Chapter 11

For a moment, I thought I had misheard, but Frien's eyes were filled with certainty.

"...Binoculars."

"Yes, Lieutenant!"

Taking the binoculars from Frien, I examined the entrance of the canyon and frowned.

As Frien had said, a company-sized force was advancing.

But why on earth were they coming to Edelcral Canyon, a mine-laden area?

Puzzled, I scrutinized their formation, and a chuckle escaped me out of sheer disbelief.

'Marching in this ten-column formation, with two soldiers walking far ahead at the front.'

The soldiers leading the front were, in essence, a mine-clearing team.

If there were no explosions where they walked, it meant there were no mines.

So Jeremy's troops were simply following in the footsteps of the soldiers at the front.

'The soldiers leading the front… it doesn't look like they're doing this voluntarily.'

Zooming in with the binoculars, I saw the fear etched across the faces of the soldiers walking at the front.

Would anyone voluntarily take on this terrifying role? Absolutely not.

It was evident that some form of coercion was involved.

As I panned the binoculars, I noticed a soldier about 30 meters behind aiming a rifle directly at the soldiers in front.

If they veered off or tried to escape, they would be immediately shot.

It was clear that Jeremy must have given a similar order.

'Using the lives of subordinates to test for mines…'

It was nothing short of a devilish idea.

While there were countless historical examples of even worse actions in war, it didn't make it any less appalling.

Letting out a sigh, I lowered the binoculars and looked around, speaking.

"Targets are approaching. All squads, prepare for combat."

No sooner had I spoken than the platoon members lowered their bodies and took out the rifles slung over their shoulders. They then checked the mana cylinders mounted on their opposite shoulders.

These cylindrical devices, equipped with various mechanical components and counters, were the Empire's cutting-edge war equipment.

Their function was to store mana from the user's body in advance and release it at will, effectively allowing soldiers to use up to twice their usual mana in battle, depending on the individual.

This meant Imperial soldiers could theoretically fight twice as effectively as soldiers from other nations.

Of course, this was a somewhat exaggerated claim when viewed purely as a statistic, but the invention of the mana cylinder, hailed as the pinnacle of magical engineering, was undoubtedly a key factor in the Empire's rise to power.

'In a one-on-one full-scale war, no nation could truly stand against the Empire...'

However, the problem was that this overwhelming national strength had instilled fear and anger in neighboring countries sharing borders with the Empire.

As I reaffirmed my reason for seeking to escape the Empire, I too checked the gauge on my mana cylinder.

After confirming it was functioning properly, I positioned myself at the edge of the cliff and assumed a prone firing stance.

The soldiers followed my lead and lined up along the cliff.

As Jeremy's company ventured deeper into the canyon, I whispered just loud enough for the soldiers to hear.

"I'll take care of the enemy commander. The moment I fire, you will commence rear attacks to block their escape routes. Prepare magic bullets."

"Magic bullets, ready!"

Echoing my low voice, the soldiers generated mana in their hands as they loaded their magazines.

This process of temporarily imbuing bullets with mana enhanced their destructive power and penetration.

Magic-imbued bullets not only surpassed most spells in potency but also required no elaborate incantations—just an infusion of mana—making them extremely user-friendly.

As with how knights disappeared from the battlefield after the advent of firearms, the proven efficacy of magic bullets had rendered most forms of magic obsolete relics of a bygone era.

The march of technology destroying romance—this was a prime example.

'But still...'

If I managed to successfully eliminate Colonel Jeremy here, it would undoubtedly add to my military accolades.

Fighting was unavoidable with the princess watching, but if I achieved yet another significant accomplishment here, it would ruin my chances of escaping the Empire.

So what should I do? Feeling Selvia's gaze on me, I opened the scope of my rifle.

With the buttstock secured against my shoulder, I looked through the scope to the ground below, spotting Colonel Jeremy walking in the middle of the formation.

The scope's magnification wasn't high enough to make out his face clearly, but judging by his high-ranking officer uniform, he was undoubtedly Colonel Jeremy.

If I succeeded in killing Colonel Jeremy here, a promotion would be inevitable.

I couldn't allow that. I didn't want to be further entangled in the Empire.

'Then…'

I would simply have to make it look like I missed the shot.

