"The Great Misunderstanding III"

Rat Calendar, Year 2026

24th Day of January - 13th Day of February

World of Tranquilis, Northern Territories

A new order was issued by Margrave Alistair Durnhelm Vaelmont: the 5th Field Army, along with other expedition forces, would begin their large-scale offensive against the Northern Continent's forces to reclaim territories that were meant to be shared among all continents. This decision came after continuous intelligence reports confirmed the Northern Continent's refusal to cooperate with the unity agreement. Their greed had led them to monopolize resources, claiming dominion over vast lands that were supposed to be for all continents to explore together. While war had not been declared outright, hostilities had reached a breaking point, and the Western Continent, leading the charge, had coordinated a joint military operation.

With this announcement, the army underwent a massive restructuring. Smaller squads were reorganized into larger platoons, and new command chains were established to handle the scale of the upcoming battles. Accel and his squad, originally consisting of 75 members, were now assigned to a full Platoon of 750 soldiers. The chain of command was structured as follows:

Viscountship (Prime Viscount, Grand Viscount, Viscount)

Barony (Prime Baron, Grand Baron, Baron)

Baronetcy (Grand Baronet, Baronet)

Knighthood (Grand Knight Lord, Knight Lord, Grand Knight, Knight)

To simplify it for those familiar with the Central Continent's military system, the Viscountship ranks were equivalent to commissioned officers, starting from Second Lieutenant. The Knighthood ranks were comparable to non-commissioned officers, ranging down to the equivalent of a First-Class Private.

However, much to Accel's dismay, the Viscountship—who had authority over the Platoon—had personally assigned him to be at the vanguard of the unit. Their reasoning was clear: Accel Winchester, the so-called Hidden Master, was the strongest warrior they had, and placing him at the front would ensure the platoon's morale remained high. It was an honor, but also a position Accel desperately wanted to refuse. Yet, how could he? Every single person in the platoon, from knights to barons, looked at him with admiration and unwavering faith. The cheers, the approval, the unwavering belief that he was some kind of martial genius weighed on his shoulders like an unshakable burden.

Accel wanted to deny it. He wanted to explain that it wasn't his skill, but rather his Aetherium and Voidbringer swords that allowed him to slay high-level monsters so effortlessly. But how could he possibly reveal that? A Mythical Grade Tier weapon was something even continents would go to war over, because there were only a few confirmed but securely hidden. If he openly admitted that his power came from his swords, it might invite not only suspicion but outright greed and hostility from powerful factions. Even though he had used his Archivist System's ability to hide most of their details, revealing any part of their true nature was out of the question.

With no real alternative, he accepted the role.

As the days passed and the campaign against the Northern Continent's forces progressed, the reality of war became clear to every soldier involved. Unlike the straightforward monster-hunting operations from before, the battles against the northern forces were filled with brutality and deception. The Northern Continent's warriors did not fight with honor. They employed guerrilla tactics, ambushes, and cruel psychological warfare. They used their own comrades as human shields, employed suicide tactics, and even resorted to public torture of captured expedition soldiers to break morale.

Such despicable methods only fueled the expedition's hatred, strengthening their resolve to put an end to the Northern Continent's selfish conquest.

Despite this, Accel continued to shine on the battlefield—or at least, that was how others perceived it. His combat style, which relied on sheer speed, precision, and the absurd raw damage of his twin swords, made him an unstoppable force. Every time he struck, a Northern warrior fell in an instant. Whether it was due to superior equipment or luck, none of the enemies he faced were able to withstand his attacks. To those around him, it seemed like he was an untouchable martial prodigy—a swordsman beyond compare.

This only deepened the misunderstanding.

Rumors began to spread that Accel was not just a Hidden Master, but someone who had attained a level of swordsmanship beyond even the Master Swordsman. Some even speculated that he was an unawakened Sword Saint, an individual who had not yet realized their full potential but carried the potential to become a legendary figure. Whispers circulated among both soldiers and nobles, drawing the attention of high-ranking individuals who sought to verify his abilities firsthand.

The problem? Accel wasn't actually doing anything special. His technique was practical, sure, but it was his gear that did most of the work. The enchantments and raw attack power of his swords were overwhelming his foes before they even had a chance to properly fight back. However, since he kept his status hidden, no one else knew the real reason behind his success.

Due to his full armor covering his face, no one actually recognized his true appearance. Whenever he wanted to spend time alone, he removed his full set of armor, allowing him to move around unnoticed because the majority of people only knew how he looked in the armor, not outside of it. This granted him the rare opportunity to enjoy solitude amidst the chaos, slipping into the crowds as just another soldier when he wished to escape the pressures of his growing reputation.