific per se. It’s just… I’m worried.”
“Worried? Yes, worried, I see,” said the Lieutenant Colonel, crossing her arms and beaming pleasantly. Even Weiss, who believed he had known the Lieutenant Colonel for some time, was unsure how much of it was a performance and how much of it was her true feelings.
“Listen to me, Weiss. The stakes now are all or nothing.”
“I believe I am aware of that.”
“The Empire is playing an all-or-nothing game, in every sense of the phrase. The only one who can see the full picture at the moment is likely General Zettour. We will have hard days ahead of us. Enough to make us want to scream, if we let ourselves. But why does this lot fall to us?
“You see,” said Lieutenant Colonel Degurechaff, continuing to speak calmly, in an odd tone of voice that gave no clue as to what she was feeling. “By all rights, it would be better to withdraw, like Warrant Officer Kahteijanen and his men, and have the Empire send in a force more deserving of the pay. Putting trainees like these into the field is almost a farce, but the current state of the Empire makes this necessary. And in our current state, we are long past considering anything but that which is necessary.”
“I understand…or at least, I thought I did.”
Weiss hesitates slightly. Mentally, at least, Weiss got the picture. They didn’t have enough hands, and had to cast a wide net wherever they could.
“In any case, have them dig holes. Yes, we could be here for a long time, but if we don’t fix this place up and make it serviceable, we might be resting here permanently instead. If you know what I mean.”
“If we need holes, we dig holes. Got it,” he said. But he couldn’t turn off his thoughts. Had things really gotten this bad? Mobilizing every man they could? Building defensive positions at the last minute? If this wasn’t a sign that they were on their way out, then what was?
“Colonel. I don’t mean to come off as a coward, but…is this going to be enough?”
She was stone faced. It was only for moment, but the lieutenant colonel stared at Weiss as if genuinely stunned, her eyes fathomless as the ocean. She stared, and then she looked away.
“If that is your question, you are much more suited to being a soldier than I am. You’re not questioning our chances of success, are you?”
“No, it’s just…”
“Well, on that point, there is absolutely nothing to worry about, Major,” she said, chewing over her words, as if for better or worse. “You understand, don’t you? How great the shock is to an army when its logistics have been cut off?”
Weiss nodded. “Of course.”
His superior officer continued. “The Federation Army’s first echelon is probably already hungry for supplies. Even the second echelon won’t be able to ignore what we’ve done. Our unit may have been scratched together out of nothing, but our opponent will be feeling the dreadful sting that comes when the expected supplies do not arrive.”
“So then…we’ve already been successful?”
“Exactly,” said the lieutenant colonel. The act of cutting off their supply lines had halted the Federation Army’s vanguard. “General Zettour’s gamble was on whether or not we could knock out their supply train. What comes after is all a bonus. Just a bonus. We’ve stopped the enemy’s tidal wave. Now all that’s left is to dig in our heels for as long as we can, and keep applying pressure to the enemy.”
Having explained this much, Lieutenant Colonel Degurechaff suddenly raised her head as if something had captured her attention. A moment later, Weiss’s ear likewise caught the sound of approaching footsteps.
“Lieutenant Serebryakov, an officer should never run—”
“Colonel! An urgent message! It’s from the Air Fleet! They’ve sent confirmation that the enemy’s second echelon has turned back!”
Being present for this news as it was delivered to the commander, Weiss couldn’t help but understand. From a strategic perspective, these were infinitely good tidings, but from their point of view as boots on the ground, it was terrible news. The Federation Army, which had just been on the verge of overrunning the Imperial eastern army’s entire defensive line, had ground to a complete halt and turned the tip of its spear back around in the direction from which it had come.
For now, at least, the Federation had lost its chance to destroy the Empire’s main force in the East. The army was saved. That was extraordinary news, obviously. The enemy’s vanguard had been diverted.
But that was also why an unpleasant, cold sweat had begun to run down Weiss’s back. After all, the point of that spear…was now aimed straight at the mages. They were going to be swarmed. What could be more unpleasant to hear than that an entire army was now furiously barreling your way.
“Ha-ha-ha. Things are certainly starting to shape up now. Gentlemen, it seems the Federation Army’s second echelon has business with us. It would be a shame to keep them waiting, so we’ll just have to welcome them with what we have on hand.”
To Weiss’s eyes, Lieutenant Colonel Degurechaff’s smile as she received confirmation of the operation’s success—a smile born out of valor and a certain kind of heroic obstinacy—was blinding. With only three divisions on their side, they were about to find themselves holding off a force that had been in the process of crushing the Empire’s main army. It was like watching the curtains open upon hell.
“Why, Major Weiss. You seem to be trembling with excitement. How unlike you.”
“I was just a little taken aback at the scale of the enemy.”
“Well, who can blame you?” The Lieutenant Colonel nodded before speaking lightly to her adjutant. “Behold, Visha. This is a true hero. So moved by the size of the enemy that his daring exploits have attracted, he can hardly stand still.”
Now that the first echelon had come to a stop and the second had lost its place, there was nothing for the two waves to do but to attempt to reconnect with the rear. But Weiss had known this was coming. They had foreseen this threat. It was terrifying, yes…but it was comprehensible.
Of course, thought Weiss, taking stock. The men are going to be afraid as well. The least he could do, he supposed, was handle his fear and try to comport himself more appropriately.
“As Weiss is already here, allow me to be direct. Is our policy for defense still to hunker down in strongpoints, as originally presumed?” asked First Lieutenant Serebryakov.
For a moment, Weiss saw Lieutenant Colonel Degurechaff begin to nod, but something seemed to catch her fancy. She tilted her head slightly, as if considering, before finally beating her fist into her hand.
“It occurs to me…that it would be rude to just sit here in the main hall and wait for our guests to arrive. We may be seeing them tomorrow, but today is its own celebration. We should at least make an effort to welcome them, shouldn’t we?”
First Lieutenant Serebryakov nodded sagely in response to the Lieutenant Colonel’s witty turn of phrase.
“You mean beat them to the punch!” said the First Lieutenant, as if that was exactly what she had expected her superior officer to say. Weiss couldn’t help but grimace. What is it they said about bad apples? The Lieutenant Colonel had clearly rubbed off on First Lieutenant Serebryakov. They were like two rotten peas in a pod.
“I’m sorry, Weiss, but we can’t sally out in full force this time. You will have to stay behind and look after the fort.
“I’m counting on you,” she said, before quickly hurrying away.
As for First Lieutenant Serebryakov, she soon chased after the Lieutenant Colonel as well, nibbling on a piece of chocolate she had apparently procured at some point, as she went.
Weiss found himself pointlessly wondering where she could have gotten her hands on that chocolate as he hurried off toward Baruch Bridge command.