Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 67 "Frequent Good News"

"It seems Madrid has fallen."

Klaus spoke in a very low voice, almost whispering in Maureen's ear, as if afraid of being overheard by others around them.

Molin felt a jolt and immediately sat up straight.

"Is this news reliable? Where did you hear it from?"

Morin pressed for an answer, hoping deep down that it was just an unverified rumor.

"It's from the battalion headquarters, and now many people know about it. Everyone is talking about it in private."

Klaus's tense expression showed no sign of abating:

"Although the officers didn't say anything, judging from their expressions, it was probably true."

Maureen fell silent.

He knew that at times like these, bad news always spreads much faster than good news, and it was often very accurate.

In Morin's memory, Madrid was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon and the most important city for the National Army.

Previously, Madrid was defended by the most elite forces of the National Army and the International Brigades—of course, this 'elite' was relative to themselves.

But if they lose the capital now, the Saxon troops who were sent to assist in the battle will be in grave danger.

This is a critical problem.

Morin glanced at the soldiers around him; most of them, who had just woken up, were still immersed in the brief peace of surviving the ordeal.

The group sat in twos and threes, some wiping their weapons, others staring blankly at the campfire while waiting for breakfast.

They are unaware that an even bigger storm may be brewing.

"Go back first and keep an eye on the situation of the soldiers in the 3rd Company. If anyone asks, tell them that before receiving official orders, everything is just a rumor and they are not allowed to discuss it in private. Anyone who disobeys will be dealt with according to military law."

Morin made a quick decision: he needed to stabilize his men first.

"Yes, platoon leader!" Klaus replied at attention, then turned and strode away.

After Klaus left, Morin sat alone and opened the system map, but the map's display area was still limited to the area around Seville. The other provinces of the Kingdom of Aragon, including the more distant Madrid region, were shrouded in mist.

A moment later, Morin decided to go to the camp headquarters himself to sound out their opinion.

Regardless of whether the news is true or false, he has to find out.

The battalion's temporary command post was set up in a relatively intact civilian house, with guards standing at the entrance. The atmosphere was noticeably more tense than that of the ordinary soldiers' rest area.

Morin didn't rush in; he just paced back and forth nearby, glancing inside every now and then.

Over the past few days, he has become known to others and has used his social skills to build good relationships with other officers.

So now Maureen hopes to run into one or two familiar officers and see if he can try to find out anything.

Just after he wandered around for a few minutes, a familiar figure walked out of the command post. It was Major Thomas, the battalion commander.

His arm was still in a sling, and the wound on his head hadn't fully healed, but his eyes looked more tired and serious than when he was on the battlefield.

The commander of the 1st Battalion seemed to want to get some fresh air, and as soon as he stepped outside, he saw the furtive Morin.

"Lieutenant Morin!"

Major Thomas shouted and then waved to him.

"Sir!" Morin's heart tightened, and he quickly ran over and stood at attention.

What are you doing, sneaking around here like that?

Major Thomas looked him over, his tone somewhat stern, but his eyes held little reproach.

"If I hadn't recognized you, I would have had the guards arrest you just now."

Morin scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and gave an awkward smile.

"Sir, I just wanted to get the latest information."

He decided to get straight to the point, so he cautiously asked:
"Sir, I've heard some rumors about Madrid. I wonder if they're true?" Major Thomas's expression grew even more serious upon hearing Morin's question.

He didn't answer directly, but remained silent for a moment before raising his head, looking seriously into Morin's eyes, and nodding slightly.

A simple nod sent Morin's heart sinking to the bottom.

"The situation is not optimistic." Major Thomas's voice was very low. "It is very likely that it is not as simple as just the fall of Madrid."

After saying that, he patted Morin on the shoulder heavily: "Go back and do what you're supposed to do. Remember, no matter what happens, we are soldiers of the Saxon Empire. Just obey the orders of your superiors."

"Yes, sir!" Morin saluted, then turned and left briskly.

The moment he turned around, a series of system notifications rang in his mind.

[Battle situation intelligence in the Kingdom of Aragorn has been updated]

The Battle of Madrid has ended, with the main forces of the National Army and the International Brigades defeated.

[The Kingdom's subsequent operational plans have been simulated.]

After parting ways with Major Thomas and returning to the area where the 3rd Company was located, Morin couldn't wait to find a secluded corner and immediately open the system interface.

A glaring red dot has appeared on the [Intelligence] tab, and the [Map] interface has undergone a complete transformation.

In the previous map interface, only Seville and its surrounding areas were not covered by the fog of war.

Now, the map of the entire Kingdom of Aragon has been basically lit up.

In addition to the situation near Seville, Morin can now clearly see the battle situation near Madrid, the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon.

On the map, the huge city icon representing the capital, Madrid, has been completely covered by red, representing the enemy.

The blue friendly troops' signs around Madrid were also scattered, retreating in a direction away from Madrid, and most of them were labeled with tags such as 'scattered' and 'heavy casualties'.

After switching to the [Intelligence] interface, Morin saw clear battle reports that roughly showed him the course of this crushing defeat.

The Royal Army and the Brittany Expeditionary Force amassed an overwhelming force and launched a general offensive against Madrid, led by the Highland Mage Corps and armored knights.

Under the temporary command of Lieutenant General Pritwitz, the Saxon Expeditionary Force withdrew its defensive lines to preserve its strength.

Whether it was due to a deviation caused by coordinated operations or because the National Army and the International Brigades did not intend to withdraw, in any case, only the latter two forces remained to defend Madrid.

Despite their valiant resistance, the Nationalist Army and the International Brigades, who held out in the capital, ultimately collapsed entirely in the face of overwhelming odds.

What truly terrified Morin were the attack arrows on the map, which were generated by the system.

After capturing the capital Madrid, the Royal Army and the Britannians showed no signs of stopping.

Their main force split into two routes, heading straight for the two other provinces near Madrid—Cuenca and Valencia.

Once these two places are captured, the entire Saxon expeditionary force, which has penetrated deep into the Kingdom of Aragon, will become an isolated force, completely trapped in this foreign land!

By then, let alone achieving any strategic goals, even the possibility of surviving and returning alive will be a big question mark.

"This is a serious matter."

Morin closed the system interface, looked up at the gloomy sky, and felt a chill in his heart.

All he can do now is pray that the allied forces that withdrew from Madrid early can hold off the enemy's offensive and prevent them from being completely surrounded.

However, war is never subject to the will of any individual.

Two days later, new information spread among the defenders of Seville.

Cuenca has fallen.

Valencia has fallen.

The land supply lines connecting the Saxon Empire were completely cut off.

(Just take a look at the map.)

　Thank you to Alex冰封, 功克力, 书友20161230221156685, 刘晓文, 书友20250630194012896, 深渊选择, 本无心1566, 书友20211213195431313, 米腿, 新草马路, and 罗小谦 for their donations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)