The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 284

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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 (284)
“…I never imagined we would extract Kaerbaldt Kingdom’s surrender in such a short span of time.”
Deep within the Imperial Palace, in a Conference Room.
Beneath the high ceiling, a Lamp swayed gently, casting its soft glow across the faces of the ministers arrayed along the long table.
The light was brilliant, yet the atmosphere hung heavy and subdued.
Prime Minister Taifren gazed down at the Report, shaking his head slowly.
The terms were excessively harsh.
Beyond merely draining the kingdom’s treasury, they were demands that would systematically strangle Kaerbaldt’s lifeblood for years to come.
He had anticipated some degree of negotiation would be necessary, but Diorman refused to yield on a single point.
He had seized Kaerbaldt by the throat with relentless tenacity.
“It was all possible because of the Army’s victory.”
Diorman spoke calmly, his voice steady.
“Given the circumstances on the battlefield… it would have been impossible for them to resist our demands.”
A weighty voice continued from one side of the Conference Room.
“We’ve already heard reports of a major victory, but what exactly transpired?”
Diorman fell silent for a moment at the question.
Then he slowly surveyed the Conference Room. His gaze carried a subtle gravity that only those who had faced the Battlefield directly could possess—far beyond that of a mere diplomat.
“The details are precisely as documented in the Battlefield Report. However… if one considers the difference in perspective, the psychological pressure they endured would have been truly immense.”
“Difference in perspective?”
“Imagining our Empire in Kaerbaldt’s position.”
Those gathered in the room began to visualize as Diorman suggested, recalling the contents of the Report.
Ten thousand enemy troops advancing.
The Empire mobilizing all available forces, preparing for war to repel them….
“Within mere hours, their border garrison was defeated, and thousands of soldiers taken Prisoner. Then, attempting a defensive siege using the Castle Wall as shelter, they suffered a major defeat in just two days.”
Even reading it on paper was chilling—the situation defied comprehension.
A subtle silence fell over the Conference Room.
Though they had already received word of the military achievements in writing, hearing it spoken aloud made its destructive impact far more vivid.
Placing themselves in Kaerbaldt’s position, the situation was so terrifying it bordered on the incomprehensible.
However….
“I understand Kaerbaldt Kingdom possesses one 7-Star Warrior….”
Diorman’s words paused briefly.
“That he did not take the field was a stroke of divine fortune.”
Several ministers nodded at those words.
Had that Warrior stepped onto the Battlefield and fallen, Kaerbaldt Kingdom would have lost any possibility of recovery.
Diorman added finally.
“They are an opponent who has already lost all will to fight. The fact that they accepted every term of this compensation proposal is proof of that.”
His gaze naturally turned toward Prince Sedrian.
“We cannot know how matters will conclude with Ermatir Kingdom… but I believe showing some restraint would be prudent.”
Sedrian sat in silence for some time.
Then he slowly nodded his head.
“Then let it be so. You have traveled far and worked hard, Diorman.”
“I merely did what was necessary.”
As Diorman withdrew after his brief greeting, the weight of politics settled once more over the Conference Room.
Sedrian spoke immediately.
“Regarding the compensation we demanded from the Kaerbaldt Kingdom—reduce the clauses concerning hostages from the kingdom’s citizens and royal family, excluding the substantive portions. There is little practical benefit in bringing them here anyway.”
Taifren bowed his head.
“Understood.”
“And have our own laborers sent to work the mines that the Kaerbaldt Kingdom possesses. Since the Empire far surpasses them in mining techniques, increasing production will prove far more advantageous.”
“It shall be done.”
As Taifren’s response concluded, Sedrian exhaled softly.
The tension had not dissipated.
Rather, I simply felt the realization of having crossed one critical threshold.
Merely one step forward.
Yet that single step was vast enough to shake the very balance of the Continent.
‘To think they would perform so flawlessly….’
My gaze drifted momentarily toward the window.
The war that had begun in the Northern Region and the military forces that had distinguished themselves within it.
In particular, the military strength that moved under Arteon’s command had elevated the Empire’s standing far beyond mere victory.
The reality that such an army had existed only in the Northern Region struck me now with full force.
The thought that we had failed to properly utilize them until now was enough to make my head spin.
And simultaneously, a wave of regret washed over me.
Those soldiers who had ridden ceaselessly from the Northern Region to this place.
Behind their brilliant achievements lay countless sacrifices and accumulated exhaustion.
‘When this matter concludes….’
My eyes grew distant.
Then I would surely reward them. I would add all the merits we had failed to grant until now and conduct an unprecedented Merit Ceremony.
Perhaps it would become the most magnificent reward in the Empire’s history.
Of course, such preparations would require careful planning.
The standards for merit, noble titles, land distribution, balance within the military—handled poorly, it could become a seed of conflict.
Sedrian turned his gaze back to his ministers.
“From this point forward, we shall proceed with both post-war reconstruction and Merit Ceremony preparations in parallel. Just as securing victory is vital, so too is establishing what comes after. All departments must prepare accordingly.”
The ministers bowed in unison.
The lamp in the Conference Room flickered.
Within that small tremor, the Empire took yet another step forward.
* * *
Along the Imperial Road stretching toward the Ermatir Kingdom, the Imperial Army’s forces moved in orderly formation.
