Blood Wind Over the North
Bang!
The instant he slammed his fist down—
Crunch!
The thick wooden table shattered into splinters that flew in every direction.
The man who had just received the utterly unexpected report made no effort to hide his fury.
“What did you just say? That Helikel Canyon has been taken…?”
“Y-y-yes, sir. That’s correct.”
“How many warriors returned alive?”
“R-roughly f-five hundred… or so.”
At the messenger’s stammered words, a far denser killing intent poured from the eyes of Drazan, Chief Warlord of the Northwest.
Simply facing him felt like being crushed in an invisible vise. The ordinary warrior serving as messenger could barely draw breath under that pressure and flattened himself against the floor. Looking into those eyes made him certain his heart would stop.
Drazan spoke.
“The 1st Line… what became of Bractus?”
“He is reported to have fallen on the battlefield… yet no one actually saw him die.”
“Which Taman returned among the survivors?”
“I-it is the upper warrior Urkaron.”
“Bring him to me. And send every warrior who came back alive to the mines.”
“…All of them, my lord?”
The messenger’s pupils shook violently. The mines were the place reserved for warriors who had committed crimes. Even for defeated remnants, to consign so many…
Yet—
“Do not make me repeat myself.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
At Drazan’s command the messenger scrambled to his feet and fled the command post.
In all the years he could remember, no humiliation this deep had ever struck his own territory.
“…Helikel Canyon taken.”
In practical terms, every route to the 1st Line was now sealed. Scaling the canyon walls was impossible; without the narrow pass between them, no force could cross.
Soon enough the news would reach the royal court. Unable to foresee what would follow, Drazan felt only a heavier sense of dread.
He stepped out of the command room.
“Assemble every Taman from every unit.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Drazan’s eyes flashed sharp as a drawn blade. Perhaps this very moment was—
The right time to use that.
Preparations were still incomplete and permission had never been granted, yet to erase this disgrace there was no other choice.
He lifted his gaze to the sky—the dull gray sky peculiar to the North.
“…A blood wind will rage across this North.”
So much blood that everything spilled until now would seem a joke.
The upheaval on the 1st Line set the entire military command into motion as well.
Everyone had expected that seizing Helikel Canyon would allow them to thin the forces on the 1st Line. Instead, fresh reinforcements kept arriving.
“Until the support troops reach Helikel Canyon, we move there ourselves. We cannot lower our guard until the fortress is finished.”
“Yes, sir!”
In a single day the master of Helikel Canyon had changed. Even with the place in their hands, there was no guarantee the same fate would not reverse.
At Hendris’s words the soldiers answered in a roar.
The unit assigned to reinforce Helikel Canyon was the 3rd Company—Arteon’s company.
“Haa… I’m starting to feel more at home on the 1st Line than anywhere else.”
“How many times have we come here in this short stretch…?”
“You know what they say? Most men only ever go to the 1st Line once in their whole lives.”
“…What are you on about?”
The others cocked their heads. The soldier continued.
“Once you go in, the only way out is in a body bag. That’s why they say you only go once.”
“Ah…”
“Cut the unlucky talk.”
To that infamous 1st Line the 4th Platoon was already making its third entry in less than a month: first as reinforcements, then for the all-out assault that retook Helikel Canyon, and now again as the force sent to hold it.
In its own way, the feat was extraordinary.
Hendris, 4th Platoon Leader, fell into step beside Arteon at the head of the column.
“The company commander and the other officers have been singing your praises.”
“I only did what needed doing.”
“Heh. Once word of this victory reaches the center, I suspect both your standing and mine will look very different.”
“…What do you mean by that, sir?”
“Even if you climb higher, I hope you don’t change, Arteon.”
Hendris gave Arteon’s shoulder a light, companionable clap.
A battlefield this deadly was also a place where fortunes rose just as fast. A man who had been a subordinate yesterday could become a superior tomorrow on the strength of a single exploit.
And this time…
There’s no chance they’ll overlook the soldier who contributed most to retaking Helikel Canyon.
Perhaps the merit would even bring a noble title.
Yet Hendris felt no envy. Though they had known each other only a short while—
How to put it…
It felt as if he had finally met a true soldier’s soldier. If a man like this rose through the ranks, the northern front itself might begin to change.
Then—
“…I will not change, Platoon Leader.”
The words had been spoken lightly, yet Arteon’s eyes were anything but light. Could a boy of fifteen truly possess a gaze like that—deep, calm, and unyielding all at once?
The complex weight of those eyes and that answer made Hendris pause. A moment later he simply smiled.
“I believe you.”
The 4th Platoon, arriving on the 1st Line with the 3rd Company, immediately set about pitching their tents. Driving stakes into frozen earth was never easy, yet every man worked with practiced efficiency.
“Sergeant Arteon, the company commander is calling for you.”
“You’re…”
“Thank you for remembering me. Corporal Bilk—I guided the special unit last time.”
On this front a comrade seen yesterday was often dead by tomorrow. The battle for Helikel Canyon had claimed a vast number of Kar warriors, yet the Empire’s own losses had been nearly as heavy.
