Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Genius Divine Archer Who Became a One-Man Legion
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As Barus had said, the great victory in the first battle brought about a fairly long period of peace.
According to the soldiers, the barbarians had attacked nearly every two or three days.
Of course, it was rare for them to bring as many as three hundred men like this time.
The fatigue from years of frequent battles was beyond words.
Most soldiers hadn't slept properly, and even when resting, they were always on edge, never knowing when the enemy might strike.
But this time was different.
Perhaps because they had dealt a heavy blow to the enemy, there had been no barbarian attacks this entire week.
For the first few days, the soldiers couldn't relax, half-expecting an assault.
But after five days passed, some began to rest more comfortably.
Of course, the tension was maintained under Lieutenant Homel, who served under Captain Barus.
In any case, with Bieltuna far more peaceful than usual, Lian headed to the training ground he had set up for rock climbing.
"Hmm..."
Compared to a week ago, quite a few soldiers seemed to be missing.
The number still training was just under half of what it had been at the start.
Yet the determination of those still at it was incredible.
He could see them desperately grasping at the small protruding stones to climb the wooden structure.
The high difficulty was clearly taking its toll on everyone.
Lian watched them fondly but also felt a pang of guilt.
And among them, two stood out in particular: the 10-Man Commanders Jedron and Semut.
"Huff... huff..."
Just completing the basic training left their bodies limp from the intensity.
But since starting, Jedron hadn't missed a single day of climbing.
"Damn...!"
"How long are you going to sit there?"
"I'm doing it."
At Semut's words, Jedron stood and eyed the tree in front of him.
The stones protruding slightly from the wooden planks were impossible to grip properly.
They were barely enough to hook a fingertip on.
His fingertips were already covered in wounds.
He wrapped them in bandages to hold out, but soon blood soaked through, staining them red.
Drip... drip...
The blood that had dyed the bandages red now trickled down his wrists and elbows to the ground.
Yet Jedron and Semut refused to give up, clinging to the tree.
"Arrrgh!"
Even if they couldn't climb, it didn't matter.
They screamed, pouring every ounce of strength into hanging on for even one more second. But thud!
Jedron fell to the ground, biting his lip hard.
His breath came up to his throat, and his hands trembled finely, as if spasming.
Even so, he couldn't give up.
'I have to catch up.'
Among the 10-Man Commanders, Jedron and Semut had the weakest combat skills.
Not just in combat— they lagged in speed and defense too.
Honestly, among the new recruits, there were plenty better than them.
But they still held the positions of 10-Man Commander.
Simply because they had been in Lian's squad from the beginning.
"Get up. We have to keep going."
"...Yeah."
That's why they gave it their all.
They trained harder than anyone, and they had no intention of quitting this time either.
Failure might happen, situations where they couldn't do it, but quitting was out of the question.
"Has Brandt already gone in?"
"Yeah, he went earlier."
"How far did he get?"
"Who knows, he did about thirty before heading inside. Doing this a hundred times a day doesn't make sense."
"...We have to do the impossible to catch up. You're not thinking of quitting, right?"
Semut let out a smirk at Jedron's words.
"You better not quit either."
The two gripped the protruding stones with their fingertips again.
Each time they grasped the less-than-2cm protrusions, it felt like their flesh was tearing.
Naturally, hanging and climbing was even harder. But,
'Definitely higher than yesterday.'
Just a week ago, they couldn't even reach half a meter, let alone one. Now they could get close to 1m.
'Just 10cm more...'
Today, he planned to at least touch that stone sticking out higher up.
'A bit more... just a bit more...!'
His outstretched right hand trembled pitifully.
He hadn't even been told why they had to do this training.
But Jedron and Semut decided not to dwell on such thoughts.
Why do it?
No need for reasons.
The vice-captain said to do it, so they would.
Lian turned away from the two.
He wanted to explain the reason, but right now, he needed to push them harder.
'Training has to feel real for it to work in actual combat.'
Doubts about the training might make them quit.
But if they overcame even that and kept going, they would develop incredibly resilient minds later on.
"Vice-captain!"
As Lian turned toward the barracks, Kyle approached.
Lian asked,
"Aren't you climbing the tree?"
"Heh, my body's too heavy, so I gave up. Felt like my fingers were going to rip off."
Snicker.
"What's up?"
"Where's the sub-vice-captain? Haven't seen him for days."
"He's been away for a few days. Why?"
"Oh, I wanted to ask for a spar. We've been doing some before coming here."
"A spar? I could do that."
"Ugh, no thanks. You don't hold back at all, Vice-captain."
"Nah, it's been a while. I'll go easy on you. Heard your skills have improved a lot anyway."
"Urgh... Shouldn't have asked."
Lian chuckled at Kyle's groan and headed to a quiet spot with him.
To anyone watching, it looked like a giant monster being dragged along by Lian. And before they reached the sparring ground, clang! clang! clang! clang! clang!
