The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 156

“It’s been a while.”

“To the glory of the kingdom!”

Upon arriving at the Spanian Kingdom’s assembly point, Damian saluted Kiaran, his voice steady and resolute.

Kiaran studied him for a moment before speaking.

“It’s been a long time, Damian. You’ve changed… both you and your unit.”

The difference was unmistakable. In the short time since their last meeting, Damian and his soldiers had undergone a transformation so profound that it was almost unrecognizable.

Especially Damian himself—his current level was difficult to gauge even for someone as experienced as Kiaran.

“Surely not…” Kiaran murmured, letting her thoughts trail off.

“Pardon?” Damian asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“...It’s nothing.”

Kiaran dismissed her stray thoughts.

Damian was only 15 years old, soon to be 16. To even consider that he might have achieved something as extraordinary as becoming an Aura Master seemed absurd.

"What am I thinking?"

Though she’d heard about Damian’s intense training with Hainel, the notion that he could have reached the realm of Aura Masters was unrealistic.

"If training alone could accomplish that, our kingdom would already be overflowing with Aura Masters."

Even Calon Xanthos, renowned as the youngest Aura Master in history, had achieved the feat in his mid-20s.

Returning to the matter at hand, Kiaran handed Damian his orders.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to head to the operational zone immediately.”

“The operational zone?”

“Yes. The Empire is aware of the alliance and may attempt a preemptive strike. Your mission is to prevent that.”

“And the location of this operation?” Damian asked.

“Tirkan Kingdom,” Kiaran replied.

She elaborated further.

“The Caion Unit, along with 5,000 soldiers of the 6th Corps, will move to Tirkan. The Empire’s exact numbers are unclear, so proceed cautiously. Your objective is to attack only when the enemy is divided.”

“Tirkan…” Damian muttered.

Crossing into the Tirkan Kingdom wouldn’t be difficult. Once inside, it would take only three or four days to reach any location.

“Do we leave immediately?” Damian asked.

“Yes, the Empire may already be on the move,” Kiaran replied.

She glanced at the sealed orders bearing the Baroque Kingdom’s insignia.

Yet Kiaran knew the mastermind behind this strategy wasn’t from Baroque—it was Henry Saint-André of the Artian Kingdom.

The details within the orders were so precise that they sent a shiver down her spine.

"How can someone from a foreign kingdom draft such a flawless strategy, down to the timing of every movement?"

Henry had calculated the allied forces’ arrival at the assembly point and even predicted the Empire’s likely response.

It was as though he had a bird’s-eye view of the entire continent, knowing exactly who would move, when, and where.

"If this insight comes from spies, the situation is dire enough. But if it’s entirely his foresight…"

Kiaran suppressed a sigh.

"It feels like we’re just pawns in Henry’s game of chess."

Still, for now, following his plan was the only option.

“His expectations of our combat power might be off, though,” Kiaran mused aloud, thinking of Damian.

Even if Damian hadn’t reached the level of an Aura Master, his eyes and demeanor had changed dramatically.

And his unit—though small at just 300 men—radiated a weight and composure that was entirely different from before.

"Perhaps we’ll shatter his predictions entirely."

“Caion Unit, move out!”

With Damian’s command, the unit began their march toward the Tirkan Kingdom.

***

The distance from the Spanian assembly point to the Tirkan border was manageable.

By the second night of camping, the Caion Unit had already crossed into Tirkan territory.

Unfolding a map, Damian studied the region.

“So the Empire plans to attack here…”

It wasn’t a surprising move.

Knowing of the alliance, the Empire’s strategy would naturally focus on severing its connections before the coalition could solidify.

However—

"Tirkan hasn’t sent forces to the assembly point."

It didn’t make sense. Tirkan was far closer to the assembly point than Baroque or Artian.

Why hadn’t their troops arrived yet?

"This has to be part of a larger plan."

Damian sent scouts out to gather intelligence while keeping the main force hidden.

“Ensure our position remains undetected,” Damian instructed. “Tell the scouts to move with utmost stealth.”

“Understood,” Dianal replied, quickly organizing the scouting teams.

Most of the scouts came from the archery units, forming small squads that could move quietly and efficiently.

Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers gathered around Damian.

“Do we just wait here now, sir?” one asked.

“We’ve been marching nonstop for days,” another grumbled.

It was true—they had moved quickly, covering the distance from the Baroque Kingdom to Spanian, then to Tirkan, without significant rest. Though the soldiers were not exhausted, a certain weariness had settled in.

Damian addressed them calmly.

“Until further orders, all units are on rest. Take this time to recover and relieve any fatigue in your legs.”

Given the orders from Kiaran, a battle was likely within the next day or two.

It felt as though this brief respite might be their last.

Damian sat on a log in a thicket, his mind returning to his training with Hainel.

