The Genius Archer Who Became a One-Man Army

Chapter 36

“When is it starting?”

“Geez, hurry up and start already. I don’t think it’s going to be anything special.”

The applicants waiting outside the training ground grumbled thanks to Arrowhead’s support.

Some had considerable military experience, while others were quite young boys.

Though their thoughts differed, those who were complaining seemed to have similar sentiments.

“Hehe, I heard the deputy commander here is only 14?”

“They say the deputy commander is 13. Is this a military unit or a kid’s war game?”

“Let’s just let Galtor take over and command. After becoming deputy commander, who would be scared of a 14-year-old commander?”

“That’s right. We all support Galtor. If that 14-year-old tries to act tough, we’ll just ignore him.”

Galtor was a veteran squad leader who had been in the military for over ten years.

Although his rank was that of a squad leader, it wouldn’t be wrong to consider him at the platoon leader level.

He remained a squad leader due to incidents of insubordination and various other issues.

‘This is my definite chance to rise.’

If he could enter Arrowhead as the deputy commander with his squad, he could establish a solid faction within the unit.

‘After that, I can expand my influence and make the unit more under my control than the commander’s.’

If he succeeded, he would essentially be the one running Arrowhead.

“Hehehe, let’s get started already.”

The long-awaited interview began.

It was nothing grand. It consisted of a simple test of one’s specialty and questions about why they wanted to join Arrowhead.

Those without any special skills performed basic kingdom spear techniques.

After about ten people had finished their interviews and left, Galtor’s name was called.

“Good luck, squad leader!”

“Go and smash it!”

With his squad’s cheers, Galtor entered the training ground.

“I’m Galtor from the 4th Corps.”

“Hmm, you have considerable military experience. Why do you want to join Arrowhead?”

“Because my experience is needed in Arrowhead.”

“…?”

Lian, who was looking at the application form, glanced up at him.

Brent, standing next to him, looked at Galtor with an incredulous expression.

But Galtor had no intention of hiding his thoughts.

‘Tsk, all these guys are worthless.’

There were some scrawny ones who barely reached his chest,

‘That guy looks like he could be strong.’

Some seemed somewhat capable, but battle isn’t just about strength.

True strength comes from the combination of experience and skill.

From that perspective, Galtor believed, ‘There is no one here better than me.’

Galtor spoke.

“If I join Arrowhead, I can fill many gaps, especially in tactics and combat power. If my squad members join, we can also mitigate initial coordination issues.”

He looked at those around Lian and asked,

“Who is the deputy commander here?”

“Why do you ask?”

“If I join Arrowhead, I want to be the deputy commander. The deputy commander should be strong and experienced to support the commander closely.”

Lian’s expression hardened at Galtor’s words.

Isaac, standing next to him, began to emit a cold aura.

Lian spoke to Galtor.

“Don’t you think that statement is quite rude?”

“But for the sake of creating a strong unit, I think it’s necessary. Growing pains are unavoidable for growth.”

Lian nodded slightly at the smirking Galtor.

“Experience and strength. Important, indeed. But can you confidently say you’re stronger than the current deputy commander?”

“I can prove it here, can’t I? Surely the deputy commander of a unit isn’t afraid of a challenge, right?”

“….”

Lian looked at Isaac.

Isaac was already exuding a fierce fighting spirit, ready to fight at any moment.

Lian then spoke to Brent.

“Brent.”

“Understood.”

Brent walked out of the training ground where the applicants were waiting.

Galtor looked puzzled as Brent left, and soon over twenty applicants followed Brent into the training ground.

Galtor frowned slightly and looked at Lian.

“What’s going on?”

“These applicants all want to be the deputy commander. Isn’t that right?”

Ignoring Galtor’s question, Lian addressed the applicants lined up.

“If anyone is here by mistake, you can leave now. I’ll ask again. Are all of you here aiming for the deputy commander or similar leadership positions in Arrowhead?”

“That’s right.”

At someone’s answer, everyone looked at each other warily.

None had expected this many people to have the same goal.

But Lian didn’t seem to care as he spoke softly.

“Isaac.”

“Yes, commander.”

“These are the people aiming for your position. Prove yourself.”

“I will follow your orders.”

Though his tone was formal, his voice was calm, making those who knew Isaac even more uneasy.

‘He’s really angry.’

‘That guy… his eyes have changed.’

‘Dear God, your foolish lambs are about to ascend.’

The squad members sensed the tense atmosphere.

Isaac picked up two wooden swords and stepped onto the training ground, and Lian spoke to Galtor.

