Karon Village, a few days ago.

  “Austin, from now on we must move faster and more covertly. First, take five thousand soldiers from the Tale Legion and march north towards the national border.”


  “Yes, understood.”


  Austin quickly replied.

  It was plot that he already heard before leaving the capital, Miller Castle, and had memorized

  At that moment, a young man with a familiar face approached from Daiv’s fleet.

  “My lord, greetings after a long time.”


  “Pens, good job coming all the way here.”


  “No, it wasn’t much.”


  The young man was the vice president of Agens and Chris’ right hand man, Pens.

  From his chest pocket, he took out a bundle of papers.

  “These are the information on the Byron Kingdom troops’ size, routes, and its commanders.”


  Roan briefly glanced through it then directly handed it to Austin.

  “This is the intelligence that Agens has meticulously searched for and investigated. It’s crucial information for the ambush.”


  “President Chris is amazing. It was only a few days ago that we requested them, but to think he would complete the preparations so perfectly.”


  Austin showed a surprised expression as he looked through the report.

  Pens faintly smiled and shook his head.

  “It’s information we already knew beforehand. Thanks to that, we were able to quickly organize them and make the report when the request came in.”


  “That’s amazing in its own way.”


  Austin marvelled once again.

  At that moment, Clay, who had been quiet, interrupted.

  “After destroying the Byron Kingdom troops, please change into their armor and head towards the eastern region of the Coat Barony.”


  A detailed explanation of the strategy continued for a while.

  The designer of this strategy was Clay.

  “Is this really a feasible strategy?”


  Austin asked with a slightly nervous expression.

  With a confident face, Clay nodded his head.

  “Yes, it’s feasible.”


  There wasn’t a hint of hesitation.

  “Can we really meet up with Elton if we go to Wines Forest in the eastern region?”


  “Yes. We will be driving him into Wines Forest’s entrance.”


  Clay once again answered with a confident face.

  Ultimately, Austin nodded his head and didn’t raise any more questions.

  “Austin, your role is the most important one in this strategy.”


  Roan looked straight into Austin’s eyes.

  “I trust you. Make sure you succeed.”


  “Yes, understood.”


  Austin gave a short salute and bowed.

  At that reliable figure, Roan tapped Austin’s shoulder.

  This was Roan and the Amaranth troop’s secret strategy meeting before leaving the Karon Village.

  ‘Austin answered my expectations.’


  Roan cut off the head of a panicking Coat Barony troop soldier and gazed towards the left wing.

  “Corner them! They are the core of the rebels! Behead them all!”


  The man that unstoppably roamed the battlefield as he gave orders.

  That man was Austin.

  “We aren’t the Byron Kingdom troops!”


  “We are the Tale Legion!”


  “We are the Amaranth troop!”


  Cheers exploded out from all directions.

  Elton and the Coat Barony troop were helplessly surrounded.

  “Uaaah! Damn! Damn it all!”


  Elton raged.

  No, he became wrapped in madness.

  ‘Again! Again! I’ve been done in by that bastard again!’


  He couldn’t take the truth that he was once again tricked by Roan.

  “Roan! Kill Roan! Forget about the others!”


  Elton shouted with a bright red face.

  But the Barony troop’s soldiers couldn’t carelessly move.

  They were terrified by Roan’s seemingly possessed spearmanship

  “Damn, stupid bastards!”


  In the end, Elton raised up his sword high and went up to the frontlines

  ‘If I can do something about that Roan bastard, I could bring back the chance for victory.’


  The one final move to turn the unfavorable situation around.

  That was to hit the head rather than the body or the tail.

  He planned to personally face the Tale Legion’s commander, Roan.

  From a certain point of view, it was a rational and efficient decision but.

  ‘You picked the wrong opponent.’


  ‘To dare to try and fight our lord.’


  ‘It’s impossible with only that much skill.’


  The Amaranth troop as well as Tale Legion’s soldiers snorted as they looked at Elton.

