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Chapter 23

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“Everyone, over here! It is spring water!”

3 days since the Sylph Offensive began.

The West Front has already fallen completely, and the people that were too late in escaping in the settlements near the frontline are apparently being slaughtered.

They are normally the people us soldiers should be saving, but we have no leeway here to save them when we are completely exhausted and in the middle of retreating.

We were running out of ammunition and equipment after all. There’s also the issue of stamina, so we judged that it would be difficult to do any battle.

Also, Captain Gaback didn’t order us to march in the forest with light feelings.

We have to fight against hunger and thirst while getting over fallen mossy trees, and walking the whole time for 3 days inside the forest without sleeping.

“Is that true, Aren-san?!”

“Yeah.”

Everyone from the Gaback Platoon was on the verge of collapsing.

We haven’t encountered any water source in 3 days of walking after all.

We would lick the empty bottle of table salt water that I had, would sip our own pee that we accumulated in our helmets, and manage to barely move with that.

The dehydration was so intense that the dizziness was horrible. Every time I breathed in it was salty, and my legs were heavy like lead.

“Water! Hyahaaa!”

“D-Don’t! Rodley-kun!”

Captain Gaback told us to procure our water and food in the forest.

Securing food and water was more difficult than I imagined after advancing through the forest.

It would have been nice if there were rivers everywhere we advanced, but…we unfortunately didn’t arrive at any river for 2 days no matter how much we advanced.

The liquid we had in our hands had run out a long time ago on the 3rd day. Just as we were about to collapse, Aren-senpai finally found a small well of water.

“W-Water after s-so long…”

“P-Please w-wait…”

If we had found the water a bit later, we would have been wiped out.

Thirst can’t be trifled.

Even Captain Gaback had parched lips and his eyes were sunk. He looked like a dead person.

If not for the order of the captain to not throw away our pee, we would have had deaths.

I didn’t think surviving in the forest would be this harsh.

“If no one is going to drink it, I will go first…”

“…Hmph.”

“Ouch!”

In this situation where we were at our limits, the iron fist of the captain assailed Rodley-kun who jumped at the valuable water source.

I am grateful that he stopped Rodley-kun, but please punch him while considering the hassle of treating him. He flew quite a bit there.

“Rodley-kun, we have to boil it up first. If we were to drink unboiled water, we would be wiped out.” (Touri)

“…Guh”

“All hands, make a kitchen range with dirt, flip over your helmets, and accumulate water. Only drink it after the water has finished boiling.” (Touri)

“…Yes.”

It wouldn’t be funny if this water were to be contaminated by the animals in this forest.

If we were to be hit by bad diarrhea, it could wipe out the unit.

It would be better to boil it once before drinking it just in case.

“In other words, uhm…” (Touri)

“We are taking a break for a while.” (Gaback)

This is how we stopped our 3 day march and took a break.

 

“Ah, aah…!”

“Please drink it after it has cooled down.” (Touri)

The moisture I am finally getting was truly delicious.

Tears are not coming out because I am so parched, but I might have cried if I were in my normal condition.

I once again confirmed just how important hydration is to the body.

“Now that I look at it like this, the equipment of a medic has a lot of survival stuff.” (Rodley)

“Yeah, it was a saving that there’s a burner to bake wounds.” (Touri)

We fortunately weren’t troubled with kindling.

There was a burner for stopping bleeding in the medical tools I was carrying.

Also, I had two bottles with table salt water, a small bottle of sterilizer, a clean cloth, and ointment for external wounds. There’s a lot of stuff that would be useful in extreme situations.

This is most likely provided to medics so that they can endure for several days in the trenches.

The table salt water was especially important for hydration and salt.

I have unending gratitude towards Chief Gale for telling me to put 2 heavy bottles.

“Captain-dono, is it okay to sleep for a bit?”

“No. Our march is slower than estimated. We are departing immediately after securing water again.” (Gaback)

“…Understood.”

And it seems like we were slowed down quite a lot because we were late in securing a water source.

Everyone was running all wobbly from dehydration in the middle after all.

Of course the speed of the march would slow.

“We will be able to replenish ourselves when we arrive at Mashdale. Endure until then.” (Gaback)

In the end, we only rested for a few hours.

Now that I think back on it, the speed in which we advanced was just barely passing the invasion line of the enemy.

Sabat was continuing their invasion with breakneck speed. If we had rested here, we might have been surrounded by enemies the moment we exited the forest and wiped out.

We were in a situation like that, so we had to whip our tired bodies and advance.

By the way, we couldn’t regroup with friendly troops inside the forest.

Apparently a lot of allied surviving units aside from us escaped into the forest just like us.

But there were apparently some units who chose to rush towards Mashdale through the plains instead of entering the forest.

They must have judged that it would be safer to run through the plains since it would be harder to catch up to them as long as they get through the line of invasion.

Or maybe they assumed they would get lost in the forest without a scout, or judged that they might be attacked by animals, so they decided to advance through the plains.

There was no real correct answer.

The units that rushed through the plains apparently managed to escape to Mashdale in a short period of time.

