Chapter 19
Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Racing to the Isis River
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Everyone, gather up.”
Lian’s expression was more serious than ever as he called his squad members together.
When Lian spread out a map on the ground, the squad members looked at him with equally tense faces.
“First off… I’m sorry.”
“Yes?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“We’re heading out to the Isis River right now. Judging by the time…”
Lian pulled out the pocket watch hanging from his belt.
When Lian took out the watch, Brandt’s eyes widened.
“You even have a watch?”
“That thing must cost a fortune…”
It was an old watch, but the squad members couldn’t hide their surprise.
After all, watches were extremely expensive items.
But Lian ignored it and soon spoke to his squad members.
“The main force sets out in six hours. If we move with them to the Isis River, it’ll take about two days.”
Of course, even that assumed they minimized rest time and hurried along.
But moving three hundred men at once wasn’t easy.
The available paths were limited, too.
“That’s why we’re changing course and taking the fastest route straight to the Isis River.”
Lian pointed at the map on the ground with his finger.
Unlike the main force’s path, this one was almost a straight line.
“We have to cross mountains here, though.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to go around? The distance is longer, but we don’t know the slope or terrain of the mountains.”
The others nodded at Isaac’s opinion.
There was a difference between what a map showed and reality.
But Lian shook his head.
“The terrain is a bit rough, but the slopes aren’t that steep. If anything, the slopes in Phelon Gorge felt steeper.”
“Hmm… We went straight through the front back then, so we don’t really know how steep Phelon Gorge is, Squad Leader.”
“Even so, we haven’t been slacking in training. We can do this.”
“Yes, but why are we the only ones heading out first?”
Ah, things were so urgent he’d skipped explaining the key part.
At Kyle’s question, Lian quickly explained the situation.
“We’re crossing the Isis River?”
“How do we even cross that? They say you can’t float a boat there…”
“Is there really a path?”
Lian nodded at Isaac’s question.
“That’s what we’re going to find. We leave right now, so pack your gear. We have to reach the Isis River in 30 hours.”
“…My god.”
“Two days’ distance in 30 hours… ha ha…”
Everyone was stunned.
But they soon began packing their gear with haste.
To maximize speed, they only took the essentials.
“We can resupply water from the mountains along the way, so bring just one canteen. I’ll grab some of that beef jerky that’s only for officers, so pack that.”
“Ugh, as expected of a special op—they’re giving us proper supplies.”
“The whole company’s counting on our mission.”
If they could cross the Isis River, they’d shave off about two days from the original plan.
‘The company commander didn’t say it, but… this operation is all about time. We have to cut it down no matter what.’
Lian had already guessed what special mission the Eagle Company was undertaking.
It was obvious.
The sudden special mission for the Eagle Company, and having to set up an ambush on the rear plains instead of heading to Saleron Castle.
‘We have to finish the ambush perfectly before the barbarians arrive.’
If they failed, the Eagle Company would be slaughtered in the open plains.
‘Maybe… this could be an opportunity.’
Of course, no matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a comfortable situation for the Eagle Company.
It might even be them being discarded as pawns in the kingdom’s power struggles.
But one thing was certain: there was a chance for them to choose their own fate before being discarded.
‘If we rack up merits in this situation…’
It would be on a scale incomparable to merits earned in normal circumstances.
“Everyone ready?”
“Yes!”
“We can head out right away.”
Anxiety gnawed at their hearts, but they pushed it aside.
Right now, they thought of nothing else.
Only the resolve to complete their mission, somehow.
When they stepped out of the barracks, Tyler was waiting.
He handed Lian a vial filled with red liquid.
“From the company commander.”
“This is…?”
“It’s a low-grade healing potion.”
My god.
Lian couldn’t hide his shock.
Healing potions existed, but they weren’t something a lowly soldier like him could ever use.
“It’s not enough for everyone to use freely, but it’ll definitely help.”
Healing potions aided in wound recovery, but they were also excellent for restoring stamina.
Lian carefully accepted the healing potion.
“I’ll repay this with good news.”
“Good luck.”
With that, the conversation ended.
Lian set off with his squad members right away.
The bright moonlight was a good start, but the squad members’ faces were more determined than ever.
* * *
Saleron at this time was busier than ever.
A blanket of tension hung over the entire castle.
They were hurriedly repairing the walls, but no one felt confident.
“Hey! Dig deeper into the ground!”
“Hey! That’s why I said we should dig when it’s a bit warmer!”
Since Saleron sat in the middle of the plains, they had to dig trenches and set up obstacles around the outer perimeter to block enemy advances.
That was the only way to prevent the enemy from scaling the walls.
But in this cold, the ground was so hard that even pickaxes struggled to break it.
The serfs digging with pickaxes grimaced and grumbled.
Blood dripped from their hands gripping the tools, but they couldn’t rest with soldiers watching.
