Chapter 218 — Amaranth (18)
[That’s not it! Take a half breath and turn your body to the left and widely shake your spear left and right!]
A weird voice echoed inside the head.
The owner of the voice was Travias.
Roan creased his forehead and moved as he had said.
Instantly, a gap opened up between the hex dolls that were tightly lined up.
The sharp spearhead squeezed in between and threw up flames to left and right.
Bdoom!
Together with a roar, the hex dolls bounced out to the sides.
A soft movement and perfect strike.
‘To think something like this is possible.’
Roan exhaled a long sigh with a slightly shocked expression.
A situation where he would had forcibly poured down heavy attacks if it was before.
But now, he was able to create the greatest effect with the least movement and mana thanks to Travias’s instructions.
A satisfied smile floated up on his mouth.
But.
[I told you that’s not it. Ah, this really is frustrating.]
Travias still wasn’t satisfied with Roan’s movement and mana usage.
[And I can’t show you how since it hasn’t been that long since I woke up……]
Incomprehensible words.
[Look. I’m used like this.]
Even more incomprehensible words.
Roan tilted his head with puzzled look in his eyes.
At that moment.
Paat!
A hazy light flashed in front of his eyes, then a familiar man appeared.
The black uniformed Travias he met in the Vertex.
He had become a faint image and appear in front of Roan’s eyes.
Even more, he was holding a spear of same length and width as Roan.
[I can’t show you long because it’s exhausting, so look carefully and follow.]
Travias faintly smiled, then kicked off the ground.
At the abruptly unfolding situation, Roan faltered and couldn’t thoughtlessly move.
Travias, who was running ahead, looked back and frowned.
[No time! I told you follow me!]
A heavy shout.
Roan only then understood Travias’ words.
‘Got it.’
He sent his words through inside his head and quickly kicked off the ground.
Travias, with an expression that his words are finally getting through, rapidly swung his spear.
Roan meticulously watched his each and every movement through the Kalian’s Tears and copied him exactly.
The spear Travias’s image swung, seemingly visible only to Roan’s eyes, passed right through the hex dolls.
But because that movement was amazingly effective and destructive, Roan who was following that was able to see an incredible effect with small amount of strength.
Puuk! Pububuk! Puuk!
With a boom, the hex dolls were bisected into two or splattered away.
Truly an overwhelming might.
Gulp.
Taemusas who were following behind Roan and were wiping the battlefield dryly swallowed.
Reverence floated fully on their faces.
‘He was fearsome and powerful even before, but today’s somehow……’
‘I, it’s even beautiful……’
The Travias Spear that danced as it drew lines, crescents, and curves.
Crimson Flame split the azure air and left scarlet trails.
Roan was within that flame.
He was within the beautiful flame made of fire.
The spearhead and the spear moved like a single body and smote the hex dolls.
Pubuk!
Flames jumped together with blunt sounds and the hex dolls helplessly fell down.
Woosh! Woosh!
Together with the sound of air, the spear drew a circle and rapidly spun.
Roan, not only spinning his wrists, elbows, and shoulders, he bent his waist, kicked off the ground, and widely spun his body itself.
The spear drew a circle as it rode his shoulders and back and spewed out fire.
“Kkuuuuu!”
“Kkuaaaah!”
Each time, hex dolls fell down together with bizarre screams.
Kwaaang!
An explosive sound once again exploded out.
Simultaneously, the hex dolls that blocked the front were blasted away.
The view that suddenly opened up clear.
A beautiful flame blossomed on the desolate earth.
Roan completely dominated the battlefield.
No, he completely dominated the battle.
The victory was on the tip of his fingers and the tip of the spear.
Travias, who stood five, six steps ahead of Roan, cheerfully smiled and shrugged.
[How is it?]
Playful voice and expression.
Roan honestly answered.
‘It’s excellent.’
It was the moment the tens, hundreds of spearmanships he had studied and trained until now lost their shine.
The smile hanging on Travias’s mouth became much thicker.
In contrast, the faint image slowly became even fainter.
[This much must be the limit for today. I’ll have to quickly get more friendly with you. Only then I should last a bit longer. Anyhow, this is the very……]
Travias, right before completely disappearing, raised the spear he held.
[Travias Spearmanship.]
‘Travias Spearmanship……?’
Roan slightly creased his forehead.
It was a story he was hearing for the first time.
Obviously in this life, and even in the last life he had never heard of it.
But even so, he didn’t get greatly shocked or flustered.
‘Bekeil. The very reason that bastard was able to be called Spear Ghost must be because of this.’
