Arc of Fire

Chapter 59

Wang Zhong and the others had just crossed the overpass to the platform on the other side when they saw the switchman come out of the small shed again to adjust the tracks.

He switched to the overhead perspective and indeed saw a train approaching from the northeast.

The locomotive didn't have an armored repair vehicle on top, and the weapons on the anti-air car had been replaced with 25mm anti-air cannons.

Behind the anti-air car were the usual black boxcars, though the first boxcar had the church's sun symbol painted on its roof.

The carriage with the sun symbol clearly had fewer people than those behind it. When Wang Zhong adjusted his viewing angle slightly, he could see office desks inside through the open doors of the boxcars.

It seemed the VIPs they were welcoming were in this carriage, while the people in the boxcars behind were reinforcements being sent to Bogdanovka.

As a brigade-level unit, the Rokosov Battle Group would now be assigned a regimental bishop, mainly responsible for managing the large number of priests in the unit and presiding over major masses.

Of course, what Wang Zhong valued most was the bishop's role in communicating with the church. He had already decided that once the bishop arrived, he would complain about their lack of resources every day until the Divine Arrow company was fully staffed.

By the time Wang Zhong switched back to his original perspective, he could already hear the train's whistle.

The train slowly slid into the platform.

A stocky officer in a church military uniform, wearing a Guards rainproof cape, stood in the open doorway of the church carriage, hands on hips as he watched Wang Zhong and the others.

Seeing this man, Wang Zhong inexplicably wanted to go up and say: "Are you goddamn my bishop?"

Before the train had even come to a complete stop, the bishop jumped off and strode toward Wang Zhong and the others.

Wang Zhong had intended to walk forward to meet him, but then the unloading began from the other carriages, with a large group of young men in khaki uniforms and boat-shaped caps disembarking, immediately drawing his attention.

By then, the bishop had already reached Wang Zhong: "Long time no see, Alexei Konstantinovich."

Wang Zhong had been looking at the disembarking recruits, but upon hearing this form of address, he immediately turned his attention back, breaking out in a cold sweat. What did this mean? Had they met before?

The other man hadn't introduced himself, so they must have known each other. Wang Zhong had only seen the bishop's name in the transfer orders and wouldn't have remembered it was Nikolai Nikanorovich Popov without switching to the overhead perspective.

Fortunately, judging by the form of address, their relationship wasn't close. Wang Zhong had never been so grateful for the Slavs' complex naming conventions.

So he also addressed Popov with his name and patronymic: "Long time no see, Nikolai Nikanorovich."

Popov studied Wang Zhong carefully: "You seem like a different person, Alexei Konstantinovich. You give off a completely different impression from when you graduated."

Wang Zhong smiled: "You must be joking. I'm still the same me, though perhaps I've picked up some of the battlefield's aura."

"I thought you'd say the aura of hell," Popov said.

It seemed the Tribunal had reported his words about "showing the way back from hell."

Popov continued: "Before I came, His Highness the Crown Prince specifically sought me out and asked me to look after his good brother. I promised His Highness, so I'll be keeping a close eye on your command abilities to see if they're truly as remarkable as the telegrams claim."

Damn it, Wang Zhong thought. What kind of bullshit had the Duke of Wostrom been feeding them?

Thank god I'm cheating and have plenty of war game experience, or you'd have screwed me over!

Wang Zhong: "You won't be disappointed. By the way, I see you're already wearing the Guards cape. Does that mean the equipment allocated to the 3rd Rear-I mean, the 31st Guards Infantry Regiment-is also on this train?"

He had almost said the wrong unit designation.

Popov released Wang Zhong's hand and shook his head: "No, this is a memento from my service in the Guards Infantry Regiment. Your supplies are on the next train. On this one, I've brought the Guards flag and reinforcements for the 31st Regiment."

As Popov spoke, several blue-capped inquisitors disembarked, followed by three priests-one carrying a rolled-up flag, one holding a double-headed eagle emblem, and the third cradling a box.

Wang Zhong was about to take the flag when Popov stopped him: "The flag can only be handed over during a proper flag presentation ceremony. These three are all special priests sent by the Grand Patriarch of Saint Yekaterinburg."

Wang Zhong frowned: "Do we really need to bother with such formalities?"

"Believe me, it does wonders for morale," Popov said.

Yegorov chimed in: "But morale is the one thing we're not short on. It's everything else we're lacking."

The blue-capped figures behind Popov immediately fixed Yegorov with sharp glares.

Sergeant Major Grigori returned their gazes with equal intensity.

Just then, a young man in a khaki uniform ran up to Wang Zhong, snapped to attention, and saluted: "Brigadier General, sir, the 535th Cadet Team has assembled."

Wang Zhong frowned: "Cadet team? From where?"

"The Pokaji Infantry School and the Artillery School, Brigadier General," the reporting young man said, head held high.

Only then did Wang Zhong notice that his epaulets bore no insignia, just piping around the edges-the mark of a military academy cadet.

"This is absurd!" He immediately turned to Popov. "These men will all be officers after some training. How can they be sent as reinforcements to frontline units like this?"

Yegorov agreed: "According to regulations, the Guards should be replenished with veterans returning from injuries. What's the meaning of sending us greenhorns?"