But there were a massive amount of casualties when breaking through the line of invasion from the enemy, and there were apparently a lot of units that were wiped out.

On the other hand, the units that chose to advance through the forest took time in reaching Mashdale, but there were more survivors arriving.

But there were some who collapsed in the forest or got lost. It is not like everyone survived.

Captain Gaback was confident about getting through the forest, so I think he simply chose the option that had the highest chance of surviving.

 

5 days since retreating.

We finally got through the forest and reached a trade road and a maintained prairie.

The line of invasion of the enemy was just 7 km behind us. A pretty dangerous situation.

There were villages that had fire rising from them, and there were injured civilians and soldiers on the trading road with pale white faces walking towards Mashdale.

It seemed like we managed to survive by a hair’s breadth.

 

“…To think I would come to Mashdale in a situation like this one.” (Touri)

The fortress of Mashdale that I saw from afar when I was young.

Mashdale is the neighboring country of my hometown Noel, but I have never gone there once.

Noel is a peaceful country town, and there was nothing aside from fields.

The orphans of such a countryside would yearn for a place like Mashdale.

Me and my friends wanted to eat tasty food in a restaurant of Mashdale, and watch a fun play.

I didn’t expect to arrive at the town I yearned for in my childhood in such a fashion.

“One more push. Let’s go.”

“Uo, this is bad. That village over there is burning.”

“The invasion of the enemy is faster than I thought.”

We needed to pull ourselves together.

We didn’t come today to have fun in Mashdale. We came here to fight.

We couldn’t go into Mashdale with hazy feelings.

“You damn Sabatians… You are killing every single person regardless if they are civilians?!” (Rodley)

“Calm down, Rodley.”

I looked at the direction Rodley-kun pointed at with renewed determination to ascertain the current situation.

What was there was certainly a burning village.

It is pretty close too.

“…”

“What’s the matter, runt? Quick—”

My head went completely blank at the sight of that burning village.

It was probably the sight that I unconsciously tried to not think about.

“…Ah.”

The current whereabouts of the enemy.

In other words, the burning village that he was pointing at…was my own hometown, Noel.

“Noel is…” (Touri)

That place doesn’t have any military supplies.

There’s only the kind director of the orphanage and naughty children on their haydays.

There’s only fields that have potatoes and bitter vegetables growing.

“…Fire…in Noel!” (Touri)

“! Where are you going, runt?!” (Rodley)

Noel is burning.

That shocking sight made me forget myself, and I was on the verge of running off to Noel.

If Rodley-kun hadn’t grabbed my shoulder, I might have really ran off.

“The enemies are…ravishing the place. My hometown… Noel!” (Touri)

“I see.” (Rodley)

“Captain, we have to save them quickly…! Everyone is…!” (Touri)

I unconsciously approached Captain Gaback.

I lost my cool and I probably couldn’t think of anything.

—A dull sound.

I felt a dull impact on my face the moment I approached him.

I was smashed on the ground with that momentum, fell on my butt, and I could taste blood in my mouth.

Looks like I was punched in the face by the captain.

“Woken up now?” (Gaback)

“…”

“We are retreating to Mashdale. Run.” (Gaback)

My vision was flickering and I felt wobbly, but I got on my feet.

The captain was looking down at me without saying a word.

“…”

The captain is strong.

I feel like he is close to invincible in close quarters combat.

Wouldn’t he be able to go to Noel and fight them off?

I am sure the director hasn’t managed to run away in time because of his bad waist.

There’s still infants in baby carriages. They wouldn’t be able to run away to begin with.

But we might still be able to make it in time.

If we go to Noel right now, we might be able to save someone…

“…Understood.” (Touri)

“Hmph.”

“I am truly sorry. I will repeat the order. I will run towards Mashdale.” (Touri)

But a part of my brain grew calm after being punched and I understood it.

There’s no strategic value in the exhausted Gaback Platoon to be heading to Noel to save them.

We may be able to save people from my hometown if we were to run there at once, but I am also aware that the best choice is to abandon them.

“So you stopped, Touri. I will respect your words and pardon you for glaring at me right now.” (Gaback)

“…Thank you very much.” (Touri)

“Let’s go.” (Gaback)

I was not aware of it at all, but it seems like I was glaring at the captain.

I am sure a part of my heart thought that they would be saved if the captain had gone to help them. A way too selfish desire.

Numerous settlements burned on our retreat.

We brazenly survived by abandoning them, and yet, I wanted to protect only my own hometown. That’s way too convenient.

This is an issue with my own emotions.

…My heart was beating noisily.

I didn’t look back in the direction of Noel after that no matter what.

I had no confidence that I wouldn’t run if I were to look back after all.

The number one reason for putting my life on the line and becoming a medic was to pay back to the orphanage.

I wanted to pay back to the people who were my only family and blood relation in this world.

“…Ah.”

My throat was dry and my mouth was parched.

I haven’t eaten for 3 days and my eyes had no tears as I walked unsteadily.

“Aaah…”

The only thing that leaked out from me were low and dry groans.

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