Chapter 161 : Fief War (4)
The gate of the Tale Barony Northern Road Troop’s 1st Castle opened fully.
The castle guards stood on top of the walls and saluted.
Below them.
From the fully opened gates, a crimson wave poured out.
These ones, wearing the crimson armors dyed in Sethus’ blood, were the Tale Legion with Roan at the lead.
The crimson light, flashing from receiving the light, exuded a strange dignity.
But in actuality, the faces of the soldiers reflected a hint of anxiety.
“Is it okay to do this?”
“Didn’t they say not to join in on the fief war?”
Sound of whispers floated.
At that moment, one of the thousand-man commanders, who were each leading a troop, glared at them.
“Quiet! Haven’t you heard the lord’s words? We are marching to protect our assets located within the Lancephil fief. We aren’t entering the fief war!”
A stern voice hit the ears.
The few soldiers who were whispering closed their mouths.
The thousand-man commander’s words were the truth.
Before the march, Roan stood in front of the soldiers and revealed the destination and goal of the march.
The destination was Montea Mountain.
The goal.
Was the protection of the magic stone mine, the fort, and the Ford Mining Co. of Tale Commerce Division located within the Lancephil fief.
According to the story Roan revealed before the march, the Montea Mountain’s magic stone mine and the fort had received damage from Count Chase Forces and Owells Forces’ attack.
The march was unavoidable.
But even so, they had no plan to carelessly enter the fief war.
In fact, Roan had given an order to repeatedly wrap the weapons besides the armors in rough clothes and hide them.
It was an act to show that they had no desire to fight.
“My lord. Has the Montea Mountain really received an attack?”
Amongst the thousand-man commanders, Harrison came close to Roan and cautiously asked.
Roan merely made a faint smile and did not answer.
At that moment, Chris, who was next to them, spoke in a quiet voice as if to whisper.
“Sometimes, there are moments when the situation itself is more important than the truth.”
They were strange words.
With a puzzled look, Harrison stared at Roan’s side and then returned to his original position.
Clay, who was slightly apart, saw that sight and exhaled a short sigh.
“Huu. The lord is like that, the retainers are also like that, everyone’s hearts are too soft……”
They lacked the venomous side that could fool, trample, and mercilessly crush the others for one’s own profit.
‘I’ll have to fill that part.’
The only one who could act that role in the Tale Barony was Clay.
No, there at least was one more person who had a similar disposition.
‘President Chris……’
The man who devised and commanded this plan at the head.
Clay’s gaze headed towards Chris.
‘He’s a more amusing man than I thought.’
Somehow, he was a person whose future Clay looked forwards to.
At that moment.
Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!
With a clamorous sound of drums, a group of troop showed itself from over a hill.
< Simmons Troop. >
The troop flag flapped harshly.
An affiliate of the Count Chase Forces, they were the troop that were monitoring and checking the 1st Castle.
“Stop!”
Simmons, who was leading the troop, shouted at the top of his lungs and blocked in front of Roan and the Tale Legion.
It was a sudden confrontation.
Roan raised his right hand and stopped the legion.
For a moment, a silence fell heavily.
Prururu.
The neighs of the horses sounded noisily.
“Where are you going?”
Simmons’ face was originally rough.
And as he even glared his eyes fiercely, his face became heinously abominable.
At the rather threatening tone, the commanders including Austin became enraged.
“You dare in front of……”
“Stop.”
Roan raised his hand and restrained his retainers.
Simmons inwardly snorted as he looked at that sight.
‘Bastard that became a noble from good luck.’
In his heart, he looked down on Roan.
He was envious at the sight of a commoner spearman becoming the kingdom’s noble and spreading his fame.
Roan quietly glared at that Simmons.
‘Hmph. What will a mere brat like you going to do by glaring? Even amongst the Count Chase Forces, I’m a one whose future is bright…… Hph!’
Simmons, who was looked down in his heart, involuntarily gulped back an empty air.
