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Before the battle began.

Camila had a good idea and offered her plan.

‘What is this good idea?’

‘Have you seen Civil War?’

Her plan was simple.

Block the movements of the monster and pour all firepower into the attack.

‘With a monster that big, it must weigh quite a bit. If we hit the lower body, it should definitely fall over. Then we can attack its legs and take it down, right?’

‘Saying it is easy, but Civil War was about people, wasn’t it? Humans have two legs, but it’s a spider with many. Do you really think we can knock it down by attacking its legs?’

‘But it’s worth a try, don’t you think?’

‘Well, I suppose you have a point. But where are we going to draw the firepower to hit the monster with? There aren’t any combat magicians here, and the main guns don’t even tickle it.’

‘Why is there none?’

There was.

‘We have the artillery! Artillery!’

The characteristic of artillery is that it’s a howitzer.

Typically, firearms like rifles and machine guns are classified as direct-fire weapons since they require the shooter to visually identify the target to hit it directly.

However, artillery is different.

Whether there are mountains or buildings nearby, artillery can project firepower without concern for obstacles. The fact that the national military, with the majority of its territory being mountainous, possesses a large scale of artillery power proves this.

Moreover, the northern regions of the Kien Empire are filled with mountain ranges, and the imperial army operating there also had enormous artillery strength.

‘The spider won’t be easy to hit if it’s moving. But if we can keep it still, won’t it hit without even looking?’

‘So you’re saying our job is to keep it still?’

‘Yes.’

That was a foolish statement.

The thick fog made it difficult to operate observation units as the visibility was virtually none. We didn’t even have the help of observers who could be the eyes and ears of the artillery.

In other words, Camila was suggesting we crawl into the middle of an artillery bombardment to fight. Not just jumping into the fire, but actively directing firepower right above our heads.

‘That’s a crazy idea. It’s obvious that if they misfire even slightly, we’ll be turned into mush too.’

‘So, do you have any other ideas?’

‘…None.’

‘Then we should just do it.’

Reluctantly, I accepted Camila’s suggestion.

The unit defending the rift calculated the coordinates of the defense line and transmitted them to the adjacent units, and upon receiving the coordinates, the divisions and corps set their artillery and poured all their firepower.

In the end, we did it.

—

Episode 11 – No Problems on the Northern Front

The imperial army mobilized all its artillery assets and unleashed their firepower.

The target was the giant spider staying at the defense line. Operating artillery easily in a situation without observer assets to guide the fire and assess damage (BDA) was a tough decision, but right now, it was an exception.

The imperial army was literally scraping their souls clean for this.

From before the battle began, the corps and division’s artillery units had completed their preparations, and as soon as the order was given, they all fired their shells simultaneously. From mortars to towed guns, self-propelled guns, and even heavy artillery, various types of cannons operated by the imperial army were mobilized.

The shells fired rained down on the defense line.

Watching the explosions erupting and the dust and snow swirling, one could easily guess that those were high-explosive shells.

“Wow….”

An exclamation slipped from Camila’s lips.

The bombardment covering one side of the snowy mountains surrounding the basin was truly a sight to behold.

“If it had remained there, we wouldn’t have found even the bodies.”

“Didn’t you realize that until now?”

“I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

“That’s bragging.”

I plopped down in the snow, gasping for breath.

Having emerged from the trench while carrying two people and a radio, I found myself utterly exhausted.

Experiencing the imperial army’s zigzagged combat trench escape while shells fell overhead was anything but pleasant.

Had this unit not been prepared per the FM, I likely would have been caught in the bombardment myself.

“Oh, I’m going to die.”

I took shelter with Camila and Francesca. After making sure to keep the radio I had not dropped during the chaos, I managed to crawl forward into a safe position.

“What did they say?”

“The corps artillery, division artillery, mortars, and even a stray dog are all scraping together and blasting shells.”

Camila’s gaze turned towards the defense line under the rain of shells.

As small and big explosions continued, a shot unlike any other blasted with a bang!

“What was that?”

“Heavy artillery.”

In a place where there was no air force to bomb or nuclear bombs to erase cities from the map, artillery was the best firepower regular troops could summon.

