The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front (109)

The candle in the lamp flickered thinly. 

The door opened, and the smell of iron and leather seeped into the room along with the cold wind. 

A large man entered with it.

Rishiven, who was in the room, could tell at a glance who he was.

‘The Northern Front’s supreme commander… Belkain Kaeron.’

The air in the room felt heavy, as if they were in the middle of a battlefield.

Rishiven instinctively steadied her breathing and straightened her posture. 

Then two men followed behind him.

One man took out a document folder.

Click.

The sound of the wax seal breaking was followed by the quiet spread of paper friction, like dry firewood snapping.

Soon he held out the documents to Rishiven and spoke.

“I am Coudran, the supply officer of the 1st Division responsible for this contract. Are you the head of the Shadowteron Guild?”

“I am Rishiven, head of the Shadowteron Guild. It is an honor to meet the Northern Front’s supreme commander, whom I have only heard about in rumors.”

Rishiven looked at Belkain and bowed her head.

Belkain also looked at her and lightly bowed his head in greeting.

Soon, as the atmosphere seemed to brighten a little, Coudran held out the documents and said.

“These are the conditions we require. If you can meet this level, we should be able to proceed immediately.”

Keyton stepped forward, took the documents, and handed them to Rishiven. 

Rishiven consciously took a breath first and looked at the contract. 

Delivery list, delivery location, inspection procedures, delay compensation, emergency alternative routes. 

And even the amounts related to delivery.

Rishiven, who was looking at the documents, slowly raised her gaze and glanced at Belkain. Then she immediately turned to Coudran, the supply officer, and said.

“The amount is considerably lower than what is generally traded.”

At those words, Coudran spoke calmly without any change in expression.

“That’s how military affairs are. We’re always bound to be short. We’d like to give more, but Central Command doesn’t easily approve it.”

Rishiven lowered her eyes to the contract again. 

Each number felt like the cold air of a winter dawn.

‘It’s falling almost exactly as Master said it would.’

You can’t get full from the first spoonful. 

Deals with the Military Department couldn’t have good unit prices. But the volume of trade with the Military Department was an enormous amount that couldn’t even be compared to ordinary transactions.

Although there was much work to do and it was difficult to establish routes…

‘If only the first deal goes well…’

From then on, it would become a stepping stone to rise up at once.

Rishiven raised her head.

“Though there will be almost no profit compared to the effort, I think we can meet the amount.”

“Is that so?”

With Coudran’s response, Claw’s eyes, who was standing beside him, darkened.

Complex emotions dwelt in his gaze toward Rishiven.

But he didn’t show it.

The one leading the contract negotiations now was Coudran, the supply officer.

And Coudran said.

“Then let’s proceed with the contract right away.”

As the perfectly arranged plan unfolded smoothly, he spoke without hiding his smile.

But then, Rishiven said.

“However, there is one condition.”

“A condition?”

At those words, Rishiven’s eyes flashed sharply.

As if knowing this was the crucial moment, Rishiven continued without hesitation.

“For future material transactions, please make the Shadowteon Guild your first trading partner. You may trade with other guilds for the insufficient parts that we cannot fully supply. However, please buy all the amounts that Shadowteon can supply.”

“…”

At those words, Coudran showed a flustered expression.

Though she had spoken at length, it was essentially the same as asking for exclusive rights to all possible goods.

“That’s…”

Coudran turned his gaze to look at Belkain.

Belkain was also looking at Rishiven.

Though it was impossible to know what he was thinking, soon Belkain nodded.

Claw answered in his place.

“Let’s do that.”

The gaze of the supply officer standing beside them wavered slightly. 

They had never once made a deal with such conditions to a new guild.

However, that wasn’t the end.

Claw immediately continued speaking.

“If you fail to meet 60% of the amount we need, we’ll agree to the condition that the contract can be terminated at any time.”

Condition clashed against condition.

At Claw’s words, Keyton’s eyes, who was standing beside Rishiven, wavered.

The condition Claw proposed could be quite burdensome for the Shadowteon Guild.

However…

“Good. We’ll do our best to meet it.”

Rishiven accepted immediately without a moment’s hesitation.

At that, Belkain spoke.

“Supply officer.”

At Belkain’s low call, Coudran hurriedly looked at him and said.

“Captain, Coudran.”

“Finish it up.”

“Ah, understood.”

Coudran turned the documents halfway and wrote his name in the space. 

Leather gloves pressed down on the paper’s edge, and ink flowed smoothly from the pen nib. 

Soon Coudran firmly stamped the legion’s seal on the document. 

Red wax spread in a circle, revealing the symbol.

Rishiven also quickly signed the contract.

And at the moment when both their contracts were completed, Rishiven stood up from her seat and extended one hand to Belkain.

“Please take care of us in the future, Legion Commander.”

Belkain looked down at her hand for a moment. 

Then he soon took her hand and responded to the handshake.

The promise was conveyed from hand to hand.

Soon after the contract ended, Belkain turned around without hesitation and came outside.

And it was the moment they mounted their horses.

“Legion Commander, is it really… alright to do this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Since it’s a new guild, material supply might not be stable. Though it might be resolved somehow for now, if there are disruptions in supply later, problems could arise…”

At Coudran’s words, Belkain’s gaze slid toward Claw.

Claw nodded, then looked straight at Coudran and spoke calmly.

