The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 299

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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 (299)
The Merit Evaluation and Rewards ceremony had begun, and it was just after Lucael, the first Person of Merit, descended from the Platform.
Soon the eyes of the gathered crowd gleamed with anticipation, wondering which hero would be called next.
But that was the moment.
“Smith and Idella. Both of you, come forward.”
The clerk’s voice rang out clearly across the Plaza.
With that, the Plaza stirred with murmurs.
“Smith?”
“Who is that?”
“And who is Idella? Isn’t that a woman’s name?”
Until now, all those called forward were Generals or Knights whose names alone commanded recognition.
They were heroes who had achieved remarkable feats in war, members of Noble families, or commanders whose names were already widely known.
But the names just called were different.
Names heard for the first time.
People turned to face one another, murmuring in confusion.
That was when it happened.
In front of the Platform, where the citizens had gathered, two figures paused, exchanging cautious glances.
And then.
A gulp.
Tense as if the sound of swallowing could be heard, they slowly made their way toward the Platform.
In an instant, countless eyes fixed upon them.
Though their clothing was neat and orderly, it was unmistakably different from the garments worn by Nobles or Knights.
Their clothes were woven from coarsely textured fabric.
The man bore skin darkened and weathered by the sun.
His face bore the unmistakable marks of exposure to sun and wind, and an unkempt brown beard bristled unevenly across his jaw.
His shoulders were broad, yet his frame was sturdy and unrefined, and his thick hands bore calluses hardened by labor.
The woman standing beside him had warm, sun-bronzed skin.
Her face was dotted with a fine constellation of freckles, and though her thick hair was pulled up, a few strands had escaped to fall loosely beside her cheeks.
There was nothing flashy or refined about her appearance.
Yet both their eyes held a peculiar strength.
A solid resilience—the kind that emanates from those who have endured through barren circumstances without breaking.
As the two ascended the Platform, the Plaza fell silent.
The crowd held their breath, watching them intently.
The clerk spoke again.
“Smith, when an act of rebellion occurred in this Capital, organized groups secretly provided information to Soldiers and treated the Wounded.”
The gazes of those in the Plaza began to shift subtly.
“Furthermore, Idella fought to the death alongside a suicide squad when the Kaerbaldt Kingdom and the Ermatir Kingdom invaded the Southern City.”
As the clerk’s words continued, the faces of the crowd gradually grew solemn.
Some nodded their heads, while others gazed quietly at the two figures.
The clerk paused to collect himself, then continued.
“These two individuals stand here as representatives of their people, and for their unwavering loyalty and courage in fighting for the Empire despite not being soldiers, we bestow upon them this honor.”
The scribe’s gaze turned toward Sedrian.
Sedrian regarded the two for a moment, then nodded quietly.
He gazed at the Scroll the scribe held and declared with commanding force.
“All citizens in the Capital shall receive a 50% tax reduction until the next harvest arrives!”
In that instant, the Plaza trembled violently.
“Ooooooooo!”
“T-tax reduction, you say?”
“By the heavens…!”
People exchanged glances as if unable to believe their ears.
Taxes.
They were the most reliable and substantial source of revenue the state could collect.
Yet to reduce them by half…
This was far more than merely hundreds of thousands of Gold.
Considering the scale of the Capital, the sum was almost incomprehensible.
But the scribe’s declaration did not end there.
“Furthermore, the Southern City shall be granted complete tax exemption, beginning with reconstruction and continuing until the citizens’ lives return to normalcy!”
“…!”
“C-complete exemption?!”
“Gasp!”
People’s eyes widened.
Their expressions were those of utter disbelief.
Yet amid the astonishment, the scribe spoke again.
“Smith, Idella. Both of you, step forward.”
The two stood frozen for a moment before hastily moving ahead.
Then Sedrian slowly raised the Medals he held in his hand.
Golden light gleamed as it caught the Sunlight.
Sedrian spoke.
“These are Medals bearing the Pattern of the Imperial Family.”
