Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Storm's Aftermath
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It was truly a split-second moment.
Isaac leaped forward like a shooting arrow, blocking Lian's path and raising his sword toward Altomus.
Boom-!
An immense impact.
In an instant, his knees buckled, and the foot planted on the ground sank deep into the dirt.
But Isaac gritted his teeth and poured strength into his arms.
"Haaa-!"
Clang!
Repelling Altomus's sword with sheer force, Isaac immediately swung the blade in his left hand, slicing into Altomus's thigh.
He had swung with the intent to sever it completely. But the strike could only cut halfway through the thigh before halting.
"Urk!"
Even so, it was a fatal wound for Altomus.
He had hastily summoned aura for defense, but the muscles in his front thigh felt completely torn.
Stagger!
Altomus's body shook violently as he stumbled back a couple of steps.
It was inevitable.
He had saved his life, but he had suffered major injuries to his neck and right shoulder—wounds so deep the bone was visible.
'These bastards...'
Dangerous.
If he let them escape now, they would surely become a serious threat later.
Though blood loss blurred his vision, Altomus coldly assessed the situation.
He had to kill them here, no matter what.
Spurt!
Altomus tensed his body and raised his sword. Blood sprayed from the wound in his leg like a water jet, but he paid it no mind.
His only thought was to kill the two boys before him.
But at that moment,
"Deputy Commander!"
"Lord Isaac!"
"The Deputy Commander's here too!"
"Lord Lian-!"
Suddenly, dozens of kingdom soldiers jumped down from above.
Some tumbled head over heels, unable to control their momentum.
But in an instant, the men surrounded Altomus in a semicircle, glaring at him with desperate, life-or-death resolve.
Altomus bit his lip at the sight.
If he were uninjured, it would be one thing, but fighting them in his current gravely wounded state would be madness.
Tremble.
His sword hand shook violently.
Did he have to let these two go?
"...Next time, I will kill you."
Altomus took a step back, then abruptly turned and fled.
Brandt shouted after him.
"It's the enemy commander! Don't let him escape!"
"Waaaah-!"
Altomus, about to turn, widened his eyes and summoned his aura.
If he had no choice but to fight, he planned to slaughter them all. But then,
"Stand down-!"
Boom!
How could such a roar come from that small frame?
Brandt flinched and looked at Isaac.
Isaac yelled,
"The Commander's the priority. Hurry and carry him out! We're heading back to Bieltuna!"
"B-But, Deputy Commander."
"That's an order."
Isaac spoke firmly, staring at Brandt. Brandt glanced at Altomus.
He knew the man was an aura user.
Even gravely wounded, killing him now would cost them over half their forces.
It was a battle worth the price. But...
"Understood."
Brandt signaled to Kyle beside him.
Without hesitation, Kyle carefully lifted the fallen Lian.
It was clear at a glance that he had internal injuries.
Step.
Isaac and the Arrowhead Unit soldiers backed away cautiously, eyes fixed on Altomus.
Altomus simply watched them retreat without acting.
Neither side wanted to fight, so nothing happened.
Once they had put enough distance between them, Isaac and the Arrowhead Unit turned and ran.
Right now, returning to Bieltuna as quickly as possible was the priority.
As they ran beside Isaac, Brandt noticed something and spoke in alarm.
"Deputy Commander!"
"Quiet."
"...Pardon?"
"Just... let's get past this quietly."
At Isaac's words, Brandt looked at his right arm.
The wrist was swollen badly.
It meant the bones there were completely shattered.
Grind.
Foolish idiot.
Brandt knew full well that without Isaac able to fight, their combat strength would drop by nearly half.
He had nearly gotten all his men killed with that foolish judgment.
On the way to link up with the Eagle Company at the supply wagons,
Brandt bit his lip, berating his own stupidity.
* * *
The operation, like a storm itself, had ended.
The Arrowhead Unit and Eagle Company, returning to Bieltuna, couldn't even rest properly before honoring their fallen comrades.
"...Hoo."
Isaac, with a splint on his arm, sat in the tent where Lian lay.
Lian's injuries were severe; he still hadn't woken.
Feeling conflicted, Isaac could only sigh repeatedly. Then,
"Lian still hasn't woken?"
"Captain Barus! Oh, Captain Raymond's with you."
Isaac shot to his feet at Barus's voice from behind.
