Whispers from the Shadows
Jaekle frowned at his subordinate’s report.
The past few days had been a headache ever since major problems erupted on the Northeast Front’s fourth battlefield line.
Now he had to deal with this trivial piece of news as well.
Jaekle spoke in a voice laced with irritation.
“Have you identified their true identity?”
“They seem to be a merchant guild that established its headquarters in the northern cities… After a little digging, I discovered they were once the same kind of thieves who survived on pickpocketing and thievery.”
“…Those wretched scum are running a merchant guild?”
It was hard for Jaekle, who ran one of the Empire’s most prestigious merchant houses, to feel anything but sour.
The thought of garbage like that stepping into the business he had built made his stomach churn.
Having to take their report on top of everything else was even more intolerable.
“Can’t you handle a few lowlifes on your own? You’re too incompetent to be reporting this. Wipe them out so they can never pull such a stunt again.”
“Understood.”
Soon the man left the room.
Jaekle remained at the window, brows still furrowed, staring out at the city.
The recapture of Elbarphiel Lake on the Northeast Front had changed the northern situation dramatically in a short time.
Jaekle’s position, centered in the capital around the throne, made the current battlefield feel like a very distant affair.
The best course would have been to secure a foothold in the northern cities and handle logistics from there…
“Damn you, kids.”
Recently the conflict between the First Prince and the Second Prince had grown even fiercer, tightening the noose around the First Prince’s faction.
Thanks to that, building a base in the North had become almost impossible.
If the Northern Front now pushed farther north, he would be completely cut off from any involvement.
Are you really going to throw away such golden land?
To Jaekle, the North was nothing less than a land of opportunity and endless gold.
The endless war required enormous quantities of supplies, and he had monopolized a huge portion of it until now.
But recently, one irritation after another had piled up.
“…Stupid Leon, you brat.”
That was why he had installed Leon as the field commander of the critical battlefield.
Leon’s incompetence was the only reason he could still hold the Elbarphiel Lake front for a few more years.
Yet…
Everything changed the moment Velkain became legion commander.
Appointing Velkain as legion commander had been a direct result of the forces loyal to the current First Prince submitting a petition to the Emperor.
The stunning victory at Helikel Canyon had left them with no choice but to accept it.
But then…
“…The recapture of Elbarphiel Lake was also… that brat involved, wasn’t he?”
Jaekle had no exact details of the post-battle shareout, but the name that had jumped out at him from the report was unmistakable.
—Arteon.
He had clearly earned a great name at Helikel Canyon…
“So that brat went to the Elbarphiel Lake battlefield…?”
After Nocturne’s failed attempt, Count Basilio had ordered him watched.
His teeth clenched.
What the hell was this brat doing to spit out such absurd news one after another?
Rage boiled up until it felt as if his blood were turning to steam, yet the only thing he could do was clench his fists tightly.
Absolute Defense
Three weeks had passed since Arteon arrived in Almers.
After Lisiven took care of the first day’s report, Milo had become his attendant.
Milo had been the first Shadow Fang member to meet Arteon, and his sharp instincts and quick movements made him ideal for errands—exactly why Lisiven had chosen him.
Milo had no complaints.
The Shadow Fang, now rebranded the Shadowteron Merchant Guild, had been extremely busy with its new expansion.
Carrying heavy loads every day was already exhausting, but he had no reason to refuse such a sweet assignment.
But…
“Truly… what a remarkable man.”
Milo, who had been shadowing Arteon, muttered to himself without realizing it.
From the moment Arteon’s eyes opened until he finally slept, Milo had followed him like a shadow.
One word from Milo and he would sprint forward to answer.
That was why he had witnessed Arteon’s entire daily schedule.
Is this… a schedule a human can actually endure…?
From the moment the sun rose until the moment he finally fell asleep, the schedule was nothing but training.
Mid-meal breaks were the only exceptions.
The moment dawn broke, he trained on a hill slightly outside Almers where the north wind whipped fiercely.
He practiced the Vargas Mana Cultivation Method there, then continued with sword arts he had never even seen before.
Every single day without fail.
Thanks to that, he had to endure the biting cold on the windy hill from sunrise onward.
…Why do I feel colder than everyone else?
He should have been feeling the same cold, yet the difference was glaring.
Milo simply watched Arteon with puzzled eyes as the man drilled the cultivation method.
WHOOSH!
A monstrous gust of wind slammed into them, carrying arctic gales that made Milo’s body tremble violently.
Low-temperature issues might have arisen, but Arteon could walk around lightly dressed here for one reason: the bracelet he had obtained from the Imperial Treasury’s vault.
