The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 163

"…Piaren Tale?"

Henry’s expression twisted into a grimace as he processed the unexpected name.

He was currently en route to the Spanian Kingdom, intending to join forces with the allied army, and this revelation had caught him completely off guard.

His secretary, standing nearby, looked slightly flustered; it had been a long time since Henry displayed such an expression.

"Yes, this urgent report came directly from the Tirkan Kingdom. They had Galveron cornered in the mountains, but… suddenly, the Empire’s knights broke through and rescued him."

It had all happened in an instant.

"They reported over 500 fatalities—an immense loss."

The allied forces hadn’t even had time to send reinforcements.

Even if they had, the result likely wouldn’t have changed.

But that wasn’t the real issue.

Henry frowned, tilting his head slightly.

‘How did they reach the area so quickly…?’

He had been keeping close tabs on the Empire’s movements.

This operation had been carefully planned, with no gaps for the Empire to exploit.

‘No, more importantly…’

What surprised him most was how perfectly timed the Imperial reinforcements had been.

‘Could there be a spy within our ranks?’

The possibility crossed his mind.

‘Not this time. We kept troop movements minimal to specifically eliminate that risk.’

This operation wasn’t originally meant to target Galveron; the primary goal had been to sever the Imperial forces threatening the Tirkan Kingdom before the allied army was fully formed.

It had been planned from the moment the alliance was conceived.

For the Empire to see through the operation and send reinforcements at precisely the right moment…

‘…There’s someone.’

Someone new must be involved.

Without external intervention, such an outcome would have been impossible.

Henry was certain.

The recent actions of the Empire hinted at a strategic leap in their capabilities.

This was no longer the Empire they had dealt with before.

"…Surely not."

An unsettling thought flashed through Henry’s mind, deepening the furrow in his brow.

The sense of unease lingered.

His secretary, Cama, noticed and cautiously asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Cama."

"Yes, Lord Henry?"

Cama responded immediately.

"There’s something we need to investigate through our spies in the Empire."

"Tell me what it is."

"The Empire’s underground prison… I need information about one of its inmates."

"The underground prison?"

Cama’s eyes widened in shock.

It wasn’t surprising.

The underground prison was where the Empire sent its most dangerous criminals, particularly those deserving immediate execution.

Who could possibly warrant investigation from such a place?

"This won’t be easy," Cama warned.

"It doesn’t matter. It must be done, and quickly," Henry said with a determined expression.

If the individual he was thinking of…

‘If, by some chance, that person has been released…’

Henry’s unease only deepened.

***

The Caion Unit, having successfully exited the Tirkan Kingdom, returned straight to the Spanian Kingdom.

This swift return was at the insistence of Kiaran, who had stressed the importance of immediate withdrawal after the mission.

Moreover, the Caion Unit had performed beyond expectations during their mission in Tirkan, securing substantial results that made it easier for the Tirkan Kingdom to handle subsequent operations.

There was no reason to doubt that Galveron had been captured.

But

"…He escaped?"

"He managed to flee under those circumstances? Hah, an Aura Master! Just how powerful is he to break through such an encirclement?"

Damian delivered the urgent report to his officers, prompting Kyle to exclaim in disbelief.

"We withdrew, and over 10,000 soldiers surrounded the mountain. How could he possibly escape?"

Kyle’s words earned nods of agreement from the others.

Damian responded gravely.

"Piaren Tale showed up."

"Piaren Tale? You mean that Aura Master?"

Dianal asked, startled.

Piaren Tale was the leader of the Rose Knight Order, the same force they had clashed with before.

Damian nodded.

"He and the Rose Knight Order appeared suddenly, slaughtered the Tirkan Kingdom soldiers, and took Galveron with them…"

Even Damian couldn’t fully comprehend it.

What puzzled him most was the timing of their arrival.

‘Should we have stayed behind?’

No, that wasn’t it.

Even if the Caion Unit had remained, chasing after Galveron wouldn’t have changed the outcome.

If anything, staying could have led to unnecessary casualties from Galveron’s desperate counterattacks.

Damian’s expression was as grave as the other officers’.

No one had anticipated such an unexpected arrival—especially that of an Aura Master rescuing another Aura Master.

Terka sighed in disbelief.

"The Empire must be doing well for itself, sending an Aura Master as reinforcements."

"But… rumor has it that Piaren Tale is an Aura Master who is quite neglected within the Empire," Terka remarked, drawing on his knowledge of Imperial politics.

Damian rose from his seat and addressed the unit.

"What’s done is done. Discussing it further won’t change anything… There must be a reason he managed to survive."

The officers’ expressions grew serious once more.

Observing them, Damian continued.

"Focus on the battles ahead."

"Yes, sir!"

"Understood!"

"Got it!"

The unit responded in unison.

Damian then quietly left for a secluded spot.

