A Peaceful Land of the Orcs (5.1)
It was just as Gustav Falkenhayn had said.
The weather forecast from the Great Eagles had arrived, and the barometer indicated a drop in pressure. Starting from midnight, rain clouds approached the capital area, including the training grounds, from the west, and the rain began to fall.
The temperature dropped sharply, as if it had reverted to midwinter.
Moreover, the rain was heavy.
The soil of much of the Western Star Continent generally consisted of layers of fine, sandy loess, which quickly turned into mud when it rained.
While this trait allowed river moisture to seep deep into the ground, resulting in fertile soil capable of growing crops without irrigation, it was a nightmare for armies.
This occurred at the training grounds as well.
Even slightly deviating from roads packed down over many years or paved with cobblestones could trap infantry. The situation was even worse for heavy cavalry or military wagons.
Captain Ria Efildis, in charge of logistics for the Dark Elf brigade, visited the station at the northern logistics hub of the Blue Army, located along the military railway spur.
Her shoulder-length flaxen hair and chestnut eyes stood out. For her race, she was somewhat short in stature.
The previous day, she had toured the Red Army's logistics base near the training ground barracks.
The Orcsen Army's logistics base was incredibly orderly, and their management methods were particularly impressive, providing her with valuable insights.
However, she couldn’t help but feel that the polished efficiency, characteristic of exercises, was lacking in authenticity—a dissatisfaction she couldn't ignore.
It was an Orcsen officer who had guided her and suggested she might find the Blue Army's base more interesting.
“Ah, over there might be a bit chaotic. After all, they’ve come a long distance from the north and are unloading, stacking, managing, and redistributing supplies straight off the train. If you'd like, I can arrange it for you.”
Ria gratefully accepted the offer.
The previous evening, before dusk, she departed the Red Army's base.
She rode her horse along the designated communication route skirting the training ground and arrived at the Blue Army's logistics station before nightfall.
At that time, the rain had not yet arrived. Instead, the dry daytime ride left her and her uniform covered in dust.
The Orcsen officer had been hospitable even at the Red Army base, and the major responsible for the logistics base warmly welcomed her.
“My, you’ve had quite a journey. Well done. Let me arrange dinner and temporary lodging right away. What’s that, you brought rations? Oh, don’t worry about that. This is a logistics station, after all. It may not be as fine as a town tavern, but we can easily provide one meal. There's a vacant room in the station building. You can stay there tonight. Soldier, fetch a basin of water—hot water, mind you. The captain is covered in the dust of the battlefield.”
Such special consideration even included preparing a private room for her.
The claim that it couldn’t rival a tavern seemed overly modest. To Ria, the dinner they served was more than adequate.
A surprisingly generous portion of military rye bread.
Lard with apples.
Two boiled sausages and plenty of large pickled cucumbers.
Oatmeal soup from the wartime rations.
Ample coffee and red wine.
In Orcsen, traditionally, the largest meal of the day was lunch. Dinner was lighter and simpler, often “cold meals” without soups, in contrast to the customs in Elfynd. Initially, this had confused her, but she had since grown accustomed to it.
What she regretted was not being able to join the Brigade Commander Dineluth and others for dinner and conversation at the Red Army’s base, where she would have stayed if she hadn’t left.
Before falling asleep that night, she heard something akin to distant thunder.
There were flashes of light visible from the window, toward the south.
At first, she thought the weather had worsened, but it seemed to be illumination rounds.
Apparently, a tense mock battlefield scenario was unfolding, and the exercises continued even into the night.
The ability to conduct night battles with composure, especially in the rain, was a significant threat to other human armies. However, Ria found it unsurprising.
Both Orcs and Dark Elves had excellent night vision.
Given the intensity of the situation, it seemed only natural.
The following morning, when Ria began her inspection of the Blue Army’s logistics base, she found the chaos, exhaustion, and clamor absent from the Red Army’s base to be present. Apparently, these had intensified overnight, due to the rain.
The logistics station itself was impressive.
Though the station building was simple, there were three covered platforms. They were constructed by encasing brick with concrete.
What impressed Ria was that one of these platforms, located on the far side opposite the station building, was designed with a notably high elevation.
Its height matched that of the freight car floors.
This made loading and unloading remarkably easy. The platform was adjacent to several large cargo warehouses, whose floors were also at the same height. Goods could be directly moved in and out.
And this height matched that of the loading bed of military wagons.
On the opposite side of the warehouses, large doors allowed cargo to be seamlessly loaded onto wagons with minimal effort.
It was a straightforward concept, but the efficiency was unparalleled.
Artillery loaded onto flatbed freight cars could be directly transferred to wagons.
Such a station was unheard of in Elfynd.
Ria was thoroughly impressed.
What do you think about this chapter?
