Ardennes Forest, Approximately 40 Miles to Iris Orthodoxy – February, winter (3 days before the events of the prologue chapter occurred)

When you receive orders that you and your platoon are going to be transferred to a location with rugged terrain, dense vegetation, and obstacles that could hinder vehicles, you might get the feeling that Iron blood high command is sending us into very deadly jungle warfare, but without the insects that bites you and possibly poison you. At the same time, the air is fresher than in the urbanized areas back in the Fatherland because of the pollution from factories but it's still very cold because it's snowing here. I've been on the military for over two years now ever since the Crimson Axis alliance declared war on Azur Lane. The war lasted for 4 months until a new threat arrived, ending the conflict between Azur Lane and Crimson Axis, and leading to an alliance to combat the new alien threat. I was on guard duty for almost two years at Point Alderhorst in Berlin. Then we received orders from Ironblood high command to be relocated to Ardennes Fort Grünwald between the border of Iris and Ironblood as additional reinforcement to 'strengthen' its defenses. I guess it's going to be a bit miserable when we arrive there.

I shifted in my seat inside the transport truck, the steady rumble of the vehicle's engine blending with the rhythmic clanking of the Panzer IV and two half-tracks accompanying us to the fort. I glanced around at the other soldiers and my squad mates; some of them seemed absorbed in their thoughts, faces set with a mixture of blandness and apprehension; some are just sleeping while hugging their gear. The convoy moved at a medium pace on the snow-covered road through the dense forest.

As the convoy approached the fort, my thoughts drifted to the time I first came to the Ardennes at Meuse River as reinforcements before discontinuing the war due to a much bigger threat suddenly appearing and trying to pound humanity to submission. Originally, the fort was an Iris fortress designed to slow their foe's advance. But now it is ours, and the fort is very vital.

"Get your gear, boys! We're here!" Our Platoon Commander, Lieutenant Schwarz, said loudly. I didn't even realize that we're already passed the gate.

We grabbed our gear and disembarked from the transport truck. The other soldiers from the half-tracks also exited and stretched their legs after a long journey from the Fatherland, taking in their new surroundings of the dense, snow-covered forest surrounding the fort.

Lieutenant Schwarz called us to attention. "Listen up; gather around… our Fort Commander Major Weber will brief us on our duties and assignments here."

My platoon quickly formed up, standing at attention as Major Weber, the officer in charge of the fort, approached. Despite the informal setting, his presence exuded commanding aura.

"Welcome to Fort Grünwald Men!" Major Weber began his voice carrying authority as he places both his hands behind his back.

"In case any of you are wondering, you are going to be in charge of protecting the people who live around these dense parts of the world. So this will be your new home for many months or years until the war is over," the Major declared, coughing a bit after he finished.

"The fort is a vital supply hub, and each one of you is crucial. There have been reports of Siren sightings and small skirmishes around these parts, and every one of you must be prepared to defend the fort, the towns, and the nearby villages at all costs in case they strike. Your primary duties will involve maintaining the fort's defenses, ensuring the secure distribution of supplies, and engaging any threats that attempt to harm the people around here," Major Weber said loudly to the soldiers in front of him.

After the fort commander finished, many of my platoon members, including my squad mates, began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Sirens here? In a landlocked area?" said one platoon member to my left.

"What the hell could they possibly gain something in such a dense area?" another said at my back.

"I don't know, but something interesting might happen soon," a member responded beside him.

"Looking forward to it?" another replied sarcastically.

I paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. "You will find your assigned squad rooms listed on the posted roster at the main entrance of the fort. Check your assignment; get settled in quickly and get some rest. You boys deserve it after a very long ride from home." Soon as our Major said that he went back to where he came from while 2 other officers are following him.

Oswald followed his platoon into Sector 1 of the fort, the interior lit and filled with the echoes of their footsteps. At the main entrance, we found the roster posted on the wall.

"Check the roster for your assigned squad rooms," Lt. Becker instructed.

I scanned the list, found my squad's name, and noted our assigned room, which is room number 12. I headed to the barracks alongside my platoon. As we approached the building, each squad split off to find their designated quarters. I followed my squad to our assigned room. Inside, there are five beds separately positioned, each with its own bedside table drawer and a nightstand it. On the right side, there was one medium-sized tall cabinet for storing clothes and other items. On the other side of the room, there was a mini kitchen and a bathroom with two showers, a toilet, and a sink. Huh, the room doesn't have any privacy since my squad mates and I are sharing a room, but it is certainly better than being cramped inside a barracks with only bunk beds like canned sardines.

"Ossy!" One of my squad members, Paul, called out to me. I immediately snapped out of my thoughts.

"Y-Yeah?" I looked at Paul as I stuttered.

"You look like a robot ever since we set foot here. You okay?" Paul asked, mildly concerned.

"Probably not… I haven't had proper rest ever since we left Alderhorst back in Berlin," I answered honestly.

