Chapter 166 : Enter the War (4)
“Damn it! Just what is this mess!”
The legion commander Donald of Kapeo Legion, the Count Chase Forces’ temporary legion, roughly swung the commander’s baton he held.
His face was flushed red.
He was in a greatly annoyed and enraged state.
“Are you telling me they are some sort of ghosts?”
A thunder like roar exploded out.
The adjutants and troop commanders lined up on each sides cowered and shrunk back.
“Four troops were annihilated in the last three days. And they were all done in by raids and ambush tactics! That means they know thoroughly where we are, where we are going, what we are doing, and everything!”
Shiing.
He suddenly drew out his sword.
The sharp blade pointed at the adjutants and troop commanders one after another.
“Is it you? You? Are you those bastards’ spy? You bastard is Roan Tale’s nark, right?”
Madness.
His reasonings had became blurred due to a foul rage.
Donald was rotting his brain due to Roan and the Tale Legion that were effortlessly roaming all over the Lancephil Fief’s western region in the last few days.
“Hiii! It, it isn’t me, sir!”
“It’s not me either!”
“I, it’s absolutely not me, sir!”
The adjutants and the troop commanders shook their hands with bleached white faces.
Donald yelled as he sprayed spit this way and that way.
“Damn it! Then are you telling me that Roan Tale really is a ghost or something!”
The sound of angry shout shook the tent’s inside.
At that moment, one of the troop commanders whom falteringly stepped back untactfully spoke up.
“Originally, Baron Tale’s nickname was the ghost of the battlefield. Since the Pedian Plain Monster Expedition, he found the monsters’ locations and nests really well that he was almost like a fortune tel……”
When his words reached about that point.
Spat!
Donald glared his eyes and swung his sword.
Ssskuk!
With a horrifying sound, the neck of the troop commander who rattled off pointless sounds fell down.
Along with a fountain of blood, the body that had been hard hollowly collapsed.
“Why is this son of bitch talking back!”
Donald, with a thick spit, spat out a curse.
He glared at the completely tense expressions of the adjutants and the troop commanders and crunched his nose.
“Roan Tale, that son of a bitch has grasped our every single little movements, but we don’t know where that bastard is now, where he is going, where his goal is, or anything. We don’t know anything I tell you!”
The blood-stained tip of the sword moved as if to dance.
“You sons of bitches! Don’t just mindlessly stand there and go catch that bastard! No, at least find out where he is!”
The cold roar hit the ears.
The adjutants and the troop commanders saluted with completely nervous expressions.
“Ye, yes! Understood, sir!”
“We, we will definitely find out, sir!”
It was the moment they were just about to exit out of the tent.
“Sir Legion Commander!”
With a daring voice, a middle aged man showed himself.
It was one of the Kapeo Legion’s troop commander Babel.
Donald, who was glaring at the adjutants and the troop commanders, creased his forehead.
“What is it?”
His voice was angry as if the tip of the sword would immediately dance.
But Babel, unlike the other adjutants and the troop commanders, didn’t became afraid nor cowered.
He brightly smiled and spoke in a polite voice.
“We finally found it.”
At the abruptly spat out words, Donald scrunched his forehead.
“What do you mean you found it?”
The other adjutants and troop commanders too leaned their ears at Babel’s words.
Their expressions were all confused.
Babel grinned and answered.
“We found Tale Legion’s camp.”
Suddenly, a bright smile hung on Donald’s face that had been cold.
“Ooh!”
A peculiar sound exploded out.
He threw away the sword he was holding and grabbed Babel’s shoulder.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. During a patrol of the nearby region, we discovered the Tale Legion that was moving. When we quietly followed their backs……”
“And there was the camp?”
“Yes. We didn’t go close in case of being discovered, but we ascertained at least from afar. It definitely is Tale Legion’s camp.”
He spoke in a bold voice.
Donald brightly smiled as he nodded his head.
“Kukuku. Babel. You raised a big achievement.”
“I have merely done my best to the mission I received, sir.”
Babel lowered his head with a bloody smile.
Donald patted Babel’s shoulder and breathed in deeply.
“Good! Immediately prepare to march! We will go and destroy the Tale Legion!”
Strength overflowed in his voice.