Pavlov interjected: "You're the one being absurd. The war's only been going on for half a month. Where would we find injured veterans who've recovered? Look at the Brigadier General-he's only lightly wounded and just finished draining pus!"

This made Wang Zhong's shoulder ache psychosomatically. He recalled the delightful sensation of having his wound cleaned with alcohol during yesterday's dressing change.

Then one of the cadets stepped forward and shouted: "Report! We've received complete training. Our military skills are far superior to those of ordinary recruits!"

Wang Zhong pushed past the cadet in front of him and approached the one who had reported: "We're not doubting your military skills. We're saying you should be put to better use. How much longer do you have until graduation?"

"One year, Brigadier General! But Mother Ant calls!"

Wang Zhong's words were all stuck in his throat by this "Mother Ant calls."

He turned to Popov: "Are there really no other troops available? What about those conscripted in the general mobilization?"

"They're in training," Popov replied. "As for the reservists, they already have their own units and are being deployed to the frontlines intact. This is more efficient than breaking them up to replenish depleted frontline units. The Reserve Front Command estimates that the first batch of inexperienced adult conscripts called up this October will complete basic training."

Wang Zhong: "What about disciplinary battalions?"

Popov: "How could we possibly replenish the Guards with disciplinary battalions? Alexei Konstantinovich, you'd do better to think about how to use your miraculous command skills to help as many of them survive the war as possible."

Wang Zhong frowned. He couldn't shake the feeling that Popov was being sarcastic.

Still, Popov was right. If he commanded brilliantly enough, perhaps most of these young men could survive their first battle.

He turned to the cadet team's commander: "How many of you are there?"

"1,200 men, General," the commander replied.

Yegorov muttered: "Not even enough to replenish a single regiment."

Pavlov glared at him.

Yegorov immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, alright, I'll shut up. You're the brigade Chief of Staff; you outrank me."

Actually, as the regiment commander of the Guards, Yegorov held the rank of colonel, which was technically higher.

Wang Zhong ignored the two old rivals. He walked to the far right of the cadet formation and ordered: "Everyone, take out paper and write down your names! Full names!"

Though everyone looked puzzled, they obeyed.

Starting from the rightmost cadet in the front row, Wang Zhong collected the slips of paper, reading each name aloud:

Alexei Nikolayevich Melekhov!

"......"

After reading a few, the young man who had earlier said "Mother Ant calls" shouted: "Brigadier General, there are 1,200 of us! Are you really going to read all our names?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes. That's the only way I'll remember all your names and match them to your faces."

His words immediately sparked a wave of murmurs among the young men.

The same "Mother calls" cadet shouted again: "That's impossible! Why waste time on this?"

Wang Zhong: "I can do it."

Even if he couldn't, he could rely on his cheating for now. But Wang Zhong vowed to gradually learn to match all their names to their faces.

As for why-

Wang Zhong: "Most of you will die within the first hour, maybe even the first half hour of combat. I can't promise to bring you all home alive, but I can at least remember your names and faces."

With that, he walked up to "Mother calls" and took the slip from his hand, reading aloud: "Vasily Alexandrovich Leonov!"

"Here!" Vasily responded loudly.

Wang Zhong: "I'll remember you. I promise."

Vasily held his head high as if this were something to be proud of.

As Wang Zhong was about to move on, Vasily suddenly spoke up: "Brigadier General, they say you destroyed 20 enemy tanks at Upper Peniye. Is that true?"

Wang Zhong corrected him calmly: "Eight. And almost my entire crew died. The only survivor, the driver, was wounded in the leg and is lying in a hospital now."

This excited all the cadets: "One tank against eight!"

"I thought the Prossenians had the advantage in armor?"

"Seems they're not so tough after all!"

Wang Zhong's frown deepened as he raised his voice: "The Prossenians are extremely powerful! Underestimating them will cost you! Many of them are veterans who've fought in multiple wars!"

The young men fell silent, watching Wang Zhong solemnly.

"Let's continue."

With that, he resumed collecting slips from the cadets.

Sergeant Major Grigori had somehow procured a wooden box and was following Wang Zhong, allowing him to deposit the slips inside.

Shortly after, Wang Zhong read out the last slip, placed it in the box, and told the sergeant major: "Seal it properly and keep it somewhere I can see it in my quarters."

The sergeant major nodded.

Just then, the train carrying the young cadets started moving, slowly leaving the platform, while the wounded soldiers' train on the opposite platform had already departed earlier.

Only the severely wounded soldiers deemed beyond treatment remained on the platform. Station staff were washing away the bloodstains with water. The bloody water flowed off the platform, staining both the concrete and the gravel roadbed beneath crimson.

Seeing this, Wang Zhong had an idea: "Attention all!"

The 1,200 reinforcements turned to face the blood-soaked platform across the tracks.

The sight of all that blood silenced even the most mischievous cadets.

Except one.

Vasily asked in confusion: "Why are those wounded soldiers left there?"

Wang Zhong: "They're too severely injured to be worth expending medical supplies on. Soon they'll be carried to the local church and handed over to the priests."

Silence fell over all the young faces.

Wang Zhong: "This is war's first lesson for you, classmates."

(End of Chapter)