The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 259
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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 (259)
“Do not engage head-on under any circumstances. Withdraw your forces!”
As the troops stationed at the Southern Gate fell back, word of Duke Carbain reached both Sedrian and Belkain.
At Belkain’s command, the officers swiftly ordered the soldiers to retreat.
“Fall back! Fall back!”
“Do not engage—retreat! He is not an opponent we can face!”
Clearly, Belkakrode’s involvement had disrupted the operation.
Given the circumstances that left no room for deliberation, they had no choice but to trust one another and move by instinct.
And thanks to Belkain’s swift judgment, Duke Carbain found his mind somewhat eased.
“Hah!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Crash!
An attack far more devastating than the first strike he had unleashed.
The terrain beyond the Capital was being utterly transformed before their very eyes—a sight that defied comprehension.
The officers retreating alongside the soldiers gazed upon that place with frozen eyes.
‘Surely…’
The question arose whether this man was truly one of their kind.
The saying that a swordmaster at the pinnacle could cleave the earth and shatter mountains was no exaggeration.
They swallowed hard and withdrew their bodies as far back as possible.
And watching the soldiers in retreat.
Whoosh.
Duke Carbain turned his head to gaze toward the City Gate.
They had already advanced well over a kilometer from the City Gate, and the enemy had retreated several times that distance.
Duke Carbain drew forth the whistle he carried and blew it with force.
Wheeeeeeeee
It was a signal for the carriages to depart now that the enemy had withdrawn.
But….
Boooooooooo!
An officer stationed at the Southern Gate of the Capital answered with a horn blast instead.
At that, Duke Carbain’s expression hardened.
“…How dare they.”
That horn call.
It was not merely a signal to repel the enemy, but a command to annihilate them completely.
So then….
‘He will not believe unless blood is spilled…’
I could now discern Belkakrode’s true intention.
Duke Carbain turned his head to look upon the retreating soldiers.
To pursue and slaughter them.
For me, it would not be a difficult task.
Yet how could I do such a thing?
They too are Imperial Citizens, and after this conflict ends, they are those with whom I must share the same vessel once more.
‘The Second Prince….’
Does he truly not care about anything that comes after this betrayal?
Tch!
Duke Carbain’s grip tightened around the Sword he held.
Every fiber of his being screamed to turn this Blade around and rush toward the Imperial Palace at once.
But….
‘I must endure.’
For now, I had to deceive their eyes and buy time by any means necessary.
And in that time.
“….”
Perhaps he was already moving.
No—he had to be moving.
‘Please… hurry.’
If Svein moved personally, that would be ideal, but it wouldn’t be easy for Svein alone to accomplish anything within the Capital.
If only… I could at least secure the safety of those held hostage.
Duke Carbain swallowed back a sigh that threatened to burst forth and turned his gaze once more toward Sedrian’s soldiers.
For now….
“Avoid as much as you can and retreat—keep retreating.”
I needed to focus on what I could do.
And….
Whoosh!
Duke Carbain’s body form surged forward rapidly toward the retreating soldiers.
* * *
To pass through each City Gate of the Capital, one had to cross a River over fifty meters wide.
To do so, naturally one had to cross a Bridge, but the area around the Bridge was always brightly illuminated, making it impossible to pass through undetected.
Because of that….
Whoosh!
Arteon stood before a Lake far removed from the City Gate, concealing himself in Darkness.
Their surveillance was quite tight, but upon closer inspection, I had found a few small gaps.
‘…It’s unavoidable.’
It was natural, given that humans were doing the watching.
When nothing happens, one’s vigilance naturally dulls.
Especially soldiers who had grown somewhat accustomed to the situation—they couldn’t help but let their guard slip.
But that didn’t mean I could afford to be careless.
I could swim across the River, but the Lake below held quite a few sharp obstacles.
There was risk involved, and the time it would take to swim across meant a high chance of being spotted by the sentries atop the Castle Wall.
Arteon gazed toward the Castle Wall beyond the Lake.
‘Roughly fifty meters.’
Even for Arteon, leaping across in one bound was impossible. But….
‘Once in the middle.’
If I strike the water with enough force, I can definitely reach the opposite side.
I gradually drew up my Mana.
Crossing the River itself wasn’t particularly difficult, but there was something crucial.
‘I absolutely cannot be discovered.’
When stepping on the water and leaping, I couldn’t afford even the slightest ripple.
Because of this, I narrowed my eyes and concentrated my focus.
And precisely at that moment when even the moonlight from the sky was obscured by clouds and dimmed.
In that singular instant when the world was dyed in Darkness, my body form flattened like a shadow against the Ground and surged toward the River.
Tap!
Tremendous speed.
In an instant, my figure vanished into the Darkness.
And as I leaped low and fast, crossing the River in a bound.
Whoooosh!
My Mana concentrated toward my legs as a subtle Wave rippled outward.
Then, the moment I stepped on the center of the River.
Splash.
In the briefest instant, my body sprang upward and I leaped again.
Along with that, the part of the River I had struck sent forth a Wave accompanied by a faint vibration.
As a result.
Tap!
In what felt like the blink of an eye, I had crossed to the opposite side, and not a single drop of water had splashed up—only a gentle Wave remained.
And as the clouds that had obscured the moon passed, silvery moonlight spread softly across the land.
