WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Asakusa
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◈ Veteran of the Northern Front ◈
Chapter 20: Operation Frostfire (7)
──────
The road back to the front was anything but smooth, despite the soldiers marching with renewed morale.
Unlike before, our numbers had nearly doubled, making it impossible to avoid the enemy’s notice completely.
“Imperials!”
“Avenge our fallen brethren!!”
The barbarians had scattered in pursuit of our troops.
There were not many of them, so defeating them was easy enough, but...
‘Whew... It’s still irritating.’
The anxiety of not knowing when the enemy might catch us,
the sensation of killing that still lingered at my fingertips,
the exhaustion from battle after battle without rest,
and even the stench of blood clinging to my entire body.
‘It would be stranger if we were fine.’
I was not the only one feeling that way.
“Hey, Max, am I alive?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Ha... I want to lie down. I feel like I could fall asleep the moment I close my eyes.”
“Then you’d wake up in hell.”
“You bastard...”
The soldiers dragged themselves along with faces like sick chickens.
Everyone had reached their limit. Even Marcus looked completely exhausted.
‘It’s no wonder. We kept moving without getting any proper rest.’
Part of me wanted to suggest we rest, but we had to grit our teeth and keep moving, no matter how difficult it was.
If the enemy surrounded us now, all our efforts so far would turn to nothing.
Half a day passed as we made our way back to the front.
By the time we began encountering fewer barbarians, a familiar sight appeared in the distance.
“Th-There! I can see a guard post!”
“We’re really almost there!!”
Beyond that point lay Imperial territory.
The commanders and soldiers brightened at the thought that safety was finally within reach.
“We’re almost there! Just a little farther and we can return to our unit. Keep moving!”
“Yes!!”
Berun’s encouragement further lifted the soldiers’ spirits.
But...
Unfortunately, God tested us until the very end.
Thud... thudududud!
‘That’s...’
Dust rose behind us, accompanied by a rumbling sound.
A cold sensation ran down my spine.
‘Fuck!’
The enemy’s main force had spotted us when our destination was right before our eyes.
Judging by the dust and footsteps, there seemed to be at least several thousand of them.
“Berun, the enemy is here! The barbarians are pursuing us!!”
“All forces! Maintain formation as best you can and move at full speed!!”
Determining that our current forces could not face them, Berun ordered an immediate withdrawal.
The rear detachment barely held formation as it fled at full speed, while the barbarians chased after us like madmen.
It was a deadly game of tag.
Everyone knew falling behind meant death, so the soldiers squeezed out every last bit of strength and ran.
After we ran for some time, I glanced back, wondering if the enemy might have given up.
Not a chance.
They had drawn close enough to be clearly visible.
At this rate, they would catch us before we even reached the front.
What would happen if they caught us?
It would be over.
‘All the hell we went through would have been for nothing, and we’d be surrounded and killed.’
I could not let that happen.
‘Think...!’
What could I do right now?
How could we survive?
Dozens of thoughts raced through my mind.
Then I noticed a small canyon along our escape route.
Rock cliffs rose on both sides, and the path was only about five or six meters wide, narrow enough that ten grown men could barely pass through at once.
‘That place!’
At that moment, Berun seemed to reach the same conclusion and turned to the soldiers with a determined expression.
“All forces, halt!!”
Berun had completely won over the soldiers by now, so everyone stopped in place as if nailed down. The more perceptive soldiers understood the situation and could not hide their grim expressions.
“If we only run, they’ll soon catch us. Rather than die pointlessly while fleeing, we will stand and fight them here!”
It was an accurate assessment.
But it was missing one important point.
“A desperate stand alone will not be enough. While we buy time here, Berun and the centurions must run to the front and bring reinforcements.”
The distance from this canyon to the Imperial Army’s guard post was less than an hour. At full speed, they could reach it within twenty minutes.
Rather than let everyone get caught and die, our odds were better if we acted as bait to buy time while someone brought help.
Berun’s expression hardened at my suggestion.
