The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 183

“......This is.”

Returning to Statznal, Alexandro and his officers stood in shock as they surveyed the completely destroyed supply depots.

Some were reduced to irreparable rubble, while others were engulfed in raging flames.

It was already too late. Even attempting to carry water to put out the fire seemed utterly foolish.

Watching their food and supplies burn, they could only scowl in frustration.

“What’s the status of the other depots?”

“All the same. The armory and food storage have been completely wiped out.”

“......”

Losing the food supply was the greatest blow of all.

They had stationed soldiers to defend these points.

‘They managed to kill all those soldiers and burn the food supply in such a short time?’

Alexandro’s expression hardened.

Just then, an officer approached, dragging a surviving soldier with him.

“General Alexandro, a survivor.”

Alexandro and the other officers turned their gazes toward him.

The survivor was a young soldier, clearly terrified.

The officer beside Alexandro questioned him.

“Answer truthfully. How many enemies were there?”

“T-That is...”

The boy’s voice trembled with fear, causing the officer to frown, preparing to scold him.

But—

Swoosh.

Alexandro raised a hand, signaling for restraint.

A silent command to let the boy speak at his own pace.

Then, placing a hand gently on the soldier’s shoulder, Alexandro infused him with a trace of magic.

“Calm yourself and speak slowly.”

“Ah...”

As Alexandro’s magic entered his body, the boy’s trembling subsided slightly.

He felt his racing heart steady.

“It was...”

The young soldier began recounting what he had witnessed.

“A force of about 200 to 300 men.”

He had been guarding the gate when a deafening explosion erupted, and he saw the thick fortress doors being split apart.

“I saw it with my own eyes... but I still can’t believe it.”

A single spear.

With just one spear, the massive gates had been cut apart—it was beyond comprehension.

Then, as the invaders poured in, they swiftly slaughtered the surrounding soldiers and established their formation.

“It all happened in the blink of an eye. And while they were forming ranks...”

With a thunderous roar, the supply depot crumbled before his eyes.

“All by a single man...”

A monster.

From the moment he had broken through the gates, he had seemed unnatural, but to see him single-handedly slaughter dozens of knights and soldiers was beyond belief.

“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...”

He had been paralyzed with fear.

Watching knights, trained in magic, fall helplessly to that spear had completely broken his spirit.

All he could do was hide among the wreckage, holding his breath, hoping to survive.

“...I see.”

Listening to the boy’s story, Alexandro exhaled quietly.

He could vividly picture the brutal battle that had taken place here.

An officer standing beside him spoke.

“It must be the Caion Unit.”

“The Caion Unit.”

Alexandro had heard of them before.

An infantry force, yet stronger than most knightly orders.

One of the most feared units on the entire continent.

And their commander...

“According to Piaren’s messenger, Baroque’s third Aura Master leads them. We underestimated them.”

A foe they could no longer ignore.

Alexandro took a deep breath and turned to his officers.

“Do not punish this soldier. He survived and reported the situation. That alone is merit enough.”

“Understood.”

Alexandro then turned his gaze toward the soldiers inside the fortress.

These men had held the line against an army of over a hundred thousand.

But with their supplies now destroyed, they could no longer hold out.

“All forces, retreat to Everblade.”

“What?”

“General!”

The officers looked at Alexandro in shock, attempting to dissuade him.

A retreat from here...

It would mean that Alexandro, the Empire’s guardian, had suffered defeat and was withdrawing before the coalition army.

But Alexandro shook his head.

“If we stay and fight here, we’re only sending our soldiers to their deaths. This is not a defeat. It is a repositioning to where we can fight on our terms.”

The coalition forces were likely planning to advance toward the capital through Everblade.

“If we defend at Everblade instead, the battle will be much more favorable to us.”

The terrain, supplies, and provisions would all work to their advantage.

“Send word to the capital immediately. Have them send supplies and reinforcements to Everblade. We will move there at once.”

And should the coalition forces attempt to attack during their retreat—

“They should be prepared to lose at least half their troops.”

Though his duel with Hainel had cost him valuable time, if the enemy dared to chase him, things would be different.

This time, Alexandro would fight mercilessly, carving through their ranks without hesitation.

“...Understood.”

“We will begin preparations immediately.”

The decision was made—Statznal had to be abandoned.

Now, they needed to move swiftly.

Fortunately, the coalition forces had not blocked the northern escape route.

A deliberate invitation for them to retreat toward Everblade.

Alexandro didn’t like following their plan, but there was no other choice.

“All troops, retreat.”

