TSNF 27

Chapter 27

“Arteon.”

“Why are you making such an uncharacteristic expression?”

A long scar ran diagonally from his left eye down to his lower cheek.

He wasn’t burly, but his body was so well trained that even beneath his uniform, one could clearly sense its solid firmness.

Though he was usually called cold-blooded, to those close to him he was a playful, neighborhood-older-brother–type superior.

Despite having risen to the rank of a quasi-noble, he still did not discriminate against commoners like himself and acknowledged their abilities.

Noticing that he looked different from usual, Arteon asked, and the man replied.

“If we win this battle, we’ll be able to advance straight into the heart of those bastards. And once that happens… we can finally put an end to this damned war for good.”

“…What is this, talking like an old man? Anyone hearing you would think the war’s already over.”

“……”

At Arteon’s words, the man merely smiled in silence.

But then—

“Arteon.”

“…?”

“If I die, I want you to take over after me. You’re the only one I can trust.”

“…Please don’t say such unlucky things. Keep leading from the front. If a lowborn like me became the commander, do you think the soldiers would even follow?”

“Hehehe, come on. Ninety percent of the soldiers here are all commoners anyway, so what does it matter? And who knows—maybe when commoners band together, they’ll pull off something big.”

He always had that sense of ease.

At the mid–four-star level, able to wield aura, he was Arteon’s idol and an object of deep respect.

Though an odd sense of unease crept in at his uncharacteristic behavior, Arteon didn’t think much of it.

As long as he led from the front, Arteon believed defeat was impossible.

And just as expected…

They won that battle.

As they always had.

But didn’t they say ominous premonitions always come true?

In that battle where they could strike at the very heart of the Kar tribe—

“Ah… ah, ah… no… nooooo!”

Seeing him pierced through the chest, Arteon screamed and, cutting down the exhausted Kar general he had been fighting, severed his head.

“Hehehe… just… as I thought. The one to… succeed me… cough!”

“D-don’t speak! Medic! Meeeediic!”

Arteon’s desperate cry rang out, but the man tightly grasped Arteon’s hand and spoke.

“I’m… entrusting the rear… to you. Make sure… you kill… every last one… of those bastards…”

“Meeeediic! Medic!”

Thud.

“N-no! Nooooo!”

Amid Arteon’s tear-filled screams, he ended his life just like that.

That he had been able to survive this hellish place at all, that he had been able to endure—it was largely thanks to him.

In a way, he had been Arteon’s spiritual pillar: a superior, a commander… and a comrade.

All the soldiers mourned his death, and afterward, following his will, Arteon led five thousand soldiers and annihilated thirty thousand members of the Kar tribe.

When, just as his dying wish demanded, they were able to punish the Kar tribe and bring the northern war to an end, he himself was betrayed and killed.

“……”

In an instant, memories of the past flashed by like a revolving lantern.

As soon as Arteon entered the tent with a vacant expression, the commander of the special unit asked,

“What’s with this idiot-looking stare?”

“He’s Sergeant Arteon from the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Company. He’s the soldier the division commander recommended as the guide for this special unit.”

“…Arteon? You mean the top contributor at the First Defense Line?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Wilke, who had guided Arteon here, answered without hesitation.

But Arteon himself, standing beside them, couldn’t take his eyes off the special unit commander and muttered unconsciously,

“…Major Isaac…”

His former direct superior, and a commander who possessed strength greater than anyone else.

Even to the very end, he had desired the safety of his unit members and victory more than his own life, and the image of him shining brighter than twilight still remained vivid.

But at Arteon’s muttering—

“Did I introduce myself? And don’t say something that’ll get you in trouble. I’m still a first lieutenant.”

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”

Isaac’s low voice echoed through the tent. Only then did Arteon snap back to his senses, hurriedly snapping to attention and clenching his right fist tightly.

“Steel Heart! Sergeant Arteon reporting to First Lieutenant Isaac!”

“Looks like everyone’s finally here.”

Perhaps pleased with Arteon’s crisp posture, Isaac slightly lifted the corner of his mouth.

Then he turned his gaze to the map spread out on the table and spoke.

“The number of personnel assigned to this special unit is thirty. I wanted to deploy more, but due to the nature of the operation, I judged that moving a large force would be too risky.”

Isaac pointed to a spot on the map.

“We’ll move along this route, following the low-slope path on the western side of the Helikel Gorge. From there, we’ll advance toward the center, confirm the enemy troop deployment inside the gorge, and then withdraw.”

At Isaac’s words, all the unit members nodded.

Though there were only thirty of them, every single one possessed at least one-star–level skill.

But then—

“First Lieutenant Isaac. May I offer one opinion?”

“Go ahead, Sergeant. Since you were recommended as the guide, I’ll actively take your opinion into consideration.”

At Isaac’s words, Arteon looked at the area he had indicated and said,

“Your plan is stable and very solid, First Lieutenant. However, since this is a place we can climb, the enemy will certainly have sentries stationed there. No matter what, we won’t be able to avoid combat with the enemy.”

Then he immediately pointed to another part of the map.

The eastern side of Helikel Gorge.

That is, the opposite side from the one Isaac had indicated.

“In contrast, the eastern cliff wall of the gorge is steep and dangerous, but there’s a river flowing directly below it. Using the river, it’s possible to move to the cliff wall without being detected by the enemy.”

“…?”

“And after reaching the cliff wall along the river, if we climb it…”

Tap.

Arteon’s finger pointed to the center of the gorge.

“…we can enter toward the center without being detected and move directly to the rear of the gorge. If we can use explosive charges here to blow apart part of the central wall, we can cause massive confusion among the enemy. On top of that, with their retreat routes blocked, we’ll be able to strike them from behind.”

