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Chapter 44
Silence had settled over the shore of Lake Elbarpiel.
This place, called the Northeastern Fourth Defense Line by the imperial bastards.
Mist lay low, dampening the land, and the lake was covered in a deep gray hue.
Though it was clearly daytime, the clouds and fog that blanketed the sky made the area rather dim.
And beyond the blurred field of vision lay none other than the traces of a battlefield.
Charred flags.
Blood from the torn bodies of imperial soldiers soaked into the earth.
“…….”
A man stood there, silently gazing over the battlefield.
On his left shoulder were four feather-shaped tattoos, and the scar running across his face was grotesque beyond words.
He was Ulgrak, the Taman of the Kar tribe who managed the Fourth Defense Line.
“Taman.”
At that moment, Moldur—who could be called Ulgrak’s adjutant—approached.
Leaning on his spear, his entire body was stained with dirt and blood, and one arm was wrapped in bandages as if he had received emergency treatment.
Even so, his appearance remained composed.
Ulgrak spoke to him.
“Report.”
“The number of fallen warriors is forty-nine. There are a little over thirty seriously wounded, and around a hundred with minor injuries.”
“……See to it that the bodies of the fallen warriors are buried.”
His voice sounded calm, yet its resonance was deep.
Along with mourning the fallen warriors, killing intent toward the imperial soldiers seeped out.
“What about the imperial soldiers?”
“There are over two hundred confirmed corpses so far. Some fled, hiding in the fog… and some jumped into the lake.”
At Moldur’s report, the corner of Ulgrak’s mouth lifted.
But then—
Whoosh!
He swung the massive axe that had been planted in the ground in an instant.
“Guhk—!”
From behind the mist, in the bushes, the head of an imperial soldier rolled across the ground.
He had given up on fleeing and had been hiding, waiting for a chance to target Ulgrak.
“Jumped into the lake?”
Ulgrak sneered.
Lake Elbarpiel was not a place that harbored life. Rather, it was steeped in cold and death.
“Then that means they’re all dead.”
No matter how skilled a swimmer one might be, surviving in Lake Elbarpiel—imbued with the cold of the northern lands—was impossible.
Moldur silently looked at the imperial soldier’s head lying on the ground.
Even though he himself had sensed nothing.
Ulgrak turned his body and spoke.
“This place will become the grave of imperial soldiers. And this back-and-forth struggle… will soon come to an end.”
The Fourth Defense Line, where Lake Elbarpiel was located, possessed a slightly different character from other northern battlefields.
In other places, the Kar tribe attacked unilaterally while the imperial soldiers defended.
‘…We cannot let Elbarpiel be taken.’
The Fourth Defense Line was a fierce battlefield where both sides constantly fought over control of Lake Elbarpiel.
Though the Kar tribe currently held the lake and was in a defensive position—
“We will lower the front line and advance south. With the next battle, we will firmly nail down that this place is our territory.”
“Understood.”
As Moldur withdrew, Ulgrak gazed toward the imperial front with an unreadable expression.
“Pardon?”
“What do you mean by that? You’re going to the northeast?”
After meeting Belkane and returning to the barracks, Arteon told his squad members the details.
There were parts he regretted, but for what lay ahead, he absolutely had to go.
“That’s how things turned out.”
“Where in the northeast are you going?”
Raymon asked.
Arteon answered calmly.
“The Fourth Defense Line.”
“…What?”
“The Fourth Defense Line? You know… the place with the lake?”
“Lake Elbarpiel.”
“Yeah, that Elbar-whatever lake. Isn’t that the toughest place in the entire north? I heard it’s way more dangerous than even the First Defense Line here.”
If even these guys, despite being in a completely different sector, knew about it, that spoke volumes about its infamous reputation.
But—
“…I’ll go with you.”
“I’m going too.”
“I… ah, damn it.”
Following Raymon, Bert spoke without hesitation. The other squad members, however, wore expressions of utter despair.
The First Defense Line alone had been grueling enough.
The Northeastern Fourth Defense Line was not a place one could easily say they wanted to follow to.
But at that, Arteon frowned.
“What nonsense are you spouting? I’m the only one being transferred. You’ll be reassigned as part of the Fourth Platoon to the Northwestern Third Defense Line.”
“What? You’re going alone?”
“Yes. This has nothing to do with you.”
At Arteon’s words, the squad members’ faces showed regret, mixed with a strange sense of relief.
Arteon continued.
“So don’t bring this up again. It’s not something you can just go along with because you want to.”
It might have sounded cold, but it was important to decisively cut off such thoughts.
‘If they get half-baked ideas in their heads, they might not be able to properly adapt here.’
Still…
Thinking about leaving them behind made something weigh heavily on his heart.
Soon, Arteon looked at the squad members as if he had made a decision.
“Gather around.”
“…Why?”
Perhaps still hurt by his earlier cold words, Bert spoke gruffly, lips jutting out.
The biggest guy of them all.
Arteon smacked his head with the spear he was holding.
Smack!
“Gah!”
“I’m still your squad leader. Where do you get off talking back?”
