YEAR: 1724. AUGUST 15TH. LOCATION: REAR OF THE MAIN CAMP OF 9TH CORP SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PLAIN OF JADE.

Four days had passed since I was transferred to the rear. My injuries had healed in a single day, just as Captain Deryk had promised, but instead of returning to the front line, I found myself assigned to laborious tasks. I spent my days hauling supplies and clearing trees to make way which was more painful than being in the front line. I almost wished I’d been sent back to the front.

During those four days, much had changed. The Imperial soldiers, particularly the Third Division, had struggled in battle after the death of their commander. This allowed the 9th Corps to secure numerous victories and skirmishes, with Imperial losses steadily increasing.

However, on the third day of my assignment, the Third Division began to fight back with renewed power. It seemed that the new commander had finally taken control, and the Third Division slowly started to win battles and skirmishes once more. The two sides were now evenly matched.

Then, on the fourth day, something major happened. The force of 6,000 of Imperial soldiers led by the new Major General of the Third Division met with the force of 4,000 soldiers led by Brigadier General Lily. The result was devastating as Lily’s force lost more than 1,000 soldiers while the Imperial only lost 500.

With 3,000 soldiers, Lily was making a hasty retreat to the main camp of the 9th Corp with the 5,500 Imperial soldiers hot in their pursuit. Thus, I along with other soldiers numbering about 2,000 were sent to Lily as reinforcements.

When we arrived at the camp where Lily and her forces had set up, the evidence of disaster was evident. Soldiers lay wounded all around, their groans and screams filling the air as medics frantically tended to the injured.

The forces of the 1st and 5th Companies had been annihilated, leaving only a handful of survivors. The 2nd Company had lost over 100 soldiers, while the 3rd Company had lost 50, with most of the survivors suffering injuries. The 4th Company was in the best shape among them, with 160 soldiers who only had light injuries. While Major Lyra was safe, her aide was nowhere to be found.

To be honest, I hadn’t even realized Lyra had an aide. Apparently, she had a friend from her time at the military academy serving as her aide, but he had died in the battle, struck by a barrage of arrows sent by the Imperials.

The 1st Brigade wasn’t in good shape either. With many officers dead, there was a significant lack of discipline within the ranks. Some soldiers had even deserted during the battle when the situation looked hopeless, but they were quickly caught and sentenced to long terms in jail.

“Welcome back, Aria," Captain Deryk greeted me with a pained smile. His left arm was covered in bandages. “As you can see, we aren’t doing well.”

I nodded coolly, trying my best to hide my surprise at the devastation around me. “I see we are in bad shape.”

Deryk sighed, his eyes reflecting the grim reality. “Yeah, we number 5,000 soldiers with the reinforcements, but the forces who can really fight right now only number about 3,000. While they will heal in a short time, the Imperials will likely try an attack in the meantime.”

I furrowed my brow, questioning his openness. “Why are you giving this much information to me? I am not an officer.”

“Yeah, but you will be,” Deryk said, his tone matter-of-fact. “With all the achievements you’ve made in the recent battle and killing the commander of the Third Division, you would at least get promoted to Second Lieutenant. If not, maybe Warrant Officer.”

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I stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in. The battlefield promotions were often a matter of necessity rather than merit, but I knew I had made a significant impact. The thought of being promoted to officer status was both thrilling and daunting. I’d dreamed of this moment, but now that it was within reach, I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension.

“Oh, Brigadier General Lily wants to join you in the war meeting.” Deryk added with a slight smile. “I can’t go because of my injuries so just think of me as a substitute for me.”

I nodded again as I went to see Lily. It wasn’t long before I reached where Lily and other officers were. Instead of the bright faces I saw before I left, they all wore cold expressions as they stared at me.

Uncomfortable, I quickly took my position next to the 3rd Company’s captain. I also saw Lyra, but she had red eyes. I guess she couldn’t hold her emotion back when she saw how her friend got killed right in front of her eyes.

Lily, who was at the head of the table, sighed before she spoke. “The enemy number 5,500 and we only number around 5,000 with most of them injured so we are basically at 3,000. Lord Cedric ordered us to face the Imperials without any retreat. What do we suggest we do?”

Nobody spoke for a few minutes. The morale of the soldiers had plummeted almost to zero and it also affected the officers. Nobody wanted to suggest anything, in case of any disaster that might lead because of their mistake. On top of that, some of the officers were experiencing mental disorders due to the loss, thus they were having trouble coming up with any ideas like Lyra.

“How about this?” First Lieutenant Mira finally spoke, breaking the tense silence. “We send our elite soldiers into the enemy camp, disguised as their own, and take out their commander.”

I frowned, considering her suggestion. While it was a bold idea, the plan was fraught with risk. For one, there was no guarantee that the elite soldiers would even recognize the commander. We knew the faces of Major General Remnell and Caelen, both well-known figures, but since Caelen's death, we had no clue who had taken his place. Unlike his predecessor, the new commander was shrouded in mystery, staying well-hidden behind the lines and giving out orders. There could even be decoys, with the real commander safely positioned far from the front.

Moreover, the Imperials would likely see through the disguise before the soldiers could penetrate deep into the camp. Even if they succeeded in killing the commander, it would undoubtedly create a massive commotion, leaving the soldiers with little chance of survival.

I, of course, didn’t care about them, but I did care about them being elites. We didn’t even have any good soldiers with us right now and it would be a huge waste to get any of the elites killed in battle.

“I don’t see any other option,” Mira pressed, her glare fixed on me with an intensity that felt personal. What was her problem? Why did she seem to dislike me so much? “We can’t lure the Imperials into a trap or sever their supply lines. Hit-and-run tactics are out of the question. Our only chance to win this battle is by sacrificing a few soldiers.”

“I agree with First Lieutenant Mira.” The captain from the Third Division agreed as he sighed. “I don't know what we will do. Even if this operation fails, it will likely cause some disorder among the enemy and delay their march, giving us time to regroup.”

One by one, the other officers began to voice their agreement with Mira and the captain. None voiced any disagreement.

“Very well,” Lily said after a prolonged silence. “I’m too stressed to think clearly right now, so I’ll consider your plan. However, if the plan goes into motion, I want you to also focus on cutting off the Imperial supply line. We need to inflict as much damage as possible.”

“Yes, Lady Lily!” The officers responded in unison.

Lily then raised an eyebrow, turning her gaze toward Mira. “One question though. Who exactly are our elite soldiers? Did I miss my report or document or what?”

The room fell silent as me and the other officers blinked in confusion. Since I didn’t hold the rank of officer, I had no detailed knowledge of our forces or the kinds of soldiers we had. My information came mostly through Deryk, my captain, and if he hadn’t mentioned it to me, it must have been kept secret, kind of like a secret weapon. But judging by the bewildered expressions around the room, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Mira coughed as she avoided Lily’s gaze. “Well… about that Lady Lily, I was just about to introduce you to the new 6th Company made of 1st to 5th Company fusing together, led by Captain Aria.”

Again, Lily included, blinked in confusion as we processed what we had heard. I was promoted to… Captain all of sudden? It was just too sudden for me and the others to register what we had heard. Then, when Mira coughed again, the entire tent fell into chaos.