novelraw Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Besides Mars Bang, Selina recruited three more people.
There were no one with special talents like Mars, but it was the result of selecting and selecting people with high stats.
There was nothing to worry about the soldiers' attitudes.
The atmosphere had already shifted to Selina's side, and most of them were trying to be chosen by Selina.
The selected soldiers also looked happy, so it seemed that only Selina's wallet had suffered a loss.
The remaining two were selected from among the volunteer soldiers, and with this, Unit 917 came to operate two squads.
“Hmm….”
Even though all the personnel were filled, Selina still seemed to have a lot of worries.
Selina, who was struggling with five documents, suddenly asked me.
“Who do you think would be good, Rian?”
“For what?”
“The field commander of the 2nd squad.”
“Ah….”
Come to think of it, I had to think about that.
Usually, one squad consisted of five people.
If they were regular soldiers, they wouldn't need to be bound by that framework, but if they were heroes who received the benefits of the nurturing system, this formula had to be applied.
The reason was simple.
Efficiency.
The power of the squad increased only when they steadily collected mana sources, accumulated mana, and increased the strength of individual soldiers by raising their stats, and this became a stepping stone to becoming a strong unit.
However, were mana sources something that could be commonly found on the street?
Except for special cases, they were mostly widely distributed in large areas, so it was possible to secure much more mana sources by operating two teams of five people rather than moving ten people at once.
Therefore, it was advantageous for Unit 917, which could now handle a total of 10 soldiers, to maintain two squads, and two field commanders were also needed.
“Can’t you find anyone suitable?”
“If so, I wouldn't have this worry. This is all because of you, Rian. You've just raised my standards, so I'm not satisfied with anyone else.”
“If they're all about the same, is there any need to worry? You can just pick anyone.”
“That's true, but….”
Selina still couldn't make a decision.
Selina, who was frowning and glaring at the documents as if she were facing an enemy.
Beside Selina, Byan fidgeted and watched her.
Byan, who had been hesitating for a long time as if he had something to say, finally seemed to have made a decision, straightened his posture, and opened his mouth.
“Uh…. Commander!”
“Speak.”
“If you would allow it, I would like to be the field commander of the 2nd team.”
“…Oh my.”
Selina's expression was quite a sight.
To the point that it was a waste to see it alone.
She was so flustered that the bundle of documents that fell from her weakened hand scattered on the floor.
And although I couldn't be sure, I probably had a similar expression to Selina's.
“So-so…. Byan wants to be the field commander of the 2nd team…. I didn't mishear, did I?”
“I ask for your permission.”
Perhaps because he had already thought deeply and made up his mind, Byan was unwavering.
Selina, who was staring blankly at Byan, asked for his understanding and requested that he leave the room.
Selina, who was staring at the back of Byan as he left the room in a tense state, couldn't hide her flustered expression and clung to me as soon as they were alone.
“Rian. I don't know. Why is Byan suddenly acting like that….”
“It’s not sudden…. Actually, Byan just hasn't said it, but he's the ambitious type.”
“…Was he?”
“He was. You didn’t know? He showed it so much.”
“I didn't know. I guess I'm not very perceptive.”
From the first time they met, Byan's gaze was fixed on Selina's rank insignia.
His eyes were filled with a strong desire, and at that time, he had even shown a sense of rivalry towards me, the field commander.
Perhaps what Byan wanted was to rise to a high position in the army.
As a first step, the position of field commander of a newly formed unit could be said to be the best move.
“I don't think it's a bad idea.”
“In what way?”
“You said there are no other suitable candidates anyway. Byan…. honestly, it would be a lie if I said I wasn't anxious. But at least he has experience. He's probably learned a thing or two by watching.”
Byan's gaze towards me had changed a lot compared to the beginning.
From the eyes of someone seeing a competitor he had to surpass someday, to the eyes of someone seeing a senior he had to learn from.
It seemed that Byan, who had an attitude of understanding his own shortcomings and trying to learn, would become a decent field commander.
The lack of experience could be filled from now on.
“…I understand.”
In the end, Selina's permission was granted.
Upon hearing this news, Byan showed the brightest smile I had ever seen from him.
* * *
Byan, who had become the new field commander of Unit 917's 2nd team, left, saying that he would build camaraderie with the unit members.
I had also finished my work.
I thought I could finally go back to the barracks and get some rest, but Selina wouldn't let me go.
“Selina.”
“No.”
“I haven't said anything yet.”
“You're just going to say you want to go to the barracks and rest. No. Today, you and I have a lot of things to do, Rian.”
“…Sigh.”
In the end, with no justification or power to shake her off, I had to be dragged around helplessly like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse again today.
Selina pushed me into a portal.
After enduring the dizziness that accompanied a long-distance jump, the place I opened my eyes to was somewhat familiar, as I had been there once before.
“Verdin territory?”
“That's right. It's familiar, isn't it?”
I followed Selina and walked down the road.
I could not just guess, but be sure of where the destination was.
