The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 311

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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 (311)
The air within the Imperial Palace office hung unusually heavy.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window in a long shaft, illuminating the floor, yet even that radiance could not brighten the atmosphere of this place.
Click.
The door opened and Taifren entered.
In his hands he carried sealed documents.
At his expression—so unlike his usual demeanor—and the subtle urgency in his approach, Sedrian’s own countenance grew taut.
“Your Majesty.”
Taifren addressed Sedrian briefly before extending the documents he held.
Sedrian accepted them in silence and tore open the seal.
The moment he reviewed the contents, it felt as though the very air within the room sank deeper still.
“…Taifren.”
His voice had dropped to a low register.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Is this content truthful?”
Taifren did not hesitate for even a moment.
“It is a report from surviving witnesses. While the detailed circumstances have not yet been fully compiled… the situation is believed to be more grave than what has been reported.”
As those words concluded, a brief silence fell.
Sedrian slowly closed the documents.
His fingertips paused ever so slightly, yet he set them upon the table as though nothing troubled him.
His gaze had already grown completely cold.
As if lost in deep contemplation, Sedrian tapped the table with his index finger—once, twice.
But then.
“First, dispatch a Reconnaissance Unit to Gracekal Mine with haste. Above all, ascertaining the precise situation there is paramount.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Simultaneously, consult with Supreme Commander Belkain and prepare to mobilize troops northward. As for the scale… we shall discuss it with Supreme Commander Belkain based on the reconnaissance findings.”
“I shall see it done. However, Supreme Commander Belkain is currently not here, but in Wolfheim, it is said.”
“Wolfheim? You mean the domain of Marquis Arteon of Wolfheim?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
At Taifren’s response, Sedrian exhaled softly.
Perhaps… this might actually make matters easier, he thought.
“Hmm…”
Sedrian, having released a quiet breath, posed a question.
“What is the distance between Gracekal Mine and Wolfheim?”
Taifren answered immediately.
“There is some distance, but by Northern Region standards, it is quite near. Response would be possible far more swiftly than dispatching forces from the Capital.”
At those words, Sedrian’s eyes narrowed.
Marquis Arteon of Wolfheim.
One of the Empire’s strongest warriors in the present age—an existence whose mere intervention could overturn the very balance of the Battlefield.
Should he step forward in this situation, resolution would be possible faster than by any other means.
“….”
Yet Sedrian, lost in contemplation, slowly shook his head.
“No.”
His voice was resolute.
“I cannot send the Empire’s greatest warrior to an uncertain Battlefield.”
Taifren quietly lifted his gaze.
Sedrian’s eyes held no wavering.
“First, we must ascertain the exact situation. The enemy’s identity, their numbers, their purpose—only after all is revealed shall we decide.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Report to me the moment the Reconnaissance results arrive.”
“I shall obey your command.”
Taifren bowed deeply, then turned to leave.
As Taifren departed, silence descended upon the Office.
Sedrian remained wordless for a time, exhaling only a sigh tinged with worry.
His gaze, which had been fixed upon the ceiling, slowly fell.
There was still so much left to do.
Unforeseen circumstances erupting in succession meant far too many matters demanded his attention.
‘And yet….’
I cannot forgive those who dare lay hands upon this Empire.
The report Documents that Taifren had brought.
As Sedrian’s eyes fell upon them, his gaze grew sharp and piercing.
* * *
A subtle fragrance of tea permeated the Office.
Sunlight streaming through the window cast long shadows across the Table between the two men, and from the Teacup resting upon it, wisps of steam still rose gently.
Belkain’s gaze turned toward Arteon.
“You’re saying there’s someone we need to find?”
It was an unexpected answer.
He had simply thought that seeking Arteon’s counsel to create a tactical manual would suffice.
At Belkain’s question, Arteon nodded.
“Yes, in truth, the Formation currently employed by the Silent Spear Unit members is… a tactic that ordinary Imperial Soldiers find exceedingly difficult to execute.”
Belkain’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Arteon continued.
“The structure is far too intricate to master through mere standard Training. As you mentioned, it shifts variably depending on circumstances, and this is intimately connected to the capabilities of the Commander who directs it, and moreover….”
Arteon paused.
It was crucial to convey this situation, intertwined as it was with my past life, with precision.
“Standardizing this into a manual is… something I lack the ability to accomplish.”
And yet, there was but one reason the Silent Spear Unit members had managed to master such tactics.
‘Learn or die.’
While any Battlefield could be called brutal, the Northern Front was far more merciless still.
The Punishment Soldiers who fought here were treated with such savagery that they were scarcely more than Meat Shields.
I had learned and mastered it because failure meant death.
For ordinary soldiers to do such a thing in a normal environment….
‘It’s impossible.’
After organizing his thoughts, Arteon spoke to Belkain.
“To supply the entire Army… simple imitation won’t suffice. We need a systematized manual.”
“Hmm….”
Belkain exhaled softly.
“So you’re saying we need someone to create that manual.”
“Yes.”
Arteon nodded.
‘I could never do something like that in the first place.’
Though I had created the tactics myself, documenting and systematizing them was an entirely different domain.