The shape his Aura had taken during their sparring sessions—the image of a human general holding a spear—still lingered vividly in his mind.

Though he had only managed to summon it once during practice, Damian thought:

"If I can wield this power even a few more times…"

It would allow him to face them.

"The Empire’s Aura Masters."

Taking down the Empire would be impossible without defeating their monstrous Aura Masters, who could single-handedly render thousands of soldiers irrelevant.

"To defeat monsters, I must become one myself."

As Damian focused on maintaining his Aura, the short period of rest began to slip by.

Dianal was just as relentless in his training as Damian.

While seated, he operated his mana circulation technique, one that had been taught to him by Leonhark.

As mana coursed through his body, Dianal imagined himself facing his most formidable adversary—the Imperial Aura Master, Galveron.

"If I meet him again…"

Victory was still out of reach.

Galveron wielded Aura, a force superior to mere mana.

But Dianal’s goal wasn’t total triumph—yet. If Galveron didn’t use Aura, shouldn’t Dianal at least be able to fight on equal footing?

"I won’t lose anymore."

If his opponent wasn’t an Aura Master, Dianal vowed to defeat them, no matter who they were.

With that determination, he gritted his teeth and pushed his training further.

Time passed as Dianal remained immersed in his practice until the stillness was interrupted.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Scouts returned hurriedly from their mission, their expressions grave.

“Commander! The Empire’s forces have arrived at the Tirkan Kingdom’s capital!”

“What’s their strength?”

“Not many, sir. Fewer than 5,000 troops.”

Damian frowned. Sending only 5,000 soldiers to attack a kingdom’s capital was highly irregular.

The implication was clear.

"The commander must be an Aura Master."

Without an Aura Master to lead them, such a small force would be illogical.

Damian immediately gathered his men.

The next phase was critical.

The Empire’s troops, having arrived at the deserted capital, would likely disperse to search for the evacuated population.

This dispersal, outlined in their orders, would be their opportunity.

Damian led his unit to a vantage point near the capital’s western gate, choosing an area with natural cover provided by rugged terrain and thick foliage.

“We’ll focus solely on the western gate,” Damian said. “The other entrances will be handled by allied units.”

He positioned his soldiers and waited, eyes fixed on the city gates.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Soon, Imperial soldiers emerged from the gates, moving in small contingents.

Roughly 50 cavalrymen formed a squad heading directly toward the Caion Unit’s position.

“Cavalry,” Damian muttered.

Dianal, standing by his side, nodded.

“When they get close, we’ll strike hard and fast.”

“Understood. And we’ll leave one alive to report back, as you ordered,” Dianal replied.

Damian called for Paul, the leader of the archery unit.

“If any of them scatter, make sure only one escapes. Kill all the rest.”

“Yes, sir!”

Paul quickly positioned his archers for maximum coverage. Meanwhile, Damian turned to Dianal.

“Dianal, you’re in charge of the mobile unit. Lead them.”

Dianal nodded sharply, his eyes gleaming with determination.

The Caion Unit’s structure was highly specialized:

- The assault unit, led by Kyle, focused on direct, heavy strikes.

- The mobile unit, led by Dianal, was known for its explosive offensive power and swift movements.

- The archery unit, led by Paul, provided long-range precision and crowd control.

It was a flexible and lethal structure that had significantly enhanced the Caion Unit’s effectiveness.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Damian muttered as he watched the mobile unit prepare to engage.

Whoosh!

With a burst of speed, Dianal led the mobile unit down the rugged hillside, charging toward the unsuspecting cavalry.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

The Imperial cavalry, startled by the sudden appearance of the Caion Unit, shouted in alarm.

“Enemies!”

“Prepare for battle!”

The cavalry readied themselves quickly, their numbers giving them confidence.

But just as they braced for combat—

Shhhhwip!

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

Arrows rained down from the foliage, striking the soldiers before they could react.

“Gah!”

“Archers! Watch out for the arrows!”

Though they raised their shields to defend, their reaction was too slow.

By the time they managed to regroup, Dianal’s mobile unit had already reached them.

Dianal’s sword hummed faintly as it glowed with a sharp blue light.

Slash!

Spurt!

In a single motion, Dianal decapitated two soldiers, blood spraying in arcs.

“Follow Damian’s orders,” he said, his voice cold and steady. “Kill them all except one.”

The mobile unit advanced with terrifying efficiency, cutting down the cavalry soldiers one by one.

“Th-these aren’t ordinary troops!”

“They’re monsters!”

As panic spread among the Imperial soldiers, Dianal’s expression remained calm, his blade moving like a blur.

Though the battle was short, its impact was decisive—only one cavalryman remained, fleeing toward the capital to report the ambush.

Dianal wiped the blood from his blade and looked toward Damian’s position.

“The first step… is complete.”