The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 138
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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 (138)
Piiiiiiiiii!
“…!”
Along with the long, spreading sound of the whistle, Grain shouted loudly.
“Retreat! We’re retreating!”
Together with Grain’s shout.
“We’re retreating! Rear units move immediately!”
“Contain the enemies from the front! Confirm their attacks to the very end!”
Each squad leader immediately took command of their unit members and quickly issued orders.
A situation where they needed to form a formation so everyone could escape safely.
As the unit members in the rear quickly ran and gained momentum, the unit members who had been holding shields and containing the enemy at the front also immediately turned around.
However, the Kar Tribe wasn’t going to just let that happen.
“They’re running away! Chase them!”
“You think you can escape after causing such chaos!”
“Kill the fleeing bastards!”
Bloodthirsty shouts pursued them from behind.
The eyes of the charging Kar Tribe Warriors were soaked in madness.
The will to never let them escape.
The intense killing intent to avenge their comrades was enough to make one’s entire body tingle.
“Run! Don’t slow down!”
The soldiers of Silent Spear gritted their teeth and ran.
But there wasn’t quite enough time to completely shake off those bastards.
‘At this rate…!’
A situation where they would be caught by those bastards and have to fight again.
Anxiety showed on the faces of some unit members who were fleeing.
But then it happened.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
A thunderous explosion split through the battlefield.
Intense waves that twisted even the air spread out in all directions.
“Keuaaaaaaaak!”
“Uaaaaaaaak!”
“En-enemy! There are still enemy forces remaining!”
Screams erupted along with someone’s shout.
Arteon leaped up from the Kar Tribe’s camp.
The aura that had been condensed in Iglis was momentarily compressed and then exploded outward.
The storm of energy created by this swallowed up the surrounding Kar Tribe Warriors.
Kugugugugugugugugung!
Fine vibrations spread out around the ground where Arteon had struck down.
And at that center.
The Kar Tribe Warriors focused their gazes on Arteon, who had blood splattered here and there on his body.
The battle line collapsed with a single strike.
Where on earth had such a monster sprung from?
The aura flowing from his body and his unwavering gaze were enough to make one hesitate even to charge at him.
But at that moment.
Pabat!
Arteon looked at the Kar Tribe Warriors surrounding him and launched his body toward the entrance.
“Ugh!”
“St-stop him!”
Stop that bastard!”
The Kar Tribe Warriors blocking the entrance urgently attacked Arteon, but.
Kwaang!
“Keuaak!”
“Aaaaaaaak!”
Those bastards were sent flying into the sky screaming from Arteon’s single strike.
A path opened instantly, and Arteon ran toward it without hesitation.
“Oh no!”
“Th-they’re already!”
Shouts mixed with confusion and bewilderment erupted from here and there.
In that brief time.
While attention was momentarily focused on Arteon, the Silent Spear unit had distanced themselves far away and secured safety.
The Kar Tribe Warriors who belatedly realized the situation shouted with eyes soaked in madness.
“Th-these damn… damn bastaaaaaaaaards!”
“I’ll definitely kill you all later!”
Roars mixed with anger and resentment erupted, but there was already nothing they could do.
Their shouts futilely cut through the empty air, and they could only watch the disappearing figures of the Imperial Army.
And….
Tadak! Tadadadadak!
Arteon, who had sprinted at tremendous speed, quickly rejoined the Silent Spear unit.
His breathing was rough due to overexerting himself with that strike just moments ago, but his eyes remained as coldly sharp as ever.
Grain spoke to Arteon.
“You’ve worked hard. Are you injured anywhere?”
Grain cast a worried glance at the blood on Arteon’s body.
However, Arteon shook his head.
“The mission?”
“Perfectly executed.”
The dead Kar Tribe Warriors alone would easily number around three hundred.
Silent Spear’s first operation had been a complete success.
Arteon nodded.
It was thanks to Grain commanding the unit members better than expected.
“It’s all thanks to you, Vice Commander.”
“You flatter me, I merely followed the Commander’s orders.”
Despite achieving a great victory, he didn’t become arrogant and always humbled himself.
Arteon liked Grain’s character the most.
But….
“And… did you confirm it?”
“…Yes, it was there.”
A brief but heavy answer.
Knowing what meaning was embedded in those words, Arteon’s expression couldn’t help but harden.
On the way back.
They had certainly achieved victory, but he felt tired enough that the back of his neck was stiff.
* * *
Bang!
The table in the barracks shook.
The pins stuck in the map bounced out and fell noisily to the ground.
And under the oil lamp.
The Officer wearing armor gritted his teeth.
“Wrong… everything’s wrong! The time they moved, the attack position, and even the operation, everything! How is it that there isn’t a single piece of correct information!”
A low but anger-distorted voice flowed through his lips.
The Blacksmith facing him across the table spoke with a serious expression.
“The information from the messenger… wasn’t wrong. I heard that right after waking the unit members at dawn, they immediately changed all operations.”
“…Then are you saying they might have noticed?”
