RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 20: Case Yellow (Day 5 – Guidance)

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 20: Case Yellow (Day 5 – Guidance)

After eliminating the Ninth Army's chain of command, Beaumont fell in less than two hours. Whatever went down in Château de Beaumont was quite a spectacle, something that dealt a massive blow to the already battered morale of the remaining Ninth Army resistances. The remaining Loyalist soldiers either fought till their bitter end chaotically or outright surrendered. Either way, the siege of Beaumont was ended swiftly by a decapitating strike, thus giving Army Group A the leeway to further press the advantage.

While the Defense Corps protects our flank down at Monthcornet, the Attack Corps is divided into two major spearheads. The first spearhead will use Beaumont as a stepping stone to push for the cities of Cambrais and Arras. The plan here is twofold: Undermining the Southern defenses of the Darscen capital, Brussel, and forcing an engagement against the Eruesean Expeditionary Force, thus preventing them from reinforcing the Darscen capital city.

Meanwhile, the second spearhead will rush to seize key communes and cities like Abbeville, Amiens, Peronne, and Saint Quentin. This is to form a long frontline against Loyalist forces in the direction of Paris and to create the first part of the blockade against the EEF. The seizing of Cambrais and Arras will form the second part of the blockade. The fall of Brussels and the territories beyond it will form the last part to complete the encirclement of the EEF. After that, well, now that's where the fun begins.

After another short rest, I command the vanguard units of Army Group A for another push of the front. More specifically, I will be heading to Cambrais to take a personal look at the state of the Eruseans. I wonder, how will they react when I suddenly show up at their doorstep with an entire Army. I can just about imagine those Erusean Generals spurting out their tea in quick succession when the shells start landing.

Before that though, there's an obstruction in our way to Cambrais. Someone has bivouacked right out in the open, and that someone is the Loyalist 5th Motorized Infantry Division. Plopping down their tents, with half of their camp inside a patch of forest while their vehicles are parked neatly by the roadside, the 5th Infantry Division posts only a minimal security detail. They seemingly do not expect any attack to come, or at the very least not from Beaumont's direction. Well then, I won't say no to a free kill. Though this may be a good time to check my little protege.

"Oh, Daria~!" I say in a singsong voice while looking at the girl who is buried neck-deep in a stack of documents.

Yup, we still have to deal with paperwork even while on the march. However, I must say that Daria has had it worse as she has to regularly juggle the logistical numbers. Keeping our armored and mechanized forces top-up is no easy feat, especially on a Blitzkrieg. Daria, despite her extremely young age, has been doing her administrative tasks pretty darn well thus far.

Looking up from filing away another digital document through her tablet, Daria is about to reach for another work folder before her brain finally registers my voice. Her pearly blue eyes look up at me, curious and attentive. "Yes, Marshal?"

"Take a look at this and give me a rundown of what you will do." I send the data acquired by battlefield surveillance to Daria's work tablet.

Intrigued, Daria lays down the logistical papers and peruses the information package I gave her. As the girl swipes her fingers up and down, I use the master credential in my tablet to help her finish some of the work she hasn't touched yet. I don't want her to work overtime because I throw her another task out of the blue. Around ten minutes later, Daria looks up at me.

"Marshal, if I may speak?"

I smile before putting down my tablet. "Go ahead, Daria."

"Thank you, Marshal." Daria gives me a thankful nod before saying with a very concentrated and serious look. Honestly, the attempt is more cute than anything due to her young age. "From what I can see here, the 5th Motorized Infantry Division is seemingly unguarded. However, I do not expect that they won't put up heavy resistance if they spot us on the horizon. With our vanguard only a few hours away from their campsite, it will only be a matter of time before they wise up to mount a defensive front."

I lean forward slightly, my elbow resting on a folding desk with my hand supporting my chin. "Go on."

"Despite Army Corp A heavily outnumbering the Loyalist 5th, an alerted encampment will still be able to do meaningful damage to us. The forest, a natural fortification in which half of their camp seems to be located, provided them with enough room to install static artillery and AT emplacements. While they have minimal patrols and other defenses against our angle of approach, the forest still has a clear field of fire against us. If they have heavy guns in the tree lines, the Loyalists can cause serious damage if we attack frontally. However, if we're to make the best speed to Cambrais, ignoring this encamped Division is impossible. We will have to tackle them head-on as any delay will give more chance for Cambrais to be reinforced by either the Eruseans or the Loyalists."