"Well, if you're that tired, unpack your things first, take a shower, and rest," my Squad Commander, Sergeant Wilhelm, suggested.

"How about you guys?" I asked my squad mates.

"Johann, Paul, Klaus and I are going to have a look around the place. We were told we can have a look around the fort until 2200. This place passed my expectations of what a fort should be," another squad mate, Ernst, said with a grin.

"And I'll be at the balcony of this barracks. You boys better be back before 2200 if you don't want to have your asses turned into dog food for the dogs tomorrow," Sergeant Wilhelm warned.

"O-o-of course, sir," "Y-yes, sir," "We'll be back," the three said simultaneously.

After they left the room, I was alone. I grabbed my things and began to unpack: my clothes, books, family portrait, a notebook, pen, and several other items. After sorting everything and storing them in my personal drawers and cabinet, I went to the bathroom and took a shower. After that, I went to bed. Before I turned off the nightstand, I looked at the picture of my family: me, my parents, my younger sister, and brother. Verdammt, it's only been three months since I last saw them, but I already miss them. I put the picture back on the nightstand, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

I woke up the next morning, having managed to get eight hours of sleep. I scanned the room and saw that my squad had returned while I was sleeping. They are all still asleep, so I got up and went to the bathroom to wash my face, rinsed it, put my pants on, wore a shirt then wore my Winter Iron blood uniform and put on my Stahlhelm and tightly clasped it below my chin. My squad woke up and did the same, and we headed out of our room to the Mess Hall just next to the barracks. When we arrived, only a few people were getting their morning meal. We grabbed trays, spoons, and forks, went to the serving line, got our food, and found a table in the left corner of the Mess Hall, one table away from the serving line. My squad talked amongst themselves while I stared at my food. We got scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with butter and jam, oatmeal, and coffee. The servings were good for a person. I stared at my food for another ten seconds, giving thanks to God for this blessing. Honestly, the fort food exceeded my expectations.

"Ossy!" I heard Paul's voice call out to me.

I looked at Paul and saw that everyone was staring at me like I was some kind of weirdo.

"You heard about a place called Azure Archipelago, right, Ossy?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, I heard about it many times back in Berlin. Why? What about it?" I questioned Paul.

"Apparently there's a guy named Alexander Wallace and his squad Daedalus who just saved two Kansens from 'impending doom' trapped on one of the islands there. The Sirens critically injured those Kansens and dragged them deep into that island along with some locals," Ernst said before he took a bite of his scrambled eggs and toast.

"That's quite strange. I have fought with those Sirens many times, and they would immediately kill any human they see if they have the chance. Never expected them to be less ruthless," Sergeant Wilhelm said grimacing.

"Why? You expected them to be dead on the spot or something?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That is not what I meant, Schmidt," Wilhelm said, staring at Klaus with a flat expression.

"It's quite strange that the Azure Archipelago is a hotspot for Siren activity. I mean, we're on a continent where there's colossal human activity happening," Johann said, raising his eyebrows.

"I think we're getting a bit off-topic here. Where did you guys get this newspaper from anyway?" I asked.

"I have the newspaper here. I just picked it up from the ground last night," Paul said, handing me the newspaper.

Let's see here, there's a photo of 5 soldiers and 1 high ranking officer smiling in the photo and above it says 'HEROIC RESCUE AT MIRIAM ISLAND: DAEDALUS SQUAD SAVES SHIPGIRLS, SECURES VICTORY FOR AZUR LANE' Oh? 'In a daring operation at Miriam Island, Sergeant Alexander Wallace of the elite Daedalus Squad, part of the Sentinel Commando Assault Recon (SCAR)' Another Special unit? 'unit stationed at Point Azure, executed an extraordinary rescue. He saved two crucial shipgirls, USS Baltimore and RN Pola, from certain death, averting a significant blow to the Azur Lane Alliance. Sgt. Wallace's exceptional valor and swift action turned the tide as the shipgirls faced annihilation by relentless Siren forces. Disregarding his own safety, Sgt. Wallace ensured their survival and preserved their contributions to the war effort.' And many more too, like Daedalus Squad turning the tide of battle for the liberation of the whole island, saving the locals living there, and two ship girls assisting Daedalus Squad defeating a large monstrous creature from a pod.

"Are they sirens making some sort of biological weapon" I asked my whole squad.

After reading the newspaper, I'm glad that they achieved a victory against those Sirens. I have not seen a ship girl yet, but I heard that some of them are as powerful as a whole fleet combined according to Ironblood media. These girls, infused with the essence of warships, possess abilities beyond human limits. They can control vast arrays of firepower and withstand damage that would obliterate any Siren Vehicles and Infantry. Their power isn't just in their combat abilities; it's in their strategic minds, their resilience, and their ability to inspire those around them based on the number of newspapers I've read now and news broadcasts watched. The first time I heard about shipgirls, it sounded utterly ridiculous—women controlling ship-grade guns while skating on the waves? Completely absurd. But now that I've seen them with my own eyes, I can hardly believe it. Reality has proven far stranger than I ever imagined. In battles against the Sirens, they've turned the tide time and time again, proving invaluable to our efforts to protect humanity. Their presence on the battlefield means fewer casualties, more decisive victories, and a fighting chance against an otherwise overwhelming enemy.