Even within their own organization, not many knew about planting spies in the Silent Spear Battalion.
When the officer narrowed his eyes and asked, the man across from him shook his head.
“They wouldn’t know. No, even if they did, finding them would be impossible.”
“Then should we consider this incident as merely resulting from caution?”
However, the damage the Kar Tribe suffered through this incident was too enormous to dismiss so lightly.
To the extent that he couldn’t guarantee their trust would continue in the future.
The officer’s gaze turned coldly serious.
“If another mistake like this happens, irreversible consequences could occur. They won’t trust us anymore.”
“…But what if those bastards don’t trust us? Without the information we provide, there’s nothing they can do anyway.”
The officer’s expression slightly twisted at his subordinate’s words.
Though it was a reasonable enough thought.
“Fool. Have you forgotten that person is in their hands?”
“Ah…!”
The subordinate flinched in surprise and immediately knelt on one knee.
“I’m, I’m sorry. It’s been so long that I had forgotten.”
“Remember that because of fools like you, that person’s life could be endangered if we make a mistake.”
“Understood!”
He answered with a trembling voice, his expression hardened.
Eventually, the officer looked at the map again and spoke.
“Still, we should be relieved that we have cards we can still use. If the one we worked so hard to insert gets caught… all our careful efforts would go to waste.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful to ensure such mistakes never happen again.”
At his subordinate’s words, the officer nodded slightly and looked at the scattered map on the table.
* * *
Inside the barracks where humid air hung heavily.
An oil lamp that had burned through the night flickered dimly, casting light inside the tent.
Shadows swaying on the barracks walls each time the light wavered.
At the center, Belkain and Arteon faced each other with expressions more serious than ever.
“…You found spies?”
During the continuing silence, Belkain’s low voice echoed in the barracks.
His heavily settled voice carried such serious concern it was headache-inducing.
Arteon nodded.
“We haven’t received confessions or confirmed it precisely yet… but there are clearly suspicious ones.”
“Ones…?”
Don’t tell me it wasn’t just one.
“….”
Belkain’s brow twitched.
His rough fingers unconsciously drummed on the table.
From the beginning when creating the independent unit, he had expected they would reach out.
But….
‘To think they’d move so brazenly….’
Moreover, wasn’t this faster movement than expected?
Belkain sighed.
“As you predicted, the unit in the Kar Tribe’s left formation moved at dawn. Clearly… they seemed to plan an ambush attack by lying in wait along the Silent Spear Battalion’s route.”
This was absolutely impossible behavior unless they knew the information in advance.
Arteon immediately continued after Belkain’s words.
“I also ordered the deputy commanders beforehand to find anyone acting strangely during operations. I can’t be certain if these are all of them….”
Arteon’s voice grew even lower.
“Still, I think we can completely root out the rats within the Silent Spear Battalion.”
The barracks fell into momentary silence.
As if deep in thought, Belkain clasped his hands together and rubbed his face as if washing it dry.
But soon….
“There’s a possibility they became suspicious that the information leaked this time was wrong.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Arteon spoke in a calm voice.
“Even if they know, there’s nowhere for them to run. Surely they can’t escape beyond the base camp to the Kar Tribe.”
They were already within their grasp.
At Arteon’s words, Belkain let out a deep sigh.
Certainly catching enemies communicating with the enemy was important, but.
‘If we handle this wrong, the army’s morale could hit rock bottom.’
There had already been the incident of General Brentaar losing his life before deployment.
Though they covered it up as the Kar Tribe’s doing, if something similar happened again, they couldn’t hide that it was the work of internal spies.
Belkain spoke.
“It must be conducted… secretly.”
Then, as if making a decision, he continued.
“What can I do to help?”
“Please turn a blind eye.”
At the short but firm answer, Belkain looked at Arteon with a puzzled expression.
“Turn a blind eye?”
When Belkain asked with narrowed brows, Arteon nodded with an unwavering expression.
“Yes, to everything that happens within Silent Spear from now on. And I’d appreciate if you could also block anything that might leak outside.”
Arteon’s eyes flashed sharply.
At times like this, he felt exactly like a veteran soldier who had rolled around battlefields for decades.
A resolute determination to end everything with this one time.
“….”
At that sight, Belkain stared at him intently. But his deliberation wasn’t long.
Belkain nodded and spoke.
“Fine, let’s do that. But remember it must be done secretly and quickly.”
“Don’t worry. When it comes to this kind of work….”
I’m better than professionals.
Arteon swallowed the rest without voicing it.
His past life.
Wasn’t this about dealing with the remnants of those bastards who had driven him and his comrades to death?
Not an ounce of mercy… could exist.
As Arteon’s expression turned coldly serious, Belkain unconsciously swallowed hard.
Eventually, when Arteon left the barracks, Belkain, left alone, recalled his final expression.
As he said….
‘That was the expression of someone for whom failure isn’t an option.’
And that night.
From somewhere secret within the unit, someone’s silent screams echoed endlessly.
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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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