Chapter 31: A Rather Perfunctory Black Hawk Sentinel

To be perfectly honest, Andrei was simply bluffing. Even with a forged document and a working knowledge of the Black Eagle language, he was far from safe.

Setting aside whether anyone could clearly see that his face didn’t match the credentials in the dark, a single challenge for the password would have left him completely stumped. He hadn't managed to capture any prisoners to interrogate for the password, so if they were asked, his cover would undoubtedly be blown. But there was no other choice; they had to make do. They had already come this far, and turning around in front of the checkpoint would only draw attention and invite discovery.

Andrei’s heart hammered against his ribs, but there were several other units and a dozen vehicles ahead of his column already going through inspections. He wasn't in a hurry, so he simply waited in line. Behind him, the Hanwu soldiers, whether sitting in trucks or marching on foot, were tense to the point of breaking. They couldn't understand what the Black Eagle soldiers were saying, but they could guess that they were currently passing through enemy lines. Though they wanted to trust their officer, they were far from certain that their unit could slip through unnoticed. Anticipating the worst, the soldiers tightened their grips on their rifles. Those in the trucks discreetly placed their hands on the mounted machine guns, ready to open fire at a moment's notice.

After waiting for some time, it was finally Andrei’s turn. However, the moment he greeted the sentry in the Black Eagle tongue, the soldier waved him through with an expression of pure impatience.

"Hurry up, quit dragging your feet! Move, move, move!" the sentry barked. "Buddy, there are so many vehicles waiting behind you—let's make this quick so it's easier for everyone!"

Andrei’s eyes widened in disbelief. Was the sentry really this incompetent? He hadn't bothered to ask for a password, or even to check his identification. Still, Andrei wasn't about to tempt fate. He quickly replied, "You're right!" and signaled for his troops to pass through immediately.

By the time Andrei’s unit had put some distance between themselves and the checkpoint, his head was still spinning.

"Tell me," Andrei muttered, frowning at Boris, who was driving the truck, "is the vigilance of these Black Eagle soldiers really this pathetic?"

Boris was equally baffled. He couldn't fathom how the Black Eagle military, rumored to be strictly disciplined, could commit such a low-level error. After a moment's thought, Boris offered a self-deprecating theory: "Captain, I suspect it’s because their campaign has gone so smoothly that they’ve let their guard down. Honestly, since the war began, we’ve lost god-knows how much territory. Entire divisions, even armies, have been wiped out, and we haven't managed a single decent victory. If I were a Black Eagle soldier, I’d never imagine that a group of Hanwu soldiers would be bold enough to masquerade as our own and wander into our rear lines—let alone think to check them thoroughly."

Andrei shrugged. It seemed these Black Eagle soldiers had yet to suffer at the hands of guerrillas. Yet, the situation for the Hanwu Empire appeared even grimmer than he had imagined. Were they really being beaten this badly? He couldn't help but compare the situation to the Soviet Union during World War II; he wasn't sure how the Hanwu Empire measured up. Based on their equipment and the hints of their political system, the Empire seemed closer to the state of Tsarist Russia, but the initial phase of the war felt exactly like the impact of Operation Barbarossa.

It wasn't just that checkpoint; the next one they encountered was much the same. The sentries, having been at their posts since before dawn, were in foul moods and desperate to wave everyone through so they could catch some sleep. They showed no suspicion toward Andrei’s odd, mixed-regiment unit, which included everything from truck-borne infantry to armored vehicles. At the second checkpoint, the sentry even offered a friendly greeting in exchange for a cigarette from Andrei, warning him to watch out for landmines as they entered the enemy-occupied zone ahead.

Andrei offered a bitter smile in return. He highly doubted there were any mines ahead; in his view, the Hanwu military had been routed so thoroughly that he wondered if the Black Eagle troops had even bothered to lay any.

Consulting the small map he had seized from a Black Eagle officer, Andrei traced their route. If they crossed the bridge ahead, they would reach a small town. The town was still under Hanwu control, though at the current rate, the Black Eagle forces would likely seize it soon.

"We’re heading this way, to Coldwater Town, to link up with friendly forces," Andrei told Boris.

Boris nodded and shouted to the infantry in the back of the truck, and the order was quickly relayed throughout the unit. Perhaps it was because they were deep in enemy territory and Andrei was the only one who spoke the language, or perhaps it was because of the impressive results Andrei’s company had achieved in previous battles, but even though Major Yuri outranked him, the Major rarely issued orders, deferring instead to Andrei.

When the soldiers heard they would soon be linking up with friendly troops, they were overjoyed. Many wanted to shed their enemy uniforms immediately and change back into their own filthy, tattered gear, but Andrei quickly stopped them. They weren't out of the woods yet; what if another Black Eagle unit appeared? Keeping the uniforms on was their best chance to catch the enemy off guard—if they changed now, they would be the ones caught off guard.

Andrei had intended for them to change back only after they reached the bridge, but as they traveled, he heard a faint, thunderous sound in the distance. Before he could react, the veteran Boris spoke with a grave expression: "Captain, tell our men to prepare for combat. That’s artillery fire from up ahead! The Black Eagle army is laying siege to the town!"