“Kuk!”
With a groan, he gritted his teeth.
It was because an incredible pressure sprouted out from Roan.
That wasn’t a killing intent or animosity.
‘Thi, this is……’
A pressure that naturally made others lower their heads.
A dignity that only a great general who roamed the battlefields for decades could exude.
Roan’s pressure was similar to that.
“Reveal your affiliation and name.”
He spoke in a low and soft but powerful voice.
Roan looked straight into Simmons’ eyes.
When Simmons couldn’t easily answer and hesitated, the pressure spewing from Roan’s body became a level stronger.
“Kuk!”
His throat closed up tight.
The head he was forcefully holding up lowered on its own.
“I’m troop commander Simmons of Count Chase Forces’ Simmons Troop.”
Roan pulled back the pressure only then.
“I’m Baron Roan Tale. We have marched to protect the Baron Tale House’s asset in the Montea Mountain. We have no desire to enter the fief war.”
At the same time, he slightly raised his left hand.
The Tale Legion’s soldiers showed the weapons tightly wrapped in rough clothes.
“Hhm.”
Simmons leaked a short groan.
He looked truly troubled.
‘I can tell that they had no intention to fight, but……’
He couldn’t blindly step back.
“I will send a messenger to Sir Count Chase. Please wait until then.”
Simmons spoke in his most polite attitude and voice.
Roan slightly creased his forehead.
“Do you plan to keep a noble of the kingdom standing on a dirt road?”
Originally, he didn’t like showing off the power of nobility or pressure people using status.
But to someone like Simmons, there was no method more effective than this.
“That, that isn’t……”
Simmons shook his head with a flustered expression.
Roan’s words continued.
“Further, I am merely trying to protect the right I have. If you have the right to carry out the fief war, I have the right to protect my wealth.”
A powerful voice tore through the ears.
Already, Simmons spirit was greatly pressured.
Furthermore, it was not possible for Simmons Troop’s strength to stop Roan’s legion.
In the end, Simmons, who rolled his head this way and that, lowered his head.
“U, understood. But, but you definitely cannot enter the fief war.”
“Of course.”
Roan answered shortly.
Simmons, unable to dare and without looking at Roan’s face, receded back.
Soon, the Simmons Troop that was blocking their fronts moved back to one side.
Clip clop. Clip clop.
With sounds of the horse hooves, Roan and the Tale Legion began to advance once again.
The crimson wave that momentarily stopped swayed.
On the faces of Tale Legion’s soldiers, an obvious pride floated up.
‘Even Count Chase Forces are flustered by our lord.’
‘Even though that gigantic Sethus wasn’t an opponent for our lord, how dare a mere troop commander……’
‘Right. As long as the lord is here, there is no need to be scared and be unnerved.’
The anxiety and worry that had took place in one corner of their hearts disappeared as if washed clean.
A strength was carried in the crimson wave, no, the crimson legion’s march.
“But my lord.”
At that moment, Austin came up to Roan’s side and spoke in a careful voice.
“This road isn’t the road towards the Montea Mountain. If we want to go to the Montea Mountain, we need to turn our direction here towards the west.”
At those words, Roan faintly smiled and answered.
“Roads are made to connect towards anywhere. Let’s do some sightseeing while on the way.”
Roan’s gaze headed towards the end of the road that extended in front of his eyes.
“However I see it, it seems the sight on this road is better.”
Strange words fell onto the road.
His gaze was already chasing a place that couldn’t be seen.
*****
“Sir Duke Webster! No, grandfather! Are you really going to merely keep watching like this?”
The owner of the loud voice was the First Prince Simon Rinse.
He, with Duke Bradley Webster, one of the Rinse Kingdom’s four dukes and his own maternal grandfather, in front of him, shouted aloud.
On the other hand, Bradley was sitting still and was tilting a cup of tea with a composed expression.
