I am the Monarch Chapter 81: Overflow (5)

Benjamin smiled fishily and rolled his eyes.

'However angry you may be, you won't be able to do anything to me.'

He was a noble and a supreme commander at that.
On top of that, even count Lancephil showed himself.
At the slip, this problem could become bigger.

“Kugh. Can't you let this go!”

The tension turned up.
But Roan just looked at that Benjamin fixedly.

“Do you think I won't be able to hit you?”

He put more strength in his grip.

“Kugh.”

His breath got cut off.

'Actually, it is something unreasonable.'

Roan put on a bitter smile.
This was an exhibition.
Resorting to violence to a superior, and a noble at that was something unimaginable.
It was a sin that could get you executed at the spot.
But regardless of that, Roan wasn't planning on leaving Benjamin like that.

'It's been revealed that I am learning mana.'

There was no way that they would execute a soldier that knew how to use mana.
Someone at the level of a knight was quite important even at the center of the kingdom.
He may receive some punishment, but he would be safe from execution.
On top of that, if Roan only evaded the execution, he had plenty of ways to deal with the following problems.

'And also, it's already spilled water.'

Grabbing the throat of a superior was already a big thing.
And it wouldn't change if he hit him some times right now.

'Now that I started, I have to clearly end it.'

He did his best on what he already started.
That was Roan's temperament.
Because of that, he could remain as an ordinary spearman from an army for 20 years.

Udk.

Strength was put behind the fist.
Benjamin opened his eyes roundly.

'Thi, this bastard. Really?'

When he thought up to that point.
Roan's fist split the air.

Pagak!

“Kuk!”

Benjamin's nose sat down with a dull sound.

“Thi, this crazy bastard!”

The surrounding corps commanders and staff officers approached with surprised expressions.
Roan didn't even look at them and swung Travias spear.

Puk!

The spear got stuck ahead of them.

“I told you. That if you get any closer, I will snap Benjamin's neck.”
“Kugh.”

The commanders and officers couldn't approach anymore.
They didn't know what to do and just looked at Benjamin's face.
A face covered with blood.

“Uhhhh.”

Benjamin gritted his teeth and trembled.
He didn't know that Roan would actually hit him.

“So, son of a bitch. Do you think you will be safe aft…..”

But he couldn't continue speaking.
Because Roan swung his fist once again.

Puk! Pubuk! Puk!

Roan punched Benjamin's face with a casual expression.
His teeth broke and his nose completely broke.
His eyelids and forehead teared up.

“Uoooooo.”

Benjamin was not himself.
He tried to dodge Roan's fists but it was useless.
But because Roan increased Flamdor mana technique to the peak, he couldn't move his body as he wished.
But even so, it wasn't that Benjamin didn't use mana.

'Ho, how is he this strong!'

Despair appeared in his face.

“Kuhok.”

Benjamin breathed in deeply.
It was difficult to breath because of his broken nose.

'Please, someone stop this bastard.'

An earnest look.
But there was no one that stopped him.
In the end, a regrettable sound came out of Benjamin's mouth.

“Kugh. Ple, please sto, stop…….”

But Roan didn't stop hitting him.
'This isn't simply revenge for what just happened.'

His eyes became fierce.

'My past life. Revenge for having ruined it.'

Pubuk!

Consecutive punches landed on his face.

“Kugh! Kugh!”

Benjamin now even shed tears.

“Pl, please. Please stop…..”

He had thrown away his dignity and pride.
Fear of not knowing if he may lose if life if he kept getting hit paralyzed his rationality.

“Sob. Sob. Sob.”

The sorrowful crying sound rang in the plain.
But Roan just ignored it.
When he raised his fist once again.

“What is happening right now!”

A yell hit his ear.
Roan turned his head while still grabbing on Benjamin's throat.

'Count Lancephil.'

The one that had yelled was Io.
However, Io's sight moved behind Io.

'Pens.'

Pens, that had separated with him after the thing with the fake storage, was standing over there.

'Maybe, already?'

Roan had a surprised expression.
Pens looked at that Roan and slightly winked.
A look that was smiling faintly and even nodding.
Roan let out a short sigh.

'It seems like it was done faster than what I thought.'

A smile appeared in his face.
Only then did Roan loosen the hand that was choking Benjamin.

Tuk.

Benjamin fell as if he collapsed and buried his face on the ground.

“Huok. Huok. Huok.”

He breathed in coarsely and poured out tears.
Roan just looked at that Benjamin and wiped off the blood in his face.
Meanwhile, Io walked and stood in front of Roan.

“What happened?”

A blunt voice and expression.
Roan just bowed instead of replying.

“Si, sir count. What just happened……..”

When Roan stepped in and tried to explain the situation.

“Sob. Count Lancephil.”

Benjamin stood up.