Slightly over twenty thousand soldiers.
Flags rippled as they cut through the wind, and the soldiers’ footsteps struck the earth in steady rhythm.
Then it happened.
A group of cavalry approached roughly from the Forward Position, raising clouds of dust.
The words of the one standing at the vanguard stumbled forth, nearly faltering.
“C-Commander! A grave crisis has befallen us!”
It was Bekun, the Reconnaissance Unit commander.
He tumbled from his horse in haste, gasping heavily as he dropped to one knee before Belkain.
Cold sweat streamed down through the gaps in his armor.
Belkain regarded him and spoke.
“What is the matter?”
“The Ermatir Kingdom has… formed an alliance with the Seranello Kingdom and the Kalpol Kingdom. They have assembled their forces.”
The air around them froze in an instant.
Belkain’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“What is the scale of their forces?”
“At minimum, fifty thousand. There is a possibility of even greater numbers.”
Fifty thousand.
By mere numbers alone, it was more than double their own strength.
Such an overwhelming disparity caused the expressions of the officers around them to stiffen visibly.
Yet Bekun’s report was far from finished.
“…But there is an even graver problem than that.”
His shock was so profound that despite the urgent nature of the reconnaissance mission, he had spent considerable time verifying what he had discovered.
And because of that, he could confirm it with absolute certainty.
“Among them… there were faces I recognized.”
“Faces you recognized?”
Bekun swallowed hard and continued.
“Rasion Mertain of the Ermatir Kingdom. Belotian Aldion of the Seranello Kingdom. And Dorcain Lucet of the Kalpol Kingdom—all three were present in the same place.”
As the names fell one by one, Belkain’s expression hardened ever so slightly.
All three were 7-Star Warriors of the mid-to-late tier, representing their respective kingdoms.
By Imperial standards, they were equals to Svein or Baolent, or in some cases, perhaps even their superiors.
Those three names weighed far heavier than the fifty thousand troops.
After a moment of silence, Belkain spoke with composure.
“Halt the advance. Allow the soldiers to rest, and summon the officers.”
The momentum of the army came to a standstill.
Orders were swiftly relayed, and shortly thereafter, the key commanders gathered within the temporary Command Tent.
Tension hung thick in the air of the tent.
“Seranello and Kalpol, you say?”
One officer spoke in a low voice.
“If it were Neort, perhaps, but those two kingdoms have no direct stake in this conflict, do they?”
“The strategists of Ermatir must have wagged their tongues.”
Another officer laughed bitterly.
“Kaerbaldt has fallen, and perhaps you shall be next… They likely stirred fear in such a manner.”
Though opinions were exchanged, the conclusion was inescapable—the situation was dire.
The enemy’s forces exceeded their own by more than double, and worse still, there were three 7-Star Warriors of the mid-to-late tier among them.
With that level of military strength, they would be roughly equal to the Imperial Army as it stands now, or perhaps….
“….”
No one dared to finish that thought.
Though they had achieved an overwhelming victory just moments ago, the possibility of repeating such a feat on the battlefield ahead seemed remote.
It was then that Belkain spoke quietly.
“Bring Major Arteon here.”
“Understood.”
A soldier rushed toward the rear, and before long, Arteon approached on horseback from the distance.
“You called for me, Commander.”
A crisp salute.
Every eye in the Command Tent fixed upon him.
Belkain spoke without preamble.
“Given the circumstances, I’ll dispense with formalities and speak plainly.”
He calmly explained the scale of the Allied Forces, their troop numbers, and the names of the three warriors.
After he finished, silence hung in the air for a moment.
Then Belkain asked directly.
“What do you think? Can you end this war?”
The air in the Command Tent grew taut.
Arteon’s eyes moved slightly.
“Are you asking whether I can fight and defeat those three warriors?”
“That’s right.”
Everyone present understood.
The crux of this war ultimately converged at a single point.
Arteon slowly surveyed the officers.
Tension, anxiety, anticipation, doubt.
Multiple emotions were intertwined.
He turned his gaze back to Belkain and asked.
“If I may ask, Commander, what are your thoughts on this?”
All eyes in the Command Tent shifted to Belkain.
“Hmm….”
A short breath.
After a moment of silence, Belkain opened his mouth.
“The height of the obstacle may have increased… but whether it’s a ten-centimeter obstacle or a fifty-centimeter one, there is no great difference in overcoming it, is there?”
In that instant, several officers’ eyes widened.
Three 7-Star warriors representing each kingdom, reduced to mere fifty-centimeter obstacles.
Was this pride, or was it conviction?
Belkain gazed at Arteon without a word.
Arteon met that gaze directly, his expression unwavering.
“I share the same thoughts as you, Commander.”
A brief answer.
Yet within it lay not a shred of hesitation.
The moment those words fell from my lips, the tension within the Barracks transformed into something different.
Not anxiety, but resolve.
“Excellent.”
Belkain’s lips curved upward in a long smile.
Rising from his seat, Belkain glanced at Claw beside him.
“How much time has passed?”
“Approximately two hours, sir.”
At those words, Belkain nodded.
“That should suffice for adequate rest.”
Belkain then addressed the officers.
“Move the Army immediately.”
There was no reason to hesitate.

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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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