“Brian. I told you, there’s no need to go that far.”


  As he let out a long sigh, Roan was flabbergasted.

  His eyes turned to Brian, who was following behind him.

  “No. I’m really okay.”


  Brian vigorously smiled as he replied.

  From head to toe, he was covered in armor.

  The problem was.

  “Even if the basics are important, I didn’t mean that you should wear heavy armor like that even on regular days.”


  The armor Brian was wearing was an extremely heavy armor that wasn’t usually worn even for battles.

  Brian shook his hand.

  “No no. As Sir Baron said, the basics are important. Also, I have also stopped my mana training since yesterday too.”


  “Hm.”


  Roan tried to say few more words but soon closed his mouth.

  It was because Brian’s face was too serious.

  ‘He’ll probably stop after a few days.’


  Roan shook his head and once again moved his feet.

  Austin, who was walking along at the side, stuck close and quietly whispered.

  “That guy. Is he really a genius? From what I see, he looks a bit lacking somewhere.”


  Roan chortled at those words.

  At that moment, Brian’s voice rang out.

  “Sir Hundred-man Commander Austin! I really am a genius!”


  As the firstborn of the Viscount Miles’ house, Brian’s standing was a noble, but now that he had become Roan’s subordinate, the hierarchy was set according to the military rank.

  Therefore, Brian, who was a common soldier, held Austin, a hundred-man commander, as his superior and spoke politely.

  Of course, Austin, and the ten-man commanders below him, felt awkward at first trying to talk down on Brian, who was the son of a noble. But because Brian lowered his head and came in first, the ups and downs were organized without a problem.

  Looking at Brian who was tottering on, Austin shook his head.

  “I’m not sure about being a genius, but at least his strength is really good.”


  With a snicker, a skeptical laugh leaked out.

  All the while, Roan busily moved his feet and carefully inspected the inside of Miller Castle.

  Before Simon’s orders and Katy’s pass to the Palace Library were issued, he planned to meticulously look around the entirety of Miller Castle, the largest and most developed place in the kingdom.

  ‘Perhaps because it’s the capital, it’s well organized.’


  Most of the roads were wide and clean and the placements of houses and shops were highly efficient.

  ‘I need to make the Tale barony as good as, no, better than Miller Castle.’


  But even if he said that, Roan couldn’t do everything by himself.

  Also, he was a soldier who spent most of his life on the battlefield.

  Within his head, there were several extraordinary plans that Roan saw and experienced, but he slightly lacked the ability to actually realize them.

  ‘I need various geniuses from multiple fields.’


  It wasn’t possible to develop the barony with only strong warriors.

  At least, it was good that Principal Fred Brown had recommended Tron Academy’s graduates to him.

  ‘Once they come, there should be a little more room to breath.’


  Of course, if they were people hard to control like Fred said, he should be resolved for some trouble.

  While he thought about various things, Roan’s feet arrived at the slums located on the edge of Miller Castle.

  “Hhm.”


  Austin, who was walking by his side, creased his forehead and pinched his nose.

  A headache ensued from the incredible stench.

  Ten steps.

  From the glamorous and wide road that crossed the Castle, they had walked merely ten steps.

  But the sight that unfolded in front of their eyes was completely different compared to the brilliant Miller Castle from just before.

  A road that two people could barely walk past each other.

  A small creek crossed that road.

  The source of the stench was that creek.

  In the murky waters where not even the bottom could be seen, various trash and bugs filled the creek.

  “Cough! Cough!”


  “Uaaah! Mommy!”


  “Uuhuhuhuhugh.” 1

  “Sheet! Dammit! Who is crying and being all gloomy and noisy?!”


  The coughs of the sick, cries of a woman and a child, cursing of a drunkard.

  All kinds of cruel sounds filled the alley and echoed out here and there.

  “Sir Baron. This looks like the slums however I look at it, so let us stop here and go back.”


  Austin was still plugging his nose.

  On the other hand, Roan looked at the decrepit and dirty alley with a serious expression.

  Thin and haggard people looked at Roan and his companions with caution in their eyes.

  ‘I too was like that once.’


  A memory he temporarily forgot.

  Miserable scenes brushed through his head.

  Slightly shaking his head, Roan looked at Brian.

  “Brian. Where is this?”


  “This is the Aran Alley. It’s the poorest place in Miller Castle. I have also only heard rumors of this place and this is the first time I have actually come here.”


  Even for Brian, who attended Tron Academy, it was his first time in Aran Alley.

  “Does the administration of Miller Castle or the palace not know about the situation here?”


  Brian bitterly smiled at Roan’s question.

  “Of course not. They know everything. They are simply keeping their hands away as such.”


  “Why?”


  Roan soon regretted after he asked the question.

  ‘There wouldn’t be any reason why. The people high above wouldn’t be able to see places this low.’


  As expected.

  “Who knows. I’m also not sure about that.”