“Let’s also give them the sharp taste of a raid attack. Kukuku.”
“Yes! Understood!”
The adjutants and the troop commanders answered in one voice, then ran out of the tent.
A sense of relief at having let go of a worry floated up on their faces.
A moment later.
Dudududududu!
With the sound of horse hooves, the Kapeo Legion marched towards the South.
They ran on top of a wide plain and soon entered a field of hills.
“Tale Legion’s camp is located within the forests spread out blew there, sir.”
Babel pointed at a forest that widely spread below the hills.
It was a denser forest than they had thought.
“Inside the forest?”
Donald asked with a puzzled expression.
Understandably, it was because, from a glance, no space enough to set up a camp was seen inside the forest.
Babel cheerily smiled and answered.
“From here, it looks like a river is flowing right behind the forest, but in fact, there is a rather wide space between the forest and the river. It’s a hard place to discover before directly going inside and seeing.”
“Hmm.”
Donald, with a slightly surprised expression, nodded his head.
“I haven’t even thought that such a furtive place was in a place like this.”
“Right. We couldn’t find the bastards because it’s like that.”
Unsightly excuses continued on.
Suddenly.
“It’s the Tale Legion.”
Babel once again pointed below the hill.
Donald and the troop commanders all lowered their bodies.
Dudududududu.
A sound of horse hooves noisily rang.
A portion troop of the Tale Legion rapidly raced towards the forest.
“It looks like a troop returning to the camp, sir.”
At Babel’s words, Donald nodded his head.
“Certainly, it seems that the camp is inside there.”
A handful of doubt that was left flew away as if washed off.
Donald sinisterly smiled and looked at the troop commanders.
“Pierce through the forest in one breath and raid the bastards’ camp.”
“Yes! Understood!”
A resounding sound of answer followed.
“Kukuku. Now is the time for us to push those bastards.”
A monstrous laugh bursted out.
Soon, the preparation to rush was set.
Donald glared at the forest and threw his sword.
“Today we cut Roan Tale’s neck!”
The loud voice hit the ears.
He soon powerfully kicked the horse’s stomach.
“Charge!”
As soon as the command was given, the Kapeo Legion became a single lump and began to charge.
Dudududududu!
The sound of shaking the ground rang out.
A dust cloud thickly flew up.
The vanguard entered the forest first. Donald and the main forces followed behind the. The forest was much wider than they saw from the outside.
To the left and the right, the ends couldn’t be seen.
The one good point at least was that it was easy to ride the horses because there was quite a space inside the forest.
‘So they could set up a camp at a space inside the forest region because it’s like this.’
It was a place that the march of the entire force was possible in emergency.
Donald made a sinister smile.
If the Babel kid hadn’t stepped on the Tale Legion’s tail, they would never have been able to discover the camp inside the forest.
Hwaa!
Suddenly, the trees that had dizzily filled his sight disappeared.
Simultaneously, an area wider than he had thought showed up.
They had finally pierced through the forest.
A gigantic camp that even neatly raised fences showed itself.
‘Righto!”
Donald inwardly shouted in cheer and raised his sword up high.
“The bastards haven’t discovered us yet! Push them like a storm!”
Spirits boiled up.
‘Roan Tale! Do you know how much we suffered because of you bastards!’
‘Tale Legion. This here will be you bastards’ graves!’
‘I’ll kill you all!’
The Kapeo Legion’s adjutants and the troop commanders remembered the sorrow they took from Donald until then, and clenched their teeth.
“Charge!”
“Charge! Kill them all!”
Yells mixed with pent-up angers pierced the sky.
Dudududududu.
The sound of horse hooves was heard much rougher.
Perhaps because of the spirit that rose to his heart’s content, Donald soon stood at the head and was leading a troop.
The camp’s fences were seen in front of his eyes.
“Charge!”
With the command, the war horses rammed the fences.
Boom! Kwakwang!
With a sound of explosion, the camp’s fences that had identified the border pleasantly broke apart.
No, it broke apart much too easily than they had thought.
“Kuhahaha! Tale Legion bastards! You will need to learn how to raise camp fences again!”
Donald exploded out a crazed laugh and kicked his horse’s stomach.
