I am the Monarch Chapter 224: Amaranth (24)

The highly soaring legion flags fluttered with the wind.

< Lancephil Legion. >

The identity of the grand legion was the Lancephil Legion who defeated the Mad Monarch Simon and the Legion of Dark and were advancing towards the Longfort Castle.

“Could he really have captured it, sir?”

Harrison approached Roan's side.
Roan, who stood and led the grand legion at the lead looked towards the west.

“If it is Ian, he would have done it.”

A voice full of certainty.
Harrison, with an expression finding it hard to believe, repeatedly asked.

“With merely one thousand detached troop, sir?”

One thousand soldiers with Austin and Brian at the head were all the soldiers Ian Phillips took along to capture the Longfort Castle.
Even though they all were taemusas, the Longfort Castle was one of the major fortresses of the kingdom's West.
Even if swarmed at a legion scale, it wasn't a place easy to capture.
Furthermore, it was merely ten days now since Ian left for the Longfort Castle.
Capture the fortress amongst fortresses, the Longfort Castle, with one thousand soldiers?
It was something hard to believe from Harrison's position.
Roan stared at such Harrison and formed a faint smile.

“If it is Ian, he would have captured it with even five hundred soldiers.”

He moved his gaze and looked towards the west.
The western end unobservable even with the Kalian's Tears.
The Longfort Castle was there.
Roan's gaze followed this time to the back.
A carriage that conspicuously situated between the grand legion.
On the carriage, a rather neatly made small flag was planted.

< Katy Rinse. >

Roan, for the bloodline of the royalty and the tragic princess Katy, prepared a small and humble but sturdy carriage.
And gave an order to Pierce to protect its side.

'The pretext is important too, but……'

Roan's such appearance could still pull out the favorable supports of the numerous nobles and the kingdom's citizens who still pledged loyalty to the Rinse Kingdom.
This was the very appearance that was different than Kallum Rinse and Clay who forcibly founded kingdoms.
Roan once again turned his head and stared towards the west.

'Now the Rinse Kingdom is over.'

The First Prince, no, Simon who climbed onto the throne on his own and the Second Prince Tommy Rinse lost their lives.
The firstborn of Duke Bradley Webster who died to Simon in that process, Barry Webster founded the North Rinse Kingdom together with Clay.
The Third Prince Kallum Rinse who alone survived amongst the three princes too allied with the Diez Kingdom's Crowned Prince Lukan Diez and founded the South Rinse Kingdom.

Currently, the only one who upheld the Rinse Kingdom was Roan Lancephil.

'The one who calms the three kingdoms becomes the owner.'

The situation flowed like so.

'No, saying I made the path for it to flow so would be correct.'

The numerous plans he executed since long ago were finally connecting and producing results.

'The board is set.'

Now was the time to play a round.
Roan exhaled a long breath and spurred his horse.
The speed of the legion's travel increased a level.
The Lancephil Legion's travel continued for two days.
After crossing a small river and passing between hills the Longfort Castle that was the goal showed its grand and sturdy form.

“I've heard that it was a fortress but this really is amazing.”
“It literally is an impregnable fort.”

The thousand-man commanders including Harrison clicked their tongues.
Unlike most castles, the Longfort Castle was a castle built from the start as a fortress.
A military outpost to stop the powerful monsters that climbed down from the Grain Mountains.
That was the Longfort Castle.
Roan quietly stared at the loftily rising fortress.
Through the Kalian's Tears, the castle far away was seen big as if it was before his nose.
Suddenly, the tips of his mouth lightly rose.
The giant flags that waved along the castle wall.

< Lancephil Legion. >

The Legion flag fluttered the highest.

< Piedes Troop. >

The flags of Piedes Troop Austin led.

< Vende Troop. >

And the Vende Troop Brian led were waving together.
Roan pulled his reins and spurred his horse.
The commanders who were following alongside shouted with startled expressions.

“M, my lord. Let us send a scout first.”
“We don't know what the situation is like. It's dangerous, sir.”

Roan faintly smiled at those words and answered shortly.

“There is no need to worry.”

A composed but powerful and relaxed voice.
The thousand-man rank and above commanders spurred their horses with uncertain expressions.
They instantly arrived before the Longfort Castle's East Gate.

“Ah……”

Quiet exclamations flowed out from commanders as well as even ordinary soldiers.
A widely opened castle gate and the castle wall where Lancephil Legion flag fluttered.

“The fortress amongst fortresses, the Longfort Castle was truly be captured in merely ten days……”

Incredulous sounds flowed out from everywhere.
The people's gazes naturally turned towards the three men standing neatly before the East Gate.
Austin, Brian, and Ian.
They, with stiffly solidified expressions, bowed towards Roan.
Those simply weren't expressions of victors who captured a castle.
Roan climbed down from his horse and approached towards them.