“Grandfather! Already, almost half of the Lancephil County’s land has fallen into Count Chase’s hand. The Lancephil County will forever disappear at this rate.”
Count Io Lancephil, who was on the side of those of large power even amongst the nobles who supported Simon.
He was facing a peril of being overthrown.
“Grandfather!”
Simon shouted once again.
Bradley only then put down the teacup he was holding and made a faint smile.
“Prince.”
At the soft and calm voice, Simon, who was storming about in fit, startled and trembled his body.
He realized late that he was acting too rampageously.
“Please speak.”
Simon forcefully suppressed his anger and sat down.
Bradley stared still at such Simon, then spoke in a quiet voice as if to whisper.
“In truth, this fief war is flowing more complicated than you think.”
“Please don’t talk around and speak shortly only the important points.”
Simon had no desire to listen a miscellaneous story.
Bradley nodded his head.
“In truth, Count Io Lancephil isn’t supporting your highness the prince because he trusts and likes you. He is merely loyal to the Rinse Kingdom. Due to that, he is merely supporting your highness based on the principle of inheritance by eldest.”
“I already know of that, sir. That is Count Lancephil’s personality and values.”
Because he was like that, he was someone he could trust even more.
It was because there was no chance of him changing the prince he support for a miscellaneous reason.
Of course, this was Simon’s thought, and Bradley’s thought was completely different.
“It is true that Count Lancephil is trustworthy. But the problem is, he isn’t easy to control. He is someone who thinks of the kingdom first before the prince or the throne succession competition. If a situation where a blood is shed arises in the throne succession competition in the future, he will definitely be unwilling to move actively.”
Even if one had a sharp sword and a strong shield, there was no use if one couldn’t utilize them.
To Bradley, Io was an existence similar to unuseable sword and shield.
“Furthermore, he is an individual without even an ambition or greed.”
He had no ambition and greed to raise the prince he support onto the throne and grasp wealth, honor, and power in his hands.
“Because of that, he is much harder to control.”
“Hmm.”
Simon sat quietly and leaned his ears at Bradley’s story.
Bradley pushed his face forwards and spoke in a much quieter voice.
“During that time, a contact came from Viscount Kali Owells amongst Count Lancephil House’s retainers.”
“If it is Kali Owells……?”
Simon creased his forehead with a slightly shocked expression.
Bradley formed a peculiar smile.
“He is the bastard who betrayed Count Lancephil and has side with Count Chase’s side.”
After a short silence, a shocking story continued on.
“Kali Owells. He hasn’t sided with Count Chase, but is pretending to have sided. He is actually someone from our side.”
“Just how……”
Simon, with a perplexed look, hesitated the end of his words.
Bradley’s words continued to follow on.
“In truth, Viscount Owells has been contacting me since the time Count Lancephil had took apart and gave the Tale region to Baron Roan Tale. It meant asking for support when he would later inherit the Lancephil County. But as you know, Count Lancephil has a great interest in Baron Tale. It was a situation where the Lancephil County could go over to Baron Tale if not careful. Due to that……”
For a while, unbelievable stories continued on.
“Hmm.”
Simon, who had heard all of the story, leaked a quiet groan.
He looked straight into Bradley’s eyes.
‘Instead of Io Lancephil who is hard to control, he planned to make Kali Owells into Lancephil County’s lord?’
That wasn’t all.
‘After that, he planned to raise the fief war again and swallow even the Chase County using that Kali……’
The fief war that was currently happening was all unfolding on top of Bradley’s palm.
“Prince.”
Bradley brightly smiled and lowered his head diagonally.
Somehow, it was a despicable and spiteful looking sight.
“Please don’t worry of anything and trust me. You will have a much greater support faction once this event ends.”
As soon as those words ended, Simon stood up from his seat.
His face was solid stiff.
The anger was gone, but an unknown sense of displeasure was smeared on.
Simon asked with a calm and quiet voice.
“Is that support faction something that supports me, or is it supporting grandfather?”