The emergency bell suddenly rang out rapidly. At the sound, Lian bolted toward the watchtower where it came from.
"What's going on!"
Lian arrived at the watchtower quickly and asked. The soldier atop it pointed ahead and said,
"Barbarians have appeared on that hill over there!"
"......?"
Lian looked in the direction the soldier pointed.
The hill was nearly 200m away in a straight line.
Taking the winding path, it would be close to 1km.
But that wasn't the problem.
The suddenly appeared barbarians were dragging long objects—and someone—behind them.
They were kingdom soldiers from Bieltuna.
Lian's eyes shook.
"Who are they?"
"Prisoners captured in a previous battle... I think."
The soldier who answered Lian's question widened his eyes.
Soon, the barbarians began weaving the wood they brought into crosses.
And then,
"Gaaahhh—!"
"Uwaaaah—!"
They nailed the captured kingdom soldiers' arms and legs to the crosses.
Each clash of the massive nails and iron hammer sent the soldiers' screams echoing across the mountains.
There were fifteen of them.
Barus, now atop the watchtower, stared at the barbarians ahead.
Soon, the ones who had nailed the soldiers to the crosses looked toward the watchtower.
Tremble tremble tremble.
Seeing Barus's body shaking finely, it was clear how furious he was.
Lian said to Barus,
"We have to rescue them!"
"...It's a trap. We've fallen for this before."
"What?"
Before Lian and Barus's conversation could continue,
Whoosh!
The barbarians poured oil on the soldiers on the crosses and set them ablaze.
"Uwaaaahhh!"
"Save me! Uwaaaah!"
"Gaaahhh!"
The burning soldiers writhed in agony.
As Lian turned back at their screams, the barbarians began fleeing hastily.
Lian shouted,
"I'll take my squad and go!"
He couldn't leave them to die.
If they hurried now, they could still save them. But Barus, his eyes bloodshot, glared at Lian and said,
"Don't do something insane. Have you forgotten what you mean to Bieltuna now? Without you, we couldn't even defend it!"
"But!"
Grit!
Blood trickled from Barus's tightly clenched teeth.
His gripped fists trembled, and his bloodshot eyes looked ready to shed bloody tears.
Just how deep was this man's rage and sorrow?
For a moment, Lian felt overwhelmed by Barus's gaze.
Lian bowed his head at the desperate screams. And then, Barus said to him,
"Lieutenant Lian."
"...Yes."
"Can you use your archery to grant them peace?"
"...Pardon? You mean kill them?"
"......"
Barus nodded silently.
There was no saving soldiers already doused in oil.
Even if they rushed over and brought them back now, without potions or high priests, it was impossible.
"End... their suffering quickly."
Barus bowed his head to Lian and pleaded.
He felt only guilt toward his men, suffering like that under an incompetent commander.
Barus's mix of helplessness, rage, and sorrow was palpable.
Lian bit his lip, looking at the bowed Barus.
"Damn it all!"
Lian leaped from the watchtower and climbed the ramparts.
Walter's bow was now in his hands.
Tremble tremble.
His hand shook on the bow.
Rage made his body quake; he wanted to chase the barbarians and slaughter them all.
Swish.
But Lian calmly suppressed his emotions.
'I have to kill them in one shot.'
Firing sloppily would only prolong their pain.
Lian slowly circulated his mana.
The mana pathways in his body opened, drawing in ambient mana and activating it within him.
Soon, he concentrated mana into the ring, heightening his senses.
"Gaaahhh!"
Their screams rang clearer in that moment. But Lian maintained composure, maximizing his vision.
'I see them.'
Their agonized faces, crystal clear.
With his senses enhanced by Rikal's ring, Lian released the drawn string without hesitation.
Screeeeech—!
It wasn't that far, but tall trees obstructed the path midway.
Yet Lian's arrow shot straight, ignoring the trees as obstacles, and struck the soldier on the cross squarely in the forehead.
Thud—!
With a dull sound, his body jerked. Then his head drooped.
Dead.
'One...'
Screeeeech—! Thunk!
'Two...!'
Screeeeeech—! Thunk!
'Three!'
With each one, Lian bit his lip harder.
Eye strain from the ring's enhancement meant nothing to him.
'Last one...!'
Thud!
As the fifteenth arrow flew to end the final soldier's breath, Lian saw it.
The man faintly smiling, mouthing 'Thank you.'
"I'll avenge you all."
They were nameless soldiers, but comrades bound by the name Artian.
They didn't deserve to die like this in some dishonorable prank.
Lian vowed to kill the barbarians and turned away. And then,
"Thank you."
Barus, down from the watchtower, said to Lian descending the ramparts.
It was no easy task.
His heart wouldn't be at peace.
Yet Barus had no choice but to entrust it to him.
At Barus's words, Lian said quietly,
"I'll kill every last one of them."
He had no intention of just defending.
Barus nodded at Lian's resolve.
"Let's plan together."
A change, absent until now, was blowing into Bieltuna.