The Quiet Before the Storm
The wind howled through the night, carrying a low, mournful wail.
The canvas flap of the command tent trembled violently, as if caught in the breath of some unseen beast.
Each time the oil lamp inside flickered, the shadows on the map twisted and stretched, distorting the lines of the terrain into something unnatural and foreboding.
Hadmel, the commander of the Fourth Battalion.
He stared down at the map, his knuckles white as he pressed his palm firmly onto one of the marked spots, grinding his fingers against it until the knuckles flushed deep red.
“This is nothing but a madman’s folly,” he muttered, his voice carrying a strange, slicing edge beneath the irritation.
The hill outpost he had driven so hard to establish was already being dismantled and pulled back into the valley below.
Though the losses had been lighter than feared, the hasty construction of a temporary encampment on the crest had blinded his forces to the enemy’s movements.
I thought the high ground would give us the advantage…
Yet the darkness of the northern plains had proven far thicker than any map could reveal, and the very slope of the hill now acted as a natural screen for the attackers below.
Because of it, Hadmel had been unable to attend the officer’s council, forcing him to pore over strategy alone in the isolation of his own tent.
But then.
“The success of this ambush operation has sent the reputation of the Silent Spear unit into a frenzy of growth. Even among the soldiers of other battalions, no one fails to know Captain Arteon.”
His adjutant Ringston’s words caused Hadmel’s eyebrows to rise slowly.
“That damned whelp…”
Whispers had swirled around the independent unit born from the Supreme Commander’s whim.
Concerns lingered even among the most decorated officers: a mere lieutenant commanding a new independent force? Was this truly wise?
Yet the first operation had been flawless, no matter how reckless its origins.
Those worries had vanished like morning mist.
Naturally, the Silent Spear had gained formidable strength, and his own battalion had been shoved into the shadows.
Hadmel spoke, voice low and probing.
“No orders yet for the main force to advance?”
“None, sir. Intelligence remains too scarce. Besides, the reconnaissance unit we sent out ahead has been wiped out…”
The string of grim news tightened Hadmel’s jaw until his teeth ached.
If this continued, he would be forced to nibble at the enemy with small units for the foreseeable future.
He swept his tongue across the roof of his mouth once, then clenched his fist until the knuckles whitened.
“The main force must move… or our army will have no power left to wield…”
Information on the enemy’s main body was the only certainty that mattered.
If that could be secured, one more push might be possible.
But then.
“In that case, shall we move the Fourth Company again?”
“The one commanded by Captain Tairen?”
“Yes. The reconnaissance succeeded thanks to the Fourth Company. A temporary hill encampment was hastily built, but we cannot refuse an order from the battalion commander.”
Ringston’s tone had dropped a full octave, as if speaking of something delicate.
Tairen.
“Tairen…” Hadmel’s gaze narrowed.
Fourth Company commander under the Fourth Battalion.
A warrior whose skill could never be denied.
Yet his temper was foul and his will his own, making control a constant struggle.
The prime example: after receiving reconnaissance reports, he had declared he would not leave the hill outpost he had helped establish.
Presumptuous brat.
To dare raise a fist against a central noble house like his own.
Hadmel clicked his tongue softly at the thought of Tairen.
“He won’t be easy to handle… but can he be moved?”
“His temper is the worst, yet his pride is ironclad.”
Ringston leaned forward slightly, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“Right now every eye on the front is fixed on Lieutenant Arteon. A little scratch using Arteon’s name… and the Fourth Company could be made to dance on command.”
“Hmm? Would that truly work?”
“Doesn’t matter if it does. If it fails, we simply assemble the Fourth Company troops and send them under another commander.”
Tairen was fiercely loyal to his men.
He would never watch them slip away to another officer.
The corner of Hadmel’s mouth curled upward into a sly smile.
“Then proceed quickly. If we can extract detailed information on the enemy’s main body through the Fourth Company…”
“…a chance to move the main force and strike will appear.”
Then the Fourth Battalion, with its sturdy troops, would once again shine.
This is the first battle after the northern push. In this engagement I must earn a proper share of glory and etch my name into history.
Only then, when he returned to the center…
His lips curved in anticipation of the days to come.
* * *
Strong winds swept across the open plains, making the flags snap and ripple.
Yet the silence that followed was heavy with an unspoken tension, one that could not say how long it would last.
Inside the Supreme Commander’s tent.
Velkain stared at the tall figure standing before him—Arteon.
“This operation must have been no small task… burning enemy supply warehouses and slaying over three hundred of their soldiers. Your contribution is immense.”
“It is all thanks to the Supreme Commander’s support. Without it, I would have been forced to worry over my rear while focusing solely on the attack.”
Velkain took a slow sip of warm wine and offered a faint smile.
But the smile faded as quickly as it had appeared.
He pointed one finger at a section of the map.
“Yet the movement of those barbarians has grown suspicious. Last night, enemy forces shifted near the center… and the reconnaissance unit we sent ahead was completely annihilated.”
“…”
Arteon’s expression hardened.
