Chapter 116: Disorderly Troops (1)
Chapter 116: Disorderly Troops (1)
After leaving the Lion Castle Fortress through the warp gate, Iron was brought to the front lines. He could immediately see a battle taking place in front of him as soon as he arrived. The battle was so fierce that there was even one happening near the temporary warp gate.
‘I feel like I’m back in my previous life.’
The soldiers were guarding the frontlines trying their best and using every means, from rifles to magic, to prevent monsters from invading and piercing through their defenses. Their current appearance made him feel like he was brought back to the battles that he had experienced in his previous life.
Unlike in the Northeast, there were plenty of fronts that were pierced through along the length of the frontline. The soldiers were desperately trying to prevent the monsters from charging forward to the point that they were even stepping on the bodies of their fallen comrades just to stop them from moving forward.
The way they fought with the sole pursuit of maintaining the frontlines to the point that they gave up on their system was the same as what they did in his previous life when they tried to block the monster wave.
Since this place was in the rear area of the frontlines, the monsters were thankfully still not able to invade them directly. However, they were still as busy as the ones fighting in the vanguard as they moved the injured and delivered supplies.
Iron approached an officer in the midst of the loud explosions of artillery fire and magic while covering one of his ears. The military officer that was working hard on checking the supplies looked at Iron suspiciously when he approached him. This was because Iron was walking leisurely all by himself.
“Where is the special operation unit?”
The officer in charge of the warp gate looked at him before asking carefully.
“By any chance, are you Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter?”
“That’s right.”
“Loyalty! You can go straight in that direction and you will arrive at the special operation unit.”
After the officer had informed him, Iron moved forward and went to the place where he was pointed to. When he arrived at the location, there was a battle going on.
There he saw a knight order, a ranger unit, an artillery unit and companies of soldiers all gathered together.
The problem was that they were in a mess. He could only barely make out a front even from a distance. This side was completely unlike any other fronts. Even though there were some commissioned and non-commissioned officers in their ranks, they still struggled in the battle.
This was not something that he could solve right away. So, all he did was watch them until they finished this battle. Fortunately, they did not receive any casualties since it was not a big battle and they were only temporarily filling in and protecting this pierced front.
“We greet the battalion commander!”
All of the soldiers nearby saluted at the cry of one of the officers. Ariel also saluted him as she approached him.
“Greetings! Captain Ariel Favrice, the team leader of the knight order of the special operation unit!”
“Greetings! Captain Nyx Cole of the rangers!”
With the greetings from the two key figures of the special operation unit as the catalyst, the company commanders and artillery captain began to greet him too.
Iron gestured for them to lower their hands as he looked at the soldiers and knights.
“You’re a mess.”
Everyone was startled when they heard Iron’s words.
Anyone would all feel bad if their commander’s first words as soon as he came were ‘You’re a mess.’. However, the experienced officers could only bow their heads in shame when they heard him.
They tried to roll the rookies and make them useful in a short period of time but it was to no avail. The injured also managed to recover from their physical injuries but their problem was their internal injuries. Their injuries haven’t healed completely yet and seeing them overdo things in such an insignificant battle made them sigh.
It was praiseworthy to become helpful but it was not good if they did it while overdoing themselves.
“First, send all of the injured to the medics.”
The injured soldiers and knights all flinched but all they could do was bow silently and follow behind an officer to go to the medical field under Iron’s cold gaze.
Most of the people that remained were the rookies. In the case of the soldiers, they still couldn’t adapt since they had just left the training center.
“Then… except for the artillery unit, all of you will fill in the vacancy in the frontline.”
“We’re not fully trained, sir!”
“I know that.”
One of the company commanders urgently spoke but Iron was already well aware of that fact.
However, from the battle that he had watched earlier, most of the soldiers had stiffened from fright while they were dealing with the monsters.
He heard that they had dealt with monsters in the training center but it seemed like it was just a small battle. He wanted to strangle the executive who planned to put these soldiers who had never fought in a large-scale battle right away but thankfully Iron was able to endure the urge and was still able to judge them coldly and objectively.
