novelraw Chapter 207 : The Aust Empire’s Theory of Value
Chapter 207 : The Aust Empire’s Theory of Value
Chapter 207: The Aust Empire’s Theory of Value
Yam dared not let anyone discover the traces of that dried-up corpse, so he simply set the entire prison cell ablaze. Externally, he announced that the enemy had planted a vicious poison trap in the room, intending to destroy the entire fortress.
Though this did conceal the problem of that corpse, it also triggered other issues. The troops that Yam and Akar had each brought from the White Mountain Territory and the Gem Territory had their hatred toward the Aust Empire grow significantly. In just two short days, among the four hundred captured Aust Empire soldiers brought back, over a hundred had died—and more than two-thirds of the rest bore severe wounds.
Yam knew this was the soldiers venting their inner fear, so he could not openly intervene. He could only transfer the remaining captives to another camp and send another letter to the frontline base in Count Garris’s Territory, inquiring how to handle them. Meanwhile, Yam, Akar, and Aches once again prepared for battle mobilization and led their troops southward once more.
Originally, Yam had planned to spend only one day dealing with the disguised infiltrator before marching his army south again to completely annihilate the Aust Empire forces.
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However, he had not expected this matter to cost him two additional days.
As a result, by the time he returned to his reorganized army, five days had already passed since the time they were supposed to engage with the Aust Empire troops lurking in the southern region of Viscount Bayor’s Territory.
This time, there was no misinformation from the enemy, and Yam’s side held overwhelming superiority in manpower, leaving the enemy’s movements nowhere to hide.
According to the final reconnaissance, the enemy’s remaining strength was around twelve hundred soldiers—at most, fifteen hundred.
And that count even included the scattered remnants that had not yet regrouped. The previous great battle had ended with the enemy’s crushing defeat, and over five hundred Aust soldiers had fled in disarray. Later, the Third-Tier Bloodline User—whom Yam had deemed formidable—swiftly took over command after their officer’s death and reassembled the broken forces, gathering nearly a thousand men again.
That was the current scale of the Aust Empire’s surviving troops in Bayor Territory’s southern sector.
Under the night sky, Manlor watched the three figures before him with a grave expression.
There were three of them—two women and one man.
Although the three wore the attire of the Tyrella Kingdom, their faces were unmistakably Aust in origin.
The woman in front exuded commanding authority, clearly someone accustomed to giving orders. The two following her, a man and a woman, appeared less imposing—more like attendants or servants. Yet from their vigilant postures, it was evident that their subdued demeanor came only because they accompanied the commanding woman.
「Invisible Guard？」
The three soon arrived before Manlor.
In terms of military rank, Manlor and the squad captain of the Invisible Guard unit assigned to Bayor Territory were equals, with neither subordinate to the other. In fact, to put it bluntly, all Aust Empire troops stationed in Bayor Territory were there to cooperate with this Invisible Guard captain, helping her construct a fake identity for infiltration.
「Yes.」 The leading female Aust soldier spoke in a low tone. 「I am the Faceless One in charge of the Bayor infiltration operation. Authorization code: Even the Empire’s night has its sun; the radiance of the faceless shall yet shine.」
Manlor nodded. 「Identity confirmed. —I need assistance from your Invisible Guard.」
「I refuse.」 The Faceless Woman shook her head without hesitation.
「What？」 Manlor was caught off guard, momentarily dumbfounded. 「I haven’t even said what it is yet...」
「Our Invisible Guard is only authorized for several types of missions: infiltration behind enemy lines, intelligence acquisition, and identity concealment,」 the woman replied in a low voice. 「But we now face a severe problem that makes it impossible for us to remain in Bayor Territory. So no matter what your request is, we cannot accept it.」
「What happened？」
「Two of our Silent Ones have been killed,」 she said flatly. 「One died in the northern sector of Bayor Territory—you don’t know that yet, do you？ Your previous cleanup was sloppy, allowing many survivors from the Death Camp to live, including that Fledgling Hawk. Now he’s become the First Hawk leading those vicious criminals, guiding their path. The northern Imperial troops are nearly wiped out.」
「They’ve even drawn in large numbers of refugees and wanderers.」
「I don’t know their current size exactly—my Silent One monitoring the north died in the chaos. But according to his final report, the Fledgling Hawk has already spread his wings. He commands around twenty Bloodline Users, including three Third-Tiers counting himself, and his total forces exceed two thousand.」
Hearing this, Manlor’s face darkened. 「The northern Imperial troops are gone？」
「Almost,」 the Faceless Woman replied expressionlessly. 「If they’re lucky, they might hold for three or five more days. If not, perhaps only a day or two. With the Silent One in that area gone, I can no longer assess the north or predict that Hawk’s next move.」
「And another Silent One died in the fortress？」
「Yes,」 she nodded. 「He was captured. The enemy commander, Yam Soderbell, nailed him with a spike needle. For members of the Invisible Guard, once impaled by a spike needle, advancement becomes forever impossible.」
She didn’t add that because of their body modifications, the Invisible Guard required perfect skeletal integrity. Once a spike needle pierced and deformed the bones, it didn’t just end one’s promotion prospects—it destroyed their transformation ability entirely. They couldn’t change into others anymore; they couldn’t even return to their own true appearance.
