Reincarnated with the Country System

The column crept forward at a painful crawl. What should have been a three-day journey was turning into a logistical nightmare. The Bernard Empire's modern war machine—designed for highways and battlefields—was now waging a different kind of war: one against nature itself.

At the front, the 5th Infantry Brigade slogged through the mud, their boots sinking with every step. Soldiers carried AKMs slung over their shoulders, their M69 flak jackets caked in dirt. Behind them, armored personnel carriers (APCs) and trucks struggled to keep pace. The 9th Armored Division's T-72 main battle tanks inched forward, their 41.5-ton frames chewing through the fragile logging trail.

Lieutenant General Eva Cortez watched from her command Humvee, parked on a drier patch of land beside the trail. She ran a gloved hand through her short, dark hair as she listened to the latest status reports.

"General, the M35s carrying rations are stuck at the last river crossing," an aide reported. "The wooden bridge collapsed under a half-track."

Eva exhaled through her nose. "Then unload them and move the supplies forward on foot. We're not losing momentum."

The aide hesitated. "It'll slow us down, ma'am."

"We're already slow." Eva turned to her radio operator. "Patch me through to Major Graves."

♦♦♦

Major Elias Graves crouched beside a rock, cigar clenched between his teeth. He peered through binoculars at a section of road that had turned into a swampy trench. "No wonder these backwater knights stick to horses," he muttered.

A squad of engineers was already wading into the muck, laying down steel mats to create a temporary path. The mud swallowed their boots to the knees.

Graves turned as his radio operator handed him the receiver. "General wants an update, sir."

Graves wiped his hands on his uniform and took the radio. "General, unless you got a magic spell to dry out this road, we've got a problem. The tanks won't make it through here."

"Divert them," Eva's voice came through, steady. "Use the rocky ridge to the west."

Graves looked at the ridge—solid, but steep. "That'll stress the suspensions, but it's better than sinking." He waved over a sergeant. "Get the 9th moving up the ridge. Infantry, stay on the main path."

Nearby, Staff Sergeant Rivas, a tank commander, grimaced as he received the new orders. "You heard the brass," he told his crew. "Keep it steady—if we throw a track up there, we're dead in the water."

The T-72s roared to life, grinding their way toward the higher ground.

♦♦♦

Further Back in the Column

The M35 trucks carrying supplies jolted violently as they hit another pothole. Corporal David leaned out of his seat, gripping the doorframe. "Jesus, it's like driving through a war zone."

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Private Lucas in the back grumbled. "Except the enemy is the road."

Another bump sent crates of ammunition rattling. Lucas cursed, steadying them. "You think Britannia even has a word for 'suspension system'?"

"They barely have proper maps," said Private Elly, scanning her surroundings through binoculars. "We're flying blind out here."

As if to prove her point, the lead truck suddenly skidded to a halt. A man in rusted armor stood in the road, holding up a hand. Behind him, a dozen villagers huddled near broken carts.

"Roadblock," the driver muttered.

♦♦♦

Eva's Humvee

"General, you're gonna want to see this," came a transmission.

Eva stepped out of her vehicle, approaching the halted convoy. The villagers recoiled as the soldiers approached, their eyes darting to the armored vehicles behind them.

Cedric of House Farl dismounted from his horse, removing his helmet. "They say a rockslide wiped out their homes," he translated.

Eva studied the makeshift barricade. "We don't have time for this."

Cedric cleared his throat. " If we give them some supplies…?"

Eva exhaled sharply. "Give them food. We'll push through after."

As the soldiers distributed rations, Cedric turned to her. "You seem frustrated, General."

She watched as a mechanic banged on the side of a stalled BTR-60. "The roads break, the bridges collapse, the maps lie."

♦♦♦

The smell hit first—a choking mix of rotting vegetation and stagnant water. Blackroot Bog stretched before them, an expanse of peat and mist.

Eva and her officers gathered around a map spread over a T-72's turret.

"This is the only route left," said Major Graves, tapping the map. "But the ground here is unstable."

"Quicksand," added Cedric. "Even light cavalry avoids this place."

Eva looked at the terrain. The infantry could use makeshift paths, but the vehicles…

"We lay down corduroy roads," she decided. "Logs, steel plates, whatever it takes. Engineers start now. Infantry secures the perimeter."

Graves chuckled. "I hope you like the smell of swamp gas."

"Better than the smell of defeat."

♦♦♦

It took another day to cross the area. The tanks crushed through unstable patches, some nearly sinking before the engineers reinforced the ground. The infantry was exhausted, their boots soaked and spirits fraying.

_______________

9th Armored Division:

Main Battle Tanks— T-72M – 62 Tanks

- 125mm smoothbore cannon

- Coaxial PKT 7.62mm machine gun

- 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun (cupola-mounted)

- Composite armor with ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) panels

- 780-hp V-46 diesel engine, max speed 60 km/h

- Infrared searchlights and NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protection

Infantry Fighting Vehicles & Armored Personnel Carriers

- BMP-1 – 36 Vehicles

- 73mm Grom low-pressure gun

- AT-3 Sagger wire-guided missile launcher

- 7.62mm PKT machine gun

- Amphibious capability

- BTR-60PB – 42 Vehicles

- 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun

- 7.62mm PKT coaxial MG

- Eight-wheel drive, max speed 80 km/h

Self-Propelled Artillery & Anti-Aircraft

2S1 Gvozdika (122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer) – 18 Units

- 122mm howitzer, range 15.3 km

- HE and fragmentation shells

- ZSU-23-4 Shilka – 10 Units

- Quadruple 23mm autocannons

- Radar-guided targeting system

Engineering & Logistics Vehicles

- MT-LB (Armored Recovery & Utility) – 14 Units

- PMP Pontoon Bridge System – 6 Units

- KRAZ-255B Fuel & Ammunition Trucks – 25 Vehicles

5th Infantry Brigade:

Unlike the armoured division, the 5th Infantry Brigade relied on speed, firepower, and infantry tactics. They operated on foot or with light vehicles, acting as shock troops alongside the tanks.

Infantry Units & Equipment

Total Personnel: 4,200 Troops

Standard Rifle: AKM (7.62x39mm)

- Squad Automatic Weapon: RPK-74 (5.45x39mm)

- Designated Marksman: SVD Dragunov (7.62x54mmR)

- Anti-Tank Weapons:

- RPG-7 (Handheld Rocket Launcher)

- AT-4 Spigot (Wire-Guided ATGM)@@novelbin@@

Mortars & Heavy Support Weapons

- 82mm PM-41 Mortars – 36 Units

- DShK 12.7mm Heavy Machine Guns – 24 Units

- SPG-9 Recoilless Rifles – 18 Units

Each battalion had its own fire support team, equipped with mortars and heavy machine guns. The SPG-9 was essential for hitting enemy fortifications.

Transport & Mobility

GAZ-66 4x4 Trucks – 90 Vehicles

UAZ-469 Utility Jeeps – 45 Vehicles

M35 6x6 Cargo Trucks – 30 Vehicles

These vehicles moved troops, supplies, and towed artillery. The M35s carried additional food, fuel and ammunition.