I can only imagine the awe and reassurance their arrival must bring to the front lines, knowing that these powerful allies stand ready to defend us, but unfortunately this is not a suitable area for them and I heard that they're almost immobile on land while their so called 'rigging' is activated. I gave the newspaper back to Paul; we ate and talked about other things. After finishing our food, we exited the Mess Hall and attended a morning briefing, where we got our first task of the day: patrol duty in Sector 1. After getting told what to do, we went first to the armory at the far end of the fort corridor of sector some of our weapons are stored because there are multiple armories in this fort, each sector has one just in case we're under attack and needed to get weapons to the closest supplier.

We entered the armory and saw the Weapons Master behind the counter, handing out MP40s and Gewehr 43s to four soldiers who were also assigned to patrol duty. The soldiers got their weapons and left in a hurry. The Weapons Master turned his attention to us as we approached.

"Can I help you guys?" he asked.

"We're about to have our patrol duty for today in this sector. We need something suitable for it," our Sergeant replied.

"Right… Let me get you what you need," the Weapons Master said, turning to the array of weapons displayed behind him.

He quickly retrieved the necessary firearms for our squad. I received an MP40 SMG and a P38 pistol. My squad was equipped with two Kar98ks, two more MP40 SMG, one Gewehr 43, and P38 pistols for each of us. Once we were armed, we left the armory and began the most mundane part of our day: patrol duty. We wandered aimlessly around the fort's corridors and various areas, like robots commanded to walk back and forth repeatedly.

It's now 2200, which means free time for us. Paul, Johann, klaus and Ernst went outside again, and Sergeant Wilhelm told us that he was going somewhere. He didn't specifically tell us where he was going, but he's out now. Meanwhile, I am back in our room, currently on my bed reading a novel with just a shirt on and pants. Nothing eventful happened today: we did patrol duty first, then training exercises, equipment maintenance, reconnaissance of the surrounding area, and guard duty in Sector 2. After a few minutes, I closed my novel and stored it back to my bedside drawer. I got up from my bed and went outside. As I closed the door behind me, I went to the balcony just to the left of our room door. I opened the door and saw my sergeant smoking while leaning against the parapet walls of the fort balcony. I joined him, leaning against the parapet walls too.

"So, Fischer… when do you think this war is going to end?" Wilhelm asked me in a calm yet somewhat depressing tone before blowing smoke into the cold air.

"Given the circumstances, I'd say maybe in a decade…" I said before exhaling.

"Is that so? Seems like its close," Wilhelm said sarcastically, looking down.

"Why'd you ask, sir?" I asked, raising my brow and turning my head to look at him.

"I keep hearing reports of these bastards crawling around the world like pests and disrupting civilian lives. I wonder when I'll go home and see my kid grow up. I'll probably die before this war ends, and the kid will go on in life without knowing what kind of man his father is," he said, frowning as he looked down at our fellow soldiers below.

"Well, our adversary still bleeds, meaning that they can be defeated, like that guy and his squad from the newspaper who saved two Kansens from death in a Siren-infested area," I said, looking up at the full moon shining.

Wilhelm sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping slightly. 'Yeah, I read about that. Wallace, wasn't it? Brave bastard. Makes you wonder if we'll ever get a chance to be heroes like that, or if we're just here to hold the line until there's no line left to hold.

"They're from a special unit called SCAR, probably new unit they formed there? No wonder they finished the job and got what they're hoping for. As long as we're fighting, we're giving our families a chance to see another day. Maybe we won't be the ones in the headlines, but we're still making a difference," I said while I look at the moon in this wintry night.

"…Guess there's no point in bitching about it, huh?" He smiled bitterly after he said that while looking at me before dropping his spent cigarette and stepping on it to extinguish it.

"We do what we can with what we have," I said blankly, meeting his gaze. "That's all anyone can ask of us."

Wilhelm nodded, his expression softening. "You're right. Let's just hope it's enough."

We shared a moment of silence, both lost in our thoughts, before heading back to our room. I grabbed some clothes to change for bedtime, showered, brushed my teeth, and changed into my sleeping clothes. As I settled into bed, the room was still empty except for Wilhelm, who had already drifted off to sleep.

I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling and thinking about our conversation. The weight of the war, the uncertainty of the future, and the small glimmers of hope all mingled in my mind. Eventually, I glanced once more at my family photo beside me before turning off the lights, and drifted myself to a restless sleep.