Chapter 167 : Enter the War (5)
A northern wind blew.
At the bleak battlefield where the cleanup of the aftermath was being done.
At that place, Roan and Chris were standing and staring at each other.
< I plan to become a monarch. >
The weight Roan’s words had was incredible.
No, it was truly shocking.
This was a betrayal and treason much more serious than Elton Coat’s rebellion.
But Roan who had took out the words as well as Chris who had heard the words were greatly composed and calm.
A silence had fallen between the two people, but it was absolutely not an awkward and suffocating silence.
A moment later.
The tips of Chris’ mouth slightly went up.
“It might be hard to believe, but I somehow felt that it was like that.”
His voice was soft.
His expression was greatly calm.
Instead, the side that was surprised was Roan.
“It felt that it was like that?”
At the words that asked back, Chris nodded his head.
“Yes. It felt that it was like that. No, to be exact, I think I wanted it to be like that.”
The end of his voice slightly trembled.
“You wished for me to become a monarch?”
Roan asked in a small voice.
Chris faintly smiled and nodded his head.
“Yes. My lord has some unknown and strange feeling. There’s something that’s hard to describe with words. This person is different, there is something different than other people. That feeling.”
“You wished for me to become a monarch because of a reason like that?”
Roan asked once again.
Chris shook his head.
“No. It isn’t only because of such reason. At first, I also wished to support my lord and raise one of the three princes to the throne of the next king. Whether that was Prince Simon, Prince Tommy, or Prince Kallum, it didn’t matter who it was if it was an individual with the character of a king. I simply planned to follow my lord’s wishes. But……”
A bitter smile hung on his mouth.
“When I actually found out the circumstances in the palace, Prince Tommy wasn’t quite a good person. He was greedy and sly, and was a man who was busy filling his own greed.”
Roan slowly nodded his head.
In actuality as well, Tommy in the last life was captivated by an ugly greed as the throne succession competition intensified and had done all sorts of depravity.
He had received the condemnation of the citizens as well as the noble houses by himself.
Chris’ words continued.
“Prince Kallum is also the same. Instead of the kingdom and the citizens, he himself is the first. On top of that, he is a person whose heart is so hard to know, and most of all, he personally tried to kill my lord. The worst of all is that the undulations of his emotions are too extreme. Of course, even though he is a much better person than Prince Tommy when looking at various abilities.”
This too was true.
Kallum in the last life, after winning in the throne succession competition, climbed onto the king’s throne.
He was a so-so king who wasn’t excellent but neither bad, but he at least had the eyes and the magnanimity to know how to use various people.
The problem was that his emotional undulation was greatly severe.
It was different than Simon’s sanguine personality.
To put it simply, his heart was on the side of being almost as small as a single grain.
There were incidents where he cancelled the work he approved in the morning around lunchtime because of a reason that his mood wasn’t good, and there were incidents where he exiled the chief commander of the guards because of a reason that it felt like he ignored him.
Of course, his mood became better after a day had passed and he did reinstated the chief commander again.
Pierce and Ian, who were the two axles of the Rinse Kingdom, had juggled and coax such Kallum and had led the kingdom’s administration well.
It was because there was almost no case of him rebelling against them as long as they first and continued to humor and made his mood good.
But because of Kallum’s such personality, sycophants swarmed.
In truth, such problem was happening even now.
Roan didn’t knew yet, but Kallum who discovered the key to the locker of erasure not being able to control his emotions and exploding, and people like Count Jonathan Chase, who pretended to be Tommy’s close adjutant publicly, and Elton Coat, who raised a rebellion, swarming his surroundings were in fact because of Kallum’s such personality.
“At least Prince Simon, if we exclude his sanguine personality, is the most outstanding in terms of abilities. He actively backs my lord too. And his retainers too, because there were many excellent people, the possibility of him becoming an excellent king if only aided well looked high. Furthermore, my lord was also known as Prince Simon’s support faction. I wished for my lord to become Prince Simon’s close adjutant and enjoy glory. But……”
At the time when the last fall and winter were passing.
Chris’ thought was completely changed.
“Experiencing the Poskein Monster Subjugation, that thought was completely changed.”
Poskein Monster Subjugation.
Also known as Poskein Exodus.
Roan instantly understood what Chris was talking about.
‘Since I too have became drifted apart with Prince Simon because of that very event.’
The event that caused a change in their relationship.
Roan exhaled a short sigh.
“At the time when the exodus had reached its end, I told Prince Simon that we shouldn’t let down his guard because the monsters’ appearances would increase by five times than normal.”
He was talking about the final exodus.
Chris took on the remaining words.
“At the same time, we requested that we send messengers to Prince Tommy and Prince Kallum too so that they would prepare. Prince Simon had gladly said that he would do so, but……”
“He deceived me by pretending to send the messengers and then in fact excluded the relevant information.”
