The Genius Archer Who Became a One-Man Army

Chapter 18

Adolf was the commander of the 5th Legion.

He was in charge of three thousand soldiers and currently followed the third prince, who was embroiled in a power struggle within the royal family.

“How could such a decision be made, Your Highness? This is an utterly unfair decision!”

Adolf spoke with a look of disbelief to the man in front of him.

The third prince, Ethan.

He held his forehead with a troubled expression. Then Ethan spoke to Adolf.

“It seems we’ve fallen into Prince Byron’s scheme. I didn’t expect that he had already seized control of the elders.”

“But even so, Saleron is a dangerous region. Sending only a single battalion there is no different from sending them to their deaths!”

Adolf’s expression turned somber.

He knew the truth.

Currently, the second prince, Byron, held the most power in the princes’ power struggle.

And he was using schemes to reduce the forces supporting other princes.

But even so, how could they sacrifice those loyal to the kingdom?

Defending Saleron would require at least one legion of three thousand men.

Yet, the kingdom sent only a single battalion of merely a thousand men.

“The number of invaders to Saleron reaches nearly two thousand each year. No matter how hard we try to defend, we cannot hold them back.”

Yes, he could understand weakening the opponent’s power through politics.

But how was this different from abandoning Saleron?

No matter how incomprehensible politics could be, this was unacceptable.

Ethan remained silent at Adolf’s words. But then he spoke quietly, as if making a decision.

“Adolf, besides the official battalion, we must send a small force to Saleron.”

“A small force, Your Highness…?”

“It won’t be much, but we must do whatever we can.”

Ethan seemed to ponder for a moment, then continued.

“Send at least one company behind them to Saleron. I will try to divert my brother’s attention elsewhere.”

Boom!

Adolf knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

Even one more company would still fall short, but Adolf knew this move could be their only hope, and that Prince Ethan was risking great danger to carry it out.

“Your servant, Adolf, will follow your command, Your Highness!”

Ethan nodded with a firm expression and asked.

“Then who should we send in that company?”

It would be a special force heading to Saleron, which could be a death trap.

They needed to be extremely cautious.

Adolf, still bowing his head, pondered Ethan’s question.

Many companies in his legion came to mind, but one name flashed through his mind.

“Eagle Company. I will send Eagle Company.”

“Eagle Company?”

“Yes. They recently achieved a major victory against the ambushing invaders in the Pellon Gorge.”

“A major victory against an ambush. That’s quite an accomplishment.”

“It was a situation where annihilation wouldn’t have been surprising. Yet, they returned with almost no casualties.”

Adolf’s eyes were serious.

It was not just their skills, but the improbable success of their mission that made him say,

“I believe they are blessed with good fortune.”

“If they return victorious, I will grant them the highest reward I can.”

“Yes, if they return alive…”

Adolf’s voice, filled with determination, carried an unhidden bitterness.

* * *

The power struggle within the kingdom was intense.

But this was too much.

“Sigh…”

Raymond, the captain of Eagle Company, sighed deeply as he read the letter before him.

It was a secret order from the 5th Legion commander, Adolf.

“The 2nd Battalion heads to Saleron, and we are to depart first.”

There was no time.

According to the letter, even if the 2nd Battalion’s departure was delayed, they had only two or three days at most.

To meet the deadline, they had to depart by tomorrow at the latest.

‘But…’

This was effectively sending the soldiers to their deaths.

If they followed this plan, they wouldn’t even enter the fortress but face the invaders outside.

“Surviving the Pellon Gorge has become a curse.”

Of course, if they succeeded, they would gain unparalleled recognition.

Perhaps this mission could even slightly alter the power dynamics among the princes.

‘Our fate depends on the strings we pull.’

But such thoughts were for politicians, not soldiers like him.

What was there to argue about a decision already made?

Raymond stood up, left his office, and addressed the soldier outside.

“Call all the platoon leaders. We will hold an emergency meeting.”

* * *

The situation had changed.

Originally part of the 3rd Battalion, Eagle Company received an independent mission.

Informed by Tyler, Lian gathered his squad members with a serious expression.

“This could be very dangerous. Everyone needs to be alert.”

“When do we depart?”

“At dawn tomorrow. Supplies will follow later, but we leave first.”

“Is it right to proceed so suddenly…?”

Isaac cautiously voiced his opinion.

The sudden progression felt unsettling.

But Isaac wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy.

Already tense about heading to Saleron, this sudden change only heightened their anxiety.

“We have no choice. Captain Raymond seems to be considering many things. We must prepare to depart as ordered.”

“…Yes.”

“Understood.”

“But… where are we going exactly?”

Brent asked.

The distance to Saleron was significant, and there were several possible routes.

