The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 354
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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 (354)
Darkness descended upon the Belikejel Plain.
As night settled slowly over the bloodstained fields, the scorching heat and frenzy of day faded like a forgotten dream.
Yet that tranquility was merely a façade.
With each gust of wind, the metallic reek of blood drifted through the air, while corpses and shattered equipment scattered across the terrain bore witness to the day’s ferocious clash.
The groans of the wounded had not ceased entirely, and in the Rear Position, torches burned as treatment and reorganization continued.
Time was needed to regroup after the brutal battle that had raged throughout the day, yet the Officers could afford no such respite.
Though the Kar Tribe appeared to have withdrawn, they still maintained their forces beyond the visible horizon.
Beyond the Darkness.
From that realm where even torchlight could not penetrate, a presence loomed—as if they might surge forward again at any moment.
That tension rippled directly through the command structure.
The atmosphere in the Conference Room hung heavy with the weight of those gathered.
Some stood still clad in their Armor, while others sat with Bandages wound around their hands.
Silent gazes locked between them.
Within those eyes swirled exhaustion, tension, and barely concealed dread, while the Map hastily spread across the Table bore no markings—unusual for such a moment.
There was no clear course of action available to them now.
“I never anticipated that two Great Warriors would move simultaneously.”
At those quietly spoken words, several nodded in acknowledgment.
Intelligence had existed, but neither the scale nor the timing had been foreseen.
Still, their Operation had proven effective.
A 6-Star Warrior had engaged the enemy’s Great Warrior while the makeshift catapult assault had struck with devastating force.
Those bastards must have been thoroughly shaken.
The moment the catapult’s boulders had torn through Enemy Territory flashed in memory.
In that instant, the Flow had undeniably turned in their favor.
But it had not lasted.
“Had we miscalculated even slightly, every soul in this room would have perished at the hands of the enemy’s Great Warrior.”
At General Zeulrons’s words, the expressions of all present hardened.
His words were cold, and precisely accurate.
Had Kailun failed to stop the Great Warrior who had infiltrated the Formation, all gathered here would have met death.
That scene replayed in their minds.
The enemy’s Great Warrior—moving with the stealth of a Shadow and piercing the Formation with an eerie, wind-like grace.
None dared speak it aloud, yet all understood.
Without Kailun, the War’s outcome would already have been decided.
And…
“I cannot guarantee that such circumstances will not arise again.”
The quietly continued words made the air grow heavier still.
Silence stretched forth.
No one refuted him.
Indeed, they could not.
The enemy had already breached their defenses once using that very method.
And… it was not something they could easily stop just because they wanted to.
To stop a Great Warrior bearing seven Feather Tattoos, at least three or four 6-Star Warriors would be necessary.
The fact that Kailun alone had managed to hold them back could truly be called a miracle.
But….
“In today’s battle… it seemed Commander Kailun’s injuries were quite severe.”
From the excessive impact of the battle with the Great Warrior, internal injuries throughout his body, as well as wounds on his legs, were at a level that could not be ignored.
Fighting at today’s level would be impossible.
That fact made everyone fall into deeper silence.
If Kailun were not here, who would stop them next time?
That question was not voiced by anyone, yet it lingered in everyone’s mind.
Shortly after, someone spoke in a low voice.
“…Then we must thicken our defensive lines.”
“We should redeploy some of the troops stationed on the Outskirts inward, and establish a separate response force around the Command Post.”
“We need more Archers too. At minimum, we should double the volume of Arrows we can unleash in a single volley….”
Opinions began to emerge gradually.
But none of those words carried conviction.
They were merely desperate struggles to prepare for the worst.
That was when it happened.
Belkain, who had been silently studying the Map, spoke.
“…Let us do it this way.”
“Do you have some clever stratagem, sir?”
The other Officers beside him looked at Belkain with expressions of anticipation.
To which Belkain replied.
“What those bastards are after is ultimately one thing, is it not?”
Belkain’s gaze moved slowly.
“The command structure. And among them, I am their target.”
It was a brief statement, but its meaning was unmistakable.
The reason for deploying two Great Warriors.
And the reason one of them was sent as an Assassin was to achieve victory in war as swiftly and effectively as possible.
By killing me, the Commander of the Imperial Army.
“Then….”
Belkain fell silent for a moment, his lips pressed firmly together.
Countless thoughts raced through my mind, and various scenarios interlocked.
Soon Belkain spoke again.
“Rather, let us turn that to our advantage.”
“Turn it to our advantage, you say?”
“…Commander, surely you don’t mean….”
The expressions of several Officers hardened.
To which Belkain replied.
“They have already targeted us once. They failed, but… it would be fair to say they were virtually on the brink of success.”
To that extent, those bastards must have gained confidence in their own operation.
Belkain spoke.
“If we show them even the slightest opening, they will certainly come again. And they’ll prepare far more meticulously and persistently this time.”
Belkain’s finger traced across the map.
The center of our allied formation.
He pointed to where the command post was located.
“But if there’s a problem… it’s that we lack the capacity to defend against it.”
He was referring to Kailun’s condition and the insufficient strength of warriors capable of facing a Great Warrior.