They planned to storm Tale Legion’s camp in a single breath.
But.
“Hhm?”
Right after charging into the camp, he realized that something was wrong.
‘There’s nothing?’
Donald’s face solidified stiffly.
Inside the fences that easily broke apart.
The neatly raised tents they saw from the outside were all.
Behind that, lumps of grass were piled up instead of the tents.
‘Something is wrong!’
Goosebumps rose behind his neck.
‘It’s ridiculous that there is nothing. We saw a Tale Legion’s troop that entered here just before, right? Where did those bastards go?’
An ominous air swept up.
His skin ached sharply.
“Stop! Stop! All forces stop!”
Donald yelled at the top of his throat.
But the Kapeo Legion that had pulled up their spirits to their heart’s content wasn’t able to easily stop.
The troops behind continued to push the troops ahead.
“Stop!”
“I said stop!”
“Why would you suddenly stop?”
“Eh! Eh! Eh! Don’t push!”
The front and the back became dizzily tangled.
Meanwhile, the vanguard including Donald was pushed past the lumps of grass to a deeper place.
“You idiotic sons of bitches! Didn’t you hear the order to sto……”
When his words reached about that point.
“Le, Legion Commander sir!”
Babel widely opened his eyes and shouted.
With a shaking and trembling finger, he pointed at the river that was set behind.
Donald, with eyes asking just why was he doing that, slowly turned his head.
Soon, the scenery of the river came in his eyes.
Ggiiiik.
Simultaneously, sound of wood twisting hit the ears.
“Ah……”
Donald fully opened his mouth and popped out a quiet exclamation.
From the east side course of the river that had been hidden behind the forest, ten warships showed themselves.
They were warships whose hulls and the sails that rose high too were all red.
Kapeo Legion’s soldiers all became dazed.
At the center sail of the warship that was most ahead amongst the fleet.
Above that, a great flag flapped.
< Tale Legion. >
< Poskein Navy. >
The warships were Tale Legion’s ships.
They, who had received Roan’s order and had been continuing the Poskein Lake Subjugation, had suddenly appeared in the Lancephil fief.
Donald’s face comically twisted.
“Damn it! It’s a trap! We fell into a trap! Retreat! Retreat!”
The words were yelled as loudly as he could.
But already, they were as completely caught in the trap as possible.
Ssweaaaaak!
A frightening and sharp sound of impacts hit the ears.
The legion’s soldiers, including Donald, all turned their gazes towards the sky.
The arrows darkly flew towards them.
The Poskein Navy’s ships sprayed out a rain of arrows.
“Ru, ru, run!”
Donald yelled out the shout and turned his horse.
He uncaringly trampled the friendly soldiers hit by the feet as he ran.
At that instant.
Pububububuk!
A rain of arrows pour down on the fake camp full of lumps of grass.
And they were red fire arrows that blazingly burned at that.
“Kuuk!”
“Kuk!”
The Kapeo Legion’s soldiers became porcupines.
However, that wasn’t the end.
Fwooosh!
The fire arrows threw out sparks of flame, and the sparks swallowed the lumps of grass.
The flame, with a maddening force, increased its power.
“S, step back!”
“Run!”
The adjutants, troop commander, and the soldiers all tangled up into one and walked backwards.
However, the Kapeo Legion’s formation had already fallen down.
The retreat wasn’t easy.
In the end, the soldiers including the vanguard who were pushed until deep into the camp were all swallowed and eaten by the scarlet flame.
“Damn it! Damn it! You bitch like bastards!”
Donald kicked his horse’s stomach and spat out curses.
There wasn’t a time to stop even a little.
Pubububububuk!
The Poskein Navy were continuing to fire out fire arrows.
Each time, the flame spread out with a seemingly crazed force.
“Uaaaak!”
“Sa, save me!”
The Kapeo Legion’s soldiers yelled crazed shouts while caught on fire all over their bodies.
However, Donald did not care at all.
To him, the important things were his own life and safety.
In no time, the forest region was right in front of his nose.
‘I lived! I lived!’
When he looked around, at least almost half the soldiers were following his back.
‘I’ll organized the legion and counterattack agai……’
When his thought reached about that point.
Piing! Ping! Ping!