Arteon smiled at Bilk.
“Good to see you safe.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Sergeant. Every situation officer already knows the merits you earned at Helikel Canyon.”
Isaac, who had commanded the special unit, had submitted the official battle report. Because of it, every superior now knew of Arteon’s deeds. Some might have suspected exaggeration, yet no one questioned a report written by Isaac. His skill was matched only by his reputation for absolute fairness.
Arteon followed Bilk toward the still-unfinished outpost that housed the 3rd Company Commander.
Looks impatient despite that face of his.
He could already guess the man’s mood.
“Heart of Steel!”
Arteon entered and saluted Captain Reichen, commander of the 3rd Company.
Reichen strode forward and seized both of Arteon’s shoulders in a crushing grip.
“Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent work, Sergeant Arteon!”
His voice rang with excitement; the strength in his hands left no doubt how elated he was. That angular face and those fierce eyes looked even more striking than usual.
“It was thanks to the good fortune you wished me before we sortied, sir.”
“Heh. You flatter well enough—you might even have a talent for politics.”
Reichen dropped into his chair and regarded Arteon.
“A dispatch has arrived from the Imperial Palace. Five thousand reinforcements are already on the move, and a fortune in treasure is coming to reward the heroes of Helikel Canyon.”
Where Reichen’s face glowed, Arteon’s remained calm. Material wealth had never held much weight for him.
Then the next words made his expression twitch.
“…Sir?”
“Several of the soldiers who performed outstandingly in the Helikel Canyon battle are to travel to the Imperial Palace for the meritorious awards ceremony.”
“…The Imperial Palace?”
In his previous life he had never so much as approached the palace grounds. Within a fixed radius of the Imperial Palace, commoners were forbidden even to set foot.
And yet—
The Imperial Palace…?
His heart hammered while his mind turned ice-cold. Two opposing emotions warred inside him, but Arteon forced himself to focus on reason.
If I go to the palace…
His eyes narrowed. Perhaps he might finally find a trail leading to the bastards who had betrayed them and driven them to their deaths.
“Nervous?”
“Huh? Ah—no, sir.”
Seeing Arteon’s briefly stiffened face, Reichen chuckled.
“The division commander will summon you and explain the details. The list isn’t finalized yet, but I doubt you’ll be left off it—so I’m giving you the heads-up now.”
“I’m grateful for the company commander’s consideration.”
“Hah, what consideration? Word is that thanks to you I’ve been put on the promotion list myself.”
Reichen rose again. The gentle smile vanished, replaced by a serious look as he faced Arteon.
“But setting all of that aside…”
He extended his hand.
“Thank you for ending the war in this hellhole, Arteon.”
“…Sergeant Arteon.”
Arteon clasped the offered hand firmly and answered only with his rank and name.
The following day, Division Commander Velkain’s summons arrived.
A carriage rattled along the thoroughly soaked red-clay road at a pace neither hurried nor leisurely. It swayed cheerfully as it crested the gentle ridges.
Or perhaps the cheer belonged to the passengers inside.
“We’ll be there before long, won’t we?”
“…Have you ever been, sir?”
Tertian asked from the opposite seat after Isaac’s muttered remark. Having lived only in provincial towns before being dragged north, he had never even approached the capital.
Isaac nodded.
“A splendid place. Worlds apart from the country village I grew up in.”
“I’ve only seen it in books.”
“Floren’s Hill, by any chance?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s the book that captures the capital’s grandeur best. They say the palace itself printed and distributed copies by the cartload.”
“…I see.”
“More surprising is that you can read at all. You know letters?”
“A little. Nothing too difficult.”
“Still impressive.”
Most commoners never received the chance to learn.
Isaac turned his gaze.
“What have you been staring at so hard this whole time?”
“Ah—just the scenery outside. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen anything but the North.”
Arteon answered without looking away from the window. He could no longer remember how many years it had been since he last left the northern front—six, seven… The blue sky and forests thick with green leaves, so different from the eternal gray, stirred something unexpectedly warm in his chest.
Isaac tilted his head.
“Where did you live before you enlisted?”
“Whalekrun. A tiny village on the western fringe.”
“Never heard of it. You’ve only been in the army a year, though. Was that place near the North as well?”
“…Ah.”
Of course “a long while” would sound strange to them. Arteon offered an awkward smile.
“I’ve simply been in the North so long that it started to feel more familiar than anywhere else. That’s all.”
“Huhu. Fair enough.”
Isaac laughed softly, then looked out again.
“There it is.”
Arteon and Tertian both turned.
Far below the mountain slopes, a vast city had come into view—the capital of the Empire, Polkerof.
Small smiles touched both men’s lips.
But—
“….”
The moment Arteon’s eyes found the capital, they turned cold and still.
There…
The one who had betrayed them and shoved them into death was somewhere inside those walls.
This awards ceremony…
Perhaps he would finally catch even the faintest trail of those bastards.
His gaze, heavy with tangled emotion, remained fixed on the city’s outer ramparts.