The Silent Spear's Shadow in the Blizzard
The icy wind howled fiercely through the narrow gap between the canyon walls, whipping up swirling clouds of snow that blotted out the sky.
Deep inside a small, carefully dug-out cave carved by Iryakle’s own hands, Lucael and Isaac huddled together, trying to shield themselves from the merciless storm raging outside.
Even breathing properly outside was impossible, yet this cramped shelter offered the only refuge they could find in the chaos.
“How did they create a hideout like this?”
Lucael stared at the cave entrance in awe, a rare flicker of admiration crossing his face. He had never considered using small tunnels in the canyon walls to escape a blizzard.
These hidden passages were spaced perfectly so that a sudden gale would erase all traces, making them nearly impossible to find.
“No wonder the scouts were wiped out so easily.”
Emerging from such concealment like Chebilk warriors—beast-like and silent—would have been pure terror.
But as Lucael sat in silence, his mind racing with worry, Isaac’s voice broke through the storm.
“…It seems you’re quite concerned.”
Isaac glanced sideways at him before speaking carefully, opening the conversation.
Lucael’s eyes shifted to meet his companion’s.
“Aren’t you worried?”
Lucael could not hide his surprise as he watched Arteon, the young officer who had suddenly appeared with a plan that sounded utterly insane.
The words he had just heard replayed in his head: “I will pretend to be captured and infiltrated into the enemy camp.”
Any normal person would have dismissed it as madness.
Even Lucael remained speechless for a moment.
Turning to Isaac, he asked, “It’s a dangerous operation. But… you approved it anyway?”
Isaac paused, lost in thought, then replied quietly, “I remembered something from the past.”
“Past?”
Lucael raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Isaac nodded. “It was the same situation at Helikel Canyon back then.”
Memories surfaced for Isaac—the daring plan to cross the raging river at the mouth of the canyon and climb the walls.
It had seemed like sheer madness then.
Obviously impossible. Bound to fail.
Yet he could never forget the sight of Arteon, still tied to a rope, plunging into the roaring waters.
Continuing, Isaac said, “It must be a solid plan with real foundations. And… if it succeeds, it will seize control of this canyon without any variables.”
“That’s true… but…”
Lucael hesitated.
Both Velkain’s legion commander and Captain Isaac himself—the deputy leader of the special unit—had placed their full trust in this boy.
“…Maybe.”
Was something he had overlooked? Lucael fell silent.
Soon, Isaac simply watched him in quiet concern.
But the hesitation lasted only a moment.
Lucael finally nodded decisively. “All right, I’ll trust you. But Arteon can’t handle everything alone. He’ll need to be ready to move in immediately once he creates chaos inside the enemy lines.”
“Of course. I’ll prepare everything needed.”
Isaac stood and headed toward the rest of the unit.
Alone once more, Lucael slumped back into the cave, the day’s fighting flashing through his mind.
Then, without warning, a voice cut in from beside him.
“…May I ask you something?”
“What?”
Pweril, still bound, spoke up from where she sat.
Lucael’s eyes turned icy.
Even though she had surrendered, she was a Chebilk warrior who had killed his soldiers.
Good feelings were the last thing he expected.
Yet Pweril pressed on without hesitation.
“All the young soldiers of the Empire… are they all at that boy’s level?”
“…”
It was impossible.
Lucael’s eyes widened slightly.
He himself had never encountered anyone like her.
“From the heart of the Empire…”
Even among the elite-trained youth since childhood, such talent was rare.
Just the faces that came to mind— one… no, two at most.
Yet none of them would have stood a chance against Arteon.
“I wonder where that kid even came from.”
Lucael kept his thoughts hidden as he answered Pweril.
“All the elites of the Empire possess extraordinary abilities. If the Empire truly commits, not only the Kar tribe in the north but… every single one of you can be wiped out.”
“…Your words are quite clumsy.”
Pweril turned her body away.
Yet moments later…
“Still… I hope those bastards are all killed.”
“…?”
Lucael’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward her at the casual murmur.
The thought struck him like lightning.
Perhaps… the relationship between the Kar tribe and the Chebilk tribe was not what they believed.
***
“…Your expression is utterly calm.”
