No Longer Hiding My Power (1)
“Brother? I never had a little shit like you for a brother.”
Pike spat out the exact line that his second brother, Bran, might have said. He didn’t even acknowledge Wayne’s greeting.
Wayne had half-expected this reaction, but being outright ignored still soured his mood.
“Haha! But we can’t abandon heavenly fate, can we?”
Wayne smoothly deflected.
“Hmph! Screw that heavenly fate crap. Go lick Adam or Bran’s asses if you want it!”
“Hey now!”
Count Shuen’s eyes widened slightly at Pike’s words, and he tried to rein him in. But Pike barreled on.
“Wayne! I’ve already heard the rumors about you kissing those bastards’ asses. What the hell are you crawling here for?”
“Come on, former Captain Pike, that’s too harsh.”
Count Shuen interjected.
“What’s it matter? Even the emperor gets cursed when he’s not around.”
“Still, Enok Fortress might as well be Dresden territory. You can’t insult the lord’s sons here.”
“I’m his son too, so I can trash my brothers if I want.”
Wayne was a bit surprised by the third son Pike’s unexpected attitude.
‘At least he’s no coward.’
He didn’t seem like the type to flee into the Great Forest out of fear of Adam. If anything, Wayne was relieved by this side of him.
Finally fed up, Count Shuen raised his voice.
“There are eyes and ears everywhere! If you’re gonna keep yapping, take it outside.”
“No, sir. I’ll shut up. Carry on.”
He at least respected the chain of command with Count Shuen.
Age: 32
Gigant Piloting:2nd Class Gigant Pilot — Advanced pilot capable of up to 8 hours of combat in a single sortie.
Thanatos (2nd Class Gigant) — Pike's dedicated machine. 8.5 meters tall, pitch-black, nicknamed the Black Reaper for its massive scythe weapon.
His armored battalion ditched the Blue Knights' blue colors upon arriving in the Great Forest, repainting all Gigants black—earning them the moniker Dark Battalion.
Personality/Traits: Burly, strong, exceptional martial artist. Golden Rider graduate from Gigant Officer Academy—not elite track, but steadily promoted. Fell into a slump after Curtis and squad injuries five years ago during Sailon battles, but bounced back to claim a 2nd Class Gigant and battalion command two years ago. Hot-tempered, quick to rage, hates Adam, dotes on his men. When Adam subtly tormented his battalion, he got Marquis Frank's permission to relocate the entire unit to 3rd Armored Division at Enok Fortress in the Great Forest.
Judging by Pike’s behavior and speech, Cassnet’s intel was still spot-on. And accurate.
With Pike quiet now, Count Shuen turned to Wayne with a calm expression.
“You came on Sir Boltain’s Predator. What happened?”
“About two months ago, on the Estel battlefield. Count, you gifted it to me.”
“Ah! My apologies! Riding a 2nd Class Gigant at your age... the territory’s future is bright.”
“You flatter me.”
Pike’s face soured as Count Shuen praised Wayne.
“So what brings you all the way to Enok Fortress? Not just to show off your Gigant, I assume.”
“I’m here to warn you.”
“Warn us?”
“A monster wave is coming soon. And...”
Wayne repeated verbatim what he’d told them at Westline Fortress.
Count Shuen looked just as skeptical.
“I told Commander Rob Standem the exact same thing. But he didn’t buy it—asked how I dodged a hundred thousand ant legion.”
“Honestly, I’m struggling to believe it myself.”
“Fair enough. But see my abilities, and you’ll change your mind. Couldn’t show Rob Standem, but for our territory’s forces? Easy.”
Count Shuen tilted his head.
“What abilities?”
“I can sense the size of distant monsters or enemy numbers. Like, right now, I know there are exactly 627 musketeers training on the parade ground.”
“...?”
“Ah! Including the training officers and sergeants. Go check.”
Wayne’s confidence prompted Count Shuen to politely send an adjutant to verify.
“Back, sir.”
“How many?”
“Including officers, 627.”
Wayne smirked at Count Shuen’s stunned face.
He went on to nail the exact number of soldiers in the barracks and those building palisades outside the fortress.
