Chapter 38: A Temporary Victory

The mage’s figure vanished into the horizon in a sorry state, and the silence on the highland was shattered in an instant.

"We drove him off!"

Someone shouted first, and then, a deafening roar of cheers echoed across the entire hillside. The soldiers who had survived the ordeal—be they Saxons or volunteers of the International Brigade—all sprang up from behind their cover. They waved their rifles, and some even tossed their spiked helmets into the air—a gesture that was immediately curtailed by the officers, who promptly kicked their posteriors for it. Yet, every soldier was venting their excitement and ecstasy in the most primal way possible. The joy of this victory felt far more intense than routing an infantry battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Morin was naturally swept up in the atmosphere, feeling quite stirred himself, but his mind was occupied by a nagging sense of doubt. A high-ranking mage, just like that, forced into retreat by a volley of rifle fire? Was the value of "magic-wielders" in this world not as high as he had imagined? He had initially worried that every mage on the highlands would be a "Liu Xiu-tier" expert with maxed-out proficiency in "Meteor Swarm," but it appeared they weren't invincible after all. As long as tactical planning was sound, it seemed... perhaps... it was actually possible to contend with them.

"I hope I'm not just imagining things..."

Morin watched the soldiers around him reveling in their triumph, the tightly coiled string in his heart slowly beginning to slacken.

"My god, Second Lieutenant Morin... we actually drove off a high-ranking mage!"

The bearded commander of the International Brigade who had been lying beside him earlier was flushed with excitement. He clapped a heavy hand on Morin’s shoulder, his tone filled with disbelief. "I’ve been in so many battles, but this is a first! The first time I’ve seen us—ordinary men with nothing but rifles—make those high-and-mighty mage lords bite the dust!"

Only then did Morin realize, in retrospect, just how incredible their actions must appear to the people of this world. It seemed the mages of this world had always occupied a position near the apex of the battlefield "food chain." This had created a stereotype among ordinary soldiers that they were an unconquerable force. Today, however, a group of ordinary soldiers on Hill 127 had used their rifles to temporarily shatter that stereotype.

At that moment, the sound of a metal cockpit canopy opening drifted up from the area below the highland, which had been turned into a quagmire by magic. The armored knight of the Teutonic Order that had been stuck the deepest slowly opened its hatch, and the figure of Ludwig rose from within. He removed his helmet, revealing a handsome face smudged with a bit of grease. He looked up at the cheering soldiers on the highland, his gaze sweeping through the crowd for a moment, as if searching for the person who had fired the first shot. After a moment, he abandoned the thought, raised his right hand high, and gave a thumbs-up to everyone on the hill.

This simple, powerful gesture pushed the soldiers' emotions to another climax. The cheering grew even more fervent, and some even began to chant, "Long live the Teutonic Order!"

"Good grief, quite the showman, isn't he..."

Morin watched the aristocratic pilot basking in the cheers, realizing that the armored knights of the Teutonic Order seemed to be "battlefield celebrities" within the Saxon army.

"Don't just stand there! Get down there and help!"

The voice of Major Thomas, commander of the 1st Battalion, rang out promptly. He ordered the soldiers to charge down the highland to assist the armored knights still trapped in the mud. Morin prepared to lead his own men down as well. Just then, the messenger he had sent to the artillery command post came running back, breathless.

"Platoon Leader! I didn't find the artillery command post, but I ran into a detachment of our cavalry on the way!" The messenger’s face was still bright with excitement. "I told them the location of the magic-crystal cannon battery you marked, and their officer said they would take care of that trouble!"

Morin had an epiphany. That must have been the Saxon cavalry regiment that had launched a charge earlier. No wonder they had broken off toward that direction at the end of the battle; they had been executing a new combat mission. Though, he wondered if their attack would succeed...

At the foot of the hill, rescue efforts were in full swing. The Teutonic Order’s supply trucks and a large number of draft horses soon arrived at the scene. Soldiers used shovels and spades fetched from the supply train to dig frantically into the now-re-hardened mud. They attached thick cables to the armored knights, pulling with the combined force of the trucks and horses. The two armored knights that were less deeply mired were the first to break free, and after a quick check by the Order's technicians, they restarted their internal combustion engines and joined the rescue efforts.

Morin stood to the side, watching the scene, which resembled the harvesting of giant potatoes in a field, yet a sense of unease lingered in his heart. What if the enemy’s magic-crystal cannons fired a few more rounds right now? Fortunately, his greatest fear did not come to pass. Perhaps the cavalry had truly neutralized the enemy's battery; in any case, the Kingdom's magic-crystal cannons remained silent for the rest of the time.

As the final vehicle—Ludwig’s own mount—was successfully dragged from the mud, everyone cheered once more. Ludwig jumped from the cockpit and was immediately surrounded by the fanatical soldiers. Even Major Thomas solemnly removed his spiked helmet to pay his respects to the aristocratic armored knight commander.

Amidst the noisy crowd, Morin stood at a distance, a polite smile on his face, clapping along with those around him. Under normal circumstances, Morin, having blended into the crowd, would not have drawn attention, but his calm demeanor, which stood in stark contrast to the surrounding atmosphere, quickly caught Ludwig’s eye.

Ludwig’s gaze lingered on Morin for a few seconds, his brows knitting slightly as if trying to recall something.

"Colonel, it was Second Lieutenant Morin here who gave the first order for us to fire on the mage in the sky!"

Seeing the commander’s attention, Captain Hauser immediately hooked his arm around Morin’s shoulder, introducing him with a look of reflected pride. The confusion on Ludwig’s face instantly transformed into surprise. He re-examined Morin, his expression as if he had seen something that defied his understanding.

He remembered now. At a banquet for the nobility before the war, he had seen this young man. A fellow who relied on the insignificant patronage of his ancestors and a thick skin to drift through major banquets. With a reasonably handsome face and a silver tongue, he spent his time courting naive noble ladies. In the Junker aristocratic circles, he was a somewhat well-known "down-and-out playboy." How could he be here? And how had he managed such a feat of both courage and wisdom?

Despite his inner doubts, Ludwig set aside his aristocratic arrogance. He strode up to Morin and gave a solemn military salute.

"Second Lieutenant Morin, on behalf of the Teutonic Order and all the comrades you have saved, I express my most sincere respect." His voice was resonant and sincere. "The courage you displayed in the face of a powerful enemy is admirable."

"You are too kind, Colonel. This was not the work of one man alone," Morin said, returning the salute and continuing, "Without the concerted efforts of the 1st Battalion and everyone in the International Brigade, it would have been impossible to drive that mage away..."

Once the Teutonic Order had been freed, the various units began to collect the fallen and provide emergency treatment to the wounded. At the same time, a messenger galloped in on horseback and finally stopped before Major Thomas.

"Report, Major! Orders from Regimental Headquarters! The enemy is retreating along the entire line; we are ordered to pursue immediately!"