“I cannot do that. You would have me survive disgracefully at the cost of the soldiers’ lives? I will be the bait instead. You bring the reinforcements.”
“No. To secure reinforcements as quickly as possible, Berun and the centurions, who carry the most authority among the commanders here, must go yourselves.”
“...”
At my repeated insistence, Berun bit his lip.
Berun had realized this was the best option.
Grit!
“From this moment... I entrust command here to squad commanders Pellon and Ubel.”
Berun gripped my shoulder, bloodshot eyes fixed on mine.
“Ubel.”
“...”
“You must survive.”
“I will remember that.”
“I will return no matter what. Please... hold out until then.”
The soldiers’ faces went pale at the prospect of holding the enemy back as bait until reinforcements arrived, but no one objected.
Everyone knew this was our best option.
After Berun and the centurions departed, only the squad commanders and soldiers remained in the canyon.
The soldiers wore dazed expressions. After asking Pellon for permission, I raised my voice to rouse them.
“I am squad commander Ubel!”
Even now, the enemy was closing in.
Before they reached us, I had to raise the soldiers’ morale somehow.
“I know how every one of you feels. I feel the same. The front is right before our eyes, yet we cannot return and may die here. You must feel wronged and bitter.”
“...”
“But are you going to sit here and wait for a pointless death?!”
At the words pointless death, a faint light appeared in the soldiers’ eyes.
“We have two choices. One is to keep fleeing without doing anything, only to die at the enemy’s hands. And the other!”
“...”
“The other is to trust your comrades and face the enemy, ready to die.”
There were several reasons I had volunteered to be the bait.
I had experience facing many enemies by using terrain.
Someone needed to command the soldiers while Berun was gone.
My influence among the soldiers had grown to be second only to Berun’s because of my achievements so far.
There were many reasons, but the greatest was that forcing others to sacrifice themselves while protecting my own skin did not suit me.
“They say that in war, those who are ready to die live, while those who seek to live die. I will face death and survive. And this is not without hope.”
I pointed toward the canyon, shaped like the number eleven and enclosed by rock walls.
“The cliffs rise on both sides, making this terrain well suited for a small force to face a larger one. The barbarians cannot use their numbers to the fullest, while we can engage them efficiently.”
Life began returning to the soldiers’ eyes.
They must have realized this was not a completely reckless plan.
“So, what will you do!”
I had said all I needed to say.
Now, the choice was theirs.
“Will you run like cowards and die meaningless deaths? Or will you trust your comrades, fight bravely, and survive!?”
After a brief silence following my heartfelt appeal, several soldiers stepped forward.
“I will follow you, Squad Commander Ubel.”
“Me too...!!”
“I will fight as well!!”
Marcus and my subordinates were among them.
But they were not the only ones.
“We’ll die even if we run...”
“If I’m going to die running, I’d rather take down at least one of those damned barbarians.”
One by one, the soldiers picked up their weapons with determined eyes.
Once I saw they had all steeled themselves, I immediately gave my orders.
“We have no time! Those with shields, step forward!! We will block the path so the enemy cannot pass through this canyon.”
I explained the plan I had formed to the squad commanders.
We would pack the soldiers into tight lines across the canyon and block the enemy.
That was my plan.
Dozens of lines drawn across the canyon like a barcode.
Ordinarily, it would have been nothing special, but now it was as solid as a fortress wall.
Under the squad commanders’ directions, the soldiers formed up in perfect order and glared at the approaching enemy.
About thirty seconds passed.
What looked like more than three thousand barbarians began entering the canyon in a long line.
“First rank, raise your shields!!”
The soldiers in the first rank raised their shields while the second and third ranks waited behind them.
Fifty paces, forty paces, thirty paces...
When the enemy closed to within roughly ten paces,
“Everyone, throw!!”
At my shout, dozens of projectiles rained down on the enemy.
＊＊＊＊＊
The barbarians pursuing the Imperial Army burst into laughter when they saw the enemy take position in the canyon.
“Ha ha, what are those cowards doing?”