  Brian shook his head with an empty expression.

  “Hu.”


  Roan let out a long sigh and looked at Austin.

  “What are the Amaranth troops doing at this moment?”


  The number of the Amaranth troops who accompanied Roan to the capital, Miller, totaled 200 people.

  “Several soldiers are on a mission with the information squad and the rest of the soldiers are carrying out individual training and squad tactics training.”


  Even though it wouldn’t be weird to momentarily hesitate or be moved by the brilliant Miller Castle, the Amaranth troops were going about the same daily routine as always.

  They didn’t make light of their mission and their duty.

  Of course, it was same for Roan.

  As expected, he decreased his hours of sleep and focused on training the Flamdor mana technique and the Reid fighting style.

  In addition, these days he was combining various spear styles from real battles into one fighting style.

  This work would’ve been impossible for the past Roan, but using the techniques of the Reid fighting style, he was able to at least look the part.

  Although, he would have to see if it will be useful.

  Roan nodded his head and waved his hand.

  “Excluding the troops moving with the information squad, call all the troops here to Aran Alley.”


  “Yes. Understood.”


  Austin didn’t ask why.

  It was because Roan didn’t gave out pointless orders.

  Soon, Austin exited Aran Alley.

  Brian, who was standing behind, asked with a careful tone.

  “What, what are you planning to do?”


  At those words, Roan stared at Aran Alley and gave a short reply.

  “I plan to shine the light of glory upon this alley.”


  “Yes?”


  Brian didn’t understand and asked again.

  But instead of answering, Roan faintly smiled.

  Soon, the Amaranth troop showed up with a loud noise.

  Brian unconsciously stared at them, then stopped and widely opened his eyes.

  His gaze stopped on the left side of their breastplates.

  On the left side of the breastplate, there was a coat of arms depicting a flower petal, two spears, and one shield.

  And a short sentence written around them.

  Roan’s words were that of the sentence written on the crest of Tale Barony.

  *****

  “Did you hear that story?”


  “Which story?”


  “The one about Sir Baron Tale.”


  “Ah! The Amaranth troop?”


  “Yeah. That.”


  Next to a beautiful road, people gathered.

  Grouping together here and there, they were all busy talking about one story.

  “It’s already the eighth day, right?”


  “Right. The day they started cleaning Rott Creek in Aran Alley and looking after the people in the slums was exactly eight days ago.”


  With slightly surprised faces, the people were flabbergasted.

  That was because anyone who was a resident of Miller was quite aware of just how dirty and disgusting Aran Alley and Rott Creek was.

  It was to the point where one would throw up his breakfast just by coming near.

  “What a strange person.”


  “You said it. Is he perhaps like that because it hasn’t been long since he became a noble?”


  “Maybe.”


  The very protagonists of the hottest rumor in Miller Castle were Roan and the Amaranth troop.

  “If he just became a noble, shouldn’t he be greeting powerful nobles or holding a dance hall?”


  “Exactly. That’s the politics of nobles and their society.”


  It was a statement fitting for a resident of Miller.

  But even so, they were of course commoners.

  “But I wouldn’t mind if there were more nobles like him.”


  “Of course. If other nobles were like Sir Baron Tale…… huu.”


  At that moment, all the people who were gossiping by the road looked towards one place and exclaimed.

  “Oh! It’s Sir Baron Tale.”


  “It’s the Amaranth troop.”


  Half unnerved voices.

  That was no wonder, as the sight and look of Roan and the Amaranth troop simply couldn’t be seen as that of a regal noble and his followers.

  Shabby work clothes greatly covered in filth.

  In their two hands were brooms and rags instead of swords and spears.

  ‘It, it’s more extreme than the rumors.’


  ‘I, I never saw a noble like this.’


  The residents were astounded.

  But that shock definitely wasn’t something repulsive.

  Somehow, it felt joyous and fulfilling.

  Clap!

  At Roan and the Amaranth troop that walked by in front of them, someone clapped.

  Clap! Clap!

  The sound of clapping slowly spread.

  Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

  Soon, the entire street was filled with the sound of claps.

  As if shy, the Amaranth troop awkwardly smiled and hurried their feet.

  But at the very least, their two eyes were full of unconcealable pride and respect.

  ‘As expected, it’s good that we did as Sir Baron said.’


  The members of the troop all tightly clenched their fist as one.

  ‘We’ll absolutely trust Sir Baron and follow him until the end.’


  With this event as a catalyst, the troop’s loyalty became even deeper.

  *****

  Roan wasn’t the type to simply give out orders and sit back.

  He always moved before his troops.

  Austin tried to stop Roan on multiple occasions, but each time, Roan replied with the same words and clearly expressed his will.

  “When I have all my limbs cut off and my body beaten so that only my mouth is alive, I’ll only order with my mouth.”


  Roan wasn’t a leader who simply talked with his mouth.

  Even now, he was cleaning the Rott Creek, where the dirtiest and most repulsive smells originated.