“Mm.”

Io looked at Benjamin's face and let out a low exclamation.

'He's completely broken.'

He didn't have even a fine place.
Benjamin yelled out.

“Count Lancephil! A mere commoner troop commander bastard has insulted me! On top of that, even the soldiers of the 7th corps have disobeyed my orders and rebelled!”

He wasn't himself.
Io frowned and looked at Roan.
Then, Aaron walked to the front and bowed.

“Sir count. Actually……”

The explanation happened for a while.
He explained everything that happened slowly.
As Io was here anyways, he didn't need to be wary of Benjamin.

“Mm.”

Benjamin, that heard everything, glared at Benjamin.

'Benjamin. You stupid bastard spilled the plate because of greed of merits.'

He could know why there were this many allied corpses even when they had won the war.

'On top of that, to badmouth the fallen comrades……..Trash like bastard.'

Io clicked his tongue with a displeased expression.
As he was originally a soldier that roamed the battlefield, he thought of comrades and allies quite importantly.
Because of that, Benjamin's doings made him really angry.
Benjamin, that didn't know how Io was feeling, said nonsense.

“Chasing a retreating enemy army is a basic thing in strategy. The 7th corps commander didn't have the abilities and is just putting up excuses. On top of that, it's not that the corpses are going to disappear, so we can do it after we chase them……..”

When he talked up to there.

“Shut up!”

Io couldn't endure it anymore and yelled.

“Ye, yes?”

Benjamin staggered with a surprised expression.
Io looked at Benjamin's eyes fixedly.

“Because of your useless pride and your greed on merits, more than 10.000 soldiers lost their lives. It's not enough with apologizing while bowing but you even badmouth them? Trash like bastard.”

A cold voice.

“Co, count Lancephil. I, it's not that I……”

Only then did Benjamin get a hold of himself.
He had realized what kind of person Io was late.
But even if it was late, it was just too late.

“Benjamin Doyle.”

Io glared at Benjamin scarily.
As he made a handsign to his back, the leader of the knights Kali Owells approached.
He took out a scroll from his chest.

Swush.

Io spread the scroll towards Benjamin.

“This is a dismissal order for you.”

At that moment, Benjamin, Aaron, Roan and the soldiers of the eastern army put surprised expression.

“Ju, just what is……”

Benjamin received the paper with trembling hands.
It was clearly a dismissal order from his seat of the eastern region commander.

“Just why…….?”
Benjamin looked at Io.
Io's expression was fierce.

“Setting up a formation at the rear Nerf region, instead of Bink region when Istel kingdom first started attacking. Battling against the enemy army more than 20 times and not being able to win. Cutting off assistance to the commanders that were patrolling while searching the eastern region to annihilate the enemy.”

The more he talked, the more Benjamin's face turned white.
He kind of knew that Io was reporting the merits situation of the eastern region and the 7th corps to the royal palace.
However, he didn't know that he would have grasped all these things this accurately.

'Count Lancephil wouldn't have had any mid because he was defending the eastern region. How……?'

It felt like someone had organized the information and gave it to him.

'Ah!'

At that moment, Benjamin turned his head and looked at Roan.

'Maybe, this bastard?'

The information squad Roan set up.
If it was them, they would be able to urgently take care of the information of the eastern region.
Roan's and Benjamin's sights interlocked.
Roan smiled just as if he read Benjamin's thoughts.

“Ah……”

Benjamin let out a low exclamation.

'It was that bastard.'

The puzzle fitted.
It wasn't enough with annihilated the enemy army entering the eastern region and attacking the supply storage, but he even utilized the information troop and was perfectly grasping the situation of the eastern army.

'Scary bastard.'

Roan was more amazing and scary than what he had thought.
Just like Benjamin thought, the one that reported the situation of the eastern army ro Io was Roan.
With Io's temperament, it was obvious that if he got to know Benjamin's failures he wouldn't sit still.
Roan judged as Io would certainly report it to the royal palace.

'It would have been difficult if this bastard still remained as the supreme commander even after this war ended.'

Roan glared at Benjamin with calm eyes.

'Although the order came faster than what I thought……'

The reason why he was glad to see Pens appearing with Io was precisely because of this.
Benjamin wasn't his superior anymore.
Things were untying better than thought.
Then, Io's voice was heard.

“Although the orders of the royal palace was to chase you off the army and dismiss you from your seat…..”

He ground his teeth.

“I'm not planning to end it with just that. It wasn't enough to lay an unreasonable order to the chasing troop and suffer an amazing blow, but you even badmouth the deceased allies.”

Io made a hand sign to his back.
Two knights approached and grabbed Benjamin's shoulders.

I will carefully investigate and grasp your actions and behaviours and ask you your sin. Imprison him at the rear of the camp.”
“Yes. Understood.”