As if nothing had happened at all.
I clung to the Castle Wall and lifted my head.
‘Now….’
Unfortunately, it was impossible to silently eliminate all of Those Guys and open the City Gate.
Currently, the Capital was under emergency alert.
With Soldiers stationed not only on the Castle Wall but throughout the interior, infiltrating without anyone knowing?
It was absurd.
If I were alone, perhaps—but over a thousand people would be moving together.
Such a thing was impossible from the start.
Then I would have to draw attention to one direction only.
‘After all… Battle is unavoidable.’
If I couldn’t avoid it, I had to proceed as efficiently and quickly as possible.
‘Duke Carbain has limits to how long he can stall without killing Soldiers.’
Rather, if I made a loud commotion on this side, I could divert the attention of Those Guys watching Duke Carbain toward me, at least somewhat.
“Haaaaaah….”
Having steeled my resolve, I drew the Iglis hanging at my waist.
And the moment my Mana was infused into it.
Clang!
Iglis revealed its true form, radiating a powerful Aura.
And then….
“Hm!”
While evasion was impossible, what mattered was remaining inconspicuous, so instead of a full Discharge, I concentrated the Aura entirely at the spear’s tip, suppressing the burst of light.
With focused power, I hurled Iglis toward the Castle Wall of the Capital before me.
Kwaaaaaaang!
Immediately after, the entire Castle Wall trembled with a thunderous sound.
Kuguguguguguguguguguung!
“Ugh, uaaaaaaagh!”
“What, what is it! What is it!”
“Enemy attack! The Castle Wall is shaking!”
“A catapult? No, where are the enemies?!”
The soldiers standing watch atop the Castle Wall cried out in great alarm.
Looking anywhere ahead, there was nothing that could assault the Castle Wall.
Moreover, even if catapults had been deployed, the defensive Magic Circles inscribed upon the Capital’s Castle Wall boasted the Empire’s highest standards.
This place was one where even a tremor, let alone a crack, would not appear from one or two catapult attacks.
Yet if a vibration of this magnitude could be felt….
“Ah, below!”
“There’s a person below!”
With one soldier’s cry, those atop the Castle Wall shone their torches downward and shouted loudly.
Directly beneath them, a man standing before the Castle Wall.
Though difficult to see in the darkness, his position became apparent from the faintly glimmering golden light.
“…Quite impressive?”
I gazed at the crack that had formed before me after striking the Castle Wall, marveling at it.
Though I had not fully utilized my Aura, I never expected that even a hole would not pierce through stone.
My eyes narrowed.
This was an attack compressed to its maximum without allowing the Aura’s light to leak out.
If I had to categorize it by stage, it would be around high-level 6-Star?
Yet even with this level of destructive power, destroying the Castle Wall itself was impossible.
‘So it’s truly impossible to destroy the Castle Wall even with a 6-Star Warrior’s Aura.’
It was truly an astounding level of defensive Magic Circle.
But a sharp eye flash gleamed in my gaze.
“It’s the Castle Wall defending the Imperial Capital, after all.”
Yes, if it were the Imperial Capital, it should naturally be this way.
Considering the fortune poured into the Magic Circles of the Castle Wall, shouldn’t it be worth at least this much?
And….
“Huuuuuuup…!”
I had wanted to avoid revealing my position until I could enter inside.
But since I was already exposed, there was no reason to limit my power.
From Iglis, a brilliant golden radiance flashed forth.
Crack! Crackle!
Golden sparks erupted around Arteon’s body in a brilliant cascade.
An officer watching from atop the Castle Wall cried out urgently.
“Attack that man! Fire arrows! Drop boulders!”
“Shoot arrows toward the light!”
However, Arteon clung so tightly to the wall that there were few angles from which arrows could be fired.
Only a handful of archers pressed against the wall could manage to aim at all.
Yet even they trembled as they nocked their bowstrings, overwhelmed by the intense Aura radiating from Arteon’s presence.
For ordinary soldiers, merely being exposed to the Aura Arteon emanated would make it nearly impossible to maintain their composure.
Perhaps that was why.
Though the officers’ commands rang out desperately, no arrows flew toward Arteon.
And in that brief moment of hesitation.
Boom!
Iglis struck the Castle Wall once more, unleashing a thunderous roar.
And the result was entirely different from the previous attack.
Crumble, crumble, crumble!
“N-no, nooooo!”
“The, the Castle Wall…!”
“The, there’s a hole in the Castle Wall!”
As a hole easily exceeding five meters in diameter tore open, the soldiers cried out in shock.
The soldiers below the Castle Wall who now faced Arteon flinched in terror and stumbled backward.
“H-how…?”
“Even siege weapons couldn’t crack it, yet the Capital’s Castle Wall…?”
Their expressions hardened at the shocking reality unfolding before their eyes.
But Arteon, seemingly unconcerned, raised his Spear and spoke.
“I’m pressed for time, so… forgive me.”
And with those words.
Whoosh!
Arteon’s form blazed with golden light as he tore through the soldiers with blinding speed.
In the blink of an eye.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
Using the shaft of his Spear, Arteon rendered the soldiers unconscious in an instant, then glanced back.
“It begins.”
This rebellion.
I’ll end it completely before the sun sets.
Soon, watching his comrades begin to move from behind, Arteon charged once more into the fray.
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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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