He hadn’t knew of anything.
At the place he knew nothing of, a situation he knew nothing of was unfolding.
Simon’s eyes burned blazingly.
‘Oh ho. Look at this kid……’
Bradley inwardly smiled while looking at that sight.
‘Even though I broke him so much, a tiger is a tiger, is it. But……’
The tips of his eyes softly curved.
‘A tiger too is possible to be trained as much as needed.’
Bradley hid his secret intent and lowered his head.
“It is obviously a faction supporting the prince.”
Simon quietly stared at that sight, then wordlessly moved his steps.
Once he exited the brilliant reception room, Viscount Tio Ruin who was guarding the surrounding approached.
“Viscount Ruin.”
“Yes. Prince.”
At Simon’s call, Tio slightly lowered his head.
Simon moved his steps into the insides of a hallway as he spoke in a small voice as if to whisper.
“I will have to change the horse.”
Instantly, Tio asked back with a shocked expression.
“Eh? What do you……”
“The horse I’ve been riding has began to run about mad.”
“Hmm.”
Tio gulped back a groan.
He needlessly looked about the surroundings and asked cautiously.
“Have you chosen a horse to change onto?”
At those words, Simon nodded his head.
“I won’t need to ride an old horse while starting new, and……”
His steps began to become slightly faster.
“At this rate, a young horse that was just born instead should be good.”
*****
Dududududu!
The sound of the horse hooves loudly rang.
Piiing! Ping! Pibing!
With sharp sounds of impact, arrows poured down.
“Kuk!”
“Kuuk!”
Several horsemen that were riding madly were struck by the arrows and fell.
“Chanz! Ronbert!”
The white-haired old man who was running at the very front looked back and shouted.
“Please don’t look back!”
“Keep running on! Sir Count!”
The horsemen that rolled on the ground, Chanz and Ronbert stood up instantly and pulled out their swords.
Gritting their teeth, they raced towards a cavalry.
It was a look of mantises trying to stop a cart.
But on the two men’s faces, there wasn’t even a hint of hesitation or fear.
Kwagagagang!
Soon, they were swept away by the pursuit troop’s charge and departed from their lives.
“Chase them!”
“We must not lose them!”
“Chase them! Capture Io Lancephil alive!”
The white-haired old man looked at that sight and tightly bit his lower lips.
The white-haired old man, he was Io Lancephil.
The armor was scratched here and there or had fallen off, and the revealed skin was completely covered in wounds.
When the innocent citizens of the fief were executed because of him, he had led a small-scale troop and had charged towards the Pavor Castle.
It was the very charge that Chris had desperately tried to stop.
The Count Chase forces and the Owells Forces, which were monitoring the 1st Castle, actively reacted at Io’s charge.
They had sent an elite troop and had tried to capture Io alive.
However, Io was an old veteran of hundreds of battles.
He had avoided the large battles, focused his entire forces, and attacked the places that the enemy hadn’t expected.
Ghostlike and swift strategies and tactics.
And an unmatched valor and strength on top.
A successive series of victories that no one had expected continued on.
Io was Io.
But once the battles reached about twentieth, the Count Chase Forces and the Owells Forces took out an absurd tactic.
‘To think they would use the fief’s citizens as shields……’
Once the situation reached this point, Io couldn’t carelessly give the order to attack.
The force that had been successively victorious fell in an instant.
Io could only continue to fall back, and had lost countless soldiers while doing so.
‘If the people of the nearby villages didn’t help me, we would likely have been annihilated a long time ago.’
To protect Io, the villagers had put down their sickles and spades and had picked up bamboo spears and worn-out swords.
They, to save Io, threw away their precious lives on their own.
‘Any further advance was impossible.’
If it was a fair and front fight, he had the confidence to win easily.
But he couldn’t pour down an attack towards the fief’s citizens who had stepped forwards as the enemy’s shields.
Ultimately, he chose retreat.
