Silent Triumph in the Canyon
Velkain stared silently at the vast map spread before him.
His gaze fixed on Aicled, the last of the three key points, nestled in the heart of Helikel Canyon and near Elbarphiel Lake.
If they could break through the canyon and seize it, the Empire would gain a foothold to advance into the northern lands.
Yet even after shedding so much blood and sacrificing so much, the Empire had never held all three of these fronts.
“Ugh…”
A rare sigh escaped Velkain’s lips.
He had always presented himself as the unbreakable Ogur of Benhard, but this time even he could not ignore the tension.
At that moment, the door to the tent creaked open and Claw stepped inside.
“Are you all right, General?”
Velkain looked up briefly, then nodded.
“It’s proving difficult.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you like this.”
He had served under Velkain for a long time.
But this anxious expression was new even in Claw’s memory.
Still, after hearing it, Velkain turned his eyes back to the map, now pinned with Aicled.
“How long has the special unit been inside?”
“Just over a month.”
“A month…”
Despite the time that had passed, there had been no message… no signal at all.
That meant the operation was almost certainly failing.
“Time alone doesn’t change things.”
Velkain muttered the thought he had never voiced aloud.
Even now he had considered sending a large force to push through by sheer strength.
But if they did, the Kar would immediately reinforce Aicled.
In the end, more blood would be spilled, and there was no guarantee the outcome would change.
A clash at the narrow pass through the canyon, or even a blizzard sweeping down… the losses would fall entirely on them.
That was why they had chosen to strike with a small elite force and probe the enemy’s weaknesses.
These men were the cream of the crop, the finest the north could offer.
They might succeed…
“But what if…”
If even one of them failed, the front would be in grave danger.
Claw remained silent, watching Velkain study the map. The heavy air pressed down inside the tent, but there was nothing else to do but wait and trust.
Then, suddenly—
“G-General!”
A flustered staff officer burst in, breathing hard, and snapped to attention.
His voice trembled, his eyes unusually frantic.
Velkain turned to him.
“What is it?”
The officer steadied himself and looked up.
“I-it is…!”
And then his next words—
“…What?”
The eyes of both Velkain and Claw widened.
* * *
In the dead silence, only the Imperial banners snapped loudly in the howling blizzard that swept the canyon.
Even through the driving snow, the emblems on the banners remained sharp and clear.
Special Unit.
The men who formed it—elite soldiers who had earned a place among the north’s greatest—paused, holding their breath as they watched the banners they themselves had raised.
“…Commander.”
Isaac called softly.
But Lukael raised a hand to stop him.
“It isn’t necessary to say it, Captain Isaac. This… this is what we have actually accomplished.”
His eyes rested on the banners.
At last… they had reached Helikel Canyon, Elbarphiel Lake, and Aicled.
Under the Empire’s flag, the three vital points that cut through the north had been secured.
This was a feat never before seen in the Empire’s long history.
And the banners snapping in the blizzard proved it in this very moment.
Low, low.
Then Lukael turned his head toward Arteon.
He stepped forward and stopped before him.
“Lieutenant Arteon.”
Lukael bowed with perfect respect.
“You have done something truly magnificent. All of this is thanks to you.”
Arteon blinked in surprise, then shook his head.
“No. Had Commander Lukael not arrived in time, this would not have been possible.”
“It was difficult. We had to catch the signal flare in the space of just one or two seconds.”
Hearing a signal flare’s sound from a distance in the midst of a blizzard was impossible for normal ears.
Especially when the flare lasted only one or two seconds.
Iryakle’s eyes flickered at the words.
“…Was it a mistake that the signal flare was cut by Kereilkarun?”
“It was part of the plan. That is the only way to make sure he truly relaxes his guard.”
Isaac answered.
At those words, Iryakle could not hide his shock as he looked back and forth between Lukael and Arteon.
He had never imagined such a detail in the operation.
It was madness.
Yet they had succeeded because of it.
But then—
Snap!
Pweril jabbed him in the side.
Iryakle jerked back, looked at Arteon, and bowed deeply.
“Thank you. We were able to save Iruakan because of you. I will repay this debt.”
Arteon tilted his head.
“Where will you go now?”
“We must leave. Neither the Kar nor the Empire will accept us.”
The Chebilk tribe had always lived this way.
They were in the Kar front line but not recognized as Kar, and therefore enemies to the Empire.
Arteon knew their fate well.
After a moment of thought, he tore a strip from his sleeve and quickly wrote something on it.
He handed the note to Iryakle.
“Go to the place written here and deliver this letter. We will prepare a place for you to stay.”
“…Why are you being so kind to me?”
“Because your help made this operation possible.”
Without Iryakle, they could never have tried this.
And honestly, he had not thought of any other way to take Aicled without bloodshed.
Iryakle stared at Arteon in silence.
Whether as Kar or as Empire soldiers, he had never trusted either side.
‘If it’s him…’
Maybe it was all right to trust him just this once.
Iryakle nodded.
“Thank you. When the time comes, I will repay you.”
“Thank you.”
Pweril also bowed deeply, expressing her gratitude.
Soon after, the two figures vanished into the blizzard. The remaining soldiers fell silent for a moment.
Then Arteon turned, uncomfortable, and said,
“I’m sorry. I overstepped.”
Lukael asked, puzzled.
“What do you mean? What happened? This operation was a solo success by Lieutenant Arteon, wasn’t it?”
Isaac smiled knowingly and jumped in.
“Of course. We must report his achievement and award him a medal for holding the enemy’s position alone until we arrived. Isn’t that right, everyone?”
“Correct!”
“Yes, thanks to Lieutenant!”