The knights replied in one voice and then moved away.

“Cou, count Lancephil! I, I feel it to be unfair! I just did my best for Rinse kingdom!”

Benjamin got dragged and yelled.
However Io didn't even look at him.
And that was the same for the other corps commanders and staff officers.
They didn't need to be wary of Benjamin or flatter him.
Because Benjamin wasn't his superior anymore.
No, from now on, it would be better to take some distance.
If they made a mistake, they could get the same punishment as Benjamin.

“Roan.”

At Io's call, Roan bowed once again.

“Yes. Count Lancephil.”

Roan was composed even after making Benjamin's face to become a bloody one.
Io let out a long sigh with stifled eyes.

'What to do……'

He personally wanted to applaud him at his actions.
But military laws were laws.
If he let one thing pass, the discipline could crumble.

“I know what you were thinking when you did that. However…..”

Io let out a short sigh and continued speaking.

“Resorting to violence against a noble is a sin. I will ask you your sin after this.”

What was fortunate was that the dismissal order came ahead of this, so the sin of resorting to violence against a superior wasn't implied.

“Yes. I understand.”

Roan replied with a composed expression.
Aaron wanted to step up and tried to defend him, but Io closed his eyes and shook his head.
It meant not to step in.

'There's nothing good by arguing in an open place.'

Aaron understood Io's meaning and shut his mouth.
Two knights approached and grabbed Roan's shoulders.
Then, Roan that was silent carefully opened his mouth.

“Count Lancephil.”

Io just looked at him as if implying what happened.
Roan hesitated for a moment and then bowed.

“I want to retrieve the corpses of my comrades.”
“Mm.”

Io gulped in the silence.

'Even if he's different to Benjamin, he's just too much.'

Even the size of the plate was different.
The one that suited the position of supreme commander was Roan, and not Benjamin.
Io pondered for a moment and then nodded.

“Fine. Only, I will imprison you at the rear of the camp after the retrieving ends.”
“Yes. I understand.”

Roan bowed and then moved.
He carefully retrieved the corpses of the burnt soldiers.
Io looked at that and let out a long sigh.

'What to do……..'

He felt stifled.
The deeper he thought, the pondering also deepened.

*****

The retrieval of the corpses was done quickly.
And Roan got imprisoned just like the order.

“Count Lancephil. Although Roan did something wrong, that's all because of Benjamin Doyle. Take that into account please.”

Aaron earnestly defended Roan.
Io touched his chin and fell in his thougts.

'The reason we could win this war was because of Roan. That's an irrefutable truth.'

Roan made a merit bigger than anymore.
If only this didn't happen, he could even get promoted to corps commander.

'On top of that, Roan's ability is too precious to kill him like this.'

Io let out a long sigh once again.
Aaron looked at that and couldn't open his mouth as he wished.
Because he also knew how deeply Io was thinking.
Then, Kali that was looking at the situation, said with a blunt voice.

“Violence against a noble is a sin. If you let this go, they will start talking at our backs even more.”

Those were right words.
Aaron said with an urgent voice.

“But shouldn't we have to take into account Roan's merits?”

Those also were right words.

“These aren't merits to just be ignorant of and cover them.”

He fell in his thoughts once again.
Kali shook his head.

“Then, how about exile him to a dangerous territory and exempt him from the capital punishment?”
“Exile?”

Io showed a reaction.
Kali shrugged his shoulders and said.

“As everyone says that his talent is too valuable, can't we send him to a fortress as a guard or as a slave?”

Aaron got surprised and shook his hands.

“We can't make Roan's talent rot in a place like that.”

At those words, Kali replied with a blunt voice.

“Laws are more important than talent. Law. On top of that…….”

Kali looked at Aaron's eyes fixedly.

“If we exempt him from his sins and he remains here, will the other commanders see in a good way? They may probably try to harm him.”
“That……..”

Aaron couldn't speak anymore and shut his mouth.
He didn't have the words to refute back.
And even if he didn't get harmed, it was obvious that he may get really handicapped in the merits awards.
Then, Io that was in his thoughts, showed a faint smile.

“I think that exile him will be good, just like commander Kali says.”
“Ah……”

Aaron let out a low exclamation.
He wanted to fight back that he couldn't do so, but he didn't have a solution or a reason to do so.
Aaron bowed with a half absent minded expression.
Then Io stood up and lightly patted Aaron's shoulders.
A faint smile appeared in his mouth.

“Corps commander Tate.”

A gentle voice.
Aaron raised his head and looked at Io.
The smile in Io's face became even denser.

“Don't worry too much.”

He put more strength in his hands grabbing his shoulders.

“I thought of something good.”

< Overflow (5) > End

Translator's note: Regular chapter!

Translator : Subak

Proofreader: st8_lupe.

Chapter end