The Mad Commander is Obsessive (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
The heat of the frantic chase burst forth from the horse’s heaving flanks.
The ambush that had unnaturally gnawed at Aaron’s nerves would end today.
If only they could capture that enemy commander.
“We’ve never met before, yet it feels as if we’ve known each other for ages.”
Aaron slowly urged his horse forward, approaching Black Mask.
Trapped between the cliff and the Imperial Soldiers, Black Mask’s mount whinnied nervously.
“Perhaps it’s because I’ve thought of you so often.”
Click. Click.
The sound of the vanguard reloading their muskets echoed behind Aaron.
“From the moment I entered this mountain—from the instant you attacked me—I’ve thought of nothing but you.”
Despite Aaron’s provocation, Black Mask, hood pulled low over their face, remained utterly silent.
They merely raised both hands slowly and quietly, signaling surrender.
Behind them loomed the precipice; ahead stood soldiers armed with muskets.
No matter where they looked, there was no escape for that figure.
“It seems we have much to discuss with each other…”
Aaron tilted one corner of his mouth into a crooked smile as he scrutinized Black Mask from head to toe.
He’d never examined them this closely before.
Through the dark mask, piercing blue eyes gleamed—clear as the skies of Iorenti.
Their hands were strikingly pale, a stark contrast against the black mask covering their face.
Slender wrists peeked out from beneath the oversized robe, looking as if they might snap under the slightest pressure.
Come to think of it, for a man, their shoulders were unusually narrow and delicate—
as though they could be easily gathered into one’s arms.
Had he made a mistake?
He’d been certain Black Mask was their commander.
Aaron narrowed his eyes, staring suspiciously.
“How about accepting our invitation at this point?”
As Aaron pierced Black Mask with his gaze, an eerie chill made him halt mid-sentence.
Smiling?
At a time like this?
Though hidden behind the mask, a glimpse of crimson lips traced a soft, gentle curve.
A look of exhilaration sparkled within those icy blue eyes.
Why on earth?
Before Aaron could decipher the meaning behind the enemy’s smile, a powerful explosion erupted behind them.
Aaron swiftly turned to look toward the rising plume of smoke.
The sudden blast drew the attention of the entire vanguard backward.
“Damn it. Was this not a retreat, but a lure?”
The explosion had been so massive that thick smoke was instantly visible.
It had struck near Alden Plateau, where the Imperial Army’s center still remained—
the very heart of their supply lines for weapons and provisions.
Now their intent became crystal clear.
While the rear guard faltered and the vanguard pursued, they’d aimed to seize the weapons and supplies.
Aaron’s smile vanished.
“Send messengers immediately to assess the situation.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Aaron clenched the reins so tightly the tendons in his hand stood out.
“If you thought we’d be shaken by something like this…”
As Aaron turned back toward Black Mask with burning eyes—
all he saw was the fluttering edge of a cape vanishing.
While everyone’s attention had been diverted by the explosion, Black Mask had boldly leapt off the cliff.
The enemy Aaron had believed securely cornered was slipping away.
“Damn it! Catch them immediately!”
At Aaron’s furious command, a barrage of gunshots erupted simultaneously from the vanguard.
But Black Mask had already gracefully leapt down the cliffside.
Aaron spurred his horse to the edge and peered down in disbelief.
Black Mask had clearly mapped out their escape route precisely.
Using narrow ledges jutting from the cliff, they guided their horse downward with uncanny accuracy.
Watching this, Aaron gritted his teeth and barked an order.
“Gun.”
At his command, a cavalryman riding beside him swiftly handed over a loaded musket.
Aaron muttered a sharp curse under his breath and shouldered the weapon.
His silver eyes gleamed sharply, tracking Black Mask’s every move.
Each bounding leap sent the fluttering cape whirling before Aaron’s eyes.
Reloading a musket took an eternity.
Even if the vanguard reloaded and aimed again, their target would already be out of range.
This single shot left to him was his last chance to bring the fugitive down.
Where should he aim?
In the split second before pulling the trigger, the image of Black Mask’s smile flashed through Aaron’s mind.
Their slender frame seemed too fragile for a guerrilla leader.
Delicate, porcelain-white wrists.
And those crystal-clear blue eyes.
There was clearly something more to them than Aaron had assumed.
Bang.
Aaron made his decision swiftly and pulled the trigger.
The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed harshly through the rugged ravine.
At that instant, Black Mask staggered briefly but did not stop.
Aaron watched silently until the fluttering cape faded into a mere afterimage down below, then slowly turned away.
“Colin.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Inform all commanders: halt the march toward Iorenti Royal Palace immediately and search for them.”
“But, sir—if we do that, the surprise attack on Iorenti’s palace will…”
Aaron ignored his aide’s worried words and stared toward the smoke-shrouded plateau.
The chaos unfolding there was stark proof of how thoroughly he’d been outmaneuvered.
“Not a single step forward until we capture them. Deploy every unit and search thoroughly.”
Recognizing Aaron’s unwavering resolve, Colin bowed his head.
“Understood.”
Messengers receiving Colin’s instructions spurred their horses off in unison to deliver the orders.
“I will catch that one—”
Before the mark I’ve placed disappears.