Thus, death was the best release for their kind.
「So I killed him myself. But before dying, he revealed crucial intelligence. We must deliver it back—this information concerns the very survival of the Invisible Guard. Its importance far exceeds my prior orders.」
「How did the enemy see through your disguise？」
「Because of someone named Aches Soderbell,」 the Faceless Woman said without hesitation. 「I suspect he possesses a special 『Intuitive Talent』. That’s how he avoided your ambushes and saw through our disguises. If you want us to continue gathering intelligence or proceed with the original plan, you must first kill Aches Soderbell.」
Manlor knew that was impossible.
Now, under his command, only a few Bloodline Knights remained—none even at Third Tier. In strength, he was weaker than the traitor troops led by the Fledgling Hawk. He was also outnumbered.
To kill Aches Soderbell？
He didn’t even entertain the thought.
And the Faceless Woman clearly knew it was impossible, so she didn’t wait for an answer and continued:
「My only advice now is to withdraw immediately. Our mission and plan have utterly failed. Staying here will only bring—」
「More casualties？」 Manlor cut her off, shouting, 「There are still over a thousand Imperial soldiers here. You want me to abandon them？」
To his shock, the woman nodded. 「Yes.」
「What did you say？！？」
「I’m telling you to leave them and find a way to retreat,」 she said, frowning slightly. 「In my view, a thousand Imperial soldiers are not worth your life. That’s why I came—to give you this last counsel. The Count holds you in high regard, and you’re close to reaching Fourth Tier. You’ll have chances for vengeance later—the main battlefield isn’t here. But if you die here, there will be no ‘later’.」
Manlor pressed his lips together, his face uncertain.
「To persist in a failed plan is foolish,」 the Faceless Woman continued sternly. 「You know the Empire’s Theory of Value well, don’t you？」
「I know！」 Manlor snapped, breathing heavily, irritation growing in his tone. 「You don’t have to remind me！」
In the Aust Empire’s view, only those who demonstrated sufficient value were worthy of cultivation.
Thus, among the Empire’s lower and mid-ranking officers, one could find many without Bloodline Power—something unthinkable in the Tyrella Kingdom. Were it not to guard against decapitation tactics targeting command structures, even many higher officers might have been ordinary men—because that was their only path upward.
Although they could not become high-ranking officers, these mid- and lower-level officers could still gain elite treatment by advancing into the Staff Corps. But to achieve that, they had to prove their worth on the battlefield and earn recognition from the great nobles.
That was the essence of the Aust Empire’s most renowned doctrine—《The Aust Empire’s Theory of Value》.
Within that work was a clear equivalence formula:
A Fourth-Tier Bloodline User’s value surpasses that of ten thousand ordinary soldiers.
Manlor’s potential had been rigorously evaluated by the Empire. At minimum, he could become a Fourth-Tier Bloodline User—perhaps even reach Fifth-Tier. That was why he had been assigned to the Bayor front: to use battle as the stimulus to hasten his breakthrough.
After all, nothing fostered a Bloodline User’s growth faster than war.
Seeing Manlor’s indecision, the Faceless Woman finally lost patience. 「My time is up—we must leave now. —Lord Manlor, if you cannot bring yourself to abandon the troops, then let them find their own way.」
「What do you mean？」 Manlor frowned.
「Find a way to cross the Red River Canal, then head for the Forest and Longwind Territories,」 she said. 「Those regions are nearly undefended. With the discipline of Imperial soldiers, once they cross the canal, they’ll find a way to survive.」
「And you can tell them this is a behind-enemy-lines sabotage mission—an important task.」
「To dedicate and sacrifice for the Empire’s greatness—is that not the honor of an Imperial soldier？」
Hearing her near-moral coercion, Manlor was left utterly dumbfounded.
「That’s all I have to say, Lord Manlor,」 the Faceless Woman saluted sharply, then turned away. 「I hope we meet again.」