Abyssus Abyssum Invocat

by Carlo Zen

  Though the aroma is somewhat weaker than it was in the beginning, the coffee—again from Lieutenant Colonel Uger—is not half-bad.

  After all, it’s proper coffee. She gets to drink proper coffee on the front lines. She can’t thank him enough, to the point where she finds herself thinking, I should probably send something sweet to the rear again…

  “Oh, good coffee requires a bit of a wait. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Please enjoy.”

  “Sheesh, this must be proof that the fight is going in our favor. I mean, the commander and her adjutant are chatting over coffee.”

  She ventures to speak in a relaxed tone, bursting with confidence and loud enough for the others to hear. It’s important for the commander to appear composed in a crisis.

  Of course, the fact that she would also like to be allowed to enjoy her coffee is another big part of it. She brings the little cup to her mouth and then gives a small nod, Yes.

  As requested, it’s black as the devil, hot as hell, and pure as an angel. No, I don’t know whether angels are pure or not, and seeing as Being X exists, maybe they’re extinct.

  Regardless, as the image would imply, this coffee is remarkably free of impurities. To rid your thoughts of noise, you have to have this clear a sense of your work.

  Now then, I need to consider the different pieces of this situation.

  First, the information from Grantz’s report.

  They aren’t feeling much pressure from the enemy?

  The possibility that Grantz is a numbskull and misunderstanding something, while slight, does exist. But he is a veteran. He’s a mage who’s been through plenty of nasty fights and survived. I don’t think he would get confused about the force of the enemy. Then the other possibility is that he’s become numb to fear and simply can’t sense the pressure?

  “No, he’s not so valiant as that.”

  I wouldn’t go so far as to call him sensitive, but Grantz, like Tanya, is essentially a good person who doesn’t approve of war. He’s the sort of guy who I’d be able to work well with as government officials or in some other job if the world weren’t what it is.

  Then I suppose that makes his observation correct?

  Which means… Is the enemy attacking with something less than two brigades? But the one out observing who made that report is Weiss. Would he miscount the number of enemies?

  No, that definitely can’t be it.

  “Nnngh. This really is weird. I can only imagine our premise is wrong.”

  One of these pieces must be off.

  Tanya suppresses her agony so her subordinates don’t notice.

  Maybe the enemy is gathering to take advantage of a weak point in our defensive line? Or are they going to tweak and launch an all-out attack once they get an idea of what our lines are like?

  Just as she’s about to groan, I don’t know…

  The infantry phone rings.

  At this point, Tanya braces herself for the worst possible news. Feigning nonchalance, she picks up with a hand that is nearly trembling and hears…

  “This is Lieutenant Grantz. The enemy attack is petering out.”

  What an unexpectedly calm voice.

  “The sparseness of the shots isn’t because you’re in hand-to-hand combat?”

  “No, as of right now, we haven’t allowed them to storm us.”

  “You’re sure?”

  It’s such good news, it’s a bit hard to believe.

  “I’m in contact with all the defense points. None of them has been penetrated.”

  “There’s no damage to the phone lines?”

  “No, they’re fine, too. All the cables are currently functioning normally. I’m in contact with every post.”

  Grantz’s voice is filled with conviction and confidence. He’s not lying or confused.

  Tanya leaves him with an “Okay, got it” and puts down the receiver.

  I should probably believe my troops’ observations.

  “I need to get to the bottom of this…”

  Then I have no choice but to play my last card.

  “Lieutenant Serebryakov!”

  “Yes, ma’am. Officer reconnaissance?”

  This is the very definition of a ready reply.

  My adjutant manages to even pick up on my intention—I could give her a bonus.

  “You’re not like that numbskull Captain Thon, right? I’m counting on you.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get going right away.”

  She’s so dependable. Tanya smiles; the trust she has in her adjutant is genuine.