I was walking the exact same path I had walked when I first met the old man, so if I didn't know, it wouldn't just be unperceptive, but simply stupid.
Clang! Clang!
Today, as always, the sound of hammering could be heard even outside the building.
The blacksmith's workshop in the Verdin territory.
In other words, a munitions factory.
Just standing in front of it made me feel as if all the moisture on my skin was drying up due to the heat.
“I'll wait here.”
“After coming all this way?”
“The old man said he has something to talk about with you alone, Rian.”
Judging by Selina's attitude, it seemed that she had already talked with the old man about something.
It wasn't like she was a child who was afraid of going to the hospital alone, and I couldn't force Selina to come with me, so I opened the door of the blacksmith's workshop alone.
The sound of hammering was even louder than before.
But there was something I could be sure of.
There was only one sound.
Looking around, I couldn't see any blacksmiths.
The fire in the furnace was also out.
The heat and sound were coming from the deepest part of the blacksmith's workshop.
Following the heat and sound, I saw a familiar back.
Despite his old age, he, who had used magic to protect our allied airship, had now returned to his main job and was hammering iron.
Not ordinary iron, but a metal with a faint red color.
Jeogeun.
“…You've come.”
The old man said without stopping his hammering.
His low voice was clearly audible even though it was mixed with the sound of the blazing fire and the hammering.
I felt stuffy for no reason.
“Have you made your decision?”
I had no choice but to ask this question.
The reason the old man had boarded Unit 917's airship was solely to see if I was worthy of wielding the newly crafted Ella 7 Sword.
Had I surpassed the standards set by the old man?
I thought about it again.
‘It wasn't bad.’
At least, I think I did what I had to do in that battle without missing anything.
I had devised a plan to destroy the enemy's medium-sized airship, and I had also shot down an enemy named character.
But if you ask me if that surpassed the standards set by the old man, I couldn't be sure.
Now, all I could do was just wait.
As the time the old man hammered in silence grew longer, the tension increased.
Let's not expect anything.
Let's not be disappointed even if it doesn't work out.
Even while thinking that, my heart was already beating like crazy, beyond my control.
“I have one thing I want to ask.”
“Yes. Please speak.”
“That eye.”
“……”
“And the black mana.”
“……”
“Who in the world are you?”
The old man stopped hammering.
His two eyes, which slowly turned to look at me, were filled with a great deal of suspicion.
I took a breath for a moment.
In fact, from the moment I had used the authority in that place where everyone was watching, it was already a foregone conclusion.
There was nothing to be flustered about.
But my mouth wouldn't open easily.
The old man's question was bothering me.
‘Who in the world are you?’
The answer to that question, unfortunately, even I, the person in question, did not know.
What should I answer to the question of who I am?
Rian Kaltz?
Or Odin's commander?
Isn't my essence just an ordinary office worker?
If it's the former, then who is Rian Kaltz?
What the old man wanted was the black mana I had shown.
Why was I, a mere soldier, using the mana that only the royal family of each country... the Archmages, could use?
He wanted an answer to that.
“…I don't know either.”
I answered honestly.
Because I didn't even know if this black mana was a change caused by that Archmage of the Empire, or if Rian Kaltz was the cause.
The old man, who had been staring at me for a long time without a word, immersed himself in his work again.
Since his back was turned to the anvil, I couldn't see what he was doing.
In the first place, even if I looked, it was unlikely that I, who had no knowledge of metallurgy, would be able to recognize anything.
I just stood there silently and waited for the old man's next words.
Time passed relentlessly.
It felt like at least two hours had passed.
When I came to my senses, all the noise had stopped.
When I raised my head, a sword was held in the hand of the old man who was staring at me.
A beautiful sword with a red blade.
It was placed in a scabbard that I thought must have been made in advance.
In other words.
The Ella 7 Sword was complete.
“……”
“……”
The old man and I.
The two of us just stared at each other without a word.
As if we were having a war of nerves.
The old man let out a deep sigh.
“Rian Kaltz.”
“Yes. Sir.”
“I know you. No, I have come to know you…. that would be a more correct expression.”
“……?”
“That is why I could not be sure, but….”
The old man slowly approached me.
And he held out his hand.
The hand that held the Ella 7 Sword.
“What can I do? This too is fate.”
“……”
I stretched out a trembling hand.
I felt a heavy touch on my hand.
I slowly drew the sword.
The red blade, which was already made of Jeogeun, reflected the blazing flames of the furnace and held an even more bewitching light.
The moderate weight and length were not much different from the sword I had been using so far, so it seemed that I wouldn't need to go through a process of getting used to it.
Swish.
Just brushing against it cut the hem of my clothes.
It was a terrifying sharpness.
Perhaps if I dropped a piece of paper on the blade, the paper would be cut as it fell.
My eyes tingled.
As if the authority was acting on its own will, as if it was shouting that it wanted to uncover all the information that the famous sword in front of me held.
“Please fight for the Alliance.”
The old man said to me, who was mesmerized by the famous sword.