‘In a situation like this, I can’t expect them to fight properly in a battle even if I can teach them well.’
This was the conclusion that Iron had made after watching them fight.
So, as a desperate measure, he wanted them to fight in an actual battle first to make them more familiar with fighting against monsters.
“Don’t dilly-dally and just follow me.”
All of the troops bowed their heads in unison as they followed Iron.
“Captain Ariel.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Where’s the nearest area where the monsters have pierced through?”
“It’s at the 41-14 outpost near the east side.”
“We’re going there.”
Ariel bowed at Iron’s command and moved immediately.
They arrived in the outpost a short while after a battle had ended.
Dead bodies were scattered all over the place and the medic soldiers were busy bringing in stretchers and moving them away one after the other.
“I’m Captain Iron Carter of the special operation unit. When will the troops that will fill in this place come?”
“They will take about a day or two. In the meantime, we somehow have…”
“Alright. You guys can step back. We will protect this place until the reinforcements arrive.”
Iron cut off the words of the first sergeant that was struggling to survive. Then, he deployed his own troops.
It was difficult to protect this place and block the monsters with just about a hundred troops who barely survived. In addition, the troops that remained to protect this place were all injured and exhausted. Iron believed that they would definitely be pierced through if this continued so he sent them back and deployed his rookie troops.
“From this point on, no matter how many monsters come, you have to stay put and protect this place.”
Iron’s words brought fear to the eyes of the rookie troops.
“I don’t intend to take everyone. I’m only going to take those who survive from here. That’s why! Survive at all costs. Do you understand?!”
“Yes, sir!”
It was only the officers who answered Iron’s question loudly.
The rookie troops were trembling in fear as their eyes began to redden while they tried to choke out an answer.
The knights were in a much better state. Even though they were rookies, they had experience cutting down some monsters so at the very least, they weren’t trembling in fear.
The problem was this was the frontline. The most dangerous enemies from the North would definitely come so even the knights, who weren’t afraid, would die if they acted foolishly.
Vwooooooo!
They heard the sound that indicated that the monsters had appeared again from afar. It seemed like the battle earlier was just a probe and they had now sent in a large-scale monster attack.
They could hear the sound of the artillery firing as more monsters began to flock to the front.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“They’re coming! Get into your positions! Or else, you’ll die from their attacks!”
“Riflemen, what are you doing?! Aren’t you going to get ready?!”
“Knights, what the hell are you doing?! Get into formation!”
“Rangers, get ready!”
The officers and the company commanders shouted frantically at their troops for the upcoming battle.
Thanks to the efforts of the officers, the troops managed to get into formation. However, they had no time to breathe as the monsters immediately flocked to them despite being under the artillery’s fire.
“What’s that?”
The monsters approaching them looked similar to a void insect. However, the problem was that there were trees intertwined in their bodies as numerous bugs flew and surrounded them.
‘Is that the new type of monster that’s made by the dark elves?’
The soldiers fired at once while this thought passed through Iron’s head.
Bang!
The group rushing at the forefront died with their gunshots. However, there weren’t just a couple of them rushing through the outpost but a thousand.
“Knights, draw your swords!”
The knights unsheathed their swords at Ariel’s orders and cut down the monsters coming their way. The rangers also jumped out and killed the monsters while the soldiers grabbed their weapons and assisted them.
A number of soldiers received injuries because they were flustered while some of the knights received injuries because of their carelessness. Even though Iron did not come out, no one had died, thanks to the desperate efforts of the officers.
But that was just the beginning.
“You should cheer and be happy later. The battle is just beginning.”
Iron spoke coldly as he told the soldiers to prepare for the next battle after seeing them jumping up in joy in preventing the attacks of the void insects.
The soldiers would not get injured or would be put on the brink of death just because of this one battle.
Most injuries and deaths were due to the gaps that were created after fighting one battle after another. The accumulation of their fatigue and exhaustion would gradually dull their senses which would cause injuries or worse, death.
