The black sun hangs high

Chapter 153 The Butcher's Knife
When the steam train that Hugh was on finally arrived at the station in the rugged hills, he felt that he could hear the deep rumble coming from the very far horizon.

It was unclear whether the sound was thunder or artillery fire.

Or is it just a pure illusion?

If Borden, the capital of the Kingdom of Walter, was merely a place with a strong atmosphere of war, then the small town called "Brown Hill" where Shug is now located has simply been transformed into a huge military camp.

Or rather, this is a small town-like distribution center and transit point for people and goods.

The grand ritual set up by the council has enveloped the entire town of Brown Hill. The magical light and shadow that flashes in the air from time to time provide a strong sense of security—this is a necessary measure, as the impact of a blow to the logistics center during war is immeasurable.

Supplies, weapons, soldiers, craftsmen and all sorts of people were constantly being sent here. Hugh saw a lot of workers here, most of them helping with the moving work. Judging from their clothes, they should all be residents of the town of Brown Hill, including men and women, and even some children who were not yet grown up.

"This town has a long history. It is said that during the war two hundred years ago, it was an important stronghold of the Kingdom of Walter... and it suffered several sneak attacks from the Plains Army during that time."

Meyer's erudition was truly impressive. In the past few days, he had taken the time to thoroughly study past war diary records and the history of some important locations. Just as he had said when he first met Hugh, he had come to the front lines not only to fulfill his duties as a doctor, but also to learn and conduct research.

He watched as the porters, under the guidance of soldiers and medical trainees, continuously unloaded important equipment and instruments from the carriages, then let out a heavy sigh: "We could never have imagined such a speed of mobilization and transportation in the past... Once these railways can connect cities and countries, the actual distance between everyone will be shortened."

Hugh smiled but didn't say anything.

He knew what that kind of world would be like.

The conversation with Mayer did not last long, as both of them had tasks to complete.

Hugh had already seen the signal from Klaus to assemble the army mages, so he bid farewell to Mayer and headed towards the designated location.

In Waterl's army, noble status did not bring any overt preferential treatment.

Both cultural habits and historical traditions place the norms and systems of the Votel army first, and in the face of those strict requirements, everyone's identity, lineage and family must give way.

A behemoth like the Ernst family, which wields considerable influence in the military, can indeed engage in some degree of "manipulation," but such "manipulation" is not taken too far.

The arrangement of positions closer to the rear, such as those with less workload but higher status, or special jobs like commanders' guards or mage secretaries, often provides family members with maximum security and does not have a significant negative impact on the army as a whole.

In fact, in the history of Walter, there were quite a few noblemen who were severely punished for violating military law.

After this period of contact, Klaus felt much more at ease with Hugh. He even felt that it was a waste not to transfer someone like Hugh to the front line. However, he still arranged a relatively safe and leisurely job for Hugh according to the original plan.

For the next period of time, he will be responsible for the maintenance and inspection of the Brownhill Field Hospital and its surrounding magical protective rituals. This is an important foundation for ensuring that the field hospital is not infiltrated or attacked. As required by the Fifth Regiment, two other Stream-level mages from the Council will also be responsible for this task, along with nine mage apprentices and a fully equipped infantry company assigned to everyone.

This configuration is more than enough to protect field hospitals; at the current stage, it could even be considered an overcapacity.

Hughes had no objection to this arrangement.

Although his sense of belonging to the Water and the army was relatively limited, he was very familiar with this extremely regular and orderly work and lifestyle. Therefore, he quickly got into work mode and followed the set of battlefield ritual setup standards that Weilin had taught him. He and his colleagues completed the basic framework of the ritual almost on the same day he received the order. If it weren't for some important ritual materials still being transported, Hugh would probably have already completed the large-scale protective ritual setup that day.

This speed is truly astonishing.

Even Weilin felt some pressure. To prevent Hugh from making mistakes due to speed in his work, she made a point of coming over twice to correct any potential errors in a timely manner.

As it turned out, her worries were largely unnecessary.

Everything was proceeding smoothly. Although Hugh's efficiency was astonishing, there were no errors in the proper procedures. He even had time to take a few idle mage apprentices to help Professor Mayer.

This discovery left Verin, Klaus, and the others utterly astonished and bewildered. They weren't questioning Hugh's enthusiasm, after all, there were many young people in the Kingdom of Walter who had burst forth with great enthusiasm and initiative in a short period of time after joining the army. However, they could all sense that Hugh's emotions were not actually high at all—he remained in an extremely calm and stable state.

It was as if he was naturally very adapted to this kind of regular work and life in the larger environment.

It is truly perplexing that such a characteristic would appear in a young member of the Ernst family.

……

Hughes himself knew perfectly well what was going on.

The habit of "a regular and stable life" was already ingrained in his bones. Even if he had a different body and a different world, this habit would not be easily changed.

This is the imprint left on him by his past experiences and life, in addition to his thoughts and ideas.

He could always find a special kind of beauty in the construction of infrastructure, even though Hugh knew that everything he was busy with would actually be used for the slaughter of humans. Fortunately, the nature of the field hospital could greatly mitigate the negative psychological impact.

These days, he has completely synchronized his life with the army's rhythm. He has become accustomed to the four daily rituals of maintenance and inspection, and to the roar of the steam trains that constantly arrive at Brownhill Station.