Of course, there were things like missiles or rockets, but the aviation-related technology necessary to develop them hadn’t advanced, so most missiles and rockets remained primitive.

Had such technology existed, they would have retired the battleships piled up at the port and built aircraft carriers instead.

In this area, even sending up a hot air balloon would result in the Inquisition Officer coming to make a fuss, so it couldn’t be helped.

Thus, the imperial army had brought the best firepower they could mobilize.

All that just to kill one spider.

As I watched the immense explosion sweeping over the area, I turned my gaze to Francesca.

“Can you retrieve the golem?”

“Well… it seems like it’s going to be difficult. I didn’t know the bombs would be that merciless.”

Francesca had deployed the golem in an attempt to catch the spider. It was clear everyone had put in their efforts, but if Francesca’s golem hadn’t held the spider still, it wouldn’t have been bombarded like it was.

The golem had kept the spider immobilized right up to the moment the shells fell, and had been caught in the bombardment alongside it. With the artillery of the imperial corps and division in motion, trying to retrieve the golem in one piece was obviously impossible.

However, Francesca didn’t seem to mind.

“Well, using three golems to kill one monster is quite a bargain. To capture a spider that’s even ruined a tank, it seems like this much is necessary, right? At least I’ve still got one left, so that’s a relief.”

Francesca brushed off the arm of the golem.

The golem not used to hold the spider still was standing guard beside her. It was the final golem she had in reserve.

“Still, we’ll have to claim damages. It’s inherently private property.”

“…Didn’t you just say it was a good deal?”

“It’s a good deal because I’m going to claim damages. The colonel can lose a few rifles, and the country will take care of it, but the magic tower is another story.”

Francesca’s gaze settled on a point right in the center of the bombardment.

“If we could recover something from the spider’s corpse, that’d be great, but… sadly, it seems that’s not usable…”

“……”

“Then I should submit a claim to the Imperial Ministry of Defense or the Magic Department? The empire is overflowing with money even after all the emperors have squandered it; there’s no way they don’t have the funds to compensate for three golems.”

“Think what you want…”

I tore my gaze away from Francesca, who was already thinking about loot. Even the divine beings from her cult and Nirvana would surely turn away from her.

We silently stared at the ceaseless bombardment raining down.

Even during our not-so-brief conversation, the imperial army’s bombardment continued unabated.

As the accumulated shells rained down, the cannons did not seem ready to stop until they had overheated and were on the verge of breaking. This reflected just how remarkably precious the rift was.

We stayed silent for a while, staring at the explosions covering the snowy mountains.

Wishing that the monster would die under that relentless fire.

Honestly, I didn’t believe in gods, but at that moment, I found myself praying desperately. Please, if there’s any justice, send that damn thing straight to hell.

As if answering my prayer, the imperial army increased their bombardment.

How long had it been?

Just as the ferocious fire began to wane, suddenly, a voice from the radio came through—Senior Lyudmila.

-‘Colonel? The corps has contacted us. They are about to cease bombardment.’

“Cease?”

-‘Yes. The barrels have overheated, and it’s becoming impossible to fire any longer. If they keep firing like this, the cannons will be completely destroyed and unusable.’

The imperial army decided to halt the bombardment. This wasn’t particularly surprising. In fact, it was more surprising that they had continued firing up to this point.

I informed that none of our party had been caught in the barrage, and after confirming the damage, I signaled my intent to retreat. Senior Lyudmila replied that she would send a guide to take us to the second defensive line.

Once the sound from the radio ceased, silence enveloped us.

“……”

“……”

“……”

We cast our gaze unblinkingly at the silent snowy mountain.

The bombardment that had shaken the basin had stopped, and the rising dust and snow were gradually settling. The fog was lifting slightly, allowing us to see much farther than before.

After a few minutes passed like that.

Before us, the ruin of the defense line revealed itself.

Completely collapsed strongholds and shattered concrete debris.

Tanks and armored vehicles so mangled they were practically unrecognizable.

Ancient trees that had twisted and uprooted despite holding rift magic.