If the main force attacked head-on at that moment, the enemy would be annihilated with no way forward or back.

At Arteon’s words, those seated stared at him with dumbfounded expressions.

“…Which unit did you say you were from?”

“3rd Company, 4th Platoon.”

“Th-that… Arteon, was it?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

He was so taken aback that he couldn’t even recall the name right away.

At Arteon’s words, Isaac let out a small breath and said,

“It would be nice if things went exactly as you say, but there are many problems. First, while there is a river by the eastern cliff, the current is strong and the water is deep—crossing it is impossible. Second, even if you did cross the river, the cliff wall is steep and high, making it impossible to climb.”

Based on records left from when the Empire had previously secured Helikel Gorge, as well as recent reconnaissance reports, Isaac spoke calmly.

At that, Arteon had to struggle to suppress the laughter that almost escaped him.

“…This is Isaac’s true nature.”

Not dismissing even the words of someone of lower rank, taking them in as much as possible, facing reality, and then making a cold, rational judgment.

His martial power was fearsome, but this broad-mindedness and composure were what truly made him terrifying.

Then a man standing nearby spoke.

“Stop talking nonsense. I hear you’ve only been enlisted for a year. This battlefield isn’t that easy. Just because you got lucky and achieved one result, does everything suddenly look like a joke to you?”

At the sharp words, the surrounding unit members looked at him.

Arteon turned his gaze toward the man.

The rank engraved on his shoulder insignia was sergeant.

Arteon asked,

“What unit and name?”

“Sergeant Ponlaron, deputy platoon leader of the 2nd Sub-Platoon, 4th Company. A different position from you, squad leader.”

It seemed he already knew that Arteon was the leader of the 4th Squad, 4th Platoon.

But Arteon turned his head away from Ponlaron and looked back at Isaac.

“As you said… the river flowing beneath Helikel Gorge has a strong current, making it difficult to cross. But… it is not impossible. And the eastern cliff wall as well… we may not be able to climb it, but First Lieutenant Isaac, you can, can’t you?”

“…What?”

“What the hell is this bastard saying? So because we can’t climb it, he’s telling First Lieutenant Isaac to climb that wall?!”

Ponlaron suddenly cut in, shouting.

Arteon nodded.

“That’s right. If First Lieutenant Isaac climbs up carrying ropes and installs them, then we’ll be able to climb as well.”

“Is this guy insane?”

Telling a superior officer to climb such a treacherous cliff.

He didn’t think that was something a sane person would say.

But then—

“…Kekekekekekekek.”

Isaac, who had been looking at Arteon, began to laugh, his shoulders shaking.

He was biting his lip tightly, but he simply couldn’t suppress the laughter spilling out.

At that sight, not only Ponlaron but all the other unit members turned to look at Isaac.

Ponlaron hurriedly said,

“First Lieutenant Isaac, please ignore what this man says. He seems to have lost his mind.”

“Kekekek… ah… it’s been a while since I’ve had a good laugh like this.”

After laughing for a while, Isaac muttered softly and looked at Arteon.

“You think I can climb that?”

“Yes. More than enough.”

“…Interesting.”

Isaac’s eyes flashed sharply.

Soon, with a serious expression, he asked Arteon,

“Then can you really cross this river for sure? Do I need to do something for that as well?”

“No. The current is fast, so it’s difficult to cross, but there’s a spot in the middle where the water is shallow. If we cross there, it’s entirely possible.”

“A shallow spot… how do you know that? Isn’t the risk too great?”

Isaac’s expression twisted slightly.

He was angered by what seemed like an unrealistic plan. But Arteon shook his head.

“If one person crosses first and sets up a rope on the opposite bank, the rest can cross.”

“So who’s going to set up that rope? It’s not a river where you can clearly see the depth. Who’s going to take on that kind of risk?”

The atmosphere quickly grew tense.

But at that moment, Arteon answered briefly.

“I can cross.”

“What did you say?”

“The width of the river in Helikel Gorge is less than about forty meters. Using a thick rope, it can withstand the current well enough.”

“…You say you can cross? If you get caught in the current, you could die.”

Isaac’s gaze shot toward Arteon sharply.

But despite that—

“I can do it. No—I will do it, no matter what.”

Arteon answered without the slightest hesitation.

At that, Isaac nodded.

“Alright. Let’s do it that way.”

“First Lieutenant Isaac!”

“What’s the problem, Ponlaron?”

“A-are you really saying you’ll climb the cliff by yourself?”

“Is there anyone else here who can climb that cliff?”

“But how could you possibly—”

“Ponlaron. Are we on a picnic right now?”

“…Pardon?”

Isaac’s gaze sank coldly.

Looking at the special unit members around him, Isaac said,

“If there’s a way to do it, we’ll use any means necessary. Whether that means I climb the cliff alone as the commander, or roll around in a field of dog shit.”

At Isaac’s words, Arteon clenched his fist tightly without realizing it.

“…This is Isaac.”

The true commander he knew.

A man who would leap into the flames without a moment’s hesitation if it meant leading the war to victory, even at the cost of his own body.

Without hesitation, Isaac spoke to the special unit.

“We will win this war. No matter what it takes, I’ll do it for victory. Anyone with half-baked resolve, drop out now. There will be no penalties.”

At those will-filled words, the light in the soldiers’ eyes changed.

And in the shifted atmosphere—

“No one’s backing out, right?”

“Yes, sir!”

“We’ll follow you no matter what!”

“We’ll be with you even if it means death!”

The assembled unit members shouted loudly.

At that, Isaac took out his watch.

“…Be fully prepared and gather back here by 2300 hours. We depart then.”

Before dawn tomorrow.

“We cross Helikel Gorge.”

At those words, all the unit members began moving busily.