The artifact increased resistance to cold, allowing him to ignore the northern blizzards.
Thanks to it, he could push the Vargas Mana Cultivation Method to its absolute limit in these freezing conditions.
“Huuu…”
Arteon exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes.
Since he had reached the fourth star realm so abruptly, his overall balance had become wildly unstable.
Thankfully, Leon’s final gift had filled the gaps in his body, but…
Yet…
Refining the tangled mana into something solid still required time.
Luckily, after three weeks of relentless effort, the fruits had finally appeared.
Now he could use his aura with a degree of stability.
Arteon recalled the battles on the fourth battlefield line.
He had become a fourth-star overnight, yet he had fought with aura and mana in complete chaos.
Thanks to past experience, he had barely controlled the aura.
Honestly, it was an impossible level.
The brutal strain had made him lose consciousness in the middle of the fight.
If he had pushed even a little more, death would have been a real possibility.
But everything had changed now.
In these three weeks here, he had poured his efforts into amplifying mana beyond fourth-star limits and drilled his sword arts relentlessly.
Perhaps this was why he now felt he had finally reached the level befitting the name “fourth star.”
“Milo.”
“Yes, Arteon-nim.”
At Arteon’s words, the nearby Milo dashed over with astonishing speed.
His lips were faintly blue from the fierce wind.
Arteon smiled faintly.
“You’ve suffered every dawn. From tomorrow onward, you won’t have to come out here anymore. Don’t worry.”
“R-really?!”
The dawn hill was far too cold to be endured.
That was why the news that he would no longer have to come was worth a fortune to Milo.
“Go eat some warm stew and warm your body. Shall we go to that restaurant you like?”
“I-I don’t mind anything.”
He had nearly blurted out “whatever” without thinking.
Arteon lightly patted Milo’s shoulder.
“Good. Today I want that meat stew. Lead the way.”
“Yes, Arteon-nim!”
Milo’s face lit up with a bright smile.
…Already?
Lisiven’s expression hardened.
The Nocturne assassin who had been chasing Arteon had finally discovered their true identity.
Keiton, her right-hand man, nodded.
“One of the men chasing them was badly injured. Luckily he’ll live, but… even with proper treatment for his leg wound, continuing the mission will be difficult.”
Keiton’s face darkened.
After renaming themselves the Shadowteron Merchant Guild and launching a massive expansion, they had added many new personnel.
Yet the people from the old Shadow Fang days still felt the closest.
And now one of them had suffered a major injury.
Lisiven let out a small sigh.
“Focus all your efforts on his recovery. I’ll handle the rest myself. Tell him not to worry about being left behind.”
“Understood.”
“More importantly… are they chasing us?”
“They haven’t fully identified us yet… but…”
“Time is the only issue.”
Just as they had found the Shadow Fang, so too would the Shadow Fang find them soon.
Because they operated in the shadows and knew the local ecosystem better than anyone.
…I suppose that means the plan is still on track.
But one thing still worried her.
No matter how strong Arteon-nim is… fighting all of them alone will be tough…
And they were assassins.
Professionals who killed for a living.
Shadow attackers who excelled at striking stronger foes.
So how were they supposed to catch those bastards?
“You look worried.”
“It’s because it’s Arteon-nim’s matter.”
Lisiven answered briefly.
She had no choice but to carry out the orders given to her.
Yet seeing her troubled face, Keiton spoke.
“Have faith. The man who does things that defy all reason without hesitation is still the same Arteon-nim.”
“I know, but…”
“And I received a new report from Milo… It seems Arteon-nim… can use aura now.”
“Aura? That brat doesn’t even know what aura is.”
Lisiven stated the fact coldly.
Keiton nodded in agreement.
“But he’s the kind of kid who followed us since childhood and saw a lot. He’s got instincts, doesn’t he?”
“…Aura?”
Surprise flashed across Lisiven’s face.
She had only met Arteon eight or nine months ago.
Back then, he hadn’t even reached the level of using similar energy…
Is it possible he grew this explosively in such a short time…?
If that were true, she would finally understand why Arteon had such confidence in driving this matter forward.
But…
“…I think it’s time we meet Arteon-nim first. Keiton, make sure no one is left behind and hide as much as possible. When our preparations here are complete… it will be too late even if we act then.”
“I will prepare accordingly.”
Keiton turned to leave.
Lisiven stared out the window with an uneasy expression.
If Arteon really was going to fight the Nocturne…
I have to confirm it first…
Even if it was rude, she believed this was the only path for Arteon.
Soon after returning to her room, Lisiven changed into her assassin’s outfit again.
Her sharp eyes gleamed like blades.