And at the same time,
“What kind of support is this?!”
Baron Viertal, who governed Saleron, could no longer contain his anger.
“Just a thousand men? Do they not know Saleron’s importance in the kingdom?”
Saleron wasn’t the key stronghold blocking the barbarians from the north, but it served as a vital relay point connecting the northern strongholds.
Of course, that meant it faced barbarian invasions every winter.
Regardless, if Saleron fell, supply lines to the two major battlegrounds—classified as the kingdom’s primary fronts against the barbarians—would be severed.
And yet, this was the extent of their reinforcements…
‘Are they using Saleron as a card in their political games?’
Even the bedridden king had avoided meddling with the north amid power struggles.
Once the northern barbarians breached into the kingdom, the damage wouldn’t be quantifiable in mere numbers.
But the current situation…
“My lord, we can’t just sit here. Send another letter to the kingdom requesting more reinforcements. Saleron, of all places, with just a thousand men?!”
“…I’ve already sent five. And this is the reply.”
He’d received word that over two thousand barbarians had arrived five days’ march from Saleron.
They were probably even closer now.
“This time… it might really be dangerous.”
Baron Viertal muttered softly.
He regretted not currying a little favor with those damn politicians.
Living upright wasn’t always enough.
“Focus all efforts on the outer fortifications for the remaining time. Holding out as long as possible is key.”
Given the season, the barbarians’ assaults would be ferocious, like wild beasts desperate for food and shelter—flames roaring just before the entire thatch burns.
In a prolonged war, they held the advantage.
But Baron Viertal’s gaze toward the outside trembled with unprecedented anxiety.
* * *
Rustle! Rustle!
The sound of grass brushing their legs with each step mingled with ragged breathing.
“Huff… huff…”
It wasn’t an unclimbable slope, but they’d been climbing the mountain path for over an hour already.
Lian stopped and looked back at his squad members following behind.
“Ten-minute break here. Then we move out.”
“Argh! Kyle’s dying!”
“Hoo… hoo… hoo…”
Kyle collapsed dramatically, and the others slumped down beside him.
But they stuck out their tongues in amazement at Lian, who was already checking the map and their position.
‘Not tired…?’
‘Is he a monster…?’
The looks they gave Lian varied, but they all shared eyes wide with awe.
“Hmm…”
Speed was important, but so was sticking to the planned route without deviation.
Lian scanned the surroundings while studying the map.
‘One mistake, and we’re done.’
They had plenty of time until the deadline, but taking a wrong turn could end it all before they accomplished anything.
“Hoo… hoo…”
He worked to steady his breath and checked on his squad members.
They all looked thoroughly exhausted, but the fire in their eyes toward him still burned bright.
“Gather up.”
Lian beckoned lightly and pointed at the map.
“It’ll be tough, but push a little harder, everyone. In about three or four more hours, we’ll reach a village here. It’s small, but there should be lodging.”
“We’re resting?”
“Lucky break. It’s right on our path, no detour needed.”
This meant they could rest comfortably in the village.
Due to the sudden operation, they hadn’t slept for over 40 hours.
They needed proper food and 4-5 hours of sleep before pushing on.
‘It’s not just about arriving—it’s what comes after.’
Managing stamina was essential.
They’d seen and experienced enough collapses from reckless charges.
“You all can make it, right?”
“If the squad leader’s going, what reason do we have not to?”
“I was always first in stamina training.”
Brandt grinned as he spoke, and the others smiled along.
“This guy puked behind the training grounds last time. Anyone see it?”
“I did. Looked like he was about to die. Heh heh heh.”
“W-what? Who puked?!”
The mood lightened, and Lian stood up.
The atmosphere turned serious again, and the squad members’ faces hardened.
“Let’s move.”
With the sun up now.
They would cross this mountain completely.
* * *
A gorge overlooking a vast plain below.
Two thousand barbarians positioned atop it, and the man leading them at the front curled his lips into a long grin.
“Heh heh heh, we’re finally here.”
How many sacrifices had it taken to cross this barren gorge?
Even in the murderous blizzard, they paid it no mind and gazed below.
And there, faintly visible at the plain’s far end.
Saleron, their goal, had finally come into view.
Galrel.
The third warrior of the Demian tribe, which dominated northern power.
His ferocity and brutality were infamous even in the kingdom.
Galrel turned to look at his subordinates.
Eyes filled with venom.
Mad gazes that seemed ready to devour a person on the spot.
Galrel bellowed at them.
“Nooow! A little further, and we’ll have warm homes to shield us from the blizzards and food to fill our bellies!”
Whoosh.
He thrust forward the axe in his hand, facing ahead.
“No other living things needed. Slaughter them all and devour everything.”
“Waaaaaaaah—!”
The final gateway to Saleron.
Their roars, steeped in madness, pierced the blizzard and echoed to the heavens.