The one who ‘executes’ tactics and the one who ‘creates a system to teach’ them were fundamentally different roles.
“We need a specialist who is specialized in that field.”
And the best way to create that manual would be….
‘If the person who created that tactic… made the manual directly, it would be of great benefit to the Empire as well….’
Moreover, such talented individuals wouldn’t die in vain like they did in my past life.
Arteon continued.
“To turn the tactics my squad members are currently using into a manual, there’s much more I need to prepare. Would it be acceptable if I contact you again after the preparations are complete?”
“For the Marquis to be thinking of such things… it’s truly a blessing for the Empire.”
“It’s work for the Empire, after all.”
Arteon answered calmly.
“I’ll proceed with the preparations as quickly as possible. I’ll inform you as soon as things are organized.”
Then Belkain nodded and spoke.
“Thank you sincerely for taking such an active role in work for the Empire’s prosperity and strength.”
“You’re too kind. We’re simply heading in the same direction, aren’t we?”
A smile spread across Belkain’s lips.
“Phew… my shoulders finally feel a bit lighter.”
He lifted the teacup and took a sip.
The warm tea descended down his throat, and the tension seemed to ease slightly.
Setting down the cup, he looked at Arteon again.
“Then, would it be acceptable if I asked one more favor?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Would it be alright if I observed the squad members’ training this afternoon… for a brief time?”
Arteon’s eyes moved slightly.
Belkain continued.
“There are new Knights who came with me this time. I’d like to… broaden their horizons.”
I recalled those who had come with Belkain when I first saw him.
They were wearing quite fine Armor.
‘I knew they weren’t ordinary soldiers….’
So they were all Knights.
But even so, did Belkain personally bring them just to observe training?
Arteon asked, puzzled.
“Did the Supreme Commander personally come to observe the Knights’ training?”
Belkain chuckled softly at the question.
“Hardly. I’m meeting with the Marquis—I had to come personally, didn’t I?”
Belkain then added quickly.
“The Knights are simply… those I brought along for the sake of it. I merely wanted to show them that ‘the world is far wider than they imagine.'”
A faint smile crossed Arteon’s lips at those words.
“So they’re newly promoted Knights from Noble families, I take it.”
“Yes.”
A brief answer.
Yet the meaning contained within it was sufficient.
Those who, the moment they wielded Mana and earned the title of Knight, began to believe themselves special.
And that pride, at times, transforms into arrogance.
Arteon rose from his seat.
The legs of the chair scraped softly against the floor.
“Let us go.”
His gaze had shifted subtly.
“From the afternoon training onward… observation is fine, but wouldn’t it be better if the Knights you brought along participated as well?”
Belkain’s eyes widened, then broke into a smile.
“For the Marquis to grant such permission… I am truly grateful.”
He too rose from his seat.
The two walked out of the Office side by side.
Upon exiting, the Adjutant waiting in the corridor immediately straightened his posture.
Belkain spoke to him briefly.
“The Knights who came with us will participate in this place’s afternoon training. Relay that order.”
“Yes, Supreme Commander.”
The Adjutant bowed and quickly departed.
As the Adjutant left, Arteon asked.
“Now that I think of it, I wanted to ask earlier—what happened to Sergeant Claw? Why did a different Adjutant come?”
“Ah… since I was away, someone had to fill in, didn’t they? Hehe.”
He added as if remembering.
“Actually, he’s no longer a Sergeant but a Master Sergeant now. He could have been assigned as a commander to another unit with his promotion to Major, but he said he’d bury his bones at my side as my Adjutant.”
“That sounds like him.”
Arteon smiled faintly.
The two walked side by side toward the Training Ground.
As they passed through the corridor, the movements of soldiers visible through the windows caught their attention.
Precise motions, movements without waste.
At the center of it all stood the Silent Spear Unit.
A smile bloomed once more at the corner of Belkain’s lips as he observed them.
‘Seeing it firsthand… they’ll understand far more clearly.’
The Knights he had brought with him.
How narrow their world had been.
And how different this place truly was.
He felt certain that today would become a pivotal turning point in their lives as Knights.
And when the two of them arrived at the Training Ground.
“…What are those guys?”
“Hmm… there’s something about their gaze I don’t like?”
The Knights who had already arrived and the members of the Silent Spear Battalion were observing one another.
Though no words were exchanged, the Knights who came with Belkain were subtly looking down upon the Silent Spear Battalion members.
They had earned their reputation through the power of 8th Star Warriors.
‘After all, they’re just vulgar criminals.’
They knew the lowly origins of these men and that their path had been far from honorable.
Naturally, they could not regard them with eyes of respect.
But then.
“Attention.”
Arteon spoke, infusing his voice with Mana.
“Today’s training will be conducted as a joint exercise with the Knights who came with the Supreme Commander.”
Arteon’s gaze turned toward them.
“Nothing changes. Simply proceed as you always do… exactly as before.”
Whoosh.
“Do you understand?”
As Arteon’s gaze returned to his unit members.
“Yes! We understand!”
Nearly a thousand unit members responded with voices that made the Training Ground ring out resoundingly.
Arteon nodded at that.
“We begin training.”

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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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