The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 125

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

The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front (125)

Deep night.

Two men in the operations room of Helikel Gorge Base Camp were facing each other with solemn expressions.

The candles spread across the thick wooden table flickered gently along the surface of the map.

Corps Commander Belkain and General Brentar, who had come leading the support forces.

They were continuing their final meeting before the upcoming deployment.

“The analysis of the enemy plains is complete. I thought it was just ordinary land with nothing special… but if we had deployed thinking that way, we would have faced a great crisis from the start.”

He hadn’t expected there to be so many dangerous elements in what appeared to be ordinary plains.

Belkain’s finger moved along a point on the map.

What looked like a shallow stream was actually a deep swamp, and beneath the grasslands were places where enemy ambushes had to be considered.

Brentar nodded at Belkain’s words.

“If the reconnaissance team had failed to carry out their mission… we would have had to pay an enormous price from the start. No matter how many troops we have, if we’re ambushed in the darkness, we’d be helpless.”

At those words, Belkain nodded with his arms crossed.

His coldly sunken gaze still focused on the map.

A heavy silence settled for a moment, but Belkain continued speaking.

“Still, now that we know these facts, we can prepare sufficiently. Now… only the deployment we’ve been waiting for remains.”

This fact stirred the hearts of both men strongly.

Finally, north of the Empire’s Northern Region.

Weren’t they standing before the foundation to truly reclaim the Kar Tribe’s territory and expand the Empire’s lands?

“If we completely control this Northern Region, the Empire will be able to obtain tremendous resources incomparable to what we have now.”

And those resources would be used entirely for the Empire’s development, becoming the driving force to create an even stronger Empire.

Belkain’s eyes flashed.

“To be able to begin that historic moment… is truly glorious.”

“I too am honored to be able to stand with Corps Commander Belkain. At this moment when the Empire’s history is being newly written… I feel pride in being able to stand at the forefront.”

And Brentar, who paused briefly, spoke with determined eyes.

“This war… we will definitely achieve victory.”

“I trust you, General Brentar.”

Eventually, Brentar rose from his seat and neatly adjusted the front of his military uniform.

Even the thick Northern Region military uniform couldn’t completely hide his solid body, and his eyes held manly determination.

After Brentar left, Belkain, now alone, rose from his seat and looked at the darkness beyond the window.

Already, he seemed to see the fortress of Belikezel in the distance.

Belkain unconsciously reached his hand toward that place and grasped at the air as if trying to seize the fortress.

“…The moment the Empire’s blade advances.”

Belkain’s gaze was calm yet cold, and more composed than the Northern Region’s snowstorm as he stared straight ahead.

“Every place in the Northern Region will kneel under the Imperial Banner.”

His words, spoken as if making a declaration, settled heavily in the operations room.

Finally, tomorrow.

The historic first step would begin.

Belkain suppressed his excited heart and walked toward his barracks.

However, the next morning at dawn.

Even before the sun had risen, murmuring and anxious energy spread throughout the military tents.

The soldiers’ faces were pale, and their eyes, soaked with fear, trembled.

Soon someone ran and burst open Belkain’s tent.

“Be, Belkain sir! Something terrible has happened…!”

It was Claw, his adjutant.

Claw’s breathless face held a strange expression between bewilderment and fear.

“What happened?”

Belkain looked at him with heavy eyes.

At that question, Claw trembled his lips and barely managed to continue speaking.

“General Brentar… is dead.”

*    *    *

In a corner of Helikel Gorge Base Camp, in the darkness where not even light reached.

From the darkness behind an old tent, a man’s voice flowed out.

“…Remember, our purpose is only one. We must overturn the set board and create a new board favorable to us.”

Though they had entered Helikel Gorge Base Camp with the support forces, their mission was completely different.

At one man’s words, a shadow on the opposite side smirked under the hem of a robe.

“If that’s the case, we’re already half successful. Since the commander who should lead the troops is dead, they can’t deploy, can they?”

Brentar.

He was quite an annoying fellow among those who followed the First Prince.

Not only was he skilled, but his loyalty was so high that persuasion itself was impossible.

Therefore, his death would return as a great shock to them above all else.

Perhaps the picture they had drawn might have completely crumbled.

Then the remaining one spoke quietly.

“The first operation has only just begun. We must move on to the next operation immediately.”

“Since they’ve lost their commander, they’ll need a new commander to deploy the troops, won’t they?”

“Since this deployment can’t be delayed, they must find a suitable candidate as quickly as possible… but there’s only one answer anyway.”

Someone with fame and skill not inferior to General Brentar.

And with the condition of being able to join here quickly, there was only one person.

It was General Ulgrait from the Second Prince’s faction.

“If General Ulgrait comes, the victory of this war will entirely become the Second Prince’s achievement. Don’t let your guard down until then.”

The one who had first spoken said in a heavy voice.

