After looking at the photobook, I closed it and resumed my work. I stayed there for almost an hour, when suddenly, Alfred knocked on the door and entered.
"Martin, some of our troops on the western coastline have found something. Like a big warehouse, I don't know. It is almost a kilometre from the coastal ridge."
"So?" I asked him.
"Well, they told Colonel Felmer. And as the colonel is busy, they want you and me to check it out. A request, obviously."
I thought about it. Maybe it was just a small factory or a storage house. But I decided to check it out. I am sick of this paperwork, so a good reason to escape.
"Okay then, let's go," I answered and picked up my coat, and we left.
After a drive of fifteen minutes, we reached the mysterious warehouse. When we reached, there was a railway track entering from one side and leaving from the other. It seemed more like a shed rather than a warehouse.
"Sir, we were exploring and looking for any threats, and then we found this. We thought a senior could check it, so it would be better." A sergeant spoke as I got out of my jeep.
On my signal, the entrance was opened. And we entered the warehouse. Inside it was a big machine, and a big cloth was covering it. I ordered, and six soldiers removed the cover. What emerged was something I never expected I would see in my life.
It was an 80-year-old artillery cannon, the Arkinson-550. A 55 metres long, 12 metres high and 8 metres wide railway cannon. It was purely Arkanian. Everything was ours. It used a 550mm shell. It had a speciality that its turret could be rotated separately.
"What the hell is this?" Alfred asked me.
"This is the Arkinson-550 railway gun. It uses a 550mm shell and is 80 years old."
"80!?!? How is something this old even here?" Alfred was shocked.
"You don't know Arkania's history?" I asked.
"Well…No."
"Alfred, 70 years ago, we were an independent nation. The Phoenix Empire attacked us. This cannon was built to defeat the most powerful battleship in history, known as the water devil. This is the only weapon which can defeat it. But back then, our ancestors failed. And we became a colony of the Phoenix Empire. Later, they sold our land to Zaphlis. And now we have more land than before."
"Hmmm…spicy history."
"What captain are you if you don't know your country's history?" I was shocked at him.
"By the way guess what? The barrel is pointing at the city wall."
"On the gatehouse we destroyed yesterday," I said.
"YOU destroyed. There is no WE." Alfred responded.
I laughed and shook my head.
"It has many problems. It is too big. It can rotate as well, but the noise will be so loud that the whole world will know. The reloading takes a hell of a time. So you only get one shot. It needs a lot of crew." I informed Alfred.
"But it was the best for its time, right?" Alfred asked.
"Yes, that's true," I answered. "Well, we should head back. I will inform General Yarna and tell him to send the idle soldiers here to clean it and prepare it. Who knows, we may use it."
Then we left the warehouse and got back to the HQ. When I reached the hustle and bustle was more than in the morning. Maybe they had decided to attack the city.
When I entered the central building, a sergeant walked towards me and told me that General Yarna is waiting for me in the operations room. After that, I went to the operations room. And every unit commander was there. I went forward and stood near the table.
"Where were you major?" The general asked me.
"Sir, we have found an ancient weapon on the western coastline," I replied.
"Ancient? What do you mean?" He smiled a bit.
"We found the Arkinson-550. All in one piece, but dusty and rusty." I replied.
"Arkinson!?!?" He was shocked, and probably had nothing to say.
"Yes, sir. I think we should send some idle soldiers and technicians to clean and prepare. We may get the chance to use it."
"It's 80 years old. Do you think it will function?" Said General Irgin.
"If we make it work, it will work," I replied.
"Fine, after the meeting, tell the technician unit commander. He will send some." He approved my request. And then focused on the map. "As the eastern front has been reduced to nothing, so they wouldn't get any reinforcements from there. We killed 135,000 enemy soldiers and captured 22,000 injured soldiers. The injured were sent to the capital and other safe cities. Now, I know you all are tired. But we can't wait for the Velkarian reinforcements to arrive. We have 197,000 soldiers, and 15,000 more have just arrived from the capital. More equipment and ammunition have also arrived. So we have enough power to retake the city."
He paused and began to look at me. He looked at everyone present in the room. And then again stared into my eyes. I understood what he was going to say.
"This army will be commanded by only one commander. And that is…Major Martin."
Everyone was shocked, and many gasped. Of course, a major can't lead a fully-fledged army. But, as I said before, I wasn't just any major.
"Him!? What are you talking about, General? He is just a major and above all a child. How can an 18-year-old lead an army?" General Irgis was shocked.
"General Yarna, there is no time to joke around. You know this better than any of us." Lieutenant General Aska objected.
Of course, none of them was happy. But it was time they knew about me. And the general was going to reveal.
"Now…Listen. First of all, he isn't just a major, but the right-hand man of the supreme commander as well. In other words, the second most powerful person currently in the country."
"What? Him!? He is that major??" General Irgis was more shocked. "This means then…"
"Yes, he is the major who gave the plan for Operation Heaven's Tears." General Yarna continued.
Everyone was shocked. Now they know who decimated the Eastern Hectagon Army. Now they know who was standing in front of them. Of course, I was not going to abuse this power. But when they looked at me, I gave a small smirk.
"The supreme commander put him under me because he is young and inexperienced. But he is the only person in Arkania who has fought General Argen head-on. He lost his mission, but Argen didn't succeed as well."
"What about Supreme Commander Michaela?" Major General Rolfin questioned.
The general began to look at me. I had to speak now.
"My mission was to bring the supreme commander to the extraction point, which I did. In that moment, my objective and mission ended. Clearing that area was the job of the Special Forces, but they failed."
"And yesterday, you all know how he performed. The supreme commander chose him, and the parliament approved it. So none of us here can question his authority. In rank, he is above us all. And you all know, when rank is involved, age is meaningless."
"Yes, sir." All generals responded.
"As he proved to be better than I imagined. So he is my superior as well." General Yarna ended his speech.
"I am not going to take any of your posts. The supreme commander sent me. He believes in me and all of you. So if you don't want me to command. I will not." I said and began to look at me.
"No, sir," Lieutenant General Tisker replied.
Well, they followed protocols too much, so they would never question my decisions. And hence I was going to lead the siege of Targalia.
It was now time to take back what was ours. It was time for my head-on battle with Rokhnir.