LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 2: Prologue (2)
A man of short stature with a grim expression and other people behind him in full military suits were rushing down a hallway. After a few moments with the smell of sweat emanating from around them, they reached a large door of intricate designs. With fear in their hearts, the man grabbed the handle and opened the door to lead the rest.
"Major!" The man and the rest greeted the man behind the door in full military salute.
"At ease, men!" The man made a downward motion with his hands to calm his men. The man wore a vastly different military uniform, signifying that his status and rank were much higher than theirs.
"I think I know what you were here for. The drums of war could be heard even from here." The person with the rank of Major said, turning his back against them and looking out in the window. Beyond the window, billowing smoke could be seen rising in every direction, all the while the sound of gunfire and explosions reverberated through the earth.
"Nevertheless, I want to hear how bad the situation is." The Major faced them with an entire, straight body.
"Major, the enemy has broken through the Ardennes and the Vatican Hill. Furthermore, the enemy has broken through the four-year attrition in the plains of the no-man's-land. As we are currently speaking, we are being fully encircled, and soon, the supply lines of our army, the only escape route, are in danger of being cut off. We will be forced into siege if we don't retreat now." The officer of lower status than the Major stated his report with sweat all over his face and body.
"!!!" A loud sound crackled through the room.
"Are you telling me to abandon the people?! Since when did the Imperial Army turn its backs on the people?! Rejected!" With a thunderous voice, the Major shouted to the officers in front of him.
"B-But Maj-"
"Enough!! If the supply line is still functional, send in a request for reinforcements from the Imperial Capital through the telegraphs. Moreover, what are the three words that define the imperial army?"
"Patria! Honour! Servicio!" The officers, as if suddenly regaining their confidence.
"Good! Now, if I ever hear the word "retreat" when there are people on our backs, they will be sent to the gulags!" Upon hearing the gulags, fear was struck at the officers' hearts, so they immediately saluted the Major.
"Now, since this will be a battle of attrition, I want to mobilize all civilians, but not the disabled and severely weak. Build fortifications within the fortress, prioritize finding blind spots in building sniping positions, and lastly, since the enemies are closing in. The siege is about to start; I want you all to start rationing food and water to the people, hunt and forage what can be used in the areas we still control, and start culling all livestock and preserving their meats. We cannot afford to spare food for livestock, so instead of losing the fats and meat of livestock through starvation, it's better to cull and preserve their meat while they are still fat." The Major stated with extreme precision and good commanding ability.
"Understood, Maj-" Before the officer could complete the sentence, a thunderous explosion reverberating through the surroundings cut him off.
The explosion rocked the foundation the officers were standing on. With panic present through their eyes, they looked over the source of the sound. Upon seeing the source, their eyes widened in shock as dread soon fell upon them.
"!!!"
"A part of the wall was utterly destroyed?!"
"How could this be?"
"How is that even possible?!"
These were among the questions that floated around the room.
"Tsk! They are not even giving us a chance to take our time!" The Major's voice, filled with anger, echoed through the room as he slammed the table behind him.
"Quick! Before they get deeper into the fortress, hold them for as long as possible and hastily construct fortifications that could be constructed! Evacuate the weak and disabled." The Major voice was filled with haste and desperation as he scattered his brain to find the right solution to protect the people. It is impossible to evacuate everyone as the enemy is pouring into the fortress.
Upon receiving their orders, the officers immediately saluted the Major and hurriedly moved out into the hallway. Meanwhile, the Major sat down in his chair and opened a drawer. Within that drawer, a service pistol was inside. However, this one was different; this service pistol was only given to the generals of the Imperial Army. On the side of the gun, a name could be read.
"Major General John Glenn Quagmire" was the name that was written on the side of the service pistol. Now, with all the evidence pointing to it, the name of the Major is Quagmire.
Quagmire stared at the service pistol momentarily before being broken out of it by an explosion near the castle. He stood up from his seat, walked over to the windows, and stared outside while glancing from side to side to check for enemy snipers. An enemy sniper could now snipe him from the walls outside, although he doubts a sniper is skilled enough, as the distance between the walls and the castle is a few kilometers.
Unfortunately, as he stared outside, a shocked expression came before him. It was as if angels were descending from above; instead of angels, it was demons, it was. It was no small feat, but soldiers descending from above is a genius military feat. Even though the airplane was invented a decade ago, technology has advanced enough to allow such a feat.
Before the military feat took him aback, Quagmire snapped back to reality. He saw numerous casualties as he glanced down at the bottom, so he turned back and moved out of his office. Because if the enemy is already descending in the skies, then the soldiers need him even more. After all, he was their commander, and chaos was bound to ensue.