I am the Monarch Chapter 210: Amaranth (10)

It undoubtedly became much different than the initial plan.
Originally, the plan was to furtively infiltrate inside the Capital's, Miller's, castle, and then attack the south gate in a blitzkrieg offense.
However, Roan's plan became completely disjointed as the palace's inner garden, which was the secret path's exit, was used as the knight order and the commanders' camp unlike in the last life.
But even so, it wasn't as if there was no meaning to having entered through the secret path to the capital, Miller, and to the core of the palace at that.
The Miller Castle, as befitting a capital, had three sets of walls from the outer wall and the inner wall, and the palace wall that surrounded the palace.
From the position of the Lancpehil Fief Regiment that was attacking the outer wall, it had to break through the three castle walls in order to capture the palace.
Roan planned to sequentially open total of three gates from the palace to the south gate of the outer wall.
And right now.

Boom!

With an explosive sound, the hinges that were supporting the thick iron gates were destroyed.
The iron rings that bind the castle gate too were satisfyingly wrecked.

Kwukung.

The massive castle gates, with a weighty sound, fell to the ground.
A complete unbarring.
Freely pulling up the water energy within his body, Roan instantly destroyed the castle wall.

“Wha, what the!”
“Stop him!”

The soldiers guarding the palace wall's castle gate startled and rushed towards him.
However, they were no match for Roan.

“Move!”

The Travias Spear splitting the air together with a shout.
A blue jet, following the spearhead, took a sharp pressure and pounced the soldiers.

Ssskuk!

“Kuuk!”
“Kuk!”

Like dry leaves before a wind.
The soldiers blocking the castle gate and running towards him were blown away in every direction.
There was none who was sound.
The places that the jet of water touched were helplessly cut down cleanly.
Roan's mana, due to the repeatedly continuing battles, was already nearing its bottom.
But even so, he didn't get pushed back by ordinary soldiers.
To him, there were the outstanding strength and resilience earned through grueling efforts and the Kalian's Tears that could clearly see through every movement of the world.

“The ones who block my path……”

Roan once again swung the Travias Spear and kicked off the ground.

“Will die!”

A shout that shake the ground.

“Uhuh!”
“Huhph!”

Few soldiers cowered and scattered to the sides.

A neatly stretching street appeared beyond the castle gate.
Roan didn't miss that short chance.

Tat!

A sight of kicking off the ground and cutting through the air.

“Eh?!”
“Aah!”

The soldiers became surprised and tried to block the divided gap, but it was already too late.
Roan charged through the cleanly pierced palace castle wall's gate and raced towards the south.
After racing for a while, the inner castle wall's gate appeared.
Roan, without a single look of hesitation, charged towards the castle gate.

Boooom!

With an explosive roar, the lock and the hinges supporting the gate were destroyed.

Kwukung.

The giant iron gate slowly fell down.
Roan, stepping on the diagonally falling iron gate, jumped over the sentries' heads.
A high speed advance.
It was a violent and unstoppable charge.
Roan's next goal, having instantly pierced through even the inner castle wall, was the outer castle wall's south gate.

'Now really is the bottom.'

The water energy within his body was at the bottom.
A situation where he couldn't be certain that he could open the south gate even if he reached the gate.

'Hide myself instead and disturb the enemies?'

That too wasn't a bad choice either.
But Roan soon shook his head.

'No. Now isn't the time to delay the time like this.'

Simon Rinse at the Longport Castle should be tirelessly increasing his forces even at this very moment.
He had executed an infiltration strategy like this even while knowing that it was improbable because of that.

'Damn it! Let's attack head on first!'

Roan clenched his teeth and kicked off the ground.
A wild look that couldn't be seen until now.
Roan always moved under meticulous preparations and plans and definitively won victories.
Due to that, some assessed Roan as a strategic commander or a virtuous commander. 1
But Roan appearance right now was one of recklessly and forcibly charging in.
It was a situation that desperate.

'Most of miracle-like growths and results occurred when confronted with a limit. Although they were very rare, of course.'