Roan creased his brows.
The painful feelings from then floated up anew.
Due to this horrendous choice by Simon, who wished to step ahead in the throne succession competition, the Poskein Lake’s west and the southwest regions were reduced to rubbles.
Although Tommy and Kallum barely retained their lives and had returned with few of the knights, the citizens of the lake’s vicinity were killed in masse as the subjugation force helplessly collapsed.
It was all an event that had happened because of Simon’s choice.
Roan as well as Chris too.
‘The change in my feelings began at that time.’
‘It was from that time. That I wished for not the three princes, but my lord to become a monarch.’
If the others who did not knew of the such circumstances of their hearts, Roan’s actions were definitely a rebellion and a treason.
But despite so, Roan had to make his decision.
‘I cannot pretend to not know despite knowing that the world will become a mess.’
He tightly clenched his fist.
Ambition soared.
Roan looked straight into Chris’ eyes.
“Chris. I have revealed my intent to you first. Whatever decision you make, I will respect that. If you were to perhaps leave my side, then I will quietly send……’
When his words reached about that point.
Chris brightly smiled and shook his head.
“Leave? Did I not say that I didn’t wished to do that, my lord? I……”
He stared straight into Roan’s eyes.
The light in his eyes were hot.
“Will always stay at my lord’s side.”
Silence.
Silence fell once again.
Similarly, it wasn’t an awkward or suffocating silence.
It was a time of deep meaning that they confirmed each other’s feelings.
Roan slightly lowered his head.
“I will depend on you from now on.”
“I will also depend on you, my lord.”
Chris, with a smile on, lowered his head.
Suddenly, Austin’s voice was heard from afar.
“My lord! The preparations have been completed!”
The preparations for the battles that would follow had been completed.
Roan slowly nodded his head, then stared at the battlefield.
Chris looked at Austin and carefully asked.
“We are winning one after another and are in the middle of marching towards the east, but……”
His voice was somewhat worried.
Roan understood his heart.
“Are you worried of our western back?”
Chris slowly nodded his head.
“Yes. Currently, we are receiving Agens, Tenebra Troop, and druids’ help to grasping the enemy’s location, direction of movement, and such, then are doing raids and ambush tactics. As we did that, it became a situation where we left big and small enemy troops at our western back, and……”
“Since the Chase County is there in the west, there is also the problem that they could reinforce their number of soldiers at any time.”
“That is correct. There is a danger that our backs would receive a sudden assault at any moment.”
Chris made a worried expression.
On the other hand, Roan was greatly relaxed.
“It seems that you have momentarily forgot because it’s so hectic, but……”
He looked towards the west and made an odd smile.
“I have the best sword in the kingdom.”
“Ah……”
Chris popped out a quiet gasp.
As Roan’s words had said, he had momentarily forgot.
That before starting the Poskein Lake Subjugation, there was a troop that separately headed towards the west.
Roan looked at Chris and slowly nodded his head.
“Yes. In the west……”
The smile that hung on his mouth became much thicker.
“The kingdom’s best sword, Brian Miles has began to move.”
*****
“This is something ridiculous!”
A voice filled with rage hit the ears.
At the giant tent that five commanders were gathered.
Amongst them, the youngest man bursted out in rage with a brightly flushed face.
The other people did not shouted in a loud voice, but were also completely enraged in various ways.
“He is right. I didn’t know that Prince Kallum would act like this.”
“This is a betrayal. A betrayal.”
Voices mixed with annoyances tangled together.
Their gazes naturally headed towards the head of the table.
The middle aged man dressed in a splendid armor.
He was Count Jonathan Chase, who had raised the current fief war together with Kali Owells.
Jonathan looked at the letter placed on top of the table and clenched his teeth.
The letter was something that had flew to them from the capital, Miller.
Inside it, the contents that said that Io Lancephil’s fief and title would be transferred to Roan was written.
And, the content that Kallum had approved that transfer was also written in.
“It seems I have looked at Roan Tale too easily.”
Jonathan chortled and shook his head.
The commanders, who had been noisily chatting just what did that mean, widely opened their eyes.
Jonathan, with a short sigh, added on.
“Do you think Prince Kallum have approved the fief and the title’s transfer without any reason? Roan Tale, that kid must have done some work. Kukuku. A bastard who knows how to swing a kingdom’s prince as he wishes…… how fun.”
With a monstrous laughter, he closed his eyes.
“A, are you okay, sir?”
The commanders searched Jonathan’s mood.
Originally, his personality was that of being greatly aggravated when things didn’t go the way he wished.
But at least this time, his mood somehow looked not as bad as they thought he would be.
