The Genius Archer Who Became a One-Man Army

Chapter 35

The vacation, which had seemed long, ended in a flash.

Having wrapped up his business in Bellotra, Lian entrusted the remaining tasks to Adelson.

At this point, there was nothing more for Lian to do.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Even so, his heart felt light as he returned to his unit, especially since he had finished his tasks.

“I hope they like it.”

Lian murmured softly, looking at the large box loaded on the carriage.

Soon, the carriage arrived at Kurtein, where Lian’s unit was stationed.

“Lieutenant!”

“You’re back?”

Lian was welcomed by the men who had already returned.

He glanced at the newly refurbished barracks.

“So, this is our new home?”

“Though you’ll be living outside the barracks, Lieutenant. Haha… I’m envious.”

“But feel free to visit anytime if you’re bored, haha.”

Lian chuckled at Brent’s words.

“Don’t be silly. I’ll probably be spending most of my time here anyway. It might be more bothersome to come and go.”

“But what’s that?”

“It looks… quite unusual?”

Kyle’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the large box Lian had brought.

It seemed like a gift, but its contents were a mystery.

Lian glanced at the box on the ground and smiled.

“Open it. It’s a gift for you.”

He added that carrying it was almost deadly, but they were too engrossed in the box to hear him.

“Wow!”

“Whoa-!”

Their eyes widened as they opened the box.

Especially Arthur, who couldn’t hide his excitement and let out a cheer.

“Is this for us?”

“Yes, your names are engraved on them, so take good care of them.”

“Oh, this shield must be mine!”

“Swords and spears… These are amazing!”

“…There’s a huge difference from our standard supplies. Are we really allowed to use these?”

Brent asked, holding up a sword with his name engraved on it.

Lian nodded.

“Do you all like them?”

“We love them. Thank you, Lieutenant.”

“Thank you so much, Lieutenant.”

Isaac, who received two swords, seemed particularly pleased.

It made sense because the key to his fighting style was ‘speed.’

The standard issue long swords were challenging for him to use due to their generic design.

Lian had asked Walter to use a lightweight metal and reduce the blade width by half compared to a typical longsword.

“The shape is a bit unusual, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. But I love it, Lieutenant.”

“They say in the East, across the sea, they use swords like this.”

“The East?”

“I don’t know exactly where, but unlike our typical swords, this one has a blade on one side and is more of a slashing weapon. I hope you use it well.”

“Thank you.”

Isaac bowed his head in gratitude.

Lian explained the weapons he brought to each member.

They couldn’t hide their smiles.

At that moment, someone entered the barracks and called for Lian.

“Lieutenant Lian, the company commander is calling for you.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Lian followed the soldier to Raymond’s office.

By now, the place felt quite familiar.

Raymond smiled and offered Lian a seat as he entered.

“Did you have a good vacation?”

“Yes, it was great.”

“Haha, you already look quite busy.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“But you will be busy.”

Raymond handed Lian a document with a grin.

Lian looked at it curiously.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the document related to the soldiers for Arrowhead Company.”

“Ah…”

Lian nodded.

It was about how to fill the ranks of his unit, which had suddenly expanded from ten to a hundred men.

Typically, the higher command would supply the necessary soldiers for the unit.

This was the fastest way to handle it, and it was convenient for the unit commander.

Another method was to directly recruit soldiers who wished to join the unit.

This allowed the commander to personally select his men, but it was time-consuming and required considerable effort if the number of applicants was high.

Therefore, most commanders just accepted the soldiers assigned by the higher command, as the quality of the soldiers didn’t vary much.

“I’d prefer to recruit volunteers, even if it takes time. If there are no volunteers, then it can’t be helped.”

Pfft.

Raymond laughed, as if he had expected Lian’s answer.

Lian was unique.

He had youthful vigor but also the seasoned judgment of a veteran commander.

Even now, he chose to personally select his soldiers instead of relying on assignments.

Raymond respected his decision but had one concern…

Raymond stood up and brought a large box.

Inside the box were many small pieces of paper.

“These are the applications for Arrowhead Company.”

“What?”

Lian’s eyes widened.

There were clearly over a hundred applications.

Raymond explained.

“Quite a few soldiers from Eagle Company expressed their desire to join Arrowhead. About thirty of them.”

“Ah… What do you plan to do, Commander?”

“I don’t mind. They are all valuable soldiers, but after talking to them, it seems they were quite impressed by what you accomplished.”

From discovering the ambushed beastmen in Pellon Gorge to dueling the enemy commander and crossing the Isis River, and the decisive actions in the Battle of Saleron, Lian had achieved incredible feats in a short time.

These deeds had ignited the young soldiers’ spirits.

“They are all diligent and eager to learn.”

“If you vouch for them, Commander, I’ll accept all the applicants from Eagle Company. There’s nothing more reassuring than your endorsement.”

