Published: December 18th 2024, 7:15:22 am
A Peaceful Land of the Orcs (4.6)
The confrontation between the opposing training forces began in the afternoon.
On the side of the 7th Grenadier Division—the Blue Army—one squad from the National Army's Great Eagle Corps was experimentally assigned, consisting of three Great Eagles, who conducted "aerial reconnaissance.”
Their presence reached the skies above the Red Army's defensive line.
At an altitude of over 900 meters, which, in the perception of the great eagles, was akin to "a mountain's height," they began to circle.
Initially, the Red Army did not notice.
A Great Eagle soaring high above appears much smaller and less conspicuous, easily mistaken for an ordinary bird. Unless someone gazed upwards for an extended period with focused attention, few would find it unusual. Moreover, the Red Army's attention was directed northward, toward their defensive front.
"............"
Dineluth and her subordinates, with their characteristic pointed ears, twitched in response.
They sensed the flow of magic communication emanating from the sky.
In their terms, they "strained their ears," not physically but by focusing their mana awareness to intercept the "waves" of mana transmission.
At the same time, they gazed at the spring skies above, spotting the Great Eagles soaring and drawing wide arcs against the azure background.
"… Tally-ho, tally-ho."
The sound waves were emitted by one of the Great Eagles.
It mimicked their species' cry through magic signals.
"Attention, attention. To Dairy Cow. Dairy Cow. This is Blue 03, Blue 03. Can you hear me? Over."
The communication employed simple military codes, a type of cipher used for telegraphs.
"Blue 03" appeared to be the designation of the Great Eagle.
"Blue 03, Blue 03. This is Dairy Cow. Reading you loud and clear. Over."
The reply from Dairy Cow was transmitted back via magic communication.
Judging by how it felt to Dineluth's sensitive ears, the source was somewhere to the north, from the ground—likely one of the Blue Army's ground units.
"Dairy Cow, Dairy Cow. This is Blue 03. Spotted a defensive skirmish line of regimental scale. Location is… ah, according to the map, BD6, BD6. Over."
"Blue 03. Understood… So, near the southern fork by the river? Over."
"Dairy Cow. That’s correct… Facing north toward the bridge. The skirmish line stretches about a kilometer east to west—or a little less. Slightly under a kilometer. Reserves stationed to the rear. Depth is about half the defensive front. Ah… also, there are artillery pieces. Prominent ones… six, six guns. Over."
"Understood. Continue aerial reconnaissance. Dairy Cow out."
"Roger that. Blue 03 out."
The Great Eagles continued their graceful arcs in the sky.
Unbelievable.
Dineluth was dumbfounded.
While she had intellectually grasped the potential efficacy of such a method, seeing it in action was staggering.
—They’ve captured almost everything with near-perfect accuracy!
They must have been using military maps segmented into precise grids. These maps, marked with coordinates such as AA, AB, AC from west to east and 01, 02 from north to south, were referenced in their communication.
Raising her binoculars, Dineluth peered at the Great Eagles.
Through the bright, clear field of vision provided by this country's superior field binoculars, she noticed something peculiar attached to the neck of one of the Great Eagles—a wooden frame of some sort.
Ah, of course. That frame likely held a military map.
Since flying eagles cannot tilt their wings or feet excessively, they must have devised this method for consulting maps. It must have taken countless trials and errors to develop each aspect of this system.
From the use of codewords to the integration of maps and the repetition in communication for clarity—it was all far too polished for a first-time attempt.
Meanwhile, a commotion erupted in the Red Army’s defensive line below.
Officers pointed skyward, and soldiers began to stir.
The Red Army’s Kobold signal operators likely intercepted the magic communication and identified the presence of the Great Eagles.
The Red Army's confusion was palpable.
And understandably so.
Armies are built to face off ground-to-ground. There are no established doctrines or tactics for combating airborne threats. Not even Orcsen had such strategies yet.
Still, a Red Army officer unsheathed his saber and issued orders. Some soldiers raised their rifles skyward and fired. Naturally, since this was a training exercise, they used blank rounds.
Yet, the shooting was disorganized and erratic, their confusion evident.
Moreover—
That would not hit the target.
Dineluth, a seasoned hunter by nature, was certain of this.
Every single one of them was trailing the eagle directly with their gun barrels. That would never work. Even for ground targets, and all the more for something airborne, you have to predict the prey's direction—their future position—and shoot accordingly.
But the Orcsen forces recovered quickly.
With time, more soldiers began aiming and firing upwards, and the rhythm of the gunfire grew more synchronized.
Some even began to adjust their aim.
It was likely thanks to hunters among their ranks. These individuals shouted advice to those around them or to officers, and their suggestions were met with nods. The officers shifted their saber’s point of aim to future positions, and the soldiers followed suit—