Weeks passed by. The recruits were entering their rifle training. Erika now has a little over 100 rifles in her arsenal and the workers were now starting with the semi-automatic Gewehr 43. Erika had planned to Explore the dark forest with a squad of 13 soldiers in six months. She herself wanted to accompany them for their first mission. Plans were being drawn by Emil, Erika and Bauer on how to explore the place. Erika would call them the General staff. Emil and Bauer wouldn't really understand the meaning of this word but understood that they are someone who would plan the mission in general. One of Emil's friend who was unlucky to get into the Wehrmacht knew the forest. Because He used to go inside to look for valuables. "Milady this friend of mine is called Hans and he has been into the forest a great many times. You can call him a veteran. Though he only stick to the outer portion of the forest, still he has experience in fighting against some monsters." "Alright I would have needed guides for my mission. And having someone you know is quite a welcome development." Since he was Emil's friend, Erika accepted to take him as guide. Erika also planned the group composition. "There'll be 3 sub-machine gunners, 8 fusiliers with the new semi-automatic Gewehr 43 and two panzerjagers." Erika said while standing by the centre table in Erika's room. They have turned her room into a temporary command-post or as Erika would call it 'Kommandatur'. The abandoned storage room in the backyard has become their arsenal. "Milady, we don't have 13 soldiers. Even if you include me, we only get 11 or do you want to recruit some more." Emil asked confused from the left side of the table. Erika looked at Emil and replied, "No, we 3 will also go with them. This after all is their first mission. So I want to command them personally." "Impossible milady." Cried out Bauer. With an absolutely stern face she rejected the idea of Erika going with them. "What if something bad happens? How will we answer to ourselves for it? Your safety comes first I cannot allow you to go." Emil nodded in agreement with Bauer. "You are just a child. No matter how much knowledge you possess you are still not suitable for such operations especially in such dangerous places." Both were against Erika joining their mission. Erika stood firm she wouldn't go down without a fight either. "No, I have to build up the trust among my men. I cannot leave them alone in such a dangerous place by themselves. Blitzkrieg calls for the commander to be on the frontline with the soldiers." "But you are not a commander nor even a grown up. You may want to join the team but you won't be of much help." "Oh, they still think of me as child. But they don't know I was 16 in my previous life and including the 10 years as Erika I am effectively 26. I must go on this mission to make sure they understand that I am not a sheltered princess." Erika thought in her mind. She was not very happy with their rejection but pleased to know that they cared for her. "Milady, you going there can bring disaster. Master and madame would be furious if they find out that you went to such a dangerous place." Emil paused. Bauer was on the offensive, "Milady, if you are hurt the whole plan and everything you worked for would be in vain. Please stop this whim of yours. Your life has the highest priority. Think of how sad me, Emil, Master and Madam will be." This really pissed Erika off. She managed to keep a calm voice but was trembling with anger. "The fact that you think it is a whim of mine is precisely why I must go to this mission. I will prove to you that I can lead troops on the frontline." "And the fact that you are still insisting is why we deny you the permission to go. If you keep on insisting I will inform the madam on your plans and keep you grounded in the castle." Emil was very steadfast in his argument. Erika couldn't keep her calm and declared, "I will fire you from not just the Wehrmacht but also from the position of Butler." Bauer was surprised by this threatening and covered her mouth with both her hands. Erika calmed down after blurting this threat out but felt bad for saying it. "How... how could I even think of doing it. Emil is my most trusted butler and second in command who is keeping things together for me. Without him I could never come this far. I must apologise." Erika thought for a second and proceeded, "Sorry Emil I...." Emil was unfazed "I don't care. To me your safety is the priority. Milady please understand, we don't know the enemy and their strength. We don't know what unknown threats may arrive. Please I am not questioning your qualifications." Bauer who was silent for a time spoke out. "Please stop this conversation for now. Lets focus on building the squad." She said. Her eyes were down and she looked dejected. "Fine. I will put an end to this conversation for now. I am sorry Emil. Please don't mind what I said." "Don't worry milady." Emil replied.
They took a brief break from the planning to lighten the mood up. After the break they once again gathered around the table. The sun was setting and the room was becoming dark. Bauer light the chandelier hanging above. The meeting continued. The previous tensions have dissipated to a certain extent but there was still a tension present in the room. Erika started, "Since we don't have a clear idea about our enemy, we have to be quick witted. We will be using new weapons that I personally will make. The two panzerjagers will use panzerfausts, while the sub-machinegunners will use the Mp40. I will need your assistance in making these. The craftsmen will continue with the semi-automatic. The plan is for the sub-machine gunners will take out any monsters at a close range while the long range ones will be handled by the fusiliers. Finally any enemy that cannot be killed by them will be taken care of by the panzerjagers." Erika explained her plans. She looked at both Emil and Bauer for a while. They were both serious and though there was a tension among them about the previous conflict. Their face was tense. The silence was awkward. Bauer finally broke the silence. "Milady the plan is solid, but the new weapons you speak of will they be effective as you put it? Specially I am worried about this panzerfaust you speak of." Bauer was skeptical, though she had seen the power of Erika's weapons but they were not tested against monsters. The panzerfaust in particular. Emil spoke in looking at Erika, "Since it will be used to kill the monsters that normal weapons can't kill, that means it must be very heavy and unwieldy. Will we have enough of it to kill the bigger monsters?" Erika could understand their worry. She was bit worried herself, not because she doubted the power of the weapon but the fact that it was a one-time use. She couldn't think of using the anti-tank rifles because they were heavy and would be difficult to use in forest. Moreover the recoil may hurt the user if used inappropriately but since it was one-time use, not many can be carried by two man. However she didn't say all this but reassures Emil and Bauer, "Don't worry, Panzerfausts are easy to make and lighter to use. One soldier can fire it from his shoulder and it would penetrate up to 200mm of steel." Both Emil and Bauer were impressed. "If it's true , then we can overcome any problems milady. This weapon can become the king of the battlefield. With this no wall can stop you." "Wait till I introduce you to the real king of the battlefield." Erika smirked.