Lian shook his head.

“They haven’t decided yet. They said they’d inform us by tonight, so let’s wait a bit.”

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“This is frustrating.”

While Lian understood the concerns of his squad members, this atmosphere was problematic from the start.

Lian looked at his squad and said, “Don’t entertain such thoughts. Groundless ideas only breed anxiety. Just focus on what’s right in front of us.”

Shortly after,

“The platoon leader is calling all squad leaders.”

Had a decision finally been made?

There was a standard route to Saleron, but taking that would mean they couldn’t reach Saleron before the 2nd Battalion, rendering the initial strategy pointless.

‘He must be wrestling with this decision.’

Despite being a smaller force compared to a battalion, moving a company of three hundred men required a considerable path, even if taking a mountain trail.

Lian headed towards Tyler, contemplating various scenarios related to Saleron.

“Let’s get straight to the point as we are pressed for time.”

Once all the squad leaders had gathered, Tyler spread a map on the table and placed a wooden marker with a flag.

“We must complete all preparations by 2 AM tomorrow and head straight north, first aiming for Toleo. We will rest and resupply there, then bypass Mount Lontion to reach Lecapolis. The further itinerary is still being planned, but for now, our primary goal is to reach Lecapolis as quickly as possible.”

“From Toleo to Lecapolis…”

Lian scrutinized the map, feeling something was oddly out of place.

“Tyler, wouldn’t this route take us around the Isis River?”

To reach Saleron, they had to cross the Isis River, a long river running through the northern part of the kingdom. While narrow, its length required using boats.

Lian had assumed they’d use boats to cross the Isis River, but…

Tyler sighed at Lian’s question.

“The captain has been struggling with that. The river currents have become too strong recently, making it impossible to deploy transport boats.”

Without transport boats, there was no way for three hundred soldiers to cross the river, as it was relatively deep despite some variations in depth.

But suddenly,

“We can cross it.”

“What?”

“What do you mean…?”

Everyone looked at Lian as he murmured.

“Cross the Isis River? What are you saying?”

“There is a way to cross it! Certain parts of the river are very shallow. If we utilize those areas well, the entire company can make it across!”

Lian couldn’t hide his excitement as he spoke.

‘There was a place near the upstream thunder tree where the depth was only waist-high.’

That memory stood out to Lian because of a battle led by Claire, who wiped out five hundred enemies with only fifty soldiers by crossing the Isis River.

This battle had elevated Claire from a minor officer to a centurion and eventually to the first female general in history.

‘A soldier from the area had shown Claire that path.’

Though Lian had never crossed it himself, the event had left a vivid impression on him.

Tyler asked Lian, who was examining the map.

“Lian, are you sure there’s a way to cross the Isis River?”

“Yes, there is.”

“Alright, follow me. We’re going to the captain.”

Tyler, seeming to have made a decision, took Lian to Raymond.

Knock, knock.

“Captain, it’s Tyler.”

“Come in.”

Raymond, seeing Tyler and Lian, asked curiously,

“What’s going on?”

“Sorry for the sudden intrusion, but Lian says he knows a way to cross the Isis River.”

“What?”

Raymond’s expression hardened at Tyler’s words, realizing the significance.

He looked at Lian and asked,

“Is that true?”

“Yes. If we go upstream, there is a spot about two-thirds of the way along the river marked by an old tree. There’s a special path used by the locals there.”

Lian pointed to his waist.

“The water only comes up to the waist. With a thick rope on the opposite side, we can make it across.”

Raymond fell silent.

It was a risky operation.

Choosing this route would significantly shorten their travel time, but failure could cost them at least two or three extra days.

‘However…’

Raymond bit his lip.

He hadn’t informed the squad leaders, but the mission’s success hinged on how quickly they reached Saleron to set up an ambush. Even a delay of a few hours could decide the fate of the entire company.

Raymond looked at Lian.

‘This is the soldier who spotted the ambush at Pellon Gorge…’

But he couldn’t risk the company’s fate on an uncertainty.

Raymond, after a moment of contemplation, spoke to Lian.

“Very well, Lian. You will depart immediately for that location. If a small group moves ahead, you can arrive much faster.”

Raymond pointed to the map near the Isis River.

“When we reach this point, if you’ve found a way across, we’ll follow. If not, we’ll take the planned route around the river.”

This was Raymond’s best possible plan, considering all scenarios.

“How should we communicate? If you give me a specific time, I will signal with a flare.”

“Alright. We will be in the Deltian Forest four days from now, at dawn. If we do not see a flare before sunrise, we will continue with the original plan. If you find the crossing, we will head there.”

They would need daylight to cross, making the timeline tight but feasible.

“I will make it happen.”