“Are they trying to stop us?”
“Heh heh, foolish bastards.”
It was no surprise that they mocked the Imperial soldiers.
They numbered more than three thousand, while the enemy numbered only a few hundred. More importantly, the enemy looked wretched enough to make anyone frown.
“Kill the Imperials!!”
“Show those cowards who the true warriors are!”
Even though the terrain was unfavorable for moving in large numbers, they charged forward with confidence.
Then...
“Huh?”
“What’s that...?”
The barbarians leading the charge saw dozens of shadows flying toward them and let out bewildered sounds.
Those were their last words.
＊＊＊＊＊
While the first rank held up their shields,
the soldiers in the second and third ranks pulled weapons from their waists and threw them all at once.
The weapons were hand axes.
While killing barbarians throughout the forest, Berun and I had decided to have the soldiers carry them in case of an emergency, but I had not expected them to be used this way.
As dozens of hand axes flew toward them,
confusion appeared on the barbarians’ faces.
It was as if they were saying,
‘That’s our tactic?’
‘Why are you using it?’
They looked like they had much to complain about.
Unfortunately, they did not have time for us to hear them out.
“Fourth and fifth ranks, next!!”
As the second and third ranks moved aside,
the soldiers in the fourth and fifth ranks threw their hand axes.
Thwack!!
The barbarians struck by the hand axes rolled across the ground.
The path was already narrow. Once the people in front fell, how could those behind them possibly remain safe?
The charging barbarians became tangled together, creating complete chaos.
That was the price they paid for rushing at us without order.
“Impressive.”
Pellon, standing beside me, spoke with admiration.
He was amazed that mere hand axes had blunted the enemy’s vanguard.
“It is only a simple trick using the terrain.”
A small advantage did not change the course of the battle.
‘The enemy still outnumbers us several times over...’
I had hoped they would make an even bigger mess and buy us more time, but that appeared to be too much to ask.
“The barbarians are coming!”
Surprisingly, the enemy solved the problem by trampling over their fallen comrades.
“Die!!”
“Hold the line!!”
“Arghhh!!”
The furious barbarians easily broke through our formation.
The fatigue that had built from repeated battles and forced marches showed itself fully in combat.
“The first and second ranks are beginning to collapse!”
“The third... the third rank is in danger!”
Realizing the soldiers had reached their physical limits, the barbarians pressed forward with unstoppable momentum.
Before long,
“The third rank looks like it will collapse too.”
Less than five minutes after the battle began, the third rank was showing signs of breaking. I had no choice but to step in myself.
“Pellon, please take command of the soldiers.”
“Leave it to me!”
“Marcus!!”
“Understood.”
Marcus and I rushed to the front. As I smashed the head of a barbarian who had broken through our formation and pushed inside, I shouted,
Crunch!!
“Do not be afraid!! As long as everyone stands firm, the enemy will not move a single step beyond this point!”
Because of the terrain, only a dozen or so enemies could engage us directly. If the soldiers did not waver and held their positions, we could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
Besides, we had a trump card.
“W-What is that?”
“Stop them!!”
The barbarians could not hide their alarm when Marcus, who had rushed to the front beside me, began tearing through them in every direction.
Marcus’s might was truly terrifying.
At that moment, Marcus looked like Zhang Fei holding off tens of thousands at Changban Bridge.
‘Good. If we can just hold out until the reinforcements arrive...’
Just as I cut down enemies alongside Marcus and began to feel hopeful,
something unexpected happened.
Whooom! Boom!!
I hurriedly turned at the ominous blast.
Marcus, who had been carving through the enemy moments ago, was rolling across the ground after being knocked away by a man.
The man wore a wolf pelt and wielded an enormous greatsword as large as a grown man.
And unbelievably, aura shimmered around that sword.
The level of being able to imbue a weapon with aura.
An opponent with strength comparable to an intermediate knight had appeared among the enemy.
Footnotes:
Zhang Fei holding off an enormous army at Changban Bridge is an allusion to a famous episode from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
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