Arc of Fire

Chapter 54

June 29, 914 of the Jule Calendar, Sunday, the 7th day of the war.

At 0730 in the morning, Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Konstantinovich Rokosov led the last organized remnant soldiers from Ronezh to arrive at Bogdanovka.

----

Wang Zhong actually spotted the defensive line of the 63rd Army before the scouts did.

To avoid drawing attention from those around him, he deliberately waited for the reconnaissance cavalry to return with their report before issuing the order: "Immediately notify the friendly forces. We are the 3rd Amur Regiment that defended Upper Peniye. With us are the Ronezh logistics battalion and the field hospital. Do not open fire."

The scout saluted, turned his small gray horse around, and galloped off at full speed.

Wang Zhong then stepped out of the formation, adopting the demeanor of an officer, and shouted to the soldiers: "Soldiers! I know you've fought for a day and marched through the night. You must be exhausted!

"But now, a new mission falls upon our shoulders! We must display the spirit of a victorious army and boost the morale of our allies! Let them know that the Prossenians can be defeated!

"All halt!"

The troops in front of Wang Zhong immediately stopped, and the command to halt was relayed down the line.

Soon, the entire unit came to a stop.

Wang Zhong: "Eyes right! Eyes front! Heads up, chests out, march in step! Forward-march!"

The previously disorganized steps now became uniform, with everyone's feet speaking in a single voice.

Standing on a mound, Wang Zhong watched the forest of bayonets passing before him and nodded with satisfaction.

Although he felt that they should be singing at a time like this, considering how tired the soldiers were, he ultimately decided against it.

----

The soldiers of the 510th Regiment, 75th Division of the 63rd Army, looked with astonishment at this ragged yet high-spirited unit.

Regiment Commander Borokino emerged from his command bunker and stood on the hill, observing this small troop.

The regimental chaplain standing beside him exclaimed in admiration: "Though they look battered, every one of them is full of spirit. How does it feel like they're not retreating soldiers, but a victorious army?"

Borokino: "Don't you know? They broke out from Ronezh, and without any reinforcements, they held off an elite Prossenian assault group at Upper Peniye. They destroyed dozens of tanks alone."

"Oh." The chaplain let out a sound of awe. "That's impressive. Who commanded them?"

"Count Rokosov."

The chaplain froze, turning to the commander with an incredulous look: "Who?"

"Rokosov." Borokino repeated.

"Which Rokosov?" the chaplain asked again, since the surname Rokosov was fairly common in Livonia and Moravia. The Ante Empire, which partially ruled these regions, had once swapped fiefs between local and native nobles to consolidate control.

Borokino: "The very same Rokosov who graduated five years after me, dead last in his class."

"That Rokosov?" The chaplain was shocked.

Borokino pointed at the formation: "Look, that's him, the one walking beside the column. Don't let his sturdy build fool you; he only trained that hard to impress women."

The chaplain scrutinized Rokosov from a distance and said: "How does he seem so different from the rumors? At least outwardly, he looks like a seasoned battlefield veteran now."

Borokino pursed his lips and didn't respond.

Suddenly, he took two steps forward and shouted: "Alexei Konstantinovich!"

----

Wang Zhong no longer failed to react when he heard his name.

He looked up in confusion, seeing a lieutenant colonel he had no memory of.

Damn, he thought, who the hell are you?

But he quickly realized that switching to an overhead perspective would reveal the friendly soldier's name. He did so, memorized it, and switched back.

"Borokino Alexandrovich, good to see you!"

"I heard you fought well this time!" the other man said.

Wang Zhong's expression darkened.

In the past, Wang Zhong would have already started bragging and showing off.

But now, hearing praise didn't make him happy at all.

He thought of the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in battle.

He said: "It's not good enough. I didn't do well enough. Look, Alexandrovich, look at my troops. Only this many returned, and every one of them is wounded. I didn't do well enough."

The man across from him was stunned: "Ah? Uh... are you sure you're Alexei Konstantinovich Rokosov?"

Wang Zhong simply nodded.

The other man was completely thrown off: "Uh... it's already impressive! After all, you broke through encirclement and held your ground alone. That's enough!"

Wang Zhong just nodded and continued walking with his troops past this "acquaintance."

----

Borokino looked at Rokosov, then at the chaplain.

The chaplain said: "He really seems to blame himself, thinking he didn't fight well. So this is the kind of person Count Rokosov is..."

Borokino rubbed his cheek: "Something's off. Something's definitely off."

At that moment, the regimental Chief of Staff emerged from the command bunker and reminded him: "We should report to the rear that Count Rokosov's unit has passed through our defensive zone."

"Oh, right. Hurry and report. I need to make a call."

----

Just as Wang Zhong's unit reached the outskirts of Bogdanovka, a jeep pulled up in front of the troops, stopping them in their tracks.

A major wearing a staff officer's armband jumped out of the vehicle and shouted: "Are you the 3rd Amur Regiment?"

Yegorov stepped forward: "Yes, what's the matter?"

