The Immortal Genius Spear knight (21)
A road flanked on both sides by dense trees.
Mist obscuring the view.
As they continued up the gently sloping path, they gradually started to see Erkal.
Starting with the entrance, Erkal’s garrisoned Defense Forces and obstacles became visible.
“Is this Erkal?”
Kyle, who had alighted from the carriage, looked around.
Even though they had entered the town, there were few signs of local residents other than the soldiers.
Damian also surveyed the surroundings.
“…Is it because of the monsters?”
The word ‘lifeless’ perfectly described the situation.
A few people were occasionally visible, but they all shrank back and hurriedly fled.
Most of the people in Erkal made a living by gathering herbs in the Bronzerian Forest.
It’s a dangerous job, but they have few choices.
Ironically, because it is so dangerous, the quality and quantity of herbs are quite high.
‘For Amancho, Erkal accounts for 60% of the kingdom’s total production.’
Amancho is a herb with a peculiar property of being toxic.
Consuming it directly causes high fever and diarrhea, but if processed properly, it becomes a good painkiller.
Moreover, many other things come from the Bronzerian Forest.
As a result, the kingdom cannot afford to abandon it.
“Let’s go to the base.”
“Okay.”
After briefly surveying the surroundings, Damian headed towards the Neo-Calitz base.
Unlike Erkal’s Defense Forces, the Neo-Calitz base was located inside the city.
When they arrived in front of the Neo-Calitz base,
“…Huh?”
Kyle looked at the base with a puzzled expression.
“Is this really a place where people live?”
The scale of the base was not very large.
Moreover…
“…It looks like it would fall apart with a single hit.”
Cracked walls.
There were no guards at the entrance.
Inside the base, it was eerily quiet with no one walking around, only a strange and grim atmosphere.
It was an awkward situation to enter.
But then.
“…?”
A faint scent of blood was carried by the wind.
Familiar with the smell, Damian turned his head to look back.
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re coming.”
Though obscured by the mist, they slowly began to reveal themselves.
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
Soldiers with bloodstained weapons slung over their shoulders.
Many of the injured were being supported by their comrades.
“……”
Some were being carried on stretchers, having met their end.
A bloodstained insignia was on their shoulders.
Two crossed swords, with the letters NEO engraved beneath them, and angel wings extending downwards.
It was the Neo-Calitz base.
Gulp.
Seeing the horrific scene, Kyle swallowed unconsciously.
Damian, standing beside him, merely looked at them with a subdued expression.
Everyone had a murderous glare in their eyes.
Though they walked nonchalantly, the hands gripping their weapons trembled slightly.
Their steps were heavy and sluggish.
Damian knew their situation better than anyone.
Because he had been in such a state in the past.
Soon, they entered the base.
“…Phew!”
Kyle exhaled heavily.
He had been holding his breath due to the intense tension and pressure.
“Why do they all look like that? Like… like ghosts?”
“You’ll have to get used to it. This is that kind of place.”
In a time of peace.
This was one of a few fiercely contested battlefields.
Their lives were a daily struggle for survival and resistance.
Suddenly, he remembered something he had said to his subordinates in the past.
—What do you think the most important thing for a soldier is?
—To follow orders?
—Well, isn’t it to kill the enemy well? Damn it, even if I die! Huh? Kill at least twenty people before you go!
A number of answers came from the noisy subordinates.
Damian had slapped the subordinate who gave the worst answer on the back of his head.
—Ouch! Why’d you just hit me?
—Because your answer was the worst.
People may have different thoughts.
However, Damian had one answer.
—To not die.
Don’t die.
Never take your life lightly, and do whatever it takes to survive and return.
Damian always emphasized ‘not dying’.
No matter how much credit you earn, everything ends if you die.
‘…But everyone still died.’
To not die, you must gather your strength.
To not die, you must carry out various tactics.
To not die…
‘You have to become stronger.’
Damian watched the back of the Neo-Calitz unit as they entered.
Damian said to Kyle.
“Let’s go in.”
“Now?!”
The atmosphere was too dreadful.
Seeing Damian already walking into the base, Kyle swallowed his words and hurriedly followed him.
* * *
“Damn it, those useless defense bastards!”
Bang!
He threw the helmet he was wearing into the corner.
Even after that, he continued to curse angrily.
But no one stopped him.
Not because he was a senior or because they were afraid of him.
But because they felt the same way.
There had been a mistake in this operation.
“They clearly said it was a squad of orcs.”
“Damn it, a section is bullshit!”
Orcs are monsters that are one level higher than goblins.
And a squad is roughly twenty people. But…
“There were over thirty orcs. And there was even an orc wizard!”
If a magician is included, it effectively adds another section of orcs to their total power.
Essentially, a force equivalent to two and a half orc squads.
Since reconnaissance was entirely the responsibility of Erkal’s Defense Forces, it was even more infuriating.
“They’re always slacking off, even when they go out. It’s not something that can be overlooked.”
“I’ll take the heads of those scouts today!”
His anger didn’t subside.
“That toad bastard’s arm is about to fall off. If not treated in time, he will be discharged right away.”
Discharge.
Damn, that’s good.
But for the Neo-Calitz soldiers, it’s not an option.
Most of them are in the Neo-Calitz unit due to severe disciplinary actions.
Voluntary discharge was impossible.
They could only either rot in prison for life or roll around in this hellish place.
The only small hope was that the Neo-Calitz unit offered a tremendous salary.
It’s several times more than what regular soldiers make.
There were many people here with responsibilities, so they chose this hell over prison.