The two’s eyes widened.
Sedrian’s voice remained composed.
“These are not for you two alone, but for the citizens who stood with you.”
After a brief pause, he continued.
“When the time comes and you have need, present yourselves at the Imperial Palace.”
Both their mouths fell open simultaneously.
“I… I… th…”
“Th-th-thank you so much!”
Perhaps from overwhelming nervousness.
Or perhaps because the situation seemed too unreal to comprehend, their words came in fragments.
The two trembled helplessly before finally prostrating themselves completely on the Ground.
Thud.
My forehead struck the solid Platform floor.
“I am grateful for the Prince’s favor!”
“I will never forget this grace, Your Highness!”
The two of them repeatedly drove their heads against the ground, crying out.
Sedrian’s expression shifted to one of momentary bewilderment as he watched them.
His secretary quickly interjected.
“Both of you must rise from your positions, lift your heads, and receive the Medals bestowed by the Prince. You must understand that striking your heads against the floor is an act that brings dishonor to the Prince himself.”
The two scrambled to their feet.
Their hands trembled with tension.
Sedrian presented the Medals.
Smith’s weathered hands accepted them with utmost care.
Idella too received the Medals with trembling hands.
“I salute your courage.”
Sedrian spoke with genuine sincerity in his gaze.
At those words, the two met his eyes.
“With all my heart… I am grateful for the Prince’s favor. This glory is something I will never forget, not for generations to come.”
“I feel the same, Your Highness.”
A faint smile crossed Sedrian’s lips at their words.
Soon after, the two turned and descended from the Platform.
As they descended, their movements seemed stiff and awkward.
Yet somehow, that very awkwardness felt more natural.
And at the precise moment they descended from the Platform.
“Uooooooooooooooo!”
A roar erupted as though the Plaza itself would explode.
“Long live Prince Sedrian!”
“Long live!”
“Long live!”
The citizens’ cries tore through the heavens.
Some threw their hats into the air, others waved handkerchiefs.
The entire Plaza was in turmoil.
And at its center, Smith and Idella stood with expressions of disbelief, clutching their Medals tightly.
Moments later, the secretary handed over another Scroll.
The atmosphere in the Plaza had grown even more fervent with the unexpected Persons of Merit and Sedrian’s gracious Rewards.
But when the secretary spoke again, the mood shifted.
“And next!”
The secretary’s voice resonated across the Plaza.
“Belkain Kaeron. Come up to the Platform.”
The air in the Plaza visibly grew heavier.
All eyes converged in a single direction.
A man standing among the crowd began to move forward slowly.
Belkain Kaeron.
Supreme Commander of the Northern Front and the true center of the Empire’s Military Department.
The moment he took his first step, quiet exclamations rippled through the Plaza.
“Corps Commander Belkain…”
“To see him this close…”
His pace was neither slow nor fast.
Yet as he approached the Platform, an unusually powerful pressure bore down upon the Plaza.
A dark Cloak draped over his finely-honed Armor fluttered slightly in the wind, and the body beneath it appeared as solid as stone.
His face bore no particular expression.
But his eyes gleamed with the cool, razor-sharp intensity of steel.
It was the aura that only a Commander who had directed countless Battlefields could emanate.
The Soldiers blocking his path quietly parted to let him through.
Thud, thud.
Belkain Kaeron stopped before the stairs leading to the Platform.
Then he climbed them slowly.
The Plaza had fallen completely silent.
Once atop the Platform, Belkain Kaeron stopped before Sedrian.
The clerk cried out loudly.
“Belkain Kaeron!”
The clerk’s voice filled the Plaza.
“You have assumed command of all Imperial Army Advances on the Northern Front, leading countless Battles to victory, and have made tremendous contributions to breaking through the Preldior Mountain Range and incorporating that land into the Empire’s territory!”
The people’s attention intensified further.
“Moreover, during the rebellion that occurred in the Capital, you commanded troops to eliminate the rebel forces and made great contributions to restoring the Empire’s order!”
