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  Actually Io had half given up on Tale region.

  You had to deploy quite a lot of soldiers for a long time in order to subjugate the monsters.

  But in the situation where they shared boundaries with Byron kingdom and Istel kingdom, it wasn’t easy to deploy soldiers in a big scale.

  Just blocking them so they didn’t cross to another territory was the best they could do.

  ‘Even the money invested in this region was a lot.’


  Operation fees for Sollum troop, settling fees for the residents, compensation for losses, etc. made it so the money put in it was a lot.

  But even so, there wasn’t anything that had changed for the better.

  Pouring water in a poisonous swamp.

  ‘However Roan stabilized the region of Tale in only 7 months.’


  Actually, he did feel a bit strange.

  How could he change this region of Tale, that didn’t show any changes even through the years of effort, in a mere 7 months?

  Io didn’t know, but that was all because of Roan’s strategies and tactics.

  They made the defenses of the villages to be more solid and set up a beacon system in the region and after that they moved faster than the monsters and exterminated them.

  On top of this, he used the agency earnestly to find the nests of the monsters and attack it.

  It was completely different to the passive and defensive Sollum troop.

  “Let’s keep working hard from now on.”


  At the lightly spewing words, Roan saluted.

  “Leave it to me.”


  A confident voice and expression.

  And actually, Roan was indeed confident.

  If people migrated and the number of residents increased, he would be able to subjugate the monsters more quickly.

  ‘I have to end it before the exodus starts.’


  When Poskein exodus starts, he would have to concentrate all of his strength over there.

  Roan clenched his fists.

  ‘I can do it.’


  A feeling that all his stifling situations got solved quickly.

  Then.

  Deng! Deng! Deng! Jing! Jing! Jing!

  The sound of drums and the jing was heard.

  “What is this sound?”


  Io asked back with a strange look.

  And Roan lightly bowed.

  “It seems like a beacon has been triggered. It means that monsters appeared.”


  “Ah………”


  Io let out a low exclamation.

  Roan saluted like that.

  “I will prepare to march out.”


  “Ah, right. Go quickly.”


  Io lately nodded.

  Roan moved away after that.

  Quick movements.

  Io looked at his back and put a proud expression.

  ‘He’s reliable.’


  He felt really secure.

  Io raised his head and looked at the sky.

  The sky that was black even until the afternoon, it was soon clear and bright.

  A feeling that it cleared up your chest.

  “The sky is really nice.”


  Io’s voice flowed with the wind.

  *****

  “So he’s looking for mercenaries, right?”


  “Not only that. Although it’s small scaled, it seems like he’s also buying slaves.”


  The person that was talking like if he was whispering was the chandler of the Chase family, Hoose.

  “Hmph!”


  A displeased look.

  The man that snorted was count Jonathan chase.

  “He was subjugating the monsters in the region of Tale successfully?”


  “Yes. According to the reports coming up every day, it seems like he has made up some remarkable accomplishments.”


  “He’s really a thorn like bastard.”


  Jonathan chewed his lower lip.

  Bang!

  He smacked down on the table and then made a gesture to the chandler.

  The chandler approached with a nervous expression.

  “If we leave him be like this, he will become the main underling of that bastard Io.”


  At Jonathan’s words, the chandler just nodded.

  “On top of that, looking at how the situation is turning there’s a high possibility his sin gets completely pardoned.”


  Jonathan’s voice became a bit low.

  A fierce light appeared in his eyes.

  “It’s good to thoroughly step on a leaf that has the possibilities.”


  The chandler still kept on nodding.

  Jonathan said in a whispering voice.

  “Make a fake mercenary group with bright guys and send them to that bastard. I will have to plant some spies.”


  “Ah………”


  The chandler let out a low exclamation.

  Jonathan touched his chin with one hand and put on a fishy smile.

  “Make them perform great and get in his eyes. Make them obtain his trust and get important roles and become the underlings for that bastard. And Roan, if that bastard gets to enter below Io then…… Kuku.”


  A strange laugh came out.

  Several plans got formed in his head.