  To them, Elton was like a moth.

  Like a moth that jumps into fire without knowing that it’s body is burning to cinders.

  “Die! Roan!”


  Elton shouted as loud as he could and swung his sword.

  Befitting of a warrior-noble of the kingdom, he had also learned a mana technique.

  Psss.

  The mana flowed through the sword’s edge.

  Swnng!

  The sound of the impact exploded.

  It truly was a fast attack.

  But the opponent was bad.

  Chang!

  Roan shook the Travias Spear left and right and lightly blocked his attack.

  “It’s fast, but it’s an extremely light sword.”


  With a sharp evaluation, the spearhead moved once again.

  Spat!

  When he twisted and moved his two wrists, the spear’s handle shook in every direction.

  The black spearhead slashed the wind and danced.

  “Huhuk!”


  At the attacks that rained down from head to waist without a single place to dodge, Elton gasped.

  Chang! Chachang! Paat! Spaat!

  Elton blocked some and dodged some, and barely kept his life.

  ‘For a brat who was a lowly commoner to use this high level mana technique!’


  He couldn’t accept it.

  The hand holding the sword clenched harder.

  “Die!”


  He once again gritted his teeth and pulled his reins.

  Then.

  Ssuug.

  The Travias Spear’s length suddenly extended.

  Instantly, the sharp end of the spear reached his chest.

  “Damn!”


  Elton quickly pulled his sword and parry the spear’s tip.

  No, he tried to do that.

  But.

  Cheng! Zhzzuk!

  The moment the spear’s tip touched the flat of the sword, the entire sword cracked with an unpleasant sound.

  “N, no way……”


  Elton looked at Roan with a dumbfounded look.

  Roan faintly smiled as he shook his head.

  “I won’t see you off for very far.”


  Simultaneously, he twisted his wrist.

  “N, no!”


  Elton screamed but it was in vain.

  Puuk!

  The sword shattered into pieces and the Travias Spear pierced Elton’s chest.

  “Kuuk!”


  Elton eyes dilated completely as he cried out a death throe, and his whole body trembled.

  And when the short trembling stopped, the head that had been stiffly raised up bent and fell down.

  ‘Elton, I contemplated much on whether to let you live or not.’


  The reason was clear.

  At the moment, the people of the world, even including the nobles and the royalty, thought that Elton had close relationship with the Second Prince Tommy Rinse.

  But in reality, Elton was the Third Prince Kallum Rinse’s subordinate.

  ‘The reason Prince Kallum wanted to be the commander for the suppression force was probably to silence Elton with death using his own hands.’


  He most likely wanted to erase his secret relationship with Elton for good.

  If Elton was kept alive, Tommy and Kallum would have been pit against each other over the inquiry into the truth.

  To Simon, there would have been no situation better than that.

  While the two princes pointed their swords at each other, Simon could solidify his base even further

  ‘Because of that, I thought about whether I should keep him alive……’


  But on the day he captured Tradi Castle, Roan had discovered the letters that Kallum and Elton had exchanged and the evidence of an illicit collusion from Elton’s castle.

  ‘Instead, this evidence is more effective in shaking and controlling the nation’s politics.’


  Furthermore, he could use them to gain something even bigger.

  From Simon as well as from Tommy and Kallum.

  ‘There no longer was any need to specifically keep Elton alive.’


  Instead, keeping him alive would greatly lower the effective value of the other evidence.

  ‘I’ll cut off Elton’s neck.’


  In the first place, King Deni Von Rinse’s order was also to cut off his head.

  Roan pushed aside the various thoughts in his head and swung his spear.

  Sssk!

  Elton’s neck was slashed off clean.

  Meanwhile, the Coat Barony troop was at the brink of annihilation.

  “P, please don’t kill me!”


  “I’ll reveal all of the lord’s secret if you let me live!”


  “Please forgive me!”


  Vice-captains and the adjutants as well as Elton’s closest soldiers begged for forgiveness.

