The recapture of the North.
As a citizen of the Albion Kingdom, it was a phrase one could never have imagined.
After all, the Malidan Wall had stood firm, unwavering in its defense. Caldias, known as the Guardian of the North, and the Malidan Wall together projected an overwhelming sense of majesty.
Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere within the army advancing north felt somewhat unsettled. It was as if they still couldn't believe that their great wall and the noble houses that once protected them had vanished without a trace.
In contrast, Isaac felt a deep sense of emotion.
The recapture of the North.
'What a powerful phrase.'
In his past life, after the Malidan Wall was breached, they couldn't even dream of approaching the North. The war had been so dire that they were constantly retreating, never even daring to think about reclaiming lost ground.
'I won't let you take anything from us again.'
He didn't know what trick had been used to seize the North, but he was certain that Caldias wouldn't have given up so easily. Isaac still believed that Silverna was out there, fighting somewhere.
"Front! A horde of Beasts! Shield-bearers, move forward and form ranks! Archers, fall back!"
Sir Eisenwolf, his voice infused with mana, shouted the command upon spotting the approaching beasts. The veteran's roar sent the soldiers into swift, disciplined movement.
The army's march was centered around a village. With the disappearance of the Malidan Wall, the people from the surrounding villages had fled.
In other words, the villages were now empty—perfect places for Beasts to settle or scavenge for abandoned food.
It was likely that each village had become a nest for these creatures.
Isaac was positioned with the left-wing cavalry. Thanks to the princess's gift of Ravenfall, he had been assigned to the cavalry unit, even though his weapon wasn't particularly suited for mounted combat.
Beside him was the Grandmaster, who had visited her disciple, Damien, the day before.
The Grandmaster hadn't shared what they discussed.
'If Master has decided so…'
Isaac chose to follow his master's judgment. If Damien had betrayed them in the past, then as long as they prevented such a situation, there was no reason to assume he would betray them again.
"Haah, how boring."
Seated on a horse gifted by the princess, the Grandmaster sat cross-legged instead of in a proper riding posture. Even as the horse moved, her balance remained perfect, making the sight almost surreal.
Some cavalrymen viewed the Grandmaster with amazement, while others frowned, finding the behavior undignified.
However, since everyone had witnessed how the Grandmaster single-handedly beat the Blue Wave Society, no one dared to speak out against her.
"Aren't we going to charge?"
"No. Cavalry is an expensive unit. We'll only move when it's time to hunt down the Beasts that have settled in the villages."
"Hmm, had I known this, I would have joined the infantry instead."
Every time a horse moved, it cost money. And if a horse was injured while hunting Beasts, it would mean a direct loss in combat strength.
In some ways, horses were valued more than human lives.
In any case, from a battlefield perspective, cavalry couldn't be recklessly deployed.
"The second phase of the northern campaign will begin afterward. The real cleansing happens then."
"Second phase? Hmm, I wasn't present yesterday, so I missed the details."
"For now, our first task is to push straight through to where the Malidan Wall used to stand. That's our mission."
Like opening a gate, they would advance village by village until they reached the wall's former location.
"Once we get there, we'll assess the situation and rebuild the frontline. At the very least, we'll construct a temporary fortification, even if it's just wooden palisades."
"Hmm."
Finding it interesting, the Grandmaster pulled out a cigarette and placed it between her lips.
By now, the Beasts were already being hunted down.
"The second wave of reinforcements will arrive around that time. Then we'll spread out our formation, encircling and eliminating the remaining Beasts like a hammer and anvil."
"Ah, classic hammer-and-anvil tactics. Nothing special."
It was a straightforward summary.
Against Beasts, complex strategies weren't necessary. Simple yet effective methods worked best in real combat.
"Did you speak properly with Liana?"
The Grand Master glanced at him, her curiosity thinly veiled behind a casual tone.
"Well, we had a conversation."
"Oh? Then I see the shadow that once lingered in your eyes is gone."
"A shadow?"
"There's no need to hide it from your master. Meeting your former wife must have weighed on you."
"..."
"Helmut is on the right wing, isn't she? You'll run into her on the way."
"Hah, as if that would happen."
***
A few hours later.
The Grandmaster smiled at Isaac, as if pleased that her prediction had come true.
Isaac pretended not to notice, gripping Ravenfall's reins tighter and increasing speed.
This was Andes Village,
A place where he once fought against the Transcendent Nortemus.
Now, once again, it had turned into a battlefield.
"Left wing! Right wing! Now!"
From both sides of Andes Village, cavalry poured in like a flood.
They maintained enough distance to avoid colliding with each other, yet—
The beasts were trampled under the horses' hooves, pierced by spears and swords, unable to put up any proper resistance as they collapsed.
In the right-wing cavalry, a familiar head of red hair came into view.
At the forefront of the right-wing, wielding a greatsword, was Liana.
For a moment, he felt as if their eyes met, but he deliberately ignored it and rode past.
"Hehe."
On the other hand, some people didn't bother hiding their reactions.
Sharen openly waved with one hand, greeting Isaac and the Grandmaster.
She looked far too cheerful for someone in the middle of a beast hunt.
As the cavalry swept through the battlefield, infantry moved in to fill the gaps.
Just like that, the beast extermination in Andes Village ended anticlimactically.
"Rest! We'll take a break here for today!"
They had encountered three mid-sized groups of beasts so far.
Including the large horde occupying Andes Village, that made four.
The march wasn't progressing quickly compared to the difficulty of the battles, but they were steadily advancing.
"The commander is retiring after this, right? Maybe that's why he's so calm and free of greed. With this much progress, they could push forward to the next village, yet he holds back."
