Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 27 Continue to attack
"Lieutenant Morin, is that right?"

Brigadier General Karl Paul, commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade, finally spoke. He was a man who looked to be in his forties with a resolute face.

"No wonder Lieutenant General Mackensen assigned you to the military observer group. I initially thought it was some kind of shady nepotism, but now it seems you do have some real skills."

Upon hearing this, Morin was momentarily at a loss for words.

He knows best that his inclusion in the military observer group has absolutely nothing to do with his abilities.
Lieutenant General Mackensen wanted to train him well purely because he was his close friend's son; in a sense, he really benefited from nepotism.

However, he had no time to dwell on that right now; he simply stood quietly, waiting for the brigade commander's final decision.

"The intelligence you brought back is very valuable, Lieutenant Morin."

Brigadier General Paul looked carefully at the markings on the map, his tone filled with approval.

"This information will be of great help to our next steps."

Hearing this, Morin's ominous premonition grew stronger.

This doesn't sound like an indication that they're canceling the attack at all.

Sure enough, Brigadier General Paul's next words completely chilled him to the bone.

"However, the offensive plan will not change."

Upon hearing this, not only Morin, but also Major Thomas and the commander of the 32nd Regiment beside him changed their expressions.

"That's right, Your Excellency the Brigade Commander!"

One of the liaison officers from the International Brigades stepped forward, his emotions somewhat agitated.

"We must seize this opportunity, while the Brittany's reinforcements are still establishing themselves, and take Seville in one fell swoop!"
This is the key to liberating all of Andalusia! As Lieutenant Morin just said, the Royal Army is wreaking havoc in Seville; we can't wait any longer!

The National Army's liaison officer immediately echoed, "Yes, we can't wait any longer! The longer we drag this out, the stronger the enemy's defenses will become!"

Major Thomas and the commander of the 33rd Regiment both tried to object, arguing that launching a direct attack with insufficient intelligence was too risky.

However, many brigade staff officers believed that the enemy information collected before the battle was detailed enough, especially the magic crystal cannons that could easily cause casualties to the troops, whose exact positions were discovered.

Based on previous encounters with the Britannians in overseas colonies, their magic crystal cannons have a range of less than 5 kilometers.

The field artillery regiment currently reinforced to the 16th Infantry Brigade, whether it is a 77mm cannon or a 105mm howitzer, has a range that far exceeds that of the Britannian magic crystal cannon.

Therefore, it is entirely possible to launch a devastating attack on these magic crystal cannon positions before the offensive!
Once the support of the magic crystal cannons is lost, the remaining Kingdom army and Brittany infantry will not be difficult to deal with.

The pro-war and pro-deterrence factions held their own opinions, but in the end, Brigadier General Paulo made the decision, announcing in an irrefutable tone that the attack on Sevilla would continue.

The argument inside the tent came to an abrupt end.

Major Thomas looked at Morin and shook his head slightly, his eyes seeming to say: Don't be impulsive, this is the end of it.

Morin clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it.

He was well aware that the pro-war staff officers were right; with detailed intelligence support and superior artillery range, the offensive was feasible.

But no matter what, once an attack is launched, there will inevitably be casualties.
But he also understood that nothing could be changed.

This impromptu military conference ended in this oppressive yet resolute atmosphere.

When leaving the brigade headquarters tent, Morin was still unwilling to give up and wanted to make one last effort to find Lieutenant General Mackensen.

However, they were told that Lieutenant General Mackensen had already boarded a military train that afternoon and returned to the expeditionary force headquarters in the rear.

The last hope was also dashed.

Maureen and Major Thomas rode side by side on their horses back to camp, neither of them speaking a word, their hearts heavy with sorrow.

When the two returned to the 1st Battalion's camp, they were greeted by faces full of concern and expectation.

Captain Hauser was the first to greet him.

"How's it going, Major? What did the brigade headquarters say?"

Major Thomas shook his head wearily and said nothing.

The other officers in the surrounding battalion headquarters felt a chill run down their spines when they saw the battalion commander's expression.