He needed to sort through the complicated thoughts swirling in his mind.

‘The Empire’s reinforcements came out of nowhere?’

Though Damian had told his unit it was a matter of the past…

‘The attack was meant to prevent the Tirkan Kingdom from joining the allied forces.’

To ensure the operation’s success, Galveron, an Aura Master, had been deployed. It had been a plan designed for a decisive victory. Yet the Empire had sent reinforcements as if they had foreseen the move.

‘Could it be… related to him?’

Damian’s eyes gleamed sharply at the thought.

The Empire’s seven-year-long continental conquest, followed by a 12-year lull, had resulted from overlapping factors.

The most significant reason was the Empire’s need to recover its strength after the prolonged war.

Even for the resource-rich and manpower-abundant Empire, there were limits.

Ultimately, they had halted their campaign after seizing half the continent.

But underlying this pause was another factor: internal rebellion within the Empire.

‘I heard it was a particularly brutal civil war.’

The process of suppressing the rebellion had caused significant losses, extending the Empire’s recovery period far beyond what they had initially planned.

Among those who had spearheaded the rebellion,

‘There was reportedly a strategist of unparalleled genius.’

A brilliant tactician whose contributions to the Empire’s first continental campaign were legendary.

Damian didn’t know the name, but he had learned that this individual had nearly led the rebellion to success.

His years spent at war with the Empire had yielded little except fragmented pieces of information about it.

"Hmm…"

Damian exhaled a small sigh as fleeting thoughts crossed his mind.

‘Could it happen again?’

A repeat of chaotic times, like those of the past.

Unlike in his previous experiences, Damian had been at the forefront of fending off the Empire’s first wave of attacks.

The Caion Unit had prevented the Spanian Kingdom from falling to the Empire and even managed to push them back.

They had also played a vital role during the Empire’s assault on the Iren Kingdom.

‘But war is unpredictable.’

Even with things seemingly balanced, a single moment could cause the tides to turn.

While Damian’s ascension to the rank of Aura Master had significantly leveled the playing field,

When comparing the united allied forces of various kingdoms to the singular might of the Empire, the latter still held the advantage.

Moreover…

‘Now that Galveron has survived, my ascension to Aura Master will soon be known to the Empire.’

It would be crucial to closely monitor the Empire’s movements going forward.

"Ugh… this is a mess," Damian muttered, feeling as though his head might split from the weight of his thoughts.

But in times like these, it was essential to focus on the basics.

‘There’s no point dwelling on things that can’t be changed. For now, I need to focus on what I can do.’

His immediate priority was to elevate his body’s capacity to withstand his aura.

He had experienced it firsthand during his fight with Galveron.

No matter how effectively he wielded his spear techniques, if his body couldn’t endure prolonged use of aura, there would be no way to hold his ground.

Clearing his thoughts, Damian headed back to his unit.

Just then,

"Commander, Lady Kiaran is summoning you."

"Understood. I’ll head there now."

Damian made his way to where Kiaran awaited him.

By this time, reinforcements from the Artian Kingdom had arrived.

The Artian forces brought the largest contingent within the allied army, and, to bolster their ranks further, the renowned Aura Master Celestine Favela had joined them.

"It’s clear how seriously the Artian Kingdom is taking this war," Damian remarked.

Kiaran, watching the approaching Artian soldiers, responded, "Two cities were wiped out in a matter of days, and their Aura Master suffered a severe defeat. They can’t afford to hold back."

Soon, Celestine herself stepped forward to meet them.

"I am Celestine Favela. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"I am Kiaran Solitude. It’s an honor to meet the esteemed Aura Master of the Artian Kingdom."

"The honor is mine, to meet the Flame of the Baroque Kingdom," Celestine replied with a polite smile.

The two exchanged mutual praise before proceeding to lighter introductions.

Then.

"…"

Celestine’s gaze shifted to Damian, standing beside Kiaran.

Her expression betrayed a flicker of surprise.

The energy emanating from him was… different.

"…Huh?"

A soft gasp escaped her lips.

Kiaran noticed and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"No… it’s nothing," Celestine replied, though her eyes briefly wavered.

‘Could she not know?’ Damian thought, though he doubted it.

Still…

‘…Her perception is extraordinary.’

The real surprise was Damian’s.

Despite his efforts to suppress his aura, she had sensed it instantly.

Moreover, the flow of mana she maintained around herself was exceptionally refined.

Unlike other Aura Masters he had encountered, her control was precise and deliberate, her energy calm and restrained.

Smiling faintly, Celestine looked at Damian, her eyes seemingly promising discretion.

Though there wasn’t much to hide, Damian acknowledged her subtle gesture with a small nod.

She was likely more formidable than her reputation suggested.

Celestine turned back to Kiaran and said, "Shall we begin the strategy meeting?"