His unit had been positioned forward purely for scouting, and their guiding principle had always been to avoid open battle whenever possible.
With such a defensive stance, they should have been able to slip away from even the most determined assaults…
But wiped out?
Arteon’s brow furrowed.
Velkain continued.
“With no survivors, we cannot even know how it happened. Still… the fact that so many of the fallen were struck by arrows is deeply troubling.”
“Arrows?”
Arteon’s eyes flickered.
A single face rose unbidden in his mind.
But…
No. It cannot be him.
That fierce skirmish in the reeds.
Just before he fled, Arteon had severed the tendons behind both knees of the man he faced.
Even with the best recovery, walking again would have been impossible.
The enemy could not have been on the battlefield.
Then… another skilled warrior has appeared.
Considering the Kar tribe’s numbers, such a possibility was entirely plausible.
A fighter who possessed not only talent but a perfect understanding of the plains’ terrain?
Arteon looked straight at Velkain.
“Supreme Commander, if it is possible…”
He wanted to lead the Silent Spear on another scouting mission.
Without knowing what those arrows truly meant, they would suffer grievous losses.
But at that moment.
“Commander, Major Hadmel requests entry.”
Before Arteon could answer, the tent flap was pushed aside and Hadmel strode in.
Velkain’s brows drew together at the uninvited entrance, yet he asked calmly.
“What is it, Major?”
Hadmel glanced briefly at Arteon standing beside him, then spoke with practiced ease.
“Ah, the superior has already arrived. Allow me to enter.”
Arteon’s eyebrows twitched.
This man…?
He had seen him somewhere before.
Without doubt a foe from his past life…
Yet the memory refused to surface.
Instead, Arteon frowned slightly.
Then.
He bowed deeply.
Since he stood before the Supreme Commander, formal courtesy was unnecessary, but as a superior he must offer a greeting.
Hadmel, however, wore an irritated expression and shifted his gaze to Velkain.
“I heard the reconnaissance unit stationed forward has been wiped out.”
Velkain’s fingertips stopped moving.
“…You were absent from the officer’s council. Where did you hear this?”
“I overheard officers discussing it on their way past. More importantly, I wish to request permission to assign the reconnaissance mission to the Fourth Company under the Fourth Battalion.”
“…A reconnaissance operation?”
Velkain’s eyebrows rose a fraction.
What was this sudden change in tone?
Hadmel pressed on without pause.
“Yes. The Fourth Company has already completed its initial scouting flawlessly. Should it encounter the enemy, it possesses the strength to overwhelm. I ask for your permission.”
As he spoke, Velkain’s gaze shifted to Arteon standing nearby.
The lantern light inside the tent cast long shadows across the two men.
“…”
Arteon said nothing.
Here, nothing he could do would alter the Supreme Commander’s decision.
He would simply wait for Velkain’s verdict.
“…”
Velkain drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the table, as if lost in deep consideration.
Silence stretched between them.
Hadmel and Arteon simply stared at the Supreme Commander in mute expectation.
Then.
“…Very well.”
With a long sigh, Velkain gave his answer.
Hadmel allowed himself a thin smile.
“Thank you.”
He turned his head, eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of victory in some silent contest, and met Arteon’s gaze.
“When preparations are complete, I will report at once.”
With that, Hadmel stepped out of the tent.
Arteon’s eyes followed the retreating figure.
The Fourth Battalion’s Fourth Company.
Fourth Battalion, Fourth Company…
Tairen?
Not only had he executed the prior reconnaissance perfectly, but Arteon had also heard many stories about him from his past life.
Yet… to have served beneath that man.
The scouting operation he had worked so hard on had ended in failure, leaving a bitter taste.
Arteon recalled the man he had once seen.
* * *
Shing, shing.
The whetstone whispered against the blade, producing a thin metallic song.
Outside, the wind howled fiercely.
Yet the man lifted his sword with care, examining the razor edge as though it alone could keep him alive on the battlefield.
Then.
“Captain!”
A subordinate ran up, breathing ragged, and blurted the words without taking a breath.
The man turned.
“Supreme Commander has approved the operation.”
“…”
The man rose slowly from his seat.
Six feet tall, broad-shouldered yet perfectly balanced, his eyes sharp as blades.
He tightened the leather straps of his armor, then faced his adjutant.
“Summon the selected troops. We depart at first light.”
“But… is this not risky?”
The adjutant hesitated.
“The reconnaissance unit we sent out the night before was wiped out. Four units of thirty men each… more than a hundred strong…”
The man turned his head halfway.
His expression hardened slightly as he spoke in a low, steady voice.
“Vengen.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“There is no battlefield free of danger. Focus only on executing your orders.”
A brief silence.
The wind brushed past the flags outside.
Then Vengen realized his words had been wrong and lowered his head.
“My apologies, Captain.”
“Summon the soldiers.”
“Yes!”
Vengen answered sharply and turned to run back.
“Haa…”
Complex emotions swirled across Tairen’s face as he prepared for the operation.