“Pick your weapon and step up.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Galtor stepped onto the training ground and glanced at Lian before speaking.

“But what happens if I defeat the current deputy commander? Do I have to fight all these applicants afterward?”

“There’s no need for that. Whoever defeats Isaac first will become the deputy commander.”

“What?”

“That’s not fair!”

The applicants protested loudly from below the training ground.

Isaac looked weak, like he got the position through connections.

In this situation, Galtor would have the advantage by fighting first.

At that moment,

“Quiet!”

Lian’s voice, imbued with magic, boomed out.

The immense shout made the inside of the training ground go beyond silent to eerily still, as if thunder had struck. The applicants who had been yelling moments ago stood with their mouths agape, unable to utter a sound.

“Any complaints can wait until after the first match. For now, you should focus on watching Isaac’s every move.”

Lian then looked at Brent.

Brent stepped onto the training ground and positioned himself between Isaac and Galtor.

“The match ends when one is unable to continue fighting or surrenders. Since it’s a match, attacks to the eyes or groin are prohibited.”

He then looked at Isaac and Galtor.

Both nodded their heads.

“Let’s get started already,” Galtor said with a smirk. Brent stepped back and softly said,

“Begin.”

“Hehehe, don’t take it too hard. After all, when I become the deputy commander, we’ll be comrades.”

“…”

“So, I’ll go easy on you… Watch out!”

Swish!

In an instant, Galtor lunged forward, swinging his sword at Isaac. The horizontal slash was both quick and clean.

It was enough to instill some confidence, but—

“…Huh?”

As Galtor swung his sword, Isaac vanished from his sight.

Galtor turned his head, bewildered. Where had that kid gone?

Before he could even turn his head twice,

Thud!

“Argh!”

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck the back of Galtor’s left knee, causing him to scream and collapse to the ground.

His leg had gone limp as if it had disappeared.

“Seems your skill doesn’t match your confidence.”

“Wha—”

Galtor mumbled, hearing a voice behind him. But before he could finish his sentence, thud!

A wooden sword struck his temple with a dull sound.

“…”

Once again, silence engulfed the training ground.

Galtor, unable to rise, lay on the ground, trembling.

Isaac glanced at the completely unconscious Galtor, then looked at the remaining applicants and spoke softly,

“Next.”

—

Telfon, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, was interested in the Arrowhead unit formed from his battalion.

Specifically, it was the face that came to his mind.

“Arrowhead is accepting applicants?”

“Yes, and apparently, a significant number of applicants have gathered.”

“Many applicants… Hehe, it’s obvious. They’re all eager to seize the opportunity, aren’t they?”

“That seems to be the case.”

“Hehe, I wonder if that’s even possible.”

Telfon laughed at his aide’s answer.

He suddenly thought of Lian.

They had only met once, but there was something unusual about him.

Despite his youthful appearance, he exuded the aura of a seasoned veteran.

While it was hard to predict exactly what would happen, one thing was certain.

‘Those who underestimated the situation are in for a tough time.’

—

“Ugh… Ugh…”

“It feels like my leg is broken.”

The inside of the training ground was a mess of injured applicants.

Most had at least one broken limb, and half of them were still unconscious.

“Next.”

“I-I quit.”

“I also withdraw my application!”

The remaining five applicants all withdrew one after another.

They had thought Isaac would be exhausted by now and hoped to overpower him, but they quickly realized it was a futile idea.

When all the remaining applicants had withdrawn, Isaac looked at Lian.

Lian nodded.

“Good job.”

“It was nothing.”

Lian struggled to suppress a smile as he looked at Kyle.

It was time to clean up.

Kyle and Arthur led the squad in carrying the injured applicants out of the training ground.

Some might criticize the injuries, but it was a result of their own choices.

What was important now was to prevent such troublesome situations from happening again.

“Brent, spread the word about this incident. Our unit’s activities are already a hot topic, so it will spread quickly.”

“We won’t face any repercussions from this… right?”

Even if it was a fair match, nearly twenty applicants had been severely beaten. Some would need a couple of months in the hospital.

Lian shook his head at Brent’s concern.

“Not at all. In fact, it was great to confirm our deputy commander’s abilities once again.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Isaac, bowing his head like a criminal, apologized.

Despite trying to control his emotions, he felt he had been too harsh.

Lian stood up.

“When we show our strength, we need to show it clearly. If we handle it poorly, the same problem will repeat.”

He tore up the application forms of those who had just fought.

“We’ll start again in two days. By then, the word will have spread sufficiently.”

That would mark the true beginning of Arrowhead.

Isaac and Brent responded loudly, following Lian out.