With Alexandro’s command, the imperial army stationed in Statznal began withdrawing through the northern gate.

***

“.......”

The southern gate of Statznal, along with the eastern and western sides, had been completely encircled.

With an army of 150,000, such an overwhelming siege was possible.

Yet, despite this, Kiaran’s expression remained grim.

Tension still lingered.

“...Not yet.”

She muttered impatiently. And then—

“The enemy forces are retreating through the northern gate! They are retreating!”

The signal announcing the Imperial army’s withdrawal from Statznal echoed across the battlefield.

Hearing the messenger’s urgent cry as he rode in, Kiaran unconsciously clenched her fist.

“It’s happening...! It worked!”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

“Everything is going as planned.”

“This means... the decisive battle will take place at Everblade.”

Matirn, Weiner, and several officers exhaled in relief.

Celestine, hearing the news, approached Kiaran.

“We succeeded thanks to your arrival. Truly, thank you.”

“Not at all. It was your presence that made it possible, General Celestine. More importantly, are you well?”

At Kiaran’s words, Celestine gave a faint, bitter smile.

The wounds she had sustained from Alexandro had yet to fully heal.

However—

“I will recover as much as possible before we reach Everblade.”

“Good.”

Kiaran nodded. Then she turned toward Damian, who stood with his men at a slight distance.

“Damian.”

As she called out to him, Damian looked up.

Kiaran spoke with sincerity.

“The greatest credit for this mission’s success goes to you and the Caion Unit. Your remarkable efforts were invaluable.”

This was the truth.

Even with 150,000 troops, they had been unable to overwhelm Alexandro’s 30,000-strong army outright.

Preserving as many soldiers as possible for the upcoming battle was one reason, but ultimately, the biggest factor was Alexandro himself—the continent’s strongest Aura Master.

Yet, with only 300 men, the Caion Unit had infiltrated Statznal and completely destroyed its supplies and provisions.

A feat that even 30,000–40,000 regular soldiers could not have accomplished.

‘Is there anyone on this continent who can stop this unit?’

Without another Aura Master to intervene directly, stopping them would be impossible.

At Kiaran’s praise, Damian shook his head.

“This was a group effort. Later, please ensure these men are well compensated.”

A request for a generous reward.

Hearing this, Kiaran burst into laughter.

“Haha, when we return to the kingdom, I will ensure your deeds are widely recognized.”

“Thank you.”

Kiaran’s hearty response was enough to reassure him.

Damian glanced at his troops.

Though they remained disciplined in front of Kiaran, their hands, held at their sides, gave silent thumbs-ups of excitement.

Even their fierce expressions looked almost comical at this moment.

Then Kiaran spoke.

“We will now march to Everblade. Ensure the kingdom’s supplies arrive on time.”

“Understood.”

“Form up! We will move to Everblade!”

They would now take position at Everblade, forming a grand battle line to pressure the Empire.

This would force the enemy’s focus entirely on them.

But then—

Dudududududu!

A lone rider galloped toward them at breakneck speed.

The rider’s face was pale, his exhaustion evident.

“U-Urgent news!”

A soldier clad in the armor of the Tirkan Kingdom.

Weiner Valnutar, commander of the Tirkan forces, stepped forward.

“What is it?”

“The Tirkan Kingdom... is burning.”

“...?!”

The expressions of Weiner and the surrounding officers darkened instantly.

Weiner demanded urgently.

“Explain in detail!”

“Imperial Aura Master Galveron Maxcov has led an army into the kingdom. Two major territories near the capital have already been destroyed, and though our knights and soldiers fight valiantly, the situation is dire.”

“......”

Even while under attack, the Empire had diverted forces to launch an offensive elsewhere.

‘...Relentless bastards.’

Who had given this order?

Whoever it was, they must have absolute confidence in stopping the coalition here.

His thoughts raced.

“What happened to the people of Tirkan? Where have the refugees gone?”

Weiner pressed the messenger further.

The two cities near the capital had been chosen as evacuation sites.

If those had fallen, where could they go?

The messenger quickly answered.

“The evacuees are heading toward Roserdal in the Spanian Kingdom.”

“Roserdal in Spanian?”

“A clever move. Since they are allied with us, they should be safe there.”

Kiaran nodded.

Though abandoning the Tirkan Kingdom was painful, Roserdal was the best possible refuge for the displaced citizens.

However, Weiner’s expression remained grim.

His kingdom was being ravaged by an Imperial Aura Master.

Then Kiaran turned to him and spoke.

“In that case, how about this?”