The major nodded: "The Duke of Wostrom has ordered us to arrange accommodations and provide food and medicine for you. The houses have been cleared, and the meals are ready. Follow me."

The soldiers, who had been forcing themselves to keep their heads high, immediately let out genuine cheers.

Twenty minutes later, Wang Zhong's soldiers and the wounded were settled into a school, and the hospital was reopened.

In the schoolyard, long tables and chairs were set up in the open air, resembling a mess hall.

The exhausted soldiers rushed to sit at the tables as soon as they heard the order to dismiss.

Next to the mess hall was the "kitchen," with simple stoves made of stacked stones supporting large marching pots. A field cooking team composed of young women from Bogdanovka was busy at work.

The girls, wearing floral headscarves and rolled-up sleeves, bustled around the large pots.

Seeing the girls, the weary soldiers' spirits visibly lifted. Some whistled, others banged their bowls.

But the girls, busy cooking, only smiled and didn't pay much attention to them.

Wang Zhong watched from the side, thinking, you guys switch moods pretty fast. Last night, you were still immersed in memories of fallen comrades, and this morning, you're already flirting with girls.

However, it could also be that having witnessed the cruelty of the battlefield, they knew they might not survive the next fight, so they were seizing the moment to flirt.

Who knows.

Wang Zhong didn't intend to criticize the surviving soldiers. He simply watched them with a gaze of blessing.

Wait a second, speaking of which, it seems Lyudmila and the person I've replaced had a relationship close enough to use nicknames. Could she be my fiancée?

After so many days of crossing over, Wang Zhong pondered this possibility for the first time.

He needed to ask and clarify this soon.

Just as Wang Zhong turned to look for Lyudmila, a jeep drove into the school and parked next to the vehicle of the major who had arranged their arrival.

Two burly men in church military uniforms, with blue stripes on their large caps, stepped out of the car.

In the open-air mess hall, a corporal was the first to spot the blue caps. He immediately nudged the comrade next to him, who was whistling at the girls, and hissed loudly.

The whistling soldier turned his head irritably, but upon seeing the blue caps, he instantly sat up straight, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

Others turned curiously, then immediately shut their mouths and used their hands to alert comrades still focused on the girls.

The entire mess hall fell silent in an instant.

Everyone's eyes were on the two Inquisitors from the Tribunal.

The two walked straight up to Wang Zhong and saluted: "Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Konstantinovich Rokosov?"

Wang Zhong returned the salute: "That's me. What can I do for you?"

"We received a report that you had been killed in action."

"Then I can show you both the road back from hell," Wang Zhong replied calmly.

The battlefields Wang Zhong had experienced could indeed be called hell, and he had truly returned from there.

Of course, he had also truly died.

The current Alexei Konstantinovich Rokosov had, in the truest sense, undergone a complete transformation, becoming someone else entirely.

For a fleeting moment, Wang Zhong wondered if the Tribunal had sensed something and might consider him a champion of demons or something similar and take him out.

After all, in a world where God guides divine arrows, the existence of demons wouldn't be surprising, right?

The Inquisitor with an extra star on his shoulder compared to his companion spoke: "We received information from Sergei Nikolaevich Romanov that you are still alive and learned about your command prior to Upper Peniye."

Wang Zhong's first reaction was: "Who?"

Then he remembered that Sergei Nikolaevich Romanov was the "Duchess's lover" with whom he had swapped pants.

Before the western hilltop of Upper Peniye, an overly nervous Captain Lubokov mistook Wang Zhong for a Prossenian and fired a shot. Sergei had fallen and injured his head at the time, refusing to leave the hospital. Wang Zhong had no choice but to send him to the rear with the severely wounded soldiers on villagers' carts.

Wang Zhong: "Is Captain Sergei doing well?"

The Inquisitor showed a look of disgust: "He's doing just fine. He keeps demanding that we send him to the rear, to Saint Yekaterinburg, as if some lady is waiting for him there."

Wang Zhong frowned. Was the Duchess's lover story actually true? Now that the Duchess was a widow, could he-

He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts.

Why bother with others? I, Wang Zhong, just want to find a way to strike the Prossenians again.

Wang Zhong: "I have no connection with him. I hope to replenish my unit with personnel as soon as possible. We're still combat-ready."

Besides personnel, we also need to replenish tanks and artillery. It would be best if we could get T34s!

Hearing Wang Zhong's words, the brave men of the Third Amur Regiment all turned to look, their gazes sharp and expressions resolute. They were all eager to clash with the Prossenians once again.

The Inquisitor scanned the crowd, adjusted his breathing, and said: "Before that, we need to understand the battle near Upper Peniye. Would you mind coming with us?"

At this moment, Yegorov approached: "Isn't understanding the battle process outside the Tribunal's duties? You don't handle military matters."

You're mistaken, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Pandeleyevich Yegorov. It's the Army Group Bishop who wishes to understand the battle process. He merely sent us to fetch someone.

"After all, the staff officers are swamped right now, and the regimental chaplains and hymn monks are busy too. Only we have some free time."

The Inquisitor grinned, showing a hint of apology in his expression.

(End of Chapter)