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The booming sound of cannon fire erupted as the newly arrived French forces were given a stern lesson by the artillery of the Anti-French Alliance.
A shell, descending from the sky, landed less than one hundred meters from the French frontline command post, its shrapnel scattering and claiming the lives of three officers who had come for a meeting.
Among them was Major General Anduin Urien, divisional commander of the Ninth Division of the French Army. He was the highest-ranking officer the French had lost since the outbreak of war.
Upon receiving this dire news, General Uddino, who had successfully captured the forward commander, looked terribly grim.
"Colonel Rick, dispatch someone to reconnoiter the enemy's artillery deployment again. We must ascertain why their shells can reach us here."
Uddino was a battle-hardened veteran, and the selection of the command post had been made with care; it was not meant to be so vulnerable to enemy fire.
