The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 258

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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 (258)
Before the South Gate, silence hung thick as held breath—yet this quietude bore no semblance of peace.
Clop, clop, clop.
Carriages bearing the families of high officials stretched in a single column, while the horses stamped nervously, exhaling anxious snorts through flared nostrils.
From within the cloth-draped carriages seeped the faintest whisper of suppressed presence, and within them trembled the stifled sobs of children.
Small hands clasped together as if in prayer.
Young boys and girls they were, yet they understood all too well how abnormal and perilous their circumstances had become.
And as if to confirm their dread, the adults accompanying them maintained only grim silence.
“….”
Duke Carbain rode alongside the column of carriages.
He understood perfectly.
The moment he displayed even the slightest hesitation, these carriages would not advance a single step beyond the gate.
Already, watchers were stationed atop those walls, observing his every move.
A single misstep, a wavering resolve, could invite their suspicion and resentment.
And should that occur, word would reach those above immediately.
‘The officials held as hostages within the Imperial Palace would not escape unscathed.’
The operation had already unraveled.
The current inability to contact Sedrian was profoundly dire.
Yet perhaps such contingencies had been anticipated to some degree.
All that remained was hope.
‘…I can only pray he perceives it.’
Duke Carbain exhaled quietly, his expression rigid.
“Duke Carbain, we shall open the South Gate.”
“Very well.”
“Forgive us, but we have received orders—this carriage cannot depart immediately. We ask for your understanding.”
The soldier overseeing the South Gate bowed respectfully.
Though circumstances had deteriorated, Duke Carbain remained revered by all Imperial Citizens.
Duke Carbain nodded in acknowledgment.
“I understand. Do not worry.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Then, turning his body, he called out loudly.
“Open the gate!”
Thunk!
At his command, three soldiers began pushing the massive opening mechanism, and the gate commenced its ascent.
Grrrrrrrrrrk.
As the thick rope drew taut, the heavy gate rose gradually skyward.
At this sight, Duke Carbain slowly stepped beyond the gate.
And in that instant, the air transformed.
The presence of soldiers emanated from all directions.
The moment he emerged alone, the eyes of the surrounding soldiers flickered with subtle tension.
The hands gripping the shield and spear trembled faintly as well.
The situation unfolding before them diverged sharply from what they had been told.
“Damn it!”
The commander of Sedrian’s forces encircling the outer perimeter of the South Gate of the Capital furrowed his brow.
“The operation has failed. Fire the signal flare!”
“Yes, sir!”
Whoooooosh!
A red signal flare streaked rapidly skyward, and Carbain, watching its ascent, pressed his lips firmly together.
He seemed to have grasped the situation to some degree.
‘Retreat, quickly…!’
Carbain clenched his teeth.
If they did not withdraw, he would have no choice but to attack.
The soldiers of Sedrian surrounding this place were also Imperial Citizens.
Some might have shared glory with him on the battlefield, while others might be the families of fallen heroes.
‘…If it were Prince Sedrian…’
He would have done everything in his power to avoid a situation where Imperial Citizens turned spear and sword against one another.
He would never have tolerated Imperial Citizens striking down Imperial Citizens.
‘But…’
The 2nd Prince Belkakrode was different.
He seemed to believe that blood must be spilled, as if by design.
Fear and coercion.
He believed these were necessary to completely suppress the way people now regarded him.
Faced with such tyrannical temperament, I wanted nothing more than to flee this place immediately.
Yet Carbain had no choice either.
Soon after, Carbain drew his sword.
Clang!
The sound of steel leaving its scabbard rang out with unusual clarity.
But Carbain did not immediately swing the blade.
He drew upon his Mana, concentrating his Aura into the sword he held.
Uuuuuuuung!
With a subtle vibration, energy began to gather at the sword’s tip.
The ground trembled faintly, and gasps escaped in succession among the soldiers.
‘Hurry… withdraw…!’
As slowly as possible, yet never ceasing to draw forth power.
Any hesitation might trigger something catastrophic.
“Fall back, retreat! Retreat!”
In that instant, the opposing commander cried out loudly and withdrew his soldiers.
If Duke Carbain intended to attack them deliberately, thousands of soldiers here would meet a dog’s death without question.
“Retreat! Fall back!”
“Everyone pull back!”
“R-Retreat!”
The soldiers cried out loudly and began withdrawing rapidly.
At the sight, Carbain exhaled a breath of relief internally.
But then—
He turned his head slightly, glancing sideways at those positioned above the City Gate.
Among them, I couldn’t know who was watching, but….
‘I need to be certain.’
Carbain drew his Sword.
The Aura gathering on his blade now radiated an indescribable momentum.
Carbain swung his Sword in a wide arc from left to right, directed toward the retreating soldiers.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Boom!
The Aura exploded.
Though merely a single man’s casual sword stroke, the earth split asunder as if torn.
A colossal trench, easily exceeding fifty meters in length, was carved into the ground, and soil and stone erupted skyward.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
The shockwave from the Aura Carbain released transmitted all the way to the City Gate.
