Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

"Gentlemen, we've arrived." The Baron stopped and turned around.

“Mr. Gremayr Cary, please go to the second office on my right. Officers who have finished the reserve force training and are returning to their original units only need to go in to confirm some information and sign something.”

"OK, thanks."

“Mr. Tarcus Calonville, please go to the third office on my left. There’s an old face who’s been waiting for you for a long time.”

"Okay, thank you." The lieutenant colonel nodded, pondering to himself.

"A familiar face, could it be...?"

……

He knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

The voice that answered sounded somewhat familiar. Hesitantly, he pushed open the door, then his stunned gaze fixed on the only person in the office...

A tall, muscular physique, a pair of resolute and courageous eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses, and strands of hair hanging down his forehead. His short braid, combed back, slipped behind him as he turned his face.

“Mr. Gilford?” He was all too familiar with that image.

“Ah, you’ve come.” Guilford smiled at him. “Welcome home, Caronville.”

"No, no...how could I..."

"Yes, I now hold an important position here. Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Well, maybe so. There were just too many things going on recently..."

"Come on, come here first. Once you've confirmed these things for your unit, sign them. If we still have time, we can chat for a while longer."

……

……

Having looked around enough, he looked up and saw Guilford standing behind his desk, gazing out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

His attention was on the cabinet behind that figure...

There stood a large white disc, and in the center of the disc was a portrait of Cornelia Li Britannia, the second princess of the Britannian Empire, whom Lord Gilford had once protected as the captain of his personal guard.

"Your Excellency, may I ask... Her Highness the Princess, or..."

"Um……"

"I'm sorry... I have too much too..."

"Where are you, Your Highness..." Guilford sighed.

……

"Alright, let's talk about something else." Guilford coughed lightly. "You haven't forgotten the things you left with me, have you?"

“Mine? Oh right, my hairpin…” Caronville took a blue plastic box from a drawer from Guilford and held out the contents with his fingers—a small blue-gray top hat about the size of an ink bottle, with a feather in its mouth.

"You must have had someone deliver it to me five or six days ago."

“Yes, that’s right.” Caronville nodded and took out the piece of paper that was left at the bottom of the box.

“My esteemed Mr. Guilford, I will be dispatched to another world in a few days. I leave this as a memento. If I perish on the battlefield, I implore you to keep it safe. If you ever see Princess Cornelia again, please give it to her.”

“Hmm, good boy.” Guilford approached and patted him on the shoulder. “By the Emperor, it seems the gods have decided to let you live, so that one day you can recount your experiences to Her Highness the Princess.”

“Alright, I’m going out soon too.” Guilford sighed. “Someone will take you to the police headquarters soon; the final step will be completed there.”

"Thank you, I'll be off now."

……

……

……

……

As soon as I stepped out the door, I found Kari standing alone in the aisle.

"Hmm, are you done?" the colonel called out to him. "Let's go together."

“Oh, no problem,” Caronville replied, walking side by side with Colonel Cary toward the elevator.

……

……

“Well then, here it is.” As the elevator moved, Colonel Carri spoke up. “Allow me to address you as ‘Colonel Caronville’.”

"Ah, you're still indignant on my behalf about this matter..." Caronville smiled slightly, the image flashing before his eyes...

……

About a year ago, in the auditorium of the city hall in the Tokyo concession, Caronville and a group of officers of the same rank stood on the platform, facing the governor who was giving a speech with his back to them, as well as the nobles and generals in the audience.

"Given that Lieutenant Colonel Tarcus Caronville disobeyed orders and withdrew from the defensive line during the Battle of Tokyo, leading his troops in an unplanned 'flying attack' that resulted in the collapse of the second defensive line of the concession, he has been criticized by most of the high command. However, in view of his bravery in the battle, this Governor hereby declares that his merits and demerits cancel each other out, his negative behavior will not be investigated, and his military achievements will not be rewarded. The rank of colonel originally planned to be awarded to him will instead be awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Greimael Carrie, under General Maren..."

……

……

……

“I have always felt unworthy of this rank, Your Excellency. I believe that one day, a general will understand your inner world, and the Hall of Fame will reserve a place for you.”