  Which is why while she waits for a follow-up report, she can even let her subordinates see that she’s leisurely enjoying the coffee Serebryakov prepared for her before she left.

  I want to know. I want to figure out what’s going on. She doesn’t let them see these urges.

  She needs to radiate a commander’s calm.

  Like she has nothing to worry about.

  As a commander who puts her troops at ease, she enjoys her coffee and reacts to the outcome. In other words, once you’re the commander of a Kampfgruppe, your job starts to be more like a management position.

  Well, once you’re a high-ranking officer, you already have more opportunities to stay behind at the combat direction center. Personally, Tanya welcomes that—with open arms.

  But she does feel just a tad anxious about not seeing the enemy movements with her own eyes. The benefits to making calls on-site are greater than you might think.

  What is going on? she worries. This is such a difficult proposition, but she doesn’t have enough time to think.

  “Colonel, these aren’t brigades. They’re the shells of brigades.”

  “What? It’s a night attack by two brigades? What do you mean, shells?”

  “I confirmed how they’re operating and realized that the Federation soldiers are new recruits as well. So it seems like they’re concentrating their forces within reach of the commanders’ voices.”

  “…So they’re operating in tight ranks?”

  “Yes, Colonel. I think we can suppose that the artillery’s observed fire wiped out the main enemy force.”

  Tanya finds herself cracking up. That’s how important and refreshing Serebryakov’s report is when she returns from her reconnaissance.

  “I see, I see. That’s terrific. Thanks, Lieutenant Serebryakov. That’s some great news.”

  “I’m happy to have been the bearer of good news to the colonel I love and respect.”

  “I haven’t gotten news this good since Dacia. Sorry, Lieutenant, but I’d like to have you go straight into an aerial search.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I’ll continue my observation mission!”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m changing up your mission. Major Weiss and the others I’m going to order to patrol the forward patrol line as they have been, but I want you to take control of the zone.”

  The moment the words exit her mouth, Tanya realizes she’s beginning to shift them into a pursuit battle—putting a controller in the air without worrying about her being shot down.

  More than anything, she’s sure they’re going to trample them.

  How wonderful.

  “Me, ma’am?”

  “At the moment, you’re the right person for the job. Controlling a pursuit battle will be good experience.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do my best.”

  When the wireless cuts off, Tanya puts down the receiver and calmly accepts her error. “…What a surprise. Captain Meybert accomplished the most? I admit my mistake. I’ll have to apologize to him later.”

  The artillery must have done a perfect job.

  Even taking Weiss’s spotting into consideration, the artillery is more capable than I thought.

  This point is something to reflect on as an area to improve when commanding units outside your field as the leader of a Kampfgruppe. I should probably let the General Staff know. Interesting—it’s so difficult to understand the other branch
es. But I can’t deny that I misread Meybert. So I should apologize.

  Still…

  “It can all be done at the party to celebrate our victory.”

  So Tanya picks up a receiver she hasn’t grabbed even once since the combat began. It’s obvious where it leads.

  It was the armored forces, no doubt waiting on the edge of their seats— Now? Now?

  “Captain Ahrens!”

  “Yes, ma’am. Is it our turn?”

  His question is brimming with ambition. It’s undeniable that his attempt to hold back the Please let us go on the tip of his tongue is failing. He must really want to fight. In fact, he wants it too badly. And that’s what makes him the best one to send crashing into the enemy at this moment.

  “Most of the enemies were blown away in Captain Meybert’s barrage. The rest are pretty much the dregs still following their original attack orders.”

  “So you’re ordering us to obliterate the rest of them?”

  “Exactly. Do your thing.”

  The armored forces, one part of the elaborate apparatus of violence that is the Imperial Army, must be used at the perfect time.

  And the time to truly unleash their driving force is right now.

  “Leave it to me.”

  “Lieutenant Serebryakov is up observing. Let her guide you.”

