Smoke of Betrayal and the Spear That Would Not Bend
Thirty soldiers in the third platoon stood outside their tent, staring at the blackened ground with puzzled expressions.
Something had clearly been burned there. Why anyone would do such a thing, they simply could not understand.
But then…
“Ah! Who used up all this Pimacho?!”
“……Pimacho?”
“What nonsense. Who would even say that? We don’t have any wounded men.”
“The entire bundle is gone!”
“……?”
Within moments the soldiers filed back inside and checked the remaining Pimacho in their tent.
Although the quantity was small, the reduction was obvious.
Grein’s face suddenly hardened.
“Surely… you didn’t burn this Pimacho?”
“No way. Why would we do that?”
The men stepped outside again and stared at the thin, blackened leaf fragments scattered across the scorched earth.
Grein narrowed his eyes.
“This… is Pimacho, isn’t it?”
“……Why would anyone burn it?”
“Who knows? There must be some reason, right?”
He was the type of man who never made sense to anyone.
Calling the major at dawn was already strange enough, and the past few days he had been lost in thought more than usual.
“……Even without the platoon leader, we’ll complete the training he ordered.”
“Huh? Don’t we get to rest when he’s not here?”
The soldiers answered with sullen voices.
The training intensity Arteon demanded was truly unbearable.
That was why they had been in such pain from fresh muscle aches these past days.
So why not rest when the platoon leader was gone?
But when they looked at Grein with contempt, he replied calmly.
“……Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“This is ridiculous… Vice Platoon Leader. You’ve completely fallen under the platoon leader’s spell.”
The soldiers shook their heads and rose from their spots.
Grein continued.
“It’s not that. It’s because it’s shameful. We who once looked down on him as fools can’t even follow half of his steps.”
“That’s… true.”
“True enough. But… how has our platoon leader survived? He’s a complete monster.”
“I saw him slip out before dawn for solo training. The sight gave me actual chills… it was terrifying.”
“……So he trains with us and then does solo training again at dawn?”
“That’s right.”
Grein was the one who answered.
He had personally witnessed Arteon leaving the tent in the middle of the night to train alone.
Yet in only a few days he had proven himself.
Now it was time…
“We must prove we are worthy of walking beside him. Otherwise the time we mocked him will have been completely wasted. Show some backbone, everyone.”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
At Grein’s command they marched to the training ground with a roar of spirit.
And at that same moment…
“Major Arteon.”
“……Sergeant, Arteon.”
Arteon looked up at the man before him and answered in a low voice.
The man’s eyes were his own. A faint tremor ran through them.
‘Why… is he here…?’
The man was not the typical soldier at all. In his late forties, he carried none of the northern frontier’s savage cold—only the refined elegance of a city noble.
Neatly combed golden hair. A mustache precisely trimmed to a sharp jawline.
His build was slightly slender for a northern soldier, yet his refined clothing and straight posture filled every gap.
Shoulders adorned with epaulets that served power more than responsibility.
‘Leorn Valtron… a true scoundrel who once drove soldiers to their deaths for his own glory.’
‘He was supposed to be at the northeast fourth defense line at this time…?’
Arteon quickly calculated the situation in his mind.
It was completely unexpected, yet he knew the man’s character well enough.
Then…
“You are the one who devised this operation?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Arteon replied with a firm voice.
Other major-level officers were also present here. He could not show any weakness.
Leorn studied the documents in his hand, sighed, and said, “Too reckless. If this operation fails, the entire risk falls on me.”
‘……No, the risk will be carried by the soldiers who fail the operation, you idiot.’
The old life made his words sting.
Anger surged within him, and for a moment he almost spat a curse right in front of the man.
Yet Arteon answered calmly.
“If we conduct an open battle against an enemy with insufficient preparation, the risk of failure would be unimaginable.”
“……What?”
“At worst we would lose the very troops needed to hold the fourth defense line and be forced to retreat. In comparison, this operation only requires the minimum number of men. Even if it fails, we lose only thirty elite soldiers.”
Of course losing thirty elites would be a heavy blow.
“But even then we would have another chance to correct the mistake.”
Just a sergeant. An eighteen-year-old sergeant daring to challenge a major commanding the entire fourth defense line.
Normally other officers would have already issued orders against him.
‘Everyone here knows exactly what kind of reckless act this bastard Leorn is trying to commit.’
That was why the officers looked displeased by Arteon’s words yet still nodded.