“What is it?”

Quietly asking words.
Austin answered shortly with his back still bowed.

“We have captured the castle but lost the head of the enemy army, sir.”

The head of the enemy army meant Hex Master Hesul.
Brian added on.

“We infiltrated the Longfort Castle disguised as nearby residents who were kidnapped as ingredients for the hex dolls following Ian Phillips' plan, sir. To instantly subdue the enemy army's heart, we revolted and massacred numerous hexers at the scene where the hex was performed. But in that process, the enemy leader used a mysterious hex and disappeared, sir.”

Roan who had quietly listened slightly nodded his head.

'He must have used the instant-teleport spell said to use in emergencies.'

The instant-teleport spell, as one of the highest-level hex spells that even Roan couldn't use, was a hex that even the master Hesul too had to use all of divine power within his body to perform.

“I'm sorry, sir. We couldn't perfectly carry out the mission.”

It was Ian's voice.
Roan quietly stared at Austin, Brian, and Ian who were still bowing and soon formed a faint smile.

“There is no need to act so guilty.”

He personally extended his hands and made the three men unbend their backs.
Roan and the three men's gazes mixed.

“Capturing the impregnable fort, the Longfort Castle alone is an incredible feat. Proudly open your shoulders.”
“My lord.”

Austin, Brian, and Ian lowered their heads with complicated expressions.
Roan faintly smiled and tapped their shoulders.

“Now is not the time to be down like that. There still is a mountain of work left to do.”

At those words, Harrison walked up and slightly lowered his head.

“We have defeated all of the Legion of Dark, but there still is one thing left, sirs.”

The instant his words fell, Austin, Brian, and Ian let out quiet exclamations.

“Grain Mountains' monsters.”

Roan slowly nodded his head.

“Following Hesul's hex, order, or perhaps contract, the Grain Mountains' riotous monsters are approaching towards the Longfort Castle.”

The Grain Mountains' monsters.
Originally, they were Hesul's ambitious ace to raze the Rinse Kingdom together with the Legion of Dark made up of hex dolls.

'In fact, we were greatly defeated by these monsters' attack in the last life.'

Facing the wildly and violently charging legion of monsters while being completely absent-minded from the hex dolls wasn't an easy task.

'But this time is different.'

A situation where the Mad Monarch Simon and the Legion of Dark had already been defeated and the hexers too were all massacred.
Furthermore, it was a state where they had obtained the Longfort Castle claimed the fortress amongst fortresses.
Roan looked straight at Austin, Brian, and Ian.

“If you truly feel so bothered, then raise a merit in this monster subjugation battle.”

He looked back and shouted towards the Lancephil Legion's soldiers.

“We are now going to massacre the Grain Mountains' monsters! Do not let a single creature pass over the Longfort Castle!”

The voice hit not the ears but the heart.

“Our land, our families, our lives……”

Roan tightly clenched his fist and raised it high above his head.

“We will protect them with our hands!”

The instant his words ended, the legion's soldiers exploded out in cheer.

“Waaaaah!”
“Protect with our own hands!”

All raised their fists up high.
Roan smiled as he watched that sight and then turned his head once more.
His gaze headed towards Austin, Brian, and Ian.
The faces that were floating complicated expressions were brightly flushed.
A spirit as if they would immediately rush to the battlefield was felt.
The smile hanging on Roan's mouth deepened further.

“Yes. That is the expression I want.”

He pulled out the Travias Spear at his waist.

“There still is much we must do. There is no such time to lower our heads and stare at our feet.”

His voice slowly turned louder.

“Raise your heads. Raise your heads and look straight at the world. At that place……”

Chang!

With a metallic sound, the Travias Spear's blade appeared.

“Is the path we must go.”

The moment his words ended, Austin, Brian, and Ian as well as Harrison and the numerous commanders at the side saluted.

“Yes sir!”

Resounding voices hit the ears.
Roan proudly smiled and sent out the necessary orders and missions to each rank's commanders.
First, he moved Katy to the inner castle at the center of the Longfort Castle and left a portion of taemusas as escort force.
At the same time, he made temporary shelter between the inner and outer castle and took measures so that the injured could rest.
Leaving the minimum defense troops at the Longfort Castle, Roan and the Lancephil Legion's elite soldiers once again advanced west, towards the Grain Mountains.
Roan, the moment they arrived at the hills where the Grain Mountains were visible far away, set up camp and gathered the commanders.

“Ian.”
“Yes. My lord.”

Ian who was seated at the farthest seat stood up from his seat.
Roan tapped the table with a tip of his finger, then spoke in a composed voice.

