The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 250

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Mad Spearman of the Northern Front (250)
Rohar Gorge had fallen into complete silence.
The deep scars of battle lingered long even after the fighting had ceased.
Shattered rock faces and earth soaked in blood.
One wall of the sprawling gorge lay in ruins on an almost incomprehensible scale.
Beneath it, the number of Kar Tribe Warriors crushed to death was beyond estimation.
Just a day before, thousands of Kar Tribe warriors had held Rohar Gorge, yet now….
“….”
It was no longer their land.
The Kar Tribe’s grip on the gorge had been completely severed, and the survivors fled without so much as a backward glance.
And at the center of it all stood Arteon.
“….”
Words were unnecessary.
Blood dripping from Iglis had long since dried, leaving dark stains.
Despite the battle that had raged through the night, I stood with my breathing perfectly composed, gazing calmly down into the depths of the gorge.
The Imperial Army soldiers and Silent Spear Unit members gathered nearby could only stare, none daring to speak first.
What they had witnessed unfold before their eyes—they could scarcely believe it had been a battle at all.
“Is that… a warrior who has reached the 8th Star realm?”
Someone’s words, exhaled as though holding their breath.
A realm where tactics, numbers, and terrain lost all meaning.
The moment the spear was swung, the battle vanished, leaving only its result.
“…Why would the Commander have bestowed the title of God of War without reason? He must possess such strength for that very purpose.”
At Kailun’s words, Isaac beside him murmured softly in agreement.
Under normal circumstances, they might have made light jests, but now even such banter failed to emerge.
Heaven beyond heaven.
It was as though there existed another sky above the sky itself.
To ordinary soldiers, warriors who could wield Aura appeared to possess abilities transcending humanity.
Of course they did.
A single blade could cleave great boulders as easily as tofu.
Yet from the 6-Star level onward, it seemed warriors capable of wielding Aura operated on an entirely different plane….
“The 8th Star… it’s a level beyond even imagination.”
What Arteon had demonstrated far exceeded their wildest expectations.
But what truly terrified them was this:
“Even that power… doesn’t seem to be his full strength.”
Isaac nodded in agreement with Kailun’s words.
Isaac, who had always pursued only his back.
When he thought he had closed the gap by one step, it widened by two; when he believed he had closed it by two, the distance had already grown by more than twenty.
And now.
‘I cannot even fathom how vast the difference has become.’
Yet despite this, Isaac gazed steadily at Arteon’s back.
Even if the distance never closed, I was determined to keep my eyes fixed on that back and follow to the very end.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
And at that moment, someone on horseback came galloping rapidly toward the Gorge from far away.
Not only Arteon, who stood atop the Gorge, but everyone turned their heads to look in that direction.
The rider who entered the Gorge waved the flag he carried vigorously and shouted.
“Urgent report! An urgent report!”
At the sight of the flag bearing the emblem of Belkain’s Supreme Commander’s army, Arteon and the other officers quickly descended.
The messenger who approached tumbled from his horse and dropped to one knee.
He appeared exhausted, clearly drained by fatigue, yet his expression carried an urgency far greater than his weariness.
Lucael, who stood beside Arteon, stiffened.
He could not imagine that a messenger dispatched with such haste at this precise moment would bring good news.
“What is the matter? Speak at once.”
The messenger opened his mouth without even catching his breath.
“Abnormal signs have been detected in the movements of the Southern Army led by the Second Prince. The troops that should be confirmed in the Southern Region are not being located.”
“…What?”
Lucael’s face contorted.
The Second Prince’s army, which should be waging war in the Southern Region for the Imperial Succession War, was not being confirmed?
But the messenger’s report continued.
He reported everything currently happening—the war occurring in the Eastern Region and the deployment of Duke Carbin from the Capital, among all other events.
And as the report continued, Lucael’s expression grew increasingly grave.
“…Could it be that the Second Prince is plotting treason?”
If by any chance the Neolth Kingdom attacking the east had any connection with the Second Prince, it would be an absolute catastrophe.
It was nothing short of a feint—striking east while the true assault comes from the west.
Deep furrows carved themselves into Lucael’s brow.
“Did the Second Prince truly possess the power to move the Blood Lion Knights…?”
The Blood Lion Knights were among the most formidable military forces within the Neolth Kingdom itself.
Even for the Empire, it was not something that could be moved at the behest of a foreign prince.
Without some form of… an extraordinarily lucrative bargain, it would be impossible.
“But it could be possible, could it not?”
“…True. If one could seize the throne, what would one not surrender?”
Considering Belkakrode’s nature, he would pay any price to achieve it.
Moreover, had not the First Prince Sedrian seized Preldior and achieved overwhelming results?
“Yet two years still remain… and he’s already committing such madness… truly, this unpredictable madman is beyond comprehension.”
At Lucael’s words, the expressions of the others present hardened.
If this were truly the case, they could not simply remain idle.
Arteon questioned the messenger before him.
“Where is Commander Belkain at this moment?”
“He has left only minimal troops for the defense of Preldior and is currently moving toward the Capital with the main force.”
At those words, Arteon looked toward Lucael.
He understood that this was a moment too urgent to permit any delay.
Lucael spoke up.
“We should move to the Capital immediately as well. Everyone must be exhausted, but… can we depart right now?”