  The chandler looked at that look for a moment and then shook his head.

  “Then, I will go to prepare as you ordered me to.”


  He moved his feet and got out of the room.

  Jonathan, that got left alone, crossed his arms and put a weird smile.

  ‘Io. I will make the roots slowly rot.’


  His chest kept heaving up.

  That was an excitement he couldn’t control.

  Bang!

  Jonathan smacked down on the table once again as if it was a habit.

  His entire palm became numb.

  And the smile in his face became even denser.

  *****

  The subjugation of the monsters was proceeding as planned.

  Roan and Amaranth troop started to push back the monsters of the southeast as if hunting them.

  Although the monsters fled from the lake to the north, they got hopelessly exterminated by the troop that were already waiting for them.

  Because of that, Amaranth troop could face the monsters more easily than before.

  “I can see Poskein lake.”


  Austin pointed at the front and yelled.

  Roan’s mouth slightly rose.

  ‘We finally came up to here.’


  They still hadn’t completely secured the southern region.

  However, there was a need to take over the lake a bit faster.

  ‘We have to move over the sailor association.’


  Roan wasn’t thinking of simply waiting the monsters until Poskein exodus occurred.

  ‘But rather, we will charge over to the lake.’


  Poskein lake had several islands in it, deserving of it’s huge size.

  Roan was glaring at Exos island among them, located at the center of the lake.

  ‘I’m going to use Exos island as the port and control the whole central part.’


  If it happened just like his plans, he would be able to secure a safe port and use it as the base.

  “Austin.”


  “Yes, commander.”


  At Roan’s call, Austin approached and bowed.

  “We are going to set up a camp. I’m going to build a village here.”


  “Yes. Understood.”


  Austin didn’t show a weird look or asked back, he just replied.

  For him, Roan’s orders were absolute.

  Soon, Austin and the centurions started to set up a camp near the lake.

  Roan looked at that for a moment and then turned the head of his horse.

  ‘I’m entrusting this place to Austin.’


  Him and the remaining troop members had something separate to do.

  ‘I have to check the villages built south of the HQ.’


  Fortunately, Hans and the villagesmen all moved to the south with Roan’s offer.

  But of course, it wasn’t that all the villagesmen had migrated.

  ‘Originally, I wanted to evacuate the remaining people outside Tale region……’


  But now, there was no need to.

  Because thousands of people newly migrated with Io’s order.

  Roan settled them on a village of the north and established a new troop with the adult men as the selected ones.

  But there was absolutely no force.

  If the situation turned difficult he would have to resort to force, but there was no need to do that right now.

  Because he offered quite an exceptional deal, quite a lot of men volunteered to get in the troop.

  Roan put on a minimum condition of checking them thoroughly through a test and that only the ones that qualified could enter the troop.

  And that number was close to 1000.

  A number that was enough to create a new troop.

  ‘But even so, I can’t deploy them to battle.’


  Roan made up a new training ground near the HQ and trained the newcomers.

  And surprisingly enough, the one in charge of the training was Glenn.

  ‘If it’s Glenn with the meticulous personality, I thought that he was going to be able to teach the newcomers well………’


  And Roan’s judgement hit the mark.

  Glenn performed more outstandingly than he thought.

  It was seen as if he had talent on teaching others.

  ‘When the size of the troop becomes bigger than now, I will have to entrust him with the training grounds altogether.’


  Roan’s mouth rose.

  The migration of people and reinforcements for his troop.

  Establishments of new villages.

  Everything was getting solved as his plans.

  ‘On top of that, I now have some leisure………’


  It was thanks to Io migrating the residents and providing with funds.

  In the position of Io, all the money he was pouring went all to Roan and the troop, so he didn’t have any burdens at all.

  ‘Now……’


  Roan looked at the ground.

  The bulky ground that was spread as it wanted.

  ‘Is it turn to set up a main road.’


  Building a road in all of Tale region was impossible.

  ‘I’m making a highway with the HQ as the center to all the four cardinal points. We will be able to move quicker only by connecting the villages.’


  If only that happened, even if Poskein exodus occurred he would be able to respond to it more actively.

