Chapter 21: Awareness (3)
Chapter 21: Awareness (3)
It had been about a week since Ariel completed her training as a cadet. The sky was overcast with translucent gray clouds, as if ink had been diluted with water, a gloomy, overcast day.
The magic division Ariel belonged to had received its first deployment order. Their mission: eliminating the giants that roamed the Rem Mountain Range to the east of the northern border garrison. It was part of the routine giant extermination operations conducted in the northern border region.
For this operation, five magic divisions and five regular divisions, ten in total, had been dispatched, comprising approximately seven hundred troops. Ariel’s division was among them.
The soldiers bound for the Rem Mountain Range assembled at the entrance of the base under their superiors’ command. There, each regular division was temporarily paired with a magic division, forming five larger units.
Upon arrival at the mountains, they would be assigned their respective routes before heading to an open field designated as the eastern airstrip. When they reached their destination, they collectively gasped as if rehearsed at the sight of the commander waiting for them.
Standing with his back to a massive airship was none other than…
“Sir Jin Kreutz?”
Someone murmured in a dazed voice. It was barely audible, yet every soldier present heard it.
As if responding to the name, his pristine silver hair, reminiscent of winter snow, stirred faintly in the wind. It was a color unmistakable to any citizen of Dantella.
Though a Grand Mage, Jin was clad in full military combat gear like an ordinary soldier. A gun was holstered at his waist, and a greatsword rested on his back. He stood like a sculpted monument, his face an impassive mask. Despite being alone, his sheer presence overwhelmed the seven hundred troops standing before him.
Amidst the suffocating tension, their commanding officer’s voice rang through their ears like a hammer driving in a stake.
“The commanding officer for this Rem Mountain Range operation is Sir Jin Kreutz! May you all return safely!”
With that, he saluted Jin with impeccable precision and took his leave. At those final words, every sound vanished, leaving only the wind. In the heavy silence, Jin’s lips parted.
“The most important thing, as always, is survival. Never hesitate to kill. No matter the situation, your top priority is the complete annihilation of the enemy. Keep that in mind. Conduct final equipment checks and confirm your emergency signal flares.”
His voice was even and devoid of emotion, not particularly loud, yet it resonated clearly in the hushed atmosphere.
At his firm directive, the soldiers moved mechanically to inspect their gear. Mages checked their spellcasting parchments and pens. Close-combat soldiers examined their weapons and shields. Ranged units ensured their firearms and magazines were in order, while artillery troops counted their rounds. Finally, everyone verified the emergency signal flares tucked into their uniform pockets.
Among them, Ariel was relatively at ease. Her weapon, Rayner, was already in her hands, leaving only the quick check of the flare in her vest pocket. The moment she confirmed her gear was in order, a flood of thoughts crashed into her mind, stirring a storm of confusion. While the air around her was thick with tension, she alone felt detached, adrift in a whirlwind of emotions.
Her gaze found Jin’s golden eyes. He, too, had been staring at her, unwavering since the moment he spotted her. The distance made his expression difficult to discern, yet his gaze seemed to say, I’m here because of you.
“As long as I’m here, as long as you keep your wits about you, no one will be harmed.”
Jin’s words were meant for everyone, yet Ariel felt they were meant for her alone.
As she stared at him, an unconfirmed suspicion within her threatened to bloom into certainty. Along with it, the memory of her deceased brother surfaced once more.
‘What did you do to my brother to make you act this way toward me?’
The weight of that unresolved question loomed so large that, even on the brink of battle, it threatened to consume her. She felt herself being pulled into the abyss of his golden gaze – a deep, unfathomable sea of gold, dragging her down endlessly, separating her from reality.
[Pull yourself together. Weren’t you the one who claimed you weren’t weak enough to lose yourself in thought on a battlefield where lives are at stake?]
Rayner’s voice scraped through her mind like grinding steel, yanking her consciousness back before she could plunge too deep.
“…Ah.”
Lives at stake.
That phrase snapped Ariel back to full awareness.
