The Immortal Genius Spearman

Everyone was running frantically towards the designated rendezvous point.

“Hey, are they following us?”

“There’s no one.”

Jerka slowed his pace and looked back at Kyle’s words.

Just as Kyle said, there were no pursuers.

“Phew… I’m going to die from exhaustion.”

Catching his breath, Jerka recalled the sight of Damian fighting the Rose Knight earlier.

‘What kind of movements were those…?’

He had thought it many times before when watching Damian fight, but there were so many things that seemed almost miraculous.

“You saw the captain fighting earlier, right?”

“Of course.”

“How can anyone fight like that? It’s hard to even try to move like that on purpose.”

The movements that narrowly dodged the enemy’s attacks, flowing through them with the least effort possible, and then the sharp, precise counterattacks that struck the openings.

But Kyle shook his head at Jerka’s words.

“He’s doing it on purpose.”

“…What?”

“Damian, that guy… no, the captain always fights like that.”

It had been the same for Kyle at first.

It felt like fighting a ghost.

It seemed like he could almost touch him, but he never did—it was an absurd feeling that could only be understood by those who had experienced it.

“Watch carefully next time. The captain watches the enemy’s attacks until the very last moment.”

Even when the sword is right in front of him, he keeps his eyes on it and dodges it precisely.

Then the enemy, thinking they only need to reach just a bit further, begins to get impatient, thinking it’s just bad luck.

That impatience breaks their composure and destroys their balance.

“Like that knight earlier.”

It was probably just a slight lapse in focus for that knight.

But that slight lapse snowballed into something uncontrollable, leading to the disaster at the end.

“That’s our captain.”

“Then… Do you think he could fight and win against an Aura Master?”

Jerka asked Kyle.

Kyle looked at him with an incredulous expression.

“Do you think we would have run if he could?”

“Well, yeah, that makes sense.”

Jerka nodded, then suddenly said,

“But damn it, why am I stuck with you anyway?”

“I’m not too thrilled about it either, you know?”

“Damn it, I’m going ahead, so don’t follow me.”

“We’re going to the same place, you idiot.”

“What did you say?!”

The fact that Kyle had called him an idiot made Jerka flare up, but Kyle just snorted and started running toward the rendezvous point.

* * *

A hundred men.

Every single one of them reached the designated location without losing a single soldier.

“Is the captain not here yet?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

Damian had stayed behind until the last moment to draw the enemy knights’ attention and divert them.

So there was a bit of worry, but Dianal remained calm, waiting for Damian.

Rustle.

Eventually, Damian emerged from the bushes to the left, and the expressions of the soldiers brightened.

Dianal approached Damian and spoke.

“You did well, sir.”

“Everyone’s safe?”

“All accounted for.”

Damian nodded.

Then he looked at the soldiers and spoke.

“It seems we managed to get their attention. They’re determined to chase us down.”

Which meant that this side was now in danger.

If Piaren, angered, decided to pursue them alone, it would put them in a very precarious situation.

Damian addressed the soldiers.

“We’re moving immediately. Our mission is to keep them from reaching the main force by any means necessary, striking and withdrawing repeatedly.”

Even just keeping Piaren occupied would be a significant gain.

The soldiers all nodded and started moving as Damian led the way.

At the same time.

“Did you lose them?”

“Yes… my apologies.”

The deputy commander of the Rose Knights, Milo, could not hide his look of frustration.

However, Piaren only sighed quietly as he looked in the direction the enemies had fled.

Each knight in the Rose Knight Order was highly skilled.

They were among the best in the Empire.

‘That one earlier…’

The one who had killed one of his knights and escaped in an instant.

It was hard to even identify which kingdom he belonged to, but he was no ordinary foe.

“Milo.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“I’ll give you half of the knights. Can you capture them?”

“Of course.”

The enemy numbered only a hundred.

Half of the knight order meant fifty knights.

Fifty knights of the Rose Knight Order could easily fight against a thousand soldiers.

The leader of that unit seemed quite strong, but there was no way they could overcome the Rose Knights.

Milo nodded confidently, and Piaren turned around.

“Units 1 through 5 will follow Milo and annihilate the enemy. Units 6 through 10 will follow me to rejoin the main force.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights responded and began moving swiftly.

Piaren then looked at Milo and spoke.

“Milo.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Be cautious of the one who killed Aadin. His spear skills were exceptional.”

“Don’t worry, sir. He was strong, but he’s not my match.”

“True.”

Piaren muttered quietly as he mounted his horse.

Milo was one of the most skilled knights in the Empire.

Although his growth had stalled because he had not yet mastered Aura, if he were to become an Aura Master, it could change the Empire’s master rankings overnight.

Leaving the pursuit to Milo, Piaren headed towards the main force.

If they delayed any longer, Roberta’s army could be in danger.

