"...It's raining."
"Hey, it's starting to rain here!"

In the battlefield, weather conditions are extremely important.

"Hey, bring the plastic sheets. Everyone gather around!"
"We'll make a roof!"

For instance, rain. Normally, it is a symbol of blessing for crops, and for us who haven't secured a river, it's a precious opportunity to replenish our drinking water.

"Don't you have umbrellas or raincoats?"
"You'll get one when you get promoted, newbie."

For the infantrymen on the front lines of war, rain becomes an unbeatable enemy.

"Achoo!!"

Before daybreak, our squad was sleeping in the trench when we were awakened by a cold feeling dripping on us. It was raining.

"Hey Salsa, can you fix the edge of the sheet on the opposite bank with a nail?"
"Yes, sir."

When it rains, each squad goes to get a large plastic cloth that is provided for them. They then spread the plastic cloth over the trench to create a temporary roof. We, the infantry, stay under the roof to weather the rain.

"The key is to make the roof slanted. Do you know why, Salsa?"
"Um, to prevent water from accumulating...?"
"Correct. If you make it level, the water will gather in the middle. So you need to prepare a gutter at the lowest point and make a mechanism to drain the water."

Rain is generally disadvantageous for the infantry.

Firstly, the ground becomes muddy, making it difficult to advance. Secondly, weapons that use gunpowder, such as guns, are more likely to misfire. Although the guns given to the infantry are said to be completely waterproof... When used in the rain, there is a good chance that they will become damp and cannot be fired.

"On the other hand, the enemy is also in the same situation. Therefore, combat action in the rain is not recommended."
"So, there won't be any mission today?"
"No. Even if the gun is unusable, weapons that don't rely on gunpowder, such as bows and swords, can be used in the rain. Waterproof hand grenades have also been developed. Therefore, launching a surprise attack in the rain is not out of the question."
"But bows have reduced range, unstable aim, and slippery grip, so it's still not advisable to fight in the rain."

For this reason, it seems that it is difficult for combat to occur on rainy days. It becomes difficult for the attacker to gain distance and to use gunpowder, making the defense side more advantageous. In other words, there is a high possibility that we will be working at a field hospital today.

"In that case, it would be great if it just keeps raining."
"...Are you stupid? Even though it's still warm now, rain is the worst enemy for us."

Senior soldiers rebuked Salsa's joke with a bitter smile on their faces. To be honest, I also hoped that it wouldn't rain, just like Salsa.

"More dangerous than enemy soldiers who shoot at us while we're holed up in a trench?"
"Yeah, we can manage if we have the squad leader charge them. But there's nothing we can do about the rain."

According to our senpais, rain is scarier than enemy soldiers pointing their guns at us. At first, I thought it was a joke, but my senpai said it with a serious face.

"I was in the Defense Force before I was assigned here."
"The Defense Force?"
"Yes. They're the ones who are still shaking in the trenches on the front lines, defending us."

With a terribly unpleasant expression, my senpai recounted his experiences to me and Salsa, while Allen the scout told us about his.

"I lost three toes and five comrades to the rain."
"Toes?"

The Defense Force is a unit that does the incredibly unpleasant job of hunkering down in the front trenches and waiting for the enemy.

As an Assault Force, our job is to advance during combat, kill the enemies in the trenches in front of us, and secure the terrain.

The Defense Force's job is to stay holed up in the trenches and intercept our Assault Force.

The equipment and composition of each unit are also significantly different.

The Assault Force consists of highly offensive and suppressive forces, such as infantry equipped with small and maneuverable guns, reconnaissance troops who investigate enemies in the trenches ahead, and grenadiers who can suppress trenches from a long distance. They mainly act during offensives and support as guerrilla troops when the defensive line is breached.

Therefore, we are based in the rear of the battlefield, so we can move flexibly.

Most Assault Forces have grenadiers, although they are not present in the Garback squad at the moment. Grenadiers are a specialized unit that throws small explosives like hand grenades at enemy trenches or fires them with special guns. They are very powerful because they can efficiently kill enemies inside trenches from a long distance.

It seems that the Garback squad used to have grenadiers, but there was a horrible incident in which a new grenadier misjudged Garback's marching speed and threw a grenade into a trench just after Garback's assault. Since then, Garback has stopped organizing grenadiers in his unit. Nobody told us what happened to the new grenadier.

On the other hand, the Defense Force is composed of units that can withstand endurance battles, such as heavily armored soldiers, spellcasters who can use defensive magic, medical personnel who are strong against trauma and infection, and construction troops who build fortifications and lay barbed wire.

The Defense Force (somewhat less than the Assault Force) has a low mortality rate, and the significance of frontline treatment is extremely high, so occasionally medical personnel are assigned to the unit.

Their mission is one of the toughest in the whole unit, as they are constantly on alert for enemy attacks while living in fear of being bombed by the magic unit.

In return, unlike assault troops, they have a lot of time off. In this frontline, the Defense Force gets a day off every three days, and they can do whatever they want without violating military discipline. They can play cards with their comrades, or even visit women for a good time...  Entertainment goods are also given priority in provision.

"Well, even if they're being given such preferential treatment, the defense forces are the ones who are most likely to go crazy."
"...That's probably true."

The assault unit has some time to prepare themselves mentally before launching an attack. In addition, if nothing is said during the briefing, it is reassuring to know that there will be no combat.

However, the defense forces don't have that luxury. Once they are assigned to a mission, they have to stay on the front lines, constantly hunkering down and fearing bombardment until the time comes for their replacement. The stress is said to be unimaginable.

