The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 61

“……Hoo.”

Damian let out a small breath as he stepped outside.

His first meeting with Kiaran, the 6th Legion Commander.

It was an encounter so intense that it was impossible to forget.

‘Could it be… that someone like her existed even back then?’

No, perhaps there were more like her.

But one thing was clear: Kiaran hadn’t reached that position simply because of her status.

‘The first female general in the kingdom, they said….’

In fact, the rumors seemed to understate her.

For most, just standing before her would make it difficult to even open their mouths.

“Hey, deputy commander. Did you just see the legion commander?”

“What kind of person was she?”

Upon returning to the barracks, the soldiers questioned Damian.

They had only seen Kiaran briefly when she stepped out of the carriage and entered the reception room.

Damian glanced at Jerka at their questions.

“What? Why are you looking at me?”

“If you stood in front of the commander, you wouldn’t even be able to open your mouth. You’d be overwhelmed by her presence.”

“What do you mean! I have a strong spirit, you know!”

Jerka protested fiercely.

But Dianal, who was beside him, burst into a small laugh.

“This guy may act like a troublemaker, but surprisingly, he has a soft heart. He’s like a little girl.”

“Heh, it seems like you’ve got Jerka figured out, Dianal,” said Terka, Jerka’s twin brother.

Jerka shouted angrily at the back-and-forth between Dianal and Terka.

“You both want to get beaten up, huh?!”

But at that moment.

Bang.

“Glory to the kingdom!”

Kiaran and Vincent suddenly entered the barracks.

Damian, who was sitting, sprang to his feet and saluted.

Kiaran nodded slightly and looked at the Caion troops present.

Swoosh.

Each time Kiaran made eye contact with a soldier, they flinched.

The moment they met her gaze, it felt like standing before a giant predator.

Kiaran looked at the stiffened soldiers and spoke.

“I’ve heard about your contributions. You’ve all been through a lot due to the sudden support.”

“It’s nothing; we were just doing our duty.”

“N-No, not at all!”

After Damian’s response, the others stuttered one by one.

Kiaran smirked at the sight and said.

“I expect great performances from you all in the future.”

With a small word of encouragement, Kiaran turned and left the barracks.

Vincent saluted Kiaran as she walked away, but she didn’t even glance his way, waving her hand dismissively as she departed.

A short but powerful presence.

And once she left.

“Wow…”

“It felt like I couldn’t even breathe.”

“I get why the deputy commander said what he did.”

Everyone shared their impressions of meeting Kiaran. And then.

“Hahaha! Did you see Jerka earlier? He was completely frozen!”

Kyle laughed loudly at Jerka, whose face turned bright red.

“Do you want to die?”

Jerka looked ready to draw his sword at any moment, but Kyle grinned and said.

“Bring it on. I’ll turn you into mush.”

“Both of you, cut it out. We’ll pack up and head back to the unit today.”

Vincent intervened, looking at the two with a troubled expression.

Damian asked Vincent, sensing he had something on his mind.

“Was the meeting successful?”

“…Yeah.”

Damian wanted to ask what the meeting was about, but he couldn’t bring himself to.

Soon, the Caion unit started packing up swiftly.

Everything here was finished.

The support mission had been much tougher than expected.

‘Everyone had quite an experience.’

At the very least, those present here would have grown several steps beyond where they were before.

And then…

“Let’s go back.”

“Yes!”

Vincent’s gaze on the soldiers seemed conflicted.

Thus, the Caion unit returned to the Valphate headquarters.

* * *

Back at the unit, Damian headed to the barracks’ bathhouse with the other squad leaders who had gone on the support mission.

The events at the 3rd Branch Border Guard felt almost unreal.

“Hey, look at this scar. I got it while taking on two enemies at once… It’s a mark of glory.”

“Make sure to disinfect it properly after washing. Don’t take minor injuries lightly, or you’ll have problems later.”

Damian said to Jerka, who just chuckled.

“Haha, this little scar is nothing. Don’t worry.”

But then.

Slap!

“Argh!”

Terka slapped Jerka’s injured spot, making him scream.

Terka said.

“Just say ‘yes’ to the deputy commander. Don’t let it get worse and cause trouble later.”

“You little…!”

“By the way, deputy commander, where is the commander?”

“I think he’s meeting with the instructor alone as soon as we get back.”

Damian said as he soaked in the hot communal bath, feeling the fatigue of the past few days melt away.

“Did you guys notice anything strange? The atmosphere felt different than usual.”

“I felt it too. He’s been quieter than usual since we got back.”

Dianal chimed in.

Vincent had indeed seemed different after his meeting with the legion commander.

“Well… I don’t know why either. But if it’s something important, he’ll tell us soon. Let’s just act like we don’t know for now.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

At their responses, Damian quietly added, “For now, set aside any complicated thoughts and just relax. Who knows when we’ll get another chance to rest like this.”

Now that they have returned, training will resume tomorrow.