  But Roan and the Tale Legion’s swords and spears didn’t stop.

  Although Roan was usually full of compassion, he wouldn’t leave behind any seeds of trouble on the battlefield.

  “Uaak!”


  “Kuuk!”


  Screams rang out one after another.

  And just like that, Elton and the rebel force’s leading members all lost their lives.

  It was a complete victory.

  The panic of the entire rebellion force and the destruction of their formation thanks to Clay’s strategy was the driving force behind the complete victory.

  When Roan gave a hand signal, the flag bearer waved a small signal flag.

  The Tale Legion quickly went into formation and lined up.

  Their figures were without a single disorder or a single soldier out of place.

  Roan stood in front of them and raised Elton’s head high into the air.

  “We have cut off the traitor’s head and suppressed the rebellion!”


  He shouted with a sonorous voice.

  The faces of the Tale Legion’s soldiers flushed red.

  Their hearts beat rapidly.

  Roan looked over the faces of the troop’s soldiers and shouted at the top of his lungs.

  “It’s our victory!”


  The very moment he shouted those words.

  “Waaaaa!”


  “Roan Tale! Roan Tale!”


  Cheers exploded.

  The soldiers genuinely rejoiced.

  The feeling of accomplishment at completing the monumental mission of suppressing the rebellion, the feeling of relief at their survival, the sense of awe towards Roan……


  Their cheers were mixed with numerous kinds of feelings.

  Roan smiled as he watched that sight then pulled his reins.

  He could see Mills and Chester standing far away at the foot of the hill.

  Their faces were much more stiff than before.

  Their expressions were more serious than the ones when they were conflicting between pride and conscience.

  Mills and Chester.

  At that moment, their evaluation of Roan began to change for the first time.

  ***

  “Does this make sense to you?”


  Mills asked with a stiff face.

  Chester didn’t answer.

  No, he couldn’t.

  “Are you telling me that not only did they annihilate the Byron Kingdom troops, they disguised themselves as the troops and approached Elton?”


  Mills asked again.

  Only then did Chester speak with a heavy voice.

  “Perhaps it may be that Elton had been unknowingly chased and led towards this Wines Forest.”


  The kingdom’s two geniuses.

  Mills and Chester watched Roan’s battle and correctly surmised the entire series of situations.

  Gulp.

  The two gulped nervously.

  ‘Is he really from a commoner vice-captain background?’


  ‘I thought the rumors had been exaggerated……’


  They had fully heard and learnt of rumors, reports, and information about Roan.

  But they couldn’t believe all those great achievements word for word as they were told.

  It was because they simply weren’t a level of achievements that a young man in mere twenties, and especially a vice-captain from an ordinary commoner background could raise.

  They simply thought that he was a guy who had merely caught Prince Simon’s eyes and was promoted by luck.

  ‘No. Our judgments were wrong.’


  ‘The guy is real. He’s several steps above us.’


  Mills and Chester couldn’t do anything but recognize Roan’s abilities.

  Going against the Teluo River on a fleet and capturing Tradi Castle.

  No, in the first place, the very act of crafting and owning a fleet of that size was impressive.

  And even separately annihilating the Byron Kingdom troops and perfectly suppressing the rebellion by leading Elton into a corner.

  Everything was realized just like the picture Roan had drawn and as he had planned.

  ‘Roan Tale……’


  ‘It seems it won’t be a easy fight from now on.’


  Mills and Chester deeply inhaled.

  From afar, Roan and the Tale Legion approached.

  Mills looked at Chester.

  “We can’t end it like this, could we?”


  “Right.”


  Chester replied shortly and nodded.

  Making peculiar expressions, they stared at Roan.

  ‘Hhm.’


  Roan looked at Mills, Chester, and the five thousand elite soldiers lined up behind them and leaked a quiet sigh.

  ‘Do they perhaps plan to fight?’


  The light in his eyes calmly dimmed down.

  Mills, Chester, and the five thousand elite soldiers maintained formation and looked directly at Roan while lined up.

