The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 256

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

Mad Spearman of the Northern Front (256)
Near the Capital.
Dozens of massive carriages were rapidly approaching the camp where Sedrian’s forces were stationed.
Thanks to the paved road leading to the Capital, the carriages surged forward with increasing momentum.
And when they finally arrived at the position where the troops were encamped.
“We’ve finally arrived, it seems.”
“Yes, General Lucael.”
Arteon and Lucael descended from the carriage and surveyed the soldiers gathered there.
And the officers, led by Belkain, swiftly approached them.
“Major Arteon!”
“General Lucael!”
They rushed forward as though they had been waiting with bated breath, calling out loudly upon seeing the two.
Soon after, Belkain addressed Arteon and Lucael.
“We’ve been waiting for both of you. Time is of the essence now—come this way at once.”
It was rare to see Belkain speak with such urgency.
At his words, Arteon and Lucael exchanged puzzled glances.
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
With brief acknowledgments, they followed Belkain’s lead.
As they ventured deeper under Belkain’s guidance, a hastily erected tent came into view.
It resembled an executive meeting chamber, yet my footsteps faltered slightly.
“….”
An inexplicable sense of discord.
Lucael seemed to sense it as well, regarding me with a puzzled expression.
But I simply followed Belkain into the tent without a word.
And….
“This is Major Arteon, whom I mentioned earlier, Duke Carbain.”
Belkain spoke respectfully toward a middle-aged man seated within.
My pupils trembled slightly at his words.
‘Duke Carbain…?’
How could I not know that name?
He stood foremost among those who had led the Empire to prosperity, known as the Empire’s greatest swordsman—an 8-Star Warrior, no less.
Yet my astonishment was fleeting.
Suddenly, an immense pressure bore down upon my shoulders, and I found myself involuntarily clenching my teeth.
“…!”
Without question, this was an aura I had never experienced before—heavy and unyielding in its weight.
A pressure so intense that his gaze alone seemed capable of crushing a person.
Yet strangely, the others seemed entirely unaffected, standing with composed expressions.
My gaze turned toward Carbain.
“….”
Arteon could read it in Duke Carbain’s silent, piercing gaze.
This pressure.
‘…Is he testing me?’
It was directed solely at him.
The concentrated Aura of an 8-Star warrior could itself become a lethal weapon.
As someone who had reached the 8-Star realm, Arteon understood its terror better than anyone, and precisely because of that, he could discern the intent behind it.
“…Forgive my presumption.”
Arteon exhaled a final word with deliberate restraint and activated his Mana Manipulation.
His Mana Core, nestled at the center of his being, instantly unleashed its power, flooding through his entire body.
In that moment, the collision of two opposing Auras sent the tent billowing violently, and the oppressive energy that had been bearing down on Arteon was instantly neutralized and dispersed.
Duke Carbain’s eyes flickered slightly.
“…So Commander Belkain’s words were true.”
Carbain nodded toward Belkain.
His words carried both astonishment and confirmation. Then, turning his gaze back to Arteon, he spoke.
“Arteon, was it?”
His voice was low and heavy.
“I recall seeing you at the Imperial Palace before.”
After the victory at Belikezel.
At the Merit Ceremony held in the Imperial Palace.
The Arteon of that time had been a boy with remarkable talent.
Yet while he had sensed potential, Carbain had thought of him merely as an unpolished gem, still rough around the edges….
‘To grow this strong in such a short span of time… is such a thing even possible?’
Carbain’s gaze swept slowly across Arteon.
He himself was a figure once called a ‘Genius’ in the Empire’s history.
From childhood, he had received his family’s unwavering support, and through grueling effort and countless battles, he had reached the 8-Star realm.
That had been well past his mid-forties.
Yet this young man, who seemed not to have lived even half his years… was already standing at a realm comparable to his own.
Carbain regarded Arteon in silence.
His gaze carried both appraisal and wariness.
Yet despite Carbain’s scrutiny, Arteon steadied his breath and spoke with composure.
“Major Arteon. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Carbain, the Empire’s First Blade.”
His demeanor was respectful and unwavering.
Arteon did not know why such overwhelming pressure had emanated from their first encounter.
But one thing was certain.
That pressure had a reason, and it was something far more significant than he had initially thought.
As Arteon stood quietly after his greeting, Carbain’s gaze shifted to the side.
Carbain spoke, looking at Lucael.
“I did not know you were with him.”
Lucael stepped forward and bowed his head.
“It is an honor to meet you again, Duke.”
Duke Carbain regarded him for a moment before speaking.
“It seems you’ve made remarkable progress in my absence. I recall you were previously trapped behind the 6-Star barrier.”
“It is thanks to the Duke’s steadfast protection of the Empire from the Central Government.”
At those words, Duke Carbain smiled faintly.
“Such sweet talk isn’t necessary. I congratulate you on your achievement.”
“Thank you!”
In response to Lucael’s gratitude, Duke Carbain turned his gaze toward Belkain.
“The prospects seem to have improved.”
Belkain bowed respectfully at those words.
“Thank you for making such a difficult decision.”
Duke Carbain shook his head.
“It was merely a choice for the Empire’s sake.”
Then he turned his gaze and looked upon Sedrian.
Duke Carbain stepped back and bowed his head with unmistakable courtesy.
