Trenches, Guns, and Magic

Hearing the major's question, the adjutant lying next to him felt a surge of ruthlessness. Gritting his teeth, he scrambled up from the ground, left the command bunker through another exit amidst the artillery fire, and ran towards the demolition point.

Fortunately, this adjutant actually managed to dodge the artillery fire and found the engineer company commander working frantically. Upon hearing the adjutant's question, the engineer company commander looked bitter, explaining that working under artillery fire was even more dangerous and highly disruptive, so they still needed a little more time.

"There's no time!" the adjutant said with some despair. He grabbed the engineer company commander's shoulders with both hands and said earnestly: "Speed it up! Once preparations are complete, do not wait for orders—detonate immediately! Understand?!"

"Yes, sir!"

After the lucky adjutant returned to the command post and informed the major of the situation, the latter knew that subsequent developments were no longer in his control; he could only leave it to the will of Heaven.

During the brief lull in the bombardment, he could already hear the sound of automatic weapons firing from the front of the position... This type of gunfire, highly representative in this day and age, was fast becoming the signature of the Saxon Army.

Under the cover of intense artillery fire, the 1st and 2nd Companies of the Instruction Unit's 3rd Battalion had already charged to the front line of the position.

The geographical environment near this position was quite favorable to the attackers. The mountain slope was littered with massive boulders that had rolled down from the ridge over the years. These natural boulders provided excellent cover for the Instruction Unit's attack route.

The soldiers, operating in squads, used these boulders for cover, bounding forward in alternating advances. They quickly pushed the battle line to less than a hundred meters from the Romanian trenches.

"Machine gun teams! Suppress them!"

Several MG14 light machine gun teams quickly mounted their weapons behind large boulders and began laying down suppressive fire on the trenches.

"Da-da-da-da..."

The bullets accurately swept the edges of the trenches, blasting sandbags apart and sending dirt flying, completely suppressing the Romanians' already sparse counter-fire.

"Grenadiers, ready grenades!"

As the company and platoon leaders shouted the order, the grenadiers carrying extra grenades unhooked the stick grenades from their waists. Hiding behind the boulders, they calmly pulled the fuses and hurled the grenades into the trenches ahead with all their might.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions erupted in the trenches, accompanied by the screams of Romanian soldiers.

The gap between the two sides in training, weaponry, fire support, and combat will was simply too immense. From the very beginning, this battle was an undeniably one-sided crushing defeat.

Steiner watched all this calmly through his binoculars from a temporary observation post in the rear. When he saw the first batch of Instruction Unit soldiers in their field-gray uniforms leap into the enemy positions under the cover of the grenade smoke, he knew this battle was practically in the bag.

However, at that very moment, a sudden change occurred!

A massive boom, louder and deeper than a 170mm heavy mortar explosion, suddenly roared from the ridge behind the Romanian positions!

"BOOM!!!"

Steiner was startled, instinctively thinking an ammunition dump on the enemy position had detonated. But he quickly realized he was wrong! The explosion came from the higher ridge!

Steiner looked toward the source of the blast. A massive cloud of dust and smoke billowed skyward from the ridge. Immediately following, under the tremendous explosive force, tens of thousands of tons of rock and dirt tore loose from the mountain. Like a surging torrent, carrying an apocalyptic momentum, it cascaded down the mountainside!

This terrifying landslide rushed straight toward the other side of the Romanian position—exactly where the winding makeshift road extended forward.

"Not good!" Steiner felt his heart skip a beat; his entire body went numb for an instant.

Meanwhile, given the vast disparity in combat power between the two sides, the battle on the position ended shortly after. Terrified out of their wits by the Instruction Unit troops breaching their lines so quickly, the Romanian soldiers surrendered in droves.

Steiner couldn't care less about them. Leading his guards and staff officers, he ran like a madman toward the newly captured position.

By the time a breathless Steiner reached the fallen Romanian position, the fighting had completely died down. His subordinates were efficiently clearing the battlefield, confiscating weapons, and guarding the prisoners.

A company commander jogged over to report.

"Report, Battalion Commander! Enemy position fully secured! 273 prisoners taken; the rest were killed in action. The enemy commander was severely wounded when our forces stormed their command post... it looks like he won't make it."

Steiner nodded absentmindedly; that wasn't his primary concern right now. He pushed his way through the crowd, hurrying to the other edge of the position, and looked down the valley.

One glance was all it took for Steiner's vision to go black—his worst fear had come true.

The already narrow and rugged makeshift road below was now completely covered by a massive alluvial fan. Countless tons of boulders and dirt piled together, forming an obstacle zone dozens of meters wide and several meters high, completely blocking the road. Let alone radiant crystal trucks, even mules and horses would struggle immensely to climb over it.

"Damn it!" Steiner smashed his fist ruthlessly into a nearby sandbag, his heart bleeding.

For this rapid penetration maneuver, Colonel Morin had allocated almost all the best-conditioned radiant crystal trucks in the Kampfgruppe to his 3rd Battalion. But now, this precious mechanized force was blocked dead right here. All the plans, all the advantages... at this moment, they had all vanished into thin air along with that explosion and this pile of cursed rocks.