The hint he heard the first time he met Travias in the Vertex.
That the secret hidden in the Travias Spear was that there was a powerful spearmanship that wasn’t known to the world hidden inside.
Roan looked down on the Travias Spear he grasped in his hand and formed a faint smile.
‘I look forwards to working with you.’
For himself to become stronger, he needed the Travias’s help absolutely.
But for some reason, Travias no longer had any reaction.
He could easily guess the reason.
‘His stamina must’ve fell down and have fallen asleep.’
To wake him up, he could only feed him his blood.
But a situation where the battle still hadn’t ended.
‘I can’t carelessly bleed blood.’
The intense hunger that would follow right after bleeding his blood was a worry.
Roan twisted his wrist and pointed with the spearhead at the hex dolls.
The tip of his mouth slightly went up.
An expression that somehow seemed slightly elated.
“Let’s hurry and finish.”
Roan wanted to quickly end the battle and wake Travias up.
The new spearmanship, and the appearance of a powerful spearmanship at that greatly excited him.
Tat!
Roan kicked off the ground.
The hex dolls that had lost the emotion called fear rushed towards Roan.
Sseuaaaak!
With a sharp sound of cutting through the air, the Travias Spear split the space.
Tuduk. Tuk.
Hideous heads poured down like a rain.
A crimson flower once again blossomed on the ghastly battlefield.
*****
“We can’t continue like this, sir.”
“There’s a limit with just the hex dolls.”
“They have already advanced right before the Longfort Castle.”
The hexers shouted with urgent voices.
“Hmm.”
Hex Master Hesul leaked a groan with a serious expression.
‘Roan Lancephil. He’s a man much more troublesome than I had thought.’
He didn’t think that the hex doll legion would fall this easily.
‘It’ll be problematic if Longfort castle is conquered……’
To complete the plan, at least ten more days of time were needed.
Hesul turned his head and looked at Simon sitting on a shabby throne.
A very peaceful and natural appearance from a glance.
But he was currently of a state where he was caught in Hesul and the hexers’ sealing hex and had lost his mind.
‘I’ll have to send this guy out with no choice left.’
The one with the strongest might amongst the individuals Hesul could control right now was Simon.
Although he had saved him until now to control the citizens that still followed him, this wasn’t the time to act leisurely.
‘We’ll buy time with Simon and the ones who follow Simon.’
A sinister light flashed in Hesul’s eyes.
‘Even Roan Lancephil should struggle a bit at the devil’s mana technique Pienville.’
A smile filled with certainty floated up.
Hesul drew a bizarre shape with his fingers and spoke in a cold and acidic voice.
“Simon.”
“Yes.”
Simon answered in a voice no different than usual.
With a satisfied expression, Hesul continued on.
“You personally lead your adjutants and march this time. March and cut off Roan Lancephil’s head.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Simon answered without a hint of hesitation.
Either way, he couldn’t refuse Hesul’s order.
The mind sealing hex was that powerful.
Of course, that was a story only applied in the case Simon’s state was perfectly normal.
In any way, the conscription and marching preparation order soon fell down with the Rinse Kingdom’s King Simon’s name.
A grand legion of more than twenty thousand filed up outside the Longfort Castle’s east gate.
Simultaneously, numerous nobles including administrators and warriors gathered in the grand hall while wearing brilliant armors.
Simon stood in front of the throne and looked down at them with a daring and haughty light in his eyes.
An imposing appearance.
But Hesul and the hexers who were watching this couldn’t help but burst out in laughter.
‘Kuk. Even though they’re just marionette dolls……’
More than tens of nobles and civil and military officers.
They too were under Hesul and the hexers’ mind control hex.
‘Controlling ordinary noble bastards’ mind is a simple work.’
The nobles and civil and military officials excluding Simon, because they hadn’t practiced powerful mana techniques like Pienville and showed unconditional loyalty to Simon in the first place, using Simon to scatter their minds and then placing mind control hex was a very simple job.
“All army will march.”
Simon, in a low voice as if to growl, gave the order.
“Yes. We will follow the command.”
Numerous nobles and civil and military officers bowed their heads and answered.
From a glance, an ordinary appearance of a sovereign and his subjects.
But they all were ultimately no more than marionette dolls dancing on top of Hesul’s palm.
‘Go out and fight to your fill.’
Hesul stared at Simon and the adjutants that exited out of the grand hall and formed a sinister smile.
If it was Simon, he should easily be able to hold about ten days as Roan’s opponent.