  “I appreciate the support! I’ll begin the counterattack immediately. We’ll take observation support from Lieutenant Serebryakov and commence our armored charge!” Ahrens is so eager he repeats back the orders as if he can’t sit still.

  “Good,” Tanya says, and not a moment later, she replaces the receiver.

  Having boarded his tank, Captain Ahrens is no doubt shouting Panzer vor! about now.

  He’s the epitome of restless energy, but…you can also say he’s reliable at times like this.

  I’m sure the counterattack will succeed.

  The Federation Army is already falling apart, so I don’t think they’ll be able to handle the impact of our tanks. And when that happens, she murmurs in her head as she brings her cup of coffee to her lips, the enemy infantry’s will to fight will pop like a balloon and scatter to the four winds.

  If I send in the right amount of infantry just as the sharp thrust of the armored unit pries them open, our victory is a sure thing. And I’m certain Weiss’s group out on the patrol line they built will take care of mopping up any remaining enemies.

  We already demonstrated this in Dacia and other battles in the east, but showing again how vulnerable ground troops are with no air support by using a one-sided anti-surface attack against them wouldn’t be bad.

  No, it wouldn’t be bad at all, thinks Tanya just as she’s tilting her coffee cup, but then she realizes something.

  “…Crap. That was stupid,” she mutters.

  The suggestion that she had failed to take something into account gathers the attention of everyone at HQ.

  “Colonel?”

  “I should have had Lieutenant Serebryakov make me another cup of coffee before sending her out. As it is, I can’t ask for any more until the fight is over.” In response to the inquiries from worried faces, Tanya upends her empty mug to express her failure.

  “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You’re about the only one who has her do odd jobs like that, Colonel!”

  The personnel can’t hold back their laughter, but Tanya resolutely states her case. “Still, though. We’ve been together since the Rhine front, and the coffee she makes is the best. It’s always better to get someone talented to do the job, right?”

  “If you were a stern-faced soldier, that’d be a declaration of love, Colonel!”

  “Hmm…I’d be reluctant to marry for coffee. I’d still like to enjoy being a member of the free class of singles.”

  Tanya currently has no plans to enter into a social contract and abandon her freedom. Besides, having to choose between being mentally homosexual or physically homosexual must be an awfully rare dilemma. This is one of those things it’s better not to overthink.

  Thus, Tanya adheres to the old saying about passing over things you can’t figure out in silence and stops that train of thought.

  But apparently, everyone reads her silence and wry smile as composure.

  “Brilliant, Colonel. No one is nervous anymore.”

  “Oh, Lieutenant Grantz, are you free now?”

  Grantz has shown up, but thankfully he seems fairly relaxed.

  “I’m on my way to get supplies before going out for the pursuit battle. I figured I would pop in here while I was at it and see if you had any instructions.”

  “Right now, Captain Ahrens’s armored unit is counterattacking. Eventually it’ll be the infantry’s turn. Then again, maybe the artillery will finish things off before you get a chance.”

  “I doubt the enemy will be foolish enough to bunch up again. But wow, Captain Meybert’s barrage was magnificent.”

  “Lieutenant Serebryakov said the same thing. He really did a fine job this time; I’ll have to apologize.”

  As their conversation proceeds at a steady clip, Tanya raises her estimation of Lieutenant Grantz up a notch. He demonstrated sound ability as an infantry commander today.

  Grantz has thorough communication habits and is capable of making timely analyses of a situation. The results of his observations should be deemed admirable. Even a subordinate who was so useless I nearly gave up on him at one point has developed into such a fine soldier. It makes me feel like I must be a pretty talented teacher.

  At the same time, on the subject of subordinates she’s given up on, Tanya suddenly realizes there haven’t been any follow-up reports.

  “By the way, I remembered, since we were talking about infantry: Where the hell is Captain Thon? No matter how numbskulled he is, you’d think he’d hear the guns from this big, huge fight.”

  “It certainly is strange.”