With unpleasant sounds, the thickets greatly shook.
Simultaneously, hundreds of arrows cut across the space and flew towards them.
Pubububuk!
The Kapeo Legion’s soldiers, who had been retreating in a defenseless state, helplessly fell down at the sudden arrow attack.
“Kuuk!”
“Kuk!”
The war horses and the soldiers struck the ground as if falling down flat.
At that instant.
“Charge!”
“Charge forwards!”
“Waaaaah!”
With a resounding roar, a single troop jumped out from within the forest.
< Tale Legion. >
< Roan Tale. >
< Amaranth Troop. >
The flag that rose straight showed off its splendor.
But the one that flaunted an even greater splendor than that was.
“Donald Kapeo!”
The man standing at the head and fiercely racing towards them shouted in a resounding voice.
The sight of a crimson armor and slantly raising a black spear.
It was Roan.
“You, you are?”
Donald crumpled his forehead.
His face brightly flushed.
Roan raised his spear up high and shouted.
“I am that very Roan Tale!”
It was an incredible spirit.
Roan’s surroundings as well as the entire battlefield’s mood heated up in an instant.
“Waaaah!”
“We are that very Tale Legion!”
With the thousand-man rank commanders at the head, the Tale Legion’s soldiers rushed the Kapeo Legion with a force like a riptide.
Boom! Kwakang!
With a sound of an explosion, the Kapeo Legion’s soldiers bounced off everywhere.
The strength of the Tale Legion, which had the Taemusas at the head, overwhelmed the strength of the Kapeo Legion, which was a temporary legion.
Furthermore, Count Chase Forces hadn’t experienced any particular battles for a few years.
Compared to that, the Tale Legion, which had the 7th Corp Rose Troop as its previous body, were veterans who had countlessly taken on thick and heavy battles from the Pedian Plain Monster Expedition, the war with the Istel Kingdom, Poskein Exodus, Suppression of Elton Coat’s Rebellion, and even the Poskein Lake Subjugation.
Furthermore.
“Vanguard don’t go ahead! From the 1st Hundred-man Squad to the 4th Hundred-man Squad, to the right!”
“Addis Troop detour to the left and attack the enemy’s side!”
“Archer Troop ready!”
“Raise the Parma! We are breaking the enemy formation!”
Unlike the Kapeo Legion which still used the organization made up of legion and troops, the communication and execution of the commands of the Tale Legion, which used a new organization following three-thousand-man troop, thousand-man troop, hundred-man squad, and ten-man squad, were greatly quick and precise.
Thanks to that, they were able to react and move like a single body even while the chaotic fights spread.
“Uak!”
“Kuuuk!”
The Kapeo Legion’s soldiers powerlessly fell.
The Tale Legion’s soldiers at the front, and the scarlet flame at the back engulfed them.
With the front and the back tightly blocked, they lost their lives one after another.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
Donald spat out curses and glared at Roan.
“You bitch like bastard!”
Donald recklessly raced towards Roan.
His look was one with its reasoning lost.
Roan faintly smiled and kicked his horse’s stomach.
Spat!
The Travias Spear extended long in an instant.
When he twisted his wrist, the spearhead cut the space.
“Hph!”
Donald completely became tense at Roan’s attack, then soon made a sinister smile.
‘Is it an empty swing?’
A look of jeering was plain on his eyes.
“Now it’s my turn. Kukuku.”
At Donald’s words, Roan formed a faint smile.
“Regrettably, it seems I won’t be able to see your skill.”
His voice was composed.
Donald creased his forehead.
“What does that……”
However, his words couldn’t continue on any longer.
Following a line of his neck, a red line was drawn.
At the same time, his sight in front of his eyes twisted.
“Kkuruk.”
With a sound of blood boiling, Donald’s neck fell down onto the ground.
Roan’s attack that he thought was an empty swing, in actuality, was extremely quick that he couldn’t even see it with his eyes.
When the mana that remained when he cut the line of the neck disappeared, the head that was barely attached fell a moment late.
Roan stabbed Donald’s head with the tip of his spear.
“Roan Tale has cut off the enemy commander Kapeo’s head!”
A sonorous voice rang the battlefield.
“Waaaaah!”