“I will give this battle's command to you.”
“Eh?”

Ian asked back with a slightly startled expression.
Roan, without minding it, added on.

“What we need right now is a quick and complete victory. What would you do?”
“Tha, that is……”

Ian, with a flustered expression, searched the faces of numerous commanders who sat along.
A situation where he had just joined the Lancephil Legion.
If that Ian were to carelessly architect the strategy, he could earn the repulsion of many commanders.

'Since there were many such events even in history.'

Worried look flowed from his eyes.
But for some reason, the commanders who attended the military meeting were staring at Ian with calm eyes without particular disturbance or discomfort.

'If it's the abilities he'd shown at the Longfort Castle's capture strategy……'
'It's enough to trust and follow.'

Austin and Brian made faint smiles.
Disguise as kidnapped residents, then enter the Longfort Castle, massacre the hexers, and take over the enemy army's heart.
Though seemingly very simple and shabby plan at a glance, Ian's ability he had shown while planning and executing this was truly shocking.
Not only dividing the one thousand soldiers of the detached force into appropriate numbers to disguise as soldiers and residents, he convinced the ordinary citizens of the kingdom who had yet to turn into hex dolls during the revolting process to cause chaos and disturb the castle's interior.

'Furthermore, he even crafted detailed formations using the topography within the castle to completely suppress the thousands of enemies with merely one thousand soldiers.'
'Ian is a different type of genius than Pierce, Brian, and Harrison. He will become a great help to the lord from now on.'

Ian's feats cascaded open within their heads.
Austin and Brian's such evaluation was thoroughly and without fault passed to Roan as well as numerous commanders.
The commanders, who built up their skills while receiving proper treatment and respect under Roan, were purely joyous and happy at the appearance of a new talent rather than being envious and jealous.
Especially in the Lancephil Legion, while there were many outstanding warriors, strategists who could read the battles' flow and snatch the victory were scantily lacking.
Thanks to that, they instead became of trusting and cheering hearts rather than objecting even when Roan entrusted the command to Ian.

'Hmm.'

Ian let out a quiet hum as he felt the numerous commanders' burning passion.

'Lancephil Legion. It's much better, more excellent legion than I had thought.'

His gaze naturally turned towards Roan.

'This too must be thanks to the lord.'

Ian deeply breathed in.

'Choosing to serve the lord was my life's greatest decision.'

His heart freshly felt proud.
He widely smiled and pointed at the map before their eyes.

“If you observe the map, large and small hills are dotted from the Grain Mountains to our camp and there also are numerous small rivers that flow along the valleys. Currently, our camp's position is……”

For a while, Ian explained the well-crafted strategies within his head with a calm voice.
Roan and the many commanders began to slowly fall into Ian's story.
The tactics, strategies that he spun out had nothing special.
A story of shattering the recklessly charging monster legion using appropriate troop deployment using the topography was all.
But.

'To think he has seen through the topography this completely……'
'Even though it hasn't been very long since joined the legion, he completely grasps the information about numerous commanders including me.'
'He even saw through which commander I work best with.'
'So he knows I like offense more than defense.'
'It's like he's an old acquaintance?'

Many commanders stared at Ian with shocked expressions.
Ian did not simply have good head.
He perfectly grasped the information of the legion he had to command and the battlefield they had to fight on.

Tap.

Ian stabbed the center of the map with his finger.

“With this, I will conclude the designing of the strategy.”

A clear voice.
Despite it being a rather long story, there was simply no sign of weariness.
Rather, he was of a slightly elated expression.
Because this was the first time he had actually designed a strategy at a battlefield.
The numerous commanders' gazes turned towards Roan.
Though Ian had designed the strategy, the final decision was ultimately with Roan.
Roan stared at the gazes that poured down on him and formed a faint smile.
Pushing up on the table with both hands, he stood up from his seat.
His gaze turned towards Ian.

Gulp.

Ian unawarely swallowed a dry gulp.
Roan looked at that sight then slowly nodded his head.

“Guess there's nothing more to say.”

A composed voice.
His gaze lightly swept the numerous commanders.

“We will go as Ian's strategy.”

The permission was granted.

“Thank you very much, sir!”

Ian quickly lowered his head.
At those words, Roan cheerfully smiled and shook his head.

“I'm the thankful one.”

He rubbed the Travias Spear at his waist and exhaled a short sigh.

“Ian. Since thanks to you, I can finally……”

The smile on his mouth thickened further.

“Fight without any worry.”

Until now, he had forcibly worn unfitting clothes.
Roan wasn't a strategist erudite in strategies and tactics.
He merely looked more outstanding than other merely because he knew the future.
In the last life, life this time too, he was merely a spearman and a lanceman.