“If the board is twisted and shaken, I merely need to set it again. Furthermore……”
Jonathan opened the eyes he had closed and formed a horrifying smile.
“Roan Tale too was a bastard I had to take care of some day.”
Instead, he planned to throw the bastard down into hell through this chance.
“Send someone to the mercenary guild in the Mediasis Castle. The time for those kids to slowly move have come.”
Exactly for a moment like this, he had planted a spy faction inside the Tale Barony for quite a long time.
The time to storm from both the outside and the inside had come.
Although it was a different development than his thoughts, a development more satisfying than he had thought was drawn.
“Send a man to the county. We will need an augmentative force.”
At those words, many commanders formed a bloody smile.
“Do you plan to hit the back of Roan Tale’s head, sir?”
Jonathan quietly nodded his head instead of an answer.
He gently closed his eyes again.
‘Roan Tale.’
Within his head, the sight of that fool-like bastard floated up.
‘A lowly background bastard plans to climb to the kingdom’s counthood? Hmph!’
It was ridiculous.
‘I can’t simply stay still and watch such an act.’
A horrifying smile hung on his mouth.
‘Lancephil County and even the Tale Barony…… kukuku. It seems the fief will increase more than twice.’
Strength went into his shoulders.
If the things were resolved as he planned, he would obtain a power comparable to the kingdom’s four dukes.
‘The era of Chase House will open in full swing.’
Suddenly, a powerful pressure poured out from his entire body.
It was excitement that couldn’t be controlled.
Jonathan was already drawing the brilliant future after the victory.
That was a truly impetuous and foolish action.
*****
Tellan region located in the Lancephil fief’s midwest.
As a region where a hill and a plain were connected, it was an even topography where there was no place suitable to particularly ambush or hide oneself.
As the Tale Legion’s raid and ambush attacks continued with the western region as the center, the Count Chase Forces had began to set camps in plain topographies where all directions were wide open.
The Tellan region here was also one of such places.
The camp of the Hadding Legion, which acted the role of the command center that commanded numerous troops at Count Chase Forces’ back, had set up its place right here.
“I heard that the west is a mess right now?”
“Right, and it’s not an ordinary mess either. They say that four rear troops have been destroyed at Tale Legion’s hands.”
“It seems that our side hasn’t even caught Tale Legion’s tail.”
At the camp’s entrance, the sentries who received the guard mission chatted.
They were fully absorbed in the story of Roan and the Tale Legion.
“But wasn’t there an order to not enter the fief war unless you’re directly involved?”
“That’s what they said. Even though a big trouble will happen if he went against the capital’s order, even if Baron Tale is a rising hero.”
They still did not knew that Roan had inherited Io’s fief and title.
“Anyhow, he is a great man in lot of way.”
“Right. Really, for an ordinary commoner like us to become the kingdom’s nob……”
When one sentry’s words reached about that point.
“Eh?!”
“Look over there!”
Another sentry pointed towards the west and shouted.
It was a dust cloud that thickly rose up.
Dududududu!
Soon, the sound of horse hooves were heard.
“Enemy?! Or an ally?!
One of the sentires asked with a completely nervous expression.
Amongst them, the one who was a captain class shouted out aloud.
“For now, ring the bells first!”
As soon as his words fell, the watchtower’s bell noisily rang.
Deng! Deng! Deng! Deng! Deng!
The peace of the camp was broken.
The soldiers raced out from numerous tents.
The commanders too hurriedly ran towards the camp’s fences.
“What is it!”
Troop commander Serum, who undertook the camp’s defense, glared his eyes.
The sentries, instead of an answer, pointed towards the west.
Dududududu!
The sound of horse hooves became much noisier.
It was a single troop made up of cavalry.
They, in no time, reached a place close to the camp.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Serum bursted out a low exclamation.
“It’s the Kapeo Legion! It’s the Kapeo Legion’s flag!”
As the troop neared, the flag that rose at the head was clearly seen.
The armors of the cavalry were also definitely those of the Count Chase Forces.
“An urgent message! An urgent message!”
One of the horseman shouted aloud at the top of his lungs.
“Kapeo Legion annihilated! We received Tale Legion’s raid attack and were annihilated!”
It was absolutely not a report they wished to hear.
Serum stood at the watchtower and looked at the Kapeo Legion’s remnant soldiers.
Their looks were all completely lost like one.
‘Damn it! Has even Kapeo Legion been done in?’
Serum tightly clenched his teeth once, then raised his right hand.
“Open the camp’s gate! We will treat the injured.”
“Troop commander. They may be enemy’s spy.”
One soldier opined in a small voice.
Serum son snorted.
“Even if it’s so, it’s a small-scale troop that’s not even a thousand men. Our number of soldiers is a legion that’s over several thousands. There’s nothing that’ll be a problem.”