“Forgive my disloyalty, Your Majesty.”
His voice carried weight and solemnity.
“As I mentioned before, my intention was to prevent the Empire’s collapse.”
Sedrian regarded him for a moment, then shook his head.
“No. I understand your meaning well enough. Had I been in your position, I would have wrestled with the same dilemma.”
The competition with his younger brother Belkakrode was not merely about obtaining the Emperor’s throne.
Ultimately, the most crucial matter was to continue building a strong and stable Empire.
Thus, Sedrian could understand Duke Carbain’s actions.
After a brief silence, Sedrian spoke.
“Then… may I ask for your aid?”
His words carried honesty.
Regrettably, there was little he could accomplish directly from this position.
Even commanding tens of thousands of troops, he could not thrust them into the flames without purpose.
And at Sedrian’s words, Duke Carbain nodded.
“From now on, place your trust in me.”
Having finished his response, Duke Carbain turned his gaze to regard Arteon and Lucael in turn.
And he spoke.
“Then… there is work that you two must undertake now.”
At those words, Arteon and Lucael’s attention fixed upon him.
Both waited for his words without the slightest wavering.
And as his words cut through the air that followed.
*
Arteon and Lucael’s eyes grew resolute and sharp.
* * *
“…Your Majesty.”
Count Edrian knelt on one knee before Belkakrode and bowed his head.
The air in the Great Hall remained heavy, yet its weight was one of anticipation rather than dread.
Adrian rose to his feet and spoke to Belkakrode.
“New reinforcements have joined Prince Sedrian’s forces, Your Majesty.”
“Have the provincial nobles mobilized their strength?”
Belkakrode’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
The arrival of new forces deviated somewhat from his expectations.
Yet Adrian quickly lowered his head and responded.
“No, Your Majesty. The provincial nobles are unlikely to have learned of the situation here.”
“Then what forces have newly joined?”
“Based on my assessment, it appears to be the remnant forces from the Northern Region.”
Upon hearing those words, Belkakrode’s lips naturally curved upward.
No matter how many additional troops were sent from the north, attacking this impregnable Capital remained nearly impossible.
Moreover, considering the movements of the Kar Tribe, there were limits to how many forces could be withdrawn from the north.
‘In the end… no matter how desperately they struggle, they cannot deviate significantly from their current troop strength.’
Furthermore, once Duke Carbain joined forces, he could repel Sedrian’s armies under his command.
Since Prime Minister Taifren had sided with him, the powerful provincial nobles would ultimately have no choice but to support him.
History had always been shaped by those with power.
When power and justification aligned perfectly…
He would no longer be merely a ‘Prince,’ but would be revered as the true Emperor of the Empire.
At that thought, Belkakrode’s lips curved into a smile.
And it was then.
With hurried footsteps, a soldier burst into the Great Hall.
“Your M-Majesty! Duke Carbain’s forces have arrived at the Capital!”
“…Is that so?”
Belkakrode’s eyes gleamed.
It was a reaction as though he had been waiting for this moment.
Now, depending on what answer Carbain brought, everything that would unfold would be determined.
Belkakrode gazed at Taifren, who stood to one side of the Great Hall.
“Will you go out and receive him?”
A moment of silence.
But soon after, Taifren stepped forward and bowed his head.
“I shall do so, Your Highness.”
“…”
The fact that he had not yet used the honorific ‘Your Majesty’ troubled Belkakrode’s mind.
But for now, he chose to endure it.
‘In any case, just a little longer.’
Then no one would dare to omit those words.
Belkakrode opened his mouth once more.
“Be cautious—there is a possibility that Sedrian’s forces could be mixed in with Duke Carbain’s army.”
His voice was low but unmistakable.
“No matter what those bastards do, we must stop them completely.”
Count Edrian bowed immediately.
“I will not allow even a moment of carelessness, Your Majesty.”
After responding thus, he departed from the palace alongside Taifren.
And as the doors to the Great Hall closed, silence descended for a moment.
Within that silence, Baolent gazed wordlessly at Belkakrode.
I hoped nothing would happen until the very end.
“….”
Seeing him still heavily guarded, Belkakrode smiled.
“You too should ease your vigilance a little. Isn’t it nearly finished now?”
But Baolent, keeping his head bowed, answered cautiously.
“It is not finished until it is finished, Your Majesty.”
His eyes still gleamed with tension.
“Rather, I find Prince Sedrian’s movements suspicious—the fact that he has remained quietly in place until now.”
At those words, Belkakrode chuckled softly.
“You have much on your mind.”
Then he slowly rose from his seat.
“Depending on how he moves, this Empire could very well crumble.”
Belkakrode knew what Sedrian was concerned about.
He himself had not failed to consider that aspect either.
But therein lay the crucial difference between Sedrian and himself.
“He hesitates out of worry, but I advanced boldly with the first step.”
Unlike the fool who wavered, I drew my blade first and thus drew closer to the Imperial Throne.
“That is surely the greatest requirement of a supreme ruler.”
Sedrian, who cares more for this Empire than the Emperor’s seat itself, could never strike first.
And because of that….
“I have no choice but to win.”
His lips twisted upward in a smile.
“Let us go greet them ourselves.”
Belkakrode laughed loudly and began to walk.
“Soon, everything will be decided!”
As Belkakrode strode forward with booming laughter, Baolent could only watch him with eyes full of concern.

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