As the clerk finished speaking, the air in the Plaza grew tense.
And in that moment, Sedrian stepped forward.
He gazed at Belkain Kaeron for a moment.
“Belkain Kaeron.”
Sedrian’s voice was low yet rang out clearly.
“Your Achievements extend far beyond mere victory on the Battlefield.”
The people in the Plaza held their breath.
“Your ability to unite the Empire’s Army and bare the Empire’s Blade upon the Continent…”
Sedrian continued slowly.
“Is more than worthy of being called the pillar of the Empire’s Military Department.”
After a brief pause.
He declared firmly.
“Therefore, I hereby appoint Belkain Kaeron as Supreme Commander of the Empire’s Military Department!”
The Plaza shook violently.
“Ooooooooo!”
“Supreme Commander?!”
“Good heavens…!”
People’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The man who had been a Corps Commander of the Northern Region had now ascended to a position commanding the entire Imperial Army.
He had truly reached the pinnacle of the Empire’s Military Department.
Sedrian spoke again.
“Furthermore, in recognition of your achievements, I bestow upon you one hundred thousand Gold, along with the Bailderon Territory of the Northern Region.”
As Sedrian finished speaking, the crowd murmured in awe.
The Bailderon Territory of the Northern Region was among the most fertile and expansive lands administered by the Imperial Family.
At this, Belkain bowed his head and spoke to Sedrian.
“I have merely done what was necessary for the Empire.”
His words were measured and composed.
Yet the moment he finished speaking, cheers erupted once more from the Plaza.
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“The Supreme Commander of the Empire, Belkain!”
“Congratulations, Commander!”
Countless soldiers and knights celebrated Belkain with one unified voice.
Amidst the roaring cheers and congratulations, Belkain offered a respectful bow to Sedrian before slowly turning away.
And in that brief moment as he descended from the Platform, he observed the others around him.
Reverence gleamed in the eyes of those who gazed upon him.
This proved that everything he had accomplished on the Battlefield over all these years had not been in vain.
“…”
Having descended from the Platform, Belkain unconsciously clenched his fists tightly.
It was not a position he had coveted, yet as one within the Military Department, how could he not have dreamed of it?
The pinnacle of the Empire’s Military Department.
And Belkain’s presence, now standing at that height, was utterly overwhelming.
Due to Belkain’s reward, the Plaza began to heat up once more with fervent energy.
And the Merit Evaluation and Rewards ceremony continued.
Many who had achieved merit in this war were called forth in turn, ascending the Platform to receive their honors.
Medals were bestowed, Noble Titles were granted, and Reward Money was distributed.
The Plaza erupted in cheers countless times.
Time passed unnoticed, and the sun in the sky began gradually to descend.
Golden sunlight illuminated the Platform and Plaza, casting long shadows across them.
It was then.
The Scribe stepped forward once more.
“At last…”
His voice resonated across the Plaza.
“I shall now call forth today’s final Person of Merit.”
The atmosphere in the Plaza, which had grown somewhat distracted and restless, seemed to heat up once again with anticipation.
People focused their attention on the Scribe’s words.
The Scribe slowly unfurled a Scroll.
“Including the occupation of Preldior in the Northern Region, we have quelled the rebellion that occurred in the Capital….”
The gazes of the crowd shifted one by one.
Then the scribe’s voice resonated across the Plaza.
“The Empire’s second 8th Star Warrior, who achieved the greatest merit on the Southern Battlefield!”
Most of those gathered in the Plaza already knew.
Who the protagonist of this Merit Evaluation and Rewards ceremony was.
And it was precisely when their gazes converged upon one point.
The scribe cried out with force, as if perfectly timed.
“Arteon! Come up to the Platform!”
In that moment.
“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
A thunderous roar swept across the heavens.
Immediately after, thousands of citizens cried out in unison.
“Arteon!”
“The God of War of the North!”
“The Empire’s hero!”
The fervor of the Plaza erupted like an explosion.
And from its center, Arteon began to move forward slowly.

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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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