Large and small craters several times the size of a person appeared on the flat ground.

A swarm of corpse spiders, assumed to have been caught in the bombardment while crossing the barrier of flames.

And,

“Ah….”

The giant spider, still alive and breathing, despite having taken all that bombardment.

Rrrrrrrrrr…

“Shit, this is bad.”

As expected, there were no gods after all.

*

Silence fell upon the defense line.

“Is anyone alive…?”

Francesca’s voice shattered the stillness.

The alchemist from the Magic Tower stared shockingly at the spider.

The giant spider was still alive, breathing heavily. Its shell was fragmented in several places, grotesquely melted flesh fell away from it mixed with the drugs, and one of its legs had been completely severed, yet it still lived.

“What the hell is that…?”

“…This is insane.”

This is not normal.

No matter how tough or gigantic a monster is, it cannot endure the firepower of artillery, as has been proven countless times in extermination operations.

The nations of the Mauritania Continent had their borders breached by monsters not merely because their armies were weak, but because they couldn’t concentrate firepower against the beasts surging across the vast plains.

On the other hand, Abas, Patalia, and the Kien Empire were different stories.

The No Man’s Land, where monsters predominantly resided, usually bordered mountains or rivers, and while the Border Guard blocked the monsters coming from the No Man’s Land, the regular army dealt with those threat in the rear. This meant that the armies of Abas and Kien were well-versed in exterminating monsters.

The infamous northern mountains had been conquered by the Kien Empire, and their imperial artillery, with the highest number of accomplishments from the north, had yet failed against this spider. It was wounded, but still alive.

Seeing common sense go out the window right before my eyes filled me with a sense of futility. Where on earth did such a creature come from?

“Could it be a demon…?”

Francesca, regaining her wits, spoke with a visibly tense expression.

“If it were a demon, it wouldn’t be playing around with monsters… Even if it summoned creatures, it would definitely show up and attack directly…”

“And how do you know that?”

“Lord Evangelos said that there are more Magicians from the Magic Tower who survive attacks from demons than you would think.”

Francesca dismissed my guess. She insisted that it wasn’t a monster controlled by demons.

Then what in the world is that spider?

My head was flooded with questions, but I had no answers. Before I could ask, the spider made the first move.

Rising from the massive crater made by the shelling, the spider planted its spindly legs on the ground. Having emerged from the pit, it looked around, then approached the defense line, picking something up.

It was a corpse spider that had been killed by the bombardment.

-Crunch!

A horrifying sound echoed through the silent snowy mountains. The giant spider that reached the defense line lifted the dead corpse spider’s remains and crammed it into its mouth.

Before my eyes, a bizarre scene unfolded of a spider eating a spider. It was utterly incomprehensible and something I did not want to understand.

It dragged its hefty body around the defense line, devouring whatever corpses lay around. Whether human or corpse spider, it didn’t discriminate. Be it fallen trees, destroyed trenches, or wrecked vehicles, anything that got in its way was smashed apart, allowing it to voraciously feast on the bodies, like a beggar who hadn’t eaten for ten days finally seeing food.

It was no longer something that could simply be called a spider. It was a monster. A true monster.

We weren’t the only ones terrified by its ferocity.

As soon as the artillery fire ceased, the horde of corpse spiders that had been creeping toward the defense line stopped in their tracks. The corpse spiders, frozen like sheep seeing a predator tear apart one of their own kind, let out pitiful whimpers and stood still.

-Kyaaaaaaaak!!!

The fearsome monster’s howl shook the snowy mountains.

The wounded beast, hungrily seeking the flesh of corpse spiders and human flesh, raised its head and roared. The horde of corpse spiders, overwhelmed by its presence, trembled on the ground, close to the earth.

And then, an astonishing scene unfolded before my eyes.

The horde of corpse spiders began to advance toward the defense line again.

As if that earlier roaring noise had been a command, the once-cowering corpse spiders lowered their bodies and crawled forward.

Witnessing that scene, I muttered in a weak voice.

“A monster giving orders…”

A spawn, a general among them.

*

We retreated to the defense line set up by the imperial army. It was the second defense line established after the first one fell, pulling together the forces scattered in the basin.