His voice was full of confidence.
“Hhm. Even so……”
The soldier who opined hesitated.
Serum then soon scowled his eyes.
“Shut it! Cowers can step back! Hurry and open the gate!”
“Yes! Understood, sir!”
Other soldiers answered in a loud voice and then quickly moved.
Soon, the camp’s entrance that had been tightly closed opened.
To treat their injuries, the Kapeo Legion’s remnant soldiers headed towards the empty lot at the outskirt of the camp.
“Who is the commander?”
Serum quickly went down from the watchtower.
From the remnant soldiers, the man who shouted first stepped forwards with two horseman.
Beyond the helmet that was deeply pushed down and worn, eyes overflowing with a tired look were seen.
“I’m Tas of Kapeo Legion’s Maien Troop.”
“Adjutant Henry, sir.”
“Adjutant Peil, sir.”
Serum creased his brows.
“Maien Troop adjutant? You guys are the commanders? What about Legion Commander sir Donald Kapeo? What happened to other troop commanders or the legion adjutants?”
Tas quickly answered.
“Legion Commander Sir Kapeo has lost his life at Baron Tale’s spear. The other troop commanders and the legion adjutants too have died during the battle. Just us have luckily survived and were able to run.”
“Hhm.”
At the horrible report, Serum leaked a groan.
“Could you report of the battle situation and the progress?”
“Of course, sir.”
Tas quickly nodded his head.
“Good. Then the three people follow me.”
Serum moved his steps towards the inside of the camp.
Of course, he had them separately gather and place aside the weapons they carried before that.
Tas, Henry, and Peil looked at each other once, then quickly followed his back.
“It seems even Kapeo Legion was done in.”
“This really is a big trouble.”
“Wouldn’t Tale Legion appear soon?”
“Nah. They can only do raids and ambush strategies because their number of soldiers are small. They never attack a camp set up in a place like this.”
“Well, that is true.”
The soldiers who poured out of the tents looked at the remnant soldiers and whispered.
Meanwhile, Serum and the remnant soldiers reached the legion commander’s tent at the center of the camp.
“What is it?”
Legion Commander Viscount Beiro Hadding, who was already out of the tent, creased his forehead.
Serum quickly went up and lowered his head.
“It’s the Kapeo Legion’s remnant soldiers. They say that the legion was annihilated at Tale Legion’s raid attack.”
“What!”
Beiro glared his eyes his eyes and shouted.
If it was the Kapeo Legion, it were a quite large sized legion even though it was temporarily made.
The scale itself was different than the four troops that were destroyed in advance by the Tale Legion.
“Explain thoroughly.”
Beiro went up to one of the remnant soldiers and asked in a severe voice.
Amongst the remnant soldiers, Tas opened his mouth as a representative.
“Yes. I will explain thoroughly, sir.”
He calmed his breath once, then meticulously told the battle situation that had happened between the Tale legion and the Kapeo Legion.
“Us Kapeo Legion had set up a camp at a covert place inside the western hills. It was a place that no one could ever find even if it was the such ghostlike Tale Legion. But while one of the troop inspecting the nearby region was returning to the camp, its tail had been caught by the Tale Legion. Without knowing such fact, we……”
An odd story continued on.
That was certainly not the story of the Tale Legion and the Kapeo Legion’s battle.
But there was no way that the Hadding Legion’s commanders, including Beiro, would know such truth.
After an unknown amount of time, about the time Tas’ story began to show its end.
“Hm?”
Beiro unknowingly creased his brows.
The guy who was standing next to Tas, Henry, had entered his sight.
To be exact, at the guy’s waist, the object that was hanging there had made him creased his forehead.
“That’s……”
His voice leaked out in daze.
Many commanders, including Serum, followed Beiro’s gaze and turned their heads.
All of their gazes headed towards Henry.
The black stick hanging on his waist pierced through their sight.
“Eh? That’s……”
“Perhaps?”
“No way.”
It was a very familiar object.
It was an object so famous to a point of making them want to ask just why they hadn’t discovered it until now.
Beiro creased his forehead.
“Perhap Travias Spear?”
It was Roan’s beloved weapon.
How was that hanging on a remnant soldier’s waist?
At that moment, Henry slowly removed the helmet he had been wearing.
“You guys realized that slower than we thought.”
His voice was serene and calm.
When he took off the helmet, a manly face appeared.
Several commanders, including Serum, didn’t recognized it, but Beiro, who was the kingdom’s noble, instantly realized his identity.
“You, you are!!!”
His voice was greatly taken back.
Henry, who took off the helmet, faintly smiled as he nodded his head.
“Yes. I am the very……”
His right hand grabbed the black stick at his waist.
“Roan Tale.”
< Enter the War (5) > End.