While setting up a tent for the night, Isaac chuckled and replied to the Grandmaster's words.
"He's a veteran. He understands that reaching Malidan isn't the end of our goal—we have to establish a stronghold there and hold our ground. That's why he paces the advance."
"Hoh, wise words. My sword may be keen, but war is a different matter altogether. An interesting perspective."
"In your past life as well, Grandmaster, you didn't lead from the command tent—you paved the way with your sword."
"Indeed, that is my only true talent. In that sense, it's a shame I can't unleash my strength properly on horseback."
The Grandmaster mumbled as she sneakily crawled into the tent Isaac had just pitched and lay down.
Her massive greatsword was so powerful that even a warhorse couldn't withstand the force of her swings, making it difficult to wield freely in mounted combat.
"On the other hand, Helmut's technique is truly remarkable. Using crimson aura as armor and charging in like that… It's truly a versatile power."
"Why are you lying down in my tent?"
"Is Helmut's horse truly the strongest as well?!"
"..."
"Hmm, just teasing you. Don't you feel a bit lonely without Sharen around?"
As if embarrassed, the Grandmaster turned to her side, her tail swaying playfully to show she was teasing him.
"I'm asking why you're lying down in my tent."
When Isaac entered and shook her shoulder, the Grandmaster answered with her eyes closed.
"The master is sleeping."
"..."
"What kind of disciple disturbs their master's rest?"
"Get up."
"If you're here to carry me off somewhere, I'll consider it. Come back in a bit."
"I said, get up."
"Stop shaking me, I'm getting dizzy. By the way, did you do something in this tent? It reeks of a man's scent."
"What…?!"
"Heh, just a joke. My dear disciple is always so serious, mumbling 'Transcendents… all Transcendents must die…' every day, so I thought I'd tease you a bit."
"When did I ever say that?"
At that moment, he sensed a presence outside the tent.
Turning his head slightly, he saw a woman standing there unexpectedly.
"Liana?"
"..."
Without a word, Liana stared intently into the tent.
Her gaze was fixed on the Grandmaster, who was lying down.
"Hoo, she's going to stab me, isn't she?"
Saying so, the Grandmaster's tail slyly wrapped around Isaac's arm.
As if claiming him as her own.
"What brings you here? We're quite busy at the moment."
After taking a deep breath, Liana regained her composure and responded.
"Please refrain from such behavior within the unit. A disorderly army inevitably leads to a decline in discipline."
"How can one simply suppress the desires between men and women? They say that the scariest bond is the bond formed through intimacy."
Crack.
A sound of something breaking echoed, though Isaac wasn't sure what. But one thing was certain—it came from Liana's direction.
"It's disrespectful to the other soldiers. As a soldier, you should restrain yourself according to your duty."
"Oh my, wouldn't covering my mouth like this be sufficient? Or perhaps we could press our lips together to muffle the sound?"
The Grandmaster playfully covered her mouth with both hands. Liana's pupils trembled again, and before she realized it, she clenched her fists tightly.
"Grandmaster, that's enough."
With a sigh, Isaac stood up and stepped out of the tent. The Grandmaster gave him a subtle wink as he passed by.
Her intentions were obvious.
'She wants me to stand my ground in front of my ex.'
A silent statement that he was doing just fine without her.
Isaac understood that she was trying to boost his confidence, even throwing in some suggestive remarks to make a point.
'But that was too much.'
Liana's gaze still hadn't left the tent.
"What's the matter?"
"…The young nobles have been summoned. It seems the Blue Wave Society is proposing we advance further."
"She's still looking at the tent."
Liana's gaze remained fixed inside.
"So they're asking for opinions, but it sounds more like they're about to get scolded."
"The commander is retiring soon. He probably wants to say everything he needs to before he leaves."
"Liana?"
Isaac waved his hand in front of her face, and only then did she finally tear her gaze away from the tent.
"…Let's go."
As they walked toward the officers' tent, Liana suddenly spoke up hesitantly.
"I- Isaac…"
"I've been thinking… your tone is back to how it used to be, isn't it?"
"…!"
Liana flinched for a brief moment before quickly continuing forward.
"B-Baron Logan, I understand that I shouldn't interfere in your personal life."
"…"
"But this is still the military. Such behavior fosters disorder within the ranks and can lower morale."
"…"
"So, please restrain yourself."
…But then.
"I-If you really can't hold back… y-you can do it with me—"
"Oh—"
"Really?!"
Liana snapped her head toward him in shock, only to see that Isaac wasn't even looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the sky.
"Oh—?"
A rift had opened in the night sky.
Something was falling.
Noticing Isaac's sudden tension, Liana immediately sensed something was wrong and followed his gaze.
Near the officers' tent, the figure that had fallen looked around in confusion before baring its fangs. It seemed unaware of how it had ended up there.
Ironically enough, Isaac recognized that face.
A sleek, canine-like visage.
A body packed with firm, functional muscles.
Blood-red eyes, devoid of anything but an insatiable thirst for violence.
"Black Hound…?"
The words escaped his lips before he realized it, and as if it had heard him, the creature locked eyes with him.
Isaac tightened his grip on the sword at his waist and turned to Liana.
"Call everyone. It's a Primordial Transcendent."
As if in response, the Black Hound lunged forward.
'An unleashed hunting dog.'
A Primordial Transcendent that had ravaged battlefields across his past life.
Back then, all Isaac could do was flee.
But now, he swiftly drew his sword to meet the creature's claws head-on.
*
*
*
[TL Note]
Access 10 additional chapters on my Ko-fi page.
https://ko-fi.com/astrascans