This was indeed a thorny problem, one that Lin Yu, preoccupied with changing, had entirely overlooked.
Perhaps the blame lay with her past life’s excessive gaming, which had caused her to overlook the stark differences in weaponry between her side and the enemy’s.
The Lanforthian rifles were instantly distinguishable, featuring an incongruous revolver mechanism where the bolt action should have been.
It defied imagination to comprehend the peculiar thought process of the Lanforthian firearms designers who conceived such a blueprint, and even more so, the eccentric procurement demands of the Lanforthian military that would greenlight its adoption.
Were it not for the utterly unsuitable timing, Lin Yu would undoubtedly have surreptitiously jotted down this enigmatic design, intending to submit it another day to a collection of ‘Bizarre Firearms Designs from the Stars of Humanity.’
Oh, she had already reincarnated into another world. Never mind then.
“This is something we picked up,” Lin Yu offered, her excuse a little stiff. “I tripped near a shell crater, and my gun fell in, couldn’t get it out. But I couldn’t go without a weapon, so I just grabbed this and slung it over my shoulder…”
As she unslung the rifle from her back, the other gendarme, who had initially kept his weapon lowered, now promptly raised it.
Lin Yu pulled back the bolt, revealing the dried mud caked within the magazine. “See?” she gestured. “There’s still mud in here.”
The two gendarmes exchanged glances, and finally the veteran spoke, “Don’t do this again. Losing a weapon might get you punished, but it’s better than being shot dead as an enemy, understand?”
Upon grasping his words, Lin Yu nodded rapidly, much like a woodpecker.
The younger gendarme was clearly reluctant to let these two “Aolang” individuals off so easily, but unable to resist the veteran’s insistent nudges, he ultimately gave Lin Yu a lingering glance before being drawn away to another task.
“Besides the bottle we confiscated, the corporal has a fine bottle of whiskey. If we’re late, it’ll all be gone…”
The rather irresponsible gendarmes, abandoning their interrogation of the two suspicious figures, permitted them entry into the makeshift camp.
By all appearances, the Lanforthians commanded at least a battalion’s strength. Having only recently seized the area, they had already erected various temporary structures amidst the shattered ruins.
Confiscated weapons lay in haphazard piles, while the wounded rested orderly in a makeshift triage area, and a conspicuous tent bearing a red cross stood sentinel in the distance.
Feigning the intention to assist a wounded soldier to the medic, Lin Yu repeatedly glanced back, ensuring the gendarmes who had intercepted them earlier were well out of sight. Once she observed the two figures vanish into a tent, she abruptly shrugged off the arm resting on her shoulder.
‘When did you switch guns? I didn’t even notice.’
The immediate vicinity was utterly quiet, devoid of passing Lanforthian soldiers, allowing the two to whisper boldly and without apprehension.
Yet he remained silent, merely blinking innocently at Lin Yu.
‘…You can speak now.’
“I picked it up on a whim while passing through the trench. I had intended to tell you, but you ordered me not to speak unless spoken to.”
So it truly was because of that.
Suppressing the urge to scoff, Lin Yu calmly addressed him, “Normally, I’d scold you for being so rigid, but now isn’t the time to correct your mindset… Next, we need to find an unobserved spot and slip away. Do you have any suggestions for where we should go?”
Without a moment’s thought, he simply shook his head. “None.”
“Since you have no suggestions, then don’t criticize my actions later, especially don’t start shouting about ‘loyalty’ or ‘disloyalty’ in the name of His Majesty.”
Lin Yu harbored a strong premonition that her escape plan would inevitably be branded as “disloyal” by this particular individual.
Being forcibly returned to the army on the spot would be a minor inconvenience; the true concern was if he were to deem her a deserter mid-journey and execute her on the spot… Considering the ease with which he had hoisted her like a mere chick from the trench earlier, she held no illusion of being able to overpower him.
“The preliminary plan is to follow the railway. Supplies arrive by rail, so following it back should lead us to friendly forces that haven’t been routed yet. For now, we need to be discreet… Shh, someone’s coming.”
From the right, several Lanforthian soldiers approached, their laughter and chatter echoing lightly. Each sported a cigarette between their lips, exuding an air of utter nonchalance.
Lin Yu tapped the shoulder of the person beside her, silently urging him to lower his head and quicken their pace, putting as much distance as possible between them and the other Lanforthians to avert any unforeseen complications.
For her part, she had to forcibly quell the impulse to raise her rifle and dispatch them one by one from behind, for this group happened to perfectly match the number of individuals she sought vengeance against.
Her current rifle’s magazine, however, only accommodated five rounds; the final one would necessitate his assistance.
“Report.”