“Haha, you’re making me feel the weight of responsibility. I might have to review them again.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Lian and Raymond laughed together. Then Lian looked at the applications in the box.

Raymond asked, “So, are you planning to recruit the rest as volunteers?”

“I’m not sure yet. I want to keep some reserves just in case.”

“Seems like you have something in mind.”

“…Yes.”

Lian nodded. One of his goals was to form a unit that included archers.

‘One step at a time.’

Forming a hundred-man unit was laying the foundation for the larger plan Lian was envisioning.

Therefore, he needed to approach it with caution and thoroughness.

“Then I’ll schedule it for you.”

“The sooner, the better.”

“Hehe, you’ll be very busy for a while.”

“Thank you for always considering and supporting me, Commander.”

Lian meant it sincerely. Becoming a centurion so quickly was possible because of Raymond’s support. He didn’t take credit for Lian’s achievements; instead, he actively reported to the higher-ups and supported Lian.

Raymond patted Lian on the shoulder. “It’s all because of your hard work.”

With that, Lian returned to the barracks with the applications.

‘So many applications…’

However, he soon understood why there were so many applications for Arrowhead Company.

“…What is this?”

“Lieutenant, something seems off about these.”

As the soldiers looked through the applications, they frowned at the motivations listed.

If their intentions were this blatant on paper, it could be worse in reality.

Snicker.

But Lian couldn’t help but laugh.

One corner of his mouth curled up as he looked at the annoyed soldiers.

“What’s the matter? Feeling frustrated?”

“It’s not frustration, just annoying.”

“I’d love to teach these guys a lesson.”

The intentions written on the applications were blatant.

They were looking down on Arrowhead Company. More precisely…

‘It’s the age issue.’

Lian, at only 14, was the commander of a hundred-man unit.

To those who didn’t know him, it seemed like he became a centurion by sheer luck.

They probably thought they could join Arrowhead and manipulate things to their liking.

“…Fools.”

“Exactly.”

It was true that Lian’s age was significantly young for his achievements.

However, if they thought differently, they might realize that a 14-year-old commoner becoming a centurion must have something special about him.

“They’ll understand when they meet me. But…”

Lian glanced at Isaac.

Isaac, looking at the applications, noticed Lian’s gaze and tilted his head.

“Is something wrong?”

“Isaac, do you know what most of these applicants are aiming for?”

“…Deputy commander.”

“Right.”

They couldn’t be the commander. So they aimed to become the deputy commander to control Lian.

“Can you protect your position?”

“Leave it to me.”

Isaac’s eyes were firm, not wavering.

In fact, his fiery determination was quite characteristic of him.

Seeing that, Lian stood up.

“Alright, let’s stop looking at the applications. We’ll figure these guys out when we meet them.”

He then stretched and addressed his men.

“It’s been a while since we trained.”

“What?”

“Weren’t we supposed to rest today?”

“Is there a day off from training? Everyone, follow me.”

That day, the cries of Arrowhead’s soldiers echoed late into the evening.

* * *

Thanks to Raymond’s arrangements, everything went smoothly.

Lian decided to conduct the selection process at the training ground within Eagle Company.

After all, they couldn’t overlook the combat skills of the soldiers.

‘Especially since their intentions are clear.’

Although there were over a hundred applicants, Lian limited the selection to about 60.

Around 30 soldiers were coming from Eagle Company to Arrowhead.

And Lian wanted to create a support team of archers among the remaining 20.

‘There aren’t many archer support teams now, but in ten years, they’ll become essential.’

Lian got up and headed to the training ground.

The soldiers had already prepared everything.

Lian arrived at the training ground.

Many applicants had gathered outside, and as Lian appeared, they began whispering.

He didn’t need to hear them to know what they were talking about.

“Are you here?”

“A lot of people, huh?”

“Not sure how many will make it…”

Many applicants had impure motives, which was concerning.

Lian patted Kyle on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about things that don’t suit your size.”

Lian smiled confidently and entered the training ground.

There was a table and chair prepared, with Brent standing nearby.

“Lieutenant, please come this way.”

“This will take some time, right?”

“Yes, there are too many people… Is this how units are usually formed?”

Brent seemed a bit overwhelmed by the unexpectedly large number of applicants.

Lian chuckled at Brent’s reaction.

“It’s not common. It’s quite cumbersome. But it’s not unheard of. Some units are selected through direct interviews like this.”

In his past life, the Devil Knights had formed their unit this way.

Initially a 500-man unit, they became immensely famous in the kingdom after defeating enemies twice their size.

Eventually, their unit grew to over 3,000 men, with more than ten knights skilled in aura, becoming one of the strongest units.

“It’s impossible to check everyone in one day. We’ll have to divide them.”

“That’s why I plan to send some back. Even if we see fifty a day, it’ll take 2-3 days.”

“Let’s do our best.”

Brent nodded determinedly at Lian’s words.