As if they had collectively wiped away all memory of the Chebilk tribe, they all shouted cheerfully.
Arteon looked at their faces for a moment, then gave a faint smile and bowed.
“…Thank you.”
Lukael raised his voice.
“We have no more time to savor victory. We must inform the forces on the opposite side of the canyon and hold this position until the enemy arrives. Move!”
“Yes, sir!”
Following Lukael’s order, the soldiers began to hurry.
And within this bustle—
“…!”
Arteon’s eyes caught one soldier.
He was limping slightly, wounded in the leg, yet trying not to show it.
Arteon approached him.
“Are you hurt?”
“I-I’m fine, Lieutenant Arteon. It’s just a scratch.”
Theobalt stopped abruptly and spoke hurriedly.
Arteon tore another strip from his sleeve and tied it tightly around the Theobalt’s thigh.
It was not deep, but in this cold, exposing the wound would be foolish.
“Take care of yourself. You can live a long life if you don’t overdo it.”
“…What?”
“No, keep doing your job.”
Arteon stood and turned away.
He had wanted to take the boy with him. But…
‘There are too many dangers where I’m going.’
It would only repeat.
He might not survive long.
Soon Arteon headed straight for Lukael.
“Commander Lukael.”
“What is it?”
“I have a request, though it may seem presumptuous.”
“…?”
Lukael turned to him with a questioning look.
His expression was too serious for anything casual.
Lukael asked.
“Speak.”
“Could you take care of Corporal Theobalt?”
“…Theobalt?”
Lukael’s gaze shifted toward the man.
He had noticed him too.
‘I thought there might be some connection…’
And he seemed to know Arteon.
Lukael asked again.
“Why?”
“Because he has a debt with me. I don’t know about him.”
“Is there something wrong?”
“Yes.”
Though he could not say it.
Lukael seemed to think for a moment, then shook his head.
“I see. He does seem like a reliable man.”
“Ah… thank you.”
Arteon bowed, but Lukael shook his head.
“Don’t mention it. I cannot give you a medal, but if this eases your heart, I will do whatever you need.”
He was the foremost hero in the recapture of Aicled, after all.
Lukael looked at Arteon and said,
“I hope we meet again.”
“It has been an honor to fight together with you.”
Arteon curled his right fist and pressed it lightly to his left chest.
Then Lukael patted Arteon’s shoulder and left.
“…Now it’s settled.”
Arteon muttered, staring toward Theobalt.
No one knew what lay ahead.
‘With Commander Lukael, he will grow greatly.’
And one day they might meet again.
With a slight turn, Arteon gazed once more at the Imperial banner planted in the heart of the Kar formation.
It struck him anew.
‘Truly… they had done it.’
An impossible feat no one in Imperial history had ever achieved.
Three vital points recaptured, and Arteon had carried all the credit.
The life of the past.
And when they had begun this new life, he had never imagined he would be able to do such a thing.
Now they were finally in the north, at the Kar’s main base.
They had laid the foundation to reach it.
‘Surely…’
Even the center would have begun to move.
Arteon’s eyes, still fixed northward, grew complicated yet calm.
* * *
In the capital of the Empire, a carriage sped into the brilliantly lit mansion in the central district.
It stopped. The passenger slipped inside secretly and quickly moved to a prepared room.
Tap.
Heavy curtains blocked even the wind.
The two men who rarely sat across from each other were forced to hurry because the situation demanded it.
Jaekle Mion, head of the Mion Obsidian Guild, and Count Basilio of the Caldrian Empire.
Among the suffocating silence, Basilio spoke first.
“Helikel Canyon, Elbarphiel Lake… and finally Aicled.”
His voice was heavy.
“All of them are now in the Empire’s hands.”
Jaekle’s eyes flashed, but he listened in silence.
Basilio drew a deep breath and continued in a lower, colder tone.
“The entire capital is now staring at the north because of this. Thanks to it, the First Prince’s faction is surging and even sending more troops northward. If we continue like this, the credit will all belong to the First Prince… and we will eventually hand over the reins completely.”
He set down his cup, narrowing his eyes.
“We will lose the initiative.”
Jaekle asked quietly.
“Have you confirmed who received the greatest credit for the recapture of Aicled…?”
“I’m not certain yet, but from what I’ve learned, it’s Lukael Hargeil. And Isaac Duraik, who took the canyon, is said to have formed the unit together with him.”
The corner of Jaekle’s mouth twitched.
Basilio went on.
“And one more… a boy. They call him Arteon.”
In that instant, thick veins bulged on Jaekle’s forehead.
His expression turned to stone.
“…Arteon?”
The name he had tried to have Nocturne eliminate directly.
But the attempt had failed because of the intervention of an unknown group, and Nocturne had lost over thirty percent of its forces.
That event had left a deep scar on Jaekle’s pride.
“If we do not eliminate them before….”
Jaekle’s voice dropped to a cold whisper.
“They will become an insurmountable obstacle for us in the future.”
Basilio countered with a stern face.
“But Lukael is already beyond the fifth star, they say. Who can face him…?”
His words trailed off, but Jaekle shook his head firmly.
“We cannot wait any longer. And…”
He looked at Basilio with eyes full of gravity.
“The Second Prince will not grant us any more chances.”
The moment the name left his lips, Basilio’s shoulders trembled faintly.
Second Prince Belacrod Aurelian.
He had remained silent until now, but no one knew when his violent nature would unsheathe its blade.
A heavy silence fell, and their gazes clashed.
“…We must act quickly.”
“I will begin preparations at once. Count, find someone to deal with Lukael.”
Basilio nodded heavily.
The tension that had settled over them pressed down on their shoulders.