I am the Monarch Chapter 135 : Triumphant Return (4)

'Twenty four.'

Roan let out a short sigh.

'There's only one year left.'

Time was tight..
Even when a person from the same Rinse Kingdom was hard to influence, the person this time was Pershion Kingdom's prince.

'But even so, I don't want to leave him to die……'

Various plans brushed through within his head.
Roan soon bit his lips.

'Even if I remember all sorts of events, accidents, wars, battles, and people, in truth, there are too many things that I'm missing.'

He had completely forgotten about such big events and accidents, incredible people, and wondrous treasures that he wondered just how he had forgotten about these things.
But that was just how memories were.
If he didn't pay attention, they slowly sank beneath the surface.
It was the same with the memories of Manus Pershion.
Even though he definitely and clearly remembered who he was, he was completely unaware of him until he had heard Chris' story.

'If it wasn't for Chris, I probably would have only realized it after he had died.'

He was careless.
Because he had only used necessarily memories based on the situations at hand, but in reality he had let the important things pass by.

'I should pick a day sometime and organize the important memories.'

Roan pushed aside the distracting thoughts within his head and turned to Chris.

“How long would it take for the results of the war to spread?”
“It will take at least ten days.”

Including the Rinse Kingdom, all the kingdoms on the continent still weren't officially using intelligence organizations.
Instead, they utilized the method of border guards taking the news from the outside and reporting through regular soldiers.
Due to that, the quality of the information itself was low and the speed of the report was also significantly slow.
Although couriers, messenger riders, and information agencies were occasionally used, they weren't comparable to Agens, which already had systematic structure and skilled agents.

'Hhm. Ten days……'

It was neither long nor short amount of time.

'I have to set an advantageous field before that.'

And a field that stands out by itself wasn't good.
It must fit well with the plans that Roan had already set up.

'Hmm.'

It was difficult.
There was a limit from working alone.

'I should talk with Clay about it.'

If it's Clay, he should be able to come up with an excellent scheme or an unusual plan.
Roan organized his thoughts and then gave Chris a new order.

“For now, investigate Prince Manus Pershion and the Pershion Kingdom. Don't overdo it too much either.”
“Yes. Understood.”

Chris slightly lowered his head.

“Then, should we go meet the young merchants?”

“Yes. They are waiting in the reception room.”

Chris nodded his head as he stood up.
While exchanging stories about the Pershion Kingdom, the two left the office.

Kuung.

The door closed and Roan and Chris disappeared from sight.
A bird that was sitting on the windowsill, as if it was waiting, flapped and flew out.

*****

Lidia of the lumber business and Eska of the restaurant business were much more younger and brilliant women than what Roan had thought.
As expected of the individuals who Chris chose, they were daring and overflowing with confidence.
But that didn't mean that they weren't courteous.
Lidia and Eska, in their conversation with Roan, meticulously asked back all the crucial questions and answers.
Until sundown, the questions and answers continued on.
And finally.

“Lidia Lumber Co. will follow Sir Baron Tale.”
“Eska Restaurant will follow Sir Baron Tale.”

The two people decided to attempt a grand business with the continent as their customers.
They had accepted Roan's offer.
Roan then took out an enormous amount of supply and investment funds on the spot and greatly rejoiced.
And at the same time, he made an organization called Tale Commerce Division and took Lidio Lumber Co., Eska Restaurant, and Ford Mining Co. under it.

'Here, the Sale Company will take on the transportation business, and……'

Once he purchase the Istel Kingdom's cheap farmlands with the newly prepared finances, he should be able to obtain a solid economic base.

'I need to create a new company and send it to the Istel Kingdom. By now, all sort of farmlands will be on sale at dirt-cheap p……'

When his thoughts had reached that point, Roan suddenly opened his eyes wide.

'Istel Kingdom and Pershion Kingdom……'

Suddenly, a method to create an advantageous field while associating with the Pershion Kingdom appeared in his head.
Although it hasn't taken complete shape yet, at least a rough and hazy outline came out.

'I should call a meeting.'

Roan wasn't a genius.
Especially on topics besides war and battle, he was no better than ordinary people.
However, he wasn't embarrassed of asking and learning the things he lacked.
Roan proposed to meet someday later to Lidia and Eska and then immediately called a meeting.
Excluding Austin who was at the Elton fief, Hundred-man Commander Harrison, Brian, Clay as well as other prominent geniuses and several ten-man commanders attended the meeting.
For a while, the story of the Byron Kingdom, Istel Kingdom, and the Pershion Kingdom's war continued.