Slow enough to be captured by the UAV's camera yet fast enough so that Daria can't even form a coherent sentence, the bombs start falling. The amount? Well, let's just say that, for a single moment, nearly the entire camp is covered by blackspots falling from the sky, and you have to know that a Division-level encampment is pretty dang huge. One second, they're still there. The next, everything erupts into flame, smoke, and ashes. The cumulative explosions thrum through the air, blasting apart the ground and the forest alike. Trees start falling due to the sheer shockwave with most of the forest being cut down by the blasts and debris. If not for us still a few hours away from the site, we would have been able to hear the explosions much more clearly. Regardless, the bombs have done it. Loyalist 5th Infantry Division, defunct if not completely destroyed by the carpet bombing that our Air Force just deployed.

The scene is best described as Hell on Gaia with how the ground is deformed and pits emitting smoky black pillars can be seen over what used to be a scenic site. If I squint hard, I can barely the remnant of a Loyalist tank but I could be wronged. The bombs we dropped weren't small, after all. Honestly, by the time Army Group A gets there, it will be easier to count the survivors than the deaths.

Daria looks on, stunned. It's an understandable reaction, truly. She did just witness thousands of lives snuffed in mere moments. I pat her shoulders comfortably before reaching over them for a hug. Daria slowly mutters. "W-What just happened...? H-How-"

I squeeze her a bit tighter, letting her head rest against my heart. "Shush... Take a deep breath, Daria. In, and out. Repeat until you feel that you won't scream."

As Daria struggles to follow my soothing command, I stroke her blonde hair. "It's unfortunate, but this is War, Daria. It's easy for any of us to draft and decide on a plan, to see soldiers and lives as statistics and numbers. But don't forget, don't you ever forget that whoever is executing our orders is a living, breathing being. Don't forget that each and every single one of our actions has consequences, seen or unseen. As of earlier, I have called in the B-40 bombers of our Air Force. They carried enough bombs to level an entire city and I used them all against the Loyalist 5th to save not just Time but the lives of our soldiers from here onward. To our people, I will be seen as a heroic figure for decisively eliminating an entire enemy Division with just a single order. Yet, to our enemy, I may as well be a mass murderer and executioner if they hear of my doings."

I stop before turning my head to look into her teary eyes.

"This is the bipolar aspect of modern warfare, Daria. In such a large-scale conflict, lives are snuffed out by the hundreds if not thousands each and every single day. Some rise, some fall, and the decisions we make, and the things we see, will stick with us for the rest of our lives. You have seen me slaughter the Loyalists by the thousands all to serve my purpose, my conquest. If you're to stick to your path to the very end, soon you will also have to get your hands dirtied, sometimes even personally. While it may not be to such a scale like this, it's still something that may traumatize you, break you, Daria. If comprehending the mortality of your enemy has caused you a mild panic like this, what will happen to you when the time comes to those under your command or you in person?"

"Can you tank it all, not buckling under the pressure to achieve what you wanted, Daria? Because to travel on this path of blood and iron, this..." I gesture to the video feed of the leveled area. "Is but the tip of the iceberg. I can't trust you later for a command if it results in my men and women dying needlessly."

It takes some minutes, but Daria has finally come to terms with what she witnessed first-hand. She takes a deep calming breath with closed eyes before exhaling and opening her eyes to look at me. I smile as I see her unflinching gaze.

Daria says in a level tone. "I am sorry, Marshal, I was... Taken by surprise. Truly, knowing and seeing are two very different things. Witnessing it for yourself truly put it into perspective that, indeed, we're at war, a World War."

"However," Daria adds. "For the Reich, for the family I have, for Ningyo... I will do everything it takes to ensure our future. If this means I have to break down the innocent, rose-tinted glasses I viewed the world with, then so be it. I will not become a killing machine, but I will not shy away from using heavy methods to achieve victories if that is strictly necessary. I have too many things on the line to be pulling my punches... Much."

I smile proudly, ruffling her hair like the good older sister I am. "Atta girl~! Though you shouldn't thank me, I did forcefully tear down a bit of your worldview."

Daria smiles understandingly. "It seemed to be needed then, big sis Yuki, so just accept my sentiment."

"Heh." I look away, scratching my cheek.

Honestly, some of the girls around me are just too good in their own, unique ways.