The Genius Archer Who Became a One-Man Army

Chapter 5

Nearly all the soldiers in the Kingdom of Artian use spears. It’s not because they are particularly good with them. Spears are the most ‘efficient’ weapon for inexperienced soldiers to use in war. The spear’s long reach allows soldiers to strike from a distance, which is a significant advantage for those not yet adept in battle.

However, not all soldiers use only spears. Those who learned swordsmanship in the academy or training grounds might start with a sword and shield. But archery is a different story. Archery is neither efficient for soldiers to use nor easy to master compared to spears and swords. Joining an archery unit to shoot at a specific point is one thing, but accurately hitting distant targets requires a long-trained professional archer.

“A bow… really?”

“Yes, I have been shooting since childhood. I am more comfortable with a bow than a spear.”

“I didn’t hear anything about that…”

“I apologize, I was so nervous that I forgot to mention it.”

At Lian’s words, Bark showed a slightly dubious expression. However, it wasn’t against regulations, nor was it a difficult task.

“Wait here.”

Bark quickly ran to Derek. To receive weapon supplies, one needs a superior’s command. Bark returned shortly after.

“Take this and go to the supply unit at the back. They will give you a bow. Just in case, carry a spear with you.”

“Yes, thank you!”

Lian headed to the rear supply unit with the paper Bark had given him. The officer managing the supplies looked surprised when shown the paper.

“A bow? What a peculiar fellow. Wait here.”

He soon returned with a regular bow and a quiver of arrows.

“Will this suffice?”

“Could you also provide a glove for the left hand to protect my wrist?”

“Oh, that.”

A protective glove is necessary because the bowstring can hit the wrist when shooting. After donning the glove, Lian thanked the supply officer politely and turned to leave.

‘Yes… this is it.’

Unlike holding a spear, the bow felt just right in his hands. Lian lightly plucked the bowstring, satisfied with its condition.

‘Fifteen arrows.’

The number of arrows wasn’t plentiful, but it was enough. Lian strapped the quiver to his right hip, held the bow in his left hand, and swiftly headed to his position.

“Our 3rd platoon will quickly flank to the right of the canyon and hit the enemy from behind. Clench your teeth and follow, we’re climbing a steep hill!”

It was the place Lian had scouted earlier. Hearing about the climb up the right canyon, Tauran, the reconnaissance leader, winced.

‘We’re going there again…?’

His legs were still trembling from before, and now they had to climb it again. At that moment, Platoon Leader Derek approached Tauran.

“Tauran, you went there on a reconnaissance mission, right?”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

“Then you’ve been there once, guide our platoon through the route.”

“Yes? Ah…”

Tauran’s eyes wavered. He was exhausted, and truthfully, he only followed Lian’s back and didn’t know the exact path.

‘I can’t say a rookie guided me…’

He feared losing the merit gained from the reconnaissance mission. Hesitant and unsure, Tauran couldn’t respond.

“Platoon Leader, may I assist Tauran Squad Leader in guiding the way?”

“What?”

Derek asked, looking at Lian who had approached. Lian looked at Tauran and spoke.

“I’ve been there once, so I can assist in guiding the way. If given the chance, I will support Tauran Squad Leader.”

“…”

His voice was quite assertive for a rookie. Giving a rookie such a task seemed unreasonable. However, Derek recalled Company Commander Raymond’s words to give Lian a chance whenever possible.

“…Fine. But other squad leaders will accompany you, so guide us without any rashness.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Derek began leading the platoon. They had to move out.

“Once we reach the big rock, turn right and keep climbing.”

“…”

Tauran nodded, listening to Lian’s whispers. Then,

“Thank you. The merit of discovering the enemy belongs to you, but you’re sharing it.”

Tauran felt there might not be another chance to speak, so he told Lian. Lian smiled softly and shook his head.

“We are comrades. Thank me when we survive.”

“What an odd fellow.”

He didn’t seem like a real rookie. Tauran looked at Lian incredulously but then Derek’s command rang out. It was time to depart.

“Don’t dawdle! Follow tightly, if you fall behind, you die, and so do your comrades!”

“Stay alert!”

“Yes!”

As they started moving, the squad leaders’ shouts resounded. Lian, running alongside Tauran at the front, felt his heart racing.

‘This feeling…’

To catch up to the main unit and strike the enemy’s rear, speed was crucial.