  A strange vigor could be felt.

  It wasn’t something like killing intent or pressure, but pure military discipline.

  ‘Each side’s numbers are more or less the same.’


  Five thousand against five thousand.

  But while Roan was fighting, Mills and Chester’s soldiers were resting.

  ‘It looks like it won’t be a easy fight if we fight.’


  Roan gritted his teeth.

  If the chance showed itself, he planned to attack first.

  But at that moment, Mills rode his horse and went up towards him.

  His expression was stiff.

  A strange silence fell down.

  Then.

  “Hahahahahaha!”


  Mills suddenly burst out laughing.

  His stiff expression had also turned bright all of a sudden.

  Even clapping his hand, he greatly rejoiced.

  “Sir Baron Tale! You’re truly amazing! Hahaha!”


  At the completely unexpected situation, Roan slightly creased his brows.

  Mills stopped laughing and nodded.

  “I, Mills Voisa, received quite a big lesson today! This rebellion suppression war is my complete defeat, a complete defeat. Hahaha!”


  He acknowledged his defeat.

  Roan, after only meeting nobles who were thoroughly clumped up in arrogance and selfishness, felt refreshed meeting someone like Mills.

  ‘Even so, they’re the geniuses representing the kingdom, is it?’


  At that moment, Mills spoke with a slightly humorous expression.

  “But please do remember that the ones who caught Elton’s tail was Chester and I.”


  “Of course.”


  Roan lightly nodded.

  There was no need to go out of his way and reveal that that too was a part of his plan.

  Mills gave a short salute.

  “Hahaha.”


  He heartily laughed and then turned his horse’s head around.

  For a short moment, he met Chester’s eyes.

  ‘For now, admit defeat and step back.’


  In this moment, pointing a blade at Roan was the worst of the worst possible moves.

  ‘Yeah, since this isn’t the end.’


  Chester slightly nodded his head.

  Mills showed a faint smile and then led his troops and disappeared over the hill.

  Only then did Chester ride his horse towards Roan.

  He didn’t say much unlike Mills.

  “Sir Baron Tale.”


  Chester rode up right next to Roan and extended his right hand.

  Roan faintly smiled and shook that hand.

  A burning warmth, no a heat, no his pride was conveyed.

  Chester stared directly into Roan’s eyes.

  “I definitely will not lose next time.”


  He spoke with a brusque voice and expression.

  Roan nodded his head.

  “I look forward to it.”


  The two’s hands lightly shook.

  Chester then turned his horse around and led his troops over the hill.

  Roan, who was left alone, gazed at the direction the two had disappeared to and deeply inhale.

  ‘Mills and Chester.’


  He didn’t expect that the two would possibly react like this.

  Of course, he couldn’t know whether their demeanors were true or false.

  It was because Mills and Chester were also very famous people in the last life.

  ‘Mills betrayed Rinse Kingdom and defected to the Estia Empire, and Chester started a rebellion after losing a political power struggle and was killed.’


  If their current attitudes were true, those events seemed impossible to occur.

  ‘Just what could have happened……’


  Just what broke Mills and Chester?

  Or just what broke the two people’s masks?

  Roan, who was a mere common spearman, couldn’t knew.

  He couldn’t knew of the truth that the royalties and the nobles’ veiled strifes were fiercer and more hideous than he had thought.

  Roan forcefully shook off the distracting thoughts and raised his right hand up high.

  “For now, we go to Tradi Castle!”


  The northern wind blew.

  “After resting, we will return to the capital, Miller! We……”


  A smile hung on Roan’s mouth.

  “Will return with confident and proud steps in triumph!”


  The northern wind blew once more.

  The wind headed towards the capital, Miller.

  Gazing towards the south, Roan whispered in a quiet voice.

  “Now……”


  He spoke with a soft voice and light in his eyes.

  “It is time to go home.”


  End.

  Translator: CSV

  Proofreader: st8_lupe.