TSNF 13

Chapter 13

It felt as though a colder wind than usual was blowing.

After finishing his work in just a few hours, Belkane stepped outside the barracks and looked north.

“Were you here, sir?”

“How did it go?”

At Belkane’s question, Klo glanced down at the documents he was holding and replied,

“All reinforcement troops have now moved toward the First Defensive Line.”

“And the situation there?”

“…It’s not good.”

Hadn’t they recently suffered heavy losses when the Kar Tribe’s mobile warriors were deployed?

To think those bastards had secured that many northern horses.

Even Belkane hadn’t anticipated that.

“Out of more than fifty mobile warriors, we managed to capture thirteen. That means their combat strength has been significantly reduced.”

Even so, Klo’s expression didn’t brighten.

The reason was simple.

To capture thirteen enemy mobile warriors on horseback, nearly a hundred allied soldiers had died.

At this point…

“Without proper reinforcements, we won’t be able to hold the First Defensive Line.”

“Reinforcements are coming.”

“…Pardon?”

Klo flinched in surprise.

Up until last time, hadn’t they said there would be no reinforcements?

To that question, Belkane replied, his expression still grim.

“A thousand reinforcements have departed. They’ll reach the First Defensive Line soon.”

“When are they expected to arrive?”

“In three weeks.”

“…What?”

Klo’s eyes wavered.

Naturally so.

With their current forces, it would be impossible to last even ten days.

“It’s too late. Even with the reinforcements added this time, their number doesn’t even reach three hundred.”

Numerically, they were outmatched by more than double.

Even if they were defending behind fortifications, there was no way they could stop the Kar Tribe’s assault.

But still…

“Tell them to hold out. The First Defensive Line must be defended at all costs.”

“…Understood.”

There would probably be tremendous sacrifices once again.

Perhaps…

‘We might even lose all the newly reinforced troops.’

Klo’s expression darkened.

As someone who issued orders, he could already see, to some extent, what their future would look like.

This operation, which drove soldiers straight into a death trap—

‘Is this… really the right thing to do?’

But even so, they couldn’t choose not to fight.

If the First Defensive Line fell, it would take only a single day to reach the villages below.

If that happened, more than two thousand imperial citizens would be put in danger.

Klo squeezed his eyes shut.

‘Is all we can do now… pray?’

On this barren northern land,

where dozens died every single day,

he prayed that a miracle would somehow descend.

Silently, Klo could only gaze northward, toward Belkane and the First Defensive Line.

“Move it, move it!”

“Build the barracks over here! Once it gets dark, it’ll be hard, so hurry up!”

It was noisy.

No—more like bustling.

Having arrived at the First Defensive Line, Arteon looked around.

Though it wasn’t the battlefield itself, the smell of blood hit him the moment he arrived.

All around, he could frequently see soldiers carrying the wounded, accompanied by screams echoing here and there.

“S-Sergeant.”

Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Grapil approached Arteon.

Arteon turned his gaze to the squad members.

They all wore similar expressions.

Somewhat stiff, visibly tense.

Even Burt, who had plenty of guts, was no exception.

“Everyone, hurry and set up the barracks. The wind is stronger here than down below, so drive the tent stakes at least two finger-widths deeper into the ground.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

“Yes!”

At Arteon’s words, the squad hurriedly began pitching the tents they had brought.

Meanwhile, Arteon lightly surveyed the units stationed at the First Defensive Line.

Lifeless expressions.

Whether from combat fatigue or something else, despair filled their faces.

But then—

“Hey! You there! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“…?”

When Arteon turned his head, he saw a man with a wounded soldier slung over each shoulder shouting at him.

“Hurry and get a medic! These guys are badly hurt!”

But before the man could even finish shouting—

“Bring him down here, now!”

Arteon stepped forward and laid one of the soldiers from his shoulder onto the ground.

The wound in his side looked serious.

“…The wound is deep.”

Arteon immediately pulled out a thin wooden tube from a pouch behind his waist.

Inside was a dark, murky substance.

Squeeze.

Without hesitation, Arteon scooped some out and applied it to the soldier’s wound.

“It’s medicine with disinfecting and hemostatic effects.”

Rip!

He then tore his own sleeve and wrapped it tightly around the wound.

“Put the other one down too.”

“Ah—y-yeah.”

The big man quickly lowered the soldier from his left shoulder.

Thankfully, this one’s wound wasn’t as deep as the first.

After tightening the makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding, Arteon said,

“Take them to the infirmary right away. As soon as you get there, tell them to cauterize the wound on the one on the right. The ointment will disinfect it, but if it’s not properly cauterized, it could get worse.”

“…Got it.”

What the hell is this kid?

He looked like a greenhorn barely in his mid-teens, yet he spoke like a soldier with ten years of experience.

The burly soldier hoisted both comrades onto his shoulders again.

Just as he was about to run toward the infirmary—

He paused.

Turning his head, he looked at Arteon.

“Hey. Name’s Jiark. What’s yours?”

“Arteon.”

“Arteon? Don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“I just joined. But you don’t look like you’ve got time to chat with me.”

“Ah—Arteon. I’ll remember that. See you later.”

Jiark hurried off toward the infirmary with his comrades.