"Tsk, that's too kind of you." Caronville was a little embarrassed. "You've never done this before. You can't hold it in anymore now that you're leaving?"

"I'm afraid this parting will never happen again. I will be assisting General Marendor in his campaign. I'm afraid you might receive news of my death while you're here."

"Yeah, that's true."

……

"As soldiers, this is our responsibility, and we must accept it, even if we don't want to obey it, but we have no choice but to."

The lieutenant colonel did not answer directly, but continued walking until they turned to face each other at the roadside, at which point he spoke.

"So, Colonel, if you were to leave the military one day, what kind of life would you like?"

Just as Kari was about to answer, the voices of two teenagers came from the sidewalk across the street.

……

"So, brother, are you really going to do this? Won't they blame you?"

"You're overthinking it, Lolo. In the minds of those adults, we're always the naive ones, as long as we..."

Kari watched the two boys—a tall boy with black hair and purple eyes, and a little boy with light brown short hair—walk away, each wearing a black school uniform, chatting and laughing.

He knew that the school uniform represented where they came from—Ashfred Academy, the best high school in the Tokyo Concession.

……

"Looks like they answered for me. It's good to be young, carefree..."

"Oh no, no, no, you may have forgotten the term 'old rascal,' perhaps you can live that kind of life when you retire."

"Hahahaha!"

For the past few months, or even just a few days ago, they haven't had the chance to laugh out loud so freely.

……

"Well then, farewell, Mr. Caronville."

"Take care, Colonel." The two said their farewells, and then almost simultaneously raised their right hands to give each other a perfect military salute.

"I will come back to you, Lieutenant Colonel..."

"No, please wait for me there. I should be the one to go first."

Caronville uttered these last words and watched the colonel get into his car and drive away.

……

He didn't want to say anything, and slowly raised his head to look at the sky.

The sky was a pure blue, with wisps of white clouds reflected on it. Birds flew over the buildings, circling and tracing an arc before stepping into the sunlight.

Nothing can stop a bird's yearning for the sky, except turning it to dust.

Nothing can stop a positive person's enthusiasm for progress, unless they are completely wiped out of the world.

The vast sky awaits the warriors to conquer it, and the glorious light awaits the brave to wield it.

Even amidst bitter clouds, long nights, thunder and lightning, and raging storms, if your initial aspirations remain and your courage endures, the favor of the goddess of glory will eventually come.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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Volume One, Completed

Section 50 Summary: October 1945 - The Berlin Incident (1)

The summary chapter is a special chapter compiled by the author after each volume is completed or after each major plot event has concluded, to help readers gain a broader understanding of the events. A summary chapter will generally be included at such junctures; please feel free to read them.

The following is the main text of this compilation:

In September 1945, the European theater of World War II had cooled down for more than four months, and the curtain had fallen on the entire war. To prevent the resurgence of German militarism, as early as June 5, 1945, under the leadership of the United States, the Supreme Commanders-in-Chief of the four occupation forces in Germany—the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France—formally declared in Berlin that Germany would be divided into four parts according to the region and location of each of its states: the Eastern Region to the Soviet Union, the Northwestern Region to Great Britain, the Southwestern Region to the United States, and the Western Region to France. The specific division is shown in the map below.

It is clear that Berlin, as the capital and political center of Germany, was within the Soviet-occupied zone. Therefore, the city was naturally divided into four parts, each under the jurisdiction of one of the four countries. Although the area outside Berlin was entirely Soviet territory, a four-way power struggle still existed within the city itself. (The connection between the Western occupation zones of Berlin and the western occupation zones of Germany will be discussed later.)

Although the division of Berlin had been decided long ago, due to various reasons, by October 1945, the US and Soviet forces had a considerable presence in Berlin, while Britain and France had almost no large-scale, organized troops stationed in their respective areas. Only smaller units were under the unified coordination of the US commander in Berlin. In other words, Berlin in October was not yet a four-way standoff, but rather a confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union, with the Brandenburg Gate as the focal point.

Now let's turn our attention to the Britannian Empire.

