The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 114
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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 (114)
Kwaaaaaaaang!
Isaac doubted his own eyes.
What just happened…?
‘That guy… when did he reach that level…?’
The Turak Tribe, was it?
The aura that fell above the head of the prisoner called Kamarkan was only for an instant, but.
‘…You’ve reached an unbelievable level, Arteon.’
He had shown tremendous aura control.
Though it split the entire area, it precisely avoided only the position where Kamarkan stood and veered to the side.
One might think it’s nothing special, but for this to be possible, tremendous effort in aura control is required.
For an ordinary person, thirty years…
Even for someone with talent, they would need to train like mad for at least ten years.
Yet this young guy who wasn’t even twenty years old had accomplished it.
Tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble.
Kamarkan was shaking without even knowing what had happened.
The only thing he could know for certain was.
‘…I died, just now.’
Something sharp… no, something tremendously heavy had pierced through his heart and passed by.
Any other explanation was meaningless.
If he had intended to kill, his life would have been cut short before he could even perceive it.
Kuguugugugugugugung!
The ground around Kamarkan vibrated intensely.
The soldiers who were twenty meters away also silently felt the sensation transmitted through the soles of their feet.
And in the training ground where coldness had settled.
Arteon glanced around and said.
“Is there anyone else who wants to step forward?”
“…”
A silence heavier than coldness pressed down on their shoulders.
No one answered.
Kamarkan was the same.
All he could do was stand in place without collapsing.
“…No one, then.”
Arteon muttered quietly and climbed back onto the platform in front.
Though silence pressed down on the training ground, the unsettled atmosphere was unavoidable.
Arteon looked at the soldiers in front and said.
“The supplies scheduled to be distributed today are postponed until tomorrow. Furthermore, all personnel will share responsibility for today’s disturbance.”
Arteon looked at the instructors and said.
“Give them only temporary tents and have them spend the day here.”
“What? Here?”
“Sir, responsible instructor. Temporary tents are tools that can barely block the wind. If they only pitch temporary tents here…”
He knew what the other instructors were trying to say.
But it didn’t matter.
That was his intention from the beginning.
Arteon looked at the soldiers with cold eyes and said.
“Let them feel how vicious the Northern Region’s cold is.”
The weak ones might lose their lives in this single day.
But what they would gain from this would be far greater.
‘…If they survive.’
Arteon turned around.
The instructors, confirming there was no room for reconsideration, hurriedly distributed temporary tents to them and shouted.
“The instructors will demonstrate, so hurry and pitch your barracks!”
“Hurry! If you can’t even pitch the barracks properly, you’ll all freeze to death!”
After Arteon left, the remaining instructors began hurriedly setting up temporary barracks with the regular soldiers while distributing supplies.
As they said, if they couldn’t properly complete even the temporary barracks, they would have to clear away frozen corpses tomorrow morning.
And as Arteon moved away, Ruocal, the 1st Battalion Commander, approached Isaac.
“Did you come out personally?”
“How could I sit still when I gave you such a difficult task?”
Ruocal’s gaze following Arteon settled heavily.
But contrary to his eyes, one corner of his lips slightly rose.
“I seem to have judged a person correctly. Didn’t he subdue those beast-like guys all at once?”
“…The start was certainly good, but there might be casualties.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m thinking that at most about half could die.”
“…”
Half meant he was willing to just throw away about 250 people?
But Isaac soon agreed.
If they could properly prepare even that many, it would be sufficient fighting power.
However…
“He’ll probably drag them all along. That guy.”
Given Arteon’s methods he’d seen so far, there was a high possibility of that.
Ruocal shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know if it’s worth that much dealing with guys like those.”
Then turning around.
“But I’ve entrusted it to Lieutenant Hana, so let’s watch for now.”
“He won’t disappoint.”
Isaac, who had saluted while watching Ruocal move away, lowered his fist and turned his gaze toward the direction Arteon had gone.
Somehow he felt like tonight would be colder than usual.
Whiiiiiiiiiiing!
When the day completely set, a cold incomparable to when the sun was up came rushing in.
Flap flap flap flap!
The temporarily pitched barracks shook greatly as cold air seeped inside.
It wasn’t something that could be blocked with cloth made by layering thin hide instead of proper winter hide.
Those inside huddled together, but they couldn’t stop their bodies from shaking.
“Ughhhhhhhh…”
Tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble tremble.
When they said they would only supply temporary barracks, they could understand why the instructors had made such a fuss.
‘I’m… really… dying.’
His mind went blank and no thoughts came.
He had heard countless stories about the Northern Region, but never thought it would be this severe.
“Hey! Hey! Stay conscious! If you fall asleep like this, you’ll die!”
Seeing a guy who wasn’t moving at all anymore, the guys sharing the same barracks shouted loudly.
It wasn’t because they had grown attached to this guy they’d first met here.
It was simply because a fear that they too would die if this guy died came rushing over them.
But then.
Flap.
