Chapter 528: Forced March

It was exceedingly rare for the emergency assembly whistle to be blown.

How many times had it happened? Aside from drills, this was the first time such a whistle had echoed through the Expeditionary Army’s camp.

When the Soldiers burst out of their barracks and saw Hodge, they didn’t even ask questions at first—they simply sighed in relief.

Ordinarily, if the emergency whistle was blown, it meant that the commanding officer was most likely dead—because as long as the officer was still alive, the situation rarely became dire enough to warrant the whistle.

The Soldiers didn’t form up in lines but instead grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the nearby sentry posts for immediate vigilance. Several Squad Leaders under Hodge quickly gathered toward him.

“Keep watch! Report all surrounding conditions immediately and prepare to relocate!”

Without waiting for questions, Hodge issued his orders. The Sergeants, though wide-eyed with surprise, moved without hesitation—organizing the Soldiers to scout for enemies and collect supplies.

Moments later, the heavy door of a large building nearby was suddenly flung open.

A tall figure clad in full armor strode out rapidly.

The instant Hodge saw her, even his heart eased slightly. Her eyes were cold as frost, and her steel-clad frame bristling with weapons exuded an aura of reassurance.

It was Ash.

Due to the restrictions of the Symbiotic Contract, the Banshees could not stay stationed in the Northlands permanently; they rotated in shifts instead.

The Banshee currently on rotation at the Canary Forward Camp was Ash.

If one were to debate which Banshee was the smartest, the Banshees could argue for three days and nights; but if one asked who among them was the strongest, there would be no second name.

Ash’s combat prowess was overwhelming. She stood far above the others—a wall of living steel. Wherever she stood, the battlefront would never collapse.

“What happened?”

Her frigid gaze swept toward him. Hodge took a deep breath and stepped aside, revealing the ground where words were scrawled. “Lady Ash, look!”

He swiftly summarized the situation. Ash nodded, then turned to look behind her.

Several Squad Leaders ran up. “Report!”

“Speak!”

“No enemies found from the direction of the Canary Mountains!”

“No enemies found along the southern Railway!”

“No enemies found in the eastern river valley!”

“No enemies found across the western wasteland!” 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Hodge froze for a moment.

The Expeditionary Army always prioritized clear visibility when choosing a campsite. With their superior weapon range, maintaining an unobstructed line of fire was far more important than any other factor.

And since all four directions reported no enemy sighted, that meant there was no enemy presence within at least ten kilometers—a range that for the Expeditionary Army practically guaranteed absolute safety.

Hodge furrowed his brow.

Was he being paranoid? Possibly. Perhaps it was just a prank by some Soldier, and maybe Gwen’s sensory perception had simply malfunctioned.

But recalling that hasty, panicked handwriting, Hodge couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

He turned to Ash—who, among the Banshees, served almost as their overall commander, ranked far above Hodge, second only to Alexei.

However, since the Banshees no longer fought as the main force, she was technically still under Hodge’s field command.

Grinding his teeth, Hodge declared, “Lady Ash, I believe this is likely a warning from that mysterious helper. The one who helped us locate the Resistance Army proved he has reconnaissance capabilities far beyond our own. I intend to have the Expeditionary Army execute an emergency withdrawal.”

It was a risky decision. Inside the Military Camp, supplies were abundant, but things would be very different out in the wilderness.

The Expeditionary Army’s firepower exceeded any opponent’s—but their greatest weakness was that they were still human. They couldn’t carry much, especially since there were no spare Steam Locomotive Engines here.

Ash’s eyes paused briefly on the scrawled words on the ground. Her steady voice followed: “I also support immediate relocation.”

A grim light flashed in Hodge’s eyes. Ash’s agreement didn’t reassure him—it only deepened his unease.

“All personnel, assemble immediately! Prepare to withdraw! Ammunition—one unit base! Abandon all Heavy Firepower! Carry only half a day’s worth of food reserves!” Hodge shouted.

The Squad Leaders exchanged shocked glances.

By Expeditionary Army standards, one unit of ammunition sustained a full day of moderate combat. A field unit normally carried at least two to three bases of rifle ammunition and five or more for machine guns; anything less was inadequate.

If an intense battle broke out, a single unit wouldn’t even last half a day. That much was just enough for routine engagements, not emergencies.

Abandoning all Heavy Firepower and taking only one ammunition base—it was practically the same as fleeing for their lives.

Did they really have to be this desperate?

Seeing hesitation in their eyes, Hodge explained rapidly: “We’ll withdraw along the Railway! The next Train is already en route—we’ll encounter it within half a day at most!”

Only then did the men understand and rush off to organize the evacuation.

“Both of you, please take some Heavy Firepower and ammunition with you. The Expeditionary Army Soldiers are all Mortals—they can’t carry much weight. We’ll have to rely on you.” Hodge looked up at Gwen and Ash.

“Understood,” Ash replied without hesitation. Gwen also nodded without protest.

She was used to physical training; her strength far exceeded most, and carrying several hundred kilograms of ammunition was no problem.

As for Ash, there was no need to mention it—her single heavy machine gun could arm an entire company of Expeditionary Army Soldiers.

“Then we’ll rendezvous at the camp gate in ten minutes!”

Ash and Hodge immediately left. As both were in the Expeditionary Army’s chain of command, there were many preparations to make. Gwen, on the other hand, merely assisted them—already armed and armored, she had little to pack and could leave at once.

She lowered her gaze to the words “Run quickly” scrawled on the ground and pressed her lips together.

A dozen minutes later, the Expeditionary Army streamed out through the open camp gate, traveling light with only small arms.

Hodge turned back once at the Military Camp. Vast quantities of weapons and supplies lay behind, far too much to take. They could only plant explosives and destroy them all—this would likely be the greatest material loss the Expeditionary Army had suffered since arriving in the Northlands.

If his judgment proved wrong, dismissal was certain; he might even face a military tribunal. But still, he clenched his jaw and gave the order.

Supplies could be replenished—the Castel factories would not lack production—but the entire company of Expeditionary Army Soldiers under his command, the ones he had brought from Castel, he was determined to bring back alive.

No matter what.

The Expeditionary Army jogged southward along the Railway in a forced march. Once they were far enough from the camp, the explosives detonated with a thunderous boom.

The very ground of the Northlands seemed to quake. When Hodge turned back, all he could see was a blazing orange mushroom cloud rising into the sky.