“Roan Tale! Roan Tale!”
The Tale Legion’s soldiers poured out cheers.
Their spirits boiled up further.
The Kapeo Legion’s soldiers, who were barely holding on, lost their will to fight.
Like that, the battle raced towards the end.
*****
“It’s a complete victory, sir.”
Austin looked at the battlefield with a proud expression.
Roan slowly nodded his head.
“Make a fake camp, lure in the enemy, and annihilate them. It was truly an excellent strategy, sir.”
Austin raised and showed his thumb.
Roan merely smiled wordlessly.
Understandably because.
‘This too is one of Ian Phillip’s strategies.’
Roan had coincidentally found a suitable location and had brought and used Ian’s strategy once again.
Furthermore, this wasn’t the end of Ian’s strategy.
“Austin, prepare for the next battle.”
“Yes sir. I have already given the orders, even to the thousand-man commanders.”
Austin once again made an impressed expression.
It was because the strategy that would follow was also, from his position, was greatly weird.
‘He isn’t simply outstanding in strength. His strategies and tactics too are eminent.’
His eyes shone light of admiration and awe.
Roan needlessly found that light uncomfortable and made an awkward smile.
Austin stared at that sight for a moment, then soon lowered his head.
“Then I will also go away for now and make preparation for battle, sir.”
“Alright. Do so as you said.”
Roan inwardly exhaled a short sigh and nodded his head.
Austin saluted, then returned to his troop.
Roan quietly stood and stared at the battlefield.
‘Semi we left at the Poskein Lake arrived at a truly proper moment.’
Thanks to him, they were able to perfectly block the Kapeo Troop’s front and back.
‘Since the legion’s number of soldiers has increased with Semi joining……’
Now, the time to shake the board had come again.
Many plans were raised within his head.
At that moment.
“My lord!”
A familiar voice was heard.
When he turned his head, Chris, who was coming out of the forest, was seen.
His expression was really bright to a degree of even making the mood of people who saw good.
It was certain that he brought a good news.
Sure enough.
“It’s a good news, my lord.”
Even his voice was cheerful.
Roan quietly waited his next words.
Chris brightly smiled and added on.
“The transfer of the County’s fief and title was approved.”
“It certainly is a good news.”
Roan cheerily smiled and nodded his head.
‘So godfather Lancephil has persuaded his majesty the king.’
For Simon, he would obviously support him, and since he had separately took care of Kallum, he thought that he would approve the transfer of the fief and the title.
“I will separately and precisely tell you the story of the transfer process, my lord. But more than that……”
Chris hesitated the end of his words, then searched Roan’s mood.
Roan faintly smiled as if to say it was okay, and nodded his head.
“Go ahead if there is something you want to ask.”
At those words, Chris calmed his breath for a moment, then asked in a small voice.
“Then I will ask just one thing, sir. Is there a reason to particularly using Prince Kallum’s letters like this? Wouldn’t it be better to reveal the letters instead and disgrace Prince Kallum like President Clay’s opinion? If not that, wouldn’t it have been better to separately store the letters and use them as means to pressure Prince Kallum whenever needed?”
Several questions simultaneously poured down.
To that much, Chris found it difficult to understand Roan’s action this time.
Roan quietly stared at such Chris.
‘It should be hard to understand.’
Not only Chris.
Austin, Semi, Harrison, Brian, Clay, and such retainers as well as the Kallum, who was the other directly related, wouldn’t be able to understand Roan’s action.
Not using Kallum’s letters, which were no different than cards of sure-win, to lead Simon to Great Duke of Grain and the next generation’s king.
Furthermore, willingly handing the letters to Kallum instead.
Everything must be questionable.
Roan breathed in deeply.
‘Right. At least, I should tell Chris.’
Now, the time to do so had come.
“Chris.”
His voice was quiet.
But it was a voice more serious and thicker than any other time.
“Yes. My lord.”
Chris felt that the mood wasn’t normal.
He straightened his pose and leaned his ears.
“In the last trip of the Pershion Kingdom, I felt many things. No, to be exact, these are things I have felt even before that.”
A resolute light floated up on Roan’s face.