“As the supply officer said, it’s a new guild whose name isn’t even properly known yet.”

“Yes.”

“But the fact that such a new guild… has secured ‘80%’ of the materials we currently need – what does that sound like to you?”

Coudran’s mouth opened halfway then closed.

For a moment, it felt like his words were blocked like sand.

Claw’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“This means he has been preparing in advance while considering the situation of the Northern Front. Perhaps he might be someone who knows the Northern situation better than anyone else. This might sound ridiculous, but unless he had foreseen what would happen in the future, it seems like an impossible level of preparation.”

“That… that means he knew the future?”

At the officer’s question, Claw shrugged his shoulders once.

“That’s impossible. It just means his preparedness is that solid. That’s why he’s worth giving a chance to. Don’t you think so?”

As Claw directed the end of his words toward Belkain, Belkain silently looked toward the north. Thin clouds were spread across the sky, and the wind’s texture was long as if licking the battlefield.

Belkain slowly nodded his head.

Regardless of how the situation had developed, thanks to this, they could drastically reduce the time needed to prepare supplies.

Once the supply of weapons and food was complete, they could immediately advance north.

‘Now what remains is… the decision from Central.’

It was clear without even looking.

Probably beneath the surface, the forces of the two princes were fiercely fighting over the Northern advance.

‘But…’

No matter how much sabotage they attempted, the atmosphere was no longer one where they could stop it.

Helikel Gorge, Elvarfiel Lake, Aikuled.

Holding these three regions was truly a first in the Empire’s history.

‘A new wind will blow in the Northern Region.’

Then, on the way back to the main base.

A strange tension began to follow behind their procession like a tail.

*    *    *

The swirling snow had stopped, but the wind’s blade still licked the gorge.

In front of Iculed’s Gorge.

The newly built stone wall still gave off the smell of wet mortar.

And Isaac, who had been looking at that wall, turned his gaze to Arteon beside him and said.

“Don’t you feel regretful?”

“What do you mean, sir?”

By taking Aikuled, the Empire had obtained three strategic points in the Northern Region for the first time in history.

The special unit that had accomplished the most important task at the most crucial moment.

Due to the merit of conquering Aikuled, a Merit Ceremony was held at the Imperial Palace.

However, only one person participated in that Merit Ceremony – Lucael alone.

“You’re the one who achieved the greatest merit… but your story was completely left out.”

Isaac spoke as if feeling sorry for his own affairs.

As he said, Arteon was the one who had achieved the greatest merit in conquering Aikuled.

He had risked his life to enter enemy territory and bought time by fighting the enemies.

Isaac spoke with a bitter expression.

“Perhaps… this could be a very disappointing situation.”

“That story again, sir?”

Arteon chuckled and shook his head.

“Not at all. I already heard from Captain Lucael about what reason led to that decision.”

The corners of Isaac’s eyes drooped slightly. Soon he spoke with a somewhat heavy expression.

“…Do you really think that way too?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Arteon raised his head to look at the castle wall.

The iron pins embedded in the fortress above the castle began to rattle in the wind.

It would become their shield, blocking the Kar Tribe’s attacks in the future.

When Arteon gave no answer, Isaac quietly watched his profile and casually threw out a question.

“Why are you fighting here? With your level of skill, you could easily enter any knight order in Central.”

“You’re joking, right? Someone like me with no background?”

“With your level of skill, you could devour any background. How old are you now?”

“I’m 16 years old.”

“Even searching through the Empire’s history, you’re the first to use aura at 16!”

Isaac had seen it.

The aura that had clearly manifested on Arteon’s spear.

Even he himself hadn’t completely overcome the 4-star barrier yet, but this guy…

‘Even just a year ago… he definitely hadn’t reached 4-star yet…’

What on earth had happened in that short time? What kind of experience could allow such rapid growth? He was dying of curiosity.

But Isaac just quietly watched Arteon.

He knew the guy was extraordinary, but more than anything, there was an inexplicable ‘obsession’ he could feel in the way he fought the Kar Tribe.

“Arteon, can I ask you one thing?”

Isaac asked without taking his eyes off him.

Arteon asked back.

“What are you trying to ask that requires setting such an atmosphere?”

“…What exactly are you trying to do in this Northern Region?”

“…”

A moment of silence.

As if thinking about something, Arteon looked at Isaac wordlessly.

But soon.

“Well, obviously.”

Arteon turned his gaze back toward the castle wall and continued.

“I’m going to kill all those barbarian bastards and advance into the Northern Region.”

His voice was calm. Like the tone of a craftsman reporting ‘I’ll build one more level of the castle wall by today.’

Isaac felt a chill run down his spine at that calmness.

He felt there was something deep within the guy’s seemingly casual answer.

But there was one thing Arteon couldn’t say.

‘And… I’m going to annihilate all those Empire bastards who caused me and my comrade to die.’

Dense killing intent had seeped into Arteon’s eyes.

At that sight, Isaac could only stare at him wordlessly.

But then…

Clang clang clang clang clang!

Along with the bell announcing dinner time, the soldiers’ voices echoed loudly.

With that, Arteon smiled again and said.

“Tonight’s dinner is lamb stew. If you want to get a decent piece of meat, we should hurry and get in line.”

“…Whatever.”

Sometimes he often forgot that the guy was 16 years old.

‘Really…’

An incomprehensible guy.

Then Isaac began running, following behind Arteon.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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