A sudden, soft utterance from him nearly startled Lin Yu out of her wits.
After shrinking her head and glancing left and right, confirming no one had noticed them, she clenched her fist and whispered back, “What are you doing?!!”
“I have a plan now. Look over there; the enemies are transporting supplies.”
Following the direction of his pointed finger, Lin Yu observed several cargo trucks successively pulling to a halt before the ruins, where more than a dozen figures immediately set about unloading their contents.
The cargo consisted entirely of white-painted artillery shells and crates brimming with glittering magic stones. This was undoubtedly ammunition destined for the artillery units, intended to sustain their assault on the rear and provide ongoing fire support for the advancing troops.
“Their security is lax. We could rush in and blow up all those supplies, which would buy our army valuable time to retreat and regroup.”
No one seemed to notice the two Diacla faces mingling amongst the Lanforthian soldiers, nor did anyone suspect the presence of infiltrators within their newly occupied territory.
If this maneuver succeeded, the Lanforthian offensive, stripped of its artillery cover, would lose the vast majority of its potency. Theoretically, the operation warranted an attempt.
In practice, however…
“Do you have a death wish? Whether we can destroy those supplies is one thing, but whether we can escape afterwards is the real problem! We went through all this trouble to sneak in unnoticed, and you’re just going to foolishly run off to cause havoc right under their noses?”
Lin Yu gripped the rifle’s shoulder strap, lowering her voice as much as possible. “If you want to get shot, go by yourself. Don’t drag me into it; I haven’t killed enough foreign devils yet.”
He suddenly gripped Lin Yu’s shoulder. “The significance of destroying this supply point far outweighs merely eliminating a few enemy soldiers. Should we succeed, it could entirely disrupt the enemy’s current offensive, thereby rescuing the entire Diacla army from dire straits.”
“Even if it means sacrificing our lives, it would be worth it.”
As their gazes met, fixed upon his unwavering resolve, a particular phrase suddenly resurfaced in Lin Yu’s mind.
The dead cannot be revived.
Her lost friends, she knew with agonizing certainty, were utterly obliterated—so thoroughly that no resurrection spell could even locate their remains. No matter how much Lin Yu strove, short of invoking the very deity who had brought about her reincarnation, she would likely never see them again in this lifetime.
What, then, was the true significance of her painstakingly exacting revenge by personally slaying six Lanforthians? Even if she managed to kill six sons of farmers who had journeyed thousands of miles to serve on the distant battlefields, it wouldn’t restore her departed friends. Perhaps, then, it would be better to allow her own life to bloom with purpose, just once.
To save “other people’s friends” who were on the cusp of being consumed by explosions and fire.
Having already been robbed of her own cherished possessions, she would offer her life so that the precious connections of others would not be scattered into ash and flame.
When considered in this light, it was, in fact, rather profound.
‘Could I truly be such a selfless, altruistic person? Tsk, it’s a bit nauseating…’
She much preferred to be a selfish individual, to live a long life, continuing her unremarkable, plain, and unadorned daily existence—whether as a village maiden, a doctor, or a healing术师 (TL Note: A healer or magic user specializing in healing spells.). She certainly did not wish to be like this imbecile before her, whose head was filled with thoughts of others, only to perish on the battlefield.
Though, strictly speaking, this particular locale hardly qualified as a battlefield.
“Well… it’s your immense honor to have a republican like me willing to die alongside a royalist like you. Go on then, do your worst. No matter how big a mess you make, the ultimate price is just death, isn’t it?”
Smiling at this idiot, Lin Yu took the lead and walked towards the ammunition 堆放 (TL Note: A storage or stacking area, often temporary, for goods or materials.) location.
He belatedly fell into step behind her, still struggling to comprehend Lin Yu’s abrupt change of heart.
“I thought you would refuse.”
“I thought I would refuse too, but I’ve come to a realization: perhaps His Majesty the Emperor needs a martyr more than a mere medic.”
She was already picturing the nascent mushroom cloud, imagining the extraordinary adventures that awaited her in her next, painless reincarnation.
She yearned to be reborn into a classical Western fantasy realm, to encounter valiant heroines, marry exquisite princesses, and, with a beautiful companion on each arm, ascend to the zenith of her life—much like the popular knight novel she had once devoured.
Never again to be reincarnated as such a weak and powerless little girl.
“Excuse me,” she addressed a Lanforthian soldier tasked with guarding the ammunition. “Might I trouble you for a few minutes?”
Concealed by a blind spot in their vision, the “idiot” in the khaki military uniform quietly retrieved a wrench and moved towards the crates containing the warheads.
He swiftly peeled back the tarpaulin, raised his right hand high, and brought the wrench crashing down.