  “Lieutenant Grantz, do you know something?’

  “Huh?”

  Grantz looks blankly at her, but Tanya continues questioning him as if to say, Hey, c’mon now.

  In a sense, who aside from Grantz would know? He was in command of the perimeter.

  “I mean, no one saw him?”

  “…Now that you mention it, I haven’t heard from him. But, Colonel, I haven’t heard anything about him, either.”

  “Check with Lieutenant Tospan. I want to figure out where he went.”

  “Understood. Shall I put together a search party if necessary?”

  For a second, Tanya almost tells him to do just that, but she rethinks it. They’re still in combat. Taking even part of her precious fighting force out of the game at a time like this would be as good as marking herself utterly inept.

  Dividing one’s forces would undoubtedly lead to defeat. They would probably fall into the dark bottom of a ravine like Communists taking their first step toward Communism.

  “No need. And I want you here just in case. Prep for the enemy’s counter or an attack from another unit they scrape together.”

  “Yes, ma’am. So I should participate in the counterattack?”

  “Yes, that’s right. I’m thinking of leaving command up to Lieutenant Tospan and sending you in. For crying out loud, where is Captain Thon off screwing around?”

  “I’m curious, too. He seems a bit headstrong, but I don’t really think he’s the type to abandon his duties.”

  “We’ll probably learn once we’ve cleaned up the battlefield.”

  Has he ended up a corpse? Or maybe a prisoner? In the worst-case scenario—if he fled in the face of the enemy—I’ll find him and execute him by firing squad.

  In any case, I don’t need a numbskull like that in my Kampfgruppe. Lieutenant Tospan is difficult to tolerate, but Captain Thon is impossible.

  “…Do you really think that’s how it’ll turn out?”

  “Well, let’s quit speculating. Captain Meybert flipped our expectations on their heads, after all.”

  “Understood. Then I’ll be going.”


  Grantz gives a proper salute before he leaves, but even he used to be a useless youngster. As far as Tanya knows, humans can grow.

  The problem is that that growth is only a possibility.

  Even Weiss, Tanya remembers, committed the error of evading infantry “anti–air fire” in the war with Dacia.

  I can’t deny that humans also make mistakes. Even Tanya isn’t averse to admitting she’s made her share.

  Puff up my chest and say all my actions are beyond reproach?

  I don’t want to be such a fool.

  But that’s precisely why…

  All I can prescribe for dolts who can’t admit their mistakes and correct them is a bullet. Allowing dolts like that to remain in an organization will ultimately eat away at it.

  “Captain Ahrens’s unit has succeeded in breaking through and begun cleanup. He’s requesting infantry support.”

  “Okay, got it.”

  Meditations and contemplations end here.

  I’ve got no choice.

  What a scarce resource, as always: the time for careful thought! A Kampfgruppe commander is forever desperate for it and endlessly lamenting its scarcity.

  “The pursuit battle is going smoothly, then? Actually, quicker than we thought?”

  She glances at her watch and the map and sees that Ahrens’s unit broke through sooner than expected.

  She had heard he was good. But his skill in commanding that instrument of violence that is an armored unit despite the darkness reaches truly praiseworthy excellence.

  And when she catches herself thinking that he must have led from the head of the formation, she can’t hold back her wry smile.

  An officer who leads the pack, executing their duties properly…

  An officer charging out front isn’t always a good officer. But one who knows when they need to be out there and doesn’t let that moment slip past…

  That officer is worth a fortune.

  Which is why, as a higher-ranking officer, Tanya can’t lose a diligent lower-ranking officer like Captain Ahrens.

  “Send a message for me. I expect great things out of you, but I want to celebrate the victory together. Whatever you do, don’t be unreasonable. Make sure he gets that.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  A signaler takes down my message and sends it to Captain Ahrens over the wireless. Ahrens really does show promise. Ordering him to do too much and losing him would be a terrible shame.