"When it rains while on defense duty, it's truly the worst. You can't go get a plastic sheet from the front lines, you're exposed to the rain all the time."
"Ugh..."
"The ground is soaked, and it's all dirty with sewage. That's why diseases are spreading, and the diarrhea of those who got sick flows underfoot."
"..."
"In my unit, dysentery was rampant, and my comrades were dropping like flies from dehydration. It's terrible to die from diarrhea, being buried in your own filth and unable to move."
"Ugh..."
"Moreover, the water is so cold that your toes freeze just from getting wet in the winter. Boots were useless, too. When the water rose, sewage mixed with diarrhea would enter your shoes."

Recalling these experiences, Allen-senpai cut off the conversation with a gloomy expression. The front lines are terribly unsanitary. It's a relief not to be assigned there.

"Assault troops are lucky. They have a high mortality rate, but they can at least take shelter from the rain in a place with a roof."
"Yeah... we're super lucky."
"Well, Touli-chan could've slept in a field hospital tent if the squad leader hadn't been demanding about it."
"Medical personnel are not combatants to begin with. I've never heard of a combat medic in an assault unit."
"Oh, right."

It's strange to send medics to the front line, isn't it?

"Why did the squad leader request a medic in the first place?"
"Garback squad leader reportedly complained to the higher-ups that if there was a medic on the front lines, they could've advanced even after being hit by a bomb."
"Was he planning to keep moving forward even after being hit by a bomb?"

Let's drop that subject.

"We're entering the rainy season now. Hopefully, the frequency of our deployments and enemy attacks will decrease."
"I hope so."
"So, learn as much as you can while you're here, newbie. Salsa, the squad leader's protection won't last forever."
"Yes, sir."
"Well, for starters, let's learn to run in a low posture. If you run with your head up like you did earlier, you'll die in no time."

Thus, we were awakened by the rain early in the morning and spent the night listening to our senior's stories.

I didn't have the chance to have a proper conversation with my senior infantryman, so it was a fresh experience.

"Reduce your target area. By bending your head down and crouching as you run, you can reduce your target area by 10-20% compared to running normally. It's a technique to increase your own survival rate, so you need to be aware of it."
"Like this...?"
"That's right. It's slower than running normally and puts a strain on your back, but it's better to get used to that forward-leaning posture. Especially if you're going to continue as an assault soldier."

We are still inexperienced rookies. There are so many things we don't know, like tactics and techniques on the battlefield.

"It's almost time for the briefing. Let's go to the squad leader's tent."
"Yes sir, thank you very much."
"I learned a lot."

Will we gradually become "soldiers" even though we are still inexperienced rookies like this?

"Touli, you're on field hospital duty today. You'll be under the command of Chief Gael from the Health Department until tomorrow."
"Understood."

As expected, it was hospital duty today. At least I knew I wouldn't have to face the front lines tonight, so I felt relieved.

"The others are digging trenches. Be careful, the rain is making the ground slippery."
"Got it."

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not an infantryman. I would definitely die doing manual labor in the rain all day with just my own strength. And I couldn't even imagine being part of the defense unit and having to wait in the trenches.

"Alright, that's all. Everyone, head to your posts."

I breathed a sigh of relief, only to have it cut short.

---Thud!

A loud rumbling, as if something had exploded, echoed in the distant trenches.

"…! Enemy attack, everyone prepare for combat!"
"Understood!"

In the rain, we hurriedly jumped into the trenches. Then, we held our breath and pressed our backs against the black soil.

"Allen, give us a report."
"I report that multiple smoke clouds are rising from the ally trenches about 500 meters north of our position. It is suspected to be an attack by enemy magic infantry."
"Okay, let's request instructions from higher-ups. Cancel the previous orders, and everyone standby."

The scout Allen-senpai peeked out from the trench and used binoculars to report the surrounding situation. It was an enemy attack. Rumors had it that the firepower decreased in the rain, so they wouldn't attack much, but... 

"Orders from higher-ups. Our squad will immediately head north to intercept the enemy."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"When we arrive, we will act under the command of Lieutenant Lenvel. Rejoice, you fools! They came to play and be minced!"

The squad leader joyfully headed north along the trench. He was probably happy because he could kill enemy soldiers even without an attack order.

"Senpai, you're a liar! You said the enemy wouldn't come much in the rain!"
"So they came after all."

The battlefield echoed with explosions. The ruthless attack of the enemy magic troops was raining down on the frontlines. Even now, the defenders at the forefront must be desperately protecting themselves.

"To reduce the number of defenders in the trenches, there will be plenty of bombing for several hours. During that time, we'll gather behind and secure the rear."
"The front trenches will probably have to be abandoned, but we won't let them go beyond that."

This is the basic movement of the defenders. While magic artillery is incredibly powerful, it also takes several hours, effectively giving a "We're going to attack this position now" warning to the defenders. However, if the magical bombings are not carried out or if the time is too short, the defenders will not have decreased at all, and the attackers will be repelled. Therefore, magic troops have no choice but to attack firmly. As a result, time is given to strengthen the defense. So, it is difficult to gain distance with just one attack.

The attacking side advances a short distance at the cost of a significant amount of money and the lives of assault soldiers. However, they never manage to break through the enemy lines because sufficient troops are deployed behind each trench they manage to capture. Moreover, the "distance" gained at great sacrifice is easily lost in the next enemy offensive, which is also costly in terms of money and soldiers' lives.

What value is there in such a game of territorial conquest? Those who had the correct answer to this question probably could not be found anywhere on the battlefield at that time.