“S-Sorry!”
“I’ll leave you a gift before I go… so for the remaining time, learn with everything you’ve got.”
“A gift…?”
“What kind of gift?”
“A gift? But… what do you mean by ‘learn’?”
Raymon asked.
As expected, this one was a bit sharper than the others.
Arteon approached Raymon, who was standing nearby.
“I need to check something, so just stay still and relaxed, all of you. And don’t make a sound—keep your mouths shut.”
“Yes.”
Arteon placed his hand on Raymon’s back.
At the same time, he detected the mana circuits spread throughout his body.
If the mana circuits were blocked, he wouldn’t be able to properly deliver the gift.
“…Next.”
Arteon injected mana into Bert’s body.
Bert flinched, looking startled, but he faithfully obeyed the instruction not to make a sound.
Arteon then checked the mana circuits of the entire squad.
Just as he had expected.
‘…They’re not very good.’
But that didn’t mean it was impossible.
He had assumed from the start that parts of their mana circuits would be blocked.
Arteon spoke as he looked at the squad members.
“Follow me. I’ll teach you a mana cultivation method that suits you.”
“…?”
“A mana cultivation method?”
To them, this was likely unfamiliar.
Generally, mana cultivation methods were privileges reserved for nobles—or, at the very least, the children of wealthy commoner families.
And yet, a mana cultivation method?
Raymon cautiously raised his hand.
“But… can we really learn it? I heard that mana cultivation usually has to start before the age of ten.”
“That’s when it’s most efficient, not when it’s absolutely required.”
“So we… can do it too?”
“Your condition isn’t particularly good, but it’s not impossible. That’s why I’m telling you to learn with everything you’ve got.”
Arteon swept his gaze over the entire squad.
“So stop complaining and follow me.”
“Understood.”
“Yes!”
“Understood, Squad Leader!”
Arteon led the squad members to a quiet spot outside the barracks.
Mana cultivation was not something that could be learned easily, but—
‘…Spend about ten years in the north, and you’ll learn a decent amount about swordsmanship, spearmanship, and mana cultivation.’
The problem was that most people missed the proper time to learn and ended up with nothing.
Arteon recalled a mana cultivation method created by a genius of the north in his past life.
The rate at which mana accumulated was slow, but this cultivation method—one that utilized the cold climate of the north—had one major advantage.
‘Even those who are already adults… if they’re consistent, they can gather mana up to about three stars.’
Compared to more efficient mana cultivation methods, however, the speed was painfully slow.
‘Even so…’
As far as Arteon knew, this was the only mana cultivation method they could learn.
“I leave tomorrow. So… you must learn it today. I’ll stay with you all night if I have to, until you can do it.”
“…Yes!”
“Understood!”
They all replied with resolute expressions.
A bitter wind swept through, but they clenched their fists and finished preparing with serious eyes.
For those who couldn’t feel mana, Arteon forcibly injected mana into them so they could learn the sensation.
And for those who couldn’t move mana in the designated direction within their bodies, he forcibly guided it for them.
That day—
Until dawn broke, Arteon taught them the mana cultivation method again and again.
At first, they could barely make any progress, but through forced repetition—almost like cramming—they slowly began to keep up.
And then—
“…Huh?”
“This feels kind of strange…”
Without exaggeration, the tiniest trace of mana nestled within their bodies, creating a peculiar sensation.
All five squad members stared at Arteon with wide eyes.
“You can feel it clearly now, right?”
“It feels kind of… soft and fuzzy.”
“This… is my mana…?”
“Whoa…”
At their amazed murmurs, Arteon drew a small curve at the corner of his lips.
But he soon spoke with a serious expression.
“Bert. Raymon. Raphelson. Jalbarog. Graphil.”
When their names were called, they snapped to attention, standing rigidly as they looked at Arteon.
He spoke to them.
“Our time together was short, but I think it was meaningful… and that we accomplished a lot.”
They all recalled the days they had spent with Arteon.
The day he first joined the squad.
The time they were beaten half to death and trained for the first time.
The time they learned combined techniques and went to the battlefield, grasping ‘victory’ for the first time.
And then—
“I don’t know when we’ll meet again, but if you stay alive on this damn battlefield, we’ll meet again someday. So…”
Arteon paused for a moment.
Perhaps this was what they wanted most to hear.
He met each squad member’s eyes, one by one.
And with sincerity, he said,
“Survive.”
With those words—
“Squad, atten-tioooon!”
At Raymon’s loud shout, the squad members brought their feet together and snapped to attention.
“Salute to the Squad Leadeeeer!”
Thud!
“Steel hearts!”
A thunderous shout that seemed capable of blowing away the northern chill.
Seeing them, Arteon brought his feet together as well.
Thud!
“Steel hearts!”
He received their salute with the highest respect he could give.
Though he didn’t know when they would meet again—
‘Until the day we meet again…’
Wishing for everyone’s safety,
Bathed in the rising sunlight from afar, Arteon turned his body.
And thus, leaving behind the Fourth Squad he had grown attached to, he headed toward the hellish front line of the northeast.