Seeing everyone's disappointed expressions, Morin felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

He knew he had done his best.

But individual efforts ultimately seem so insignificant in the face of a massive war machine and the will of those above.

"The offensive plan remains unchanged."

Major Thomas answered everyone's questions.

"I guess the official order from the brigade headquarters will arrive in an hour or two. We plan to break camp and move into our attack positions in the latter half of the night, and officially launch the attack on Seville tomorrow morning."

Maureen didn't know what else she could do.
Perhaps the only thing he can do now is, as a junior officer, lead his platoon and try his best to survive in this brutal battle. "Go back and rest."

Major Thomas finally spoke, his voice firm and resolute.

"You are all soldiers of the Saxon Empire. Our duty is to obey orders and fight for the Empire! Get yourselves in good spirits, because we have another tough battle to fight tomorrow. Do you understand?!"

"Yes, sir!"

The officers snapped to attention and answered loudly.

At the headquarters of the 16th Infantry Brigade, most of the people in the main tent had already left, leaving only the brigade commander and his chief of staff.

"You actually had some reservations about this attack, didn't you?"

The chief of staff of the 16th Infantry Brigade looked at Brigadier General Paul's tired profile and asked softly.

"I'm curious, why did you ultimately decide to launch a forced attack?"

Brigadier General Paul remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

He did not answer, but turned around and took out a telegram from a nearby file box. The telegram had been delivered to him before the meeting, and then handed it to the chief of staff.

"See for yourself."

It was a telegram from the Imperial General Staff.

The telegram was simple and direct, using the clearest language to order the 16th Infantry Brigade to capture Seville within a specified time, in coordination with friendly forces, regardless of the cost, and to ensure that it was firmly under their control.

While the chief of staff was still reeling from the General Staff’s strong order, his gaze fell on the last paragraph of the telegram.

That line of text made him stop breathing.

The General Staff has ordered the Zeppelin-class armored airship L30, which is currently on standby in the Mediterranean airspace, to provide support after completing its at-sea replenishment.

"Armored airship"

The chief of staff's hand holding the telegram trembled slightly; he found it somewhat unbelievable.

He never imagined that the General Staff attached such a high degree of importance to the city of Seville.

They even went so far as to use armored airships, one of the empire's strategic weapons.

That was a true aerial behemoth, a powerful weapon capable of hovering above the enemy's head and unleashing a torrent of firepower.
Now you understand, right?

The brigade commander sat back down in his chair, rubbing his temples.

"For me, this is not a choice, but a death order."

The chief of staff gently placed the telegram back on the table, all his doubts resolved, replaced by a complex emotion mixed with excitement and awe.

"I understand, sir. But why Seville? What is it about this city that's so appealing?"

"The newly discovered crystal vein is located underground near Seville."

The chief of staff immediately understood and stopped asking questions.

The brigade commander looked up at the top of the tent, as if he could see through the canvas and into the night sky where a storm was about to break out.

After a moment, he glanced at the time on his pocket watch and said to his chief of staff:

"Two hours later, have the messengers deliver the combat orders to each battalion. The brigade headquarters and other directly subordinate units should also prepare to move forward!"

Morin returned to his 3rd Company's position, and Captain Hauser, the company commander, followed him.

"Morin, don't overthink it! Sometimes, that's just how soldiers are; we just need to follow orders."

“I know, Captain.”

"That's good." Hauser patted him on the back. "You've done enough for today. Go back and get some sleep!"

Morin nodded, bid farewell to Captain Hauser, and returned to his tent.

The moment his head hit the pillow, a wave of sleepiness washed over him, completely overshadowing everything else.

Just as he fell into a deep sleep at lightning speed, a new message appeared in the system's 'Intelligence' tab.

[Friendly strategic unit information detected and being analyzed.]

[Saxon Imperial Air Force - Zeppelin-class armored airship - L30]

[Status: Currently undergoing replenishment at sea]

Estimated arrival time: 15 hour 21 minutes

(End of this chapter)