Chapter 186. Middle Game (1)

The huge rampart of the outsourcing district that surrounded the border area.

Enoch tilted his head back and looked up at it.

A massive, high rampart, about 50 meters tall, stretched along the horizon of the outsourcing district.

The huge, modern steel rampart, with NO.0019 stenciled in white, exuded a completely different atmosphere from the quaint 19th outsourcing district.

The huge rampart was certainly strong enough to protect the outsourcing district, but it was concluded that it would not be used in this defense operation.

The steel rampart of this outsourcing district was only a last line of defense.

Rather, in order for the combat mages to deploy their firepower without worrying about civilian casualties, it was decided that the infantry would stand in front of the forest.

“Wow, this is the first time I've seen it from the outside-mda.”

Just then, Nano, who was shielding her eyes from the sun and looking at the rampart with her upper body slightly bent, said with a cheerful smile.

Enoch asked, slightly puzzled.

“You’ve lived in this outsourcing district all your life?”

“Ahaha, I was always cooped up in my workshop-mda! I must have seen it once when I moved to the outsourcing district as a very young child, but I really don't remember it-mda!”

At her words, Enoch nodded lightly.

Outside the 19th outsourcing district.

In the vast plains around the border area that met the huge forest, other freelancer interims were walking to their assigned positions and preparing for battle since dawn.

Enoch, who was watching the scene blankly, added.

“If there’s ever a need for reconnaissance, you can launch the drone at any time without my order.”

“Without an order, you say-mka?”

“That’s right. Is there a problem?”

Nano gave a slightly troubled, cheerful smile and shook her head slightly.

“Ahaha, actually, it’s a little difficult for me to do things without an order-mda. I don’t know if I can do it well-mda!”

In fact, Enoch had asked with that in mind.

Yesterday, Nano hadn’t panicked much when the magical beasts had attacked.

But despite that, she seemed unable to make her own judgment until Enoch gave the order.

In the original work, Nano had a cheerful personality, but at the same time, she had a side to her where she couldn't make decisions on her own in important matters, so I knew it well.

Enoch added concisely.

“If you don’t know, you can ask. Your role this time is to be our eyes.”

In battle, the need for vision, that is, eyes, is naturally very important. Enoch glanced at her and said.

“If necessary, you can rely on me. At least for this operation, you’re part of the same squad.”

“I understand-mda! Just hearing that is really reassuring-mda!”

Nano added with a bright smile.

“Actually, I’m a little nervous, though-mda!”

***

The deployment for the all-out battle was carried out swiftly.

The day broke and it was past 7 p.m. Around the time the color of madder spread across the clear early spring atmosphere.

Finally, the army of experimental magical beasts attacked.

From the rear where Enoch and his party were, it was too far to see them all clearly.

However, the sound of the experimental magical beasts, arranged in a horizontal line, rushing in, rumbled the ground with a low thud.

The horizon had already turned a hazy yellow with the rising dust.

Against the backdrop of the pitch-black forest, the various low and high roars that were heard from time to time made Enoch unconsciously clench his fists.

As discussed, the Victoria infantry had set up a formation in advance on the border of the outsourcing district’s forest and decided to engage in an all-out battle with the magical beasts emerging from the forest.

If the infantry created an opening during the battle, Enoch, who was protecting the rear with the freelancers, was to be contacted.

That would be the signal for Enoch's squad to begin their reconnaissance.

─The next moment, a barrage of fire erupted.

The magic deployed in front of the Victoria infantry’s various magic gears flashed several times with the light of mana.

Straight beams of light colored the surroundings with a dazzling trajectory of light and flew down to strike the enemies.

Powerful firearm-type magic gears such as machine guns, field guns, mortars, and anti-tank missiles also opened fire all at once, exploding on the legion of experimental magical beasts.

As the front line of the advancing experimental magical beasts was blown away and the flames spread widely to the forest,

Behind them.

The second wave of magical beasts, their green light flashing between their cracked shells, burst out.

A moment later, the shockwave rushed to our position, far away. The hot blast of the battlefield swept over my whole body.

Enoch raised his arm to cover his face.

This was one of the flows of the Official History. The realization that I was in the middle of it was felt vividly on my skin.

Whoooooosh!!

For a moment, a sandstorm blew in again, blocking my vision. The sky, full of dark clouds, was on fire.

The progress of the battle was hidden behind a curtain.

And in between, the roars, shouts, and screams of the experimental magical beasts were heard from the darkness.

-It's no good, I can't see.

-Damn it. I didn't think the area in front of the forest would be dirt.

The other freelancers in charge of reconnaissance from other interims, who were deploying their drones on the side, were all shaking their heads.

Four hours passed like that.

Time was approaching midnight, and darkness began to fall on the battlefield, the battle gradually taking on the aspect of a night battle.

Turning my head to look around at the freelancer legion’s formation deployed around me, the other freelancers were also swallowing dryly and gripping their magic gears.

The place where Enoch and his party had taken up their position was on a low hill in the plains of the outsourcing district’s border.

The entire situation of the freelancer formation waiting was visible at a glance.

The huge, 50-meter-high steel rampart of the city that separated the outsourcing district’s border and the forest.

Outside the city’s defensive wall, which looked like a fortress or a castle, the freelancer legion was deployed 1 kilometer ahead at the request of the Victoria infantry.

They were staring at the front, illuminating the darkness here and there with installed lights, light magic, and glowing mana stones.

The number of freelancers who had come here alone was about 400, surpassing the Victoria infantry.

They basically moved in units of interims, that is, squads or platoons, and it seemed that there were some who took on the role of company commander through their own elections.

“……”

Looking back, behind Enoch, who was in charge of the temporarily augmented squad, stood beautiful girls.