A highly optimistic thought.
Roan's image trailed long towards the outer south gate.
But the capital, Miller, as befitting its name, was simply too big.
Especially the distance from the inner wall that was the castle's center to the outer wall that was the outer sections was much too long.
And at that midsection.

“Stop him!”
“Fire the arrows!”
“Die!”

The Patore Legion's soldiers who were stationed to calm the citizens and suppress the dissents inside the castle were filed up.
They, at the noise that arose at the capital's center, instantly reacted.
Violent attacks poured down towards Roan.
Thanks to that, Roan could only use up the one fistful of mana that he had saved for the final strike.

Ssskuk! Sssguk!

“Kuhuk!”
“Kuk!”

The Travias Spear moved as if to dance.
The blue stream was dyed bloodred.
The stream of water that had soared along the spearhead in a crescent shape was at a level that barely covered just the spearhead.
There was no more remaining strength to Roan.

“Stop him!”
“Beyond here is the south gate!”
“We absolutely cannot get pierced through!”

The Patore Legion's soldiers too were frantic.
Because they were easily pierced and began to be slowly pushed back, and then had reached the vicinity of the outer wall's south gate in no time.

Vvuuuuu! Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!

From inside and outside of the castle wall, the endlessly ringing sounds of horns and drums hit the ears.
Lancephil Fief Regiment versus the Patore Legion.
The south gate was a seething battlefield.
At that moment.

Boom!

With an explosive sound, the soldiers who were making up a defensive line were thrown towards the gate.
The one who appeared between the gate was Roan.
He was overflowing with a tired look.
The cheap armor he lightly wore to pass through the secret path was frayed everywhere.

“What the?”
“What happened?”

The knights and soldiers of the Patore Legion's main forces looked at Roan who abruptly appeared and creased their brows.
Viscount Delph Blick, who was guarding the ramparts, also turned his head and shone a fierce light from his eyes when below the castle wall became noisy.

“Um? Count Roan Lancephil?”

A surprised look floated up on Delph's face.
Because the capital's center was turning noisy, he had wondered if the castle's citizens and the few nobles who held dissatisfaction towards Simon were raising a disturbance.

'Was the cause of that disturbance actually Count Roan Lancephil?'

He couldn't believe it.
The fact that the enemy's supreme commander who should've been outside the south gate was inside the castle too was surprising, and the fact that there wasn't a single subordinate he brought with him was even more shocking.

'There must have been a secret path.'

Delph quickly understood the situation and called his adjutant and the commander of the knights, Dex Kerry.

“Lead the Blick Knight order and capture Count Lancephil. If not possible, kill him!”

He didn't make unreasonable demand of absolutely catching him alive.

“Yes sir! We will carry out the order.”

Dex quickly answered, then went down the castle wall together with thirty members of the Blick Knight Order.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Due to the heavy armor, weighty sounds rang out.
As if they'd been waiting, the Patore Legion's soldiers surrounding Roan stepped back.
They were leaving Roan to the Blick Knight Order.

'It would have been better if a messy fight broke out instead……'

Roan made a bitter smile.
He had planned to use the enemy soldiers as shields and cause chaos.
But now that he was facing the small number of elite knight order, that was an impossible plan from then on.

'Should I be thinking thankful that there is no ballista attack?'

A bitter smile hanged on Roan's mouth.
Currently, the ballistas that were set along the castle wall were all facing outside of the south gate.
Dex, who climbed down to below the castle wall in the meantime, grabbed the scabbard at his waist with his left hand and placed his right fist on his left chest.

“Greetings to Sir Count Lancephil.”

Showing courtesy to the kingdom's grand noble even though having met as an enemy.

Sseureng.

Dex pulled out his sword and looked straight at Roan.

“Why have you revolted against his majesty the king, sir?”

At those words, Roan lightly swung the Travias Spear and answered in a composed voice.

“I merely follow the citizens of the kingdom.”
“Hhm.”