However, Leorn sneered and said, “A soldier who’s only been here a few days is talking nonsense about the fourth defense line. Do you really think you know enough about it with just this small force to stop the Kar tribe’s advance?”
“……Of course I do. If it fails, you may hold me fully responsible.”
“How dare you…!”
Leorn’s eyes flashed sharply. Now was the time to play his trump card.
Arteon cut him off and continued without pause.
“But if the operation succeeds, the entire credit will belong to Major’s wise command.”
“What?”
“If it fails, I will accept full responsibility as the one who forced the operation through. But if it succeeds, the Major will reap every benefit.”
It was sophistry. Everyone present knew it was nonsense.
No, Leorn Valtron excepted.
“……Hmph.”
The hostile glare from moments ago vanished completely.
Leorn stroked his chin, lost in thought.
He then asked the officers present.
“What is your opinion? Do you believe this operation can succeed?”
“I think it is the best possible choice under the current circumstances. The risk of failure is minimal.”
“I find it an ingenious plan as well. However, for success to be achieved… elite troops will be required.”
One by one they voiced their thoughts.
The majority were favorable.
They too believed this was the only viable option in the dire situation they faced.
Leorn’s lips curled upward.
“That’s settled, then.”
His mind was completely transparent.
If it failed, he planned to shift blame to the officers and soldiers.
And if it succeeded…
‘He would claim every ounce of glory for himself.’
A soldier who hated such men more than anything else. How could he not know that these scoundrels were the reason the northern frontier had been stained with soldiers’ blood for so long?
But…
‘I will endure for now.’
He needed the man’s approval to carry out this operation.
Leorn, who still hesitated, was the type who might simply ignore the plan and move the main force.
Sweat soaked his clenched fists. Just then…
“Major. Wouldn’t it be wise to trust and proceed?”
First Company Commander Hadel spoke to Leorn.
Arteon looked at Hadel with curiosity.
He had expected the same wary glance Leorn gave him.
Yet Hadel was offering support without hesitation.
‘Why…?’
He could not guess the reason, but he understood that Hadel’s action was far more unexpected.
Leorn asked, “Hmm, do you have confidence?”
“Yes. If the operation fails, I and my men will bear the responsibility. I request approval for this operation.”
Leorn’s lips lifted at Hadel’s bold challenge.
If the commander who had ordered the operation accepted responsibility, everything changed.
Leorn nodded.
“Very well, I approve the operation. From this moment, organize the unit as quickly as possible. First Company Commander Hadel will oversee the execution of this operation.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
“All other companies will give this operation their highest priority. Report directly to me on all progress, First Company Commander Hadel.”
“Steel Heart!”
Hadel saluted Leorn and immediately left the tent.
The sky above was thick with clouds as dark as his heart.
Soon Hadel turned to Arteon and said, “Speak freely. I will provide all necessary support.”
“Are you certain? If the operation fails, there will certainly be….”
“Enough.”
Hadel cut him off.
He knew that failure would bring disaster upon himself as well, for the man who had entrusted the Major with the operation was Leorn.
Yet Hadel looked at Arteon with complete assurance.
“There is no chance of failure in this operation.”
His voice carried absolute certainty.
A unit led by a commander willing to risk his own life.
Who could possibly stop them?
Moreover, the detailed operation plan Arteon had submitted was nearly perfect.
Now…
“Focus solely on executing the operation.”
“……Understood.”
Arteon nodded.
If only such commanders existed…
‘The battle in the north would not have dragged on for so long.’
The rats hiding in every corner.
And the pigs who fattened themselves on their own bellies while occupying offices.
The moment approval was granted, everything proceeded with perfect efficiency.
Each company selected its most agile soldiers to form the new unit.
Thirty-one men including Arteon as commander completed the formation in an instant.
And…
“There is no time to listen to complaints. I know you do not trust me as you stand before me. But set those doubts aside. We must become one body now and lead this operation to victory.”
Arteon’s aura was so overwhelming that the soldiers swallowed hard without realizing it.
How could such terrifying power emanate from a boy who looked far younger than them?
Arteon looked at his men and said, “I will succeed in this operation. With every part of my being.”
At the front of the fourth defense line, after driving back the Kar tribe, they would seize Elbarphiel Lake at once.
Until then…
‘I will not stop.’
Finally Arteon addressed the soldiers.
“Then I will explain the operation.”
Every soldier stared at Arteon with serious eyes.