However, if someone like the one called ‘Toad’ ends up with a messed-up arm and gets forcibly discharged…
“There’s nothing to do after discharge.”
“Damn, you just get abandoned.”
That’s why they must save him at all costs.
The reason is simple.
Because next, it could be me.
“…First, call a physician and send someone to the temple in Adellant. Ask them to send a priest urgently.”
“Captain, do you know how much it costs to call those religious fanatics?”
If a priest comes, they can certainly treat Toad’s arm.
However, because it is a severe injury, a mid-level priest or higher is required.
One treatment could cost dozens of gold.
Especially for an urgent request, it would require paying a year’s salary.
At that, the person called the Captain took a pouch from the cabinet.
Clink.
“Here is 20 gold, add this to it.”
“Isn’t this money you were saving for your mother’s surgery?”
“They said her condition has improved a bit and surgery isn’t necessary right now.”
Though he spoke calmly, everyone knew it was a lie.
They were close enough to know even the number of forks in the household.
Other soldiers bit their lips.
“Damn it, I’ll contribute too.”
“Me too. It’s not much, but…”
2 gold, 3 gold.
In this hellish place, it was surprising to see that they had saved such money, as they usually spent everything on entertainment.
At that moment, the youngest soldier, who had been in the corner, timidly approached and handed over a few silver coins.
“I, I also…”
“The youngest should use that money to replace your boots. I saw that the soles were worn out.”
“Yes, get something better than the junk provided by supplies. That’s your lifeline.”
Despite the other soldiers’ objections, the youngest placed his money among the collected funds.
“It was because of me that Sergeant Charles got hurt. Please let me contribute.”
It seems the Toad’s name was Sergeant Charles.
Hearing that, another senior soldier nearby grabbed the youngest by the neck.
“Brave kid.”
“By the way, how old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“You’ve already been here for over a year.”
Just enduring in this hell is commendable.
The senior soldier who collected the money smiled.
“Alright, I’ll permit it. I’ll immediately send someone to Adellant.”
“I’ll check if the necessary herbs are available.”
Everyone moved to help their comrade.
But then.
“New recruits have arrived!”
A strange noise came from outside.
* * *
“I had forgotten.”
Taron, the captain of the Neo-Calitz unit, found a document amid the messy pile of paperwork.
It was the recruitment notice for new members.
He had completely forgotten due to the battle.
Swish.
Taron looked at Damian and Kyle.
The tall one seemed quite strong and useful.
The one beside him…
“Thirteen years old?”
The age listed on the document.
Taron’s forehead creased deeply.
The youngest soldier was eighteen years old.
But now a kid five years younger had arrived?
“Volunteers… volunteers.”
A new method of suicide, perhaps?
He couldn’t understand the minds of today’s young people.
At that moment…
“This guy graduated as the top student from the training camp.”
Just by looking at the expression of the officer sitting in front of him, Taron could tell what he was thinking.
Realizing his intention, Kyle spoke up.
Taron looked back at Damian.
“This place is different from the training camp.”
“I understand. That’s why I came.”
“You understand and still came? Huh… well, there’s no way to stop someone who wants to die.”
Taron shouted towards the door.
“Dianal!”
“Yes!”
At the shout, a man ran in as if waiting outside.
Grayish hair.
Shortly cut hair and sharp eyes complemented his appearance.
A somewhat friendly and likable demeanor.
Muscles that looked solid showed through his thin undergarments.
“Take those two and assign them to their places. Make them clean up.”
“Understood.”
Dianal, who replied, looked at Damian and Kyle.
“Follow me.”
Dianal led them outside and into the barracks.
Entering the barracks, Dianal said.
“Here, rank and other such things from the training camp don’t matter. Seniority is strictly decided by order of arrival. The person you saw earlier is our Captain. Forget about titles like squad leader or company commander. There’s just the Captain and Vice-captain.”
His tone was not very friendly.
Dianal pointed to several lockers in a corner of the barracks.
“Pick whichever one of those you want to use. you won’t be using them for long anyways.”
“What do you mean?”
Kyle, unable to contain his curiosity, asked Dianal.
He knew the atmosphere was serious, but he thought it was a bit too harsh for the first day.
At Kyle’s question, Dianal looked at him with a sharp gaze.
“Do you remember when I said that seniority is decided based on arrival order?”
“You just said that.”
“I’ve been here for over a year. And I’m still the youngest. Do you know what that means?”
“How would I…”
Before Kyle could finish his sentence.
Thud!
“Ouch!”
Dianal kicked Kyle’s shin with his military boots.
Despite being caught off guard, Kyle’s reflexes were not enough to resist.
Kyle glared at Dianal.
He tried to shout something, but…
“This mean everyone who came after me is dead.”
Dianal’s gaze turned chillingly cold.
Flinch.
Though he was the youngest, he had survived in this hell for over a year.
He couldn’t be the same as regular soldiers.
Overwhelmed by Dianal’s intimidating presence, Kyle forgot the pain in his shin and stared at him.
The strange pressure emanating from him seemed to engulf him.
“Unpack and clean the barracks. I’ll explain more afterward.”
Dianal turned and walked out of the barracks.
Kyle, stunned, muttered.
“What kind of bastard is that?”
“Hahaha.”
But once Dianal left, Damian began to chuckle with his shoulders shaking.
Seeing this, Kyle asked.
“What’s so funny?”
“No, it’s just that it seems things haven’t changed.”
Damian, looking at the place Dianal had left, recalled memories from the past.