“Then should we play a round?”

Lightly and casually thrown words.
The numerous commanders including Austin stood up from their seats and saluted.

“Yes sir!”

Resounding voices shook the barrack.
The battle preparations were immediately set.
All commanders including Roan moved according to Ian's strategy.
Viewed widely, the Lancephil Legion was split into center and rear army, left and right wing and completely blocked off the path going from the Grain Mountains to the Longfort Castle.
Furthermore, they detached key thousand-man troops before each army and set them on hills, rivers and such major topographies.
More than hundreds, thousands of big and small flags soared up high along the main camp and the deployed troops.
From South to North, the flags continued without a pause.
Everything below the sky was the Lancephil Legion.

“L, look at that.”
“Woah!”
“That's seriously breathtaking.”

The eyes of the main army's soldiers and the key troop's soldiers turned towards the west.
The place their gazes touched was the end of the dotted hills, the region closest to the Grain Mountains, where a single group stood.
The tall rising legion flags and the troop flags waved in the wind.
But the ones that fluttered even stronger were the commander flags sewn in a simple writing.

< Austin. >
< Harrison. >
< Brian Miles. >
< Pierce. >

And.

< Roan Lancephil. >

The five generals standing at the vanguard leading merely five thousand soldiers.
They were four of the six grand heroes who would shake the world one day together with the Crimson Ghost, no, Crimson War God Roan Lancephil.

“It's somehow quite fulfilling standing like this, sir.”

Harrison looked around at his sides and smiled.

“He's right. It's heart-racing, sir.”

Brian echoed.

Pierce, who had been quiet, exhaled a long sigh.

“It may be hard to believe, but I feel like I've seen this moment somewhere before, sir.”

His gaze turned towards Roan.
Roan smiled and nodded his head.

“I'm not sure if I've seen it before or not, but……”

He stared long and straight at the other people.

“It is an honor to fight together with you men.”
“My lord.”

Everyone looked at Roan with moved expressions.
At that moment, the earth beneath their feet faintly trembled.

Dududududududu!

With the sound ringing the ground, a dust cloud blossomed up far away.

“They're coming, sirs.”

Austin, who had been watching, spoke in a quiet voice.
All nodded their heads and took out their own weapons.

Sss.

Pierce aimed forwards with his newly acquired longspear and drew up his mana.
Instantly, an incredible pressure flowed out from his entire body.

Chaang!

Following behind, Brian swung his longsword forwards.
From the surface of the astoundingly thick heavy armor, mysterious patterns flashed.

Ggigigigigick!

Harrison strummed his bowstring few times and flexed his fingers.
The newly made longbow was bigger than even Harrison's body.
At that sight, Austin who had been staring clicked his tongue.

“It's quite disheartening trying stand together with consummate geniuses.”

At those words, Roan shook his head as if to ask what he was saying.

“Austin. There is no commander here as outstanding as you. I entrust the taemusas to you.”

The instant his words ended, Pierce, Brian, and Harrison nodded their heads.
Austin brightly smiled and looked behind him.
Five thousand taemusas were staring at him with nervous expressions.
Austin pulled out his sword and struck his chest with his left hand.

“Don't be nervous. Today we leave our names in history.”
“Yes sir!”

Taemusas answered in one voice.
Roan, feeling the electrifying spirit felt behind his back, pulled out the Travias Spear.

Chang!

With a metallic sound, the spear handle extended and the blade showed itself.

Fwoosh!

Soon a dark red flame erupted along the blade.
In that time, the dust cloud neared before their noses.

“Kkeueeeeee!”
“Kkee!”

The roars and screams of the monsters pierced into the edges of their ears.
Roan and the four warriors bent their knees and glared at the dust cloud.
Soon.

“Massacre.”

A short order fell from Roan's mouth.
He lightly stamped his feet and charged into the dust cloud, no, the monster legion.

“Massacre them!”

Together with Austin's shout, the four warriors and the five thousand taemusas followed Roan's back.
Their appearances were soon enveloped and disappeared within the foul dust cloud.
At that moment.

Booooooom!

With a deafening boom, fire and light exploded.
That was the explosion that signaled the start and the end of the battle.

Vvuuuuuuu!

As if it had been waiting, the sound of horn rode the wind and fully filled the battlefield.

Dum! Dum! Dum!

Following behind, the flags that endlessly continued to South and North slowly advanced together with the grand sound of drums.
It almost seemed as if the hills, the rivers were moving.

Ggiieeeeeeek!”

Some monster's mournful scream struck the battlefield.

< Amaranth (24) > End.

Translator : CSV
Proofreader: Fujimaru

Chapter end