Dex leaked a quiet groan.
How could he not know of it.
The difference, between Roan's actions and Simon's actions.
But Dex was a knight of a noble house to the bones.
He was a resolute man who could unhesitantly offer up his life if it was his lord's order.
If Delph wished it, he would merely follow.
Dex pulled up his mana and aimed at Roan with the tip of his sword.

“The head of the Blick Knight Order Dex Kerry faces Sir Roan Lancephil.”

It wasn't a request for a duel.
This was a short courtesy toward Roan who was a count and the declaration of battle that signaled the start of an intense battle.

Taat!

Together with the declaration of battle, every Blick Knight Order's member including Blick pounced towards Roan.
There was no such thing as incaution.
They were plentily aware of the might of Roan Lancephil the Crimson Ghost.
Thanks to that, Roan was set in a difficult situation.

'It would have been nice if they at least looked down on me……'

A bitter smile hanged.
First, he tried to find a gap in the coordinated attacks.
Between the swords ferocious crossing the space, small gaps repeated to appear and disappear.
Meanwhile, Dex's blade arrived above Roan's head.

'We did it!'
'We caught Count Lancephil!'

Everyone thought so.
But even at the split movement between life and death, Roan showed off unbelievably calm and nimble movements.

Spapat!

Thirty swords cut through the air aiming for Roan's head, body, and legs, but all hit empty air.
Roan, as if dancing, shook his body and perfectly escaped out of the forest made of swords.
No, he thought he perfectly escaped.
But.

Spat!

The moment he stood again after pushing through the group of Blick Knight Order, his shoulder and thigh armors pitifully split and fell onto the ground.
The padded armor he wore below too was split and quite deep wounds appeared on his hard and muscular skin.

'As expected, is facing knights without mana impossible?'

An unsatisfactory result to Roan himself.
But the ordinary soldiers who were watching were actually gaping their mouths.

“Ho, how did he dodge that?”
“Did you see?”
“N, no. I, I couldn't see anything.”

Gulp.

Everyone dryly swallowed.
In truth, dodging a coordinated attack that more than thirty knights pour down without a single bit of mana itself was an incredible feat.

'He's a monster.'

Dex too was overflowing with a surprised look.
But he soon regained calm in his heart.
The situation was advantageous to them.

“You've gotten tired, sir.”

Dex straightened his stance and glared at Roan.
Through this exchange, he had realized that there was no mana inside Roan's body.

'He's a troublesome opponent.'

Roan clenched his teeth.
Even though the south gate was right in front of his nose, his legs were caught.

'There definitely must be a way……'

Even in a split situation between life and death, his thoughts rapidly spun.
However, a shrewd solution did not easily appear.

Vvuuuuu! Dum! Dum! Dum!

“Uah!”
“Climb over the wall!”
“Climb! Kuhuk!”

Even during that while, the screams of Lancephil Fief Regiment's soldiers outside the castle gate were heard.
Roan's expression stiffly solidified and a smile floated up on Dex's face.

“If it's that tiring……”

A killing intent flashed at the tip of Dex's sword.

“Please now rest.”

Simultaneously, he pulled up his mana and bent his knees as if to kick off the ground.
At that very instant.

“D, dod, dodge!”
“Dodge, sir!”

Suddenly, the nearby soldiers gasped and shouted.

Dudududududu!

Soon following, the sound of horse hooves shaking the ground hit the ears.
Roan and the Blick Knight Order's knights including Dex creased their foreheads and turned their heads towards the sound.

“A cart?”
“A carriage?”

More than tens of carts and carriages were racing towards the south gate from the west, north, and east.
The horsemen driving the carts and the carriages weren't seen.

Neeeeign!

The horses seemed to be completely agitated.
The carts and the carriages simply had no sign of stopping.
Even if one were a knight, nine out of ten would be crushed and killed on the spot if not careful.

“Damn it! Dodge them!”

Dex quickly ordered and moved back.
The knights also quickly moved their bodies.
Roan too kicked off the ground and stepped back while distancing himself from Dex and the Blick Knight Order.
Thanks to the carts and carriages that abruptly appeared, he was able to buy time to catch his breath.