Iryakle, seated across from Arteon without any restraints, asked the question.
Arteon sat defenseless in the small cave, leaning against the wall.
“But…”
Despite the absolute vulnerability, Iryakle sensed an iron strength radiating from every inch of the young man’s frame.
He simply looked like a seasoned warrior.
Iryakle continued, “Do you truly believe this will succeed? The warriors on the opposite side of the canyon are stronger than you.”
“I don’t have to worry about them. Lucael will handle them. They’re not my opponents.”
“…Does that mean you’re referring to the warrior I fought earlier?”
“Exactly.”
“If his skill is anything like what they say… then among the Kar warriors here, no one will be able to stop him.”
Once he drew his sword inside the enemy camp, Iryakle swallowed the rest of his words.
In normal circumstances, such a thing would never have happened.
If he and Pweril had been captured here, the Kar would have triggered an avalanche with a single blow to the canyon wall.
Kereilkarun, the commander guarding the Iryakled Canyon, was both cunning and possessed of terrifying strength.
His explosive aura was strong enough to bury the snow piled against the canyon walls in an instant.
Even if he threw everything at the man, he would not win.
But if Arteon’s plan truly worked…
“This canyon… will fall into the Empire’s hands.”
What would happen to the northern front then?
“No.”
What about their own tribe?
They had been treated like slaves under the Kar for so long.
It was not only because their families were taken hostage.
The Chebilk tribe had never been able to escape the north, and their oppressors were simply too powerful.
“Do you truly believe the Empire will win this war?”
“Of course.”
Iryakle’s eyes darkened at Arteon’s unwavering reply.
He continued, “You don’t understand the true strength of a Kar warrior. The ones you’ve faced so far were only average fighters. Above that…”
Iryakle shuddered violently at the mere thought.
Especially…
“…”
As soon as the memory surfaced, Iryakle fell silent.
That experience would never be erased from his mind for the rest of his life.
But then…
“…I know.”
“What?”
At the faint murmur, Iryakle lifted his head to face Arteon.
Arteon, still seated with one knee raised, regarded him with an ice-cold gaze.
Just as Iryakle had felt before.
“What kind of eyes are those…”
How many times had he seen such piercing stares during his life?
But beneath the sharpness lay something far more unsettling—depth.
Those endless, bottomless eyes carried a power that seemed to pull the viewer into them.
“…How did a kid like you even know that?”
“I’ve seen it too.”
Arteon answered calmly.
He already knew exactly who the “they” Iryakle referred to were.
“Among the Kar… the elders would certainly fit the description.”
The Kar tribe was made up of numerous northern immigrants living together in clans.
At the top of that hierarchy sat the ruling class.
“…”
Arteon had met one of them only once in his past life.
He had thought back then, “If there were gods… it must feel like this.”
One swing of a long spear had slain dozens of soldiers.
Considering the aura that man had unleashed, even the aura Arteon wielded now seemed like nothing more than a child’s play.
Lucael had reached the limit of the fifth star and displayed incredible martial prowess, but compared to those individuals, it was still lacking.
The gap between one star and two stars, and two stars and three stars, only widened as the ranks rose.
Of course, climbing those ranks was an ordeal beyond anything he could imagine.
Arteon recalled the past with a bitter smile.
Even though it would take him a long time to reach that point…
“One step at a time.”
Without hesitation, step by step.
And when day faded and the canyon began to darken once more…
“Shall we go?”
At Arteon’s words, Iryakle nodded with tense resolve.
At the exact same moment…
“…”
Isaac stared out at the blizzard raging beyond the cave entrance, his face set like stone.
Though the plan had been executed because he trusted Arteon, the anxiety remained.
If the operation failed, the Empire would lose its greatest hope without accomplishing anything.
Even though Pweril was being used as a hostage, if one of the Chebilk warriors defected, the Empire would be in even greater trouble.
“Hah.”
A sigh escaped him, but he forced his mind to steady.
Right now…
“I have no choice but to trust.”
He knew it was reckless thinking.
But had Arteon not already walked a path he never could have taken?
“That guy…”
Looking out into the storm where Arteon was slowly disappearing, Isaac simply stared with a heavy, uneasy heart.