Among those on the Castle Wall who had their bows drawn, several staggered and lost their balance sideways, and some hastily steadied themselves against the wall with their hands, attempting to conceal their alarm.
“T-Tremendous….”
“It looked like a casual swing, yet how could it possess such destructive power….”
Was this what an 8th Star Warrior truly was?
Most of the soldiers observing from atop the Castle Wall harbored the same thought.
However, among them, several regarded Carbain with a different perspective.
“….”
Several Officers commanding from the Castle Wall looked down upon Carbain in silence.
Their eyes held not awe, nor anger—only calculation.
The strike just now had certainly been overwhelming.
Yet the problem was that Sedrian’s forces had sustained virtually no actual casualties.
It felt as though he had deliberately adjusted the angle to coincide with their retreat timing.
One could interpret it as merely a display of power.
One who harbored suspicion from Carbain’s initial strike spoke up.
“This is an opportunity to verify whether he truly stands with us.”
It was Haksent, known as Count Adrian Valenluke’s right hand.
He slowly surveyed the vice-commanders and Officers around him before continuing.
“Watch him carefully. It’s important we discern whether he genuinely intends to kill those rebels, or merely feigns the attempt.”
“Understood.”
“And should any suspicious movements arise, report immediately.”
The Officers nodded briefly.
From that moment onward, every breath Carbain drew, every glance he cast, every direction his blade pointed—all became subjects of surveillance.
And toward the direction Sedrian’s forces had withdrawn.
He stepped forward.
Carbain began to move forward slowly.
* * *
Kwaaaaaaang!
Not long after the red Signal Flare rose into the sky, a tremendous thunderous sound erupted from that location.
At that sight, Svein’s eyes grew dim.
“It seems… Duke Carbain has gone there.”
“It appears he’s been forced into battle as a condition for allowing the hostages to escape.”
At Arteon’s words, the others nodded their heads.
It was, after all, an entirely predictable situation.
Belkakrode would be suspicious—doubting and doubting again—regarding Carbain’s arrival.
Without bloodying his blade, there was a palpable sense of his unwavering resolve: he would not fully trust Carbain.
Because of this, it seemed they would need to move faster than originally anticipated.
Svein spoke, looking at Arteon and Lucael.
“It seems we must enter the Capital immediately. And once we’re inside… rescuing the captured hostages must be our priority.”
“First, it’s crucial to ascertain the location of those being held hostage. And….”
Arteon paused for a moment.
Rescuing the hostages was certainly the most important task.
‘But if those troops remain stationed within the Capital, ultimately… it will result in massive casualties.’
Victory was inevitable, but the deaths of soldiers from both armies had to be prevented.
Regardless of which side fell, the Empire’s military strength would be depleted.
‘The worst scenario would be if both sides suffered devastating losses.’
If that happened, the savage armies of other kingdoms waiting in the East and South would begin their advance.
Or perhaps they had already begun.
Arteon spoke to Svein.
“If we utilize the Squad Members, it could prove beneficial. What if we move the Silent Spear Battalion and the Silverwolf Knight Order together?”
Their numbers weren’t particularly large, and with their abilities, they could infiltrate the Capital stealthily.
Moreover, once inside the Capital, they would need to move swiftly across the entire expansive space, wouldn’t they?
And….
“The Imperial Palace… I will go alone.”
“…!”
At Arteon’s words, Svein’s pupils trembled slightly.
The Imperial Palace was the most dangerous location among all the places they had planned.
No matter how formidable Arteon was as one who had ascended to the 8th Star, considering the traps deployed within the Imperial Palace and the number of enemies….
“That’s reckless. You could be wounded.”
“In the meantime, please take the Squad Members and completely control the Castle Walls to the East and West, Lord Svein.”
Arteon looked at Lucael.
“Lord Lucael, after controlling the North Wall, will you immediately rescue the hostages together with Lord Svein?”
“You… surely you’re not thinking of ending this Rebellion in one fell swoop?”
Arteon nodded with a resolute expression.
“Yes, that is my intention.”
“….”
“….”
At Arteon’s response, the two men fell silent.
The very notion of ending this massive rebellion in a single operation transcended boldness—it bordered on recklessness.
‘And yet….’
Arteon had already ascended to the same realm as Duke Carbain, arguably the Empire’s mightiest warrior.
It would be impossible to fully comprehend the thoughts of one who dwelled at such an incomprehensibly higher plane than themselves.
Svein posed the question to Arteon.
“…Do you have confidence?”
“I cannot say for certain.”
Arteon shook his head.
And yet….
“It is something that must be done. Should both forces engage in direct combat, the Empire would gain nothing but suffer catastrophic losses.”
“…That is true.”
This operation considered not merely the immediate suppression of the rebellion, but the ramifications that would follow.
Svein nodded in acknowledgment.
“I shall follow your lead.”
“I too shall abide by your strategy.”
Lucael added his voice and unfurled a map of the Capital’s interior.
Studying the map before them.
“Then, to begin with….”
Arteon pointed to a specific location.

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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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