Hearts of Iron 4 Player's Guide to Save the Isekai World

Super Event

Near the border, Duchy of Estrier. 3rd of October 1539 Anno Heroum (Year of our Heroes)

Black smoke rose from a village near the Mandate Force's Security Forces - East in Blaire City. In the interest of headquarters and the Duchess of Estrier, a Staffel (2 platoons; small than a company) marched to investigate. The black-grey-white nordic cross Standard of the Ministry of Security fluttered together with the Cascadian flag, a horizontal bicolor of white and sky-blue with a white disk at the center, and the peace symbol in a golden pattée design.

The Captain and Sergeant-Major led the walk on horses, a carriage with a hole on the roof behind them. A soldier with a mounted Parabellum MG 14 scanned the surrounding areas with binoculars.

"Horseman up ahead," the gunner raised his voice. "Armed and well-armored."

"Double Diamond formation!" the Captain's orders repeated amongst the ranks. It was the best form to stop cavalry charges.

The Sergeant-Major readied his LP 08. "What's the play, Cap?"

He turned to the gunner. "Anything?"

"He's seen us– And he's gone. We have to move past the crest of that mound to get a better look."

The origin of the smoke was just past that elevated piece of land. If they get there, they can work out what happened. "Dammit. Coates, with me," the Captain cocked his LP 08. "Everyone, remain in your stations! Assume the worst!"

The Captain and Sergeant-Major spurred their horses to the mound. The Captain's blood ran cold at the sight of armed horsemen waiting for them. Both spun their horses to fire. The unknown group roared, their weapons raised high as their horses neighed before charging them.

"Shit–!" both officers unloaded ten rounds into the group before they retreated. "The horses! Shoot the horses!"

Two horse-drawn carts already positioned themselves on the carriage's sides. As trained, both officers gained distance from one another. And as the unknown band appeared on the crest, the Staffel's machine guns saturated the whole area with bullets. As a Force with a clean slate, they didn't have to suffer massive stockpiles of the 69kg MG 08 and its spare parts. The MG 14 did it better and lighter.

Soldiers around them fired in the prone, crouch, and standing position; As long as no one got accidentally popped in the back, it didn't matter; Nothing mattered but their survival. They won't prize any horses; interrogate prisoners if they're dead; A bulwark of bodies formed from the vanguard's dense formation. A bullet struck the horse in front, and the one in the back slammed against it. Men get shot, and those behind lose balance and hit the one beside them. It caused a large pile-up. The few who got out of the hail of lead unscathed didn't escape the following precise rifle fire.

With relentless fire, the group dropped dead on their tracks, oblivious to a Security Force Staffel's firepower. Further away, the Captain cursed at the brigands for showing their hand. There was no climactic battle, and that was the problem. If there was a scout somewhere, the information would determine how Salais and other Kingdoms combat the ground element of the Mandate Force's ruthless efficiency in the future. As silence reigned again, The Captain and Sergeant-Major regrouped.

"I want half a platoon investigating the bodies. Send a runner back to Blaire and call for the locals to clean it up. We'll continue investigating the village."

"Right away," the Sergeant-Major spurred his horse to the ranks.

As the Staffel returned to their march, the Captain could already guess. Having hope was good; It kept up troop morale. But as an officer, he has to form equations on the field and calculate them. The correct answer lies in the results they see. There was no other way to say it. He was already wondering how to write the report, but he knew it didn't matter. HQ will want a detailed account of burnt houses, beheaded men, impaled boys, and raped women — age was irrelevant. All of a sudden, a dizzy spell struck him. Everyone became disoriented.