Iron knew this pattern well because it was something that he had been through in his previous life.
The battles that endlessly repeat and continue.
Because of that, the soldiers gradually lost hope and the morale in the entire front began to decrease in his previous life.
Iron was sure that his special operation unit would also turn out like that if they just continued to stay there.
However, there was something that could help them in these repeated battles.
Since this was not a war against large monsters or a war against a huge monster corps, the chances of them losing their life was almost next to none so the rookies would be able to quickly get used to fighting against them.
No one knew if it was part of Iron’s plans or not but the fear in the soldiers’ eyes gradually disappeared as they continued to fight in these repeated battles.
“Stab their stomachs! Target their weaknesses!”
Iron would occasionally help the soldiers if the situation was truly dangerous. He would even give them advice from time to time.
His swings might look extremely light but each of his actions could split a void insect into two. And whenever they received help from Iron they would, without a fail, hear a roar of rebuke from him.
“Idiot! Stop forgetting it! Think about these things while being in battle! If you get hurt then step back and use a rifle!”
Iron did not know if each piece of his advice would get to them.
But with the continuous repetition of his sharp rebuke and pieces of advice, they eventually got engraved in the soldiers’ minds and bodies. This was because they started to feel comfortable after following what Iron had said throughout the course of their repeated battles so they always tried to recall the advice that he gave whenever they fought.
And just like that, the battle at the 41-14 outpost, which they temporarily protected, had ended.
The soldiers thankfully survived against the monsters that flocked to them like crazy after several days of repeated and continuous battles. Although they were just rookies, who were selected because they were quick witted or injured, all of them had survived.
Iron spoke coldly after praising the soldiers for safely carrying out and finishing their first battle.
“We will take a break for two days before moving again. Be well-informed during that time.”
Iron threw the information that the officers from the frontlines had collected.
The information included the types of monsters, as well as identified and organized weaknesses together with new tactics that he had devised against them. After sharing the information that the front-line officers had collected to his officers, Iron spoke.
“During your break, familiarize yourselves with the monsters’ weaknesses and do tactical training. We will continuously repeat filling these gaps in the frontlines.”
“Until when do we have to do that?”
One of the officers asked Iron.
Their main task was to help the isolated troops so it was something that should definitely be asked.
“Until you become useful.”
The officers and the soldiers all bowed their heads silently at Iron’s words.
They have only finished their first battle and this special operation unit was yet to escape from their disorderly mess. Because of that, Iron had resolved himself to become the devil himself. If he acted as the devil, then, the officers would act as angels and mediate and comfort the soldiers while leading them.
“Slowly bring the injured back.”
“…Yes, sir.”
The first company commander replied to Iron’s orders with his head down.
A few days later, Iron’s special operation unit began to move again to fill in the gaps in the frontline.
Just like the saying… The first time was always hard, but it would be better the next, the special operation unit gradually became more skilled as they got accustomed to the repeated battles.
They were still rough around the edges during their second battle. But with their third, fourth and fifth battles, the soldiers gradually got used to Iron’s tactics and were able to use them in battle. The knights were also able to deal with the monsters in their formation and the rangers were able to take advantage of their specialties.
“Not enough.”
Each of their specialties were being utilized but it took them more time to converge and work well with each other.
But Iron did not have any more time.
While they were whiling their time on the frontline, the monsters were swallowing the weak group of monsters and creating a legion of their own.
Was it because they trusted him and followed him?
His troops were changing and becoming more useful at a faster rate than what he had expected.
As if to prove it, Iron’s special operation unit was gradually becoming known in the frontlines.
***
Notes
[On the title.] – The chapter title actually says 오합지졸 부대. And from what I gathered 오합지졸 is a four letter idiom that refers to a crowd gathered without order or just a large group of insignificant people. They actually compare them to a murder of crows in this idiom. A group that’s strong when together but will fight and fall into chaos once a good prey is spotted. I can’t find a fitting term for the four letter idiom so I still used disorderly. TLDR: The troops are filled with a large group of insignificant people.