Zeulrons spoke carefully upon hearing those words.
“Then… are you suggesting we abandon the command post?”
“Pardon?”
“What do you mean by that?”
The conference room stirred in an instant.
However, Belkain nodded without hesitation.
“More precisely, we must ensure they don’t realize we’re abandoning it.”
Belkain’s finger tapped a specific point on the map.
“We’ll relocate the command post here, station only minimal personnel at the original location, and lure him to come.”
“….”
“Ah….”
A brief silence spread through the conference room.
But soon after.
Some let out sighs, while others exhaled heavily.
Zeulrons asked Belkain.
“It sounds like you’re suggesting we set a trap… but it won’t be easy.”
The opponent is a Great Warrior of the Kar Tribe.
There was no guarantee that a trap would be effective against a 7-Star Great Warrior.
But Belkain shook his head.
“We’ll position additional archers in the bushes of the plains and employ fire tactics as well. If we block the escape routes that bastard could use with Shield Bearers… we can certainly capture him.”
If we could capture one Great Warrior, the tide of this war would shift.
It would deal them an enormous blow.
“Currently, the foundation that allows them to pressure us strongly from multiple directions is their Great Warriors.”
The remaining seven Great Warriors are what make that possible.
But Zeulrons shook his head at Belkain’s words.
“Looking at the movements of the one who entered our formation this time… you’ll understand that he specializes in assassination.”
One characteristic of such individuals is that they’re extremely sensitive to changes.
“He will certainly notice. If the target isn’t there, he won’t move.”
“That is….”
“I also agree with General Zeulrons.”
Others nodded at Zeulrons’s words.
But….
“If there were a target, things would be different.”
“…Pardon?”
Zeulrons’ pupils trembled.
Belkain’s words carried a subtle undertone.
Belkain spoke to Zeulrons’ unspoken question.
“I will not move.”
“…!”
In that instant, every eye in the room fixed upon Belkain.
Zeulrons opened his mouth with a hardened expression.
“What are you saying, Commander!”
“The bait must be certain. Even if he senses something amiss, he will have no choice but to strike with certainty.”
Belkain tapped his chest as he spoke.
“That bait is me. If I stand here, he cannot possibly remain idle.”
The Kar Tribe had already experienced warriors falling in real-time from the crude catapults.
They had felt in their bodies that the longer this war dragged on, the more it favored their enemies.
‘Above all else…’
They were great warriors bearing seven Feather Tattoos.
The confidence they possessed would pierce the heavens, incomparable to the pride held by ordinary warriors.
“Though we make preparations, they will be certain such measures pose no true threat to them.”
Especially knowing that the warrior who had stopped them carried injuries.
Yet the officers in the Conference Room vehemently objected.
“It is too dangerous. Absolutely not.”
“It is not merely dangerous—it is suicide!”
“We must find another way.”
The officers’ objections continued. But Belkain’s expression did not waver.
“If there exists a better operation, we shall follow it. But… is there a more certain method than this?”
“…”
Silence descended upon the Conference Room.
As Belkain had said, there was no operation capable of fundamentally changing the situation at this very moment.
Yet despite this.
“Even so, this cannot be done. Above all, when the great warrior of the Kar Tribe enters the Formation… we lack any means to restrain him, even briefly.”
Zeulrons shifted the conversation.
Rather than Belkain’s danger, he focused on the lack of practical alternatives to bind the Kar Tribe’s feet once they entered the Formation.
He believed this argument could break Belkain’s stubbornness.
But in that moment.
“If that is the concern… I will do it.”
“…!”
As Kailun pushed open the Barracks door and entered, Zeulrons’ pupils trembled.
Kailun then spoke.
“I will hold him back.”
“It’s impossible. Your body is already….”
“I know my own body better than anyone.”
Thud!
Kailun stomped his left foot hard against the ground.
Despite not channeling any Mana, the impact was so forceful that the surrounding floor trembled.
It was his wounded leg.
Yet for a warrior who lived upon the Battlefield, an injury of this magnitude was always an acceptable risk.
Kailun then turned his gaze toward the Officers in the Conference Room.
“Even if it costs me my life… I will capture that guy and ensure Commander Belkain escapes safely.”
This was both my conviction and a promise made to him.
“I will… succeed. Please trust me.”
The other Officers fell silent at Kailun’s words.
What could they possibly say in a situation like this?
But then.
A faint smile.
Belkain’s lips curled upward as he withdrew a small bottle from his garments.
“This is my last potion. The quantity is quite meager, but… it should still prove more useful than nothing.”
It was the only potion remaining among the Allied Forces’ Formation.
A bottle no thicker than a finger, containing barely a finger’s length of liquid.
Yet even this small amount would provide considerable aid to Kailun in his current state.
Kailun carefully accepted the potion bottle and spoke.
“Thank you, Commander.”
The decision had been made.
Belkain then addressed the Officers.
“From this moment forward, prepare for the Operation scheduled for tomorrow.”
“…Yes!”
“Understood!”
A dangerous… wind began to blow across the Battlefield of Belikezel.
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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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