  Roan took in a deep breath.

  ‘I have to increase the number of alchemists and skilled people.’


  As constructions were being operated in several places, they lacked in workers.

  And the more time passed, the more difficult it became.

  But it wasn’t hard at all.

  Rather, he felt more of happiness.

  ‘And end spearman ended up becoming the chief of a territory.’


  Although his rank was merely troop commander and on top of that a sinner because of committing violence against a noble, if he just blocked this exodus well he could aim for an even higher place.

  ‘I can do it.’


  Roan clenched his two fists.

  Red light shone in his eyes.

  THe sky was still clear without any clouds.

  It just seemed like it was predicting Roan’s upcoming days.

  *****

  “One! Two! Three!”


  “Hap! Hap!”


  Loud noises.

  Hundreds of soldiers were training in the training ground.

  “Again! You are doing it again!”


  The one yelling in front of them was Glenn.

  His usual look of being soft and gentle had completely disappeared.

  His eyes were fierce and his attitude was confident.

  ‘He’s a completely different person when teaching newcomers.’


  Roan, that was looking at him at the back, put a faint smile.

  Roan had free time in a long while and so came to the training grounds where the newcomers were at.

  They all had shields at their backs.

  ‘Thanks to the blacksmiths working hard, we could fit the numbers.’


  Amaranth troop was now possible to do a charge with using the shield with a small sword.

  At first, everyone was awkward with it, but they quickly got accustomed to it thanks to troop training and personal training.

  ‘As soon as this training ends, I will dispatch the newcomers to the villages.’


  He couldn’t bring them to a real battle at the start.

  Right now, even one troop member was precious.

  Roan checked on the training of the newcomers for a while and then slowly moved.

  As he was just looking, his body felt all itchy so he couldn’t endure it anymore.

  ‘Do I also have to…… huh?’


  His feet moving towards the HQ stopped.

  ‘Pens?’


  A welcoming face.

  Pens, that was at Pavor castle along with Chris, was walking from far away.

  His expression was really bright.

  After a while.

  “Troop commander Roan.”


  Pens approached and bowed.

  “Pens. Why did you come all the way here?”


  There was still 10 days remaining to submit the regular report.

  Pens smiled brightly and answered.

  “Mister Ford has finally done it.”


  An excited voice and expression.

  “He has discovered a magic stone mine in Montea mountain!”


  His voice became louder.

  ‘Ah, he finally discovered it.’


  Roan was proud, but didn’t show it.

  He nodded with a calm and composed attitude.

  “Good. Mister Ford will be able to put down a bit of his burden.”


  “Yes? Is that all?”


  Pens rather asked back with a surprised expression.

  His usual calm expression had completely disappeared.

  “It’s not steel or gold, but magic stones. Magic stones! Do you know how amazing of a discovery is this?”


  Pens even had saliva coming out of his mouth and explained things earnestly.

  Roan looked at that and smiled.

  As he always saw his calm side and now saw a really excited look, he felt good.

  Then.

  “Troop commander!”


  A familiar voice was heard from far away.

  Keep was running from the HQ’s.

  Keep was in charge of Amaranth troop’s information squad separately from the agency.

  Differently from the agency that checked on the entire territory, Keep’s information squad only checked on one place.

  Poskein lake.

  “Pant. Pant. Pant.”


  Keep caught his breath while grabbing his knees.

  Roan didn’t hurry him and just waited.

  “Tr, troop commander.”


  Keep said and looked at Roan.

  Roan slowly nodded meaning to speak.

  Keep’s expression stiffened.

  “Po, poskein lake………”


  A slightly trembling voice.

  “Poskein lake is boiling up. No……”


  He gulped up dry saliva.

  “It seems like it’s boiling.”


  Roan, that was listening to Keep’s words, slowly closed his eyes.

  His eyes slightly trembled.

  An expression that was kind of nervous.

  ‘Finally………’


  Roan clenched his fists.

  ‘Poskein exodus is occurring.’


  End

  Translator: Subak

  Proofreader: st8_lupe.