"Battalion Commander..." the battalion executive officer and operations staff officer beside him also looked ashen, not knowing what to say.

The surrounding soldiers looked at this desperate scene in silence; the joy of having just captured the position was instantly wiped out.

Steiner stood there, his chest heaving violently, his eyes fixed on the landslide. Then, he abruptly turned and stormed into the Romanians' command post.

The command post was a mess after the fierce battle, with several corpses lying haphazardly on the ground. The severely wounded Romanian major sat slumped in a corner, the front of his uniform stained dark brown by several bullet holes.

Steiner walked up to him. Before he could even speak, the Romanian officer on the floor muttered a string of words. Having studied Romanian for a while, Steiner roughly understood what he was saying.

"Looks like you're the Saxon commander... How was it? Did the noise we prepared just now impress you? Hahaha... cough cough"

The Romanian major smiled grimly. Even when choking on the blood welling up in his throat, the smile remained on his face.

Steiner clenched his fists. Realizing the enemy hadn't executed this demolition operation on a whim, his frown deepened.

Seeing his expression, the Romanian major laughed again, then spoke in a threadbare voice: "You... cannot pass... through here. Even with... those machines... it won't work..."

With that, the Romanian officer exhaled a long breath and fell into an eternal sleep.

Steiner stared at the fallen enemy without speaking. But the 3rd Battalion officers who knew him well understood that their commander was currently a powder keg waiting to explode.

He did indeed feel angry and frustrated, even wanting to drag all those captured Romanian soldiers over and shoot them. But as an Instruction Unit commander to whom Morin had stressed "troop discipline" countless times, he knew anger wouldn't solve anything.

A few seconds later, he forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then turned and spoke to the staff officer beside him in an unusually firm voice: "Map!"

The operations staff officer froze for a second before frantically pulling a map from his map case and spreading it out on the floor.

Steiner crouched down, tracing lines on the map with his finger.

"We are here right now." His finger tapped the position they had just captured.

"The river valley exit is here." His finger poked heavily at the other end of the map.

"Straight-line distance... about twelve kilometers remaining..."

Steiner muttered to himself, his eyes darting back and forth along the curved line marked in red before departure, which represented the road. Twelve kilometers. If the radiant crystal trucks could pass, even factoring in time for reconnaissance, it would take less than half an hour. But now, the motorized vehicles that allowed the Instruction Unit to strike like the wind could no longer be used.

Sigh... why didn't I think to prepare some mules? Wait for the engineers to clear the road? No... Romanian reinforcements are rushing over; they can't afford to wait! Once the enemy blocks the valley exit, they'll be sitting ducks!

Steiner's mind was racing. Just as Morin always told them officers not to let their thinking ossify, he pondered every possibility, evaluating the risks and rewards of every option.

Time ticked by, second by second, in a deathly silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the crouching battalion commander, waiting for his final decision.

Finally, Steiner gritted his teeth, as if making a resolute decision. He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the surrounding officers, and enunciated word by word:

"Abandon all vehicles and heavy equipment."

"The entire battalion will force-march there!"

The moment these words came out, all the surrounding officers drew a sharp breath.

"Battalion Commander, this..." the battalion executive officer tried to dissuade him. "A twelve-kilometer mountain road, carrying weapons and ammo—this is actual combat, not our usual armed marches..."

"Isn't training so much exactly for this moment?!"

Steiner stood up abruptly, cutting him off roughly:

"This is an order! We have no other choice! Do you want us to just sit here waiting for death, waiting for the Romanians to block the valley exit?!"

Steiner's decision sent shockwaves through the 3rd Battalion's headquarters officers. A twelve-kilometer forced march through the mountains was more than just an extreme test of physical endurance...

"Battalion Commander, I understand the urgency of the mission, but... what about our heavy equipment? Especially those two 170mm heavy mortars—they are our guarantee of firepower! We're just abandoning them here?"

The operations staff officer couldn't help but question it. After all, having adapted to a firepower level far exceeding other armies of the era, suddenly "devolving" was somewhat hard to accept.

"Ditch them! Besides light machine guns and light mortars, carry as many heavy machine guns as possible. Abandon all other heavy equipment that cannot be carried by individual infantrymen!" Steiner's answer was resolute, lacking the slightest hesitation.

"Speed is our only weapon now! Firepower can be compromised, but if we cannot reach the valley exit before the enemy, even the strongest firepower is just scrap metal!"

Looking at the subordinates he spent his days and nights with, his tone softened slightly, though his resolve remained unchanged.

"I know what you're thinking... You think this is insane, but we have no choice... Now, go summon all company commanders to a meeting here immediately!"

Soon, the three infantry company commanders and the one heavy weapons company commander under the 3rd Battalion hurried to the makeshift battalion headquarters with solemn expressions.

Skipping the pleasantries, Steiner spread the map on the ground and concisely explained the current desperate situation and his decision to everyone.