Watching his back, Arteon murmured softly,

“Jiark…”

After muttering the name, Arteon turned and walked elsewhere.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Burt drove the stakes deep into the frozen ground with the hammer in his hands, then let out a heavy breath.

Setting up a barracks wasn’t hard, but breaking through the frozen northern soil to drive in stakes was no easy task.

“Finished?”

“Sergeant, you’re here? We just finished.”

“Good. Then everyone gather up. Before we eat, we’ll recheck our coordinated techniques.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

Now, no one even complained halfheartedly.

During the days it took to get here, they hadn’t been able to train their coordinated techniques aside from physical conditioning.

There were still many weak points, and missing even a single day could throw off their rhythm.

Arteon led Squad Four to an open area he had noticed earlier while scouting around.

It wasn’t very wide, but few soldiers passed through it, making it suitable for training.

However, when Arteon arrived—

“…Huh?”

There was already someone there.

It was a difficult battlefield.

Especially—

“Platoon leader, that son of a bitch…”

What on earth had he been thinking on this hopeless battlefield?

He wanted to rip open the head of the idiot who had proposed such a reckless operation.

‘Though I can’t rip it open anymore.’

That dumb bastard.

Not even realizing how reckless his plan was, he ended up losing his life on the battlefield.

‘Honor and money…’

What meaning do they have once you’re dead?

In the end, what killed him was his greed.

At least, thanks to the path he’d opened, a few comrades survived.

“Whew.”

Even so, his injuries were severe enough that he wouldn’t be able to move properly for quite some time.

Still…

‘…That guy.’

The one who suddenly appeared and gave first aid.

Was his name Arteon?

Thanks to him, they were able to save one more person.

If he’d been even a little later, it would’ve been irreparable.

‘I should at least thank him if I see him again.’

By the way, how old was that kid?

Whoosh!

Jiark swung the spear he was holding.

Since he was dragged to the battlefield almost every day, if he didn’t train like this on his own, he wouldn’t have time to condition his body.

‘Still…’

Maybe the newly arrived reinforcements would extend this place’s lifespan, even just a little.

Whoom!

Jiark focused even more on swinging his spear.

There was nothing better for clearing a cluttered mind than moving your body.

But then—

“…Huh?”

A voice suddenly came from the side.

As Jiark paused and turned his head—

“Oh, you’re…?”

Seeing Arteon, Jiark looked genuinely surprised.

Usually, newcomers were overwhelmed by the atmosphere and couldn’t do anything.

At best, they pitched their barracks and then huddled inside, trembling in fear of when they’d be dragged to the battlefield.

But this kid…

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve got some training to do. You training too?”

Arteon asked, seeing Jiark swinging his spear. Jiark smirked.

“Just loosening up a bit. Nothing serious.”

Still, the way he handled the spear looked very practiced.

Arteon studied him.

Unlike before, the scars etched across Jiark’s body stood out clearly.

‘This guy…’

He’d spent a long time on the battlefield.

And if he was someone who had endured here at the First Defensive Line, his level would be different from that of ordinary soldiers.

“Regular soldier?”

“Yeah, pretty much. You look like a squad leader, though.”

“Squad Leader of the 4th Squad, 4th Platoon, 3rd Company—Arteon. I’ll introduce myself properly.”

“Jiark, 2nd Platoon, 1st Company. Welcome to hell.”

Jiark grinned and extended his hand.

Arteon lightly shook it and said,

“Then you were training here—why don’t we move somewhere else?”

“No, it’s fine. I was just about to head back anyway. Use this place. There’s no one to bother you here, so it’s good for training.”

At his easy concession, Arteon dipped his head slightly.

“Thanks. I’ll repay this debt on the battlefield later.”

“What debt? I’m the one who got help first. Thanks to you, that guy lived. They said if you’d been any later, he would’ve died.”

At their conversation, the members of Squad Four waited silently, like mutes who had swallowed honey.

When Jiark finally left, Jalbargo asked, as if he’d been waiting,

“Who was that?”

“Someone I met earlier while walking around the camp.”

“…He looked like someone with real skill.”

“Seems that way.”

But now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Soon, the platoon leader would issue a call. And when that happened—

‘We’ll be sent straight to the battlefield.’

In a situation where they didn’t know when they’d be deployed,

they had to squeeze out every second to improve their skills.

Arteon looked at his squad and said,

“Everyone, focus. We’re starting training now.”

“Yes!”

And then, two days after arriving at the First Defensive Line—

Pwoooooo—!

A blaring trumpet echoed throughout the entire camp.

“They’re attacking! The enemy’s coming!”

“All units, prepare for battle!”

The shadow of death began to spread across the First Defensive Line.

And—

“…Whew.”

Arteon let out a quiet breath.

There was no doubt this was a dangerous battlefield, but—

‘If we can properly stop this attack…’

The First Defensive Line was a place where dozens died every day.

If they could clearly and visibly hold the defense here, their achievements would surely be recognized.

Clench.

His grip on the spear tightened.

Then Arteon looked at his squad and said,

“We will hold them back. And we will all come back alive.”

“Yes!”

With the squad’s response ringing out, Arteon turned his body.