“We made it!”

“Get down!”

“Thanks for the lift!”

Camila and I jumped down and landed on the ground. The one who had given us a ride from the first defense line to the second was none other than Francesca’s golem.

Though I thanked her, Francesca seemed oblivious as she slid down the golem’s arm like it was a slide. If the elderly members of the Raniere family had seen her, they would have scolded her for such behavior, but that didn’t matter right now.

It was a matter of survival.

“Lyudmila! Senior Lyudmila!”

“Here!”

“Quick, lead the way! We need to get to the command center fast!”

I stopped the passing Senior Lyudmila and headed toward the command center.

There, we informed the unit of everything witnessed at the defense line: the giant monster that had withstood the bombardment, the horde of corpse spiders breaching the defense line, and the weaknesses we presumed it had.

With the time we had bought, the imperial army would have made its preparations. So now, it was imperative we worked together with the imperial army to slay the monster. I had no idea how to kill a creature that could withstand artillery fire, but at least we confirmed that fire was effective, so we could deploy combat magicians against it.

But life is unpredictable and comes with its ups and downs.

Once again, I felt the harsh reality of life’s fickle nature today.

“No magicians available?”

“None, I’m afraid.”

“What? Why?!”

Surely, when the outpost encountered the corpse spiders, the unit defending the rift had requested reinforcements.

Due to the weather and terrain, the troops couldn’t arrive, but artillery fire could be sent, and the nearby division had even dispatched combat magicians. That was something that had happened at least an hour ago. Perhaps two or even three hours ago.

Yet somehow, the combat magicians still hadn’t arrived.

The reason is unknown.

Not the unit commander, nor the division that sent them could tell me. They tried radio communication, but there was no response.

This is maddening.

“Does your unit not have any magicians?”

“We don’t have many, but there are a few. I’ll send support immediately.”

The unit commander quickly provided a handful of magicians who had been busy reinforcing the defense line.

They were elemental magic users, but they seemed more skilled at breaking rocks than fighting. I decided to take them with us, at least for the time being.

The problem arose elsewhere.

“Can’t get artillery support.”

The imperial artillery had poured all its firepower into trying to kill the giant spider. They said they fired until their ammunition depot was emptied.

Of course, while re-supplying ammunition isn’t an issue, the problem lay with the cannons themselves.

“The barrels have overheated, so we can’t fire right now. We’ll need to wait at least until the barrels cool down.”

“How long will that take?”

“I don’t know. I’m not an artilleryman; how would I know?”

In any case, we could not receive external support right now. We had to take that creature down with what we had here.

When we heard we had to kill the giant spider on our own, the faces of Camila and Francesca darkened. However, rather than express their dissatisfaction, the two began checking their physical conditions and their weapons, preparing for battle.

I loaded the ammunition I borrowed from the base into my magazine and stuffed it into my chest rig. Though it was taken from a dead soldier of the imperial army, no one condemned me for wearing it.

“Shit… If I end up actually dying, that’d be embarrassing….”

As I anxiously packed my ammo, someone suddenly spoke to me.

“Who’s talking about dying?”

“Of course it’s me, who else… Oh god!”

I jumped in surprise, nearly dropping my ammo and magazine, which tumbled to the ground.

The man, seeing my panicked reaction, just chuckled and showed no sign of remorse.

“Ha ha! What a cowardly little chick you are. I think you need to bulk up a bit more to be a general!”

“……”

I stared blankly at the man who laughed while shaking his beard.

“Why are you here…?”

A man adorned in shining armor who emanated a gentle glow smiled as he adjusted his goatee.

“I came upon a request for support from the lady. They told me a monster suddenly appeared at the rift, so I thought I’d personally lead my knights and smash their heads in!”

“……”

“But the mountain trail was rough, so it took me a bit to get here. The monsters hadn’t even shown their faces. Well, I did manage to meet some magicians.”

The Commander of the Order of Saint Andrew, Pereyti.

He flashed a bright smile, showcasing his pearly whites, as he addressed me.

“So, where’s the monster?”

 

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