"...That's the situation."

Finishing, he looked up, his gaze burning like a torch as he looked at the four company commanders.

"Leave one platoon to guard these 'precious lumps' we can't take with us, and wait for the Kampfgruppe's follow-up engineer units."

"Everyone else, including myself as the battalion commander and all headquarters staff, goes light. Carry only two basic loads of ammunition, essential rations, and drinking water! Our target: the Prahova River Valley exit twelve kilometers away! We will use our two legs to outrun those Romanians!"

The four company commanders exchanged glances, their expressions incredibly complex.

They were all battle-hardened officers; naturally, they understood the immense hardship and risks behind Steiner's decision.

The heavy weapons company commander's face was the ugliest. Almost all of his company's assets—those heavy mortars and ammunition—mostly had to be left behind. It made his heart ache with spasms.

Scanning the group, Steiner's voice trembled with emotion:

"I know this is difficult! But we are the Instruction Unit! The sharpest blade of the Imperial Army! The Kampfgruppe Command entrusted us with the most important mission, not for us to retreat at the slightest difficulty!"

His gaze sharpened, sweeping across everyone's face.

"Tell everyone: the time has come for the Colonel and the Empire to test us...!"

The "order of priority" in that sentence was obviously wrong; to the discerning ear, it might even sound treasonous.

However, here in the Instruction Unit, absolutely no one felt it was inappropriate; it even felt like a matter of course... And precisely because this sentence was spoken, the expressions of the four company commanders and the battalion officers shifted.

Seeing this, Steiner stepped up to the company commanders, patting their shoulders one by one, his tone becoming earnest and profound.

"Listen up, gentlemen... think about all the sweat we shed on the training grounds! Think about what Colonel Morin told us!"

"The training of the Instruction Unit is exactly for critical emergencies like this! Our grueling, almost sadistic daily training wasn't just to look good on a parade ground!"

"Go back and tell your soldiers! Tell them to believe in themselves and the results of their daily training! Tell them that as long as we break out of this damn valley, we will be the heroes of this campaign!"

"Fifteen minutes! I'm only giving you fifteen minutes to prepare! In fifteen minutes, the entire battalion departs on the dot!"

Steiner's words acted like a shot of adrenaline into the hearts of the company commanders.

The hesitation and doubt in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by the resolve and ruthlessness of being pushed into a corner.

"Yes, Battalion Commander!"

"We guarantee mission completion!"

The four company commanders snapped crisp salutes in unison, then turned and jogged back to their respective units.

Steiner also found the communications soldier, ordering him to send a telegram to the rear units and Kampfgruppe Command, informing them of the current situation. He specifically instructed the rear units to be sure to dispatch straggler recovery teams to pick up soldiers who fell behind along the route.

Soon, the entire 3rd Battalion position became a hive of activity.

Under the direction of their company and platoon leaders, the soldiers began rapidly reorganizing their gear.

Heavy rucksacks were tossed aside; excess rations, blankets, and all non-combat essentials were abandoned without hesitation.

Everyone kept only their basic weapons, two basic loads of ammunition, one canteen, and one day's emergency rations. The entire unit's load was reduced to the bare minimum.

Fifteen minutes later, the vast majority of the 3rd Battalion soldiers had regrouped by company.

Steiner was the first to climb to high ground; like the other soldiers, he had taken off his officer's overcoat, donned a chest rig, and grabbed a submachine gun and magazines.

He gave no further superfluous motivational speeches, simply issuing the command steadily.

"Move out!"

At his command, the Instruction Unit soldiers, carrying only light weapons and meager supplies, began scaling the alluvial fan like a swarm of silent ants—the obstacle that had blocked their hopes but simultaneously forced out their full potential.

They climbed over the massive rocks, stepped on the soft dirt, and quickly cleared the barrier.

Then, without pausing, this unit, stripped of its "full metal jacket" and forced to rely solely on flesh and blood, began their charge along the rugged mountain trail toward their unknown destiny twelve kilometers away...

As if deliberately meant to test this unit, the weather turned hostile just as the armed cross-country march began.

The mountain wind became even more biting, howling through the trees with sounds like wailing ghosts and howling wolves.

For any normal military unit, executing a forced march in such weather and through such rugged, complex terrain would be an unmitigated disaster.

But the Instruction Unit's 3rd Battalion was clearly not a normal unit.

"Keep up! Don't fall behind!"

"Breathe! Pay attention to your breathing rhythm!"

"Frontmen, watch your step!"

The hoarse shouts of officers and NCOs echoed through the ranks, though they deliberately kept their voices low so only the surrounding soldiers could hear.

The column wriggled forward through the valley like a long, winding dragon.

No one spoke; only heavy panting and the chaotic thud of footsteps echoed in the valley.

After running at high speed for some distance, all expressions had vanished from the soldiers' faces, leaving only numbness.

This was a rapid forced march—it didn't just drain physical stamina; it ravaged the human spirit.

And this was exactly what most armies of this era were completely incapable of doing...