A month before the official invasion of Berlin, the Britannian Empire's teleportation portal finally succeeded in its test, successfully projecting its main portal—the Gate of Camelot—into Berlin. This was in mid-to-late September in the main world, and the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France had just experienced the highly charged Berlin military parade. Although Britannia had deployed researchers to Berlin and collected some samples, no fighting ensued, and the portal closed promptly after the researchers returned, undetected by US and Soviet officials. However, both the US and the Soviet Union mistakenly believed the loud commotion caused by the portal's opening was the work of the other side, with the Soviet Union paying particular attention.

After a week of investigation, the US and the Soviet Union had largely lifted their alert, but compared to before the incident, both sides had moved more troops toward Berlin for basic defense in case of unforeseen circumstances.

During the month-long covert standoff between the US and the USSR, Britannia had essentially perfected the main portal system, and the Second Prince Schneizel Britannia then began working on the expedition plan to another world.

On October 25, 1945, in the main timeline, Schneizel officially issued the call to arms at the Tokyo Concession City Hall in District 11, and the Camelot Gate was opened to the public for the first time.

Unlike the fervor and excitement surrounding the upcoming Britannia expedition, the American and Soviet troops stationed in Berlin once again encountered the cruel irony of the portal opening and closing, instantly tightening the nerves of both sides. The American forces in Berlin not only intensified their search efforts but also began setting up sentry posts and positions at major intersections such as the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviet actions were even more extensive, deploying large numbers of troops to eastern Berlin to construct fortifications. Ground forces and air power east of Berlin were all on standby, ready to respond to any attack.

On October 28, 1945, the Britannian interdimensional expedition vanguard entered the center of Berlin through a portal, quickly seizing control of the surrounding landmarks—the Reichstag Building and the Brandenburg Gate—and launching an attack on the surrounding American and Soviet troops stationed in Berlin. The Reich's interdimensional expedition officially began. (The black gate-shaped marker indicates the location of the main portal—the Gate of Camelot.)

After a day of fighting on the 28th, by evening, the Britannian forces had opened a sufficiently large landing zone in the center of Berlin. Although numbering only close to 10,000, the situation in Britannia was relatively optimistic thanks to the element of surprise.

(Some may wonder: why didn't the US and Soviet troops initially invade each other's territory? The answer is simple. First, because of the surprise attack, their initial focus was naturally on defense. Second, there was the US-Soviet agreement; after all, if such an event occurred and it was discovered that you had entered the other side's territory within the agreement, this fact would easily make you the one who instigated the conflict.)

In the eastern district, Britannia faced the main Soviet force: the 8th Guards Army, a battle-tested elite unit from World War II, well-prepared for combat. This large force possessed considerable tank units, heavy artillery, and other heavy armor and firepower. Although inclement weather on the 28th prevented large-scale air support, it effectively repelled the limited Britannian attacks, stabilizing the front line approximately 5 kilometers east of the Brandenburg Gate. (The insignia on the right in the image below is that of the 8th Guards Army; this was the standard design for the Soviet Guards.)

In the western part of the city, the Allied situation was far from optimistic. The main Allied forces stationed in Berlin were the U.S. 1st Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division. Although these were also battle-hardened elite units, numbering 20,000 men including other smaller units, the majority were lightly armed infantry, with very few large-caliber artillery and tanks. They struggled against the Britannian army, which possessed mechs, assault guns, and infantry fighting vehicles. By evening, Allied commanders were forced to order a retreat of their frontline troops, consolidating their lines to withstand the next wave of attacks. (The lower left side shows the 1st Infantry Division insignia, and the right side shows the 82nd Airborne Division insignia.)

Given the favorable situation in the southwest, the Britannian vanguard command decided to concentrate most of its reserve forces and launch continuous assaults on the Allied-held southwestern cities, while ensuring stability on the eastern front. This offensive was generally very successful. Although the Britannian army suffered considerable losses due to multiple Allied ambushes and retaliations, the ground forces, equipped with night vision devices and helicopter cover, ultimately managed to encircle and annihilate a significant number of Allied infantry.

By dawn on the 29th, the Allied forces, whose defenses had been crumbled one by one, had retreated to within two kilometers of their headquarters at the Berlin Botanical Garden (marked by a blue star in the image above), before finally settling down and forming their last line of defense. Thanks to the Britannian high command's concern about fatigue from prolonged fighting and the grim casualties, they were forced to halt their offensive, and the western front stabilized on the 29th.