Lien, his exclusive maid, who had been helping him like a shadow and had always stayed by his side.

Also April, the freelancer from the outsourcing district whom Enoch had laid the groundwork for recruiting while acting as a freelancer, stood with her loaded sniper rifle.

Lily, who was holding her short medical wand tightly and praying quietly with her hands clasped together, of course.

Next to her, the genius engineer, Nano, who was sitting on a rock with her slender legs dangling, ready to deploy her self-made drone, Bzz-Bzz, at any time, was also on standby, her blonde hair fluttering, as she finished her final maintenance by channeling mana through her metal visor.

And next to her was Alicia, a Dragoon, staring into the darkness with a tense look, holding her jet-black Bombardment Lance upright.

Everyone was in a state of full readiness, ready to charge and join the battle at any time according to Enoch’s orders.

And right next to Enoch,

“Hey, is it okay?”

Sirocco, with her red wolf ears and tail perked up, her smooth, bare legs on the ground, and her ruby-like eyes shining quietly, asked.

“Are they winning? That?”

Her long, slightly wavy hair fluttered in the wind, brushing past Sirocco, who was unusually a little anxious.

It wasn't Enoch who answered that question.

From the side, April nodded lightly.

“Probably. Though there’s a lot of personal wishful thinking included.”

“Hmph, is that so?”

“Well, I don't think the Victoria infantry will be easily defeated, no matter what.”

Enoch also agreed silently.

Even though the original work said that the Victoria infantry was defeated in this battle, their battle was not described in detail.

But they were also combat mages who had received formal training.

Their firepower was by no means to be ignored.

“At the very least, if it seems like the all-out battle in front is going to be a loss, we’ll be contacted.”

Enoch added, as if to reassure Sirocco.

This was one of the matters that had already been discussed with the Victoria army at yesterday's assembly meeting.

Of course, I didn't like the plan for Shepherd to start an all-out battle using only the Victoria infantry, instead of forming a joint front from the beginning.

But for now, it was a plan that both sides had agreed on as the best they could think of, so the freelancers had all agreed as well.

April chimed in from the side.

“That's right. The Victoria army isn't stupid. If they really think they're going to lose, they'll ask us for reinforcements in the middle of it.”

Enoch nodded.

That was the variable from the Official History.

Including the additional support of the freelancer legion, which was originally absent, a plan to deal with various situations had also been discussed with Shepherd.

Everything that could be prepared had been prepared. From now on, it was the main game where all of it had to be utilized.

And how much time had passed?

The flames from the cannons and the light of the magic circles deployed by the magic gears in the darkness began to diminish, and along with that, the roars of the experimental magical beasts also grew fainter.

And suddenly—

The sounds of both sides stopped.

A pitch-black night had fallen on the plains in front, and only darkness that prevented anyone from properly discerning the front spread out.

Over it, a stir, a sense of unease, began to spread among the freelancers.

“What happened?” “Who won?” “Where’s the promised contact from the infantry?” “Ha, this. Shouldn’t we send out a reconnaissance team?”

Such murmurs were heard from all over.

Just then, someone lightly tapped my shoulder.

Turning around, it was Lily, her hand trembling slightly. She looked up at me and asked cautiously.

“Direct Lineage Member, this situation. What do you think?”

“I wonder.”

There was nothing I could be sure of.

“Umm. Well, if we just look at the situation logically, it seems like the Victoria army won…?”

April quietly added from the side.

In fact, if we looked at it purely logically, she was right.

If the Victoria army was really winning, there would be no reason to contact us for support.

If the infantry successfully held back all 2,000 magical beasts, then that would all become the achievement of Shepherd, who was leading the infantry.

That would be better than the ‘other possibilities’.

Enoch glanced at Nano.

“Nano, scout the front.”

“I understand-mda!”

As Nano’s drone flew into the sky without a sound, spreading a blue light, from the side, April quietly muttered.

“Did they really do it…? Ugh!”

April, who was saying that, clamped her mouth shut. From the side, Lily’s eyes widened.

“Excuse me! I-if you say something like that…!”

Just as Lily was about to say something to April, who had just uttered a classic line that was sure to raise a ton of flags.

Just then, Nano, who had been staring into the darkness without a word until now, pushed up the visor connected to the drone and whispered softly.

“Direct Lineage Member, someone is coming this way-mda!”

“Can you see?”

Nano said with a slightly stiff expression.

“Judging by the uniform, it’s a Victoria infantryman-mda. But something’s strange-mda!”

Just then, beyond the light of the field lights, a few people emerged from the darkness.

One of the other freelancers shouted loudly.

“It’s the uniform of the Victoria infantry!!”

Literally, a red uniform. Members wearing the uniform of the Victoria infantry were walking towards us.

Their gait was irregular, as if they were injured, but they were undoubtedly Victoria infantry.

“D-did the infantry really win!”

“We’ll get our pay for nothing, awesome!!”

The tense freelancers relaxed in an instant and started talking among themselves.

However, Enoch’s eyes narrowed for a moment.

No. It’s strange to think of it as a report of victory. There would have been communication magic, terminals, and other means of contact. But they came on foot?

Something was strange.

“Excuse me, soldier sirs, are you okay?”

And the next moment, a kind-looking young female freelancer, unable to watch them any longer, slowly approached them.

Just then, Enoch noticed something unusual.

The soldier was staggering towards us, ignoring the deep gash in his stomach, uniform and all.

As they got close enough to see their faces, I realized their faces were ashen. And the thick blood that had flowed down their red uniforms was a hardened, dark red.

“─All personnel!”

Enoch raised his hand low towards the other squad members and shouted loudly.

“Prepare for battle!”