Though the first button had been fastened well.

‘The opponent is Belkain…’

Wasn’t that inhuman bastard holding his ground?

That guy would surely act contrary to their predictions.

However, whatever it might be, it wouldn’t be able to stop the current flow.

‘Let’s see you struggle, Corps Commander.’

Eventually, the gazes of the three people quietly disappeared into the darkness, and silence began to descend.

And at the same time, inside Belkain’s tent.

Claw was looking at Belkain with an unusually anxious expression.

“…Belkain sir, you must make a decision now.”p>

Along with the greatly flickering candle, shadows moved heavily following that direction.

Claw’s careful words held impatience.

However, despite such pressure, Belkain maintained silence and continued his deep thoughts.

Now that they had lost their commander…

‘Deployment is impossible.’

In the end, the solution was that they needed another commander with skills similar to the dead General Brentar.

If they requested from Central, measures would be taken quickly.

The northern advance from Helikel Gorge was currently the most important matter being handled by the Empire.

However…

‘Among those who meet that condition, the fastest would be… General Ulgrait?’

At that moment, Belkain’s brow furrowed deeply.

Why had General Brentar been assassinated at such timing?

What did those who drove him to death through his death want to obtain?

“Claw.”

“Yes, sir.”

At Belkain’s words, Claw gulped and answered.

The current Belkain was someone he had rarely seen despite following him for a long time.

And at times like this.

“…Belkain sir.”

He invariably pushed through absurd… and reckless endeavors.

Claw called out to him with an anxious voice.

But Belkain looked at him as if he had made his decision.

“Isn’t this truly ridiculous.”

Belkain’s eyes reflected sharply off the Candle light.

But contrary to those eyes, a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.

Claw knew.

That smile didn’t carry the meaning of a smile as we know it.

Belkain continued speaking.

“I believed we had rooted them out so thoroughly… where the hell do these damned rats keep coming from.”

If we had to find a cause, it would be Them included in the Reinforcement Forces that joined this time.

Right now he wanted to find Them and tear them into dozens of pieces.

“…But not now. If I waste time like that, I’d be moving in the direction Them want.”

“What do you plan to do?”

At Claw’s question, Belkain rose from his seat.

“To pull such dirty tricks at this historic and noble moment.”

Belkain muttered as if chewing the words.

Then, looking at Claw.

“We proceed with the morning deployment as scheduled. Prepare the troops.”

“Don’t we lack a commander who can lead the forces?”

“There’s one person, Sergeant.”

“…Excuse me?”

But soon Claw’s eyes widened greatly.

“Su-surely… Legion Commander…!”

Claw called out to him urgently.

But Belkain spoke to Claw with a calm expression.

“I will personally lead the expedition.”

With those words, Claw’s pupils began to shake violently.

*    *    *

After dawn passed, soldiers began hurriedly forming ranks in the coldly settled air.

A tense atmosphere.

At news of the imminent deployment, soldiers each stood in position while trying to hide their nervous expressions.

A massive Army of over 30,000 men.

The forces gathered before the Base Camp at Helikel Gorge boasted tremendous grandeur matching their scale.

But in the midst of it all.

Kredum, who had assassinated General Brentar, watched the formation with an expressionless face.

‘…If they can’t deploy anyway, why are they putting on this act.’

How could an Army without a commander possibly deploy?

Knowing it was a clumsy show, Kredum lowered his head with a sneering smile.

Though they were keeping it quiet on the surface, high-ranking officers including Brentar’s close associates already knew of Brentar’s death.

‘Well, if Brentar’s death became known immediately, Army morale would hit rock bottom, so this might be understandable.’

But could one cover the sky with their palm?

This half-hearted show would only further damage soldiers’ morale when they later faced the truth.

So Kredum waited for the obvious show to end.

But then.

Clop, clop, clop.

With a feeling as if time had stopped, the clear sound of hoofbeats echoed across the quiet Northern Region Plains.

Along with it, a man emerged before the soldiers.

He possessed a build that seemed twice that of an ordinary soldier, and intense Fighting Spirit flickered from within his pressed-down helmet.

It was immediately recognizable.

This man was.

“Benhard’s… Ogre.”

The Northern Region’s supreme commander, Belkain.

And when mounted Belkain stood before the soldiers, the soldiers couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions.

“Why is the Legion Commander…?”

“Where is General Brentar?”

Some murmuring.

Then Claw shouted loudly.

“Silence!”

As his Mana-infused voice rang out, the soldiers immediately shut their mouths and looked at Belkain before them.

And Arteon, who was watching that scene as well, felt his pupils shake slightly.

“…Don’t tell me.”

Along with his muttering.

“Last night… there was an unfortunate incident.”

Belkain, who had stepped forward, began quietly.

And as his words continued.

“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

With a thunderous roar, the soldiers’ morale began to explosively surge.

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