We marched in a ring around the Ultramarine carrying the heavy bolter.
Everyone looked excited at the prospect of having Space Marines accompanying us, but I was uneasy.
Space Marines.
A First Founding Chapter, no less, fighting alongside mere Guardsmen?
Looking at the marking on his right pauldron, I saw that he was a Devastator Marine.
Five Devastator Marines.
And five Primaris Intercessors, each even larger than those Marines.
Ah... we were screwed.
We were the vanguard.
The best possible position to get ourselves killed.
Now I understood why Adriana had told me to return alive.
Damn it...
I took out my canteen and moistened my lips.
"O You who sit upon Terra's throne. Watch over us..."
Praying, I moved onward.
About thirty minutes later, as I scanned our surroundings, I felt something was wrong.
An unpleasant sensation, as though something were scraping at the inside of my head.
Back home, whenever I felt this way, robbers always came.
I studied the terrain around us.
"Squad. Heighten your vigilance. Something isn't right."
Knowing full well that something had always appeared whenever I said such things, my squadmates crouched low and went on alert.
"Guardsman. It seems you have sensed something."
"Yes, my lord. There is something in the ruins nearby."
The Marine surveyed the area.
"Well done, Guardsman. You have done excellent work."
Then, without warning, he unleashed a barrage from his heavy bolter at the ruins where I had sensed something.
"Gweeegh!"
A boulder exploded apart—and screamed.
It was an Ork Kommando.
"Ork Kommandos! Squads, form teams of five! Squad leaders, fire three shots each into suspicious locations!"
Not only my squad but the other squads as well hurriedly assumed combat positions in confusion, while the Marines calmly scanned the surroundings, locating and killing the Orks one by one.
The fight did not last long.
My squad found about three Ork Kommandos, while the other squads failed to find or catch even one.
While the officers berated the other squads, I was summoned by a Marine.
"Sergeant Radian. Thanks to you, we were able to thwart the Orks' ambush without suffering any losses. I have already submitted a report of your achievement."
"Thank you, my lord. I merely did my duty."
"Had you been younger, I would have invited you to join our ranks... A pity."
I froze for a moment.
He had intended to recruit me as a Space Marine?
"Come. Rise, Sergeant Radian. We move out again."
What a relief.
Calming my frightened heart, I advanced once more.
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