“Hmm. Manus Pershion……”
“It seems an incredible person has appeared.”

All of them let out quiet exclamations.
Roan nodded his head.

“Right. He is an incredible person. But this isn't the time to simply be awed.”

As soon as his words finished, Clay faintly smiled.

“You're planning on bringing him to our side.”

Roan slowly nodded his head.

“Yes. I plan to win over Prince Manus Pershion's heart.”

Gulp.

All of them gulped with nervous expressions.
A baron from a commoner background who just entered the world of nobles planned to face a prince of a different nation.
It definitely won't be easy, no it would be a really difficult work.

“For now, I'll tell you the plan I have thought up.”

For a while, Roan laid out the plans that roughly set the framework.
Clay, as well as various others, nodded and shook their heads from time to time, and showed various responses.
The story that went on for a while finally ended.

“What do you think?”

Roan cautiously asked.
With quite serious faces, the people pondered for a moment and then slightly nodded their heads.

“It doesn't sound too bad.”
“But the current state is too sketchy.”

Roan wordlessly nodded his head.
That was something he also agreed on.
At that moment, Clay, who had been deep in contemplation, cheerfully smiled and opened his mouth.

“I have supplemented my lord's plan with few things, would you be willing to hear it?”

And following that, a meticulous and solid scheme was calmly laid out.
The more Clay's story continued on, the people showed greatly shocked expressions.

'He made all that up just like that on the spot?'
'It's a perfect scheme as if he had known and prepared beforehand.'

The story Clay laid out was just that incredible.
Even Roan, who usually hid his expressions well, couldn't hide the surprise on his face.

'Incredible.'

A sincere astonishment.
Beyond his nature and values, he had to at least admit Clay's talent.

“How does it sound?”

Clay, who had finished his story, carefully asked.
Roan gazed at the people within the meeting room.
Every time they met his eyes, they lightly nodded their heads.
They all approved of Clay's scheme.
Roan inhaled deeply and look straight into Clay's eyes.

“Alright. Prepare it fully.”
“Yes. Please leave it to me.”

Clay slightly lowered his head and clenched his fist.

'It's a chance.'

From the merits he raised in the rebellion suppression before, his office was raised from supply administrator to the chief administrator.
However, Clay couldn't be satisfied with the current state.
He wanted to go up to at least the Chief troop administrator or an administrator position that presided and administered over the entire administration of the fief.

'Of course, that also isn't my final goal, but……'

An even higher place, an even higher position, an even higher power.
Clay's goal was at a much higher place.

'Thanks to a lark passing me the good news, it seems I had grabbed a fine chance.'

A peculiar smile hung from his mouth.

*****

“Manus Pershion?”

Simon creased his brows.
It was because the news Roan had brought was simply too shocking.

'Even the news that Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom allying together and attacked the Pershion Kingdom is an incredible thing, but……'

The Pershion Kingdom won instead thanks to Manus' actions?
It was something hard to believe.

“Have you ever heard rumors about Pershion Kingdom's second prince?”

At Simon's words, Viscount Tio Ruin searched through his old memories and replied.

“Although I have heard that he was bright from the young age, it wasn't to a point of being special. Instead, the First Prince Reitas is known to be a very outstanding prince.”
“Right. I had also heard rumors of Reitas.”

Simon, as well as numerous nobles, nodded their heads.
That was also the same for Roan.

'If it's Reitas, he is Pershion Kingdom's next monarch. He was a brave and brilliant king. But he too……'

Lived shortly.
He had suffered from an unknown disease and then left the world at the age of forty.
Subsequently, the Pershion Kingdom was divided into four smaller nations.
The story after that was unknown.

'Since I also died not too long after that.'

The inside of his mouth somehow felt bitter.

'Anyhow, for the two brothers to have died from diseases. The fate of Pershion's royalty is quite trag……?!'

When his thoughts arrived at that point, it felt as if lightning bolted through his head.

'Perhaps?'

A one frightening theory rose in his head.

'Were they not natural deaths by diseases?'

No doubt it was simply conjecture, but the probability of such was also enough.
One of the biggest differences between the last life and this life was the point that the royalty seen from afar and from close up were greatly different.