The cloth at the temporary barracks entrance was lifted and cold wind entered inside.
A man frowned and shouted.
“Which bastard…!”
But those words didn’t continue.
Because the bastard who had thrown open the door and entered was that monster they had seen during the day.
“Hah, huff!”
“Can you hold on?”
“I, I’m fine but… this guy…”
“Move aside.”
“Y-yes!”
As the men inside the tent moved aside, Arteon placed his hand on the body of the man collapsed on the ground.
Cold was penetrating his body, causing his body temperature to drop rapidly.
He could guarantee that if this continued for just one more hour, his life would simply end.
However…
Wooooooong!
The moment Arteon pushed mana into his body.
“Hah, huk!”
The man who had his eyes closed flinched as if struck by lightning, then opened his eyes and screamed.
At that, Arteon looked at the soldier who had been following him.
Thud.
“Blankets. If you huddle together and wrap yourselves in blankets, you should be able to save your lives. If you want to survive in this hellish place, do everything you can.”
Eyes colder than the wind outside.
The four men inside the barracks unconsciously swallowed their saliva.
And after Arteon left.
“Sh-shit. Having to huddle with guys who have dicks.”
“You stink, so shut your mouth. From now on, don’t even breathe with your mouth open, you bastards.”
Though no one ordered them to, they huddled together and wrapped themselves in blankets.
It was still cold enough to make their bodies tremble, but it was much better than before.
And in their minds, there was only one thing.
‘Tonight… let’s just endure one day.’
Only that thought dominated their entire bodies.
Thus the hellish cold night passed, and the sun slowly began to rise.
* * *
“Hmm… no casualties?”
“It’s strange. It wasn’t cold that could be endured with just temporary barracks.”
There weren’t even any winter supplies that should have been distributed.
However, when they entered the temporary barracks in the morning to check for survivors, there were those in some barracks who had blankets like rags.
“It seems Lieutenant Arteon and the 4th Platoon members watched over them all night.”
“…I see.”
Ruocal nodded at the words of his adjutant Brennon.
‘So this is what he meant.’
―Probably… he’ll take them all with him. That guy will.
He could understand the meaning of Captain Isaac’s words in just one day.
Who would have thought he’d go around checking the condition of all those people individually throughout the night.
Ruocal closed the documents he was looking at and spoke to Brennon.
“Continue reporting if there are any unusual matters. I said I’d provide maximum support for what’s needed, so don’t hesitate to provide support if there are requests.”
“Understood.”
Soon Brennon headed to where the disciplinary soldiers were gathered.
Though they all survived the cold, their condition was terrible.
There were countless who couldn’t stand properly, and even those who were relatively fine were half on the verge of losing their minds.
“…All instructors will classify those who can currently move and those who cannot. Move all those who can move to the Second Training Ground in the back.”
“Understood!”
The instructors had much work to do.
They had to distribute supplies to these men again and move those who had endured the cold all night to the Second Training Ground.
Of course, not many moved.
Of the five hundred or so men, those who moved to the Second Training Ground were barely fifty.
But at least those with superior mental strength or physical capabilities had definitely been sorted out.
Arteon looked at them.
“Just the right number to make squad leaders.”
Of course, to make these men into proper soldiers, he first needed to break them down more thoroughly.
Arteon spoke.
“Everyone form three ranks in line formation.”
“Form three ranks in line formation!”
“F-form ranks!”
Whether it was fear of Arteon or reverence.
The expressions of the men overwhelmed by unknown emotions showed clearly.
Soon Arteon spoke.
“Everyone face right.”
Swoosh!
At one word, the fifty or so disciplinary soldiers moved quickly.
First…
‘I need to drain their stamina.’
Arteon spoke.
“Keep pace, double time march!”
The training for these men was only just beginning.
* * *
“…Imperial Army forces are gathering at Helikel Gorge.”
Belikezel, the land of the Kar Tribe adjacent to Helikel Gorge.
Krelmuuk, who had been a long-time resident there, muttered quietly.
They built an unbreakable castle in that treacherous Helikel Gorge.
“Now they’re thinking of crawling up to this land instead of just defending.”
They had been eyeing this place that had long been their land.
His subordinate Korzan, who was in front of him, spoke.
“Shouldn’t we prepare? If they cross the gorge, it’s immediately the plains. Now the Empire bastards will be able to exert their full power.”
“This matter has already been sent to where the supreme Taman is. Soon a decision of some form will be made.”
However…
“Though they’re preparing to advance north, this place will inevitably be a new place for them too.”
He couldn’t stand to see such bastards strutting around in their front yard.
“There are already bastards making a fuss calling it reconnaissance.”
“…Kill them all, cut off their heads, and hang them at the entrance to the gorge.”
He had to show a clear example.
Foolish bastards who dared covet territory they shouldn’t covet.
“If they don’t know this place will be their grave, we’ll have to teach them.”
Krelmuuk’s eyes began to ripple with a blood-red color.
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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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