  Rott Creek was a small streamlet that flowed across Aran Alley, but was currently polluted with various filth.

  ‘The poor of the Aran alley are using this water as drinking water.’


  A truthfully horrible state.

  Because of that, Roan first ordered the Amaranth troop to clean Rott Creek.

  Furthermore, he bought clean water and bread in bulk and handed them out plentifully to the people of Aran Alley.

  It had costed much more money than expected, but he didn’t feel any regret.

  ‘If it’s money, I can just earn it again.’


  In the first place, it was money gathered to use like this.

  Walking along Rott Creek, Roan continued to clean out the trash.

  “He’s really incredible.”


  “Even though he became a noble, he didn’t change at all.”


  “What are you talking about? He’s looking after people below him even more now compared to before.”


  “Yeah. Right. Maybe the words true noble refers to Sir Baron Tale.”


  Staring at Roan completely focused on cleaning, several members of the troop were amazed.

  At that moment, a man with his face full of grime dragged his two feet and appeared.

  The clothes he had over him was more of a rag than a cloth.

  Because his hair grew out without restraint and covered his eyes, and because he was simply too dirty, it was hard to even estimate his age.

  The man wobbled towards Roan.

  When the members of the troop who were watching from the side tried to intervene just in case something happened, Roan shook his head and signalled them with his eyes.

  Sending the troops back, Roan smiled towards the man staring at him.

  “May I help you?”


  Even after becoming a noble, Roan used polite speech to everyone except his subordinates and in special cases.

  The man wordlessly stood and stared at Roan, then took out a piece of bread.

  It was a rather dirty piece of bread with black spots speckled around.

  “I thought you might be hungry, so I brought this.”


  An unexpectedly clear and young voice.

  Roan brightly smiled and nodded.

  “Thank you very much.”


  He received the dirty bread as if it was nothing, and took a large bite.

  Seeing this, the man roughly sat down on the side of the Rott Creek without a word.

  Scratching his neck with the tip of his finger, he looked at Roan.

  “Sir Baron Tale. Why are you helping us poor of Aran Alley when we don’t have any connections or relations?”


  A sudden question.

  Brushing off the bread crumbs on his mouth, Roan answered.

  “Is there any need for a reason to help someone else? I simply wish that the life in this place becomes better even by a little bit.”


  “Hhm.”


  The man let out a short sigh.

  Picking his nose this time, he asked.

  “This year, I turned exactly twenty nine. I want to do something big before turning thirty, so may I perhaps work in the Tale Barony?”


  At those words, Roan stared at the man with calm eyes.

  There were certainly hairs covering his two eyes, but even his eyes were small too, so it was hard to look at his eyes.

  Roan soon smiled brightly and nodded his head.

  “You can do anything as long as you have the determination. Sure. Let’s work together.”


  The man’s eyes slightly trembled at those words.

  Scratching the back of his head, he asked again.

  “Can I enter the Amaranth troop?”


  “If your scores in the newbie training camp is good, sure.”


  “Can I be a ten-man commander and a hundred-man commander?”


  “If you have merits that are fitting, then of course.”


  There was no hesitation in Roan’s answers.

  The man hesitated for a moment, then asked again.

  “If I keep on raising merits, can I go even higher?”


  At those words, Roan brightly smiled and nodded his head.

  “If you raise really great merits, I can give you my place.”


  “Hhm.”


  The man let out a short sigh once again.

  His expression was slightly shocked.

  But soon, he greatly yawned and lowered his head.

  Roan quietly watched that sight and soon returned to cleaning up the trash.

  After an unknown amount of time.

  “Hu.”


  Roan breathed out a short sigh.

  A satisfied expression.

  The clean up of the entire creek was finished.

  At that moment, the man, who was quietly sitting until now, stood up and lowered his head.

  “Thank you very much for cleaning so well. Sir Baron Tale.”


  Roan simply smiled at those words.

  When Roan once again began to walk, the man abruptly walked in close and whispered with a quiet voice.

  “As a thanks for cleaning our Rott Creek so well, I’ll give you a simple prediction.”


  The man suddenly grabbed Roan’s hand and murmured unrecognizable words.

  Then he soon squinted his eyes and made a strange smile.

  “When the owl brings a branch, there will be great danger to your body, so please be careful.”


  Simply hard to understand words.

  Roan creased his forehead and looked at the man in front of his eyes.

  ‘This man…… who is he?’


  When he thought so.

  The man once again deeply lowered his head.

  “My name is Clay.”


  He slowly raised his head and looked straight into Roan’s eyes.

  The glaringly wide eyes were already back to before.

  Eyes so small that one wonders if he could even see what was in front of him.

  Clay faintly smiled and finished his words.

  “Please do remember.”


  It was unknown whether he meant remember his name, or the prophecy.

  End.

  Translator: CSV

  Proofreader: st8_lupe.