Chapter 121
Hainel Fremunt
Hainel Fremunt is the first Aura Master of the Baroque Kingdom and is revered as the guardian deity of the kingdom.
Despite being an Aura Master, he has never neglected his swordsmanship training.
Even at over fifty years old, he was still active, demonstrating his immense and formidable strength.
Leonhark couldn’t hide his surprise at Damian’s sudden request to meet Hainel.
“What is your reason for wanting to meet him?”
“I want to learn—how to properly handle magic and aura.”
In fact, if Damian considered his options, he could have learned from someone else.
But the reason Damian wanted to meet Hainel was that Hainel, too, had climbed up from the very bottom, overcoming each challenge with hard work.
‘Effort over talent. He’s someone in a similar position to me.’
That’s why Damian thought Hainel might be able to help him with the struggles he was facing now.
“Hmm... It’s not difficult to make the request, but...”
“...Is there a problem?”
“Hainel only meets those he deems worthy. I can ask him, but whether he agrees is another matter.”
“I see...”
Damian replied with a slightly troubled expression.
In a way, Hainel was the person Damian needed most right now.
But if he refused to meet...
‘Then I’ll just have to find another way.’
There were certainly others proficient in handling magic.
Damian concealed his disappointment and said to Leonhark, “That’s alright. I’d be grateful if you could just ask.”
“I’ll send the letter right away. Do you have any other requests?”
“No, none.”
“Alright. Then, since you’re here, how about we chat for a moment?”
“Go ahead.”
As Damian sat down, Leonhark asked with a slightly serious expression, “Are you aware of the strange atmosphere in the kingdom recently?”
“Yes, the Empire, which had been quiet for a while, is moving aggressively again.”
In fact, it looked as if a storm of bloodshed would sweep across the entire continent soon, especially with the Empire’s navy mobilizing so decisively.
Leonhark continued, “The higher-ups are particularly watching the Caion unit closely. It seems they’ll be deployed again soon.”
“Yes, I expected that.”
Before that happened, though, it was crucial to get in sync with the newly selected members as much as possible.
Even the slightest mistake on the battlefield could lead to the death of comrades.
Leonhark nodded and said, “So, here’s the thing. We recently formed a special archer unit.”
“Yes.”
“I want to create another special unit, with Kyle at the forefront. What do you think?”
“Another special unit?”
Damian’s expression turned serious.
When Leonhark brought up such ideas, there was always a good reason behind them.
To Damian’s question, Leonhark explained, “Kyle, and that guy you brought with you—Creon—both of them are quite strong.
In fact, there are quite a few who are just as capable. I want to form an assault unit of about fifty men, centered around them, and have them undergo special training.”
“An assault unit...”
Damian’s eyes gleamed.
He knew very well what an assault unit created by Leonhark entailed.
He had been hesitating, wondering if there were any in the Caion unit who met the requirements, but...
‘The instructor has already noticed.’
Indeed, there was a stark difference between what Damian excelled at and what Leonhark excelled at.
Damian readily agreed. “If you’re the one leading it, I’d be more than happy. But will it be possible? You’re already dedicating a lot of time to the existing training.”
“Haha, isn’t teaching my job?”
Leonhark displayed a motivated look.
And this side of Leonhark...
‘...It’s been a while.’
It was rare to see him this enthusiastic, even in his past life. But Damian knew all too well.
When Leonhark had this gleam in his eye, it meant danger.
Thinking of the soldiers who would form the new assault unit, Damian quietly prayed for them.
“Then we keep advancing.”
Until they completely seized the enemy by the throat.
With Galveron’s command, his army surged forward once again, heading straight for the Tirkan Kingdom’s capital.
—
“This is a disaster!”
Mateurus frowned as he looked at the secretary entering his office.
‘So they moved this quickly...?’
It had already been confirmed that the Empire’s army was stationed in the northern part of the Spanian Kingdom.
But with no immediate action, Mateurus had thought there would be a little more time to prepare...
“I can’t believe they broke through so fast.”
Reports continued to come in that the border had already fallen, and the enemy was advancing toward the capital of the Tirkan Kingdom.
However...
“Still, we’ve made preparations, so they won’t crumble so easily.”
Though Aura Masters possessed overwhelming power on the battlefield, there were ways to counter them.
‘As long as we can hold the capital and buy time, we can find a way.’
But how much preparation had the Empire done to be able to move their army so swiftly and simultaneously?
The sheer amount of supplies, food, and resources being used by the Empire’s forces was astronomical.
This wasn’t something that could be achieved by merely preparing for 12 years.
‘The preparations we’ve made so far are nothing compared to what still needs to be done.’
Mateurus let out a small sigh.
“What’s the current situation with weapon and food prices?”
“They’re already starting to fluctuate slightly. The general public hasn’t felt it yet, but within three or four months—at the most, by the end of the year—there will be significant changes.”
Though this wasn’t necessarily a matter for the Chancellor’s office, Mateurus, being responsible for overseeing everything, couldn’t afford to ignore it.
Hearing the secretary’s report, Mateurus furrowed his brow.
The common citizens hadn’t yet felt the effects of the war, but...
‘That, too, won’t last much longer.’
Soon, they might even have to enforce a military draft to sustain the war effort.
‘Is this the end of the era of peace...?’
Mateurus sighed deeply.
How could the Empire be so ambitious?
Despite already holding nearly half of the continent’s territory, they were intent on...
“Do they plan to take everything?”
The situation seemed to offer no clear solutions.
Mateurus rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. But just then, the secretary spoke again.
“By the way, Lord Mateurus, there is something odd happening with one of the merchant guilds.”
“...A guild?”
“Yes.”
Mateurus asked the secretary, who nodded and explained.
“It’s the guild supplying the 6th Legion. They’ve grown enormously in just the past year.”
“The one providing supplies exclusively to the 6th Legion?”
Mateurus had heard of them.
The guild had appeared suddenly and revolutionized the military’s supply chain by taking over all of the 6th Legion’s provisions.
Because of them, some of the long-standing issues within the army had finally seen improvement.
Mateurus nodded and asked, “And what unusual behavior is this guild showing?”
“They’ve begun buying up plains in the southern outskirts.”
“...They’re buying land?”
“Yes.”
The southern region was known for its fertile land.
But why would the guild be purchasing such land?
And then it hit him.
“...Could it be?”
Mateurus’ eyes widened slightly.
The secretary nodded.
“Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
“Haha...”
At that, Mateurus let out a startled laugh, almost in disbelief.