Chapter 205 Decision
Despite the constant stream of reports arriving from every direction, Captain Rowan stood at the center of it all.
His uniform and armours were covered in black blood, his face and hair were not even spared.
His attention shifted constantly between the battlefield, the maps spread across the tables, and the officers waiting to receive their assignments.
"The eastern barricade is holding. Keep the Third Platoon in position."
"The southern laser battery is approaching its heat limit. Rotate control to Laser Four and begin cooling the third unit."
"The medical division reports thirty wounded, move them inside immediately. Deploy the reserve squad to replace the front line."
Each order came confidently, and before Rowan had even finished speaking, the officers were already moving to carry them out.
Margaret remained silent as she watched the command station operate.
She had expected raised voices, confusion, perhaps even panic after the monsters reached the fortress walls. Instead, every officer seemed to know exactly what to do. Reports were delivered clearly, decisions were made almost immediately, and nobody questioned Rowan before carrying out his instructions.
He noticed her standing nearby and straightened slightly before inclining his head.
"Acting Commander."
Margaret returned the nod before turning her attention back toward the battlefield. "Report."
"The laser weapons are performing beyond our expectations," Rowan replied. His tone remained calm despite the explosions echoing across the battlefield. "The monsters haven’t breached the outer barricades, but we’re consuming ammunition faster than we estimated. If they continue attacking at this pace until dawn, we’ll have to begin rationing supplies."
Margaret folded her arms. "And the western breach?"
"We reinforced it several minutes ago."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, another transmission crackled through the radio.
"Western command reporting. The breach has been secured. Monster activity is decreasing."
Rowan picked up the receiver immediately. "Maintain your formation. Keep every reserve platoon in position until further orders."
"Understood." The other voice replied from the other end.
Margaret looked toward the western battlefield on the screen.
The difference between that section of the wall and the other three fronts was difficult to ignore. The northern barricade was still engulfed in constant gunfire while explosions continued flashing across the eastern line, yet the western defense had gradually settled down.
The laser weapons still swept across the darkness every few seconds, occasionally firing whenever another monster entered their range, but the endless tide that had been crashing against the barricades earlier seemed to have slowed considerably.
Several reserve platoons remained behind the defensive line without being committed.
Some soldiers continued watching the darkness beyond the walls with rifles raised while others helped reload mounted machine guns or dragged monster corpses away from the barricades.
Margaret studied the scene for a long moment before looking back at Rowan.
"The western attack has weakened considerably," she said. "Why are you still keeping so many reserve platoons there while the northern and eastern walls continue asking for reinforcements?"
Rowan followed her gaze toward the western hills before answering. "Because the attack hasn’t ended."
Margaret frowned slightly. "It certainly looks like it has."
"It only looks that way because we can see the battlefield in front of us."
His answer immediately caught her attention. "What do you mean?"
Rowan walked around the command table and pointed toward a series of low hills stretching across the western approach.
"The laser weapons have blind zones behind those hills, and our observation towers can’t see beyond them either."
Margaret followed the direction of his hand. "So you’re worried they’re hiding?"
"I’m saying we don’t know." He replied.
She looked back toward the dark hills. "They could simply be dead."
"They could." Rowan nodded once before continuing.
"But these monsters rarely abandon an assault without a reason. If they disappear from one direction while continuing to pressure the others, I have to assume they’re repositioning until we can prove otherwise."
Margaret remained unconvinced.
From where she stood, there was nothing beyond those hills except darkness. No movement disturbed the landscape, no growls drifted toward the walls, and compared to the relentless fighting on the northern and eastern fronts, the western battlefield had become almost unnaturally quiet.
An officer hurried toward the command station and stopped beside Rowan. "Captain, the northern wall is requesting reinforcements."
Rowan answered without hesitation. "Denied."
"They’re requesting another platoon." Margaret said with a frown.
"They’ll have to hold." Rowan replied with a hard tone.
The officer shifted uneasily as he glanced at them.
"They’ve already suffered casualties." Margaret reasoned.
"I know."
"Then why not transfer one of the reserve platoons from the west?"
Rowan looked toward the hills again before answering. "Because those platoons aren’t positioned there to fight the battle in the north. What if another wave of monsters attack, who is going to defend the west?"
The officer frowned. Deep down he knew Rowan was right. The west suddenly going quiet was more dangerous than the chaos happening in the other locations.
"I don’t see why you are so worried, Captain Rowan. Right now we should be prioritising reducing the damage from the other walls." Margaret argued.
To her it wasn’t just about what was right or not. She believed if she could get Rowan to respect her, then her control over the fortress would grow stronger. And not just that, she would be able to show that she was not just a sheltered woman but one who could lead.
His voice remained calm, but there was no uncertainty in it. "The monsters have attacked this fortress several times already. When they stop throwing themselves against one section of the wall, they usually aren’t retreating. They’re looking for another way in."
The officer nodded slowly before hurrying away to relay the decision.
Margaret remained where she was, quietly studying the western defense once again.
Rowan’s explanation made sense. Yet the battlefield before her was telling a different story.
The western line had reserve platoons standing idle while reports continued arriving from the northern and eastern fronts requesting additional manpower. Every few minutes another officer approached asking for support, and every time Rowan gave the same answer.
Hold your position. Do not weaken the west.
The more Margaret watched, the more she became convinced that Rowan’s experience had made him overly cautious.
Perhaps he had fought too many battles. Perhaps he had learned to see danger even where there wasn’t any. But was he right?