Barus nodded and said,
"Go rest, you too."
"...Understood."
Sensing he was being told to leave, Isaac exited the tent with regret.
Entering the tent where Lian lay, Barus and Raymond looked at him.
Raymond spoke first.
"What a unique fellow, isn't he?"
"I don't quite grasp what you mean... but he gives off that vibe—like I can almost understand him."
Barus curled his lips into a smile.
Even he thought Lian was exceptionally peculiar.
Since he arrived, the atmosphere in Bieltuna had changed dramatically.
Seeing Barus's expression, Raymond continued.
"Once, while heading north for reinforcements, I passed through Phelon Gorge."
"Phelon Gorge? The one after the Elter Plains?"
"You know it."
"I fought there once. Perfect for ambushes, so we always scouted it first."
"Exactly. I did the same. But I got hit hard from behind. Not a single ant in the gorge, but over five hundred barbarian warriors ambushed us on the plains beyond."
"...Beyond the gorge?"
"I might have died there. The whole Eagle Company, too."
"What happened?"
"One soldier sensed something off and scouted to the gorge's end."
Snicker.
Raymond smiled softly at Lian.
"It was this guy."
Back then, Lian was a fresh recruit, mere months into his service.
Yet he volunteered to scout, disobeyed orders, and went all the way to the end.
Something no ordinary soldier would dream of.
"Thanks to him, Eagle Company not only survived but annihilated the enemy and earned merits. That's when he became squad leader."
"...Born different, huh. I get surprised by Lian often too. Sometimes I can't believe he's only sixteen."
"And in the next battle, he pulled off another impossible feat and became a 100-Man Commander. Honestly, I was shocked."
Raymond recalled that time.
Of course, his own major assistance made that rapid promotion possible.
But not just anyone could do it, even with help.
"I never expected he could pull it off. I'm just grateful he stayed with Eagle Company."
"I have a question. Lian's with Eagle Company—why was he sent here alone?"
"Hmm..."
Raymond shook his head at Barus's question.
"Honestly, I don't know either. I asked the higher-ups, but got no answer."
"Hmm..."
"But I suspect someone up top took notice of him."
"Someone up top?"
"No idea the intent, but maybe testing him."
Barus's eyes flickered at Raymond's words.
"Testing him? You mean they thought this boy could solve Bieltuna's problems?"
"Because he's that kind of guy."
"..."
Barus had no rebuttal.
He'd been in Bieltuna a long time, but only after Lian arrived did he first think it.
That maybe Bieltuna could change.
Seeing Barus's complicated expression, Raymond grinned.
"That's the kind of guy he is."
Barus nodded with an absurd smile of his own.
* * *
Boom-!
A boulder larger than a man's body crumbled like sand and fell in chunks.
Red blood dripped onto the ground alongside it, but Altomus, rage boiling over, screamed at the warriors before him.
"What the hell were you doing! While the enemy unit fully appeared, you lot... Cough-!"
Mid-shout, Altomus spat blood and staggered.
The wounds from Lian and Isaac were severe.
Raicol, who had been with him, urgently pleaded,
"Gr-Great Warrior, treating your wounds comes first!"
"Let go! You worthless leeches! If you'd just followed me properly, we could've slaughtered them all. Then taken their supplies too!"
"Gr-Great Warrior, you were too fast to follow. How could we keep up with an aura user charging at full speed?"
On top of that, they'd lost Altomus midway and wandered off course.
No excuse would suffice, but what was done was done.
The other barbarian warriors hung their heads, silent.
They knew better than anyone they'd done nothing.
"The forest monster... and that brat..."
The fresh-faced kid who blocked his aura-wrapped sword was vivid in his mind.
A direct block would have cleaved him in two with the sword.
But he cleverly twisted his wrist, absorbing the impact.
In a way, a must-kill different from the forest monster.
If they kept growing, who knew what they'd become.
"Killing those two would have ended it all. Bieltuna's current mood is because of them."
But Altomus knew.
He'd let them escape, and he'd been humiliatingly wounded.
Plus, the injuries were serious; recovery would take time.
His anxiety made the wounds throb worse. Then,
"Well, well... what a mess."
"......!"
"Who's there!"
Raicol whipped around and shouted. The black-robed man who appeared grinned at them and said,
"Want me to help you kill those guys?"