'Possibly, the place more vicious than the battlefield may be the palace right here.'

The place teeming with those who wanted to be the king and those who wanted to make them king.

'If the Pershion royalty isn't very different from here, there is a high chance that secret strife had happened over the competition for the succession for the throne. But who had diseased those tw……'

When his thoughts had continued on to that point, he heard Simon's voice.

“Baron Tale. So are you saying that you'll go meet him, Manus Pershion?”
“Ah…… ah, yes. Before the news reaches the other princes, I believe that it would be good to approach from our side first.”

Roan quickly cleaned up his complicated thoughts and lowered his head.
While rubbing the tip of his chin with one hand, Simon submerged himself in contemplation.

“Hhm.”

It wasn't a bad proposal.
But it also wasn't especially that attractive.

“The Pershion Kingdom is located far away from our Rinse Kingdom. Is there any special need to hold hands with such a far away country?”

Roan raised his head and looked at Simon.
The light in his eyes was serene.
With a composed voice, Roan answered.

“Between our Rinse Kingdom and the Pershion Kingdom, there is the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom. Originally, it is the basics of strategy to befriend a faraway nation and attack the countries that are closer.”

Simon nodded his head.

“Right. Those words certainly aren't wrong. But wouldn't the king of the first prince be better if we are to befriend the nation?”
“That is……”

Roan momentarily hesitated his words.
If possible, he felt like revealing everything he knew of the future events.

'In the last life, the current king, Ave Von Pershion, announced the First Prince Reitas as the king right after Manus died next year, then stepped back as a backroom old man. If the same things were to happen in this life, it isn't really a good choice to line up behind the king.'

But the First Prince Reitas also wasn't a good choice.
Simon also knew of that reason.
Roan organized the thoughts within his head and replied.

“The Pershion Kingdom's King Ave Von Pershion is an extremely incompetent person. Furthermore, he is a corrupted king who frequents extravagance and pleasure as daily work. Lining up with an individual like this isn't a very good choice.”

It was true to a certain degree.
Rather than looking after politics and administration, he was rapt over wine, women, and gambling.
One of the reasons the Byron Kingdom attacked the Pershion Kingdom was actually Ave's incompetence.
In fact, even the Pershion Kingdom's citizens found it amazing how great sons like Reitas and Manus were born from that dog-like Ave. 1
Roan continued to speak.

“In the case of First Prince Reitas Pershion, I'm sure that sir knows why he isn't such a good choice.”

Immediately after Roan finished his words, Simon spoke in a gruff voice.

“He's an intimate friend with Kallum.”

The Rinse Kingdom's Third Prince Kallum Rinse and the Pershion Kingdom's First Prince Reitas Pershion were buddies who had studied together.
When the continent's sage Pienes called together the princes of each nation and taught them, they had befriended each other while studying together and were known to have continuously exchanged letters.
Simon exhaled a short sigh.

“In the end, befriending Manus is the inevitable choice.”

At those words, Roan shook his head.

“That isn't so. I can assert that this will be the best choice to make.”
“Best…… how could you be so sure?”

Simon, whose information on Manus was completely nonexistent, asked back with a somewhat doubtful look.
Instead of an answer, Roan quietly stared into Simon's eyes.
His eyes were full of certainty.
Simon looked into those eyes then soon nodded his head.

“Good.”

The tips of his mouth slightly rose.

“Baron Tale. Do as you wish.”

The permission was finally given.
Roan deeply bowed his head.

“Thank you very much, sir.”

Roan's trip to the Pershion Kingdom was decided just like that.
The meeting between Manus Pershion, the man who had received too much of God's love and left the world too early, and Roan, who had once again gained a chance at life for an unknown reason.
The two people, who had obvious and distinctly different lives, were going to meet.
At least at that point in time, Roan completely hadn't expect what kind of event will happen to him.

< Triumphant Return (4) > End.

Translator : CSV

Proofreader: st8_lupe.

1. the author plays around with the proverb 호부견자, which translates word for word tiger-father-dog-son and means bad sons born from great father, and calls Reitas and Manus 호자, meaning tiger-son or great sons, and calls Ave 견부, meaning dog-father and bad father. The funny thing is that this play doesn't seemed to be considered actual Korean by the dictionary.

Chapter end