With a wave, he called the oldest amongst the hexers and the vice master Michel.
“You have to follow Simon and stop him from rampaging.”
“Eh? But doesn’t Simon and his adjutants only listen to master’s orders?”
“That problem……”
Hesul, with a quiet voice as if to whisper, continued his words.
“Should be solvable with this.”
From his fingers, he took off an old ring.
Instantly, Michel’s eyes widely opened.
Nervous that other hexers inside the grand hall would see, he quickly hid the ring with both hands.
“Master. Is this not the Ring of Divine Arts?”
The Ring of Divine Arts.
The mark of the hex master and a treasure amongst treasures where numerous valuable hexes were etched.
Hesul nodded his head.
“You can control and command Simon and his adjutants with this ring.”
Gulp.
Michel instinctively swallowed dryly.
His face brightly flushed.
Heated look was plain.
‘This bastard……’
Hesul thinly squinted his eyes.
The scowling eyes were fierce.
“Michel. Don’t hold any vain greed.”
A chilly voice.
“Eh?! Ah! Of course, sir. There never, never will be any event of having other intent.”
Michel quickly lowered his head.
A cold sweat flowed behind his back.
‘I have to be careful. Comparing just hexes and divine power, I’m no opponent for the master.’
His adam’s apple harshly shook.
Hesul quietly stared at the back of that Michel’s head, then spoke in a small voice as if to chide.
“I am not worrying of something else.”
An unexpectedly warm voice.
“If Simon were to rampage by chance, even your life could become endangered. Thus you absolutely must make sure to watch the guy with care so that he doesn’t rampage.”
The instant his words finished, Michel deeply bowed his head.
“Yes. I will engrave it in my mind, sir.”
Slightly trembling voice.
He feared Hesul.
Hesul formed an odd smile as he nodded his head.
“Do return safely.”
A farewell.
Michel only then raised his head and exited out of the grand hall after saying his leave.
Hesul looked at Michel’s back that hurriedly moved and formed a much odder smile.
‘Michel.’
A sinister light flowed in his eyes.
‘It is fine if you follow my words, and also fine if you do not.’
The smile turned much thicker.
‘Do as you wish.’
An inconceivable intent.
A strange air flowed with Hesul at the center.
Whether knowing or not knowing such circumstance, the marching preparation ended in an instant.
Because it was a situation where Roan and his Lancephil Fief Regiment had entered into the Infec Region, a preparation to some degree had been prepared even in normal days.
Vvuuuuu!
Together with a sound of horn, the grand army filed up outside the Longfort Castle’s east gate began to move.
The kingdom banner and the king’s flag of blue hues took on the southern wind and violently fluttered.
The one standing at the head and leading the army was Simon of a brilliantly armored look.
And the one who stuck right next to that and was riding a horse was the hex vice master Michel.
He glancingly turned his head and looked at the Longfort Castle.
Hesul was standing on the east gate’s rampart.
Uddk.
HIs teeth grinded.
Just going by the original age, Hesul was a brat twenty seven years younger than Michel.
‘If only that brat didn’t exist……’
He would have been the hex master.
‘But I cannot defeat him with hex and divine power.’
A situation where he had to live all his life satisfied as vice master.
Michel, whose aspiration and ambition were big, couldn’t accept such reality.
‘I was simply despondent because there was no way, but……’
Michel hazily smiled and looked at his left hand.
The old ring worn on the forefinger, the Ring of Divine arts received light and twinkled.
‘If I just have the Ring of Divine Arts, I can drag down Hesul brat and become the master.’
A brilliant future spread through within his head.
His gaze naturally headed towards Simon.
‘I will obtain this guy in my hands with the ring.’
Simon’s adjutants too the same.
It was to make Hesul’s marionette dolls into his own.
‘Kukuku. So I can place a kingdom’s king and ministers into my grasp and flex……’
It was something thrilling enough for his hair to stand.
‘Hexers’ revenge? What use is that? Kuk.’
He didn’t wish to mind of the humiliation, pain that the ancestors suffered hundreds of years ago.
‘I will put up a puppet king and come to monopolize all the power and wealth.’
Michel rubbed the Ring of Divine Arts and deeply breathed in.
More than his kin’s revenge, his own advancement came first.
His eyes twinkled with a bright light.
That was the light of a truly foolish man in the eyes.
But Michel did not quite know.
That Hesul had already predicted his such vain ambition and greed.
But there was one thing even that Hesul could not predict.
And as a result of that, his life began to flow in a course that absolutely could not be expected.
And in a direction that no one wished for.
End.