“If we take the shortest path, it will be hard, but we’ll get there the fastest.”

“What? Wasn’t that path already tough?”

“That was a gentler slope.”

“Damn it.”

Tauran cursed, but he knew speed was critical for the upcoming operation. Tauran nodded, and Lian, running, whispered directions.

Tauran still needed to appear as the guide.

“Turn left there. It’s steep, so you’ll have to climb using your hands.”

“Damn!”

The steep incline was almost like the ground rising. The following soldiers groaned.

“Keep up! Just follow the person in front!”

The only sound heard alongside the squad leaders’ shouts was the clinking of canteens strapped to the soldiers’ waists. The terrain was uneven, and the incline steep, forcing the soldiers who had gripped their spears with both hands to now hold their spears with one hand while using the other to stabilize themselves on the ground.

The path they took was the shortest but also the roughest. Lian gritted his teeth and slung his bow over his shoulder with his left hand.

“Tauran, once we get over this hill, it’s mostly flat ground. Just keep running straight.”

“What? Hey!”

“I’ll go ahead and help.”

With those words, Lian began scrambling up the hill almost on all fours. Reaching the top quickly, he extended his hand to the approaching Tauran.

“Grab on!”

The final slope was steep with protruding rocks, demanding significant energy. Anyone who has climbed a mountain knows the difference between climbing with and without something to hold onto. When Lian extended his hand, Tauran grabbed it, and Lian pulled him up with all his might.

“Now just run straight this way. We won’t be detected by the enemy until we hit a downhill.”

“You, survive. We need to talk after this.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Tauran started running first. Lian immediately turned back, extending his hand to the soldiers following behind.

“Grab on!”

Lian pulled them up as if rescuing them from water. By the seventh soldier, he pulled up Platoon Leader Derek, who quickly placed two strong soldiers in position.

“Rookie, follow Tauran immediately. Mark! Polson! Help the others and follow us quickly!”

Though his breath was short and his breathing rough, Derek gave precise orders. Soon, all fifty platoon members had climbed to the top of the canyon and were running to the end. They had managed this in less than an hour, running desperately the whole way.

Reaching the end of the canyon, Derek gathered his platoon and halted. This point was just shy of where they could encounter the enemy at any moment. It was the last safe spot to rest.

“Eat all your food and drink your water. This will be your last rest and meal.”

Derek’s words were quickly relayed by the squad leaders to their members. The soldiers, relieved to be alive, dropped to the ground, devouring their water and jerky.

While chewing on jerky, Lian didn’t forget to stay vigilant. Although Derek had deemed the area safe, one never knows what could happen on a battlefield. He shoved the jerky into his mouth and drank water, all the while scanning the surroundings with his eyes.

Derek observed Lian intently. Had there ever been a rookie like this?

After about ten minutes of rest, just as his shaky legs began to steady, Derek addressed the platoon.

“Once the signal flare goes up, we move. We don’t know the exact number of enemies, nor can we be sure all the enemies are in the canyon.”

Derek looked at his platoon. There’s nothing scarier than a hastily executed plan on the battlefield. It might fail, but they couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

“Kill every enemy you see. Survive and regroup.”

Derek had a rather romantic notion of battle. Lian smiled slightly at his words. Usually, such leaders die first in battle. But,

‘Not bad at all.’

He was a commander worth fighting alongside.

“Our next rest stop is the village of Baroen, known for its barley beer. Can we drink Derek’s treat if we survive?”

It was Bark, the 4th squad leader. Everyone’s eyes turned to Derek. Derek chuckled and replied,

“I’ll let you drink all night.”

There was no cheer, but everyone looked at him with determined eyes. They were resolved to survive. Soon, the entire platoon fell silent, watching the canyon below. As the surroundings grew quiet, only the pounding of their hearts echoed in their ears.

Fiiiiii-

A shrill sound accompanied the signal flare as it shot up, emitting smoke.

“Waaaaah-!”

“Kill-!”

The sounds of battle echoed from the center of the canyon.

“Let’s go!”

With a loud shout, Derek began running towards the rear of the canyon.

“Waaaaah!”

“Enemy! The horde!”

Even before reaching the bottom of the canyon, they saw the waiting horde, as if expecting them.

“Kill them all!”

Through the chaos, an arrow shot out.