Dudududududu!

Tens of carts and carriages went past in front of his eyes.

“Uaaak!”
“Run!”

Amongst the ordinary soldiers, where were few who couldn't quite dodge and were crashed by the carts and the carriages.

Kwakang! Kwakakakang!

The horses weren't sane.
They charged directly towards the tightly closed castle gate and the solid wall and then powerfully crashed.
Carts and carriages jumbled together and shattered into pieces together with booming sounds.

“Just what is……”

Dex looked at the carts and carriages that filled the front of the south gate and creased his brows.
He couldn't understand the bizarre situation that abruptly occurred.
At that moment and before him, Roan widely opened his eyes.
Because a familiar smell brushed the tip of his nose.

'Oil?'

The viscous and nauseating thing was definitely the smell of oil.
With the Kalian's Tears, he quickly swept his gaze over the carts and carriages' wreckage.

'It's grass!'

Below the pile of wood, damply wetted grasses were abundant.
The carts and the carriages were bountifully carrying grass wetted with oil.

'Just who would……?'

Even Roan tilted his head with a puzzled look.
Suddenly.

Piing!

A sharp sound of air splitting apart tore into his ears.
Roan instinctively turned his head and looked towards the direction the sound came from.
A single arrow cutting through the blue sky and flying towards them.
And a small flame that beautifully shone instead of an arrowhead.

“Eh?”
“Eh……”
“What's……”

Dex and the knights as well as the soldiers around the south gate looked at the arrow and formed dazed expressions.
The arrow, which drew an arc and flew towards them, directly fell inside the pile of carts and carriages.
Suddenly.

Fwoooooosh!

An incredible fire soared up.

“Hph!”
“Huhuk!”

From the incredible flame suddenly rising up, their breaths abruptly got caught.
The skin cooked red and the eyes felt hot as if to burn away.

“Kuuk! Step back!”
“Move back!”

Dex clenched his teeth and walked backwards.
Even if one was a knight who could control mana, one couldn't handle an incredible fire like this.
The Blick Knight Order quickly moved back.
But.

“Uuak!”
“Sa, save me!”
“Ho, hot!”

The soldiers who were tightly close up to the south gate couldn't quite dodge the fire.
Swallowed by the crimson flame, they squirmed for life.

“Uuaaak!”
“Kuuk!”

Hell.
A hell of flame unfolded in front of the south gate.
But excluding just one person.

“Huu.”

Roan exhaled a long sigh.
His expression was calm.
It wasn't because of the Brent's Ring that had the ability to control body temperature.
Right now, he was feeling an incredible energy from the powerful flame that wrapped around his entire body.
Each time he breathed in and out, incredible heat went in and out of his body.
His heart felt calm and the inside of his head turned clear.
Roan deeply breathed in and looked towards the direction the arrow flew from.
A long distance that one absolutely couldn't guess shapes if one was an ordinary individual.
But Roan, who had the Kalian's Tears, could clearly see the faces of the two people hiding between two buildings.
One was a middle-aged man holding a bow.

'Probably, that man shot the arrow.'

But the one who schemed this event likely wasn't him.

'The one who schemed up this event is the youthful young man next to him……'

A smile hanged on Roan's mouth.
The reason he was so certain was one.
Because he had already met the youthful young man many times before.

'Are you finally moving?'

Roan's eyes twinkled and shone with light.
His gaze went towards the youthful young man.

'Ian Phillips.'

< Amaranth (10) > End.

Translator : CSV
Proofreader: Fujimaru

1. according to the Art of War by Sun Tzu, there are three types of commanders: charismatic commander who leads at the front with bravery, a strategic commander who excels in tactics and knowledge, and a virtuous commander who makes others follow him on their own will due to the commander's virtuousness. The author is referencing this, but don't take it as information on the world setting. They're somewhat common terms in Korean so they're basically neutral terms.

Chapter end