“Hyah!”

With Piaren at the front, about fifty Rose Knights began galloping across the plain.

* * *

The number of knights moving toward the main force had decreased.

Damian’s eyes turned cold.

‘Did they split their forces?’

In that case, there was some gain in this development. However—

‘Still, with Piaren joining the main force, it’s a huge disadvantage for us.’

Damian immediately launched the red flare he had been holding into the sky.

Whoooosh!

The red flare soared high into the sky.

Without hesitation, Damian fired another flare.

It was a warning that Piaren was joining the main force and to be on guard.

‘I’ve done everything I can…’

From the moment Piaren split his forces, the Caion unit had entered a new phase.

Now they would have to face the Rose Knight Order chasing them.

Swoosh.

Damian turned his gaze to the soldiers. They had grown considerably stronger through rigorous training, but—

‘Can we really beat them?’

However, one thing was certain: if they could overcome half of the Rose Knight Order…

‘The reputation of the Caion unit would spread across the entire continent.’

Damian thought.

Perhaps this situation was a test for the Caion unit.

Sometimes such opportunities arose.

Avoiding strong opponents and seeking safety was certainly one way to approach it, but—

Damian saw this as a chance.

“Dianal.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“It seems the Rose Knight Order has split and is chasing us.”

“I thought so too. The number of knights riding to the main force seemed much smaller.”

“They’re definitely after us.”

At those words, Dianal’s expression stiffened.

Although he had the same thoughts as Damian, he wasn’t confident in fighting the Rose Knights.

“What do you think? Shouldn’t we give it a try?”

“Isn’t it too dangerous?”

Dianal asked with a tense expression.

Their opponents were the famous Rose Knight Order of the Empire.

They themselves had been formed less than a year ago…

But Damian turned his gaze to the soldiers and asked.

“Think about all the training we’ve done. Could you train harder than you already have?”

“That, well…”

“Ugh… Just thinking about the instructor’s face makes me shudder.”

“Argh, no way!”

The soldiers reacted as if they were having a seizure.

Damian spoke.

“There are no easy battles. And it’s rare for any of us to always be safe.”

Because that’s what the battlefield is like.

However—

“If we win this fight, all of you can rise to much higher positions. And…”

Damian’s eyes glinted sharply.

“I will rise even higher and destroy every single one of those Empire bastards.”

The Empire, baring its fangs at the continent.

Instead, his goal was to devour them and take control of the entire continent.

The soldiers gulped as they felt a surge of pressure from Damian’s sharp gaze.

One of the soldiers spoke.

“Well… When I joined this unit, I already gave up on thinking we’d have it easy. But I’d like to at least get a good share of wealth and honor.”

“Heh, me too. My goal right now is to make a name for myself and live like a king.”

“You too? Same here!”

The atmosphere in the Caion unit began to heat up.

Before the Empire started this war, being a soldier in the Baroque Kingdom was considered a comfortable job.

In reality, only a small number of soldiers were sent to dangerous areas for actual combat.

But many of those who became soldiers had their own dreams.

Dreams of going to the battlefield, defeating the enemy, rising through the ranks, becoming a noble, and getting rich.

The Caion unit had many members with such aspirations.

Some were itching to use their skills, having had no chance to show their full potential.

Others were coiled springs, having been unable to utilize their outstanding abilities.

Damian looked at Dianal.

“…I never said I was against it, did I?”

Dianal’s attitude was now completely different from before, as if wondering why Damian was looking at him that way.

Damian let out a chuckle at the quick change in stance.

“These guys… I don’t think they’ll live long.”

“Heh, coming from the captain who just went toe-to-toe with a knight, you’re one to talk.”

“There you go again, talking back to the captain. You looking for a beating?”

At Jerka’s words, Terka, standing beside him, scolded.

Seeing this, Damian grinned broadly and spoke.

“Alright, even if we die, let’s do it with a bang. I promise, if we take them all down…”

Damian’s eyes flashed.

“I’ll make sure everyone gets promoted and receives at least 50 gold each as a reward. If the kingdom doesn’t give it, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket.”

“W-Wha?!”

“Are you serious?”

“50 gold?”

Fifty gold was equivalent to two years’ living expenses for a commoner.

Hearing this, the soldiers’ eyes widened in astonishment.

“You have to keep your promise.”

Dianal, standing beside him, muttered quietly.

To this, Damian burst into laughter.

“You little bastards, heh. Fine, I promise. But I can’t guarantee the promotions, so don’t push me on that!”

Damian shouted.

Kyle grinned and said.

“Captain, just worry about the money, hehehe.”

The other soldiers, with mischievous grins, seemed to agree as they looked at Damian.

Damian turned around and began moving.

“Then let’s go, you bastards.”

Today would be…

“The day Caion unit writes its first legend.”