Once things settled into a routine, time began to fly by. Battle reports from the front lines started pouring in.

The Saint Steele are advancing aggressively along the Issa River front. However, due to the limited coverage of the railway, the effectiveness of heavy weapons such as the Snowfield Cannon in supporting the battlefield has begun to decline significantly. As more plains troops arrive at the front, the army of the Principality of Imep, which had previously suffered heavy losses, has finally stabilized its position and begun to organize an effective counterattack.

The fleet of the Kingdom of Hein has set sail and made contact with the fleet of the Duchy of Burt in the waters south of the Goddess Plain. The new destroyers of the Kingdom of Hein performed excellently and won their first battle, sinking and damaging three armored cruisers of the Duchy of Burt. However, at the same time, one of the new destroyers of the Kingdom of Hein was hit by a heavy crystal cannon mounted on a heavy gunboat. Although it did not sink, it was severely damaged.

Other damages will not be discussed at this time.

In the "Silver Corridor" region near the Black Nest Mountains, the number of the Votel army was far less than that of the Delan Kingdom's army after it had assembled, so the Delan people confidently launched an offensive there.

When Hughes received the briefing from Major Alfred and began to read it, his body trembled slightly.

The Delan's attack was not reckless. Their legions had assembled very efficiently in the Silver Corridor. Therefore, after receiving useful information from the observation balloons and with the help of the infiltration and reconnaissance by the Sword-wielding Hermits of the Legal Committee, General O. Mark, who was in charge of the operation, made a decisive judgment and decision. They hoped to push the front line to the Black Nest Mountains before the Voltel's supply line in the Silver Corridor was fully established.

Once this vital passage is blocked, the front line from the southern rugged hills to Seren will receive stronger support. If conditions permit, the Delans may even be able to advance deep into the Silver Corridor and achieve a strategic breakthrough.

However, the Delans' confidence led to a battle that could be described as a massacre.

The butcher's knife was raised by the soldiers of Walter.

The Delan army, advancing in dense formations under the protection of a large-scale protective ritual, became meat to be cut up at will.

That weapon was eventually named the "Kalfan II Heavy Steam Crystallizer Gun," or simply the "Kalfan Heavy Machine Gun."

In this unfamiliar world, history has once again taken a familiar step.

“Shug, I can hardly believe it. If my friend hadn’t also been in the Silver Corridor, I would have almost thought they were fabricating reports to gain military merit!”

Major Alfred was completely out of sorts when he talked about it. He was a very typical Waterloo officer, and killing and counting the number of enemies was something he took for granted. But when the numbers on paper were exaggerated to the point that they were difficult to count precisely, he became a little dizzy.

Hugh's gaze swept back and forth across the last few lines of the briefing, then he looked up and asked Alfred somewhat uncertainly, "The first day... 30,000 people?"

Alfred corrected, "It's a conservative estimate of 30,000."

"Those guys in the Silver Corridor are ruthless. They didn't use the Karvan heavy machine gun at first, but only brought it out after the Delan legion had already made contact with the first line of defense... At that time, the Delan crystal cannons would usually stop firing to avoid accidentally hitting their own side."

He let out a heavy sigh: "Now, that place probably needs to be renamed 'Silver Hell'."

"Our casualties were also considerable. I think the first line of defense was only recaptured later?"

"In war, how can people not die?"

Alfred suppressed his excitement and sighed, "We need to prepare to receive the first batch of wounded. The Plainsmen and the Legal Committee have formed an alliance. Although their weapons are somewhat outdated, they can still kill soldiers... not to mention that they have far more of their random spellcasters than we do."

"The field hospital is basically completed and can soon begin to receive the wounded."

Upon hearing Alfred's words, Hugh instinctively gave a brief report, but then he saw the major raise his hand, his tone becoming somewhat languid: "Stop, my dear Mr. Hugh, I didn't call you here to hear your work report..."

"Then what else can we do?"

Seeing Alfred's expression, Hugh abandoned his previous businesslike demeanor and spread his hands: "You should talk to Mr. Klaus or the professor about more important matters... What help can a Stream-level mage like me offer you? It can't be to deliver a letter to some girl in the hospital for you, can it?"

"Tsk."

Alfred clicked his tongue: "Alright, enough joking... I called you here mainly for one thing."

He looked up at Hugh: "Have you heard anything about the major earthquake?"

"Of course, it's related to the earthquake?"

Alfred nodded: "At the time, the earthquake and magical anomalies destroyed the sealing ritual that the Law Council had set up in Seren City, so for a period of time, the people in the city had a chance to escape... In fact, some people did escape, and we have now found that group of refugees from Seren City."

The major of the Fifth Juggernaut Regiment handed over another letter, on which Hughes saw the seal of the Walter royal family. Then he heard Alfred say, "The news spread very quickly. In short, Borden already knows. They want us to handle these refugees properly and to allow them to be interviewed... You know, this is quite important to us, to control public opinion."

Hughes examined the letter in his hand: "I think I understand. They want to use this to condemn Merlinle's atrocities? But I remember our artillery fired at Seren."

"That depends on whether the refugees find the shells more terrifying, or hunger and monsters more terrifying."

Alfred spread his hands: "You've lived in Seren and know the city well. You're also a nobleman and a mage... No matter which aspect you take, you're more likely to gain the trust of those refugees. How about you go and talk to them?"

(End of this chapter)