Magicless Extra: The Villain’s Survival Method – Chapter 88.1

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖𝟖: 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐚𝐫 (3)

The Afangel Knights were filled with a sense of futility as they watched the artillery brigade of the Western Military District pierce through 30 kilometers in a single day. Those they had so arrogantly dismissed were now demonstrating far superior results than their own.

Of course, they had not completely routed the enemy, but the difference was absurd when compared to the number of casualties the knights suffered during their own breakthroughs.

“Is this the end of the knights?”

“It may be time for us to hone our gun skills, Commander.”

“Gun skills. . . . ”

“I hear that the riflemen are also training in swordsmanship, aiming to become dual-class.”

“Dual-class. . . . ”

“Perhaps that is the only way for knights to survive in this era.”

“An era where those who excel in both ranged and melee combat will survive. . . . ”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Four days after the Western Military District’s forces engaged in battle, Lyon, the largest city on the border of the Democratic Republic, fell. In the process, over 200,000 Republican soldiers were killed, and 50,000 went missing.

The heavily defeated Republican army hastily retreated towards Montpellier and Marseille.

Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Marseille Musketeer Brigade, the Republic was able to preserve at least 300,000 troops. The problem was that with Lyon falling into the hands of the Western Military District, the Republican army was cut off from the northern Burgundy region, where the border guards had advanced.

“How can we be pushed back like this when the Western Military District is on the move? Advance quickly!”

The border armies also pressed the demoralized Burgundy regional forces. Even without Lyon falling, the regional forces of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region had retreated further west.

In the end, the Burgundy forces had no choice but to abandon the eastern region of Burgundy and regroup to the southwest in order to prevent complete isolation.

The Republican army began to crumble in an instant.

It was then that the Western Military District’s headquarters was moved to Lyon, and the second phase of the military district’s offensive began.

The 3rd Field Army marched south to attack Marseille and Nice in the Provence region, while the 4th Field Army advanced towards Montpellier in the Occitanie region.

As the 600,000-strong army marched southeast and southwest, the surviving 300,000 Republican forces were split into two groups of 150,000 each and stationed in Montpellier and Marseille.

“Our knights are not completely useless after all!”

The Afangel Knights, along with the Aquila Musketeer Corps and the Constance Magic Corps, were engaged in guerrilla warfare against Glory Knife in Lyon, where the Western Military District’s temporary headquarters had been established.

The knights, musketeers, and magicians, with 300, 500, and 500 members respectively, fought valiantly against Glory Knife, who were targeting the military district’s officers and staff.

With these three units dedicated to marking Glory Knife. . . . The Republic’s strategy of assassinating officers and staff to disrupt the enemy’s offensive was halted.

“Send two reserve corps to Clermont-Ferrand in the west. Capture it, completely isolate the Burgundy region, and allow the border guards to easily capture the Burgundy region!”

The two reserve corps advanced without hesitation and arrived at Clermont-Ferrand. The Sentis Air Wing had already bombed the trench lines in the Clermont-Ferrand area.

Of course, the enemy was unable to inflict much damage on the air wing, but the situation was favorable enough for an infantry assault.

“Charge! Charge!”

Tatatatata! Tatatatatatata!

A reserve corps armed with Os rifles charged forward.

100,000 soldiers charged simultaneously, firing their rifles and overwhelming the Republican forces resisting in the trenches with their Mas 36s, who were unable to even raise their heads and were forced to surrender.

However, the reserve corps did suffer casualties, but it was true that they were able to break through more easily. They even showed that they were not outmatched in close combat thanks to their rapid rate of fire.

“You bastards!!”

Tatatatata! Tatatatatatata!

One man fired a hail of bullets into the trench, wiping out over ten Republicans. The exchange ratio was at least 1:10. This meant that ten Republican soldiers were losing their lives for every Imperial soldier.

The Imperial forces, with the help of the reserve corps, quickly broke through the trench lines. Of course, since they lacked artillery, the casualties were significant, and there were many wounded and dead.

However, since the Empire had a reliable system of compensation and support funds for such casualties, the bereaved families did not have to worry much.

In any case, the reserve corps, which had suffered a considerable number of casualties to break through the trench lines, quickly entered the city of Clermont-Ferrand, vowing to avenge what they had suffered, and wiped out all the remaining security forces and regional forces.

As Clermont-Ferrand fell, the Republic hastily sent the remaining 500,000 conscripts to Toulouse. They were troops who had not yet finished their training and were not even properly armed. . . . But they needed to put out the immediate fire.

They ordered the Occitanie regional forces to extend the trench lines and build cement pillboxes called special points along the trench lines. These were fortifications with four sides closed off and small windows on the front and sides for firing.

The bunker, better known as a pillbox, was said to be able to withstand enemy bombardment to some extent, so it was installed everywhere in the trench line to build a more solid defense.

“The problem is their artillery. If we can’t suppress their artillery, it won’t matter how many trenches we dig.”

As they dug trenches, they also destroyed farmland. . . . The damage was far from insignificant. Even if they managed to somehow end the war, the entire farmland would be destroyed, and the cost and time required to restore it would be enormous.

“Let’s deploy the Lyonse Special Forces Brigade.”

“But the Empire’s intelligence agency, Hecaton, is on the move. It won’t be easy to approach the artillery without evading their eyes. . . . ”

“It would be best to use an air assault with the airship.”

And so the Lyonse Special Forces Brigade set out, and news of it reached the Empire through Hecaton.

The Empire immediately relayed this news to the commander of the Western Military District, and the Imperial Knights were dispatched from the Imperial Palace to protect the artillery.

Even without this, two additional artillery brigades had been newly established and needed escort troops to move them, so it seemed that moving them with the Imperial Knights would not be a problem.

Moreover, it seemed like a good idea to dispatch the Imperial Knights to prevent the assassination of officers and staff by Glory Knife on all fronts. Hecaton had already set up a dedicated team to track Glory Knife, and their assassination strategy had become a major headache for the Empire.

Peacemaker Headquarters.

“Damn Glory Knife.”

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