Aaron’s ashen eyes gleamed chillingly as he fixed his focus once more on his target.
The lantern inside the Stilietz Empire’s Supreme Commander’s tent burned quietly.
Returning to the camp where he’d spent the previous night, Aaron sank deeply into his chair.
Shadows cast by the flickering flame swayed like the hem of a black cloak.
Though his body leaned back languidly, his eyes fixed on the red lantern remained razor-sharp.
Just who are you, really?
The coordinated assault they’d executed to seize weapons far exceeded the capability of ordinary militia.
Their unified, disciplined attack clearly marked them as elite, well-trained troops.
Yet their leader wore a mask and concealed their entire body beneath a cloak—
as if desperately hiding something.
What exactly were they concealing?
Lost in deep thought, Aaron was pulled back to reality by Colin’s voice.
“Commander. The search party has returned.”
At Colin’s call, Aaron rose and stepped outside the tent.
Fires lit throughout the camp made the night as bright as day.
Surveying the scene, Aaron asked in a flat tone,
“Is this everyone?”
“They’re nimble. Many have already slipped through our encirclement.”
As he delivered his report, Colin nodded toward his subordinates.
Imperial soldiers roughly dragged captured prisoners forward.
“Those injured couldn’t escape in time.”
Aaron scanned the prisoners sharply as Colin spoke.
The twenty-nine captives bore wounds all over their bodies, clearly hampering their movement.
Some had splints on their legs; others had red cloths tightly bound around their heads.
Their haggard eyes and disheveled clothes showed they’d barely rested.
It was obvious their losses were no less severe than the Imperial Army’s.
“He’s not here.”
Black Mask—
always the first to appear and the last to vanish.
The one who’d slipped away nimbly even after being hit by Aaron’s bullet.
Black Mask was not among the captured.
This realization sank Aaron deeper into frustration.
To shake off his foul mood, Aaron tapped the shoulder of the nearest prisoner with his sheathed sword.
“How fearless of you—to dare attack the Imperial Army.”
“You bastard! You invade and devour other nations, yet speak so boldly!”
The insulted prisoner lunged forward with a snarl, despite being bound.
Aaron stared directly at the captive, whose rage overrode his restraints.
“It seems you still don’t grasp your situation…”
Without drawing his blade, Aaron struck the prisoner hard in the abdomen with the blunt scabbard.
“Ugh!”
The prisoner collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand the force.
Aaron smirked down at the groaning man.
“It’s only natural for a weak nation to be devoured by a strong one.”
Heaving a languid sigh, Aaron scanned the prisoners once more.
His gaze suddenly locked onto one individual.
Amidst the chaos, this man alone remained composed—and didn’t avert his eyes.
Aaron gave a slight nod, and Imperial soldiers immediately brought the man before him.
“Your affiliation?”
“I am a citizen of Iorenti Kingdom, here to defend my homeland.”
Aaron stared intently at the man’s blunt reply.
Even in the darkness, the glint in his steel-gray eyes was unnervingly sharp.
“I acknowledge your noble cause. Then, who is your leader?”
“My leader… is me. I gathered the troops and commanded them.”
Aaron scoffed and tapped the man’s head lightly with his scabbard.
The prisoner’s eyes blazed with humiliation.
“You claim to be their leader?”
Speaking in a calm tone, Aaron slowly drew his sharp blade from its sheath.
He leaned slowly toward the man who’d claimed to be the leader.
Locking eyes with him, Aaron brought the keen tip of his sword close to the man’s eye.
Moonlight glinted off the steel, reflecting in the prisoner’s pupils.
Over the man’s brown irises, the blue hue Aaron had seen that afternoon lingered like a ghostly afterimage.
“This is quite interesting.”
Aaron tightened his grip on the hilt.
Recalling those lake-like blue eyes made his throat burn with unbearable thirst.
“I’ll ask once more—and this time, you’d better answer wisely. Who is your leader?”
The prisoner swallowed hard at the cold whisper brushing his ear.
The slightest wrong move would cost him his eye to the blade.
Though he clenched his fists tightly, he couldn’t conceal the trembling in his eyes.
“I… I…”
His eyes reddened from straining to keep them open against the urge to flinch.
“I am… I am the leader.”
“Is that so?”
Aaron slowly surveyed the man.
His voice trembled nervously even as he spoke.
His hesitation betrayed his innocence as he searched desperately for the right words.
And beneath the fear—an honest loyalty that refused to betray his master.
Just who could their master be?
Aaron’s curiosity about their true leader deepened.
Sheathing his sword, Aaron reached out and stroked the man’s head—
like praising a loyal dog.
“Your devotion to your master is admirable… but if you’re going to lie, you’ll need more practice.”
Watching the man’s hands tremble with shame, Aaron rose slowly to his feet.
“Tie all these men to the palisade outside the camp—somewhere highly visible.”
At Aaron’s command, the waiting Imperial Soldiers moved in perfect unison.
A cold smile crept onto Aaron’s lips as he watched their retreating backs.
“I’ve set the bait—now it’s time for the real hunt.”
The true hunt was about to begin.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Wow the tension between these two is something else.
Good job Del! Looks like in the end she has won the wager.
If the fate of the crown prince is unknown, why would they send away the only other heir?