Having made my decision, I adjusted my aim slightly, targeting the soldier walking beside Colonel Jeremy instead.

Taking a deep breath, I held it in, generated a magic bullet, and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet sliced through the air, piercing the soldier's head.

Immediately following, a cacophony of gunfire erupted as the platoon members began shooting, deafening my ears.

A quick glance to the rear revealed that about 17 allied soldiers had collapsed, spilling blood.

It was a decent opening salvo.

However, the enemy commander was still alive.

Considering that around twenty soldiers were killed in the initial volley, it wouldn't take long for the enemy to deduce that we were merely a platoon-sized force.

From what I knew, Jeremy was a cunning rat. He would surely deploy a mana barrier and flee, either forward or backward.

Of course, soldiers would die en masse during his escape, but Jeremy, who used his subordinates as a mine-clearing team, wouldn't care in the slightest.

If Jeremy escaped from here, I would be branded a failed officer.

'Come on, Jeremy, run away already!'

Keeping my eye pressed to the scope, I watched as the panicked Jeremy's company scrambled.

One of their officers began shouting orders, and then they started laying down their weapons.

'…Huh? Why are they putting down their weapons?'

I couldn't make sense of it, staring blankly as enemy officers and soldiers knelt down one by one, raising their hands.

A clear sign of surrender. They had no will to continue the fight.

Beside me, Frien, who had been firing, tilted his head in puzzlement.

"…They're surrendering?"

"No, it could be a ruse. They might ambush us as soon as we come down…"

Even before I could finish speaking, an officer yelled something and hurled his firearm into the minefield.

Following his lead, the soldiers also threw their weapons into what seemed to be a minefield.

"…It's definitely a surrender."

What could be the reason? I had no idea, but regardless, the operation was now over as the enemy had surrendered.

"Everyone, stand up. We're going down to restrain them."

Descending into the canyon, I ordered the platoon to restrain the prisoners before approaching Colonel Jeremy to demand an explanation.

Specifically, why they had surrendered.

"You shot the Colonel dead!"

Colonel Jeremy—or rather, the man wearing Colonel Jeremy's uniform—yelled at me.

"We were ambushed, and realizing you even knew we had swapped uniforms meant your intelligence was far superior. It was clear we couldn't win. Trying to flee forward would mean the minefield, and running back would be a senseless death."

In short, the soldier I killed with the first shot had actually been Colonel Jeremy disguised as a regular soldier.

Deprived of their commander in an instant, the company had concluded they were completely outmatched, leading to a swift collapse in morale and surrender.

'Damn it…'

Stunned, I wiped my face in disbelief as one of the soldiers clenched his fists in frustration.

"Damn it…! Damn Imperial dogs! If we had known you were just a platoon, we would've fought back! You devilish bastards… deceiving us all! Go to hell-"

Thud!

The soldier collapsed into the snow with a dull sound. Frien had struck him in the neck with the butt of his rifle.

Looking down coldly at the fallen enemy soldier, Frien then saluted me.

"Lieutenant! We've restrained 87 enemies, excluding the 18 killed!"

Hearing Frien's report, I felt the reality of having defeated a company with just a platoon sink in.

I let out a breath, cold with unease, remaining silent, prompting Frien to add.

"…Shouldn't you be happy? Ah! For someone like you, Lieutenant, this level of success must be nothing. My apologies!"

What the hell is she saying? As I frowned at her, the sound of a camera shutter clicked—pi-yuung.

Startled, I turned to see Selvia standing there.

Lowering her camera, Selvia looked at me with a proud expression.

"Congratulations. You executed the operation flawlessly, from planning to eliminating the target."

"That photo you just took…"

"When we return to the capital, I'll order… no, I'll request it be published in the papers. A war hero who defeated a company with just a platoon has been born. I must assist in spreading the word."

I wanted to tell her not to, but she was a princess. Refusing her was out of the question.

Seemingly pleased with me, Selvia stepped closer and playfully nudged me with her hip.

"How does it feel to become a war hero?"

"…"

Terrible.

But, of course, I couldn't say that to an Imperial princess.

Suppressing my emotions, I answered as calmly as I could.

"I only did my duty for the Empire. Being called a war hero is undeserved. This was but one of many battles fought on the front lines."