Child’s play with his red Odd.
The adjutant just got a workout.
“As you see, I can gauge enemy numbers and positions from afar. That’s how I spotted the ant legion early. And why I traversed the Great Forest without encountering monsters.”
“Incredible. Such a gift is the lord’s—no, our territory’s—blessing.”
“Believe me now?”
Count Shuen nodded, pondered, then spoke.
“If it’s hundreds of thousands of ants as you say, it’s a real threat. But abandoning the fortress for monsters that haven’t arrived yet...”
“Not abandoning. Retreat, then reclaim it. If the wave hits in four months like I said, ants will flood in right after. Too late by then. So after blocking the wave, pull back to my barren territory and regroup.”
“Your territory?”
Wayne explained his territory.
Left as-is, Enok’s soldiers would all die to the ant legion. Saving as many as possible to bolster his own defenses would save lives and strengthen Karian.
“So you’re asking us to help defend your territory?”
“No beating around the bush. If I save your lives, come to my territory and help defend it. I’ll assist when you reclaim Enok.”
Enok Fortress was just ten days from Karian. A forced march? One week.
Rescuing them now, building goodwill—it’d pay off for Great Forest hunts and future outposts.
“If the ants are that numerous, won’t your territory be in danger too?”
“Of course. But we’ve got time to prepare thoroughly. The ants have to breach other grand territories’ fortresses and Westline first. Harsh on the victims, but they’ll be weakened. Barren land’s vast—plenty of paths for the ants, so fewer hit us. By the time we hold, word of Westline’s fall spreads, and imperial relief arrives...”
“We just hold till then.”
Count Shuen mulled it over. Too much info at once. If true, no more hunts short-term, chaos around Westline’s fall. But a chance to expand Dresden influence in the Great Forest.
Unless the ants never came.
Wayne spoke up.
“If you retreat and no ants show, you lose hunt time and take a hit. I’ll cover the losses.”
“Pardon?”
“One million gold here.”
Wayne pulled out bills totaling millions in gold.
“Proof I can pay. Covers a couple months empty, plus repairs.”
“Heavens! Such a sum?”
“So think of it as a quick march with your men. Follow me.”
“With such sincerity...”
Bang!
“You little shit, spinning fairy tales!”
Pike, who’d been silently listening, finally spoke.
“I don’t buy your tricks. And no way a punk like you survived the Great Forest!”
He shook his head.
The Great Forest wasn’t a playground. Bad luck meant dozens of monsters daily. A snot-nosed 16-year-old treating it like home? Bullshit.
Wayne chuckled.
“Brother, how about this?”
“What?”
“Gigant duel. You and me.”
“What?”
Pike gaped.
“Riding a 2nd Class for two months and you think you’re hot shit? I’ve been battalion commander two years. A newbie dares me?!”
“If I lose, I shut up and leave. You’ve heard it all—your call. If I win?”
Pike scoffed.
“You win? My battalion heads to your ‘territory’ after the next hunt. If it even exists.”
Pike bought none of it. Frank’s youngest revealed less than a year ago. Great Forest jaunts? Estel gift from Boltain? Million gold? Barren territory? Yeah right.
He’d barely maintained one battalion for over a decade.
“Let’s go then.”
“Fine! I’ll beat the arrogance out of you today.”
“Hold on!”
Count Shuen intervened.
“Brothers dueling in Gigants? I can’t allow that. Instead...”
“...?”
“How about the old contest?”
He wouldn’t stop them but proposed a tamer duel.
Wayne’s bravado suggested backing. Pike win? More credibility. Pike lose? Excuse to retreat to Dresden.
“I’m game.”
“Me too! I’ll show the skill gap.”
The old contest. Real Gigant training risked damage or injury despite care. Men fought for pecking order. Ancient culture: mobility race, power test, full combat sense showdown.
A starting line marked outside the fortress.
“Our captain versus the young lord in the old contest? Poor Wayne!”
“He’s out in round one!”
“Yeah! Captain’s the dirtiest fighter in the territory.”
Enok’s pilots naturally bet on Pike.
But Wayne paused in nostalgia.
‘Still doing the old contest King Karian invented...’