It was the infamous training of Leonhark.

It might even be so grueling that they would long for the real battles again.

Damian simply let his body go limp, allowing his fatigue to melt away.

Meanwhile, at the same time…

“What’s the matter?”

“I have something to discuss.”

Upon returning to the unit, Vincent immediately called for Leonhark.

Leonhark, noticing Vincent’s urgency, tilted his head curiously.

Once inside the office, Vincent spoke to Leonhark.

“A major incident occurred during the recent support mission.”

Vincent began recounting the events that took place at the 3rd Branch Border Guard.

Leonhark’s expression gradually hardened as he listened.

“…This is a serious situation.”

Leonhark, who was quick to judge and highly sensitive to geopolitical matters, swiftly grasped the gravity of the situation, especially considering the recent attack by the Spanian Kingdom and its implications on the continental balance.

Vincent nodded.

“But amidst it all, Damian performed remarkably.”

“I knew from the beginning he was no ordinary recruit. I even recommended him to the knight order back at the academy.”

Vincent knew that Damian had declined that recommendation.

He had recognized Damian’s potential early on, but never imagined he would demonstrate such extraordinary capabilities.

“So… although it might be a bit early, I’ve submitted a proposal to the legion commander.”

“A proposal? What kind of proposal?”

Leonhark looked thoughtful as Vincent hesitated momentarily.

“You’re aware that I’m currently serving as the acting commander of the Caion Unit, correct?”

“Yes, I’m aware. And I also know the purpose behind the formation of this Caion Unit.”

The deteriorating geopolitical situation due to the Empire’s recent movements had led to the creation of a special unit ready to deploy at a moment’s notice when combat erupted.

Though technically under the 6th Legion, the Caion Unit was structured as an independent command, separate from the usual chain of command within companies or divisions.

Vincent was acting as the temporary commander until the unit was fully operational.

However…

“I’ve requested for Damian to be appointed as the commander of the Caion Unit.”

“…!”

Leonhark’s usually composed eyes wavered slightly.

He wasn’t easily shaken by most things.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Vincent’s words were bold, even by Leonhark’s standards.

Leonhark fell silent.

After a moment, he finally spoke.

“What was the legion commander’s response?”

Vincent recalled the conversation he had with the commander.

* * *

“Denied.”

“….”

Kiaran’s curt reply left Vincent speechless.

She let out a small sigh at his reaction.

“What, already bored of it? Or do you really think that a rookie is commander material?”

“…Yes, I do.”

Kiaran looked at him seriously and asked, “The unit was only just formed. How can you be so sure when you barely know him?”

It was a reasonable doubt.

The Caion Unit had been established for less than a month, and only a few operations had taken place in that short time.

Yet Vincent had decided on someone to lead at the commander level—a private with less than two years of service.

But Vincent responded without hesitation.

“I may not have known him for long, but my opinion of him remains unchanged, and I’m confident in it.”

Vincent recalled the first time he saw Damian during a test.

His spear skills were extraordinary, taking down elite knights of the Monster Knights as if it were nothing.

But it wasn’t just his skills with the spear that had caught Vincent’s attention.

Most soldiers, no matter how well-trained, freeze up in actual combat situations. Even those who don’t are rarely able to utilize their full potential.

“But he was different.”

The way Damian climbed the wall to repel enemies and command the other soldiers remained vividly in his mind.

Moreover…

“Who could have thought of assembling a small strike team to target the enemy’s rear like he did?”

And he had volunteered to lead the mission himself.

“Most soldiers would have been too scared to even step outside the base.”

The moment they faced the enemy, they knew death was a real possibility.

That’s what the fear of death does—it clouds judgment and paralyzes the body.

“In the short time I’ve seen Private Damian, he’s proven to be entirely unlike a typical soldier.”

And…

His gaze felt almost identical to that of the legion commander.

Vincent swallowed the latter part of his words, knowing it might come across as an insult to a commander who had clawed her way up through deadly circumstances.

“…Hoo.”

Kiaran let out a sigh, her emotions complicated by Vincent’s statement.

Vincent was a capable officer, trusted enough to be given command of the critical Caion Unit.

‘I thought it would take at least a year.’

But it had only been a month.

Vincent had already found someone he deemed worthy in that short span of time.

Rather than doubt, curiosity now sparked in Kiaran’s mind.

Just how exceptional must this person be for Vincent to speak of him this way?

After a brief pause, Kiaran spoke to Vincent.

“Alright, how about we do this?”

“What do you propose?”

“Send him to Makstri. Let him take charge of a small unit there, and if he shows results, we’ll appoint him as the commander of the Caion Unit.”

“…Makstri?”

Vincent’s expression faltered for a moment.

“Commander, that place is…”

But Kiaran, having already made her decision, looked at Vincent and said.

“Let’s see if he truly has what it takes.”

If he could survive there, it would prove his worth.

Vincent could only look at her in silence.