The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front - Chapter 6

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Mad Spearman of the Northern Front (6)

This was the land of the north where fierce survival and battles had to be fought every single day.

Especially on days when the blizzard was this severe, no one would venture outside the barracks if possible.

The blade-like northern winds were weapons in themselves.

But….

Whooooosh!

Despite the flesh-cutting wind, Arteon gripped his spear and looked at the training wooden dummy with sharp eyes.

It had already been ten days.

He had trained the Vargas Mana Cultivation Method without missing a single day, and practiced spear technique against the wooden dummy at the same time every day.

He understood it theoretically, but it wasn’t completely ingrained in his body yet.

“Huu….”

Blood stains were clearly visible on the spear he was gripping.

The current Arteon was in a weakened state, unlike his past life.

But even though his wounds had burst open and blood was flowing, Arteon didn’t care at all.

Instead, he roughly washed the blood off with snow and gripped the spear again.

Thud.

Arteon gripped the spear with both hands and took his stance.

But then.

“What kind of stance is that? It doesn’t seem to be what the military uses.”

At the voice coming from behind, Arteon turned his gaze.

“The, Heart of Steel!”

In this raging blizzard.

‘Could it be that Benhard’s Ogre… came here.’

It was something he hadn’t expected at all.

But Belkain casually looked around the training ground where Arteon was.

Though he was living freely by himself, everything was neatly organized.

But what was most surprising was that in this raging blizzard.

“….”

He was actually training.

Belkain looked at Arteon.

To which Arteon replied.

“It’s something I learned from my father when I was young.”

“I heard you were an orphan.”

“I just lost my parents early. Actually, I learned it when I was so young that I only have faint memories, so I was just fumbling through it.”

A father he couldn’t even remember was helpful at times like this.

Belkain nodded.

“I see. There are 5 days left, do you have any position in mind?”

Why is he suddenly asking about positions?

Arteon looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“I will do my best wherever I’m placed.”

He always answered in the standard way.

At that response, Belkain nodded with an indifferent expression.

“Then I’ll see you in 5 days.”

As Belkain turned and left the training ground, Arteon watched his retreating figure with a somewhat dazed expression.

“Was he… always like this?”

He was famous for showing no interest in soldiers or even officers.

The term Ogre didn’t just mean tyrant or strength, but also implied a loss of humanity.

But Arteon soon shook off his thoughts.

‘I don’t need to understand it right now.’

There were more urgent matters at hand.

In the blizzard, Arteon picked up his spear again.

Wooooong.

The mana that had been residing in his mana core moved and enveloped Arteon’s body.

As mana activated throughout his body.

‘This time for sure….’

He would succeed.

Just a little more and he felt he could grasp that sensation.

Arteon concentrated and moved.

Swoosh!

Arteon thrust the spear he was holding deeply forward.

Along with the sound of cutting through the northern blade-wind.

Swish!

Arteon’s foot slid forward smoothly, closing the distance to the training wooden dummy.

An intentional movement.

Arteon, who had instantly penetrated inside, lifted the end of the spear shaft and struck the chest area of the wooden dummy.

And….

Boom!

He immediately closed in and struck once more with his shoulder to the chest, then moved behind the wooden dummy and struck with the spear he was gripping.

“I, I did it!”

Perfect consecutive movements.

Arteon unconsciously jumped up from his spot.

The magic circle in the training ground that amplified the concentration of mana.

Thanks to training there, the rate at which he accumulated mana was considerably fast.

From this, he could understand.

‘Vargas Spear Technique and Mana Cultivation Method… these two must grow in balance for this to be possible.’

The more he learned, the more amazing and incredible he found it.

Vargas Wolfhart.

How did this person create such spear technique and mana cultivation method?

“Huu.”

White snow was still falling from the sky and fierce winds were blowing.

Grin.

Even this felt like it was helping to train him.

Arteon, who had driven away the cold with mana and stabilized his body, gripped his spear tightly.

“…Again.”

That day, Arteon’s training didn’t stop until the blizzard ceased and sunlight shone down from the sky.

And so, all the promised time had passed.

* * *

“Come to think of it, that guy. Isn’t today his last day?”

“Who?”

“You know, the one who came back alive from Bareda Hill.”

“Ah? That crazy bastard who asked for two weeks of personal time as a reward?”

Arteon was already quite a famous figure within the unit.

There were no secrets – wasn’t he the guy who asked for a training ground and two weeks of free time as a reward for killing Moldrek who had conspired with the Kar Tribe?

“Idiot, if it were me, I’d discharge immediately.”

“A guy with nowhere to go even if discharged keeps talking about discharge, hehehe. Why don’t you just desert?”

“Even if not discharge, transferring to a rear unit would have been much better. Anyway, he’s definitely a guy with a bad head.”

The soldiers giggled as they talked about Arteon. But then.

“Be quiet, you idiots.”

“St-Steel Heart!”

The soldiers who were passing by quickly stood up and saluted at the sight of Claw.

Claw clicked his tongue at them and then walked off somewhere.

Thud, thud.

The place Claw was heading to was the training ground where Arteon was.

On the last day, he was going to fetch him under Belkain’s orders.

‘It feels like it’s been a while since I went there.’