Only a few hours had passed since the battle ended.
Everyone was in a state of exhaustion.
But then, Arteon seemed to be thinking of something and spoke to Lucael.
“From this location, going to Belikezel would actually be faster.”
“However, Belikezel is in the opposite direction from the Capital.”
“If we go there… I can arrange the means to reach the Capital swiftly.”
Until now, there had been no opportunity to mobilize the Shadowteon Merchant Guild’s full resources, but if I leveraged their power, I could transport everyone here quickly.
At Arteon’s words, Lucael nodded.
“…Then I shall trust you.”
“Thank you.”
Once the decision was made, Arteon immediately issued orders to the Silent Spear Unit.
Though everyone was exhausted, they understood the situation could not be delayed, so no one voiced complaints.
And…
“Then let us make haste.”
With Lucael’s words, all the troops at Rohar Gorge began moving swiftly toward Belikezel.
* * *
It was late dawn.
In that hour when night had not yet fully retreated, the alleys of the Capital lay frozen in silence.
Over the stone pavement lit by moonlight instead of streetlamps, cool fog drifted down, wrapping around waists.
Crackle!
The sound of dry leaves being crushed.
It was so faint it could have been overlooked, but the Capital that night was on edge.
“Who, who goes there!”
The guard stationed before the Count’s mansion hastily raised his spear.
But it was already too late.
As if darkness itself had split open, masked figures emerged from the shadows, stepping forward.
Black garments that seemed to devour light, and behind the cloth concealing their faces, eyes devoid of all emotion.
“…”
That gaze pierced through the guard and into the mansion beyond.
A low voice tore through the air.
“Kill everyone in this place. Not a single survivor is permitted.”
The command was brief, and no explanation was given.
Yet the weight contained in those words was unmistakable.
This was neither threat nor warning.
It was a judgment already rendered.
“You, you bastards! Do you know who I am!”
Count Artoin, who had been in his bedchamber, saw the masked figures appear before him.
He wore a hastily thrown coat over his silk nightclothes.
His voice was high-pitched, yet his fingertips trembled.
I couldn’t discern what was happening, but I could tell what purpose had brought them here.
Count Artoin cried out.
“I, I am of the Imperial Family…!”
But before his words could finish, the masked figure in the center shook his head.
As if he already knew, or perhaps didn’t care at all.
“Count Artoin.”
The voice that spoke his name was strangely composed.
“Consider this the price of backing the wrong side.”
In that moment, the color drained from the Count’s face.
It was as though all the connections and promises he had relied upon, the protective shield of the Imperial Family, crumbled in an instant.
“…This can’t be happening. I, I still…!”
“Kill him.”
The command fell once more.
This time, there was no hesitation whatsoever.
Shing!
The sword descended, cleaving through the air.
The guard’s spear shattered, and a scream tore through the night.
Blood sprayed across the stone floor, defiling the moonlight.
In other parts of the Capital, the same night was repeating itself.
Doors were smashed open, and necks were severed before the sleepers could even wake.
The mansions of renowned nobles, the lodgings of high-ranking military officials, the residences of administrators—all fell.
That dawn, a bloodbath swept through every corner of the Capital.
* * *
Inside the barracks, there was only silence, not a single light burning.
Outside the tent, the darkness of dawn still pressed down heavily.
And at its center.
“Your Highness, all preparations are complete.”
Baolent’s low voice cut through the darkness.
The operation devised using Nocturne’s assassins had succeeded flawlessly.
The Capital Guard Commander.
The Emergency Measure Approval Officer.
And all those who could respond immediately should the Capital fall into danger—all were dead.
Red blood had been spilled abundantly, yet no trace remained.
Anguished screams had echoed, but they had become silence upon the cold blade and vanished.
Baolent continued.
“We are replacing the guards with our own personnel. However… there is a problem with the Commander, so it will be discovered once dawn breaks.”
At Baolent’s words, Belkakrode nodded.
It didn’t matter anyway.
Everything would be finished before the sun rose.
A soft sound.
Belkakrode rose slowly from his seat.
Though the Capital was undoubtedly a stage set for what could be called “war,” his attire was meticulously neat to the point of seeming excessive.
Yet somehow, this only amplified the dangerous aura he emanated.
“Move the soldiers positioned outside the Capital. Spread them across all the City Gates so the troops don’t concentrate in one location….”
Belkakrode looked at Baolent.
“At the same time, every Castle Wall gate must rise. If that happens, all the soldiers will be able to enter the Capital within mere minutes.”
A full twenty-five thousand soldiers stood ready.
Attempting to funnel them through a single City Gate would take hours—perhaps longer than anyone could predict.
Considering the variables that could emerge during that time, opening all the City Gates for entry was reckless, yes, but also the most flawless approach.
And at the center of this plan.
“Baolent, can you do this?”
“…I will see it done without fail.”
Belkakrode needed the strength of Baolent—his sharpest blade, more lethal than anything else he possessed.
At his answer, Belkakrode nodded.
If he had given his word, he would see it through.
Then there was nothing left but to trust and proceed.
Belkakrode spoke again.
“Then let us begin.”
And the moment those words fell, the heart of the Empire began to beat in a different rhythm.
Before dawn broke.
The master of this Empire would change.

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