“Activities of the monsters, war with neighboring kingdoms, nobles’ rebellion…… Rinse Kingdom was in a precarious state all the time. Furthermore, most of the citizens in the Istel Kingdom were starving to death from the continued fall in crop harvest, and an older brother tried to kill his younger brother because of power in the Pershion Kingdom.”
It was a series of hectic events.
He stared straight into Chris’ eyes.
“Right now, this world……”
Slightly, strength went into his voice.
“Is not a good place to live.”
Roan’s words continued to follow on.
“Chris. I have looked carefully around the Rinse Kingdom, the Istel Kingdom, and the Pershion Kingdom, and resolved.”
“Wha, what did you resolve……?”
Chris’ voice too unconsciously trembled sharply.
Roan breathed in deeply.
“To make a world that is good to live in.”
It was a firm resolution.
Boom.
Chris felt as if something heavy had filled his chest.
Roan exhaled a long sigh.
‘In truth, I first thought that I could become a monarch because I knew the future.’
But as he encountered numerous things and events, that thought became slightly different.
‘Not because I could become a monarch because I knew the future, but I must definitely become a monarch and change the future.’
If Roan was a monarch of a nation, he could had stop needless wars, save up food in preparation for severe fall in crop, and stop the situation where an older brother and the younger brother must point their swords at each other.
Most of all.
‘The Great Warring Era that will happen from now on. To end that era sooner by even a little bit, not anyone else but I must become a monarch.’
From the wars and battles that endlessly followed on, countless people would lose their lives.
The method to save them was just one.
‘Get rid of wars.’
To get rid of wars.
‘Unite the continent.’
It was an almost impossible task.
But it wasn’t a work without a precedent.
‘If it’s me, I could do it.’
It can’t be other people.
He could know because he had watched in the last life.
The current empire’s emperor and the kingdoms’ kings weren’t individuals who could unite the continent.
It was a task possible for only Roan, who knew the future.
Simon, Tommy, Kallum.
He had cleanly erased even the thought to support one of the three and raise him to the throne.
His heart and his sense of purpose, which had been somewhat soft, had solidified.
‘For me to become a monarch……’
He could only use the Rinse Kingdom as the base to grow.
But if Simon was to show an overwhelming look like now in the throne succession competition, the crack that Roan had to pierce through would disappear.
It was a situation where Tommy and Kallum must give more effort.
Because of that, Roan had willingly put down the letters that could had thrown Kallum into hell.
He had shaken the board called throne succession competition that had been going well.
‘In truth, I originally had no thought of desiring to inherit the Lancephil County and the title.’
Although the emotional part had greatly affected it, there was also the realistic part.
‘Since if I were to do it, the Lancephil County existing would have been more advantageous.’
Currently, the Tale Barony was in a form of being right inside the Lancephil County’s Southern region.
If Roan was to raise a flag of a kingdom on his own, the Lancephil County, which was amiable to him, could had acted the role of a castle wall.
But during that while, he had grasped Kali Owells’ dark scheme and had reached a point of scheming things like the Poskein Subjugation to destroy that ugly scheme and protect the Lancephil County.
‘But then, it have suddenly became a state of inheriting even the Lancephil County and the title.’
It was a slightly estranged situation from the original plan.
But Roan took this on as an another different opportunity.
‘I have sent a letter to Prince Kallum to approve the transfer of the fief and the title, and……’
He had separately sent another little bird towards the west.
Since the fief war had already arose, he planned to greatly expand that board.
When his thought had reached about that point.
“Make a world that is good to live in…… it truly is a good story. But……’
With an expression that had calmly sank, Chris added on.
“Would that be possible? It’s rather uncomfortable to tell you this sir, but that much work isn’t something a mere noble can do.”
It was true.
It was almost close to impossible for a mere noble, and Roan who had just now became a count at that, to do the work that many emperors and kings couldn’t do.
Roan formed a faint smile.
Now, the time to reveal his purpose had come.
It was a gigantic aspiration that he took out outside of his mouth for the first time.
“Chris.”
“Yes. My lord.”
Chris swallowed a dry spit with a needlessly tense expression.
It was because Roan’s air had changed.
Roan stared at such Chris, and spoke in a small but powerful voice.
“I plan to become a monarch.”
< Enter the War (4) > End.