Since he hadn’t gone much except for the first few times.

Soon arriving at the training ground, Claw strode inside.

But…

“…?”

Claw’s eyes changed slightly with surprise as he entered the training ground.

‘What is this…?’

The wooden dummy that had been fine just a few days ago was completely broken in half, and the training spears hanging on the display rack had dark bloodstains on them.

“Steel Heart! Sergeant Claw, you’ve arrived.”

Then came a salute from beside him.

Arteon, neatly dressed in his military uniform, approached.

At this, Claw unconsciously extended his hand toward Arteon.

“…What?”

“Let me see your hand.”

When Arteon cautiously extended his hand, Claw looked at his palm.

Unlike his face that looked good from eating well during this time.

“…”

Arteon’s hands had wounds from blisters that had burst and healed repeatedly.

And the military boots he was wearing.

They too were considerably worn and looked like they would soon have holes.

‘Just how intensely did he train…’

Claw looked back toward the wooden dummy.

Unlike the training ground where regular soldiers were, this one was made using Northern Blackwood.

Its hardness was incomparably solid compared to ordinary wood, yet he had broken it?

Moreover…

‘His height…’

He remembered him being shorter than himself originally, but now their eye levels seemed similar.

When Claw looked at him with a puzzled expression, Arteon tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s nothing. The Division Commander has called for you, so follow me right now.”

“Understood.”

Arteon nodded and followed behind him.

As Arteon was leaving the training ground, he paused and looked back inside.

“…”

He had spent the past two weeks in intense training with no regrets left.

And…

‘…I obtained everything I wanted.’

Though it was a short time, he was able to gain more than he had thought possible.

Arteon turned around without lingering attachment and followed Claw toward the barracks where the Division Commander was.

“Steel Heart! Division Commander, I’ve brought Corporal Arteon.”

“You may go.”

“Yes!”

When Claw left, Belkain looked at Arteon standing before him.

He seemed to have grown a full span taller than two weeks ago.

But more than that.

‘…He’s changed.’

He had felt a great change when he returned from the punishment at Bareda Hill, and now he had changed again in just two weeks.

Though he couldn’t tell what that change was.

“Did you rest well?”

“I’m grateful for the Division Commander’s grace.”

“What gratitude. It’s the merit you earned.”

Belkain was not someone who undervalued others’ efforts.

Moreover, hadn’t he seen it directly?

Arteon’s figure training silently even on days when fierce snowstorms raged.

Belkain looked at the documents placed on the table.

“Corporal Arteon.”

“Corporal Arteon!”

Arteon put his feet together and took a sharp attention stance as he spoke.

At this, Belkain seemed to hesitate for a moment, then looked at him and said.

“I appoint you as 4th Squad Leader of 4th Platoon.”

‘4th Squad Leader of 4th Platoon?’

Arteon’s pupils shook slightly.

The 4th Squad of 4th Platoon… wasn’t that the place where only problematic soldiers within the Punishment Unit were gathered?

But that wasn’t why Arteon was surprised.

His past life.

When he first became a platoon leader, the unit he was assigned to was the 4th Platoon.

But now…

‘This time it’s 4th Squad Leader of 4th Platoon…’

It was the place where the most seriously criminal guys among the 4th Platoon were gathered.

Formally speaking.

“Why that expression? Don’t you like it?”

Belkain asked, seeing Arteon hesitate for a moment.

Arteon quickly answered.

“No sir!”

If ordered to go, he had to go.

And…

‘Actually, that place might be more comfortable.’

Since it was an abandoned squad, even if he caused chaos as he pleased, it would be tolerated to some extent.

Moreover, going as a squad leader would broaden the scope of what he could do.

However, whether the current 4th Platoon was the same as what he knew.

‘I’ll find out when I get there.’

Snap!

Arteon clenched his right fist and placed it on his left chest as he shouted.

“Steel Heart! Corporal Arteon! I will do my best!”

“The documents will be delivered through my aide soon. You may go.”

“Yes!”

Arteon turned and left the Division Commander’s Office.

But immediately.

Flap.

Someone entered the Division Commander’s barracks.

This was someone who rarely came out of his own barracks unless there was something special.

“For you to come out of your barracks. There must be warm winds blowing today.”

It was always cold, cutting winds that blew in the northern weather.

That meant it wasn’t that common.

It was Erban, the strategist of the 1st Division who was guarding Benhard alongside Belkain.

Erban asked.

“How unexpected. I never thought you would send that new recruit to the 4th Squad.”

“…Don’t you think he’s worth entrusting with it?”

Belkain turned around and sat down.

There were many documents to process. However, Erban continued speaking while standing.

“It seems you think that boy’s return from Bareda Hill wasn’t a coincidence.”

“What do you think?”

“…”

Erban fell silent. But before long.

“I share the same thought.”

The sight of him walking into the castle draped in Snow Wolf Hide without a moment’s hesitation.

It was impossible to imagine such behavior from a mere 15-year-old, first-year soldier.

Erban said.

“A first-year soldier in the 4th Squad. The unit is going to be quite noisy for a while.”

“For such words, you look rather pleased.”

“You’re mistaken.”

However, by now, a faint smile had also appeared on Belkain’s lips.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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