At the very least, while standing on the battlefield, she couldn’t afford to let personal emotions cloud her judgment. This wasn’t just any place. This was a war zone where even a single misstep could cost lives.
Once lost, a life could never be reclaimed. Ariel knew this truth painfully well, having lost too many precious people before. She wouldn’t have cared if it was just her own life at risk as she had no particular will to live. But she wasn’t alone. She was the core of her unit. The lives of twenty teammates depended on her ability to think clearly. If she lost focus, it wouldn’t just be her death. It would put all twenty of them in jeopardy.
The weight of life was heavy. And Ariel, who knew that weight all too well, forced herself to reclaim her composure. She tore her gaze away from Jin, the focal point of her turmoil.
Ariel made a firm decision. No matter what, during battle, I will never let him affect me.
* * *
The ten divisions under Jin Kreutz’s command followed him in formation. However, instead of moving toward the base’s inland border gate, they headed for the gate leading outside the national borders.
At the northernmost edge of Dantella’s territory stood the Rem Mountain Range. The barrier guarding it was far thicker and sturdier than the wire fences inside the base, reinforced with layers of magical security.
Beyond the towering steel mesh, the colossal peaks of the mountain range loomed, their grandeur unmistakable. At the center of the barrier stood an iron-barred gate, flanked by two armed guards.
Having spotted Jin’s approach from afar, the guards snapped into a disciplined salute the moment he was within range.
“May you return safely!”
That brief phrase branded into every soldier’s mind the stark reality of their deployment. Especially for those embarking on their first mission, the weight of those words settled heavily.
Creeeak.
With an eerie groan, the massive iron gate swung open.
* * *
The moment they crossed the border, it was as if they had entered an entirely different world.
Dark blue, viscous liquid, presumably blood, was splattered across the ground in uneven patches. Among the pools of blue, the corpses of earth-colored giants lay scattered like broken dolls, each at least three or four times the size of a human. Soldiers moved among them, severing heads from bodies to collect as proof of extermination.
Further ahead, squads stationed at the outpost engaged approaching giants, striking them down one by one.
“…This is nerve-wracking.”
As he took in the scene, Xenon muttered under his breath, trembling.
“Just treat it like training. Giants aren’t all that different from the dummies we practiced with. It’s not as gruesome as you think. Besides, unlike before, we now have more mages in our ranks, so this operation will be even safer.”
Lombard, the oldest member of their team, responded matter-of-factly as he walked alongside him.
“How do you know that?”
“I served in the southern garrison’s magic division until three years ago. Had to leave due to an injury, but I re-enlisted for this mission.”
He raised his metal prosthetic hand, clenching and unclenching his fist. Since he was the only one in their unit with combat experience, the others quickly grew interested.
“How long did you serve?”
“Started as soon as I became an adult. About ten years.”
“Wow, ten years… I figured you were calm, but I thought it was just because you were older.”
“Well, age does play a role.”
“I’ve been curious. How do you handle weapons with that arm? It must be difficult without sensation.”
“You get used to it. If anything, it might be better for fighting. I can punch without feeling pain.”
“…Can I ask how you got that injury?”
“…”
His mouth, which had been answering without hesitation, suddenly fell silent. His gaze, which had been fixed ahead, flickered downward to his prosthetic hand and lingered there. His lips parted as if to speak, then closed again. After hesitating for a moment, he finally seemed to make up his mind and carefully opened his mouth.
“…I’ve never faced these newly emerging magic-wielding giants, so I can’t say for sure. But in truth, hunting giants isn’t particularly dangerous. There’s a reason it’s called a ‘subjugation’ and not a ‘war.’ The real problem isn’t the enemy. It’s the allies who could become enemies at any moment.”
His words seemed completely unrelated to the conversation they had just been having. Even if taken as a separate topic, they made little sense.
Everyone frowned in confusion, failing to grasp his meaning.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“The Black Clouds.”
Ariel flinched. It was a familiar term.
A long-buried memory, one she hadn’t even realized had been forgotten, suddenly surfaced.