But that too wasn’t an easy decision.
Already, the path of retreat was tightly blocked.
At that moment, what came up in his mind was, in fact, Chris’ advice.
‘If the situation becomes truly perilous, please run towards the west.’
From a quick listen, they were absurd words.
To tell him to run not towards the northeast or east where the Guardian Army was resisting or the south where the Tale Barony is, but towards the west where the Chase County is.
It was the same as telling him to walk into a tiger’s mouth.
However, Io did not hesitate even for a moment.
‘If it is Chris, he is a genius amongst geniuses who Roan greatly value and trust. There is no way that he would say nonsense.’
Like that, Io led the soldiers who were still alive and began to run towards the west.
‘Jonathan Chase, Kali Owells. I will definitely cut you bastards’ necks. To think you would dare push my children, my citizens forwards as shields……’
His teeth gritted naturally.
Io kicked his horse’s stomach and continued to sprint west and west.
It was a run with his life on the line.
But unexpectedly, the western region’s guards were lax.
It was because even Count Chase Forces and Owells Forces had not expected that Io to possibly run towards the west.
‘Has Chris aimed at this very point?’
But the problem was after that.
They couldn’t simply continue to run towards the west.
Even though the border may be lax right now, the surroundings were all Count Chase Forces’ base.
During that while, although small, a pursuit troop had caught up right behind their heads.
It literally was a moment of life and death.
But even so, Io did not gave up.
‘Whatever happens, I will survive until the end and have my revenge.’
He gritted his teeth.
‘Even if I have to sell my soul, definitely!’
A light flashed in his eyes.
Suddenly.
“Un?”
A very small and strange voice that tickled his ears was heard.
“A sound of music?”
It was a sound that simply couldn’t be heard in a such situation and a place like that.
As they headed farther and farther towards the west, that sound was gradually heard more clearly.
Chang! Chajang! Dudum! Phbababam!
It was the sound of music heard by a harmony of various instruments.
The even stranger thing was.
‘It’s a familiar sound.’
However, he didn’t remember where he had heard the sound.
At that moment, several soldiers came up to his side.
“We can hear a sound of music.”
“Furthermore, it’s a very familiar sound to the ears.”
They spoke the same words as Io.
Io and the remaining alive soldiers, while tilting their heads, pressed their chests onto the backs of their horses.
Behind them, the pursuit troop followed right behind.
“Uurat!”
“Go up onto the hill.”
Io and the soldiers kicked their horses.
The tired horses plucked up their strength and furiously climbed up the hill that rose in front of them.
Hwaa!
Suddenly, their views instantly opened up with a western wind.
The sound of music that was heard softly was heard sonorously.
Phbababam! Phabam! Phababam!
Sounds that hit not the ears but the chest.
“Ah……”
From Io’s mouth, a quiet gasp exploded out.
The sight that spread in front of his eyes.
That almost brought a crimson wave to the mind.
The music flowed out from within that wave.
A sound familiar to the ears.
“So it is the Milta military band’s performance that greeted me and Baron Tate when we visited the Mediasis Castle.”
He remembered everything clearly.
With the sound of music, the crimson wave approached right in front of his nose.
A crimson legion.
Several familiar faces were seen in his eyes.
The soldiers split apart to left and right, and the young man he missed even in his dreams showed himself.
“Roan……”
Io shook his dry lips.
Goose bumps rose all over his body.
The young man who appeared together with the crimson legion.
He was Roan.
Roan slowly rode his horse towards Io.
The Milta military band’s performance continued on until Roan reached in front of Io.
Chang!
A clear metallic sound noted the end of the music.
Roan saluted as if he had been waiting.
Chk!
The Tale Legion’s soldiers all lowered their heads.
A perfectly ordered and powerful motion.
A courteous and polite attitude.
Roan faintly smiled and stared at Io.
“We came to greet you. Sir Count Lancephil.”
< Fief War (4) > End.